Troubles across the Río de la PlataBishop blackmailed by male lovers

The small Oriental Republic of Uruguay has a long shared history with Argentina - and common events... A few years ago, "Progressive" Bishop Juan Carlos Maccarone was forced to resign after being blackmailed by a male lover. Now, a similar episode takes place across the Río de la Plata, with Bishop Francisco Barbosa, of the Diocese of Minas, as La Nación reports:

Local daily El Observador revealed the case that has no precedents in the Uruguayan Church, and that has led to commotion in the Catholic community of Minas, a city in the upland section of this country.

Complaint.

The sexual relationship of the priest with two convicts was discovered because the Bishop himself presented a complaint to the criminal courts when he felt harassed by his lovers, who were blackmailing him with the threat of making public the pictures of their encounters.

Bishop Barbosa had met the former convicts when they requested assistance to the National Service for the Detained which, in the Department of Lavalleja [where the Diocese is located], is run by a priest.

El Observador notes tonight that Pope Benedict XVI was informed of the situation and will make a decision in the next few hours. Francisco Barbosa was named Bishop of Minas by Pope John Paul II, in 2004.

Events: Tomorrow, in Rio

A very important event will be held in the City of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, tomorrow (June 27th), 3pm, at Colégio Santo Adolfo, in the Santa Teresa neighborhood.

Fr. Michael Rodríguez, the parish priest of San Juan Bautista Church, in the diocese of El Paso, Texas, will give a lecture to Traditional Catholics of the City of Rio de Janeiro.

His presentation will be called “The Crisis of Faith and the Traditional Latin Mass”. It will include four parts, each one lasting approximately 30 min:

(1) The pearl of great price (Mt 13:45-46): our Catholic Faith

(2) The pearl of great price (Mt 13:45-46): the Traditional Latin Mass

(3) How to appreciate & participate in the Traditional Latin Mass

(4) An authentic Catholic spirituality based on the Traditional Latin Mass

After the lecture, Fr. Rodríguez will lead the Rosary and then celebrate the Traditional Mass.

St. Josemaria Escriva on the Sacred Liturgy: A Selection

St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei, was known for his love for the sacred liturgy. He offered the Mass of the Gregorian Rite in private until his death, and it was this Mass that inspired his statements on the importance of the liturgy and most especially of the rites of Holy Mass.

On the importance of the liturgy:

Your prayer should be liturgical. How I would like to see you using the psalms and prayers from the missal, rather than private prayers of your own choice. (The Way, 86)

***

Have veneration and respect for the holy Liturgy of the Church and for its ceremonies. Observe them faithfully. Don't you see that, for us poor men, even what is greatest and most noble must enter through the senses? (The Way, 522)

***

The Church sings, it has been said, because merely to speak would not satisfy its desire for prayer. You, as a Christian — and a chosen Christian, — should learn to sing liturgically. (The Way, 523)

***

That woman in the house of Simon the leper in Bethany, who anoints the Master's head with precious ointment, reminds us of our duty to be generous in the worship of God.

All beauty, richness and majesty seem little to me.

And against those who attack the richness of sacred vessels, of vestments and altars, stands the praise given by Jesus: 'opus enim bonum operata est in me — she has acted well towards me'. (The Way, 527)

***

The objects used in divine worship should have artistic merit, but bearing in mind that worship is not for the sake of art: art is for the sake of worship. (The Forge, 836)

***

On the rites of the Holy Mass

You saw me celebrate the holy Mass on a plain altar— table and stone, without a reredos. Both Crucifix and candlesticks were large and solid, with wax-candles of graded height, sloping up towards the Cross. The frontal, of the liturgical colour of the day. A sweeping chasuble. The chalice, rich, simple in line, with a broad cup. No electric light, nor did we miss it.

And you found it difficult to leave the oratory: you felt at home there. — Do you see how we are led to God, brought closer to him, by the rigour of the liturgy? (The Way, 543)

***

How great is the value of piety in the Holy Liturgy!

I was not at all surprised when someone said to me a few days ago, talking about a model priest who had died recently: “What a saint he was!”

—“Did you know him well?” I asked.

—“No,” she said, “but I once saw him saying Mass.”

***
By a process of assimilation we should make these words of Jesus our own: Desiderio desideravi hoc Pascha manducare vobiscum: I have longed and longed to eat this Passover with you. There is no better way to show how great is our concern and love for the Holy Sacrifice than by taking great care with the least detail of the ceremonies the wisdom of the Church has laid down.

This is for Love: but we should also feel the need to become like Christ, not only inside ourselves but also in what is external. We should act, on the wide spaciousness of the Christian altar, with the rhythm and harmony which obedient holiness provides, uniting us to the will of the Spouse of Christ, to the Will of Christ himself. (The Forge, 833)

***

Unique Liturgical Customs

Low Sunday brings to my memory a pious tradition of my own country. On this day, in which the liturgy invites us to hunger for spiritual food — rationabile, sine dolo lac concupiscite, to desire the spiritual milk, that is free from guile — it was customary to take Holy Communion to the sick (they did not have to be seriously ill) so that they could fulfil their Easter duties.

In some large cities, each parish would organise its own eucharistic procession. From my days as a university student in Saragossa, I remember frequently seeing thousands of people crossing the Coso in three separate contingents made up entirely of men, thousands of men!, carrying huge burning candles. Strong and robust men they were, accompanying Our Lord in the Holy Eucharist, with a faith that was greater than those candles that weighed so much.

