SSPX Bp. Fellay on Pope Francis: "He has read the biography of Abp. Lefebvre twice - and he liked it."And some other important revelations

In a visit to the French city of Fabregues on May 11 (the day following this post), the Superior-General of the Society of Saint Pius X, Bp. Bernard Fellay, spoke at length about various matters of relevance to his congregation. The most important part was that related to the personality of Pope Francis:

With the current pope, as he is a practical man, he looks at people. What a person thinks, what he believes, is at the end a matter of indifference to him. What matters is that this person be sympathetic in his view, that he seems correct to him, one may say it like this.

And therefore he read twice Bp. Tissier de Mallerais' book on Abp. Lefebvre, and this book pleased him; he is against all that we represent, but, as a life, it pleased him. When, as a Cardinal, he was in South America, the District Superior [Fr. Christian Bouchacourt] came to ask him for an administrative favor with no relation to the Church; a visa problem, of permanent residency. The Argentine government, which is very leftwing, makes use of the concordat that was established to protect the Church to bother us quite seriously, and tells us, "you say you are Catholic, it is thus necessary for you to have the signature of the bishop in order to reside in the country." The District Superior therefore went to him to present the problem: there was an easy solution, and that would be to declare ourselves an independent church [before Civil Law], but we did not want to do it because we are Catholic. And the Cardinal told us, "no, no, you are Catholic, that is evident; I will help you;" he wrote a letter in our favor to the government, that is so leftwing that they managed to find an opposing letter by the nuncio. Therefore, a 0-0 tie. Now he is the pope, and our lawyer had the opportunity of having a meeting with the Pope. He told him that the problem was still going on with the Society, and asked him to please designate a bishop in Argentina with whom we could sort out this problem. The Pope told him, "Yes, and this bishop is myself, I promised to help, and I will do it."

I am still waiting for it, but anyway he said it, just as he said that, "those people there, they think I will excommunicate them, but they are mistaken;" he said something else that was very interesting: "I will not condemn them, and I will not stop anyone from visiting them [lit. 'd'aller chez eux'.]" Once again, I will wait to see. 

[Source: French District of the SSPX]

New oratory community in San Francisco

Oratories, societies and priestly fraternities come and go, depending on the whim of the local bishop.  There are several examples, particularly in the U.S. and Canada, of priests in such organizations that have been restricted, persecuted or even thrown out of dioceses when too many young adults flocked to communities that favored traditional Latin Masses.

His Excellency Salvatore Joseph Cordileone, archbishop of San Francisco, California, on the other hand, has been one of the most friendly archbishops in the world toward traditional and traditional-leaning Catholics. He has celebrated numerous pontifical High Masses and even travels for FSSP ordinations.

One year ago we posted a report that Archbishop Cordileone personally requested a parish in San Francisco offer the traditional Latin Mass on a regular basis. This was a huge accomplishment considering just a few years back, under much different leadership, there was a lone, brave priest in that archdiocese -- the Rev. Fr. William Young -- offering a catacomb-like TLM, and he was rewarded by former archdiocesan officials with residence at the notorious Most Holy Redeemer parish until becoming seriously ill.

The parish that offers the regular TLM established by Archbishop Cordileone will now be the home of the latest community-in-formation of the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri.

A CALL TO PRAYER on behalf of the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate

Regardless of your opinion on specific Church matters, please spread as widely as possible this appeal to prayer for justice and peace regarding the recently initiated visitation (with intervention tones) of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate decided by the Congregation for Religious.

We join Italian website Corsia dei Servi in this appeal, and ask all to join in prayer to the Lord and His Virgin Mother.

She's paying attention - and He's listening to Her

APPEAL

After hearing the news about the appointment of a visitator to the Institute of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, we are more than ever convinced that these days being Catholic is a problem for some Vatican authorities. We have decided (at least for the time being) to suspend any comment or publication whatever related to this incredible and disconcerting affair: let this be a time of prayer and staying spiritually close to the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate. 

