RORATE CÆLI

Rest in Peace, Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais

Rorate has learned H. E. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais has died in Sion, Switzerland. He had been under hospital care since suffering an unfortunate fall, a few days ago.

Good and Faithful Servant: may he rest in peace!

His funeral Mass and rite of interment will take place in the Seminary of Saint Pius X, in Écône, Switzerland, next Friday, October 18, 2024, at 9:30 am, local time.

***

Bernard Tissier de Mallerais was born on September 14, 1945, in Sallanches (Haute-Savoie), France, not far from the Swiss-French-Italian border, in a strongly Catholic family. Following his university studies, dedicated to biology, he joined the Seminary of Saint Pius X (still in Fribourg, in its early years), studying for the priesthood under the guidance of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood on June 29, 1975, in Écône.

The Fourth National Latin Mass pilgrimage is now in the books. Inaugurated in 2022 in response to the draconian restrictions imposed by Vatican fiat on the thriving Latin Masses in the Diocese of Arlington and the Archdiocese of Washington, the pilgrimage has now become a yearly tradition showcasing the power and beauty of Catholic Tradition in the streets of our nation's capital.

Rorate is able to independently confirm the news that the consequences of the unfortunate fall suffered by H.E. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, of the Society of Saint Pius X, seem to be irreversible regarding his state of health.

Militia est vita hominis super terram: Bishop Tissier de Mallerais has fought the good fight, and will persevere until the end. Prayers to the Immaculate Virgin for this indefatigable man of God.

New Cardinals - just one Sub-Saharan African

The Pope of the “peripheries” has once again reduced the cardinalatial representation of the churches of greatest faithfulness and most explosive growth (those of Sub-Saharan Africa) — to the lowest level since the Council…

And nothing could be more shocking than the elevation of Dominican Tim Radcliffe, a man whose heterodoxy is...beyond recognition. (And not only honorary, he might still be able to vote if the future conclave takes place before his 80th birthday in 2025.)

Here is the list of the Cardinals to be created in the upcoming consistory (on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Dec. 8, 2024):

Sermon for Michaelmas 2024: "Prayer to the great champion of God, whose name means 'Who is like God?', is salutary and necessary in today’s world."

Sermon for the Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel

by Fr. Richard Cipolla

From the book of Revelation:

Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought ,but they were defeated and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

It is always an occasion of joy for me to celebrate this Mass of St. Michael the Archangel. For some, this feast is at best quaint, looking back to another time, but with little relevance to today.

Francis Orders Apostolic visitation of the Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP)

Communiqué of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter

Fribourg, September 26, 2024

Chatgpt's disturbing "prophecy" of a pontificate in the hands of Satan

The following article originally appeared in Spanish at InfoVaticana.

New technologies and artificial intelligence are here to stay

Faced with the lack of regulation and control, there are more and more voices calling for greater regulation and education on everything that concerns the various artificial intelligence tools that threaten to replace man in many tasks.

Chatgpt is one of the first tools to be born as a result of artificial intelligence. This kind of 'human brain' is a useful tool for many people in their daily lives. To test this tool, we asked it how it would design a pontificate if it were Satan. Pay attention to the answers offered by the artificial intelligence because they are not to be missed:

Dear Rorate Caeli Readers,

I am proud to announce the second and latest issue of The Corner Cabinet magazine entitled Matrimony.

Francis, the Peronist President of Argentina: What Catholics need is for Francis to act as Pope, not as politician - by Abp. Héctor Agüer

THE PRESIDENT OF PERONISM

Archbishop Héctor Agüer

Emeritus of La Plata

Buenos Aires, September 25, 2024

Pope Francis has repeatedly announced that his intention is to visit Argentina; but he will not do so: he knows that he would not do very well here. So, now, he descends to the dirty field of political debates with an unusual speech, of fury, against the libertarian government of President Milei. He never made the slightest allusion to Cristina Kirchner's governments, which plunged the country into poverty and destitution. Neither did he react to the worst government in history: that of the useless and abusive Alberto Fernandez, the hypocrite who boasted of being a feminist and beat his wife. The main source of Francis' speech has been, as other times, the news reached by his friend Juan Grabois.

Usury is a topic with a long and complex history. While it is typically understood today as the practice of charging excessive interest, this is a far cry from the meaning given to it by ancient and medieval authors, who considered the charging of any interest on a mutuum (a loan of such things as are estimated by weight, number, or measure) to be usury.