(From "Getting to know God", no. 142, in the book Friends of God)

***

His homily on The Eucharist, mystery of faith and love is also worth reading.

***

All texts are from www.escrivaworks.org.

Posted in honor of the feast today of St. Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975), one of the 20th century's most misunderstood saints.

Interesting News from Russia

Link to the full article

Relevant quote:

"... all patients in maternity hospitals and prenatal clinics in Astrakhan will be given small versions of the icon (of the Virgin Mary - CAP) for free.

"The initiative was organized by the Russian Orthodox Church and has provoked controversy, since 20 percent of the population of Astrakhan is Muslim, mainly ethnic Kazakhs and Tatars. "

This news comes as one of the Moscow Patriarchate's most high-profile and influential missionaries, Andrey Kurayev, criticizes the praising of tolerance and wonders aloud if Christians and Muslims are really compatible:

"We'd better stop praising tolerance and discuss if Christians and Muslims are compatible in the present-day world," he said in his interview to the Den za Dnyom Estonian weekly."

***

"...Their tactics is clear: while they make a minority, they speak of secularism and equality, but as soon as Muslims make more than a half population, they will demand total control," the theologian believes"

IMPORTANT INTERVIEW"Similar to Opus Dei?"Schmidberger responds: "Somewhat."

Some ordinations of new priests by the Bishops of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) took place in the United States last Saturday. New ordinations are expected for next Saturday in Germany - despite the overreaction of several German ordinaries. Amidst the controversy, the German Catholic News Agency (KNA - Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur) interviewed the former Superior General of the SSPX and current Superior for the District of Germany, Father Franz Schmidberger (source: DomRadio):

The German Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, Franz Schmidberger, has defended the ordination of new priests planned for the coming weekend. In an interview with the Catholic News Agency (KNA), Schmidberger also commented on his assessment of the Second Vatican Council and what he expects from further discussions with Rome.

KNA: Herr Schmidberger, are you a priest of the Catholic Church?

Schmidberger: Of course. I was ordained to the priesthood in 1975 by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre in Econe.

KNA: You say that without any qualifications?

Schmidberger: Yes. I live and work in the heart of the Church.

KNA: What does the Second Vatican Council mean to you?

Schmidberger: There is no doubt that it was an ecumenical council, but among the 21 councils it possesses a unique status as a pastoral council. Both popes of the council declared that they wished to define no new dogmas. Therefore, the Second Vatican Council does not have the same status as the other councils.

KNA: What about its content?

Schmidberger: The spirit of the council has been described as an evil spirit, even by Pope Benedict XVI. There are ambiguous statements in the documents, and many others that do not agree with traditional doctrine.

KNA: What should the theological dialogue between the society and Rome regarding the council look like?

Schmidberger: As far as the external form goes, it could be both oral or written, but primarily it should be written. We have selected representatives from our side and Rome also has chosen its people. The discussions will consider: what is ambiguous in the council? What contradicts the traditional doctrine of the Church?

KNA: Frankly, do you believe that the old and new rites can continue to coexist over the long term?

Schmidberger: Well, we will have to see how things develop. There are profound differences between the two rites; for example, the direction of the celebration. The old rite is God-centered. The new is man-centered. Many of the gestures, symbols, and rituals have been fundamentally changed. Today, the old rite is like a solid rock amidst the pounding surf, that must remain unchanged. The new rite requires radical reworking so that the sacrificial nature is once again explicitly expressed.

KNA: What does the Society think of the Council's Decree on Ecumenism [Unitatis Redintegratio]?

Schmidberger: It says that other [Christian] denominations are means of salvation. If that is true, then there is no longer any point in engaging in missionary activity. That needs to be cleared up.

KNA: What about Nostra Aetate, which concerns the relationship with the Jews?

Schmidberger: Not only the Jews, it also concerns Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. These non-Christian religions are heaped with praise. This has encouraged the expansion of Islam, for example. Today there are 4.3 million Muslims in Germany. The Church has a mandate to work for their conversion, but I do not know of a single German bishop who has made any plans to do so. As far as the relationship with the Jews goes, the statements of the Council cannot be criticized in their essence. But, since the Council, the idea keeps popping up that the Jews have their owns path to salvation. That is completely opposed to the missionary command of Jesus Christ.

KNA: And you also have problems with the description of the Jews by Pope John Paul II as the older brothers of Christians.

Schmidberger: Certainly Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets are. But the Jews of today are not, because they do not recognize Jesus Christ as the one and only redeemer. How could they then be older brothers?

KNA: Is the impression correct, that you, with your positions, wish to set the price for unity with the Catholic Church.

Schmidberger: We want the truth to triumph. It has nothing to do with subjective opinions, it is all about the truth.

KNA: As you define it.

Schmidberger: No, we read all of the previous statements of the Councils and the popes. Pope Pius IX spoke out against religious freedom, for example. The question is: do these false religions possess natural rights? The Second Vatican Council answers differently than Pius IX. That is a rupture.

KNA: Canon law requires priests to submit to the local bishop. Why is that difficult for you?

Schmidberger: It isn't difficult at all. But we are our own society, that was even praised by Rome in 1971. Afterwards, we developed our own life. Then tensions developed because we refused to participate in the destructive protestantizing reforms. We have questions about the faith of the Church and the bishops only respond by demanding obediance. But faith is superior to obediance.

