Tradicat

+ JMJ Rorate has a simply beautiful post on Traditional Western Art.   As a traditionalist it is comforting to see that not all is lost in this crisis of the Church.  Periodically, 'artifacts' of Catholic belief, expressions that are truly beautiful, surface. This is one such event. It leads me to the conclusion that with all of the advances in tools, when combined with a truly Catholic culture, we should be able to surpass the old masters. P^3

+ JMJ A reminder: Special announcement It starts today: Rosary Novena for defense of the family Join the USA District's Rosary Novena to defend the family! Read some important texts to understand this important matter! As previously announced on Friday, the USA District Superior, Fr. Wegner, has called for a Rosary Novena in defense of the family. This novena starts today (September 29th - Feast of St. Michael the Archangel) and goes until October 7th. Corresponding with this call to prayer is publication is: a commentary about Cardinal Kaspers' astounding reply to criticism of his erroneous statements about marriage and Holy Communion some...

+ JMJ Canonical Study Part 4   The bulk of Part 3 of this ongoing canonical study of the 1988 episcopal consecrations dealt with the notion of "mandate." It was conceded that these consecrations took place without the  mandatum  ("mandate"), that is, the authorization of the Pope. Despite this, we proved in Part 3 that these consecrations were not, therefore, a formally schismatic act. In any case, a mandate was read at the consecrations ceremony in Ecône. With what right? -- We answered in Part 3, "With the right that springs from necessity, correctly understood." Do you have an apostolic mandate? We have it! Let it be read. We have this Mandate from the Roman Church, always faithful to the Holy Tradition which She has received from the Holy Apostles. This Holy Tradition is the Deposit of Faith which the Church orders us to faithfully transmit to all men for the salvation of their souls...[ Archbishop Lefebvre and the Vatican , Angelus Pre...

+ JMJ The SSPX (US) has called for a rosary novena to protect the family from the machinations (my words) of Cardinal Kasper et al. This monster of a crisis of the Church started its meal with and appetizer of doctrine. It proceeded with a main course of liturgy and now it is about to have its dessert: Morals. P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org - To defend the family: a rosary novena Courtesy of SSPX.org - Remaining in the Truth of Christ

Canonical Study Part 3   F. The State of Necessity From what has been seen in Part II of this canonical study of the 1988 Consecrations by Archbishop Lefebvre , it is certain that through the  1983 Code of Canon Law  the attenuating and exempting circumstances have not only  objective  force, but also  subjective  force. This means that the canon is to be applied even if the situation of crisis, such as the state of necessity, of grave fear,  etc. , exists merely in the mind of the acting subject, that is to say, be it the fruit of his own erroneous judgment, an error which can even be due to his own fault, namely to a culpable ignorance which leads the subject to a "false judgment about some thing."(1) Let us return to the text of canon lawyer Fr. Rudolf Kaschewski, whom we have been quoting from in this series [see  Is Tradition Excommunicated?  "The Episcopal Consecrations: A Canonical Study," available from Ange...

+ JMJ My wife sent me a link to this article and I think it is too good to not share.  There is truth as well as humour in these lines.  I think I will add a 'humour' label even though Mr. Clark does seem to be in earnest! P^3 Source: Seton Magazine - John Clark

Canonical Study Part 2   II. A Contested Excommunication A. The Facts and Some Solid Points 1. The Facts In his "Thesis for a Licentiate" in Canon Law which was argued and approved with the highest grade (July, 1995) at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rev. Fr. Gerard Murray, an American priest who has no connection with the Society of Saint Pius X, held that the excommunication  latae sententiae , declared at the time against Archbishop Lefebvre, Bishop de Castro Mayer, and the four bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre without pontifical mandate, is not valid according to strict canonical law, nor is the connected accusation of schism valid in the formal sense. As of yet, his thesis for the licentiate has not been published, but a summary of it and an interview with its author is available in the American magazine,  The Latin Mass .(1)

