Abbey-Roads2

What to focus upon?

When I saw the above photo on Fr. Z’s blog I was startled.  I was taken by surprise that Mass would, could, be celebrated before the Blessed Sacrament exposed.  Come to find out - after reading comments to the post, it was permitted in the Tridentine Liturgical norms for the third day of 40 Hours Devotion - or something to that effect. 

Don’t contradict. 

That said, one commenter in particular took issue with the photo - obviously unaware that the practice is, was, allowed.  He politely presented the objection that such practice is forbidden by current liturgical norms.  Anyone who has Perpetual Adoration at their parish knows that adoration is interrupted for the celebration of Mass, thus, those of us who worship according to the reformed rubrics, Novus Ordo, whatever - think it is a bit odd to celebrate Mass before the Blessed Sacrament exposed for adoration.

What Law do you follow? 

The fact that Canon Law also forbids the practice must not interest Traditionalists - some of whom took a rather imperious tone with the poor Brother who wrote his objections.  [Which brings up another problem - do Traditionalists accept anything after Vatican II?  And is it so much beneath them to be charitable towards those who don't understand what they are doing all of the time?  But I digress.]  Anyway - this is what Canon Law states:

“Can. 941 - 2. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament may not take place while Mass is being celebrated in the same area of the church or oratory.”

Holier than the Church?

I don’t know what part of that Canon people don’t get and how they could become impatient with a person who innocently thought a priest could be in conflict with the said Canon; or even imagine himself above the rules, legislation, or at least the ‘mind‘ of the post-Conciliar Church.

Looking down one’s nose.

It seems to me one of the main reasons traditional Catholics may question the practices of Traditional Catholics is because not a few of them often come off as rather pompous, snobbish individuals, while in select circumstances, rather arrogant and pontifical in their condescending  attitude towards others - regardless of rank or class.  This may also be another reason why some people feel their “communities” are not all that inviting for people to even want to join. 

Who does?

The Church.  Trads celebrate the feast of St. Therese on October 3rd.  Her feast on the ne calendar seems more appropriate for October 1st, since the date is closest to the day of her death, September 30th - which St. Jerome owns.  This happens a lot you know.  The TLM calendar doesn’t match up with the reformed calendar, and therefore the TLM calendar retains the old dates and makes no provision for the newly canonized. 

When is the feast of Christ the King in your church? 

Then there is the other difficulty of mismatched readings - at least the gospel - during the year.  I know the entire lectio is different in the TLM - however, reforming/renewing the calendar - even maintaining a consistency with the epistle and gospel, that shouldn’t be viewed as something detrimental to the integrity of the TLM, should it?  At present, it is like two Churches - not unlike  the Ukrainian rite and the Latin rite - which Latin rite? - the Ordinary or the Extraordinary?  See what I mean. 

I think that whole issue should be addressed.  Let’s have a new Council! 

Art: Council of Trent

Peter Canisius

There is a group in the archdiocese of Minneapolis/St. Paul who go around to various parishes looking for liturgical abuses and homosexuals.  One of their members has been known to pour blessed olive oil and sprinkle exorcism salt around various churches.  Another one - maybe the same guy, who goes by the name Peter Canisius, sends email alerts about abuses and homosexual activities in various parishes to Catholic bloggers across the country.  Members of this group, some of whom may have once earned a bit of fame as whistle blowers elsewhere, struggle to keep themselves in good standing with chancery people in order to discredit certain priests, religious, and lay folk.  These same people, who function like a catholic gestapo, have the ear of a few prominent priests, who hopefully try and guide them away from their lives of calumny and detraction.

Spirit Daily

Over the past couple of years a few of us in the blogging community jumped on Peter Canisius’ stories - not a few of which proved false.  Hopefully, we have learned our lesson.  Obviously some bloggers haven’t, and Spirit Daily, the Catholic tabloid of gossip and misinformation and scary end-times stories, usually buys into Canisius’ scandal mongering.  One example concerns a meditation room at the St. Lawrence Newman Center, under the care of the Paulist Fathers.  (See the Spirit Daily post here.)

Spirit daily ran the Peter Canisius’ story - with photos - of the prayer room wherein “icons” by Robert Lentz, of Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King, Gandhi, and another of Our Lady of the Disappeared hang on the wall around a crucifix.  The email I received said - “St. Paul Archdiocese canonizes new saints.”  That is misleading and contentious - until the photos emerged, the archdiocese most likely wouldn’t have been aware of the images.  The images of the lay people, which only imitate the style of icons, are heroes of peace and justice, and inspiration for human rights activists - especially Catholic human rights activists.  While it is true that the images ought not to be exposed for veneration, they may have their place as a work of art in a hallway or conference room.

Our Lady of the Disappeared.

