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§ 1. A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a church or in an oratory, are present in a recitation or solemn chant of: ...
Plenary Indulgence reminders:
Te Deum on Dec. 31
Veni Creator on Jan. 1
BECKET - "This is the sign of the Church always: The Sign of Blood."
KNIGHTS. Where is Becket, the traitor to the King?
Where is Becket, the meddling priest?
Come down Daniel to the lions' den,
Come down Daniel for the mark of the beast.
Free 2018 traditional liturgical calendar for priests
We were alerted to a worthwhile project to give priests -- especially those not currently saying the traditional Latin Mass -- a free 2018 liturgical calendar according to the 1962 rubrics.
Note: If you're a priest you can get one for free, and if you're a layman, you can send one to a priest for free as well.
Please consider sending one to your local parish pastor. You never know -- you may get a new, local TLM option out of it. Sometimes it only takes a small spark to light a fire!
A Christmas meditation
Given by Father Konrad zu Loewenstein FSSP at Midnight Mass, 2017
St. Mary’s Church, Warrington, England
(based on the Biblical Commentary of Fr. Cornelius a Lapide)
We read that Our Blessed Lady in the Christmas scene 'meditated all these things in her heart'. The Latin word 'conferens' suggests the making of comparisons, that is of the human and the Divine: the human in the birth of a human child of a human mother in the poorest and meanest of conditions; the Divine in the birth of God predicted by an Archangel, heralded by the conception and the exultation in the womb of St. John the Baptist, by the prophecies of St. Elisabeth and Zachariah, by the host of angels and the star.
And amongst the signs of Divine action we can include the character of the birth itself and the presence of ministering angels.
A Very Blessed Christmas!
***
At ubi venit plenitudo temporis,
misit Deus Filium suum factum ex muliere, factum sub lege,
ut eos, qui sub lege erant, redimeret,
ut adoptionem filiorum reciperemus.
***
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| "In the Fullness of Time" - the Birth of Our Lord ends the Pagan World (Jean-Léon Gérôme, The Age of Augustus and the Birth of Jesus Christ, 1855) |
Sermon for the Vigil of Christmas
“And she shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call His Name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
How wonderful to be able to celebrate the Vigil of Christmas
today in a Solemn Mass on this Sunday!
The Novus Ordo calendar keeps this as the Fourth Sunday in Advent and
the focus of the readings is on the Blessed Virgin Mary. But the Traditional Roman rite insists on
continuing with the theme of expectancy that is at the heart of Advent. The introit, the gradual and alleluia, the
opening Collect: the focus is on
tomorrow both in a literal and profoundly religious sense. The Introit sings: “This day you will know that the Lord will come
and save us; you will see his glory.”
This verse is from the book of Exodus where Moses speaks to his people who are starving in the wilderness of the heavenly manna that will save them from death. The Liturgy applies this to the birth of the One who is the bread from heaven who will give eternal life to those who eat of this bread. St Paul, in the Epistle reading from Romans speaks of God’s promises to the Jews that have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ: his birth, his teaching and above all the power of his Resurrection and its promise of eternal life to those with faith in Him. The Gradual repeats the words of the Introit and the Alleluia sings: “Tomorrow shall the iniquity of the earth be abolished; and the Savior of the world shall reign over us”. And tomorrow is indeed when we celebrate the conquering of sin and death in the birth of Christ.
This verse is from the book of Exodus where Moses speaks to his people who are starving in the wilderness of the heavenly manna that will save them from death. The Liturgy applies this to the birth of the One who is the bread from heaven who will give eternal life to those who eat of this bread. St Paul, in the Epistle reading from Romans speaks of God’s promises to the Jews that have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ: his birth, his teaching and above all the power of his Resurrection and its promise of eternal life to those with faith in Him. The Gradual repeats the words of the Introit and the Alleluia sings: “Tomorrow shall the iniquity of the earth be abolished; and the Savior of the world shall reign over us”. And tomorrow is indeed when we celebrate the conquering of sin and death in the birth of Christ.