KNA: In connection with the Williamson scandal, Pope Benedict XVI accused the SSPX of arrogance and urged you to refrain from provocations. But the opposite has happened. How can you help to put the pieces back together?

Schmidberger: Naturally, every man has his weaknesses and unfortunate things have been said. But we want to live together peacefully. I have written a private personal letter to the chairman of the bishops conference, Archbishop Zollitsch, but the bishops are not willing to engage in discussions. They reject any dialogue with us. Why do they demand that we obey canon law to the letter while at the same time they assert that we are outside the Church?

KNA: In 2005 there was a conversation in Castel Gandofo, in which, in addition to the Pope, curial Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, and Traditionalist Bishop Bernard Fellay, you also took part. What was agreed at that time?

Schmidberger: We discussed the entire situation with the Society and agreed on the path which we are now following. The Motu Proprio of 2007 and the lifting of the so-called excommunications were the first steps. Now comes the theological dialogue. Next, we have to find a canonical structure for the Society with its 500 priests. We are satisfied with the solution that Rome is considering.

KNA: Which is?

Schmidberger: In the direction of a personal prelature.

KNA: Similar to Opus Dei?

Schmidberger: Somewhat.

KNA: More ordinations are planned for the coming weekend, although Rome has said that they are illict. Why do you insist on these ordinations?

Schmidberger: The supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls. The faithful have a right to the celebration of the traditional form of the Mass. The point is making priests who desire to proclaim the Gospel available. The ordinations are not meant to be an affront to anybody. They are actually being done to help the Pope and the bishops. But it like dealing with patients who do not see what medicine does for their health.

KNA: And so you claim the role of physician.

Schmidberger: Yes, that is true. Tradition is the only guide to bringing the Church out of the present crisis. In 1950, 13 million Catholics went to Sunday Mass. Now it is just under 2 million. That is a drop of 85 percent. In ten years, all of the Churches will be empty. Is that what the bishops want? What is going to happen to our children? It is about preserving Christianity in the West.

__________________

Translation: reader (adapted).

Another small triumph for the restoration of the sacred

The "Penafrancia Festival" refers to one of the Philippines' largest religious events: a nine-day novena in Naga City (the see city of the Archdiocese of Nueva Caceres) to Our Lady of Penafrancia, culminating in a fluvial procession with the miraculous statue of Our Lady on the 3rd Saturday of September. This event attracts millions of pilgrims from all over the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora, and just like similar festivals all over the Catholic world, is constantly threatened by the danger of becoming yet another occasion for purely secular merrymaking and government-promoted mass tourism.

Some might find the decision to ban street parties and beer plazas for the duration of the novena to be rather puritanical, but the desire of both Church and state to work together to keep an event such as this entirely devoted to sacred thoughts, is yet another encouraging sign that the spirit of Christendom lives, here and there, even if only in flickers.

From the official news website of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines:

Church, local gov’t ban Peñafrancia street parties

MANILA, June 25, 2009—Street parties and beauty pageants will no longer be allowed starting this year’s celebration of the Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City.

The Catholic Church in Bicol and local government authorities agreed to ban the fiesta’s civic components to avoid deflecting the public’s attention from the church’s celebration.

The agreement was reached recently between Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legazpi and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo.

Significant points in the deal include the banning of “Bicolandia Beauty Pageant” within the fiesta days that starts with the “Traslacion procession” on September 11.

“Street parties and beer plazas are no longer features of the Penafrancia fiesta,” said Fr Jay Jacinto, spokesman of the Archdiocese of Caceres.

The Naga City council also agreed with Archbishop Legazpi to make efforts in keeping the Peñafrancia Novena days “free from undue distractions”.

Jacinto said the agreement caps the series of dialogue between the church and the city officials to avoid commercialization mess of the Peñafrancia Festival.

“These arrangements are deemed in keeping with the celebration for the tercentenary of Peñafrancia devotion,’ Jacinto said.

Other activities agreed upon by both parties include the holding of a Perdon Procession on Sept. 16; the Voyadores Festival on Sept. 17; the Military Parade on Sept.18; and the Thanksgiving and Fluvial Procession on Sept.19.

Archbishop Legazpi had been chiding the local authorities for the commercialization mess that marred last year’s celebration of the Peñafrancia festival.

He lamented that some activities approved by the city government deviated from the occasion.

The prelate stressed that the essence of the event is the renewal of faith and understanding of the devotion to Mary.

The commercialism that happened in recent years, he added, has tarnished the religiosity of the country’s only regional fiesta.

With this recent agreement, the priest said, the church is looking forward to a suitable celebration of the tercentenary of the Peñafrancia devotion. (Roy Lagarde)

From CBCPNEWS.

Photo from Daylife

PS: It might be of interest to our readers that the Metropolitan Province of Nueva Caceres was also one of the first places in the entire Roman Catholic Church to implement Liturgiam Authenticam in the Order of the Mass (with "pro multis" and "et cum spiritu tuo" literally translated.)