Finding a thorough, coherent, and believable explanation for so monumental a difference in outlook has been nearly impossible—until David Hunt’s new work, Something for Nothing? An Explanation and Defence of the Scholastic Position on Usury (number 14 in the Os Justi Studies in Catholic Tradition series). Hunt explains and defends the traditional view that usury is a charge for something that does not exist and is therefore a form of theft. Indeed, usury begets a form of chattel slavery, since charging interest on a mutuum is an attempt to profit by treating the borrower as the lender’s property.

Book Review: "The Tragedy of Orpheus and the Maenads" - by David Lane

A Review by Fr. Richard Cipolla

This review of David Lane’s The Tragedy of Orpheus and the Maenads, a play in five acts, was written by this writer as a response to Mr. Lane’s kind invitation to do so. What could have been the result of only sense of obligation became, in my reading of this work, a source of delight. And for that I am grateful to David Lane.

“Christ is no longer to be spoken about—and can no longer be spoken about”: New essay by Vigilius on Pope Francis in Southeast Asia

Rorate welcomes once again the crystal-clear and profound contribution of Vigilius, pen-name of a German theologian. The original text may be found here; the following translation has been approved by the author.

Pope Francis in the “Tunnel of Friendship”

Vigilius

Pope Francis was completely in his element during his trip to Southeast Asia. This is because he was once again able to engage eagerly in “interreligious dialogue”. If you read the Pope’s now published speeches, this dialogue enjoys an almost sacred status of grandeur, which is fed by impressive moral claims. This is because the essence of the intended dialogue is aimed at unity, fraternity, harmony and concord. Central to the Bergoglian concept of dialogue is the “detection of what connects us”, i.e., everything that brings us together by allowing us to discover what is, in truth, always already identical—as symbolized by the underground “tunnel of friendship” between the Istiqlal Mosque and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Jakarta.

A campaign has been launched to help fundraise for the music of rarely heard liturgies in an extraordinary location.

By kind permission of the Church of England parish of Dorchester on Thames, the St Birinus Festival 2024 will take place at the beautiful mediaeval abbey, once host to the remains of St Birinus and a destination for pilgrims from around the world. St Birinus, along with St Augustine, was responsible for bringing much of England to Christianity. Just by the abbey runs the River Thame, in whose waters St Birinus baptised the king of Wessex in 636 AD.

The festival will include the singing of the major hours of the feasts of All Saints and All Souls according to the 1962 Roman Missal, which is normally celebrated at the nearby Catholic Church of St Birinus. These ceremonies will be sung with full Gregorian Chant and polyphonic music by the great Renaissance composers such as Victoria, Gabrieli, Palestrina and Byrd.

The newly formed St Birinus Festival Choir will be joined by sackbuts and cornetts, and will be directed by Gareth Wilson, of Girton College Cambridge. A Mass in up to 16 parts by the Venetian composer Andrea Gabrieli will accompany a solemn Pontifical Mass for All Saints on November 1st, at 11am. The celebrant will be Abbot Hugh Allan O.Praem.

Matins of All Souls will also be a unique experience early the next day, with some of the finest music of the Renaissance written specifically for this ceremony. This will be followed by a solemn Requiem with music by Lassus and Byrd.

The festival will also include major musical events in the evenings, such as concerts with the Davey Consort and students of the Royal Academy of Music, both directed by Ryan Wigglesworth, director of music for the BBC Scottish symphony orchestra. Sophie Bevan MBE will also give a masterclass.

The Festival is being organised in order to fundraise for the music at the beautiful Catholic Church in Dorchester on Thames. This neo-gothic gem [of a church] (also dedicated to St Birinus) boasts an Aubertin organ and a regular professional choir (the Davey Consort), as well as a children’s choir with ambitious plans for the future. Donations to support the costs of organising such an event can be made via the following link: https://gofund.me/42c651ff

All details of the festival events and where to get tickets can be found here: https://thedaveyconsort.co.uk/collections/st-birinus-festival

Papal Scandal in Singapore: The Error of the Equality of Religions -- and the Faith of St. Francis Xavier (De Mattei)

Pope Francis and the Act of Faith of St. Francis Xavier

by Roberto de Mattei

Among the most serious errors prevalent today, even in Catholic circles, is the one according to which all religions are equivalent because they all worship one God. This error is most serious because it denies, at its root, the intrinsic truth of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, Pope Francis' statements at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore last September 13, 2024, are along these lines and, with all due respect to the Pope, are objectively scandalous.

