January 2009 Archives

From the Catholic Encyclopedia:

As Christ wished to fulfill the law and to show His descent according to the flesh from Abraham. He, though not bound by the law, was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), and received the sublime name expressive of His office, Jesus, i.e. Saviour. He was, as St. Paul says, "made under the law", i.e. He submitted to the Mosaic Dispensation, "that he might redeem them who were under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:4, 5). "The Christ, in order to fulfil all justice, was required to endure this humiliation, and bear in His body the stigma of the sins which He had taken upon Himself" (Fouard, A Life of Jesus, tr., I, 54).

I'm not usually a fan of using a lot of YouTube videos. It's rare for me to click on them. But I found this over at the blog Catholic Church Conservation by the erudite and gracious Mr. Gillibrand.

Some of these scenes may make you cry. And not in a good way.

This would mean that Ecclesia Dei, and Traditionalists would be a little less marginalized, ghettoized (is that a word?) and a little more mainstream. Becoming mainstream has obvious pros and less obvious cons. Sometimes being in "resistance mode" is energizing to a movement. But for those who see that as a problem, the notion that being a Traditionalists is "disobedient" or "disrespectful" will be minimized.

I would sum this up as a brilliant strategic move on the part of the Holy Father who has achieved more in his pontificate to restore Tradition than I had dreamed possible. Vive il Papa!

Friday, January 09, 2009
Rumor Watch: Ecclesia Dei to Become Part of CDW?
by Gregor Kollmorgen

Via the French blog Le Salon Beige comes this extract from the French publication Monde & Vie (NLM translation):

The Pope intends to take advantage of the appointment of his liege man [Card. Cañizares Llovera] to head the Congregation for Divine Worship in order to profoundly reorganise the Commission Ecclesia Dei, of which it so happens that Cardinal Cañizares is already a member. According to the rumor, which does not seem to be just a hallway rumour, Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos who has long reached the age limit, would cede his post to his current second, a personal friend of Pope Ratzinger, Monsignor Camille Perl, who would be consecrated bishop for this reason. And the Commission would then be attached to the Congregation for Divine Worship, assuming, within the framework of one dicastery, the responsibility of the traditional form of the Roman rite, under the charge of Cardinal Cañizares. [...] This means in any case that the Commission Ecclesia Dei establishes itself in the ecclesiastical landscape. In addition, its anticipated director, Msgr Perl is certainly the man in Rome who best knows the traditionalist world, its ways, its outlines or its detours. He has the ear of the Pope for a long time. On more than one occasion his diplomacy has worked wonders.

Such an integration of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei into the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments would indeed be excellent for several reasons. It would clearly and unmistakably demonstrate, as the article mentions, that the usus antiquior is now a normal and regular part of the life and liturgy of the Church, attended to by a regular discastery of the Curia, and one of the most important at that, and not by a Special Commission named after a now obsolete indult. It makes sense that the curial authority charged with the Sacred Liturgy should have competence over both forms of the Roman Rite, not only because, once again, the Extraordinary Form is a living and regular part of the Sacred Liturgy, and not some isolated special interest concern, but also because, as we have seen, there are many questions which concern both forms, and where a seperate treatment of the same question can cause frictions. And the intgeration would also bring a number of curial officials experienced in the questions of the usus antiquior into the CDW, where still many officials have very little knowledge of it and are sometimes completely unaware of its content and rubrics. This, it might be hoped and expected, would greatly help the reform of the reform, since the liturgical tradition represented by the usus antiquior would become a daily presence within the Congregation. Nevertheless, this is as yet only a rumour, and should be treated as such.

Labels: Camille Perl, Cardinal Castrillón, Cardinal Cañizares, PCED, Rumour Watch

Posted by Gregor Kollmorgen on 9.1.09

[from the New Liturgical Movement Blog]

Fr. Pendergraft, FSSP (Director of Communications)
Time: 6pm Latin Mass (Talk follows Mass)
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Place: Downstairs chapel at Sts. Peter & Paul Basilica, Lewiston,
Maine. Please bring and/or invite anyone interested in learning
more about the Latin Mass. Father will be speaking about the
Latin Mass Training for Priests DVD (http://www.fsspdvd.com/),
the FSSP (http://www.fssp.com), current work and future
prospects and will be taking questions.