Maronite Patriarch confronts Hezbollah

The Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant, Mar Nasrallah Boutros Cardinal Sfeir, has denounced in no uncertain terms the threat posed by the extremist Shiite group Hezbollah to Lebanon's identity, in the process facing the wrath of the Hezbollah -- which insults Christians even as it demands respect for its "religious sentiments"

AsiaNews: Sfeir to Hezbollah, those who lose seek excuses

Daily Star of Lebanon: Patriarch thanks those who defended his stances

Pray for the ancient Christian communities of Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan and the Holy Land, that they will continue to be steadfast in the face of oppression and fanaticism.

The Roman Pilgrimage of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer

F.SS.R Mass in St. Peter's Basilica

The blog of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer now has pictures of the Roman pilgrimage of Fr. Michael Mary Sim F.SS.R and five of the congregation's seminarians. They attended the Papal Vespers of the Feast of the Sacred Heart last June 19 and offered Mass (1962 Missal, naturally) in various Roman churches, including St. Peter's Basilica (in the morning of June 22, 2009).

More from Rome (with pictures of the F.SS.R's Mass in St. Peter's Basilica)

Visiting Holy Places (including a picture of Solemn Mass in the FSSP church in Rome last June 21)

Sung Mass at Holy Mary in Transpontina

The Passing Shadow Beneath the Roman Sun (Papal Vespers)

“Catholic Pride” Update: Church and State square off

As was recently reported here, His Exellency Marc Aillet, Bishop of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron in the Basque region of France, issued a press release condemning the annual “Gay Pride” affair which took place on Sunday in the city of Biarritz. Rorate Cæli has come across an ensuing correspondence between the Bishop and the Mayor of Biarritiz, Mr. Didier Borotra.

Letter from Bishop Marc Aillet:

Mr. Mayor,

Having recently learned through families living in Biarritz of the forthcoming "Gay Pride" affair, I would just like to express my profound incredulity. It is yet another official offence aimed at the Catholic Church to believe the announced presence of the "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” virulently displaying their anti-Christianity.

I cannot even imagine how Muslims and Jews would react if the symbols of their religious traditions were used in this way ...

The disruptive protests made by groups who are for the most part outsiders in the city of Biarritz do not represent, by far, the deep conviction that homosexual persons feel. One need only read some of their particular testimonies to understand how these are suffering.

Besides the fact that young people, particularly children, did not need to see these protests so aggressively displayed, such sexual license exposed on city streets can only have a negative effect on social morality and the common sense of the majority of our citizens.

I wanted to share with you these few simple thoughts. You have, Mr. Mayor, the assurance of my prayers and my sentiments dedicated to Christ and his Church.

Response from Mayor Didier Borotra:

Monsignor,
I cannot hide the fact that I was ashamed to read your letter of June 18. It is obvious that you are not familiar with the laws of the Republic. That is unfortunate. As a politician I do not meddle in the affairs of the Church and I advise you to do the same concerning the affairs of City Hall. As for other things, we do not share the same concept of freedom, including that of speech and public demonstration. It is, nonetheless, a basic right in all democratic countries. Please accept, Monsignor, the assurance of my highest consideration.

Sud Ouest

Liturgical Reminder for the Vigil of the Birthday of St. John the Baptist

The Birth and Naming of St. John the Baptist, by Giotto

It is my hope that more basilicas, cathedrals and parishes, seminaries and other houses of formation, and religious institutions, will make greater use of the rich treasury of feast-day blessings that is to be found in the Rituale Romanum as well as in the various local supplements to the Rituale. The same for the treasury of processions and other occasional ceremonies that can be found in the liturgical books associated with the classical Roman or Gregorian Rite.

These ceremonies enrich us wih grace, add spiritual depth to our experience and understanding of the liturgical year, illuminate the sacred mysteries and inspire fervor, and relieve the "flatness" of the liturgical season of the Sundays after Pentecost (or of the even more austere "Ordinary Time" of the Paul VI Missal). The faithful and complete celebration of the sacred liturgy in all its glory will do more for the restoration of Catholic Tradition than all our polemics and all our subtle arguments (although these too have an important part).

Hopefully, there will be a few more bonfires tomorrow. CAP.

{Note: I've revised the translation of "Et cum spiritu tuo"}

{Addendum: Some have been asking if this ceremony can be celebrated even in places where only the Novus Ordo is used. The answer is yes. The Directory of Popular Piety and the Liturgy (No. 225) enumerates the blessing of St. John bonfires among the pious customs associated with the cult of the Forerunner.}

From the Sancta Missa webpage on the "Blessings on special days and feasts" in the Rituale Romanum.

BLESSING OF A BONFIRE

on the Vigil of the Birthday of St. John the Baptist

conferred by the clergy outside of church

In the Church's veneration of her saints the cult of John the Baptist had from earliest times and continues to have a most prominent and honored place. John gave testimony of the true light that shines in the darkness, although he proclaimed in utter humility: "He must increase, but I must decrease." And the Master also spoke in highest praise of His precursor: "I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist." Attuned to the words of the Gospel the Christians of former times were filled with love and enthusiasm for this saint, and expressed a justifiable conviviality at the approach of his feastday by lighting a bonfire the night before in front of their churches, in the market-place, on the hilltops, and in the valleys. The custom of St. John bonfires, indicative of a people with unabashed and childlike faith, continues in some places to this day.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

P: Let us pray.