 For this reason, we are launching a Rosary Crusade appeal, requesting the help of everyone who intends to support the Fathers, Brothers and Sisters who are being hit and persecuted so unjustly, through the recitation of at least a decade of the Rosary every day, dedicated to the Franciscans of the Immaculate.

Editorial Staff

Corsia dei Servi

Pope tries to clarify what Kasper's Doctrine on Marriage means for the Synod

On the plane back from the Holy Land, the Pope answered some questions, including this most important attempt at clarification of the most controversial ongoing topic of the upcoming Synod of Bishops:

- [Reporter:] You are a political and spiritual leader, who opens up many expectations with initiatives such as the meeting with the leaders of Israel and Palestine. Also in the Church there are many hopes of change, as it occurs with the situation of the divorced. Does it not seem to you that you are putting too much meat in the oven? Do you not think that you have opened up too many fronts and too many expectations?

- [Francis:] This meeting in the Vatican will be a prayer meeting. It will not be to establish mediation or to search for a solution. It will be prayer, and then they come back home. But I do believe prayer is important. Praying together, without starting discussions... It will be a prayer meeting. There will be a rabbi, a Muslim, and myself. I asked the Custodian of the Holy Land to arrange the practical things.

I thank you for your question on the divorced. The [October 2014] Synod will be on the family, its problems, about the richness of family, the current situation of the family. The preliminary presentation that cardinal Kasper made had five chapters. Four on the beautiful things of the family from a theological perspective, family problems, the pastoral problem of separations, matrimonial nullity, divorced and the problem of communion... It did not please me that so many people, including in the Church, priests, etc, spoke of communion for the divorced as if it were all reduced to casuistry. We know that there is a crisis of the family. Young people do not want to get married, or do not get married, live together... I do not wish that we got into casuistry: what can be done or cannot be done... That is why I am so thankful for this question, because it gives me the opportunity to clarify. The pastoral problem of the family is very, very wide, and should not be plucked case by case. That which Pope Benedict said three timesv - once in the South Tyrol, another time in Milan, and another in a consistory - is that the procedures of matrimonial nullity have to be examined. To study the faith with which a person enters matrimony, and clarify that divorcees are not strange. Oftentimes they are treated as if they were. I am certain that it was the Spirit of the Lord who guided us to choose this theme for the Synod. The family needs much pastoral help.

[Source: Spanish daily La Razón, text in Spanish. Ellipses in original text, merely indicating oral tone.]

Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society: Eighty-second posting of Souls

 

Below, please find the eighty-second posting of enrolled Souls of the Rorate Caeli Purgatorial Society. It's another large list this month with over 1,000 Souls. We have also added yet another priest in the services of the Souls enrolled in the Society and are now up to 40 priests.

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."

 

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. And please follow this formatting strictly. 

Please consider forwarding this Society to your family and friends, announcing from the pulpit during Holy Mass or listing in your church bulletin. We need to spread the word and relieve more suffering souls.

Please pray for the enrolled Souls and the 40 holy priests saying Traditional Masses for the Society:

Event - Rome, October 2014, Two Pontifical Masses in two days: Cardinal Pell, Prefect of the Secretariat for Economy to celebrate Pontifical Mass as part of Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage

The International Juventutem Federation is pleased to announce that His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, Prefect of the Secretariat for Economy, has kindly accepted our invitation to be the Celebrant at a Pontifical Solemn High Mass according to the Missal of St John XXIII on Friday 24 October 2014, 6:30pm, at Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, Parish Church of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in Rome, Italy. The Holy Sacrifice will be offered in thanksgiving for the tenth anniversary of Juventutem, the worldwide youth movement fostering the sanctification of the young through the Roman traditions of Holy Mother Church. We are grateful to His Eminence who generously presided at Solemn Pontifical Vespers organised by Juventutem during World Youth Days in the past, first in Düsseldorf on 17 August 2005, and again in Sydney on 16 July 2008.