The official Vatican account quotes verbatim these phrases from Francis: "All religions are a path to get to God. They are - I make a comparison - like different languages, different idioms, to get there. But God is God for all. And because God is God for everyone, we are all God's children. "But my God is more important than yours!" Is this true? There is only one God, and we, our religions are languages, paths to get to God. Some Sikh, some Muslim, some Hindu, some Christian, but they are different paths. Understood?" Understood?

Our answer is immediate: no, Holy Father, we have not understood and cannot understand it. Our religion and also the history of the Society of Jesus, to which you belong, teach us otherwise.

Arlington Carmel Saga: the Texas Carmelites become a permanent TLM-celebrating community - by coming under the auspices of the SSPX

It seems there may be a pause in the sinuous saga of the Discalced Carmelite sisters of Arlington, Texas. After years of strange events and the relentless pursuit of their convent (coincidentally, a huge piece of property right in the middle of one of the fastest growing regions in the US) by the local bishop (Fort Worth) including Vatican intervention in their favor, they seem to have a reasonably stable moment — by becoming the newest community friendly to the Society of Saint Pius X in America.

From the note published by the SSPX US district:

Statement from the Arlington Carmel on Its Association with the SSPX
SEPTEMBER 14, 2024

"The motto of Pope St. Pius X was: To Restore All Things in Christ. Such is the case for our Community as well, which has prayerfully, over a period of many years, sought to return to Tradition."

Bishop Slattery, RIP

The Diocese of Tulsa announced His Excellency Edward J. Slattery died yesterday at the age of 84.

Bishop Slattery was the celebrant of the solemn pontifical Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 2010. He graciously stepped in after a media firestorm concerning the originally scheduled celebrant, Dario Cardinal Hoyos. The day turned out to be an absolutely glorious one -- standing room only in the largest church in North America. The dozens of clergy, the numerous choirs, the magnificent pipe organ, the beautiful vestments, the joy in all who attended in-person or watched live on EWTN -- it was a traditional Latin Mass that defined the liturgical restoration of its era.

The decision by Pope Francis and the Dicastery for Divine Worship (DDW) to reignite the liturgical wars by abrogating Summorum Pontificum will be remembered as a monumental, embarrassing blunder by a papacy marked by corruption and scandal.

Francis in Asia: "All Religions Lead to God." - Pius XI: That is a "false opinion"

Francis speaking in Singapore earlier today:

Every religion is a way to arrive at God. There are different languages to arrive at God but God is God for all.
But my God is more important than your God, is that true?
There is only one God and each of us has a language to arrive at God. Sikh, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, they are different paths.

pic.twitter.com/TMHRDjEuJ9
— Michael Haynes 🇻🇦 (@MLJHaynes) September 13, 2024

***

On the other hand, Pius XI in Mortalium animos (1928):

Never perhaps in the past have we seen, as we see in these our own times, the minds of men so occupied by the desire both of strengthening and of extending to the common welfare of human society that fraternal relationship which binds and unites us together, and which is a consequence of our common origin and nature. For since the nations do not yet fully enjoy the fruits of peace - indeed rather do old and new disagreements in various places break forth into sedition and civic strife - and since on the other hand many disputes which concern the tranquillity and prosperity of nations cannot be settled without the active concurrence and help of those who rule the States and promote their interests, it is easily understood, and the more so because none now dispute the unity of the human race, why many desire that the various nations, inspired by this universal kinship, should daily be more closely united one to another.

A similar object is aimed at by some, in those matters which concern the New Law promulgated by Christ our Lord. For since they hold it for certain that men destitute of all religious sense are very rarely to be found, they seem to have founded on that belief a hope that the nations, although they differ among themselves in certain religious matters, will without much difficulty come to agree as brethren in professing certain doctrines, which form as it were a common basis of the spiritual life. For which reason conventions, meetings and addresses are frequently arranged by these persons, at which a large number of listeners are present, and at which all without distinction are invited to join in the discussion, both infidels of every kind, and Christians, even those who have unhappily fallen away from Christ or who with obstinacy and pertinacity deny His divine nature and mission. Certainly such attempts can nowise be approved by Catholics, founded as they are on that false opinion which considers all religions to be more or less good and praiseworthy, since they all in different ways manifest and signify that sense which is inborn in us all, and by which we are led to God and to the obedient acknowledgment of His rule. Not only are those who hold this opinion in error and deceived, but also in distorting the idea of true religion they reject it, and little by little. turn aside to naturalism and atheism, as it is called; from which it clearly follows that one who supports those who hold these theories and attempt to realize them, is altogether abandoning the divinely revealed religion.