Rorate cæli: The silence of Christ's coming
Rorate, cæli, desuper, et nubes pluant iustum: aperiatur terra, et germinet Salvatorem. (cf. also the fourth Lesson for Ember Saturday in Advent, Isaias xlv, 6-8: "I am the Lord, and there is none else: I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord that do all these things. Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a savior: and let justice spring up together: I the Lord have created him.")
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| Giovanni Battista Trotti, called Il Malosso Virgin Mary Architect of the Universe (1603) |
This Sunday (RORATE Sunday, the 4th Sunday in Advent, superseded this year by the Vigil of the Nativity) marks the 12th anniversary of this blog: thank you for your readership, and a very blessed Christmastide to you and yours!
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I. Consider first, that this blessed earth here spoken of is, according to the strictest interpretation, no other than Our Lady, that inviolate Virgin and immaculate Earth, from which, without human agency, there sprang that Divine Bud, desired by Isaias so long before, when he exclaimed: "Let the earth be opened, and bud forth a Savior." This being so, it will at once strike thee as strange that this form of expression should be used. For, if the Earth here spoken of was so inviolate as to remain as much closed during as before childbirth, how can the Prophet pray that it might be opened? "Let the earth be opened."
So, What About Maradiaga? -- The Answers Can Be Found in the Events of 2012 and 2013
Latin America has a recurring corruption problem, which has most recently reached vast proportions. Just this past couple of weeks, a vice-president was sentenced to a 6-year jail sentence (in Ecuador), a former president had an arrest warrant standing against her (in Argentina), and a standing president barely escaped an impeachment procedure (in Peru) -- all cases linked to endemic corrupt practices.
So naturally it is no surprise that local Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, the most powerful Cardinal in the Francis entourage, who had been known to -- shall we use a safe word? -- "facilitate" the election of Cardinal Bergoglio to the papacy in 2013, and who led the world federation of Catholic charities (Caritas Internationalis), and who was also chancellor of the local Catholic university with lots of access to lots of funding would find himself entangled with explosive accusations of financial malfeasance. It's how things work for many in power in the region.
Unfortunately, we cannot say anything else here. The pieces of the puzzle are all in the open, and all elements that need to be investigated by a serious journalist are mentioned in the previous paragraph. Who will find out what happened in 2012 and 2013?
De Mattei - Forty years against life: from abortion to euthanasia (1978-2017)
Roberto de Mattei
Corrispondenza Romana
December 20, 2017
The Renzi-Gentiloni
governments will go down in history as those that imposed two of the most wicked
laws in the Italian Republic: pseudo-homosexual-marriage, called “Civil Unions”
(May 20th 2016) and euthanasia, under the name of the “living will" or DAT (Dichiarazione anticipata di
trattamento [Declaration Advance of Treatment]), approved definitively by
the Senate on December 14th 2017. This law will be registered in the
Official Journal on the fortieth anniversary of the legalization of abortion, which passed on May 22, 1978 with Law
194. Thus the circle closes.
12th Anniversary You Report, from a Convert from Islam:
Rorate Mass in Smyrna, Anatolia
The Traditional Mass can be a powerful instrument for the conversion of non-Christians. It inspires, in its great mysteries, awe and respect, it shows how great are the things in which we Catholics believe by how deeply we cherish what we celebrate. (On this matter, please see the FIUV paper on Islam below.)
This particular You Report post has filled us with great emotion: a convert from Islam who has fought with his friends for a Traditional Mass in the most unexpected of places, the once immensely Christian city of Smyrna (İzmir, in Turkey). And now they can celebrate the advent of Baby Jesus with the Traditional Mass of the Latin Church. What great Christmas gift, what great gift for our little blog on its 12th anniversary!
I am a Turkish Catholic, a convert to the faith from Islam. Ever since I joined the Church, I wanted the Traditional Latin Mass to be celebrated in our diocese. After much prayer and constant petition for 3 years, we have finally started to celebrate it on Fridays.