+ JMJ Whenever the SSPX appears in the media, there is always a impulsive reaction on the part of some people, I hope based on ignorance, to condemn them as schismatic and / or heretical. Nothing could be further from the truth. This series was originally presented in SISI NONO and sheds some light on the motivations of the SSPX. Hopefully, it will (along with the other SSPX articles) will help to educate the ignorant and silence the malicious. P^2

+ JMJ Rorate has posted some information on the state of the restoration of Dome of Home as well as the following copy of the Ottaviani intervention. It should be noted that, while the GIRM was modified, the actual Novus Ordo Missae was not altered. Given its focus on the Priesthood and everything that pertains to it, the SSPX has done studies that echo this seminal study. It will be one of the signs that the crisis is ending when the common (non-Traditional) Catholic perceives the Novus Ordo Missae in the same light. P^3 Source: Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ Why is the SSPX in a canonically irregular situation?  At the root is the fact that, in the presence of a major cultural change, the SSPX adhered to the old culture and its 'artifacts'.  The most apparent artifact is the Tridentine Mass, but also it is method and principles that guide their training of priests. James Kohn has posted an article by Michael Davies that provides some insight to the roots of the conflict. The full text of chapter four of Apologia Pro is available here . P^3 Update: Attached copy from SSPXAsia of the linked Michael Davies chapter:

+ JMJ Update: Scroll bottom to see SSPX communique. Rorate has posted a notice about the meeting here  and attached below is the Rorate copy of the Vatican press release, which can be found here. While it is of no real import that the SSPX goes to Rome when asked, as this has always been their modus operandi, what is of import is the last sentence: During the meeting, various problems of a doctrinal and canonical nature were examined, and it was decided to proceed gradually and over a reasonable period of time in order to overcome difficulties and with a view to the envisioned full reconciliation. This is almost the same as the situation from 2001. 2001: Rome approaches the SSPX, SSPX citing the heavy-handed approach to the FSSP, indicates distrust.  The result are the two pre-conditions to discussion ( freedom for the Mass, lifting of the excommunications ).  It was also resolved to proceed in stages. 2014: What was old is new again. Rome calls the SSPX...

+ JMJ After 2009 the critics of the SSPX were in need of a new derogatory label, since Benedict XVI has taken away their favorite epithet. It didn't take long for them to turn to ' Not in Full Communion ', which for them meant: Schismatic. Now the latest official interaction between Rome and the SSPX has presented the critics with a curious problem. The SSPX is no longer stated as needing to find the path to 'Full Communion' but: During the meeting, various problems of a doctrinal and canonical nature were examined, and it was decided to proceed gradually and over a reasonable period of time in order to overcome difficulties and with a view to the envisioned full reconciliation . ( source ) So what will the critics say now?  Maybe they're disobedient, usurping the authority of the local Bishop. Here's an excellent article from Rorate  (a site that I highly recommend for its balanced perspective on this crisis of the Church): P^3

+ JMJ The opponents of traditional Catholics usually resort to extreme accusations. Here are some of those accusations debunked! P^3 Courtesy of the Remnant

+ JMJ Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter. I once heard that Sedevacantists and Neo-Conservatives are two sides of the same coin. Both have a mis-perception of the infallibility of the Pope, Bishops and Church. Consequently, one will see the bad actions of the Pope and conclude that he can't be Pope.  The other will see the bad actions of the Pope and conclude that the bad actions must actually be good since he is Pope. The problem is that both are altering their perception of the reality  in order to support their beliefs. When the beliefs are strongly held (at the level of cultural assumptions ) the is no guarantee that rational argumentation will follow. The rebuttal by 'A Catholic Thinker' exposes the flaws in the criticisms of  John Salza's but does more than that: It highlights the extents to which humans will go to preserve their beliefs. How do you deal with a person with such strongly held beliefs? In my experience, the fir...

+ JMJ The Remnant noted an article by One Peter Five   (Steve Skojec) that gave a good synopsis of the situation. P^3

+ JMJ According to the author of the Wikipedia article: The Divine Praises were originally written in Italian by Luigi Felici in 1797 for the purpose of making reparation after saying or hearing profanity or blasphemy.The praises were later expanded by Pope Pius VII in 1801 and eventually came to be a recitation following the Benediction, usually with the priest saying each line, which is then repeated by the congregation. In this time of crisis and darkness in the Church, we need to continue to make reparation for the sins the scream to God for vengeance. P^3 Blessed be God.