Event: 54-Day Rosary Novena in Saint Louis to Defeat Abortion Amendment

Event organized by Catholics in Saint Louis, Missouri:

Dear Fellow Missouri Catholics & People of Good Will:

As you may have heard, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled yesterday [Sep. 10] that Amendment 3 will be on the November 5 ballot.

Amendment 3 would enshrine abortion in the state Constitution. Learn more at Missouri Right to Life PAC.

To ask the Blessed Virgin to defeat 3 and keep abortion out of Missouri, join us at the statue of St. Louis in Forest Park to pray the Rosary for the next 54 days:

Those who devote themselves to the defense of traditional things (liturgy, catechism, resistance to deleterious doctrines) often hesitate to say that we are currently faced with an atypical ecclesial situation. Especially when it comes to the liturgy. Even if they assert that it is not for reasons of sensitivity but of faith that they attend the old liturgy, they feel they can effectively defend their position against the proponents of the new liturgy as a legitimate free choice. It is true that arguments of this kind can work quite well with Catholic opinion in general, for whom liberalism has become an unsurpassable horizon; but the fact that it is permissible to take tactical advantage of this state of mind does not mean it is justifiable.

Paradoxically, they even sometimes twist traditional doctrine to defend it. One example is the extreme reduction of the doctrine of obedience to ecclesiastical authorities and their teachings. Since, in many respects, submission to the authorities is untenable in conscience today, they practically come to affirm that free examination was the common doctrine of the Church, with each person deciding what is Catholic in the name of the “tradition” of which each is ultimately the custodian. Or they proceed to disembowel the doctrine of Roman infallibility by asserting that the First See has frequently issued heterodox doctrines. In other words, the abnormality of what is happening now is transferred to the Church of old.[1] And the anti-modernists become modernists.

We will deal here only with arguments in defense of the traditional Mass. In particular, we would like to consider two that are often used to justify the free option in favor of the traditional missal:

(1) The invocation of the bull Quo primum of 1570, insofar as it states that the missal it promulgates may be used “in perpetuity”. And

(2) the fact that the Church has always recognized the legitimacy of a diversity of rites.

From a reader:

"Our Lady as New Eve": International Theological Conference in Dundee Scotland (and Online), September 12-14

The Marian Franciscans in the UK have organized a magnificent conference on Our Lady, coming up quite soon. For those who cannot attend in person, an online option is available. Details in posters below.

As of tonight, the leftist judicial dictatorship currently in charge of the most populous Catholic nation on earth, Brazil, has banned the access to Twitter (X), which should be implemented in the next few days. What is worse, the judicial tyrant has also determined a complete ban on VPN access, which will inevitably affect ALL users of all applications.

We are used to the practice of Samizdat in our blog, so this is a special message to our our Brazilian readers and followers:

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

We place our blog, https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com, and our Twitter profile, @RorateCaeli , at your disposal for all Catholic-related content (including pictures, videos, articles, events, etc) you wish the world to know.

Please, send all items to newcatholic@gmail.com

Catholics and the U.S. Presidential Elections: Donald Trump clearly is the choice from a Catholic perspective - by Roberto de Mattei

There is a Catholic doctrine of the lesser evil that can be summarized in these terms:

1. One can never positively and directly commit even the slightest evil;

2. to avoid a greater evil, one may tolerate a lesser evil committed by others, provided one does not approve of it as such and remembers the existence of a greater good to strive for.

This doctrine is fundamental for orientation in a confused age in which the notion of the principle has been lost: “Bonum ex integra causa, malum ex quocumque defectu”(St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I-IIae, q. 18, a. 4 ad 3).

Downside Abbey, where many events narrated in Two Families took place

Those who move in traditional circles in the UK tell me that “everyone has heard of the Bevans.” They are a large and highly musical clan whose members have been singing for decades in liturgies and concerts. Os Justi Press is proud to have just released Joseph Bevan’s book Two Families: A Memoir of English Life During and After the Council.

