The Catacomb Option of Rod Dreher

Emmanuele Barbieri

Corrispondenza Romana

September 21, 2018

In the first few weeks of September, the American blogger Rod Dreher toured Italy to present his book The Benedict Option, A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian World, described by David Brooks of the New York Times as, “the most discussed and most important religious book of the decade”.

You Suggest: Reflection on SFX Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic

The following letter comes to us from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) in Mexico and the video below on the mission from EWTN:

The Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter’s Mission Trip to the Dominican Republic this summer provided the missionaries who went with what can be considered an authentic taste of Catholic missionary life.  Man is a being of invaluable dignity created in the image and likeness of God and is composed of both body and soul. Catholic missionary activity should therefore recognize man’s bodily and spiritual needs.  

This missionary trip strove to provide missionaries who came from all parts of the United States (and some even from Canada and England) with the opportunity to serve people of the Dominican Republic in this capacity.  We brought them clothes, we helped build cement floors for a number of families, we even dug a latrine for a school in a small village.  All of these works, however, were secondary to the work of spreading the Gospel to these people and making the sacraments available to them.  

For the Record: Holy See announces agreement on Bishop nomination with People's Republic of China

From today's Bollettino:

Communiqué

concerning the signing of a Provisional Agreement

between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China

on the appointment of Bishops

Today, 22nd September 2018, within the framework of the contacts between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China that have been underway for some time in order to discuss Church matters of common interest and to promote further understanding, a meeting was held in Beijing between Msgr. Antoine Camilleri, Undersecretary for the Holy See’s Relations with States, and H.E. Mr. Wang Chao, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, respectively heads of the Vatican and Chinese delegations.

During that meeting, the two representatives signed a Provisional Agreement on the appointment of Bishops.

The above-mentioned Provisional Agreement, which is the fruit of a gradual and reciprocal rapprochement, has been agreed following a long process of careful negotiation and foresees the possibility of periodic reviews of its application. It concerns the nomination of Bishops, a question of great importance for the life of the Church, and creates the conditions for greater collaboration at the bilateral level.

The shared hope is that this agreement may favour a fruitful and forward-looking process of institutional dialogue and may contribute positively to the life of the Catholic Church in China, to the common good of the Chinese people and to peace in the world.

[Original text: Italian]

No details have been made public, and the text of the agreement has not been made public.

When you're a liberal Pope and you lose the most important liberal weekly in Europe...

Der Spiegel is the most important center-left weekly in Europe. Created in post-war Germany, it provides every week the "acceptable view" for liberal minds in the Federal Republic and, therefore, in all of Europe. It is the essential "Gutmensch" media source.

One Pope refuses the Apostolic Blessing -- the other gives it. And the view from Rome.

Last weekend, at the end of a "youth" event in Sicily, the Bishop of Rome refused to give the apostolic blessing to those present, so as not to cause offense to the "many non-Catholic christians, those of other religions, and the agnostics" who were also supposedly present at the Catholic rally:

At the end of his meeting with the Youth of Sicily today, Pope Francis refused to give the Pontifical Blessing, as not to offend the "many non-Catholic christians, those of other religions, and the agnostics" present pic.twitter.com/mnNEXp6scN

— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) September 15, 2018

Now, amidst the maelstrom raised by the mainstream media regarding some private letters sent by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (in which he criticized those who had not understood his gesture of resigning -- full translation of letters here), this detail almost went unnoticed until some Francis sycophants noticed it:

Silence? No, it seems the Bishop of Rome has gone insane: Medication may be needed.

When questioned on the plane from Dublin what he had to say on the declaration of Abp. Viganò, the Bishop of Rome Francis said the following:

I read it and sincerely I must tell you, and all those who are interested: read it yourselves carefully and make your own judgment. I will not say a single word on this.

