SSPX and Rome - Toward a Marian Hermeneutic for Modernity (and Vatican II) to Preserve Church Unity

A guest article by Dr. Michaël Bauwens, University of Antwerp. As usual, we share this essay for the benefit of wider and deeper conversation, not as an official Rorate editorial position. ~PAK

The rising tensions concerning the scheduled episcopal consecrations by the SSPX and the announced ensuing excommunications by the Vatican have provoked a range of reactions – from pleas for ecclesial unity, obedience, leniency and pragmatism, to the intricacies of canon law, all the way to ideologically hardened hearts. These are pressing and legitimate ecclesial worries indeed, but the current situation shows that the roots of the problem are really doctrinal and theological, and are still far from being resolved.

Guest op-ed: Lockdowns, months later

During the first few weeks of the COVID lockdowns in the U.S. you may recall an excellent guest op-ed by a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  A half year later, with lockdowns -- or at least partial lockdowns -- still in place in many locations, we bring to you a follow-up piece by Father Naugle:

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Social Justice of Lockdowns, Continued

By the Rev. Fr. John F. Naugle, M.A., S.T.B.

On April 20, my op-ed “The Ends Never Justify the Means: The Immorality of Indefinite Lockdowns" appeared on this web log as an attempt to trigger a much needed discussion about what the Church’s social doctrine has to say regarding the rights of laborers and how the indefinite lockdowns imposed by civil rulers represented an intrinsically evil course of action that could never be justified. It had been my hope that, as a result of this discussion, the Church’s sacred pastors would be roused from hiding in their residences to boldly defend the God-given right to earn bread for one’s family.

The basilica shrine in Washington, DC -- the largest church in North America --
still has a maximum legal capacity of 100 people.

Days and weeks went by. In the meantime, our malefactors in government and the media have implicitly admitted that they have no intention of returning our rights to us. Instead they have instructed us to completely forget our former lives and instead embrace the Orwellian “new normal.” My own governor, Tom Wolf, shockingly denied in federal court the existence of “any fundamental right to earn a living.” As I was beginning to despair that perhaps nobody else was willing to address the sinful economic damage being done to the working class, I came across these words in an interview published in an online magazine: “Yes, I think the lockdown is the worst assault on the working class in half a century, and especially on the urban working class.”

There was only one problem. I was not reading these words in a pastoral letter from a bishop. I was not reading these words in a Catholic journal. I was reading these words from a socialist magazine named in honor of the French Revolution political movement responsible for the Reign of Terror. The thought of socialists being bold enough to oppose what we have become accomplices in through silence and consent immediately turned my mind to God’s terrible judgement. 

The Church, in her repeated condemnation of all forms of socialism, has always put forth that it is the Bride of Christ who is actually the lover and defender of the worker and not the socialist revolutionary.  Her importance in the simultaneous fight against the evils of the Industrial Revolution on one side and the evils of socialist revolution on the other was cemented by the fact that her shepherds and her sheep were on the picket lines and also exerting their political will to bring worldly power into obedience to social doctrine. Indeed, beginning with Leo XIII, the assertion of a social doctrine was rightly understood to be a reclaiming of a “cross over crown” understanding of the relationship between the Church and the state. The Church has the right and obligation to pronounce moral judgement over nations in defense of the fundamental rights of man as contained in Divine Law. This claim can in no way be written off as belonging a pre-modern set of circumstances. We find it even in Gaudium et Spes: “It is only right, however, that at all times and in all places, the Church should have true freedom to preach the faith, to teach her social doctrine, to exercise her role freely among men, and also to pass moral judgment in those matters which regard public order when the fundamental rights of a person or the salvation of souls require it” (GS 76). As we now are over 200 days into “15 Days to Slow the Spread,” where are the ecclesial condemnations of the lies we have been told? Where are the reproaches of the so-called “experts” whose predictions of doom have made the false prophets of Israel look reliable by comparison? Where are the decrees that our leaders have wickedly imposed restrictions forbidden by Natural Law and therefore the faithful are not obliged to obey them.

Guest op-ed: The Immorality of Indefinite Lockdowns

As states and localities have transitioned from pragmatic social distancing to economic self-destruction, we are pleased to continue the conversation with the following guest op-ed.  Our thanks to Father Naugle, a diocesan priest in Pennsylvania, for this thoughtful essay:

The Ends Never Justify the Means: The Immorality of Indefinite Lockdowns

By the Rev. Fr. John F. Naugle, M.A., S.T.B.