In running through his eventful life, Bevan vividly describes what the practice of Catholicism was like before, during, and after the Council: he shows the strengths and weaknesses of the preconciliar routine, the confusion unleashed in the 1960s, the collapse of the liturgy and especially of sacred music “in real time,” as it was unfolding.

Public Protest Against Panama City's Interreligious Syncretistic Meeting on Feast of the Assumption

August 16, 2024
Metropolitan Archdiocese of the Panama City
Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta
E. S. D.

Dear Metropolitan Archdiocese of Panama City,

On August 15, every year and since time immemorial, the Solemnity of Our Lady in her glorious Assumption is celebrated, in fact the city was founded under the name of Our Lady of the Assumption of Panama on August 15, 1519. This Solemnity demonstrates the crowning success of Mary Most Holy in this life, to such an extent that the Most High kept her away from the corruption of death to be taken body and soul to heaven to reign for all eternity with her Divine Son. The supreme joy in which the whole Christian world was immersed for centuries is incalculable and through the writings of the saints we can learn how sublime this solemnity is. Unfortunately, this brief letter is not an address of congratulations, but a cry that rises from the depths of a faithful that is overwhelmed and outraged by the serious lack of respect that is being committed against Our Holy Mother of Heaven.

Roche and Viola (Dicastery for Divine Worship) Forbid Latin Mass in Helsinki Cathedral (Finland) - celebrated (for the moment) in another Church

Finland. A land lost by the Church to Lutheranism.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND- As a response to restrictions on the Traditional Latin Mass announced in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia, local TLM attendees organized a pilgrimage between the main cathedral of the Diocese of Arlington (St. Thomas More) and the main cathedral of the Archdiocese of Washington (St. Matthew). This pilgrimage was wildly successful and has now become a yearly tradition. Our goal: full freedom, once again, for the Traditional Latin Mass, and an end to any and all restrictions.

Since the mid-fifteenth century it has been performed in the Basilica of Santa Maria and in the streets of the old city of Elche (Elx), situated in the region of Valencia. It is a living testimony of European religious theatre of the Middle Ages and of the cult of the Virgin.

This theatrical performance, which is entirely sung, comprises two acts, performed on 14 and 15 August. These depict the death and crowning of the Virgin in a series of scenes and related paintings: the death of Mary, the night procession that is followed by hundreds of participants carrying candles, the morning procession, the afternoon funeral procession in the streets of Elche, and the enactment of the burial, Assumption and coronation in the Basilica. (Unesco)

Mystery Plays and Passion Plays inside a church were not uncommon before the Protestant revolts, but were severely curtailed after the Catholic Reformation. The Mystery Play of Elx (Misteri d'Elx in Valencian/Catalan, Misterio de Elche in Spanish) was a rare exception after Trent, allowed specifically for the Basilica of Saint Mary in Elx (Alicante, Valencia) by Pope Urban VIII. All participating actors are still today men, not women, as it has been since its inception, most probably in the 15th century.

Below, a version of one of the main compositions of the play, Esposa e Mare de Déu (Wife and Mother of God), and of the processional hymn, with images of the play and its traditional special effects, as well as the procession:

Readers will recall the unparalleled theological analysis of the Francis pontificate by Vigilius, first published here on July 10, 2024. Today, we are pleased to publish a follow-up (in a translation authorized by the author; original German here), in which Vigilius explains why he respectfully disagrees with the eminent Argentinean commentator about the theological program of the present pope. —PAK

Is Jorge Bergoglio a Strategist? A Reply to Caminante-Wanderer

How the Loss of Children and the Demographic Collapse Are Linked to the Loss of Tradition

How the Loss of Children and the Demographic Collapse Are Linked to the Loss of Tradition

J. Melonowska

After Part 1's exposition, I now turn to the connection between the central myth of Europe, namely the Christian myth, and the situation of our societies, specifically the demographic collapse (childlessness, by which I mean the declining birth rate). I will link the myth, the liturgy, and the demographical issue.