And yet, since his return, if there is one thing he has not been is silent. On the contrary: every single day, in his homilies at the chapel of the Santa Marta hotel where he lives, he has over and over made clear that, on this matter, he is the innocent Jesus, and everyone else who asks him questions on his mishandling of the McCarrick affair is "the Great Accuser", aka, Satan.

He first started with homily after homily completely unrelated to the readings of the day making clear that "Jesus" was silent in his trial (which Our Lord was, but not always, and always with the right interventions for each audience), and that "the Great Accuser" was the cause of trouble, both for the silent "Jesus" and for those who are silent in the Church. The gall of comparing Our Spotless Lord to people who were and remain silent in the defense of sexual abusers never crossed the mind of the Roman Pontiff.

Today, he reached levels of paroxysm, typical of those who are gravely guilty and have a difficult time dealing with their guilt. Edward Pentin reports:

Pope at Mass today: The Church is persecuted by hypocrites "within and without;" the devil is "strong with hypocrites," uses them to "destroy the Church." The "workhorse of the devil is hypocrisy," he is a "liar" who appears beautiful but "is an assassin" https://t.co/kdeAMC6Ymt

— Edward Pentin (@EdwardPentin) September 20, 2018

Whatever this is, it isn't silence. It really is all reaching a level where medication may be called for. All this pent-up guilt is not healthy for one's nerves. Guilt for so many things...

100 years ago today, Padre Pio first received the Stigmata

The past century was in many ways a turning point for the course of history. Western societies were shattered by the two world wars that engulfed them. Communist errors achieved “super power” status in the Soviet Union and were spread throughout the world. A social and moral revolution transpired and important societal institutions, such as religion, marriage, and the family, were questioned, altered, and in many instances completely rejected. In the midst of this turmoil, as the world began to grow cold toward its Crucified Savior, God renewed the visible bleeding wounds of Christ’s Passion in the hands, feet, and side of a simple priest. The priest was St. Pio of Pietrelcina, affectionately known as Padre Pio.

As this month marks both the 100th anniversary of his reception of the stigmata, on September 20 1918, and the 50th anniversary of his death, September 23, 1968, approaches, we would do well to reflect on the significance of Padre Pio for our times.

Time for Worldwide Sacrifice: Ember Week in September

The equinox is coming. The Roman Church will once again remind us of the cycle of the seasons in this Ember Week in September.

We re-post, for those who are not aware of it, this article first posted by us in 2008, and reposted often since. May you all have a fruitful week of sacrifice.

___________________________________________________________

THE GLOW
OF THE EMBER DAYS

By Michael P. Foley

A potential danger of traditionalism is the stubborn defense of something about which one knows little. I once asked a priest who had just finished beautifully celebrating an Ember Saturday Mass about the meaning of the Ember days. He replied (with an impish twinkle in his eye) that he hadn’t a clue, but he was furious they had been suppressed.

Traditionalists, however, are not entirely to blame for their unfamiliarity with this important part of their patrimony. Most only have the privilege of assisting at a Sunday Tridentine Mass, and hence the Ember days—which occur on a weekday or Saturday—slip by unnoticed. And long before the opening session of the Second Vatican Council, the popularity of these observances had atrophied.

So why care about them now? To answer this question, we must first determine what they are.

The Four Seasons

The Ember days, which fall on a Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday of the same week, occur in conjunction with the four natural seasons of the year. Autumn brings the September Embertide, also called the Michaelmas Embertide because of their proximity to the Feast of St. Michael on September 29.¹ Winter, on the other hand, brings the December Embertide during the third week of Advent, and spring brings the Lenten Embertide after the first Sunday of Lent. Finally, summer heralds the Whitsun Embertide, which takes place within the Octave of Pentecost.

In the 1962 Missal the Ember days are ranked as ferias of the second class, weekdays of special importance that even supersede certain saints’ feasts. Each day has its own proper Mass, all of which are quite old. One proof of their antiquity is that they are one of the few days in the Gregorian rite (as the ’62 Missal is now being called) which has as many as five lessons from the Old Testament in addition to the Epistle reading, an ancient arrangement indeed.