Everyone who has taken even a rudimentary ethics class knows the thought experiment:

What if millions of people are sick with a deadly disease? What if the only possible cure is to harvest the cells from one baby, resulting in the baby’s death? What do we do?

Scenarios like these are useful to flesh out the underlying assumptions of one’s chosen moral framework, especially to show the difference between consequentialism and other forms of moral thinking. Normally debate ensues in the classroom, as undergraduate half-wits try to demonstrate a level of depth of thought that is far beyond them.

Thankfully we are Catholic. The answer is clear.

“A good intention (for example, that of helping one's neighbor) does not make behavior that is intrinsically disordered, such as lying and calumny, good or just. The end does not justify the means. Thus the condemnation of an innocent person cannot be justified as a legitimate means of saving the nation” (CCC, 1753).

God forbids you from harming that baby, even at the cost of millions of lives. To even think differently is an egregious violation of Divine Law. End of discussion.

The Church’s Social Doctrine

The simple fact the alleged good that flows from an evil action is foundational to the Church’s teachings on social justice, particularly in its blanket condemnation of socialism. While the social encyclicals, beginning with Rerum Novarum, contain many considerations about why socialism is ineffective at achieving its stated aims, their primary argument is always against the idea of the “community of goods;” violating the right to private property is contrary to God’s law and no system which begins there may ever be approved. As Leo XIII says:

“Hence, it is clear that the main tenet of socialism, community of goods, must be utterly rejected, since it only injures those whom it would seem meant to benefit, is directly contrary to the natural rights of mankind, and would introduce confusion and disorder into the commonweal. The first and most fundamental principle, therefore, if one would undertake to alleviate the condition of the masses, must be the inviolability of private property” (Rerum Novarum, 15).

These condemnations would be increased under Pius XI, as he condemns even a hypothetical socialism-lite of having a “concept of society itself… utterly foreign to Christian truth” (Quadragesimo Anno, 117).

The Catholic Church during this era was the hero. She defended the world against the evils of socialism. She defended the rights of laborers against those who would exploit them, especially by defending their right to unionize. Because of the strength which flowed from her clarity of thought, she was THE light during the era of industrialization and socialistic revolution.

So why does she fail to defend laborers now during this moment of crisis?

[IMPORTANT] Guest Op-Ed - Bishop Schneider: On the question of a heretical pope

Note: We urge everyone to reprint, post and share this important Op-Ed -- published first here at Rorate Caeli -- far and wide. And we urge you to keep reading beyond the "Read more" link as His Excellency lays out a plausible case for future binding canonical norms to address a "heretical or a manifestly heterodox pope":

By Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Special to Rorate Caeli

March 20, 2019

On the question of a heretical pope

The issue of how to handle a heretical pope, in concrete terms, has not yet been treated in a manner which approaches anything like a true general consent in the entire Catholic tradition. So far, neither a pope nor an Ecumenical Council has made relevant doctrinal pronouncements nor have they issued binding canonical norms regarding the eventuality of how to handle a heretical pope during the term of his office.

There is no historical case of a pope losing the papacy during his term of office due to heresy or alleged heresy. Pope Honorius I (625 - 638) was posthumously excommunicated by three Ecumenical Councils (the Third Council of Constantinople in 681, the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, and the Fourth Council of Constantinople in 870) on the grounds that he supported the heretical doctrine of those who promoted Monotheletism, thereby helping to spread this heresy. In the letter with which Pope Saint Leo II (+ 682 - 683) confirmed the decrees of the Third Council of Constantinople, he declared the anathema on Pope Honorius (“anathematizamus Honorium”), stating that his predecessor “Honorius, instead of purifying this Apostolic Church, permitted the immaculate faith to be stained by a profane treason.” (Denzinger-Schönmetzer, n. 563)

The Liber Diurnus Romanorum Pontificum, a miscellaneous collection of formularies used in the papal chancery until the eleventh century, contains the text for the papal oath, according to which every new pope, upon taking office, had to swear that he “recognized the sixth Ecumenical Council, which smote with eternal anathema the originators of the heresy (Monotheletism), Sergius, Pyrrhus, etc., together with Honorius." (PL 105, 40-44)

In some Breviaries until the 16^th or the 18^th centuries, Pope Honorius was mentioned as a heretic in the lessons of Matins for June 28th, the feast of Saint Leo II: “In synodo Constantinopolitano condemnati sunt Sergius, Cyrus, Honorius, Pyrrhus, Paulus et Petrus, nec non et Macarius, cum discipulo suo Stephano, sed et Polychronius et Simon, qui unam voluntatem et operationem in Domnino Jesu Christo dixerunt vel praedicaverunt.” The persistence of this Breviary reading through many centuries shows that it was not considered scandalous by many generations of Catholics, that a particular pope, and in a very rare case, was found guilty of heresy or of supporting heresy. In those times, the faithful and the hierarchy of the Church could clearly distinguish between the indestructibility of the Catholic Faith divinely guaranteed to the Magisterium of the See of Peter and the infidelity and treason of a concrete pope in the exercise of his teaching office.