After Vespers in Düsseldorf, Cardinal Pell gave the following encouragements to the young WYD pilgrims of Juventutem: "I am happy to be here because the old Latin rite is one of the most beautiful things in the entire Western civilization. And I am very glad that this ancient rite has its place in the Church today. I am happy because this rite helps you to love God and to love one another. In this ancient rite we always see that our prayer is an act of worship. It is impossible to see a celebration like these Vespers as something horizontal. We have one Church only, whose Head is the Successor of Peter, with the Bishops as successors of the Apostles, and this unity is very important for the life of the Church” (translated from the original French).

Members and supporters of Juventutem are cordially invited to make arrangements to be in Rome and attend the Mass, which will be preceded by other Juventutem activities (full schedule to be advertised soon). All pilgrims in Rome are naturally invited as well, regardless of their involvement with Juventutem. The event will be part of the Populus Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage 2014. The following day, on Saturday 25 October, His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, will celebrate a Solemn Pontifical High Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite in Saint Peter’s Basilica, at 12:00 noon.

[Source: International Juventutem Federation, May 27, 2014]

The Intervention on the Franciscans of the Immaculate "reflects very badly on this Papacy"

A great short comment by Father Ray Blake, following a fortuitous encounter with some Sisters of the Immaculate after a mass celebrated at Ramsgate:

...without getting into ad hominem arguments I tend to have sympathy with a comment made by friend.

There really is nothing here to justify the drastic action taken. Since it would appear that the overwhelming number of friars supported the direction the institute was taking, surely it was for the five to ask to be transferred to an institute more to their taste; there is no lack of non-traddy Franciscan congregations, most of whom are desperate for vocations. In fact, this response confirms my view that the action taken by Aviz, Volpi and others is disproportionate, scandalous and downright cruel. His entire defence is simply a more elaborate way of saying that the Friars were getting too traditional for his taste.

It is the disproportionate nature of the Holy See's response that is scandalous. It reflects very badly on this Papacy.

Father Blake and his friend are, of course, both quite right. A minority within the Institute resented their superiors, and they are 100% responsible for all that has happened - curiously enough, while the majority of the institute, including their founder, have been placed under strict silence or worse, the members of the minority are quite free to write, speak, travel, and even blog... Quite interesting, is it not?...  One would tend to think that this was not the Congregation they had joined, but that was not at all the case. The Franciscans of the Immaculate had always been traditional in their intimate thinking, while mostly dedicated to the Paul VI liturgy; after 2005, they were also clearly moved by the call to action promoted by Pope Benedict XVI himself and his vision of "hermeneutic of continuity", in liturgy and in theology. 

It truly does reflect badly on this Papacy, as if an atomic weapon had been used to settle a discussion initiated by a couple of rebellious children against their parents and the rest of the family. The foxes have been let loose to devastate the hortus conclusus: may God have mercy on those who have caused this.

You Report: Traditional Masses - two "Firsts"

1. A High Mass in Birmingham Cathedral for the first time in several decades.

[Source. Tip: M. Doyle]

2. Traditional Masses in Split (Spalato), Croatia, for the first time in several decades: a local reader reports that, "three Traditional Latin Masses were celebrated in Split, Croatia on May 21, 24, and 25 in th Church of Saint Philip Neri. The Masses were celebrated by Father Matthew Bartulica from Kansas City. Around 200 people gathered in these three days to experience the Latin Mass, many for the first time." 

[More images here.]

Tradition must also learn how to show a Kind and Gentle Face

You are wandering through a city filled with historical landmarks. You enter a beautiful church that you had never seen before. As you admire the interior, the priest sees you kneeling, and comes to invite you to a little gathering they are having in an adjoining hall.

"But Father," you say, "I'm just someone passing by, I don't want to bother you." "No," he says, "you must come! Must I force you?"

The gathering is quite nice, sandwiches and beignets done by women of the community, in honor of a group of people who help in the church. Father makes sure you eat something. He also gives you a booklet on the building. "It's a gift, take it."

You tell him, "Father, I'd never received this kind of welcome in a church before." "Good," he says, "now we have a new friend."

This old Franciscan friar had just celebrated a Paul VI mass, just before you entered the church. "Why," you think to yourself, "have I never seen anything even resembling this level of welcoming of a complete and utter stranger in a traditional community, even after visiting so many around the world? Why does it seem, at least in my experience, that we can't make the effort to be kinder, gentler, and more welcoming?" Now, one may be well aware that this kind of experience is very rare in Paul VI settings as well, but that is not the point. The point is that those who try to excel in the liturgical worship of God and in the dispensation of traditional doctrine must also try to excel in the charitable welcoming of all.

Thank you, Mother Help of Christians, for this wonderful experience. Please, Mother Most Holy, teach kindness, gentleness, and true mercy to your children in this vale of tears. Each one can begin this small yet significant job in our own communities, with the help of the Lord and the Gentle Lady.

Solemn High Mass at Sts. Peter & Paul Cathedral Basilica in Philadelphia

From the Latin Liturgy Association:

"On June 15th, 2014, Trinity Sunday, Rev. Fr. Joseph Heffernan, FSSP, will celebrate a Solemn Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul, at 18th and the Ben Franklin Parkway. The Mass will begin at 2:00 PM. Father Heffernan is from Philadelphia and was a parishioner at Mater Ecclesiae, of Berlin, NJ."

[h/t reader]

Fisher More College awaiting answer from Ecclesia Dei After having TLM suppressed by Bishop Olson, school expects answer soon

Rorate has obtained a first look at a statement to be released tomorrow by Fisher More College. In the statement below, the school -- for the first time -- confirms publicly what Rorate has known: that it has rightly appealed to Ecclesia Dei and expects an answer soon.

Back in March, Rorate broke the exclusive story that the Most Rev. Michael Olson, the newly-ordained bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese, had suppressed the Traditional Latin Mass at the college, writing to the president it was for the good of "your own soul" (read the whole story here).

Maybe most disturbing is that Bishop Olson not only took this unjust action, but has remained silent on the matter since, refusing to even meet with some of the students of whom he has banned their God-given patrimony.

Bishop Olson has also ignored a list of questions Rorate asked of him in writing, giving him every opportunity to use our blog to explain his actions to those scandalized by this matter. We still welcome His Excellency to respond to our questions and will run them in full without editorial comment.

Let us pray Ecclesia Dei steps up and stomps out this complete and unjust overreach. The statement from Fisher More College follows:

The business operations and programs of the College proceed as usual into normal summer mode. An announcement regarding fall courses and enrollment will be made as soon as it is possible. The College has petitioned the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei for hierarchical recourse against the decision of Bishop Michael Olson prohibiting Mass in the forma extraordinaria of the Roman Rite at the College chapel. Based on our understanding of canonical procedure, the Commission can be expected to rule on this matter by mid-July. At this time, the College intends to withhold making any decisions regarding its campus and residential program until it receives a ruling from the Commission.

The Fisher More Academy online program is healthy and operates with business-as-usual in preparation for next school year. The Academy continues to add exceptional teachers and staff from across the country, has been accepting enrollment for grades 4 thru 12 since the beginning of April, and looks forward to another year of providing an education program to Catholic families that is traditional, formative, excellent, and affordable.

For the record: Cardinal Schonborn's congratulations to "Conchita Wurst"Is cross-dressing now an example of the "diversity" of "God's garden"?

It was widely reported in German-language media, and noted on a handful of English-language blogs, that Cardinal Schonborn of Vienna had offered his congratulations last week to Thomas Neuwirth, a.k.a "Conchita Wurst", for the bearded transvestite's "victory" at the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this month. 