Fasting and partial abstinence during the Ember days were also enjoined on the faithful from time immemorial until the 1960s. It is the association of fasting and penance with the Embertides that led some to think that their peculiar name has something to do with smoldering ash, or embers. But the English name is probably derived from their Latin title, the Quatuor Tempora or “Four Seasons.”²

The Tyrant State

A Sermon by Father Konrad zu Lowenstein, FSSP

At that time, when Jesus approached Jerusalem, seeing the city, He wept over it (Lk. 19.41)

Sermon for the Feast of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

by Fr. Richard G. Cipolla

But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene.

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!"

The “Eighth Sorrow” of Our Blessed Mother

For the feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, we present to readers an excerpt from the book In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart—The Journal of a Priest at Prayer, which has featured here before.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Yes, my beloved little son, the eighth sorrow of my maternal and Immaculate Heart is that my Son is so offended in the Sacrament of His love. This sorrow of mine will endure until the end of time, when the real presence of my Son in the Most Holy Sacrament will give way to the sight of His divine majesty. Then will faith give way to vision, and hope to possession. Then will love be secure and everlasting for all who will have died in the embrace of His divine friendship. 

Benediction of the Conventual Church - Fraternity of St. Vincent Ferrer

The new conventual church of the wonderful Fraternity of St. Vincent Ferrer (an order of Priests and Brothers dedicated exclusively to the Traditional Dominican rite and customs), in Chéméré-le-Roi, in Mayenne, France, will be dedicated with a Pontifical Mass celebrated by the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, Abp. Guido Pozzo, on the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, Sep. 29, 2018.

More information and images in the video below:

All Roads Lead to Washington, D.C.

For those interested in the latest news, we bring you our summary:

1) Bishop Michael Bransfield resigned and the resignation was accepted.  Bransfield served for 24 years at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., most of the time as rector. He was then ordained a bishop, choosing Theodore McCarrick as co-consecrator.

2) Archbishop William Lori, who ran the Archdiocese of Washington (D.C.) throughout the 1990s (holding several high-level positions, including moderator of the curia and auxiliary bishop), will investigate allegations against Bishop Bransfield.  During Bransfield's time at the D.C. basilica shrine, Lori had oversight over Bransfield.  (For instance, the Washington chancery instructs which bishops -- and even cardinals -- are banned from offering sacraments at the basilica shrine, a practice that still continues).

3) All this follows the scandal of Theodore McCarrick, former archbishop of Washington, who handpicked his successor in D.C., Donald Wuerl.  The two men were the leaders of the movement to give Communion to politicians who openly dissent from Church teachings.

4) Cardinal Donald Wuerl has announced he will be going to the Vatican to discuss his resignation, which implies it will soon be accepted by Pope Francis.  Not mentioned yet is Wuerl's membership on the Vatican's Congregation for Bishops, where Pope Francis chose him to replace Cardinal Raymond Burke just nine months into this papacy.  Two Americans sit on the extremely prestigious congregation that selects all new bishops -- Cardinal Blase Cupich being the other.

After America, Germany: At least 3,677 Abused Kids, Mostly Boys

At least 3,677 children, mostly boys under 13, who were sexually abused.

At least 1,670 clergymen of the Catholic Church were involved, several German media sources reveal, including Der Spiegel and Die Zeit (both in German, linked below), whose journalists had access to a report on the German Catholic Church -- the bishops knowingly hid the facts. The facts took place from 1946 to 2014.

Started in 2014, this study should be presented on September 25 at Fulda, during the meeting of the German Conference of Bishops, by its president, Archbishop of Munich and Cardinal Reinhard Marx. Researchers examined 38,000 files and manuscripts from 27 German dioceses.