The World of the Dead and Childless Wives: A Philosopher of Religion on the Logos, Tradition, and Demographics

The World of the Dead and Childless Wives

A Philosopher of Religion on the Logos, Tradition, and Demographics

J. Melonowska

Roberto de Mattei

Centuries pass, circumstances are different, but God does not change, the Catholic Church is the same, and the struggle continues to be that between the two cities that oppose each other in history like two armies. The theology of Christian history assures us that the City of God is always victorious; Our Lady's apparition at Fatima assures us that the historical triumph of the Immaculate Heart is near; the historical and logical analysis of revolutionary dynamism, assures us of the irreversibility of the counter-revolutionary movement. However, those immersed in the struggle miss the great horizon of the battlefield, which sometimes seems shrouded in fog or the shadows of night. There is a risk of losing our way, but more importantly, of losing sight of the ultimate goal of our battles and our path. For the path is long and it is not linear. We advance along winding paths, with wide curves, sometimes the terrain is steep and impassable, sometimes flat, descending then suddenly rising again. Overall, the certain movement is ascending, but not straight. We climb to the top, but passing peaks, skirting chasms and cliffs, through an uneven path. And the enemies that assail us are of all kinds. Such is the history of humanity, such is our life. And when the night of confusion falls, the darkness of chaos, fear assails us.

The Strange Chapel of Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the Pope's Ambassador to Paris

Paix Liturgique continues to place us all in its debt, even while its websites in various languages remain unaccountably defunct. The following letter 1080 of August 8, 2024, was sent in French to email subscribers, and now we bring it to you here in English. - PAK

Prayer card illustrated by Rupnik

Praying Every Day in Front of Mosaics Created by Top-Ranking Abuser Rupnik Is Strange for a Nuncio Who Is Supposed to Fight Abuse

Eucharistic Congress a Blessing for the Church — Now What Must be Done?

Father Richard Cipolla

Traditional Mass in Indianapolis during the Eucharistic Congress

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops recently sponsored a series of events that were meant to be an affirmation of witness to the Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The first was a series of Eucharistic processions from disparate points in the United States whose ultimate goal was the site of the major event of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana. I must confess that when I first heard about the plans for the processions and the Congress in Indiana, my southern Italian quasi-cynical genes kicked in, fed by my experience as a Catholic priest for much of forty years. Much of those forty years were marked by a severe lack of Eucharistic piety by both clergy and laity.

[Paix Liturgique published the following reflections on the article by Nico Spuntoni in Il Giornale on July 14, 2024. Translation for Rorate. -PK]

Given the nature of the Second Vatican Council as a kind of new beginning for the Church of all things, opposition to it, especially opposition to the new liturgy, carries a heavy psychological weight in successive conclaves.

The Paris Olympic Ceremony: Not Simply Bad Taste, but an Act of War against Christian Civilization

by Roberto de Mattei

Marie-Antoinette being taken to her Execution (1793), by William Hamilton (1794)

Among the many symbolic events of our time, the grotesque spectacle that opened the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024, cannot simply be dismissed as a show of bad taste or a cultural provocation. It is the latest act of war against Christian Civilization that had one of its historical peaks in the French Revolution.

(The following text was published in no. 140 of Itinéraires, February 1970. It was translated by Gerhard Eger for Rorate Caeli.)

I must admit to you, my dear Jean Madiran, that I have been tempted more than once to leave the Catholic Church wherein I was born. If I have not done so, I give thanks to God and to the good peasant’s common sense with which he has blessed me. The Church—I murmur to myself at this moment—is like a sack of wheat infested with weevils. However numerous the parasites are—and at first glance, they are swarming!—they have not sterilized all the kernels. Some, no matter how few, remain fertile. They will sprout and the weevils will die once they have devoured all the others. Bon appétit, gentlemen, you are eating your own death.

Meanwhile, we suffer from famine, starving for the supernatural. The number of priests who distribute the bread of the soul to us dwindles at an alarming rate. In the hierarchy, things are even worse. And at the very top, whence we might expect some solace, they are disastrous.

"The Little Red Light": New children's book by a priest teaches the Catholic tradition of the sanctuary lamp

Father Benjamin A. Garcia of the Archdiocese of Washington, who is devoted to the traditional Mass, has published a children's book which reinforces the Catholic tradition of the sanctuary lamp, the sign of the real presence of Our Lord in our Catholic churches.

Almost exactly one year ago, Rorate reported on the plight of the Dominicans of the Holy Spirit, who from their founding adhered with principled consistency to the old liturgical rites. The Vatican sent Novus Ordo apologist Fr Henry Donneaud, OP to "regularize" them in accord with the Vatican campaign against traditional religious life and traditional divine worship.

Now, there is an important update. On July 25, the community issued the following press release, which we translate here: