Following "The Liturgical Year" with Dom Prosper Guéranger: AD TE LEVAVI

Dom Guéranger and the Abbey of Solesmes will be our guides to this Advent: the Lord is near.

The words below are from his masterpiece, L'année liturgique:

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THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

This Sunday, the first of the ecclesiastical year, is called, in the chronicles and charts of the middle ages, Ad te levavi Sunday, from the first words of the Introit; or, Aspiciens a longe, from the first words of one of the responsories of Matins.

The "Mayan Rite" and Papal Progressivism - by Abp. Héctor Agüer

 Abp. Héctor Agüer

Emeritus of La Plata

Buenos Aires, November 27, 2024

        The Liturgy represents the intimate life of the Church, its essence: the worship of the Triune God, in which the First Commandment is fulfilled; the reproduction of the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ; the communication of the Grace of the Holy Spirit in the celebration of the Sacraments. 

        The Liturgy is carried out according to various Eastern and Western rites. The Roman Rite includes the Ordo of the Latin Mass, which originated around the 6th century and has never been abrogated. In 1970, Pope Paul VI sanctioned a new Ordo Missae, which is exercised with alterations here and there, and which lacks solemnity and beauty. For this reason, many young people adhere to the Tradition of the “Traditional Mass,” where it is not arbitrarily forbidden. The letter of that Traditional Mass has the accuracy of ecclesiastical Latin.

Wall Street Journal: Why Christmas music starts so early

My thanks to the Wall Street Journal, which published my op-ed on Christmas music.

Some excerpts:

Radio Has the Christmas Season All Mixed Up

The lyrics of holiday pop songs tend be anticipatory rather than celebratory, which is why stations pull them on Dec. 26

By Kenneth J. Wolfe, Wall Street Journal, November 25, 2024

The Christmas season gets going earlier and earlier in the U.S., often before Thanksgiving. Artificial pine trees and colorful string lights start popping up at the beginning of November.

“SSPX Episcopal Consecrations – Ignoring the Past” – Guest article by Joseph Bevan

SSPX Episcopal Consecrations – Ignoring the Past

“We do not want to separate ourselves from Rome, we belong to the Church” - Interview with Fr Pfluger SSPX on new episcopal consecrations

The following excerpt is translated from InfoCatolica; the original in Spanish, published on November 22, 2024, may be found here.

Fr Stefan Pfluger, SSPX

The FSSPX will in the future negotiate with Rome for authorization to ordain new bishops

Fr. Stefan Pfluger, superior of the German district of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (FSSPX), gave an interview to the Catholic weekly Die Tagespost on the relationship of his fraternity with the Apostolic See. After the death of Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, the need to ordain more bishops may arise, something for which they will negotiate with Rome.

Immaculate Mary, Model of Hermits: A Vocation to Spotlessness

A reflection for the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple

“Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in His holy place? The innocent in hands, and clean of heart.” (Ps. 23:3-4)

The Blessed Virgin said to St. Bernadette at Lourdes: “I am the Immaculate Conception.” Who else can claim this exalted purity? Who else can be always clean – always immaculate from sin?

Christ “loved the church, and delivered Himself up for it: that He might sanctify it, cleansing it by the laver of water in the word of life: that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy, and without blemish” (Eph 5:25-27).

Our Lady was preserved from the stain of sin by the preceding merits of her Divine Son. In other words, she was “pre-redeemed.” [1] The rest of us, however, must wait until birth to receive the grace of God which is abundantly poured out in Baptism.

Book Release - Turned Around: Replying to Common Objections Against the Traditional Latin Mass

Recently, TAN released my latest book, Turned Around: Replying to Common Objections Against the Traditional Latin Mass.

Here's the idea behind it. I take nine objections Catholics make to the traditional Latin Mass, and turn them around in jiu-jitsu fashion: “You are right—but you don’t realize how right you are!”

Immaculate Conception: TLM rubrics maintains Sunday Marian Mass

There seems to be confusion on the feast of the Immaculate Conception this year, as December 8 falls on a Sunday. Although the novus ordo transfers the Marian feast day to December 9 this year, with conservative dioceses emphasizing the obligation to hear Mass both Sunday and Monday, it is worth noting the rubric governing the traditional Latin Mass:

"Sunday I class takes precedence over all feasts in occurrence. The feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, however, takes precedence over the Sunday in Advent on which it falls."

Chapter 3, #15 of the rubrics

Sanctifica - A New Traditional Catholic Liturgical App: Dom Guéranger in Your Pocket

 

Rorate  has been sent the following announcement for a new Traditional Catholic app:

A new Traditional Catholic app, Sanctifica, has been recently created and is available for free to help Catholics access and leverage treasures of the Catholic faith. Users can immerse themselves with the liturgy and traditions through the timeless wisdom of Dom Guéranger's "Liturgical Year" combined with Butler's Lives of the Saints and other great resources.

The “Spiritual Diary” of Elisabeth Kindelmann on the Flame of Love contains grave theological errors and cannot be from God — Guest article

We are grateful to Hungarian reader Zsolt Orbán for sharing the following study with Rorate.

The “Spiritual Diary” of Elisabeth Kindelmann on the Flame of Love contains grave theological errors and cannot be from God 

Zsolt Orbán

PART I: Petrus Romanus

Many of you may be familiar with the prophecies of Bishop St Malachy, and many of you have marvelled at the succinct and apt characterizations of the popes given. And as we approach the end of Malachy’s list, perhaps the question needs to be asked: who shall be the last pope, a pope named Peter, whom Bishop Malachy calls “the Roman”? Those who carefully watch or hope for the name of Peter appearing among the cardinals, and search for why the epithet “Roman” might apply to a ‘Cardinal Peter’ might be interested in a potential candidate.

The Church Facing an Epochal Change: Trump, the Global Defeat of Wokism and the Mainstream Media, and the Upcoming Conclave

The Caminante - Wanderer Blog

Argentina, November 11, 2024

Thomas Cole, Destruction, 1836
 (The New-York Historical Society)

The triumph of Donald Trump has been the latest proof, of planetary dimensions in this case, of a reality that has been apparent for some years now. What was crucial was not Trump's triumph, for which I am very happy, but the crushing defeat not so much of Kamala Harris, a poor and mediocre wretch, but of the media, unconditional and indispensable allies of world progressivism. We had seen the same phenomenon last year in more modest dimensions with the triumph of Javier Milei in Argentina, and the astonishing popular support he retains after a year in office, and in other countries in the Americas and Europe -- but the American case, like it or not, is paradigmatic. In a few words, it has been demonstrated to the whole world that a change of Age is at hand. 

Carlos Alberto Sacheri, Martyr - by Abp. Héctor Agüer

Abp. Héctor Agüer

Buenos Aires, November 15, 2024

This December 22 will be the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Carlos Alberto Sacheri, besieged by a commando of the terrorist group ERP (People's Revolutionary Army), when he was returning from Mass with his family. I do not hesitate to recognize that his death was a martyrdom, fruit of his charity. In the history of the Church there is a history of martyrdom. What makes a martyr such is not the suffering imposed on the martyr, but the charity that impels him to embrace the Cross. Charity, I stress, the agape of the New Testament. The martyr, with Christian fortitude, surrenders to death.

Benedictines of Mary Featured in Diocesan Paper

The Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, has gone through a lot in the last couple years, with severe restrictions, segregation and suppressions of traditional Latin Masses, plus a ban on all other sacraments by diocesan priests.

But the good priests and the laity carry on, filling the gyms, attics and parish halls where the TLM is allowed, and rearranging their lives to comply with three parishes that have temporary indults for the TLM with a condition that once a month we must go elsewhere for the traditional liturgy.

One example of marching forward can be found with traditional vocations. In a front-page article of the new Arlington Catholic Herald, the diocesan newspaper, a feature on all of the women religious from Arlington who have entered the Benedictines of Mary can be found.

Although it would have been nice of the diocesan paper to include the words Latin Mass -- or even Latin -- at least once in the article, it is still a positive action to have a front-page article about a flourishing Latin Mass-based order of sisters.

Prudentia: A Time for Moderation in Words

PRUDENTIA: "Be ye therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves."

The current regime in charge of the Vatican cannot remain in place forever. At nearly 88, Francis is not getting any younger.

On the Assisted Suicide Bill Debate coming up in the UK on Friday November 15, 2024

On the Assisted Suicide Bill Debate coming up in the UK on Friday November 15, 2024

There is a lot of muddled thinking about assisted suicide and this is because the basic principles are not addressed and instead, we hear more about the emotional and safeguarding issues.

I think the basic principle is: are you in favour of people killing themselves? If the answer is ‘YES’ then all you have to do is ensure that the new law is bristling with rules to prevent the obvious abuses. If your answer is ‘NO’ then obviously this extends to any form of suicide, whether assisted or not.

Dr. Lamont’s Reply to Joseph Shaw on Francis

In the interests of discussing important issues of our time, Rorate is posting this reply of Dr. Lamont to Dr. Shaw. Readers should bear in mind that we do not necessarily endorse the positions of guest articles posted here.

Reply to Joseph Shaw on Francis

John Lamont

I am grateful to Dr. Joseph Shaw for his discussion[1] of my article ‘What Are the Consequences of Francis’s Theology?’[2], in which I concluded that Francis is no longer the pope because he is a public and notorious heretic. I think his attempt to rebut my conclusion did as well as any such attempt could do, while falling short of being convincing. I will explain why I hold this to be so.

Smell Like the Sheep? The Sheep Smell Like Incense

 by Fr. Richard G. Cipolla

Pope Francis has famously said that a true priest should have the smell of his sheep on him. Those may be the best words that have come from the mouth of this pope, at least so far.  Those words should be taken to heart by those career priests who have never tasted the stew of parish life, many of whom wander around the corridors of the Vatican bureaucracy as well as those in the bureaucracy of diocesan headquarters just talking to each other.   No lambs, no smell.  

Exactly One Year After Removing Bishop Strickland, the Vatican Cancels Latin Mass Throughout His Tyler, TX Diocese

 

When Bishop Joseph Strickland was removed as bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, TX in November 2023, one of the reasons given for his termination by Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre was that he refused to "implement the motu propoio Traditionis custodes," i.e. cancel Latin Masses throughout his diocese. Bishop Strickland refused to do so because he could not, in good conscience, hurt well-meaning, faithful Catholics in his diocese: "As a shepherd and protector of my Diocese, I could not take actions which I knew with certainty would injure part of my flock and deprive them of the spiritual goods which Christ entrusted to His Church." 

“Fear is the Key” — Guest article about wokery and mob rule

“Fear is the Key” — Guest article about wokery and mob rule

Joseph Bevan

With the proliferation of electronic media there has arisen a powerful force within society which is instantaneous and deadly in its effect. This is known as popular opinion or, more accurately, mob rule. It is fear of the mob which is governing almost every facet of our human existence, and which has given rise to an elaborate defence mechanism, and that is ‘political correctness’ or ‘wokery.’ Wokery is resorted to in order to neutralise the threat of adverse popular opinion and it affects almost everything we do, say or think. There is little doubt that there now operates a ‘herd mentality’ which is driven by the internet. Definitions of ‘political correctness’ or ‘wokery’ have proved elusive simply because it is something we accuse others of, and rarely do we admit that we ourselves may be guilty of it.
 

A Reflection for the Octave of All Saints by a Catholic Hermit

Omnes Sancti Monachi et Eremitae: The Divine Diversity of the Desert

A Reflection for the Octave of All Saints by a Catholic Hermit

“Now there are diversities of graces, but the same Spirit; and there are diversities of ministries, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but the same God, who worketh all in all.” (1 Cor. 12:4-6)

Saint Paul, Apostle of the Gentiles, was also an exalted mystic. His heavenly contemplation of God was the source of all his insight. His heart, which was captivated by Christ, yearned for this ultimate end: “that God may be all in all” (1 Cor. 15:28).
 

God bless America - God has blessed America

Catholics were essential for the resounding victory of former President Donald J. Trump and Senator J.D. Vance on Tuesday's elections.

We pray for the upcoming administration, for policies favorable to the liberty of the Church and the preservation of human life, and for peace and prosperity for the United States and all the world.

2025 Papa Stronsay Calendar Now Available

 

 

The 2025 edition of the Papa Stronsay Calendar is now available for purchase: order yours here!

Pope Francis, the Synod, and the Sacred Heart -- by Roberto de Mattei

 October 31, 2024

The Synod that closed on Oct. 27 at the Vatican seemed like an attempt by Pope Francis to put out the fire set by the German bishops with their “synodal way” launched in January 2020. The ambitious goal that the progressive bishops, not only the German ones, set for themselves was to take a decisive step forward from the 2019 Pan-Amazonian Synod in 2024, achieving the diaconal ordination of women, the marriage -- under certain conditions -- of priests, the implementation of the LGBT agenda, and the granting of doctrinal authority to bishops' conferences. None of this is present in the Final Document approved on Oct. 26. A document that displeased everyone and caused Vaticanist Andrea Gagliarducci to write that “there are neither winners nor losers” (“Aci Stampa,” Oct. 26, 2024).