Report by Der Spiegel HERE

Report by Die Zeit HERE

De Mattei: The Church and the Men of the Church

Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

September 12, 2018

The courageous denunciation of ecclesiastical scandals made by  Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has generated  the consensus of many, but also the displeasure of others, convinced that everything discrediting the representatives of the Church should be covered up by silence. This desire to safeguard the Church is understandable when the scandal is an exception. There is the risk in that case of generalizing, by saddling the behavior of a few onto everyone . Quite different is the case when immorality is the rule, or at least is a widespread way of living accepted as the norm. In this case public denunciation is the first step towards the necessary reform of “morals”. Breaking the silence is part of the duties of a pastor, as St. Gregory the Great admonishes: “What in fact is the fear of a pastor to state the truth, if not the turning of his back on the enemy with his silence? If, instead, he fights in defense of his flock, he builds a bastion for the House of Israel against its enemies. For this the Lord through the mouth of Isaiah admonishes: “Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet” (Isaiah, 58,1).

New Online Database Tracks Episcopal Fidelity, Including in Liturgy

LifeSiteNews, for which I am a daily columnist, has just launched an initiative called Faithful Shepherds. It is an idea that I have heard people speculate about for years and wish would come true, without having the organizational resources to make it happen. Needless to say, it is welcome at this critical moment in the life of the Church. From the official announcement:

Faithful Shepherds helps hold American bishops accountable by providing years, sometimes decades, of past tweets, public speeches, sermons, actions, pastoral letters, and diocesan guidelines. Faithful Shepherds currently gives evidence of where U.S. bishops stand on ten issues: Archbishop Vigano's testimony, Amoris Laetitia, pro-life leadership, homosexuality, abortion politics, contraception, “LGBT” ideology, liturgy, marriage and family life, and education. More will be added as new evidence is gathered.

The Viganò crisis: 'The conservatives are winning'

Cross posted from lmschairman.org

This must count as one of the most absurd comments on the clerical abuse crisis centred, for now, in the United States. The attempt to carry on as if nothing at all was happening, always the first recourse of the bureaucrat to a crisis, has at this moment not only failed, even according to a supporter, but become utterly ludicrous. Of course people are more interested in Archbishop Viganò's statement than in the latest missive from the Bishops' Conference about the dignity of work. Are we supposed to think that this interest is misplaced?

By that time 'team Francis' had already moved on to a kind of damage-limitation which, instead of trying to distract attention from Archbishop Viganò, focused it on what they hoped would prove to be his weaknesses. This, too, has proved a failure, however. Few people had heard of Viganò before his statement, and no-one has anything invested in his personal reputation or political associations. They just want to know if what he says is true.

Happy Birthday, Most Gracious Lady! - Benedicta es cælorum Regina

Benedicta es cælorum Regina
Et mundi totius Domina,
Et ægris medicina;
Tu præclara Maris Stella vocaris,
Quæ Solem Iustitiæ paris,
A quo illuminaris

Te Deus Pater,
Ut Dei Mater
Fieres, et ipse frater
Cuius eras filia,
Sanctificavit,
Sanctam servavit,
Et mittens sic salutavit:
"Ave, plena gratia."

Per illud Ave prolatum
Et tuum responsum gratum
Est ex te Verbum incarnatum
Quo salvantur omnia.

Nunc Mater, exora Natum,
Ut nostrum tollat reatum
Et regnum det nobis paratum
In cælesti patria.

Amen.

Happy Birthday, Queen of Heavens!

[Recording of "Benedicta es cælorum Regina", Josquin des Prez]

First-ever traditional consecration of a Benedictine Abbess in the U.S., and the start of a novena

Those of you that have read this blog for a while know that we are very close to, and absolutely adore, the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. Two important things are taking place for them soon. 

First, Mother Cecilia, the Mother Prioress, will become the Mother Abbess [click here for backstory]. On September 9, at 9 a.m. Central, the new church will be consecrated. On Sept. 10, at 10 a.m. Central, the first-ever consecration of a Benedictine Abbess in the traditional rite in the United States will take place. You can watch a live stream of the ceremonies by clicking here. 

Second, the Sisters, with great help from our readers over the years, have almost hit their fundraising goal to finish their new church. To help, please consider enrolling in their Our Lady of Sorrows Novena of Latin Masses. You can enroll for only $15, but please do so soon -- enrollment is open until Sept. 15 but if you enroll before the 7th you'll get your Mass cards in a more timely manner. 

CLICK HERE TO ENROLL IN THE NOVENA OF MASSES

De Mattei: Archbishop Viganò - punished for telling the truth?

Roberto de Mattei

Corrispondenza Romana

September 5, 2018

Will Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who brought to light the existence of corruption in the Vatican, singling out those guilty, beginning with the highest ecclesiastical authorities, be punished for telling the truth? Pope Francis is examining this possibility - if it is true, as several sources confirm -  that he has consulted Cardinal Francesco Coccopalmiero, and some other canon-lawyer, to study the possibility of canonical sanctions to inflict on the Archbishop, commencing with sospensione a divinis. If this news is confirmed it would be of extreme gravity, and somewhat surreal, seeing as the “expert” summoned to sanction Monsignor Viganò would be precisely Cardinal Coccopalmiero, who is being accused by the former-Nuncio of the United States, of being part of the “homosexual lobby” lording over the Vatican. It cannot be forgotten in any case, that the Cardinal’s Secretary, Monsignor Luigi Capozzi, is involved in a case of  homosexual orgy, in which the position of his superior has still to be clarified.  

Book Suggestions: Dogma, Liturgy, and Poetry

I have been remiss in reviewing good books sent to me by publishers. In fact, I am remiss even in announcing books that I have reprinted myself! So I will take some time now to recommend these works to Rorate readers.

Guest Op-Ed - "The Innocence of Serpents": Francis' Silence is not Jesus' Silence (John Zmirak)

by John Zmirak

What’s the worst part of Pope Francis’ response to the exposure of clerical sex abuse and cover-ups? 

You might say, “Where to begin?” and point to a dozen different facets of the corruption of the priesthood by our bishops.

The list of scandals against supernatural faith and natural justice could fill up thousands of words. Others such as Paul Rahe and Benjamin Wiker have done yeoman’s work unpacking it all. I don’t need to add very much. Let me just mention one point which offends me to the core.

Not just as a Catholic. Or even as a Christian. If I were a mere agnostic, it still would turn my stomach.

2019 liturgical calendar season begins

It's hard to believe summer is almost over and it's time to start thinking about your 2019 liturgical calendar. Here at Rorate, we will review several calendars for the upcoming year, always the best of the best. Today's calendar is from the Servants of the Holy Family. 

CLICK HERE TO BUY

“May Thy continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend Thy Church”

Tissot, The Raising of the Son of the Widow of Nain

Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Rev. Canon Aaron B. Huberfeld

Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest

May Thy continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend Thy Church.

Op-Ed: "The City of Light under the Regime of Darkness: Historical Meditation on Current Events" (by John C. Rao)

The City of Light and the Regime of Darkness:

Historical Meditation on Current Events

by Dr. John C. Rao

Monday, August 28th, the Feast of St. Augustine, followed hard upon the Sunday statement of Archbishop Viganò regarding papal delinquency in the chastisement of episcopal evildoers. Mulling over the possibility of some providential connection of the annual commemoration of the Doctor of the Church and the ex-nuncio’s document brought to mind the Bishop of Hippo’s City of God. It did so because this work, published in the early fifth century, one of the many tragic eras in the history of Western Christendom, is of continuing significance to all of us living through what is without a doubt the worst of such periods of trial to date. Its significance comes both from the circumstances surrounding its publication as well as the substance of the arguments to be found therein.