Now, thanks to a friend of Rorate, "EP", we have a full translation of the Cardinal's remarks as published on his official Facebook page (see here), remarks that were echoed on the website of the Austrian daily, "Heute". The emphases are Rorate's.

It is said on the first page of the Bible: “And God created man to his own image…male and female he created them.” How wonderful, this idea of God’s. What a dull and dreary place the world would be if it were populated by one sex exclusively. The mutual attraction between man and woman is what makes life interesting. The complementarity of the sexes is something both precious and wonderful. None of us would be here today if a man and a woman had not conceived us in what was, hopefully, an act of true love, giving us the gift of life.

Yet, as we all know, God’s garden is full of diversity. Not everyone who was born a man identifies as such; the same goes for many women. As human beings, they deserve the same respect that we all have a right to. I am happy for Thomas Neuwirth who has been acclaimed for his recent performance as Conchita Wurst. It is my sincere hope that success does not go to his head and I pray for God’s blessing in his life.

Is this a triumph of tolerance? The recent kidnapping and forced conversion of 276 Christian girls by the Islamist Boko Haram is a shocking example of intolerance. Another such example is the death penalty threatening homosexuals is various countries. I find the advertisement for the upcoming “Life Ball” to be much less of a threat by comparison, though still questionable. Yes, our world is in need of true tolerance, i.e. the respect for others, even when we do not see eye to eye.   

The Life Balll advertisement can be viewed elsewherenon the web (Warning: the image may be disturbing for many of our readers, and we cannot link to it.) "Life Ball" is billed as "one of the biggest AIDS charity events in the world" but has its roots in Vienna's "gay" scene; according to the event's website, this year's Life Ball is "dedicated to the topic 'The Garden of Earthly Delights'. Lust as something that links people is displayed in all its diversity and brought to life in highly imaginative garden settings, worlds of insects and flowery sceneries." Predictably, Mr. Neuwirth will be performing there as "Conchita Wurst". 

Three 1sts for one U.S. diocese this year

We have written several times about the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, as it is a fascinating example of post-Summorum Pontificum accomplishments led by young, traditional-leaning priests.  Founded in 1974, the traditional Latin Mass was "prohibited" in the diocese until 2006. In April 2006 one TLM was permitted and in August 2006 a second Mass was authorized by the bishop.  The announcement was coupled with permission for female altar boys to serve at novus ordo liturgies.

After Summorum Pontificum in 2007 removed local bishops from the TLM decision-making process, several priests immediately scheduled traditional Latin Masses in the diocese, including one on the day the motu proprio became effective. Today the Diocese of Arlington has 14 locations (13 parishes and the chapel of Christendom College) where the traditional Latin Mass is offered, a relatively staggering number considering the diocese has only 68 parishes. A diocese where the TLM was banned until eight years ago now features a regularly scheduled TLM in one out of every five parishes.  Eight of those parishes offer the TLM every Sunday, with a ninth soon on the way.

The bishop of the diocese, His Excellency Paul Loverde, has granted permission for a traditional ordination, scheduled for Saturday, 14 June, at 9 a.m. at Saint John the Apostle church in Leesburg, Va. The two Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter deacons to be ordained priests are the Rev. Mr. Daniel Heenan, FSSP, and the Rev. Mr. Zachary Akers, FSSP -- 2005 graduates of Christendom College in the diocese.

The ordination is open (no tickets necessary) to the public, with light refreshments to follow in the church hall.  It will be two weeks after seven other FSSP deacons will be ordained in Omaha, Nebraska.  The Most Reverend James Conley, bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, will ordain Deacons Heenan and Akers and celebrate a pontifical High Mass from the faldstool.  Bishop Loverde will be in choro -- the first time a bishop of Arlington has ever attended a traditional Latin Mass in the diocese. (Readers may recall Bishop Loverde, who turns 75 next year, attended one TLM outside of his diocese two years ago for the wedding of a former employee.)