On the other hand, the image of Our Lady of the Disappeared can indeed be considered an image of devotion which permits veneration.  Canisius and Spirit Daily falsely claim this image is from an apparition - which Canisius claims the archdiocese has approved of.  The following is what he wrote in his email:

This particular image originally painted by Lentz is based upon an icon of the Sorrowful Mother, which Lentz interpreted to represent the intercession of the Mother of God for the missing of the Argentinian “Dirty War” between 1976 and 1983.  The Asociación Madres de Plaza de Mayo   wore white scarves similar to Our Lady’s as depicted in Lentz’ image.  Devotionally there is absolutely nothing wrong with this particular image.

The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo

The Mothers’ association was formed by women who had met each other in the course of trying to find their missing sons and daughters, who were abducted by agents of the Argentine government during the years known as the Dirty War (1976–1983), many of whom were then tortured and killed. The 14 founders of the association, Azucena Villaflor de De Vincenti, Berta Braverman, Haydée García Buelas, María Adela Gard de Antokoletz, Julia Gard, María Mercedes Gard and Cándida Gard (4 sisters), Delicia González, Pepa Noia, Mirta Baravalle, Kety Neuhaus, Raquel Arcushin, Sra. De Caimi, started the demonstrations on the Plaza de Mayo, in front of the Casa Rosada presidential palace, on 30 April 1977. Villaflor had been searching for one of her sons and her daughter-in-law for six months. She was taken to the ESMA concentration camp on 10 December 1978. 

The military have admitted that over 9,000 of those kidnapped are still unaccounted for, but the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo say that the number is closer to 30,000. The numbers are hard to determine due to the secrecy surrounding the abductions. Three of the founders of the mothers of the Plaza de Mayo have also “disappeared”. After the fall of the military regime, a civilian government commission put the number of disappeared at close to 11,000. - Source

Scandal

So here is what you do if you find something scandalous in a local parish.  Speak to the pastor first.  Calmly, politely and respectfully explain why you are scandalized.  If that doesn’t work, contact the chancery, and calmly, politely, and respectfully ask them to handle it.  Do not spread lies and misinformation across the Internet, or deface Church property.

And the novelty of Mass outdoors.

Fall festivals at parish churches are very important fund raiser events - and great for the community.  It is not uncommon for some parishes to hold Sunday Mass outdoors for the occasion.  I find it hard to understand that, when there is a church on site that can hold all the congregants (an exception could be when there is an outdoor shrine with an altar), and especially when elements of the regular Sunday Mass held within the church are usually casual and distracting enough - without celebrating outside in a carnival atmosphere.

Call me a kill-joy, but people in China and Muslim countries would love to have a church to celebrate Mass in.

[This post carries on my theme of the day - lack of reverence for the Eucharist.]

The loss of reverence.

Last evening I watched the film Bernadette  on EWTN.  It was very good - very well acted, and it showed religious life as it must have been in the saint’s day, which was fairly close to how it was for the school sisters who taught me when I was in elementary school.  The other thing that was accurately portrayed is the ordinary reverence that was shown for the Blessed Sacrament.  When the priest brought Viaticum to the often near death Sr. Marie Bernard, he was accompanied by altar boys, carrying lit candles and ringing a bell, the priest was dressed in cassock and surplice, using a humeral veil, and when the ciborium was exposed, it too was covered with a veil.

Barbarians in the sanctuary.

Today Mr. and Mrs. Eucharistic Minister, or Sr. Mary Chaplain go in and out of the tabernacle at will.  Placing the Blessed Sacrament in a pix that slips easily into a pocket or a purse, and is indecorously carried to the sick or infirm, not infrequently with a stop at the store or several friendly conversations with passers-by on the way to the communicant.  (God bless them however - without these people, many others  would be denied Holy Communion.)  I have also seen a priest or two get home from a hospital visit and set the sick call purse - with a consecrated host - on the kitchen counter with his keys.  Explaining he’ll “put the host away later.”  I know - call me crazy for thinking this is sloppy treatment of the Blessed Sacrament.

Anyone can do it.

Occasionally, at a church I frequent, where adoration takes place one day a week; the Blessed Sacrament - already exposed - must be transferred to a small chapel because a funeral Mass will be celebrated in the church, or the school Mass is scheduled for late morning.  The priest always makes the transfer, albeit without ceremony.  However, after the funeral is over, a lay person is sometimes expected to move the monstrance back into the church.  [If lay people distribute communion and carry it around with them in a pants pocket, why not I guess?]

When devotion gets far too casual.

Such an indecorous transfer took place once or twice while I was there.  On one occasion a man went to move the monstrance back into the sanctuary - I thought I would accompany him and carry a candle to at least try and show some reverence.  I walked into the chapel to join him and found the man standing with the monstrance casually held over his shoulder while he leaned against the doorway speaking to another parishioner.  It felt as if my heart fell into the pit of my stomach - I didn’t know what to do - I couldn’t believe my eyes.  The man wasn’t deliberately being irreverent - he is a daily Mass/communicant, with free access to the tabernacle and the sanctuary, and I just think he is simply too familiar, while many traditional boundaries and ritual have been blurred or eliminated - at great cost.