Virginia infanticide's Catholic support

The following is a guest post from a longtime Virginia resident:

***

The governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, made news this week when he spoke in support of infanticide (not to be confused with his latest news).

This followed the action of the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who signed into law a bill that removed what little legal protections for unborn children existed in that state, now allowing abortion until the moment of birth.  Cuomo and many of the state legislators who supported the measure identify as Roman Catholic.  No one has been excommunicated by any of the bishops in New York. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who claimed President Donald Trump's effort to enforce immigration laws "is not Christian", went public opposing excommunication for Governor Cuomo.

In Virginia, the infanticide legislation was sponsored by Delegate Kathy Tran, and vocally supported by many Democrats, including Governor Northam.  Tran has not publicly listed a religious affiliation, and Northam reportedly (and ironically) "attends a Baptist church with a largely black congregation."

Several lawmakers in Virginia who identify as Catholic gave vocal support to the infanticide legislation.  Only one, however, actually voted in support of the measure when given the opportunity.  Not only does Delegate Michael P. Mullin list himself as a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Newport News, Va., he also claims membership in the Knights of Columbus and its Walter Pollard Council #5480.

Virginia's infanticide bill was killed in a subcommittee vote in the state House of Delegates, controlled by Republicans.  (Both chambers in the Virginia legislature have a one-vote Republican majority; the House of Delegates majority was determined by a drawing after a dead heat.)

The subcommittee vote to kill the infanticide bill passed by a vote of 5-3.  Of the three delegates, all Democrat, who voted for infanticide, only Delegate Mullin identifies as Catholic.  His bishop, Barry Knestout of Richmond (formerly the hand-picked consigliere to Don Wuerl in D.C.), issued a statement today, calling the legislation: "Horrific. Outrageous. Vicious."  He made reference to the governor and sponsor of the bill, although not by name.  Missing, though, was any reference to the delegates who actually voted on the legislation.

Guest Op-Ed: The Spiritual Life, Silence, and the Sacred Liturgy

By Veronica A. Arntz

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:6, RSV-2CE).

These words from our Lord direct us how to pray. The prayer that is most pleasing to our Lord is not that which is loud, ostentatious, or even “visible” through spoken words. Rather, it is the prayer that we make from our hearts, the silent prayer that comes directly from our souls. Our Lord desires that we give ourselves to Him through our interior prayer. While vocal and mental prayer that comes right from our heart, the highest prayer, which is meant to be normative for all, is contemplative prayer—a union between beloved and Lover, a prayer in which the soul simply “is” with the One she loves the most.

Guest Op-Ed - Threefold unity in the Church: Strength against the temptations of the Devil

By Veronica A. Arntz

In his reflection on the Fourth Sunday after Easter, Dom Prosper Guéranger discusses man’s participation in the Church of Christ, which is made possible through grace. He writes, “The Holy Ghost tells us, in the sacred Volume, that a threefold cord is not easily broken (Ecc 4:12).

Now we have such a one; and it keeps us in the glorious unity of the Church: hierarchy, dogma, and sacraments, all contribute to make us one Body” (The Liturgical Year, Paschal Time-Book II, vol. VIII, 228). How is it that the Church is united in these three ways? Indeed, Christ has established His Church such that, if one of these is weakened or not present at all, then the whole Church in her human members becomes weak (1 Cor 12:26, RSV-2CE). To understand the unity that Christ desires for His Church, let us explore the threefold unity of hierarchy, dogma, and sacraments.           

Guest Op-Ed: Carrying the joys of Easter into daily life

By Veronica A. Arntz

Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens Deus: ut, qui paschalia festa peregimus; haec, te largiente, moribus et vita teneamus. Per Dominum nostrum.—Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that we who have celebrated the Paschal Feast, may, be Thy bounty, retain its fruits in our daily habits and behavior. Through our Lord.