FIUV Position Paper: Islam
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| Jesus, a minature in 17th century Ottoman manuscript. |
Today I am able to publish the latest of the 'Position Papers' of the Una Voce Federation (FIUV), on the subject of Islam. These papers have not only sought to defend aspects of the Traditional liturgy which have been criticised, but also to point out the usefulness to the Church of this liturgy in making the Faith vivid, attractive, or comprehensible, to particular groups inside and outside the Church: in Africa, in China, in relation to the Oriental Churches, to children, to men, to people influenced by the New Age, and now to Muslims.
I have put some additional commentary on my own blog here.
Guest Op-Ed: On the nature of schism
NOTE: As easy as it is to do, please do not read into this piece, and assign a verdict to any one group, especially a group that is traditional. Rather, look at it through the lens of the current chastisement of the Church, through God's will, either permissive or express, and what could happen soon, through the actions of the current pontificate.
By Veronica A. Arntz
“The Church, though certainly achieving full historical actuality only
with the association of Christian believers, was already in existence,
fundamentally and in germ, and in that sense is a divine creation. For she is
the unity of redeemed humanity, a unity made possibly by the Incarnation of the
Son of God; she is the kosmos of men, mankind as a whole, the many as one” (Karl
Adam, The Spirit of Catholicism).[i]
Karl Adam gives us expressive
words for understanding the heart of the truth about the Catholic Church. She
is the source of unity for the redeemed, and indeed, for all mankind, who long
to be united to the Savior, Jesus Christ. It is through the Church that we
receive the grace of salvation, not purely in an individualistic way, as
understood by the Protestants, but particularly in a communal way, with the
other baptized members and through the intercession of the Communion of Saints
in Heaven.
Unity in charity, which is the
pinnacle of the spiritual life, is an essential characteristic of the Church,
and it is vital, for the sake of salvation and for the good of the Church, that
we remain in communion with her. While schism is an infrequent occurrence, it
is important for us to reflect on the gravity of its nature, so that we can be
encouraged to remain in the Church and to pray for unity of all individuals
through her. To this end, we shall first give two definitions, one of the
Church, as described by Pope Pius XII in his encyclical Mystici Corporis, and second of
schism according to St. Thomas Aquinas. We will then review several texts from
St. Cyprian of Carthage, Charles Cardinal Journet, St. Augustine, and Joseph Ratzinger
on the scourge of schism to the communal nature of the Church.
Proceedings of Dialogos Conference on Dignitatis Humanae published
In 2015 the Dialogos Institute held an important conference in Norcia, Italy on the interpretation of the controversial Declaration of the Second Vatican Council on Religious Liberty Dignitatis Humanae Rorate Caeli reported at the time (here and here). Now the Dialogos Institute has published a volume containing the interventions held at the conference.
Sacred music and more from the Benedictines of Mary
Today Rorate received this note from the prioress of the Benedictines of Mary in Gower, Missouri, whom we have featured many times for their wonderful music and their growing community. Please support them if you can. The new church they are building is magnificent, and the monastery is bursting with sisters.
Dear Friends in Christ,
As we make final preparations in our homes and in our hearts for the coming of our Savior, we want to send our love and prayers to all of you. We thank you for your past support, knowing that we couldn't live our lives of prayer without your generous assistance.
If you are still in need of Christmas gifts, we have all of our CDs in stock, and are offering them right now for just $12 each! Any orders placed before 9am(CST) today [Dec. 16] will be shipped today, and orders placed by 9am Monday will be shipped on Monday.
[NB:] Amazon inexplicably stopped selling our Caroling at Ephesus CD early last week, so we unfortunately lost a tremendous number of sales. So we reach out to you now, hoping that through your kindness, we might make up for this loss, which will help us to raise the last $150,000 needed to make our final construction payment of the year.
We would be most grateful if you could spread the word by any means, near and far! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your goodness and continued support!
What time can Midnight Mass begin?
As we mentioned previously, 24 December is the Vigil of Christmas, which takes precedence over the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Thus, the Fourth Sunday of Advent is not commemorated this year using the 1962 missal.