Dr Kwasniewski’s Upcoming Lectures at the Una Voce New Mexico Conference, September 22–23

Una Voce New Mexico is pleased to announce a weekend of lectures and traditional Roman Rite liturgies on the weekend of September 22-23. I am happy that UVNM has invited me to come out for the weekend, and I look forward to meeting everyone who can attend.

Op-Ed: If Homosexual Militancy can even dictate the agenda in the Church

Il Blog di Costanza Miriano

September 1, 2018

 

James Martin’s article* in his finest disguise –  as victim – obliges me to reflect somewhat on this agonizing McCarrick affair; the Jesuit priest is increasingly more explicit in his “homosexual” militancy. Here he is complaining about the witch-hunt against “homosexual” priests in an article re-tweeted by Spadaro, who, also, I supposed, was “very loyal” to that Pope who says that at the least suspicion,  homosexuals, must not even enter the seminary.  Unfortunately, complaining and victimhood are the hobbyhorses of these militants (no coincidence often  feminine personality traits more than masculine). By means of this complaining and  victimhood, by means of this talk about discrimination and non-acceptance, homosexual people, on the contrary, have imposed their agenda at all levels with extreme aggressiveness and ideological violence. 

Op-Ed: How the Dignity of a Protestant memorial service highlights the banality of the ordinary Catholic mass

Reflections on the Memorial Service for John McCain at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C.

Fr. Richard Cipolla

That the Memorial Service for John McCain was held at the church in Washington, D.C. that is known as the National Cathedral, which is Protestant Episcopal, is significant.  That magnificent church, built in fine imitation of the Gothic cathedrals of England and of Europe, with its wonderful rood and rood screen, with its high altar dressed appropriately with a lovely frontal, with its superb choir, its organ played by someone who has heard of Widor and can play his music, its crucifer and torch bearers who had been trained in how to carry the processional cross and candles.  All this and more.

Purgatorial Society Mass in Livorno, Italy

We currently have 88 fine priests saying regular traditional Latin Masses for the millions of souls enrolled in the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society. While most priests understandably wish to remain anonymous, we always offer our priests the ability to take photos of them saying Masses for the poor souls. 

In the photos below, Father Carlos Donato, Parochial Vicar of the Parish of the Church of the Holy Spirit in Memphis, Tennessee, who also serves as Ecclesiastical Notary of the Diocese of Memphis, as well as Master of Ceremony for the Diocese, says Mass during his pilgrimage at the Church of Madonna del Soccorso in Livorno, Italy. 

God Almighty, Grant Us Another Saint Leo IX

Almighty God,

We do not deserve it, we deserve only the just punishment of our grievous sins against thy Majesty: yet in thy mercy grant us a holy Supreme Pontiff in the manner of thy servant St Leo IX. A man of strength willing to bring thy Church back to moral rectitude. Amen pic.twitter.com/aKPL0O534U

— Rorate Caeli (@RorateCaeli) September 2, 2018

REMINDER: Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society

This is our monthly reminder to please enroll Souls of the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society. We now stand at 88 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.

Vigano: Attacking the whistleblower: the abuse-enabling culture is alive and well in the Vatican

In the current phase of the Church's crisis, we are focusing as much or more on the enablers of abuse, than on the abusers themselves. It is time we thought about them, because it removes the comforting impression that a 'few bad apples' could be ejected from the priesthood and all would be well. As is sometimes pointed out, perhaps 4% of priests were sex abusers. The problem is the general ethos and culture which enabled them to carry on their abuse, and the superiors systematically protected the abusers. Never mind the 4% of priests: it is the 60% or 80% or more of bishops and religious superiors who harboured sexual predators and provided them with fresh opportunities for abuse. It may be that most of the priest-abusers have died or been laicised by now, but their hierarchical enablers, few of whom had to face up to their crimes when the clerical abuse became a big story in 2002, have continued to flourish. This is an indication that, even if stricter reporting procedures have had a restraining effect on sexual predation by priests since 2002, the ethos and culture which made the abuse possible is still largely intact.