After the glories of Easter week, these words of the collect of Low Sunday, or Domenica in albis, give us the direction for the rest of the liturgical year. Through the grace of God, we are meant to carry the fruits of the time we spent praising and thanking God during Easter week into our daily habits and lives.

Guest Op-Ed: The Six Principles of Penance according to St. Thomas Aquinas

By Veronica A. Arntz

In Summa Theologiae III, q. 85, a. 5, St. Thomas Aquinas writes that there are six principles of penance. These principles of penance, according to Aquinas, are the “acts whereby in penance we co-operate with God operating” (III, q. 85, a. 5, corpus). Reflecting on these principles during the season of Lent can be helpful for us as we prepare for the Holy Triduum.

How have we been using our time during this Lent? Have we been truly sorry for our sins, or are we wasting our time idly pursuing worldly ends and goals? How diligently have we been purging ourselves of earthly attachments, bad habits, and sinful behaviors? Have we been striving to become closer to God in prayer? These are the questions to ask ourselves as we read and reflect upon the six principles offered by Aquinas.

First, a note on penance in general: in I-II, q. 113, a. 5, Thomas writes that sadness is a sign of love. Penance is sadness over our sins; we repent over the wrong that we have committed, and we resolve not to commit the same sins again. Thus, when we are sad over our sins, we should ultimately be sad because of offending God who is Love, who loved us so much that He suffered and died for us on the Cross.

Guest Op-Ed: Remaining faithful to Christ

By Veronica A. Arntz

Highlights from Cardinal Sarah and Fr. Thomas Weinandy

This past week, there were two announcements about pieces of literature that left the liberals quaking (and complaining loudly). The first is a preface, written by Cardinal Robert Sarah, for a new book on Communion, who called for a return to receiving Communion on the tongue while kneeling, rather than in the hands while standing. While many readers of this blog already follow this request, we should rejoice at this call for greater reverence.

The second is an address, which was given by Fr. Thomas Weinandy, whose open letter to Pope Francis critiquing Amoris Laetita caused him to lose his position at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. This address, given at the University of Notre Dame in Australia, questioned whether the current papacy is properly following the four marks of the Church.

Looking at highlights from these two addresses will be a good reminder for us that Christ is the Head of His Church, and all of us within the Church owe Him our complete and utter obedience: as St. Paul writes in the letter to the Colossians, “He is the head of the body, the Church; he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent” (Col 1:18, RSV2CE).

Important Guest Essay: "The Meaning of Amoris Laetitia According to Pope Francis." - by Dr John Lamont

The meaning of Amoris laetitia according to Pope Francis

John R. T. Lamont

            The teaching of the apostolic exhortation Amoris laetitia has been the subject of a great deal of debate since the promulgation of that document. Various interpretations of this teaching have been presented, and the differing interpretations have been used both to denounce the document as heretical and to defend it as in harmony with the teaching of the Church. Pope Francis has recently acted to clarify the meaning of the most contentious section of Amoris laetitia through a statement in the October 2017 issue of the Acta apostolic sedis, the journal that publishes the official acts of the Holy See (the title of the journal is generally abbreviated as AAS). The meaning and consequences of this clarification are of the first importance, and need to be carefully and accurately examined.

The meaning and authority of the AAS statement

            The statement in the AAS has three components: i) a letter from Pope Francis to the bishops of the Buenos Aires region concerning their pastoral degree on the application of Chapter 8 of Amoris laetitia, ii) the pastoral decree itself, and iii) a statement by Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State, asserting that the Supreme Pontiff has ordered the publication of the two preceding components in the AAS as statements of the authentic magisterium. The letter from Pope Francis is given the title of ‘Apostolic letter’ in the AAS statement, a title it did not bear when originally issued.

            The statement in the AAS has a high degree of authority. The term ‘authentic magisterium’ is explained in para. 25 of the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium, and in canon 752 of the Latin Code of Canon Law. The exercise of the authentic magisterium is not infallible, and hence does not require the assent of faith from Catholics, but it does require the religious submission of mind and will, a submission that includes sincere adherence to the assertions being taught. The covering statement by Cardinal Parolin, the publication of the above documents in the AAS at the command of the Pope, and the new title of ‘Apostolic letter’ given to Pope Francis’s original letter to the Buenos Aires bishops, confirm that the relevant contents of the documents are teachings of the authentic magisterium of the Catholic Church. This is a rather roundabout way of conveying an official teaching of the Church, since  this teaching is given in a letter about a letter about an apostolic exhortation, but this form of expression is not entirely without precedent or unsuitable in itself. There are precedents for a Pope issuing a teaching by endorsing a statement previously made by bishops. It does however mean that the statement needs to be carefully analyzed in order to identify the content of the teaching it conveys.

