Tradicat

 + JMJ At Mass today I started reading some of the commentary added to the Ideal Daily Missal, as I listened to the Gregorian Chant and Hymns, this is what my eyes fell upon. There is certainly no one who does not desire a certain difference between ecclesiastical change and theatrical melodies, and who does not acknowledge that the use of theatrical and profane change must not be tolerated in churches. Benedict XIV, Annus Qui, 1749 In my experience what is forbidden is what actually happens in Modern Catholic Churches (Latin Rite - Novus Ordo). P^3

  + JMJ It occurred to me that I was aware of either the scriptural or doctrinal foundation of all the 'Traditional' mysteries of the Rosary, save the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. So I decided to some checking - first with ChatGPT (see below) and then to read the Encyclical of Pope Pius XII -  AD CAELI REGINAM (link). So, I'm happy to see that yes the Pope's have spoken on the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary and pointed to Our Lady crowned with stars as support for the belief. I still wonder if the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary has really being accomplished.  So many missed opportunities. P^3

  + JMJ Who’s in Charge? During this crisis of the Catholic Church, I know people who have been scandalized to the point where they ask “Who’s in charge of the Church, but it sure isn’t Pope so-and-so.” The goal of this article is to provide an solid answer by looking at Church Dogma and Doctine. N.B. I wrote the majority of this article before – and it turns out even during – Pope Franci’s last agony. So while Pope Francis no longer holds the office of the Vicar of Christ and the See of Peter is truly vacant, the interregnum will be of short duration – inspite of the Sede-Vacantists who claim that the Interregnum has lasted decades or even over a hundred years. Introduction So, who's In Charge? Ultimately God is in Charge and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the Head of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has a Visible Head on Earth and that person is the Pope. Pope Francis's papacy has been a seminal moment for the Catholic Church and the S...

  + JMJ Conclusion Now putting Doctrine together with the Dogma what can we conclude? The Catholic Church has a history of Great, Good, Bad and Awful Popes. That the unworthy and mediocre outnumber the Great is without question ... and in itself a proof of the Divine Origin of the Catholic Church. Inspite of all that has occurred in the last hundred years, the Catholic Dogma's still stand the same as do the doctrines. There has been discipline that has been bent into ambiguous shapes - such as the Novus Ordo Missae, the Creed etc. Yet ambiguity is not Heresy in the true sense of the word. What we know from Church Teaching: The Catholic Church remains the institution of salvation. There will always be a Vicar of Christ We know we can identify the Catholic Church by Her Four Marks ( Series - Marks of the Church ) We know where the four marks exist We know that the Pope is part of the mark of Oneness ie. unity The Church "Teaching" - mea...

  + JMJ Church Teaching on the Papacy and Church Dogmas The following excerpts summarize what I think are the key teachings of the Church for these times concerning the papacy and the Church. As noted above a Dogma is something that must be believed by all Catholics. To deny a Dogma, like that of the Assumption, is to commit the sin of heresy. Papacy Christ founded the Church in order to continue His work of redemption for all time (DeFide) Ott p274 Christ gave His Church an hierarchical constitution (DeFide) Ott p276 The Powers bestowed on the Apostles have descended to the bishops (DeFide) Ott p278 Christ appointed the Apostle Peter to be the first of all the Apostles and to be the visible Head of the whole Church, by appointing him immediately and personally to the primary of jurisdiction (DeFide) Ott p279 According to Christ's ordinance, Peter is to have successors in his Primacy over the whole Church and for all time (DeFide) Ott p282 It ...

  + JMJ Grades of Theological Uncertainty and Censures I have pulled together two different sections of Ott’s explanation on Grades of uncertainty and the corresponding censures. Only they don’t quite match up – so I’ve done my best to sync them up. Degree and Censure De fide definita, fides divina and fides catholica The highest degree of certainty appertains to the immediately revealed truths. The belief due to them is based on the authority of God Revealing (fides divina), and if the Church, through its teaching, vouches for the fact that a truth is contained in Revelation, one's certainty is then also based on the authority of the Infallible Teaching Authority of the Church (fides catholica). If Truths are defined by a solemn judgment of faith (definition) of the Pope or of a General Council, they are "de fide definita." The highest degree of certainty applies to dogmas, for instance the Blessed Trinity or the two natures of Christ. Dogmas are truths ...