What is this culture? I have in previous texts tried to go beyond a superficial understanding of it with the help of two perspectives: first, the classic account of how conformism can distort an individual's behaviour, and how it can take over an organisation; and second, the way that the rejection of the Church's teaching on sexuality has destroyed the hierarchy's ability to respond appropriately to cases of abuse. In this post I want to consider things from a third perspective, which is connected with conformism: the pattern of abuse-enabling.

Interview: The Vatican Number Two Speaks on the Viganò Memo: "Great pain, the Pope is serene"

This is the entire interview granted by the number 2 man in the Vatican, the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin, excerpted from the article published by La Stampa:

How is the Holy Father after these difficult last days?

"I saw a declaration of the Vatican press office that states that the Pope is serene. From what I have seen (in these days, I have been with him during his trip to Ireland and afterwards), he seems serene. The Pope is a great grace, even faced with these things that obviously create so much bitterness ans also restlessness. But he has the capacity of having a very serene approach."

De Mattei: “I will not say a single word about this”

Roberto de Mattei 

August 28, 2018

 “I will not say a single word about this”.  

With this sentence, uttered August 26^th 2018, on his return flight from Dublin to Rome, Pope Francis responded to the shocking revelations made by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, which involve him directly. To the journalist Anna Matranga (NBC) who had asked him whether the things the former Nunzio to the United States had written were true, the Pope in fact replied: “I read that statement this morning, and I must tell you sincerely that, I must say this, to you and all those who are interested: Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment, I will not say a single word on this. I believe that the communiqué speaks for itself, and you have enough journalistic skills to draw the conclusions. It’s an act of trust (confidence): after a while when you have drawn your conclusions, perhaps I will speak. But I’d like your professional maturity to do this work: it will be good for you, truly.  Fine like that.” 

Separating the Wuerls from the Men

As bishops continue to issue statements responding to the Vigano letter, Rorate has begun to compile the supporters of the letter from within Church hierarchy in a post.

One new statement deserves highlighting, from Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois.  Summarizing what so many Catholics are thinking right now, of Pope Francis' rare no-comment, and charge to let secular media discredit the Vigano letter, Paprocki today wrote:

"When asked about this aboard the papal plane on his return flight from Ireland on August 26, Pope Francis said, 'Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment. I will not say a single word on this.'  Frankly, but with all due respect, that response is not adequate."

The first year of the Bergoglio pontificate

Contrast the statements of Bishop Paprocki, Cardinal Burke, Bishop Morlino, Bishop Strickland, Bishop Konderla, Bishop Olmsted and even Cardinal DiNardo to that of Pope Francis and his closest allies.

Downfall: A Not-So-Hypothetical Legal Exercise - What if Jorge Mario Bergoglio were to be sued in his individual capacity?

by E., Attorney-at-law

One can just imagine the panicked phone calls going out on Sunday morning, summoning annoyed associates and partners back to their cushy downtown law offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington. So many questions, such huge stakes, and now it’s not just money..... there are now criminal law issues hanging over what used to be strictly civil law files.

A RORATE Editorial: Francis Must Go

In the two years that led to the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI from the papacy, many strange things happened: leaks, a Secretary of State (Cardinal Bertone) who seemed intent on making things difficult for the pope, and a crisis that seemingly had left his control. Only seemingly: what was actually happening was that the large group of Cardinals involved in what would become known as the "St-Gallen Mafia" were plotting to force Pope Ratzinger's departure in a see of problems, forcing the election of the "anti-Ratzinger" -- indeed, the anti-Ratzinger they had promoted in the previous conclave, Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires.

It all went exactly as planned. Benedict XVI became, or was, convinced that he would not be able to fix things and left. And Bergoglio, the Horror, was elected. The Horror was how we characterized the Pontificate that was about to begin, on the very day of Bergoglio's election.