Guest Op-Ed: Penance for the sake of Heaven -- Reflections for Ash Wednesday

By Veronica A. Arntz

Today, Ash Wednesday, marks the beginning of the season of Lent. The Church, in the wisdom of the old liturgical calendar, gave us the past few Sundays to prepare ourselves for this season of fasting, prayer, and penance. Lent is the time of the liturgical year in which we pause and recognize our weak human nature, our inclination to sin, and our mortality. Some will look at our rigorous sacrifices and fasting as foolishness, given how our society is wont to pursue instant gratification. What is it that motivates our penances? Perhaps reflecting on that question will help us to choose penances that will deepen our spiritual lives and our love for God.

In Question 12 of the Prima Pars of his Summa Theologiae, St. Thomas Aquinas considers the knowability of God; in other words, how does man know God, both in this life and in the next, when he is able to see His Divine essence? In Article 6, Thomas asks whether some will see the Divine essence more perfectly than others will. He argues in the affirmative, stating that it is based on the intellect’s greater capacity that will allow some to behold the vision of God more perfectly. The object—the vision of God—will remain the same, since God does not change, but the more perfectly an intellect shares in the light of glory, the more perfectly He will be seen. Thomas explains:

Guest Op-Ed: Reflections on obedience for the Feast of Candlemas

 By Veronica A. Arntz

The feast of Candlemas is a rich tradition in the Church; it is a day that we celebrate many events, including the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, and the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon. In reflecting on this beautiful feast day, one common theme that we find present is obedience. Obedience is the proper response of an individual to God’s invitation and call; it is the fitting response to God’s commandments and law. We too should strive in obedience to follow the commandments of God, just as we find in the Holy Family and the aged Simeon.

The first example of obedience is Mary who, even though she was conceived without original sin, went to be purified in the Temple in accordance with the Mosaic Law. As we read, “And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’)” (Luke 2:22-23, RSV-CE).

Guest Op-Ed: A vision of the Church in 1 Timothy, through Aquinas

By Veronica A. Arntz

“I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Great, indeed, we confess, is the mystery of your religion” (1 Timothy 3:14-16, RSV-CE).

These verses of St. Paul, in addition to the previous passages, reveal very succinctly the nature and soul of the Church. Paul first outlines the different roles within the Body of Christ—men and women, bishops, and deacons—and then describes the source of the Church’s unity, namely, the Incarnate Word of God. Reflecting on these passages of Paul, with the trustworthy guide of St. Thomas Aquinas, will shed light on how we should respond to the current situation in our Church. The Church today is indeed in need of a reminder of how she should act as the “household of God,” given how easily we fall into sin, which divides the Church and prevents her from being truly unified as the Body of Christ.

In this letter, St. Paul first talks about men and women, or the laity, in the Church. St. Paul writes, “I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling” (1 Tim 2:8). St. Paul thus desires that all the men should pray, and this prayer, according to Thomas, is marked by three characteristics: “that it be assiduous, pure, and quiet” (71). Mental prayer can occur anywhere, which is why men are no longer required to pray only in Jerusalem. Moreover, the prayer ought to be pure, which means that by our external signs, we are giving glory to God.

As Thomas explains, “For genuflections and the like are not of themselves pleasing to God, but only because by them, as by signs of humility, a man is internally humble” (72). Man’s actions in prayer are a sign of his humility and thereby purity before God. Finally, prayer should be quiet, or without anger, both toward God and toward neighbor; thus, real prayer is guided by charity. A man cannot truly pray unless he deeply possesses the virtue of charity, which is expressed in the twofold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor. Thus, we can see from the beginning that, for Paul, prayer is at the center of the Church. The Church must pray to God in humility, begging for his grace and his mercy to transcend our weak human nature.

Guest Op-Ed: Epiphany reflections on the Christian vocation

By Veronica A. Arntz

The Gospels tell us very little about the wise men, or the Magi, bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, who came from the East to worship the newborn Christ Child. While tradition says that there were three of them, named Balthasar, Melchior, and Jaspar, we do not even have knowledge of that from the Scriptures.[1] What we do know is that these wise men, who were Gentiles, followed a star in the heavens so that they could come to Bethlehem to worship Christ, the King of Israel. In reflecting on the event of the Magi, we can learn something about our own vocation, namely, that God calls us out of our comfort to pursue him in a radical way, following the royal road of the Cross. 