+ JMJ Updated - scroll to bottom As I mentioned here , 'cue Fr. Greiger', he has now responded with another counter-post. Everything is as it is normally, however then there was this: Yet, riding the wave of the cutting edge “reporting” of Rorate Caeli, even a “real” journalist fails to do even the least amount of due diligence before tweeting the following: This is from someone who writes for  The Weekly Standard ,  The Wall Street Journal and  The Spectator.   But he is just “repeating” what he read on Rorate Caeli.  Now, of course, New Catholic will deny he called the FI under commission a heretical order, but that is clearly what he meant.  Why else would a friar otherwise have no way out but to abandon the priesthood?  In fact, Rorate Caeli  retweeted  Schulman’s smear. But be sure, no one will take responsibility for spreading the lie that the friars who support the Apostolic Commission are heretics, nor ...

+ JMJ Rorate has highlighted the change in the winds since Pope Benedict XVI's abdication.  You can find it here and I highly recommend reading it carefully. Basically, as the Synod nears we have the standard 'Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing' paradigm. The Pope has introduced a new element into the team.  This has caused role uncertainty in the Cardinals.

+ JMJ Conflict is stirring within the Church as a cultural assumption is now being challenged by Cardinal Kasper. Cardinal Kasper appears to have tried to recast himself as the 'victim' and imply that attacks on him are actually attacks on the Pope. Cute. Then we have rorate's latest report on the Pope setting up a commission to streamline the process.  As I noted earlier, this is opening the barn door wider instead of putting the horses in their stalls properly. Proper catechesis and instruction are needed, not more laxity.  But that is the current trend in the Church - lax and easy rules. Except of course for those who think the laxity is a bad thing (see FFI, crypto-Lefebvrists, Cardinal Burke). Attached below is the latest play by play. I find Fr. Fessio's response admirable considering he is responding to a Cardinal. P^3

+ JMJ Recently, I've been engaged in a 'dogmatic fact' discussion / argument and a thought occurred to me. Based on what reading I had done, I had concluded that the dogmatic fact of who is Pope was fixed in time - meaning that acceptance of the Pope at the time of election provided infallible surety that the election was valid and that indeed the elected Cardinal/Bishop was Pope at that moment. Then I realized that some people believed that the dogmatic fact meant they were always Pope.  At the time I thought they meant that the understanding of the doctrine was that the one time recognition made that person infallibly the Pope until he either abdicated or died. A light went on this morning. Does the continual acceptance of the Pope by the hierarchy continually 'refresh' the dogmatic fact - meaning we can be certain that the Pope is'still' Pope etc? I asked a friend (a real theologian) and he pointed out that the Pope is already elected. The...

+ JMJ I just skimmed Bishop Tobin's article  on the upcoming synod and a reply by Dr. Peters. Aside from his suggestions in reducing the barriers (making the process faster), which will only result in more 'annulments' (simple economics), there appears to be a cultural assumption missing.  The purpose of the annulment process isn't to allow the couple to marry again etc.  Its purpose is to determine whether or not a Catholic marriage was contracted. It is a search for the truth.

+ JMJ The pre-game show has begun with various moves and last minute trades happening.  Of course the trash-talk has also started. Here's an article with some of the pre-game commentary: Keep in mind that this is not even the opening gambit to the game. Nor is this game like the Super Bowl with its one and done structure. This is more akin to the second or third game in the stanley cup series.  Spoiler: The first game was the Second Vatican Council. As always ... P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Source

+ JMJ Rorate has an interesting article that doesn't coincide with the popular reading of Pope Paul VI. It is important to avoid painting the players in this crisis a simplistic black or white. P^3

+ JMJ Tolerance is just a buzzword in the Catholic Church. There is no tolerance for 'crypto-lefebvrists' or those who would stand up for them.  Just ask Cardnial Burke .