Lord God, almighty Father, the light that never fails and the source of all light, sanctify this new fire, and grant that after the darkness of this life we may come unsullied to you who are light eternal; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

The fire is sprinkled with holy water; after which the clergy and the people sing the following hymn:

Hymn: Ut queant laxis

O for your spirit, holy John, to chasten

Lips sin-polluted, fettered tongues to loosen;

So by your children might your deeds of wonder

Meetly be chanted.

Lo! a swift herald, from the skies descending,

Bears to your father promise of your greatness;

How he shall name you, what your future story,

Duly revealing.

Scarcely believing message so transcendent,

Him for a season power of speech forsaketh,

Till, at your wondrous birth, again returneth,

Voice to the voiceless.

You, in your mother's womb all darkly cradled,

Knew your great Monarch, biding in His chamber,

Whence the two parents, through their offspring's merits,

Mysteries uttered.

Praise to the Father, to the Son begotten,

And to the Spirit, equal power possessing,

One God whose glory, through the lapse of ages,

Ever resounding.

P: There was a man sent from God.

All: Whose name was John.

P: Let us pray.

God, who by reason of the birth of blessed John have made this day praiseworthy, give your people the grace of spiritual joy, and keep the hearts of your faithful fixed on the way that leads to everlasting salvation; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

USCCB clarifies ambiguities of "Reflections on Covenant and Mission"

2. Since Reflections on Covenant and Mission is not an official statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, it was not subject to the same review process that official documents undergo. In the years since its publication, however, some theologians, including Catholics, have treated the document as authoritative. This has proven problematic because the section representing Catholic thought contains some statements that are insufficiently precise and potentially misleading. Reflections on Covenant and Mission should not be taken as an authoritative presentation of the teaching of the Catholic Church. In order to avoid any confusion, the USCCB Committee on Doctrine and the Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs have decided to point out some of these ambiguities and to offer corresponding clarifications.

***

8. Reflections on Covenant and Mission correctly asserts that the Church "must always evangelize and will always witness to its faith in the presence of God's kingdom in Jesus Christ to Jews and to all other people."10 It also rightly affirms that the Church respects religious freedom as well as freedom of conscience and that, while the Church does not have a policy that singles out the Jews as a people for conversion, she will always welcome "sincere individual converts from any tradition or people, including the Jewish people."11 This focus on the individual, however, fails to account for St. Paul's complete teaching about the inclusion of the Jewish people as whole in Christ's salvation. In Romans 11:25-26, he explained that when "the full number of the Gentiles comes in . . . all Israel will be saved." He did not specify when that would take place or how it would come about.12 This is a mystery that awaits its fulfillment. Nevertheless, St. Paul told us to look forward to the inclusion of the whole people of Israel, which will be a great blessing for the world (Rom 11:12).

9. Reflections on Covenant and Mission, however, renders even the possibility of individual conversion doubtful by a further statement that implies it is generally not good for Jews toconvert, nor for Catholics to do anything that might lead Jews to conversion because it threatens to eliminate "the distinctive Jewish witness": "Their [the Jewish people's] witness to the kingdom, which did not originate with the Church's experience of Christ crucified and raised, must not be curtailed by seeking the conversion of the Jewish people to Christianity."13 Some caution should be introduced here, since this line of reasoning could lead some to conclude mistakenly that Jews have an obligation not to become Christian and that the Church has a corresponding obligation not to baptize Jews.

CONCLUSION

10. With St. Paul, we acknowledge that God does not regret, repent of, or change his mind about the "gifts and the call" that he has given to the Jewish people (Rom 11:29). At the same time, we also believe that the fulfillment of the covenants, indeed, of all God's promises to Israel, is found only in Jesus Christ. By God's grace, the right to hear this Good News belongs to every generation. Fulfilling the mandate given her by the Lord, the Church, respecting human freedom, proclaims the truths of the Gospel in love.

Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission

June 18, 2009

Fellay speaks

The relevant questions and answers from the interview granted by Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (FSSPX / SSPX) to Austrian daily Die Presse (Sunday Edition):

Die Presse: How is the dialogue between the SSPX and Rome, which created so much dust in January?

Bishop Bernard Fellay: We have sorted out our ideas in early June. The decision of the Pope on the design of the talks will be announced in the next few days. It is true that a special Commission will be set up for the discussion - with some Roman theologians and some of our priests.

...

The other major sticking point between you and Rome is the Tridentine Rite. Due to the Pope’s re-authorization of this Rite, this has at least largely been defused. Is this enough for you, or would you have expected even more?

Fellay: I'm sure there will be even more coming. Not from us, but for Rome itself the liturgical situation must be improved. That will come.

...

In a reconciliation with Rome, you probably need to make some kind of declaration of loyalty. Can you do this even if the church does not in all points return to dressing herself in the pre-Vatican II garment?

Fellay: I would rather say: if Catholic principles have been clarified, even though not everything has been resolved, then it is possible. There is a very practical question, which is now evident and that is: how are we accepted? There is a very sharp blockade. That is presently stopping us from going on. If we see too much opposition, then we simply say: well, we will still wait a bit.

...

Would not it be prudent to suspend the ordinations in order to improve the climate?

Fellay: The problem exists only in Germany. In Rome, there is sympathy for these ordinations, even if they say it is illegal and not according to the canon law. We were told that we are in an intermediate state in which we can talk peace, in which Rome can also observe us. We have nothing against it, if Rome would send an observer to us. We have offered it, but perhaps not clearly enough.

...