If you know of any priest who is interested in learning the
Extraordinary Form of the Mass, please give him this information.
This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Latin Mass.
Central Maine (Augusta and further north!) is in DIRE need of a
weekly Latin Mass for the faithful. Let's stop all these churches
from closing! The Latin Mass does not draw just the older
generation. It attracts the younger generation who are longing
to keep their children Catholic in this world that lacks more morals
day by day!

I like to play these pieces while I work on the computer. Who needs CDs anymore? But if you wanted the CD for while you are at work or in the car, you can go here.

Worcester Chamber Music Society

presents

"Transfigured Night"

Museum of Russian Icons
203 Union Street
Clinton, MA

Sunday January 18, 2009 3:00 PM - Clinton, MA

Ginastera Impresiones de la Puna for flute and strings
Schumann Piano Quintet in E-flat Major
Strauss Frülingsstimmen
Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht

Ticket Information: All seats are General Admission. The tickets will be mailed to you. Tickets purchased after January 12, 2009 will be held at the door.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with the explicit approval of Pope Benedict XVI, applying a synthesis of Catholic thinking and the Errors of Russia, declared on Sept. 8th (the Nativity of Our Lady!) that you may inject aborted baby "biological material" into your children's veins:

Grave reasons may be morally proportionate to justify the use of such “biological material”. Thus, for example, danger to the health of children could permit parents to use a vaccine which was developed using cell lines of illicit origin, while keeping in mind that everyone has the duty to make known their disagreement and to ask that their healthcare system make other types of vaccines available. Dignitas Personae no. 35.

This is the same teaching we've been getting for years from "Priests for Life," a birth-control promotion agency. For more information on Catholic birth control, click here.

Will be in the Lourdes Chapel, Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Thursday, January 22, 2009 at 9:45 AM.

For more information on the March for Life 2009 go here.

With a President elect who has vowed to sign the euphemistically named Freedom of Choice Act let's hope for a very strong prolife showing.

An interesting aside, I heard that the Christendom College students will be carrying the first banner to begin the March, a great honor I am sure.

A Dec. 15, 2008 report from the Congregation for Catholic Education gives our Novus Ordo seminaries a clean bill of health, based on pre-orchestrated visits in 2005 and 2006:

The general conclusion, therefore, of the Visitation was positive. While there are some institutes that continue to be inadequate, the diocesan seminaries are, in general, healthy. Let bishops, major superiors and rectors ... take comfort in the notable improvements that have taken place.

The Apostolic Visit was obliged to point out the difficulties, in the area of morality, that some seminaries had suffered in past decades. Usually, but not exclusively, this meant homosexual behavior. Nevertheless, in almost all the institutes where such problems existed, at least in the diocesan seminaries, the appointment of better superiors (especially rectors) has ensured that such difficulties have been overcome. ... Nevertheless, there are still some places—usually centers of formation for religious—where ambiguity vis-à-vis homosexuality persists. In this context, the Congregation underscores the importance of its 2005 Instruction concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders.

As much as I would like to ignore it and as much as the 60 million of us who voted for John McCain might like to ignore it, today Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in as president to the shouts of adoring millions. If you are interested in seeing a short video of how Obama massacred the oath of office you can go here. (it takes a little while to load).

But that is not the massacre that we are worried about. Naturally it is the continuing massacre of the millions of unborn who will never enjoy civil rights, life, liberty or the pursuit of happiness. Jobs, healthcare and economic growth will mean nothing to them. It will be interesting to see if the millions on the Mall today will be matched by millions of prolifers who will go to Washington, D.C. on Thursday, January 22, to protest the killing of the innocent that was codified in Roe versus Wade in 1973. Let's hope so.