The following day is, of course, the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, the first day of Christmas, on 25 December. A popular question in novus ordo circles is: What time does Midnight Mass begin? The novus ordo is not our concern, but if the question is about the traditional Latin Mass, the answer is clear: no earlier than midnight on 25 December. There is no permission to use the next calendar day's propers for the traditional Latin Mass on the evening before a Sunday or holy day, even at 11 p.m.
The liturgical law specifying the calendar day timeline for the use of TLM propers is found in the very beginning of the rubrics governing the 1962 liturgy, under part one, chapter two, number four:
4. Dies liturgicus est dies sanctificatus actionibus liturgicis, praesertim Sacrificio eucharistico et publica Ecclesiae prece, id est Officio divino; et decurrit a media nocte ad mediam noctem.
Schedule for Roman Forum Summer Symposium 2018 released
We are happy to inform our readers of next year’s Summer Symposium of the Roman Forum in Gardone Riviera. We encourage our readers to attend this important gathering of Catholic thinkers. Or to support their important work through prayer and donations.
The Roman Forum
Twenty-Sixth Annual Summer Symposium
Gardone Riviera, Italy
(July 2nd - July 13th, 2018; 11 nights)
The Fittest and the Weakest: The Interwar Era, the Foundations of Late Modernity, and the Resilience of Catholic Christianity
The twenty-sixth annual Summer Symposium at Gardone Riviera derives its theme from the centennial concluding the “War to End All Wars”, fought “To Make the World Safe for Democracy” with the aid of a League of Nations that was to guarantee peace the globe over. Unfortunately, 1918 provided an entry into a twenty-one year period of disruptions rather than into an epoch where the lion would lie down with the lamb.
A letter on charity from conservative publisher Neil McCaffrey, February 1977
(Rorate thanks Roger McCaffrey for permission to publish this letter written to him in 1977 by his father Neil, a noted conservative publisher and political commentator, who for many years ran the Conservative Book Club and assisted with PR for National Review. Needless to say, the content of the letter is astonishingly timely, as we shiver our way through a second postconciliar winter.)
Dear Roger,
The problem of true charity is—the problem. Some random thoughts.
There can be no charity without justice, in this sense: charity may go beyond justice, but never at the expense of justice.
Von Hildebrand makes a useful distinction between injuries done to me and injuries done to God; the latter either directly or indirectly [because] to others. I cannot forgive an injury done to God, or to another.
We owe charity to our leaders in the Church, yes. But this does not extend to forgiving what in fact we cannot forgive, their offenses against God and the souls in their care. We should pray that they acquit themselves of these sins, but we do them no charity by pretending that their sins are virtues. Indeed, we do them the gravest disservice with such lies; and a worse disservice to those they harm.
Rorate Mass in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 16th, 2017
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (524 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee, WI 53204) will be celebrating its second annual Rorate Mass this year on December 16. See information in the flyer below. Please help spread the word if you are in this part of the USA.
Sermon for the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
From the Gospel of St. Luke
“Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee.”
It was the first femtosecond, when from the stillness of the
void, from the nothing that was apart from God, the birth of the creation, of the
universe, when matter was unbelievably dense, when everything burst forth in a
big bang, utter chaos, a incomprehensible burst of energy, seething, writhing,
forming matter, like a sea of blood.
New Reprints of Three Theological Classics
People who enjoy reading theological books quickly discover, in the vaults of university libraries, at used bookstores, or by lucky links online, a lot of hidden gems out there — books that were first published 50, 75, 100 years ago or even more, which have long since fallen out of print and yet very much deserve to be back in print for new readers.
Event: Rorate Mass in Kokomo, Indiana, Saturday, December 9
Aureas Manus, the Chant Group of Purdue University, and Una Voce Kokomo will be hosting a Rorate mass the morning of December 9th at St. Patrick's in Kokomo. Fr. Christopher Roberts will be the celebrant. Music will be provided by Aureas Manus and the choir of St. Patrick's. Candles and hymnals will be provided. Breakfast to follow. Those wishing to follow upcoming events of the Latin Mass Community in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana should email latinmasslafayette@gmail.com.