Familiarity breeds sacrilege and indifference. 

At Fatima the Holy Spirit directed our attention to two very great sins of our time, the “outrages, sacrileges, and indifference” suffered by Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and the sins of blasphemy committed against the Immaculate Virgin Mary.  Many people believe the relevance of the apparitionss and message of Fatima is over, yet they fail to understand that circumstances have worsened.  It is we, the faithful, along with priests and religious, who treat the Blessed Sacrament with indifference and commit sacrilege in how we handle Our Lord under the guise of the consecrated host.  

Ignorance due to the lack of correct catecheses - especially in RCIA.

On a few blogs this past week, as well as on a few others several more weeks ago, when discussing teen pregnancy and out of wedlock births, some Catholics offered that they thought it not such a bad thing, since the Blessed Virgin was also an unwed mother, as well as a teenager at the moment of the Incarnation.  Their comparison is outrageous and demonstrates how little these people understand theology and Mariology and the dogmas of the Roman Catholic faith.  It is an insult to the perfect virginity of the most holy Mother of God, as well as the Virgin Birth of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ. 

God save us from presumption and ignorance.  May he instill in us a holy fear and reverence for the Mystery of Faith and the Immaculate Conception.

Links:

Carrying the Blessed Sacrament to the Sick.

Minister of Exposition

[Art: The viaticum of Bl. Junipero Serra]

Looking for the devil in the details.

There is a group in the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis who seem to travel from church to church looking for heretics and homosexuals.  They seem to have set themselves up as inquisitors for their own Holy Office.  Disagree with them or criticise their tactics and you are labeled a liberal, a progresive, a gay, or an outright heretic.

The latest brouhaha is over the upcoming Republican National Convention - and the gay activist boycott or protest that is rumored to take place there.  Whatever - how does this concern the Inquisition?  Well, I already got one crazy email suggesting a respectable Catholic man, and a group of religious would be supporting whoever is planning to protest.  That is outright defamation and calumny.  Yet this person claims she is working for the Church.

Idle hands…

This morning I received another email - which is why I am posting when I said I wouldn’t - claiming our local dissident parish, St. Joan’s hosted an event with Buddhist monks.  The title of the email was, “Buddhist monks concelebrate Eucharist at St. Joan of Arc.”  That is an out and out lie - again, it is defamation and calumny.  This is what really happened - a month ago!  (And yet the email arrives today as if the event is taking place this weekend - that is dissimulation at best.):

“St. Joan of Arc Church is hosting an interfaith prayer for the people of Tibet that will include blessings from nearly every faith practice from Catholic and Lutheran to Hindu and Zen.

Highlighting the event will be reflections by the former abbot of Kumbum Monastery in Tibet, Arjia Rinpoche, and sacred chants by the Gyuto Tantric Choir. Twin Cities vocalist Robert Robertson also will perform.” - Mpls Star/Tribune Dated July 25, 2008

Witch hunt.

From what I understand it was simply an interfaith service - not a Eucharist - and it was held in the gym, where Sunday liturgies take place, even though it is not a consecrated church - St. Joan’s has a separate church.  After checking with the parish, I realized the event was held a month ago - nothing is scheduled for this Sunday as was implied in the email alert.  Several years ago, progressive staff at St. Paul Seminary hosted a Buddhist prayer service in the seminary chapel, wherein a monk sat upon the altar.  Those days are over in our Archdiocese however - and it is quite obvious these self-appointed inquisitors do not know what to do with themelves in the meantime.  (Why would they send out old news items a month later?)

We have Archbishop Nienstedt now!  So pray and don’t worry.  (Although these people seem intent upon finding devils even in Archbishop Nienstedt’s actions.  False emails defaming a woman recently named as chancellor of canonical affairs for the archdiocese have been circulating ever since the announcement was made.  I think it is fairly obvious where the devil is in these details.) 

Baptism and eternal salvation. 

When I was little, probably in first grade, I was so impressed by the doctrine that baptism is necessary for salvation, that I used to carry a jar of water with me whenever my family went for a drive.  I knew that any baptized Catholic could baptize a person in danger of death if a priest was not available.  I found an old briefcase to carry the jar of water in, and I included a prayerbook with prayers for the dying as well.  I carried it everywhere, just in case we came across an accident or someone in danger of death.  Yes, I was roundly mocked.