Since the election, and the disbelief that has ensued by many, I see troubling evidence that all who do not get in line to worship "the Messiah" will be immediately suspect. This morning at a doctor's appointment my son was asked if when he returned to school he would be watching the Inauguration. He replied that no, he would not. The question was then asked "Where DO you go to school?" in a decidedly chilling manner.

We have also heard sermons comparing the day when Our Lord proclaimed in the temple Isaiah 61:1:

1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up.
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God: to comfort all that mourn:

to the Inauguration of Barack Obama. (yes this was in a Catholic Church).

We've seen Op-ed's that seem to imply that Barack Obama's election is a good thing because of the terrible evil of racism. I wonder how many people have been killed by racism? A few perhaps but millions?

To have voted against Barack Obama will result in being declared racist, just as being Catholic has been declared synonymous with anti-semitism and a whole lot of other antis.

This latest video by the Fidelis Center is making the rounds. I cannot embed it but here is the link if you would like to view it. While I understand the sentiment- that Barack Obama is a life that some might have viewed should have ended in abortion, on the other hand where were these videos BEFORE the election? Where were the Bishops who suddenly found their voices on November 11, 2008 calling for defiance to FOCA and for Catholics to uphold prolife principles, not to mention live by them. It was about a week too late for that message as we saw 53% of Catholics (so-called) vote for Obama.

And so we will reap what we sow and for those Bishops and priests who remained silent or even God forbid voted for Obama, and did so because of the "tax exempt status" then how can we escape the conclusion that their silence was an effort to secure blood money. And that when given a choice between protecting the innocent and your tax deductible donation they chose the money? And how is money set on the altar of expediency anything other than an idol?

In an absolutely stunning development, according to the graciousness of His Holiness Benedict XVI, there no longer exists the cloud of schism hanging over the SSPX. While this is only the beginning of the reconciliation, and does not approve of the 1988 consecrations of Archbishop Lefebvre, it entirely changes the face of the Traditional movement in the Church. And further, although this doesn't grant any faculties or authority to the bishops and priests, it eases the consciences of those attending their Masses, who need no longer fear joining in schism.

The text of the decree is taken from the Rorate Caeli blog. At the same website there is also a gracious letter from Bishop Fellay, SSPX.

Decree of the Congregation for Bishops

By way of a letter of December 15, 2008 addressed to His Eminence Cardinal Dario Castrillón Hoyos, President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Mons. Bernard Fellay, also in the name of the other three Bishops consecrated on June 30, 1988, requested anew the removal of the latae sententiae excommunication formally declared with the Decree of the Prefect of this Congregation on July 1, 1988. In the aforementioned letter, Mons. Fellay affirms, among other things: "We are always firmly determined in our will to remain Catholic and to place all our efforts at the service of the Church of Our Lord Jesus Christ, which is the Roman Catholic Church. We accept its teachings with filial disposition. We believe firmly in the Primacy of Peter and in its prerogatives, and for this the current situation makes us suffer so much."

His Holiness Benedict XVI - paternally sensitive to the spiritual unease manifested by the interested party due to the sanction of excommunication and trusting in the effort expressed by them in the aforementioned letter of not sparing any effort to deepen the necessary discussions with the Authority of the Holy See in the still open matters, so as to achieve shortly a full and satisfactory solution of the problem posed in the origin - decided to reconsider the canonical situation of Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta, arisen with their episcopal consecration.

With this act, it is desired to consolidate the reciprocal relations of confidence and to intensify and grant stability to the relationship of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X with this Apostolic See. This gift of peace, at the end of the Christmas celebrations, is also intended to be a sign to promote unity in the charity of the universal Church and to try to vanquish the scandal of division.

It is hoped that this step be followed by the prompt accomplishment of full communion with the Church of the entire Fraternity of Saint Pius X, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope with the proof of visible unity.