  + JMJ Who’s in Charge? During this crisis of the Catholic Church, I know people who have been scandalized to the point where they ask “Who’s in charge of the Church, but it sure isn’t Pope so-and-so.” The goal of this article is to provide an solid answer by looking at Church Dogma and Doctine. N.B. I wrote the majority of this article before – and it turns out even during – Pope Francis’ last agony. So while Pope Francis no longer holds the office of the Vicar of Christ and the See of Peter is truly vacant, the interregnum will be of short duration – inspite of the Sede-Vacantists who claim that the Interregnum has lasted decades or even over a hundred years. Introduction So, who's In Charge? Ultimately God is in Charge and the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity is the Head of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has a Visible Head on Earth and that person is the Pope. Pope Francis's papacy has been a seminal moment for the Catholic Church and the S...

 + JMJ The short answer is that the present version of the Sign of the Cross is a profession of Faith.  By it we profess our belief in: The Blessed Trinity The Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ That Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for us upon the Cross P^3   Excerpts   References Catechism Explained - Spirago and Clark Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent): The Sign of the Cross WikiSource: Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Cross and Crucifix A Manual of Prayers for the Use of the Catholic Laity (1888) Wikipedia: Sign of the Cross

 + JMJ  One of my kids popped her head into my office as asked if she could ask me a question.  Of course I said yes. She sat down and asked: If a man or woman murdered their current spouse so they could marry another, would that invalidate the following marriage? Suffice to say that I was speechless for a bit. Thinking she may have broken Daddy's brain she hastily added:  Someone said that it would. I wasn't sure so I wanted to ask you! Someone said that it would? The answer is actually clear - even for today.   Canon 1090: §1. Anyone who with a view to entering marriage with a certain person has brought about the death of that person’s spouse or of one’s own spouse invalidly attempts this marriage. §2. Those who have brought about the death of a spouse by mutual physical or moral cooperation also invalidly attempt a marriage together. Nice when things are clear and concise. :-) P^3 References https://www.newadvent.org/ cathen/04489a.htm https://www.vatican.va/...

 + JMJ  Protestants believe that we are saved by Faith Alone (Sola Fides), even though the 'alone' part was added by Luther. What do Catholics believe? I had heard Steve Wood of Family Life International mention ( https://www.dads.org ), in response to Protestants,  that we are saved by Grace and I realized that I didn't know enough about this topic. So I dusted of my electronic copy of  Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma writtne by Ludwig Ott and dove into a study. All quotes are from Ott's discussion on the Salvation So I can now report that, yes the correct Catholic answer is that we are saved by Grace and the core seems to be the following: The source of the Subjective Redemption is the Triune God.     Since however, the communication of grace is a work of the Divine Love, it is “appropriated" to the Holy Ghost, i.e., to the Personal Divine Love.     Nevertheless it is effected by the Three Persons in common.     The Subje...

 + JMJ  In the confusion created by the Catholic Church withdrawal from the moral life of nations, we have errors on both sides.  The Church has been here before and the principles of social doctrine are clear. Respect your superiors, even the bad / evil ones, not because of what they do, but because of the authority that they have received from God. P^3 Courtesy SSPX.com https://www.vatican.va/content/pius-x/it/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-x_motu-proprio_19031218_fin-dalla-prima.html While Rerum Novarum is considered the definitive document on Social Doctrine and workers, Pope St. Pius X was not silent on the subject: To follow up on a previous post, “ Labor Day: What Should Catholics Think? ,” which surveyed Pope Leo XIII’s great social encyclical, Rerum Novarum , we present an overview of Pope St. Pius X’s 1903 motu proprio, Fin Dalla Prima Nostra . Recently reprinted in the July/August issue of The Angelus , this compact but illuminating document takes as its c...