Mother knows best! Support the seminarians of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest
The following letter was given to us by this mother of a seminarian of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICR). When we ask you to consider giving money to causes, you should know we almost always have done so ourselves. We support an ICR seminarian on a weekly basis. We ask you to as well, even in very small dollar amounts, if at all possible. You can click here to do so now, by scrolling down to "International Seminary":
Letter from the Mother of a Seminarian:
The late Father John Hardon, of happy memory, once said, "The proof of love is pain." We see this truth in all it's paradoxical beauty when we gaze upon our crucified King on the Cross.
We have begun a new liturgical year with the start of Advent; that time of joyful waiting for the birth of our Precious Lord. We will prepare for this great feast with special prayers, adornments for our souls and for our homes, and works of mercy, to name a few. We will relish our Advent traditions. We will spend the next four weeks contemplating what we are about to celebrate; the dawn of our Redemption.
"I am the Immaculate Conception"
MARY IN OUR DIVINE HISTORY
Father R. Plus S.J.
The Song of Bernadette (1943 - apparition of March 25, 1858)
We should not be astounded at such a sublime privilege! Are not the reasons which wage battle in favor of the Immaculate Conception of Mary evident? Due to His holiness, Jesus had to be born of a sinless Mother; He ‘who finds specks in the Angels themselves’ and Who ‘takes delight only amongst the lilies’ would never have consented to have been born of a flesh tainted by sin.
The starting point of the elevation to grace is, for each one of us, Baptism. Every man, in fact, enters into existence with the consequences of original sin, and he does not possess that divine life which God wanted to give to humanity, because our first parents lost it. Therefore, born firstly to human life, it is necessary that he be born a second time to the divine life. This is the reason the baptismal rite exists: to introduce him into the Christian life, in the supernatural sphere, into the family of the children of God.
Review: The 2018 Angelus Press liturgical calendar
As we do every year, we are highlighting traditional Catholic calendars that are sent to us. And one of our favorites each year is from Angelus Press. The 2018 theme is The Creed.
For anyone who has purchased this calendar in the past, you know three things: It's always big; it's always well made and stands up to the kids grabbing at it; and it's always beautiful and inspiring. And the 2018 calendar is no different.
For anyone who has purchased this calendar in the past, you know three things: It's always big; it's always well made and stands up to the kids grabbing at it; and it's always beautiful and inspiring. And the 2018 calendar is no different.
For the Record: Franciscan Friars & Sisters of the Immaculate status update -- Bergoglio's destruction nearly complete
For so many years now we have both broke and chronicled the news of Pope Bergoglio's destruction of the Franciscans of the Immaculate -- both the Friars (FFI) and the Sisters (FSI). So much has happened, often in the shadows, and has gone unreported.
Below are simple bullet points of what we've been told recently. They come from multiple sources both inside and outside the order. But all must be recorded for history, so we post it today. We do this, as we have for years, while facing both harassment and threats for doing so. It is worth noting that about half of the FFIs who called for the original visitation are no longer in the order. Like the Imperial Prosecutor accusing St. Bernadette, they now know they were wrong, and are hopefully repenting. Please see our notes below, as well as an educated prediction of what comes next for the order.
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| The original commissioner, the late Fr. Fidenzio Volpi, meeting Pope Francis the day the FFI seminary was shuttered. |
- The FSI (Sisters) were assigned a commissioner (Noris Adriana Calzavara of the Suore Rosarie di Udine) and two co-commissioners by a decree of the Congregation for Religious. Since the Congregation did not have its decree approved in forma specifica by the Pope, it was open to be challenged in the Signatura. The challenge resulted first in a reduction of the powers of the commissioners. It looked as though a further challenge would lead to the decree being be overturned altogether early this year.
- However, before it was overturned, the Congregation went to Pope Francis and got his personal approval for a fresh assignment of the same commissioner. This was obviously very demoralizing for the sisters, who thought they were about to regain their autonomy.