+ JMJ I was cleaning out my papers and came across this gem from a 2010 issue of Catholic Insight. It is an excellent time capsule as it showcases a number of items. Degree of pantheism that exists. Cultural response to the 2010/1 translations  Disobedience to the Pope (and I'm not talking about the SSPX) Cultural response to non-SSPX Traditionalists (see Question Period) One thing is certain seeing the FFI and Fr. Greiger's prejudices, Archbishop Weisgerber's attitude still holds sway in the Church. P^3

+ JMJ Rorate has posted an article by Sandro Magister that details that changes and rumoured changes in the curia as well as some cultural issues. The culture of an organization is set by leader, by what he says, does and more importantly what he tolerates and what he does not tolerate. There is no tolerance in Francis' Church for cultural assumptions that stand in their way (as well as those who hold them). We'll see how this will turn out in the Synod.  Louie Verrecchio has done some recon here . As always!!! P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Update  Rorate has just posted an article that indicates that the Pope is 'irritated' with a book to which Cardinal Burke contributed.  Oddly enough it is one that supports the Catholic Doctrine on Marriage. If the Pope and the liberal supporters are true to their cultural assumptions then there will be a purge of all authors who oppose their agenda. One blogger mentioned the night of the long knives scenar...

+ JMJ Fr. Carota has a good piece here  about a June 6th article published in the Catholic Herald. Bishop Schneider is, for me, one of the rays of hope that the Church is starting to emerge from the crisis. Here is a Bishop in 'good standing' who is speaking out and Teaching. If ever there was a time: P^3 Prayer Penance Patience Source

+ JMJ Given the refusal of a vast number (majority?) of the clergy to fulfill their role as the 'Church Teaching' to provide nourishing food for the souls under their care, there is a temptation for the laity to attempt to fill the 'power void'. While being active in the work of the restoration of the Church is essential for all members of the Catholic Church, there is a hierarchy through which flows the graces necessary for the work to be fruitful. Any action that seeks to be independent from the Church Teaching is necessarily doomed to failure if it foregoes the submission to the Church as pertains to its area of operations (ie ). An  additional reference, GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE LAY APOSTOLATE - PIUS XII , is essential reading for all Catholics.  This paragraph seems to provide a clear delineation: It is clear that the ordinary layman can resolve and it is highly desirable that he should so resolve-to cooperate in a more organized way with ecclesiastic...

+ JMJ I've been engaged in a 'dogmatic fact' discussion / argument and a thought occurred to me. Based on what reading I had done, I had concluded that the dogmatic fact of who is Pope was fixed in time - meaning that acceptance of the Pope at the time of election provided infallible surety that the election was valid and that indeed the elected Cardinal/Bishop was Pope at that moment. Then I realized that some people believed that the dogmatic fact meant they were always Pope.  At the time I thought they meant that the understanding of the doctrine was that the one time recognition made that person infallibly the Pope until he either abdicated or died. A light went on this morning. Does the continual acceptance of the Pope by the hierarchy continually 'refresh' the dogmatic fact - meaning we can be certain that the Pope is 'still' Pope etc? Instead of puzzling this out on my own, I contact a friend of mine who is a real theologian! ...

+ JMJ While it is an older post it does serve well to see the underlying issues with the liturgical 'reform'. P^3 h/t Angelqueen Source: New Liturgical Movement

+ JMJ This article by the Remnant shows the degree of the crisis of the Church. P^3 Courtesy of the Remnant

+ JMJ I've been focusing on the cultural aspects of the crisis of the Church for some time. From this it is obvious (at least to me) why the two focal points in the Rome/SSPX conflict are the Mass and the Second Vatican Council.  Why? Because the Council, via its ambiguities etc, enabled an apparent alteration in doctrine. This inevitably led to a cultural alteration. The Council 'changed' the doctrine, which resulted in a change of culture and the Novus Ordo Missae is the expression of this cultural change. If one accepts either of these, they have implicitly accepted the other because they are inseparable. So the crisis of the Church naturally revolves around  Doctrine (Second Vatican Council) and Culture (Liturgy). The difference is most obvious to those who do not share the cultural 'assumptions' currently dominant within the Church. For 'Trad' Catholics engaged in discussions with 'Modern' Catholics, it is not just a question o...