Based in the faculty expressly granted to me by the Holy Father Benedict XVI, in virtue of the present Decree, I remit to Bishops Bernard Fellay, Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, Richard Williamson, and Alfonso de Galarreta the censure of latae sententiae excommunication declared by this Congregation on July 1, 1988, while I declare deprived of any juridical effect, from the present date, the Decree emanated at that time.

Rome, from the Congregation for Bishops, January 21, 2009.

Card. Giovanni Battista Re
Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops

I was able to interview David Clayton, artist in residence at Thomas More College It is beautiful to see a Catholic whose vocation is fulfilled and informed by his Faith.

1. Can you talk about your upbringing and how you came to have an artist's appreciation for beauty in addition to the discipline for engineering? The impression many people have is that math and art are exclusive, either you have a talent for one or the other and that the life of an artist is undisciplined.

I was brought up in the North of England (between a place called Chester and Liverpool). Both my parents were interested in art and drawing and so we were encouraged to draw and paint as youngsters (I have two brothers and a sister). My grandfather worked as a commercial artist. The high school I went to was not strong on art, being more focussed on the traditional academic discplines, so there was very little chance to study it there, and nobody went from my high school to art school. Science is what I was good at at school, so when I went to university, I applied for science courses. I started to paint again when I was doing my masters in engineering for relaxation. I entered a competition at the college, Michigan Tech, and won the best of show award. I have never found any conflict between art and science. Regarding the lack of discipline in art: this may be so in the modern art school, but traditionally, it was a craft that required a huge amount of discipline and application using all aspects of the mind -- intuitive, rational.

2. I understand that you have a dramatic conversion from Atheism to Catholicism. Can you explain what happened. How did your family and friends react to your conversion?

It's too long and detailed to describe it fully here - even this brief version might be too long for you!. But I had a crisis of unhappiness in my late 20s and needed help. I met someone who suggested that I pray. I was so desperate that I did and things changed. I continued to pray and then lead a better life whilst I never saw huge dramatic results, it gave me the conviction that it was the basis of a happier life. The thing that motivated me to listen to the person who influenced me was that he seemed happy - he had something worth having. And also, he didn't push it on my, he quietly talked about what worked for him without appearing to proselytise. Also, he took me from where I was. He knew that I wouldn't have gone to Mass, so he started just by suggesting the I pray. That opened the door. I then did lots of reading and investigation and looked at other religions, Islam interested me at the time, but Christianity was the one that seemed to be the most uncomprimising in asking me to act for the good of others -love. I wasn't sure I liked that necessarily, but i believed that it was right and that in the long run it offered, therefore, a happy life. So I became a Christian. This process took about three years. Then I started to shop around the Christian churches, talking to priests and ministers etc. I chose Catholicism for a number of reasons: I had seen some impressive people whom I respected and were Catholics; the thing that seemed to unite all the other churches, including the Orthodox, that whatever they thought about each other, they were certain that Catholicism was wrong. This made me curious, especially as the Catholics just described what they believed - ie presented the positive more than the negative. I found that for the most part the things that were said about the Catholics were usually not true, or if they were, the Catholic reasons for their beliefs were convincing. The Catholic priests were the most impressive men of the cloth. Finally, I mentioned to my friend, who had suggested that i pray several years before, that I was looking at churches to join. He said, why don't you try this one? He told me where the building was and I remember him saying two or three times: if you go, make sure you go at 11am. He had directed me to the High Mass at the London Oratory. This is still (perhaps equalled only by the Birmingham Oratory), the most beautiful liturgy I have ever seen. I arrived slightly late and wandered in the church. The choir was singing Palestrina. I had never heard polyphany before and it instantly made me think of angels. There was the smell of incense and shafts of sunlight lighting up the smoke. I t seems that all my senses were being assailed. I couldn't see where the choir was, they were hidden in the gallery, so I looked up to the ceiling and saw angels, painted on the ceiling of the church. I didn't even know it was Catholic. David my friend hadn't said anything about that. I had to find out afterwards. The Mass was in Latin (Novus Ordo) and seemed very strange, not of our time and place, but not exclusively of the past either -- more timeless. The attitude of thepeople affected me also. They all knelt, stood, bowed together and all were facing in the same direction (priest was ad orientem). All, including the priest, seemed to be addressing God. Their faith was communicated to me by body language. You sensed through this, the presence of something real. I didn't know it at the time, but that is exactly what was there that hadn't been at the other churches - the Real Presence.
This experience gave me the conviction that liturgy and beauty are vital components in drawing people to the Faith, something that some parts of the Church seem to have been forgotten.
When I converted, I think my friends thought that I was just an eccentric and that I would probably move onto another fad. My parents were pleased that I was going to church, at least, but not so keen on Catholicism. They are Methodists. I have a brother who was interested and he is now taking instruction to be received into the Church this Easter.