And how we were criticized and vilified for it! In fact, if you go back and read that post by a dear Argentinian friend, that followed on the footsteps of our intense coverage of the Church in Argentina since our founding, you will see that the current Pope is not accused of heresy. Never once! He is not accused of apostasy. We were wrongly charged with all evils, when in fact our concern, that proved absolutely true, regarding this Pope was his mix of the worst moral companions and his utter doctrinal confusion.

Alas, his friends, the same who got him elected, got the best of him. From the very beginning, as the damning written testimony by Archbishop Viganò (at the time, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States) makes clear, Francis used all means, including malice and deception, to help his friends, such as then-Cardinal McCarrick, and also Cardinal Danneels. And he used all means to punish those he saw as his enemies, such as Cardinal Burke, Archbishop Léonard of Brussels, and so many others.

(UPDATED) More US Bishops speak up in support of Abp. Viganò: "I ask that Archbishop Viganò’s testimony be taken seriously by all"

First, Tyler, Texas.spoke up on the veracity and credibility of Abp. Viganò's damning statement on Pope Francis. Now, a bishop of a major and one of the fastest-growing large dioceses in the nation, Bp. Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix, Arizona. Bp. Olmsted actually worked for long years with Abp. Viganò in the Holy See and knows how serious he is.

Statement from Bishop Thomas Olmsted Regarding Archbishop Viganò’s Recent Testimony

PHOENIX (Aug. 27, 2018) — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix has released the following statement today from the Most Rev. Thomas J. Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix:

“I have known Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò for 39 years. We became colleagues in the Secretariat of State of the Holy See in August 1979, where he had been serving prior to my entrance into this work in service to the ministry of Pope John Paul II.

OP-ED - "The McCarrick Affair: The Pope knew. Here is why he must resign."

by Aldo Maria Valli

August 26, 2018

[Rorate note: journalist Aldo Maria Valli is probably the best-known Vaticanist in Italy, since for many years he commented on the papacy in the main Italian television network RAI1, and also for RAI 3.]

“Bishops and priests, abusing their authority, have committed horrendous crimes to the detriment of their faithful, minors, innocent victims, and young men eager to offer their lives to the Church, or by their silence have not prevented that such crimes continue to be perpetrated.”

Writing these words is an Archbishop, former Apostolic Nuncio of the United States from 2011 to 2016.   Now retired, he has decided to open his heart and tell all he came to know about the sequence of events regarding  sexual abuses in the Church. A testimony which concludes with a hard and peremptory ‘invitation’: Pope Francis should step down.  Because also he knew, but covered up. 

Texas Bishop: "I find the Viganò allegations to be credible."

From the Bishop of Tyler, in Texas, Bp. Joseph Strickland. We publish it here for the record of historic events, considering it was the first of its kind.

Dear Priests, Deacons, Religious and all Holy Faithful of the Diocese of Tyler,

A letter (see below) by Archbishop Vigano, former Nuncio to the United States, raises grave allegations and calls for the resignation of numerous high ranking prelates including Pope Francis.

Let us be clear that they are still allegations but as your shepherd I find them to be credible. Using this standard the response must be a thorough investigation similar to those conducted any time allegations are deemed to be credible. I do not have the authority to launch such an investigation but I will lend my voice in whatever way necessary to call for this investigation and urge that it’s findings demand accountability of all found to be culpable even at the highest levels of the Church.

As this unfolds I urge all in the Diocese of Tyler to pray fervently for Holy Mother Church and beg the Intercession of Our Blessed Mother. We are the flock of Jesus Christ. He is Lord of His Church and His Holy Spirit will guide us through this darkness.

Almighty God Father, Son and Spirit have mercy on your Church and cleanse her in the fires of your Love.

Blessed Virgin Mary, Pray for us

All Sainted Popes & Bishops in Heaven, Pray for us

All Holy Men and Women, Pray for us

I direct all priests to include this notice in the masses on August 26, and post it on their websites and other social media immediately.

Most Reverend Joseph E. Strickland

Bishop of Tyler