Tradicat

+ JMJ The blog 'Return to Fatima' has posted a letter by Fr. Stehlin in which he identifies five principles for surviving a time of crisis ... such as the one the Catholic Church has undergone for the past 50+ years. The whole article can be found here and its original here . Interestingly, Father starts with obedience - true obedience.  If a person abandons true obedience for his own will, how can they be right?  The ends do not justify the means. P^3 From S SPX: News and Events , First principle: the good of obedience ... St. Maximilian (and St. Thomas before him) tells again that only if superiors ask of us something immoral or against the Faith must we respect the greater obedience towards God and therefore refuse to obey His human instruments. Thanks to this principle, which is the essence of obedience, we have chosen the superior obedience towards God over obedience to His instruments who ask us to do or accept things against Faith and morals.

+ JMJ CFN has recently posted an interview with Fr. Pfluger who is one of the assistants to the Superior General. With the next SSPX general chapter on the horizon, this is timely and helpful in forming our perspective on what is happening both in the Catholic Church as well as in the SSPX. First, some highlights: Our Statutes indicate clearly that the Superior and his Council has to work for a so-called papal recognition. This is a repeat of the previous article on this topic. In the so-called Prelature, which on several occasions has been proposed by Rome, the Prelate and further bishops will be taken from the Society!  It will be interesting to see how this actually works - once Rome ceases to repeat their mantra .  All the faithful are invited to offer their own prayers and sacrifices for this intention so that Almighty God may bless and foster the Society founded by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre as a work of the Catholic Church. This is the best of advice. P

+ JMJ ... to convince someone of the truth. When we challenge a strongly held belief, unless the person is disciplined, there is a strong possibility that they will fall into irrationality. I remember the look on one theologian's face when i asked about countering this tendency after he had given a talk on the rise of Neo-Modernism in the Church. He simply thought that rationality would win the day. If he had looked at political elections, he would have known that isn't really the case. Rational thought only works when people are thinking rationally. When they fall into irrationality, rational arguments only cause them to seize any irrational thought to defend their belief (see the cognitive dissonance model above). So ... what to do? First we have to help them maintain a rational state of mind. Asking questions is probably the best way. Have your interlocutor ( definition ) do the heavy lifting of thinking through their argument in a rational manne

+ JMJ The Pope and Bishops are still hell bent on razing to the ground the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Ok, I know it's of no surprise. One Peter Five has published an article by Maike Hickson outlining some of the key elements of the prepatory document. One spot that caught my eye was this: According to this Austrian bishop, Pope Francis would even be open to ordaining women to the priesthood. Kräutler says that “I do not believe that he would say a strict ‘no’ to the ordination of women, a quod non .” ... Here, the bishop mentions as an example how the Church changed her positions with regard to the topic of separation of Church and state, as well as to the topic of democracy. He also mentions Vatican II’s text Dignitatis Humanae , “which did away for good with” the Syllabus of Errors of Pius IX, especially with regard to religious liberty. Source: 1P5  So as foretold, the Pope is going to push for priestesses. This will be interesting and yet, for tCa

+ JMJ To my knowledge the statutes of the SSPX are not published anywhere on the internet. However some parts are known (see here ) and now another element is known: [The SSPX]statutes require the Society to take “the necessary steps to become of pontifical right.” This was, moreover, Archbishop Lefebvre’s concern when faced with the unjust and illegal suppression of the Society in 1975, and when he formulated a proposal for canonical recognition in 1987. Why is this notable?  Because the 'resistance' (as well as others) have stated that the Archbishop would not seek a canonical recognition. So we are at a Rubicon moment for the 'resistance'. Did the founder of the SSPX actually have this article in the statutes or not? All the resistance has to do is deny that this article was added by the Archbishop. Then the SSPX could simply bring out official copies. But of course, I believe the 'resistance' leaders know the truth and won't chal

+ JMJ What will be the legacy of Pope Francis? For what will he be remembered? As the Pope who canonized John Paul II? As the Pope of the poor? Somehow I doubt that. The Catholic Church is normally patient and eventually, all the post-conciliar Pope's will have their day in court. Pray for them, because they appear to know what they do! P^3 https://www.returntofatima.org/2018/01/his-humble-legacy-2/ https://www. catholicfamilynews.org/blog/ 2018/5/17/i-would-be-failing- in-my-duty-if-i-didnt-reveal- what-i-knew-cfn-exclusive- interview-with-author-of-the- dictator-pope

+ JMJ Yoga and various non-Catholic meditation methods are again enjoying popularity. So, just in case you're tempted to give it a try ... don't. Yoga is, in my words, meditation in motion.  Fr. Ripperger has noted that it is a door to the occult. That said, there is a Catholic mindfulness, it is called the practice of the presence of God. Not to mention the Catholic history of meditation on the truths of the Catholic Faith. P^3 http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19891015_meditazione-cristiana_en.html http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/meditation-is-touted-as-a-cure-for-mental-instability-but-can-it-actually-be-bad-for-you-10268291.html http://www.lmschairman.org/2017/09/whats-wrong-with-yoga-part-2.html

+ JMJ While I'm on the subject of Luther (ie I am cleaning out a backlog of articles that I thought would be handy to have. There is a inverse-smear campaign being run on Luther - trying to re-habilitate him. So ... here's something from Steve Woods - providing Luther in Luther's own words. P^3 Dad.org Newsletter November 2017, Volume 23, Number 6 The Dark Side of Luther This is the last of my newsletters responding to the 500 th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. I’m sending you some of the overlooked statements of Luther revealing his thoughts on Catholics, his claim to infallibility, and his hatred of the Jews. All quotations are from Luther’s Own Statements Concerning His Teaching and Its Results by Henry O’Connor, Benzinger, 1884. Google Books offers a free digital copy. A copy is also available by clicking here. What Luther Said about Catholics “The Pope, the Cardinals, and the whole Romish Court and mob, are nothing else but a

+ JMJ While I am happy that the situation in the Catholic Church is finally (thanks in no small part to Pope Francis) reaching a point where some prelates are reacting ... one thought keeps on popping into mind mind:  A little late don't you think? Did it really have to come to this.   The answer is no, this is only the latest episode in the crisis and the principles that drove the neo-modernists have brought us to this point.  There area  few other points left as well: Birth control (so called) - abortion etc Priestesses ... I'm certain there's something else but I can't recall ...  So, the next thoughts that come to mind are: Look at the principles that have brought us to this point!   If the Catholic Church isn't the Church of Christ and merely subsists within it ... then ... what's the problem with giving communion to protestants? The principles embedded in the council are the problem! Act on Catholic principles and do your du

+ JMJ I thought this was priceless, posting the Bull on the Church in Venice. It would have been even better if it had been posted on the same door as Luther posted his theses. Eventually, sanity will be restored to the Church. In the meantime, we need to keep our sanity and work on drawing nearer to God.  That is what holiness is ... is it not? P^3 Rorate-Caeli: What goes around! Last October 31st on the five hundredth anniversary of the Protestant Revolt, some unidentified person/people stuck a copy of Pope Leo X’s Bull Decet Romanum Ponteficem , excommunicating Martin Luther, on the main door of the Chiesa Evangelica Alemanna in Venice. Extracts  from the Bull Decet Romanum Ponteficem: Preamble Through the power given him from God, the Roman Pontiff has been appointed to administer spiritual and temporal punishments as each case severally deserves. The purpose of this is the repression of the wicked designs of misguided men, who have been so capt