+ JMJ There is a culture war simmering within the Church of Christ. The One Holy Roman Catholic Church - just in case there is any confusion on that point. It will be most obvious at the level of artifacts, but that will be just the tip of the cultural iceberg. However, when the cultural iceberg rolls over ...

+ JMJ Amongst some individuals there is a ongoing theory that the SSPX's two pre-conditions for discussions were not met. I've discussed it here , however a friend reminded me of this link that provides the earliest version of the pre-conditions that I've seen. That the Tridentine Mass be granted to all priests of the entire world That the censures against the bishops be declared null. Looking at this, I think that it is safe to say that objectively, for the good of the Church, the SSPX requests were granted! Blessed be God!!! P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org

+ JMJ If there is one thing that sends 'Traditional' Catholics into anaphylactic shock, it is the words "Ecumenical Dialogue".  Since the Second Vatican Council (and even before) there have been a significant amount of confusing statements issuing from the mouths of the ' Ecclesia Docens '.  What is evident from much of it is that the 'end - game' is no longer the conversion of non-Catholics to the Church.  Or as Pius XII (echoing Pius XI) stated:  "True reunion can only come about by the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ"   ( Instructio  [The Instruction from the Holy Office on the Ecumenical Movement] Dec. 20, 1949) . Today those undertaking Ecumenical Dialogue appear to have no clear goal for the seemingly endless meetings.  As a Project Manager, I will state that one of the surest ways to fail in a executing a project is to not have a clear idea of the goal.  In this case the project team is ...

+ JMJ In this crisis of the Church it is necessary to keep a broad perspective.  In this way, when the Barque of Peter is struck by yet another rogue wave, the occupants will know how to both keep their feet and not be washed overboard. For those 'Traditionalists' who have not imbibed in the hybrid Protestant/Catholic culture that has overrun the Church there is a temptation to look for easy solutions. The 'easy' solution is to say either: A real Pope can't have done these things, he therefore can't be Pope The Church can't do these things, the 'modern' Church can't be the True Church. With a narrow perspective, it is easy to accept either or both of these errors.  However, with a perspective given by expanding one's understanding of the teachings and doctrine of the Church it becomes clear that these 'solutions' are not what they seem. They're traps. Over the decades since the Council a number of people ha...

+ JMJ I was recently cleaning up my office and the hundreds (if not thousands) bits of Traditional Flotsam and Jetsam that I've accumulated over the decades. This letter, for reasons that will become obvious, caught my eye and consequently not only was it saved from the bin, but I also scanned it to share this wisdom of the past. Why publish this letter? To present a priest who, in 1988, with clarity identified key issues that the Church is facing today. Namely: Homosexual 'unions' (p6),  indissolubility of marriage and the admission of the divorced/remarried to communion (p7),  contraception (p7),  exclusively male priesthood (p8) and priestly celibacy (p7),  proclaiming the Gospel without fear or ambiguity (p8),  It is indeed a 'worthy read' as we see, even in the heady days of 1988, a clear and Catholic approach. P^3

+ JMJ Update : DICI has published a press-release on the pending meeting.  Interestingly, if the meeting does take place on September 21st, it will be the 85th anniversary of Archbishop Lefebvre's ordination. Courtesy of DICI Cardinal Müller invites Bishop Fellay to meet with him 5-09-2014    Having been invited by Rome, Bishop Bernard Fellay will meet with Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, during the second half of September 2014. This interview was presented to the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X as an informal meeting to review the relations between the SSPX and Rome, which were discontinued at the departure of Cardinal William Levada, Cardinal Müller’s predecessor, and the resignation of Benedict XVI. This will in fact be the first meeting between Cardinal Müller and Bishop Fellay. On September 3, 2014, on his website the  Vatican Insider , the Italian journalist...