You therefore do not recognize any repudiation by the Pope of your acts?

Fellay: That would be a wrong interpretation of the event. This is not a hostile act, I have written to the Pope and asked him to consider these ordinations not as a rebellion, but as a step of survival in difficult and complex circumstances.

However you wish to interpret the ordinations, the Pope is being placed, at any rate, in an unpleasant situation.

Fellay: I understand that well. This situation is very unpleasant for all. Let me repeat: this problem comes from the different currents in the church, which themselves can hardly endure. This problem can ultimately only be resolved by the Pope. But I'm not even sure whether it ever can be resolved.

What is Bishop Williamson doing now?

Fellay: He is in London. He prays, he is studying, nothing else.

Is there a foreseeable end to the internal exile?

Fellay: I see none. The whole matter depends on him.

You would probably like a greater distancing from his Holocaust-denial.

Fellay: If such statements recur, then it would be unbearable.

__________________

Tip and first translation: Catholic Church Conservation

“Catholic Pride” – from the mouth of a Bishop

Statement by Bishop Aillet about "Gay Pride" in Biarritz

The organization of the "Gay Pride 2009” in Biarritz for Saturday 20 June only arouses my indignation, as it arouses the disapproval of many families and other people whatever their religious beliefs may be.

Indeed, the participation in this event by "Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence", an association known for its provocative anti-Catholicism and blasphemous provocations, shows a genuine contempt for the Catholic faith and religious life which so strongly characterizes the soul, culture, and traditions of the Basque region.

It is the Churches intends to defend and promote in all circumstances, the family founded on marriage between persons of different sexes and the right of every child to be raised by a father and a mother.

It therefore rejects claims that "Gay Pride" echoes in the name of a tiny minority of our citizens, but it eminently respects homosexual persons with care and compassion for the suffering and difficulties that are so often theirs.

It proclaims that every person is a child of God and that everyone is called to conversion and holiness.

+ Marc Aillet

Bishop of Bayonne, Lescar and Oloron, June 18 2009.

Diocèse de Bayonne, Lescar et Oloron,

Events

1. New weekly Traditional Mass location in Massachusetts

Reverend Father Thien Nguyen, pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, has generously invited Reverend Father David Phillipson to offer the Extraordinary Form Mass (the Traditional Latin Mass) every Sunday at 8am, beginning on June 28th and also on Holy Days according to the Traditional Calendar. Father will hear confessions at 7:30am before Mass, and the Rosary will be prayed aloud at that time. Father will also hold spiritual conferences and traditional devotions, and administer the Sacraments according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite."

For more information, visit the parish website. Immaculate Conception Church is located at 59 Walnut Street in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

2. Feast of the Precious Blood in Virginia

Reverend Father Paul Scalia will be offering a Solemn High Mass on Wednesday, July 1st, 7 pm at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Sterling, Virginia, for the Feast of the Precious Blood. This will be the first Missa Solemnis ever offered at this church. Seminarians from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter will be assisting.

Solemn High Mass

Wed, July 1st 7 pm

Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church

46639 Algonkian Parkway

Potomac Falls, Virginia 20165

www.ourladyofhope.net

Archdiocese of Manila: Only young boys can be altar servers

I have just received a copy of Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales' Without Sunday We Cannot Live: A Pastoral Letter on the Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist. The letter is signed June 14, but is being disseminated only now.

I still have to thoroughly study the pastoral letter (36 pages long), and for now I would like to refrain from commenting on it, except to note that it is totally silent on both the Forma Extraordinaria and the modest "reform of the reform" that Pope Benedict XVI is promoting by his example (no surprise there). However, the letter does have at least one bit of very good news, and it can be found in no. 28. page 17:

Altar Servers

28. From antiquity, the altars (sic) servers have exercised their ministry within the assembly and they have helped to enhance the quality of the celebration by taking part in processions and by ensuring that all the requisites for the celebration are available at the appropriate time. (GIRM, 100)

• It is a proven fact that many ordained ministers developed their vocation to the priesthood because of their membership in this ministry when they were young. We therefore wish to continue the practice of reserving this ministry to young boys, in order to introduce them to the life and ministry of the Church. (Redemptionis Sacramentum)

Female altar servers are becoming more and more common in Philippine parishes, although not yet to the same extent as in the West. It remains to be seen whether this directive from Cardinal Rosales will be strictly implemented in all the parishes of Manila, but it is encouraging to see that, at least, he has decreed this.

The Pontifical Masses of Bishop Rifan in NYC

The blog of the Society of St. Hugh of Cluny now has pictures of Bishop Fernando Areas Rifan's Solemn Pontifical Mass on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus last June 19, in St. Jean Baptiste Catholic Church. This Mass -- previously announced in Rorate and many other websites -- was reputed to be the first Solemn Pontifical Mass in New York City since Alfons Cardinal Stickler's memorable Mass in St. Patrick's Cathedral in 1996.

Bishop Rifan also offered Low Pontifical Mass for the Feast of St. Ephrem the Syrian (June 18, 2009) in Holy Innocents Church in Manhattan.

For priests

[O]ur needs, our limits and weaknesses must lead us anew to the Heart of Jesus. If it is in fact true that sinners, by contemplating Him, must learn from Him the necessary "sorrow of sins" that leads them to the Father, this is even more true for sacred ministers.