Video: What is an SSPX brother?
Well worth the watch, especially you know of a young man discerning a vocation:
Prepare ye the way of the Ordo
Sunday, 24 December 2017 may be a confusing day for diocesan priests who offer the TLM, a reminder that every priest and sacristy should have an Ordo. On that Sunday, the Vigil of Christmas is the Mass to be offered all day, using the 1962 calendar, including Sunday morning. The Vigil of Christmas takes the place of the Fourth Sunday of Advent, as it has for centuries when landing on Sunday the 24th. As we mentioned last week, the novus ordo (of course) does the complete opposite.
Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate can't take postulants for 3 years (Discalced Carmelites benefit)
The tragic story of Francis' all-but-suppression of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate is well known to our readers. The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, we have now learned, have been banned from accepting postulants for three years, on order of their commissioner.
One young lady who now cannot join those Sisters has found her new home as a Discalced Carmelite. Her story, published in the Huffington Post, of all places, is below. Kudos to the publication for giving this wonderful young woman a voice:
My first memory of meeting an actual nun (as opposed to watching The Flying Nun, played by Sally Field, on TV) was when I was nine years old.
My mom and I were in the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal and she bought me this awesome doll, which I named Janine. (Mind you, this is before “V” came out, otherwise the doll for sure would have been named Julie.)
So my mom had her wallet out and sitting by the entrance to the building were two nuns. They were handing out pamphlets. My mom said to me, “Let’s make a donation” and she let me put some money into the box.
Fast forward to today.
Jade Banks, 23-1/2 years old, will be entering the Discalced Carmelites on November 30th of this year (2017). I finally had a chance to find out what goes on inside the mind of a young woman who wants to become a nun.
Did you always want to be a nun?
Pope Francis Promulgates Buenos Aires Guidelines Allowing Communion for Some Adulterers in AAS as his "Authentic Magisterium"
This week, the Vatican's organ for promulgating the Official Acts of the Apostolic See, Acta Apostolicae Sedis (AAS), has published its October 2016 issue, containing Pope Francis' infamous Letter to the Buenos Aires Bishops. AAS not only published this letter, declaring that there are "no other interpretations" ("No hay otras interpretaciones") of Amoris Laetitia other than those of the Buenos Aires bishops, but it also published the full Buenos Aires guidelines themselves, which permit Holy Communion in some cases for couples in a state of permanent and public adultery who are not committed to living in complete continence.
Reminder: Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society
This is our monthly reminder to please enroll Souls of the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society. Over the last 30 days we've added two new wonderful priests dedicated to bringing relief to loved ones enrolled by our readers. We now stand at 85 priests saying weekly or monthly traditional Latin Masses for the Souls. Come on Fathers, let's get this to 100!
** Click here to download a "fillable" PDF Mass Card to give to the loved ones of the Souls you enroll. It's free for anyone to use. **
Priests: The Souls still need more of you saying Mass for them! Please email me to offer your services. There's nothing special involved -- all you need to do is offer a weekly or monthly TLM with the intention: "For the Souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society." And we will always keep you completely anonymous unless you request otherwise.
How to enroll souls: please email me at athanasiuscatholic@yahoo.com and submit as follows: "Name, State, Country." If you want to enroll entire families, simply write in the email: "The Jones family, Ohio, USA". Individual names are preferred. Be greedy -- send in as many as you wish and forward this posting to friends as well.
De Mattei: Cardinals Burke, Brandmüller and Müller and The Dictator Pope
Roberto de Mattei
Corrispondenza Romana
November 29, 2017
Corrispondenza Romana
November 29, 2017
Over the last few weeks three interviews
from prominent cardinals have appeared. The first was released by Cardinal Walter
Brandmüller to Christian Geye and Hannes
Hintermeier for the Frankfurter Allgmeine Zeitung on October 28th
2017; the
second was given by Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke to Edward Pentin on November 14th for The
National Catholic Register; the third, to Cardinal Müller, appeared on
November 26th in the Corriere
della Sera, by Massimo Franco.