+ JMJ Lex Orandi - Lex Credendi, the Law of Prayer is the Law of Belief.  Whoever coined this phrase embodied perfectly the conclusions made by the thought leaders of Organizational Psychology over a hundred years later. As I've written before: The Mass is the ultimate cultural artifact as it contains and expresses the beliefs, values and assumptions of the Catholic Religion.  Or at least it did until the promulgation of the Novus Ordo Missae. What beliefs, values and assumptions does the Novus Ordo Missae express? The root lies in the first few words of Sancrosanctum Concilium (SC) as quoted in  Rorate's post  on the Mass of the Council: 1. This sacred Council has several aims in view: it desires to impart an ever increasing vigor to the Christian life of the faithful; to adapt more suitably to the needs of our own times those institutions which are subject to change; to foster whatever can promote union among all who believe in Christ; to strengthen wh...

+ JMJ h/t:   Angelqueen / Tom Part of the confusion in the Church, from a cultural as well as doctrinal point of view, is the lack of distinction between the Internal Priesthood of the Laity and the External Priesthood of the Ordained. The following is the clear doctrine of the Church on this matter as noted in the Catechism of the Council of Trent . Twofold Priesthood  But as Sacred Scripture describes a twofold priesthood, one internal and the other external, it will be necessary to have a distinct idea of each to enable pastors to explain the nature of the priesthood now under discussion. 

+ JMJ I'd like to present here a posting by Mr. Steve Wood, a former evangelical pastor who converted to the Catholic Church. Mr. Wood has some really good apologetics material for discussions with Protestants and I believe it is important for Traditional Catholics to not discount his experience / knowledge on this subject out of hand. Here are two links to his site and a copy of his latest email. P^3 Dads.org Dads Blog Why I Left My Pastorate and Was Drawn to the Catholic Faith Twenty-four years ago, on July 1, 1990, my family entered the Catholic Church at Epiphany Cathedral in Venice, FL. There were at least a dozen significant reasons for my leaving Protestantism and becoming a Catholic, but one reason stands far above all the others. It was a life-changing encounter with Section 84 of St. John Paul II’s, The Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World .

+ JMJ In my research of the TOB phenome, I came across this article by Christopher West on Fasting for Lent. Fasting allows us to feel our hunger.  And feeling our physical hunger can, if we allow it, lead us to feel our spiritual hunger – our hunger for God.  Think of the woman at the well: she came there physically thirsty and left with the promise of “living water.” ...  If feeling our hunger can awaken our spiritual senses, never feeling hunger can dull them.  Furthermore, when we always satisfy our hunger, we can become enslaved by the pleasures of this world.  Fasting and abstinence “help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart” (CCC 2043).  And this kind of freedom is especially important for people like me who love to eat.

+ JMJ Just a quick note.  ChurchMilitantTV is back from their vacation / retreat and posted this vortex about EWTN  . Given its stance about criticizing the Pope - there is still a disconnect. Basically, imho, they are not doing any one any favours when they ignore the abuses that the Pope has performed in office. I'm also more than a little curious as to what they'll do if the Pope backs Kasper's thesis in October. Much to pray for!!!! P^3

+ JMJ In many ways the situation of Traditional Catholics is similar to the five stages of Loss and Grief. Traditionalist are (or should be) grieved at the loss of Faith, liturgy, and doctrinal clarity (to name a few of the things we've lost or had ripped from our hands). What is important to note is that as the members of the Church become aware of what has happened they will be at different stages in the grieving process.  Some will progress quickly, others will get stuck at a particular stage. While originally developed based on observations of terminally ill patients, the process sheds light on how traditional Catholics responded to the post - conciliar upheaval. It likewise provides insight to how 'Modern' Catholics will respond when the Church Teachings and Doctrine are reasserted. I would like to note that 'acceptance' does not mean accepting the errors etc of the Council but of the situation. From that point the individuals will be able to cop...

+ JMJ While every Traditional Catholic knows that Novus Ordo Missae is a new and radical departure from the Theology of the Mass, they may not know just how radical. The Requiem Mass is a particularly good area to demonstrate the 'rupture'. P^3

+ JMJ Cultural assumptions are the foundation upon which a culture stands (or falls).