.

From Lifesite News

Also says Bishops’ Catholic News Service needs to be given "some new direction"

By Hilary White, Rome Correspondent

ROME, January 27, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A document of the US Catholic Bishops is partly to blame for the abandonment of pro-life teachings by voting Catholics and the election of the “most pro-abortion president” in US history, one of the Vatican’s highest officials said in an interview with LifeSiteNews.com.

Archbishop Raymond Burke, the prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, named a document on the election produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops that he said “led to confusion” among the faithful and led ultimately to massive support among Catholics for Barack Obama.

The US bishops’ document, “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship,” stated that, under certain circumstances, a Catholic could in good conscience vote for a candidate who supports abortion because of "other grave reasons," as long as they do not intend to support that pro-abortion position.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Pope speaks about SSPX in General Audience

Before greeting the Italian pilgrims, I still have three announcements.

The first.

I have learned with great joy the election of Metropolitan Kirill as new Patriarch of Moscow and all the Russias. I invoke upon him the light of the Holy Ghost for a generous service to the Russian Orthodox Church, trusting him to the special protection of the Mother of God

The second.

In the homily pronounced on the occasion of the solemn inauguration of my Pontificate, I said that it is the "explicit" duty of the Pastor "the call to unity", and, commenting upon the Gospel words regarding the miraculous catch of fish, I said, "although there were so many, the net was not torn"; I continued after these Gospel words, "Alas, beloved Lord, with sorrow we must now acknowledge that it has been torn!". And I continued, "But no - we must not be sad! Let us rejoice because of your promise, which does not disappoint, and let us do all we can to pursue the path towards the unity you have promised. Let us remember it in our prayer to the Lord, as we plead with him: yes, Lord, remember your promise. Grant that we may be one flock and one shepherd! Do not allow your net to be torn, help us to be servants of unity!"

Precisely in the accomplishment of this service of unity, which qualifies, in a specific way, my ministry as Successor of Peter, I decided, a few days ago, to grant the remission of the excommunication in which the four bishops ordained by Archbishop Lefebvre in 1988, without pontifical mandate, had incurred. I fulfilled this act of fatherly mercy because those prelates repeatedly manifested to me their deep suffering for the situation in which they found themselves. I hope that this gesture of mine will be followed by the solicitous effort by them to accomplish the ulterior steps necessary to accomplish full communion with the Church, thus testifying true fidelity and true recognition of the Magisterium and of the authority of the Pope and of the Second Vatican Council.

In the wake of the lifting of the SSPX excommunications, some women are looking for equal treatment, according to the Boston Globe.

Roman Catholic Womenpriests call on Pope Benedict to lift the decree of automatic excommunication issued on May 29, 2008 against all in our movement as a gesture of reconciliation and justice toward women in the church.

... We stand firmly in the tradition of Vatican II which declares: "Any kind of social or cultural discrimination in basic personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language or religion, must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God's design." (Gaudium et Spes, art. 29, 2)

Well, well! They've got one up on the SSPX. You'll never hear Bishop Fellay quoting such gibberish from Vatican II.