How to forget, regarding this, that nothing makes the Church, the Body of Christ, suffer so much as the sins of her shepherds, above all of those who turn into "robbers of sheep" (John 10, 1), either because they misguide them with their private doctrines, or because they suffocate them within snares of sin and of death? Even for us, dear priests, the call to conversion and to recourse to Divine Mercy holds true, and we ought also to present with humility to the Heart of Jesus the request that He may preserve us from the terrible risk of harming those whom we are bound to save.

Benedict XVI

Homily during Vespers - Opening of the Year for Priests

June 19, 2009

Reminder for the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Pope Pius XI, in the encyclical Misserentissimus Redemptor (May 7, 1928), gave the following command:

"...we decree and command that every year on the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, -- which feast indeed on this occasion we have ordered to be raised to the degree of a double of the first class with an octave -- in all churches throughout the whole world, the same expiatory prayer or protestation as it is called, to Our most loving Savior, set forth in the same words according to the copy subjoined to this letter shall be solemnly recited, so that all our faults may be washed away with tears, and reparation may be made for the violated rights of Christ the supreme King and Our most loving Lord."

The Holy See then proposed the following formula for the act of reparation:

You Report: Traditional Latin Mass in the San Francisco Bay Area

(I am reproducing this report from the website of Una Voce San Bernardino with the permission of my friend, Mr. Laurence Gonzaga. CAP)

The Traditional Latin Mass has returned to another parish in the San Francisco Archdiocese!

Trinity Sunday June 7th was the first monthly High Mass offered by Fr. William Young at Mater Dolorosa Church, 307 Willow Ave (& Miller), South San Francisco and was attended by over 200 souls. My boys and I were honored to serve for Father, who has been quietly offering the Traditional Mass for some time now, and also offers the weekly 12:15PM Sunday Mass at St. Vincent’s Home for Boys in San Rafael, north of San Francisco.

As I knelt in the sanctuary of Mater Dolorosa’s plain 1960’s interior, I was humbled by the quiet work of the young Filipino organizers who ensured the return of this “worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty” to their parish for “the praise and glory of His name” and “the benefit of all His Holy Church”. The congregation was ethnically diverse, yet we could pray together in the ancient language of the Church. This genuine and practical unity in the Faith has to be part of what Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI intends. Domine, non sum dignus!

At the present, the monthly Mass at Mater Dolorosa will be 6:30PM on the 1st Sunday of each month. For more information contact: Ando Perlas @ 650-892-5728

Slowly, but surely, the Traditional Mass is returning to San Francisco Bay Area parishes.

Fr. Jerry Brown, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Brentwood (Oakland diocese) offers a weekly 5PM Sunday Mass at his parish.

Fr. Lawrence Goode, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, East Palo Alto continues to offer a weekly Mass 6PM every Friday.

Fr. Jean Marie Moreau, ICKSP offers daily Masses at St. Margaret Mary’s in Oakland and Fr. Pedro Ottonello, O.A.D, longtime and faithful chaplain, continues to offer three Masses a week at Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Santa Clara. Fr. Moreau recently offered Masses at the historic California Missions of Santa Clara and San Jose (Fremont) as well as a Sunday High Mass at Five Wounds Portugese National Church in San Jose.

Our Lord continues to increase His Grace, despite the unworthiness of the people of our time. May we respond with an increase in faith, hope and charity!

Submitted by Doug Zeitz,

Una Voce Palo Alto, CA

150 years ago: an example of papal fortitude

June 18, 1859 -- Bl. Pius IX, beholding the inexorable march across all Italy of the anticlerical forces of the Risorgimento, addressed the Encyclical Qui Nuper to the entire hierarchy of the Catholic Church, in which we find the following, still relevant words:

In the midst of such turmoil We sent you the present letter in order to seek some consolation in Our sorrow. Moreover, on this occasion We also exhort you to make it your concern to do what we read that Moses prescribed once to Aaron, the high priest of the Hebrews (Nm 16): "Take the censor, fill it with fire from the altar, put incense in it and hurry to the people to perform the rite of atonement over them. For wrath has come down from the Lord and the plague has begun." Likewise we exhort you to pour forth prayers as those holy brothers, Moses and Aaron, who "threw themselves face downward on the ground, and cried out, 'O God of the spirits that gives life to every living thing, will you be angry with all the people for the sins of a few?'" (Nm 16).

***

We openly affirm that endowed with virtue from God as the result of the prayers of the faithful, We will suffer any danger and any bitterness before We forsake in any way the apostolic office. Nor will We permit anything against the sanctity of the oath by which We were bound when, however undeservingly, We ascended the supreme seat of the prince of the apostles, the citadel and bulwark of the Catholic faith.

150 years later, the Holy Father once more sees before him the march of the forces of revolution -- not the armed forces of a political potentate marching through Italy, but the more insidious and powerful influences of secularism and heterodoxy engaged in a long march through the institutions of the Church. May Blessed Pius IX intercede for Pope Benedict XVI, that he may find the fortitude to "suffer any danger and any bitterness" rather than fail in his duty. And may the words of this great Pontiff remind us to redouble our prayers and petitions, preferably through the liturgical rites and devotional forms that most concretely embody the spirit of atonement and propitiation.

The true meaning of inculturation

Cyril and Methodius were convinced that the various peoples could not consider that they had fully received Revelation until they had heard it in their own language and read it with the characters proper to their own alphabet.