As a small child, I had a vivid imagination concerning hell, limbo, purgatory, and eternal salvation.  I knew my parents were living outside the state of grace - primarily because my mom was a divorced remarried Catholic, neither parent ever attended church, and my mother sometimes told me she wasn’t in the state of grace.  Thus I prayed constantly for them - so great was my fear of eternal damnation - I hated the thought of anyone going to hell.  Of course the concept of hell frightened me, but what scared me much more, was the idea that hell was eternal - so I prayed ardently that no one would have to go there.  (In the end my parents died ‘happy deaths’.)

I mention all of this as background for my outrage at the fact some ministers of the Catholic Church have not taken this doctrine as seriously as it should have been taken.  The revelation that the feminist, gender-neutral formula of baptism is not only illicit, but also invalid, is rather distressing to anyone who takes their faith seriously.  I’ve posted about this before, it isn’t an issue of language or politics, it is an issue dealing with eternal salvation.  Something feminist Gnostics obviously do not take seriously.

Will diocesean officials begin to do something about it?

Pewsitter News  has a piece on how the Brisbane Archdiocese is now having to deal with the issue.  At one church hundreds of baptisms before 2004 were performed using the illicit/invalid formula.  However, the chancellor for the Archdiocese is claiming that such  baptisms are only illicit and not invalid.  Obviously he must be misinformed or making it up, because the original  Vatican announcement clearly stated  that all such baptisms were not only illicit, but invalid, and those baptised using the Gnostic formula would have to be re-baptized.

Does anyone else see this as a big deal?  Does anyone else think this is bigger than the sexual abuse scandal?  Isn’t the Catholic Church supposed to be about the salvation of souls?  Yet the Brisbane Archdiocesan chancellor, Fr. Jim Spence gave reporters this assuring news:

It doesn’t mean it’s invalid, it just means it’s illicit, he said.

“It doesn’t mean that it didn’t happen, it means that it shouldn’t have happened.

“I guess (those affected) would have all sorts of reactions. I would hope that anybody whos troubled by it would get in touch.”

Baptism, the first of seven sacraments in the church, is the rite of initiation into the church and is usually administered shortly after birth.

Fr Spence said the illicit baptisms did not invalidate subsequent sacraments, including confirmation, penance and marriage. - Couriermail.com.au 

BS!  Sounds like a cover to me.  I’d go ahead and have the baptism done over.  And yes - an illicit/invalid baptism does indeed invalidate subsequent sacraments.  Now, can’t you see how this could affect a soul’s eternal salvation?

I still can’t get my mind around this.

Feminist priests - not women priests - but the PC boyz - baptising kids using gender-neutral language; the baptisms were not only illicit, but invalid. 

Just think, Fr. John Doe’s parents were members of a dissident/progressive parish.  Little Johnny was baptised using the following formula:

 ”I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier.” - Words Matter

What’s the big deal? 

He’s not even a Christian!  None of the other sacraments he received were valid.  His ordination was not valid, so every Mass he celebrated was invalid - no Eucharist, no absolution, no last sacraments were ever administered by him, no marriages… nothing.  Now.  Do you see why it matters for liberal, dissident/protestant Catholic faith communities to follow the rubrics and ritual of the Roman Catholic Church?  And called to task when they fail to do so?

Wasn’t someone supposed to be in charge when all of this crap was going on?

Art: “End of his rope: the suicide of Fr. Ryan Erickson.” Ex-voto. - T.N.

Liturgical anarchy.

I never could figure that out - why after renovation of a parish church to look like a gym, parishioners chose to worship in the school gym anyway?  That is what they did at St. Stephen’s - they made up their own liturgy and held it in the gym.  The “spirits” guiding these folk discourage liturgical  rubrics, rules of order, and obedience to the Magisterium.  Naturally, to be Roman Catholic, a parish is obliged to follow the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), that isn’t too much to ask.  Unless elements within the worshipping community are not Roman Catholic, in that case, the honest thing to do would be to go elsewhere for worship.

In the Gospel, several followers left Jesus after our Lord revealed himself as the Bread of Life, proclaiming, “if you do not eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you.” (Jn. 6)  “From this time on, many of his disciples broke away and would not remain in his company any longer.”  (Jn. 6)  Just so, some of the parishioners at St. Stephens have found the integrity to move off Church grounds to celebrate worship services which accord with their personal piety elsewhere.

Some of the protestors chose to remain behind in the school gym to conduct their eucharistic celebration, an act of “holy resistance” - as the above photo demonstrates.  The woman performing the ‘elevation’  of the wine at the end is a Sister of St. Joseph.

Thankfully, the new pastor, Fr. Joseph Williams, is a very kind and holy priest, he will be an immense blessing for those in the parish who hunger for authentic worship, in spirit and truth.  He arrives on the Sunday after Easter, supported by the faithful of the archdiocese and much prayer.

(Topmost photo:  Laetare Sunday Procession of protestant Catholics leaving the school gym for their new “underground” church.)

Links:

Photos and story of the migration: The Wild Reed

All the background you need on the ruckus:  Stella Borealis