Fr. Gruner - RIP and don't forget to pray for the rabid anti-SSPX (ie Fr. Nicholson)

JMJ

Today Fr. Gruner will be laid to rest after practically a lifetime of striving for the work of the Immaculate.

As with anyone else who has refused to compromise with the 'New Springtime' that erupted after the Second Vatican Council, he had his collection of critics and persecutors.

Persecutors
A simple look at the attempts to label Fr. Gruner as a vagus priest who is disobedient etc is sufficient. Look at both sides, they both can't be right. Either Fr. Gruner is incardinated or he is not. I understand that he demonstrated that he was incardinated (in a similar situation as. Fr. Z), but his persecutors just keep repeating labels with the assurance that if you repeat a lie enough times people (and the liar) will believe it to be true.

Critics
Among other things one of his critics (link below) claim that the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has occurred. Further, they claim that Fr. Gruner's campaign to have the consecration performed 'sowed mistrust of the hierarchy wherever he went'.

This is a constant canard, along with those of schism and heresy, that are spread by the critics of anyone who has the integrity to state that the emperor has no clothes.

Why this rabid reaction from Fr. Nicholson (fatherpaulnicholson.blogspot.it - The "Scotiabank Cathedral" ) and Michael Voris et al?

Cognitive Dissonance

There is a disconnect between the beliefs held by the critics of Traditionalists like Fr. Gruner and the actions of the hierarchy.

As far as I can tell the beliefs held by Fr. Nicholson, Voris et al are something like:

Pope can never, ever be criticized.
Hierarchy must be obeyed in all cases.
Hierarchy must be trusted.

Now the problem that is faced by the 'critics' is that the:

Popes on a number of levels have been more than worthy of criticism.
Hierarchs must be disobeyed in a number of cases.
Many in the Hierarchy have both betrayed their fiducial trust and cannot be trusted.

So this creates dissonance (discomfort, mental and spiritual pain and anguish) so they have three choices to reduce the pain of the last 50+ years.

They can change their belief. They appear unwilling to open that can of worms because their belief structure may crumble like an old dried-out Oreo cookie.

They can change the action Well actually, they can't change the action because these are facts not rumours.

They can change their perception of the action. Folks we have a winner!!!

For the likes of the more liberal Catholics, they twist themselves into pretzels with the spinning of the Pope's latest questionable words / actions.

For Voris and friends, they have to ignore the actions of the Pope and criticize those members of the hierarchy who are doing just what the Pope is doing, but not dressed in white.

As a result, because in reality the conflict still exists (ie the problems in the Church go right up to and include the Pope - see last Synod). The reduce the pain they have to:

Seek out confirmation that they are correct by convincing people to agree with them. The more people that agree with them, the better they'll feel. Basically, hey all these people can't be wrong so I'm right.
They have to silence dis-confirmation, meaning that they have to lash out against anyone and anything that undermines the fragile mental model that they have constructed.

Hence the irrational attacks of Fr. Nicholson, Michael Voris et al against Fr. Gruner and the SSPX.

They are unable to distinguish between the SSPX & Sede-vacantists because they need affirmation of their position and therefore they devolve into an 'us vs them' mentality.

To paraphrase a modern Catholic, 'they have to be right' therefore everyone else is wrong ... except of course the Pope.

So, while we pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Gruner, remember to utter a prayer for his critics.

I suspect that they may be more in need of prayer than Fr. Gruner, the Fatima Priest.

P^3

Prayer

Penance

Patience

Facts and Opinions - An Explanation

+ JMJ When a person's assumptions are events outside of their control they form an opinion and, in my experience, assert this opinion to be fact. So ... it is important to define some terms:

The Curious Case of Steve Skojec and the Dangers of Deep Diving into the Crisis Sub-Titled: The Failings of Others

+ JMJ It's been a while now since Steve Skojec sold 1P5 and abandoned the Catholic Faith. I've been a 'Trad' since 1982 and in those 40+ years I seen this death-spiral before with a similar end point. It seems that anyone who jumps into the fray unprepared for the enormous task of righting wrongs will, eventually, become discouraged by not the task but the people who surround them. I remember when Skojec complained of the treatment his family received from a traditional priest. This seems to have been the start of the end for him. So what can we learn from the likes of Steve Skojec, Michael Voris (maybe?), Louie Verrecchio, Gerry Matatix and other celebrity Catholics? Probably quite a lot about what not to do. First, don't burn out on the crisis? When you burn out, on work or anything else, little things assume a more greater importance than they are due. This is one of my 'canary in the coal mine' signals that I've been stretching myself too thin

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

What the heck is a congregation of "Pontifical Right"

+ JMJ In a discussion with a friend the question occurred to me that I didn't actually know was is involved in being a religious order of 'pontifical right'. I had a vague notion that this meant they reported to Rome as opposed to the local diocese. I'm also aware that, according to the accounts I have heard, the Archbishop received 'praise' and the written direction to incardinate priests directly into the SSPX. This is interesting because it implies that the SSPX priests were no longer required to incardinate in the local diocese but in the SSPX. This is something that belongs to an order of 'pontifical right'. Anyway here's some definitions: Di diritto pontificio is the Italian term for “of pontifical right” . It is given to the ecclesiastical institutions (the religious and secular institutes, societies of apostolic life) either created by the Holy See or approved by it with the formal decree, known by its Latin name, Decretu

Comparision of the Tridentine, Cranmer and Novus Ordo Masses

+ JMJ I downloaded the comparison that was linked in the previous article on the mass (here) . ... a very good reference! P^3 From: Whispers of Restoration (available at this link) . CHARTING LITURGICAL CHANGE Comparing the 1962 Ordinary of the Roman Mass to changes made during the Anglican Schism; Compared in turn to changes adopted in the creation of Pope Paul VI’s Mass in 1969 The chart on the reverse is a concise comparison of certain ritual differences between three historical rites for the celebration of the Catholic Mass Vetus Ordo: “Old Order,” the Roman Rite of Mass as contained in the 1962 Missal, often referred to as the “Traditional Latin Mass.”The Ordinary of this Mass is that of Pope St. Pius V (1570) following the Council of Trent (1545-63), hence the occasional moniker “Tridentine Mass.” However, Trent only consolidated and codified the Roman Rite already in use at that time; its essential form dates to Pope St. Gregory the Great (+604), in whose time the R

Tradicat

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