***

Cyril and Methodius are a classic example of what is today referred to with the term "inculturation": Each people should make the revealed message penetrate into their own culture, and express the salvific truth with their own language. This implies a very exacting work of "translation," as it requires finding adequate terms to propose anew the richness of the revealed Word, without betraying it. The two brother saints have left in this sense a particularly significant testimony that the Church continues looking at today to be inspired and guided.

Benedict XVI

Address for the Wednesday General Audience, June 18, 2009

On Cyril and Methodius

Bring DDT back!

Almost one million dying of malaria each year, mostly in Africa, because of the horrendous consequences of the irresponsible legal or de facto ban of the use of insecticide. DDT was good enough for eradicating malaria in the Mezzogiorno and in the American South - but not in the Congo, Ethiopia, and Uganda?

Rabid Environmentalism is not without its victims.

That is a campaign that the Church could lead, for Africa and Africans (including many African Catholics): bring back DDT or other effective insecticides, and eradicate malaria worldwide.

_________________

LETTER
OF HIS HOLINESS
POPE BENEDICT XVI

PROCLAIMING A YEAR FOR PRIESTS
ON THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DIES NATALIS
OF THE CURÉ OF ARS

__________________

Dear Brother Priests,

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday June 19, 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150^th anniversary of the “dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide. This Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a more forceful and incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world, will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”, the saintly Curé of Ars would often say. This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as “friends of Christ”, whom he has called by name, chosen and sent?

I still treasure the memory of the first parish priest at whose side I exercised my ministry as a young priest: he left me an example of unreserved devotion to his pastoral duties, even to meeting death in the act of bringing viaticum to a gravely ill person. I also recall the countless confreres whom I have met and continue to meet, not least in my pastoral visits to different countries: men generously dedicated to the daily exercise of their priestly ministry. Yet the expression of Saint John Mary also makes us think of Christ’s pierced Heart and the crown of thorns which surrounds it. I am also led to think, therefore, of the countless situations of suffering endured by many priests, either because they themselves share in the manifold human experience of pain or because they encounter misunderstanding from the very persons to whom they minister. How can we not also think of all those priests who are offended in their dignity, obstructed in their mission and persecuted, even at times to offering the supreme testimony of their own blood?

...

[READ WHOLE LETTER HERE]

No More Compromises with Beijing! -- Cardinal Zen

We could say that as the Universal Church became more familiar with the concrete reality, it began to accept the so-called official Church (the Communist Party-controlled "Patriotic Catholic Church" in China - CAP). This resulted in the beginning of a recovery process of the faithful of the official Church, with older bishops presenting themselves to the pope seeking forgiveness and asking to be recognised as bishops. The Holy See had a very open attitude to this: after necessary investigation and with the consensus of the legitimate underground bishop, it recognised many of the bishops, without ever demanding public announcements of their newly bestowed legitimacy of them. At the beginning this would have rendered the process of legitimisation very difficult. The Holy See’s tolerance was, to a certain extent, matched by the tolerance of the government. In fact at a certain point the latter came to know about these events but did not react with hostile acts or the suppression of those bishops who had obtained Rome’s approval.

A second phase was dealt with in the same way, in which young bishops after their election [according to the “democratic” election procedure imposed by the government – ed.] wanted to receive papal approval ahead of their ordination. In this case too the Church was very generous and approved many of them, naturally as long as they were acceptable. And in these cases the government turned a blind eye and did not refuse them for the fact that they had sought Rome’s approval. Therefore there was a period in which there were concessions and compromises so that everything could finally be officially put to rights.

But that never happened: there was no continuity in reflection, we pushed ahead inertly, without necessary meditation and without ever trying to really improve the situation.

Now we have arrived at a point in which it is no longer right or possible to accept further compromise. The moment is mature for a new chapter to begin. The Pope’s Letter to the Catholics of China (2007) must mark this new beginning. In fact the pope spoke very clearly about the principals that must guide this new phase in the life of the Church in China[1]. Unfortunately over the past two years this move towards greater transparency has not taken place. In fact it seems to me that we are worryingly sliding down the slope of compromise. The most disturbing episode, which goes against everything indicated by the pope, is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first illegitimate consecrations in 1958. This really worries me: it appears almost impossible to stop the shape events are taking. I truly am frightened by the prospect of the possible Assembly of the Catholic in China. Should that meeting, as I fear it will, succeed in securing the participation of many bishops and priests, it would mean the end. I repeat: it would mean the complete waste of all the efforts made in the previous years and it would be an insult to the Holy Father. Yes, it would be a slap in the face, because it would mean completely ignoring his Letter.

Joseph Cardinal Zen SDB

Excerpt from AsiaNews interview with Cardinal Zen, published last June 16: "Card. Zen: It is time to put into effect the Pope's Letter to China’s Catholics, whatever the cost"

Picture: Cardinal Zen during his Pontifical Mass according to the 1962 Missal last Easter Sunday

Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in St. Mary Major

Mar Ignatius Joseph III

His Beatitude Mar Ignatius Joseph III, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch, is on his first official visit to Rome and will celebrate a Patriarchal Divine Liturgy in the Syro-Antiochene (or West Syriac) Rite tomorrow, June 18, 2009, at the Papal Basilica of St. Mary Major.

Source: ByzCath and the Vatican Bolletino