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.

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).

Guest Op-Ed: Marriage down under

The following guest op-ed was presented to us by the author:

By an Australian priest

The sensuality in the picture was palpable. Two attractive young men, heads together in a tender moment, against a backdrop of lush farmland. “Crude beauty of a Yorkshire’s shepherd’s gay awakening,’’ the headline proclaimed.The film review of God’s Own Country praised one character’s “respect for intense vulnerability’’ and “depth of love’’. The hint of homo erotica was clear. The sex scenes, readers were promised, were “very graphic’’. Foremost of the film’s themes, readers were told “is the difficulty of living as a gay man in a culture or family where it is not readily accepted.’’ When it comes to sexuality, “culture can be flexible where dogmatic religion cannot.’’

A day earlier, amid Australia’s scorching debate on an upcoming national plebiscite on same-sex “marriage’’, the same online magazine had nailed its colours firmly to the “Yes’’ campaign with two articles. One, entitled “Inside the 'glass closet' of a gay Catholic teacher’’, was written by a religion teacher in a Catholic school. He described his “hurt’’ at needing to conceal his sexuality and his partner’s identity on Facebook, lest “the wrong student or parent catches whiff of our supposedly un-Christian behaviour’’.

On the same day, the magazine carried a related article headed “A credibly Christian church would respect gay employees’’. It was accompanied by a drawing of the rainbow flag.  “The credibility of Catholic organisations as Christian and as humane is at stake,’’ it argued. “It would be inconceivable for Catholic based organisations to dismiss people who contract gay marriages. It would both be inconsistent with their own tradition and would make it impossible for them to commend that tradition to their own members of staff.’’ Its author was Father Andrew Hamilton SJ, consulting editor of the magazine, EurekaStreet, a publication of the Australian Jesuits.

Guest Op-Ed - Bishop Schneider: The interpretation of Vatican II and its connection with the current crisis of the Church

Once again, we are honored to post this guest op-ed, submitted to us by His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider. We not only allow but encourage all media and blogs to reprint this as well. 

By Bishop Athanasius Schneider

Special to Rorate Caeli

July 21, 2017

The interpretation of Vatican II and its connection with the current crisis of the Church

The current situation of the unprecedented crisis of the Church is comparable with the general crisis in the 4^th century, when the Arianism had contaminated the overwhelming majority of the episcopacy, taking a dominant position in the life of the Church. We must seek to address this current situation on the one hand with realism and, on the other hand, with a supernatural spirit – with a profound love for the Church, our mother, who is suffering the Passion of Christ because of this tremendous and general doctrinal, liturgical and pastoral confusion.

We must renew our faith in believing that the Church is in the safe hands of Christ, and that He will always intervene to renew the Church in the moments in which the boat of the Church seems to capsize, as is the obvious case in our days. 

Guest Op-Ed - Waiting for the Bridegroom: The Nuptial Character of the Usus Antiquior

By Veronica A. Arntz

The parable of the ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom reveals a significant key for understanding our relationship with Christ: We are meant to be watchful, waiting for the hour of His coming with anticipation. Five virgins were wise, and five were foolish. Five had a sufficient amount of oil to meet the delayed bridegroom, while five did not. Some of us await the second coming of Christ with an awakened spirit, while others live our lives as if He does not exist. If we consider this parable within the context of sacred liturgy, we could say the following: The wise virgins are the ones who listen for the voice of the Lord within the texts; they are the ones who are prepared to meet the Bridegroom by listening to His words. In a particular way, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite can foster what Dietrich von Hildebrand calls the “spirit of awakenedness,” which he considers to be the spirit necessary to “conform to the sursum corda.”

This parable about the wise and foolish virgins appropriately sets the tone for discussing the spirit of waiting in the Extraordinary Form, because this form of the Roman Rite possesses a manifestly nuptial character. The words of the rite reveal both the love of the Bridegroom for us, but also, the love that we ought to give Him through praise and thanksgiving. While much has been said to men about the Extraordinary Form being the natural place to cultivate a priestly or religious vocation, it seems that women can relate very well to this nuptial character of the Mass. In a special way, women can discover the means and the grace for anticipating the Bridegroom, like the five wise virgins, through the sacred texts and form of the usus antiquior.