You suggest: Young adult traditional movement group and Rorate Mass in Nebraska
A note, below, from the founders of the group:
New year, old calendar
It's that time of year, when a novus Ordo we actually like is issued.
Much of the world is already celebrating a secularized version of Christmas. As the lights and trees go up, it is a good time to emphasize some key dates concerning the new liturgical season.
Advent begins on Sunday, 3 December, this year (technically beginning with first vespers on 2 December).
The feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 8 December, falls on a Friday this year, meaning one may eat meat that day following the centuries-old discipline where abstinence is waived on days of precept. The winter ember days are 20 December, 22 December and 23 December.
Christmas Eve, 24 December, falls on a Sunday this year instead of the Fourth Sunday of Advent (this differs from the novus ordo), the first time that will happen since Summorum Pontificum. The Vigil of Christmas TLM, celebrated in violet, will be new to a lot of communicants. The traditional discipline of fasting and abstinence on Christmas Eve does not apply this year due to the vigil falling on a Sunday, although many dinner menus will probably still go with the customary seven fishes.
Wonderful: Fraternity of St. Peter at the PBS Newshour
Wonderful report on the FSSP, their Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary, and their new CD -- broadcast yesterday evening at the flagship news program of American public television network PBS:
Guest Op-Ed: Praying to the Saints in the Confiteor
By Veronica A. Arntz
The Great Cloud of Witnesses:
Praying to the Saints in the Confiteor
In the older form of the Confiteor, which is prayed three times
in the 1962 liturgy, specific saints are invoked: the Blessed Mother, St.
Michael the Archangel, St. John the Baptist, St. Peter, St. Paul, and then all
the Saints. While the listing of these saints in the Confiteor was not retained in the liturgical changes after the
Second Vatican Council, this ancient tradition is vital for the spiritual
growth of the members of the Body of Christ, for a number of reasons. Indeed,
praying for the intercession of the saints while we are on our journey toward
the heavenly patria is essential for
our sanctification, for these individuals have come before us and are now
worshipping before the heavenly throne of God.
The Confiteor is the prayer that asks the Lord to pardon of us of our
sins. We admit that we have sinned against our Lord, and we recognize that we
are in need of His mercy, of which we are certainly not deserving. How fitting,
then, for us to pray to the saints when asking for the Lord’s mercy. Indeed,
the Psalms of David reveal a saint who prayed to the Lord for mercy, because he
was aware of his deep and profound sinfulness: “Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your merciful love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my
transgressions” (Psalm 51:1).
Cardinal Müller: They want me to head a group against the Pope, but I’m staying with the Pope. However, those who are complaining should be heard
Excerpts from an interview conducted by Massimo Franco of Corriere della Sera:
Chiesa e Post Concilio
November 25, 2017
“There is a front of traditionalist groups, just as there is with the progressivists, that would like to see me as head of a movement against the Pope. But I will never do this. I have served the Church with love for 40 years as a priest, 16 years as a university professor of dogmatic theology and 10 years as a diocesan bishop. I believe in the unity of the Church and I will not allow anyone to exploit my negative experiences of recent months. Church authorities, on the other hand, need to listen to those who have serious questions or justified complaints; not ignoring them, or worse, humiliating them. Otherwise, unwittingly, the risk of a slow separation that might lead to a schism may increase, from a disorientated and disillusioned part of the Catholic world. The history of Martin Luther’s Protestant Schism of 500 years ago, should teach us, above all, what errors to avoid.”
Help a former Franciscan Friar of the Immaculate -- and sanctify your family
As we did last year when he was setting up his new hermitage, we once again ask our readers to help a priest formerly of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI), who is now living as a hermit in the Diocese of Harrisburg.
We here at Rorate chronicled the brutal treatment of these priests -- and the utter destruction of their order -- under the current pontificate for the last few years. So those of you who have read this blog for a while know what they've gone through. This good priest's request is a win-win for him, his new mission and you. By helping him you are helping sanctify your family and/or other families you enroll. What a great Christmas present this would make for your family or a family you care about! Deadline to enroll is December 17.
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| Bishop Ronald Gainer, Fr. Maximilian Mary (black habit), witnesses and servers after Father’s 1st profession as a hermit in the Diocese of Harrisburg on Sept. 12th, 2017. |
Good news from La Crosse, Wisconsin: Pontifical Mass with Cardinal Burke — and the Start of a Sunday Latin Mass
We always like good news! From our friends in the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin:
* Cardinal Burke will be celebrating his second Pontifical High Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 10. See the image below for more information.
* The city of La Crosse is gaining a weekly Sunday Latin Mass. It will be at 11:00 AM at St. James the Less Catholic Church. The first Mass will be on December 3, the First Sunday of Advent. Masses will be Missae Cantatae.
Church history and Catholic Social Doctrine on Soundcloud
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| Dr. John Rao (Photo: The Remnant) |
There is a great deal of good Catholic audio to be found on the internet nowadays. We want to alert our readers to things in particular.
First, our friends at the Roman Forum have put a large number of lectures on Church History by John Rao up on Soundcloud. Included are the completed lectures of the current year (2016-2017), which is about the years 1794-1846, and all the lectures of last year (2015-2016), which was about the years 1748-1794. We encourage our readers to take a break from current events, and recall the Church’s struggles in previous centuries. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were periods in the Church’s life with many parallels to our own. The temptation to water down the faith, and try to make it palatable to modernity can be found then as now. And Rao masterfully shows how all attempts do so were counter-productive and disastrous, whereas attempts to recover the fullness of the Church's Tradition bore great fruit.
First, our friends at the Roman Forum have put a large number of lectures on Church History by John Rao up on Soundcloud. Included are the completed lectures of the current year (2016-2017), which is about the years 1794-1846, and all the lectures of last year (2015-2016), which was about the years 1748-1794. We encourage our readers to take a break from current events, and recall the Church’s struggles in previous centuries. The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were periods in the Church’s life with many parallels to our own. The temptation to water down the faith, and try to make it palatable to modernity can be found then as now. And Rao masterfully shows how all attempts do so were counter-productive and disastrous, whereas attempts to recover the fullness of the Church's Tradition bore great fruit.
Venice 31 October 2017: What goes around comes around!
Note: We missed this one on the
official day -- but better late than never. What goes around comes 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.
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St. Catherine of Alexandria — broken on the Consilium's wheel
As one who has spent many years of my life studying and teaching philosophy, I have always felt a special devotion to St. Catherine of Alexandria -- or at least, ever since I first learned of her existence and patronage.
The Friday after Thanksgiving Day indult
A friendly and tasty annual reminder that there is a strong argument to be made that there is no required abstinence from meat this Friday for our American readers.
While always a topic of great discussion, it is widely known by those alive in the 1950s, that Venerable Pope Pius XII granted Americans a dispensation from their Friday abstinence, so that they could enjoy turkey the Friday after Thanksgiving.
A personal letter to the readers of Rorate Caeli on the Feast of Saint Cecilia
A Personal Letter to the Readers of Rorate Caeli on the Feast of Saint Cecilia
Fr Richard G. Cipolla
I am writing this as a personal letter to the readers of Rorate Caeli for a special reason, which I will address in the third paragraph below. Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr. We know little about her life and even her martyrdom in the third century from contemporary sources. But we know the strong and early devotion of Christians to this young woman, and the basilica raised in honor of Saint Cecilia by Pope Urban I in the third century in Rome. Many of the popular stories about her come from the Acta of her life written much later, probably in the sixth century. Scholars seem to say that the details of her life and martyrdom as depicted in this work may have little real historical detail. We’ll leave that for the experts in hagiography to work out. No experts are needed to tell us that the antiphons at Lauds and Vespers come from the Acta, and they are beautiful indeed.
Another Collect Bites the Dust
Traditional Catholics who attend Mass or recite the Office today for the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary will pray this beautiful Collect:
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