The ordination Mass will be the red-vestment Pentecost Ember Saturday Mass, in full, with its many lessons before the Epistle.  The assistant priest will be the Very Rev. Fr. Josef Bisig, FSSP, the rector of the Fraternity's North American seminary; the deacon will be the Rev. Fr. Matthew McNeely, FSSP; and the subdeacon will be the Rev. Fr. Paul Scalia, the bishop's delegate for clergy in the Diocese of Arlington.  The assistant priest for Father Heenan will be the Rev. Fr. Rhone Lillard, FSSP; and the assistant priest for Father Akers will be the Rev. Fr. John Brancich, FSSP.
 

First the friars, and now the sistersFranciscan Sisters of the Immaculate placed under visitation

Corrispondenza Romana reports that the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, also founded by Fr. Stefano Manelli FI, has been placed under visitation by Cardinal Braz de Aviz. The visitation was announced on May 19 with immediate effect.

There's another report in English, here.

Perhaps our readers remember that in December of last year, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate had issued an official statement courageously attacking Fr. Volpi's accusations against them as totally unfounded: a statement that has been all but ignored in the rush of certain sectors to justify every step and every measure taken against the Franciscans of the Immaculate. 

This tragic news comes on the heels of Rorate's reporting last week that a large number of Friars are seeking to be released from their pontifical vows (see here).

***

UPDATE. The following is a translation of the original Corrispondenza Romana report. Many thanks to a reader of Rorate, Seamus O'Halloran.


Salus animarum suprema lex?
by Roberto de Mattei. 

There can be no further doubts for anyone who still had any. There exists a plan for the systematic destruction of the Franciscans of the Immaculate and Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, the two Religious Institutes founded by Fr. Stefano Maria Manelli currently caught up in the storm.

On Monday 19 May 2014 João Cardinal Braz de Aviz, Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life, informed the Superior General of the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate that he was to appoint, with immediate effect, a “Visitor” for the Institute with utmost powers which would make her a sort of “Commissar.” At the Generalate in Frattocchie near Rome, Sister Fernanda Barbiero of the Institute of the Sisters of St. Dorothy, a “grown-up” and “up-to-date” nun with moderately feminist tendencies and a follower (although somewhat later than all his other followers) of Jacques Maritain, has already been installed.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate are a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right distinguished by its very young average age, high number of locations, and especially the strictness of their charism in accordance with the Rule of St. Francis. Many of them are living an intense missionary apostolate in Africa, Brazil, and the Philippines, and others are living the contemplative life in a spirit of asceticism and prayer. The Sisters, drawing inspiration from St. Maximilian Kolbe, run publishing houses, radio stations, and print many popular magazines. This great apostolate, together with their love for Tradition, is certainly one of the reasons for the hatred many feel towards the Sisters and towards their Confreres (the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate).

On 11 July 2013, Cardinal Braz de Aviz entrusted running of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate to an “Apostolic Commissar” who, in less than one year, has shattered the Order and forced some of the best Friars to ask for dispensation from their vows and to leave an Institute which now looks like a bomb site, and they have tried to live their vocation to the Priesthood elsewhere.

The situation for the Sisters is now even more serious. The pretext for the “visitation” and “commissioning” of the Friars was the presence of a tiny but highly aggressive group of “dissidents,” encouraged and fired up from the outside. There have been no dissidents among the Sisters, who have been living in a spirit of perfect Christian charity. Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate are to be suppressed, mainly because they are so close to Tradition and are thus in conflict with the general procedure in other Institutes of Consecrated Life. I use the word “close” very guardedly, because these two Franciscan Congregations were born and live completely away from the “traditionalist” environment.

In the light of all the theological and pastoral disasters which came in the wake of Vatican II, they have shown their love for that orthodoxy which is in complete contrast with the prevailing doctrinal and liturgical creativity in today’s Church. The Congregation for Religious considers this “traditional” thinking with the church incompatible with any Vatican-II equivalent.

The Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life clearly committed an abuse of power when it forbade the Franciscans of the Immaculate from saying Mass according to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. And the Friars themselves committed another error by accepting that anyone could stop them saying the Tridentine Mass. They gave two reasons for accepting the ban: obedience and bi-ritualism. But the underlying problem cannot be brought down to mono-ritualism or bi-ritualism.

The fact remains that the traditional Mass was never abrogated and cannot be abrogated, and all priests are entitled to say it. This was set out by Benedict XVI in his Motu proprio Summorum Pontificum on 7 July 2007, where His Holiness gave every Priest the right to “celebrate the Sacrifice of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman Missal, which was promulgated by Blessed John XXIII in 1962 and never abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Church’s Liturgy.” This is the universal law of the Church, and merely confirms St Pius V’s Bull Quo primum (1570). No Priest has ever been punished for saying the traditional Mass, nor indeed could he be.

Layfolk and religious sisters cannot be forced to forgo a Rite which has been canonised by almost two thousand years of use by the Church.

Obedience is a virtue, probably the highest of all, about the problem in today’s Church is how this obedience is to be practised and who is to be obeyed. When obedience to instituted authority does not affect our spiritual life, but rather jeopardises it and puts our eternal salvation in danger, it must be rejected with all our energy; “we ought to obey God, rather than men” (Acts 5, 29).

Perhaps Cardinal Braz de Aviz wants to push the Sisters en masse into the Society of St. Pius X, and thus show that there is no room for “schismatic” traditionalists in the “post-conciliar” Church. If His Eminence did so, he would be showing two things: firstly, that many Bishops – and indeed Bishops’ Conferences – are now much more separated from the Church in matters of Faith than the Society of St. Pius X is from the Authorities; and secondly, that Canon Law allows Sisters and Friars to be released from their vows and to reorganise as a private association of faithful, thus living their vocation away from any arbitrary imposition (Canons 298-311).

Does his Congregation really want to deny 400 Sisters any dispensation from their vows? It would be a brutal violation of that very freedom of conscience which everyone talks about nowadays, usually in the wrong way. The traditional teaching of the Church considers freedom of conscience to be an inviolable right, because nobody can be forced to choose something, but the same cannot be true for the public sphere: only the truth, not error, has any rights. Fanatics of Vatican II talk about religious liberty in the public sphere, and hand out rights to all sorts of cults and sects, but they do not do so where it really matters, and judge intentions and think they can see into people’s consciences.

How dare they think they can force Friars and Sisters to remain in an Institute where they no longer feel at home because its very identity has been destroyed? The idea that salus animarum suprema lex is the underlying principle of Canon Law itself, and indeed of spiritual growth for any baptised Catholic. Its rule must be the salvation of our soul.

If someone in a situation like this wanted to follow their conscience and fight back against injustice, what do you think would happen to them? Dialogue? Open discussion? Mercy? A big stick, more like. Are expulsions, censures, suspensions a divinis, excommunications and interdictions only reserved now for those who are faithful to proper Catholic teaching?

One final question is still awaiting an answer. Is the big stick used by Cardinal Braz de Aviz in open contradiction with the mercy preached by Pope Francis? Or is it merely one means for expressing it?

(Roberto de Mattei)

Cardinal Lacroix to celebrate Confirmations in the Traditional Rite for Quebec parish

 Cardinal  Lacroix during the pastoral visit on March 9                                                             Photo: Jacinthe Soulard

His Eminence Cardinal Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite at St. Zéphirin, a parish of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) in Quebec on Saturday, May 31 at 5:00 pm. It will be the first time since the introduction of the Pauline reform during Advent of 1969 that an archbishop of Quebec will administer this sacrament in the traditional rite.

His Eminence made ​​a pastoral visit to the parish on March 9. He attended Mass celebrated by Fr Gouy, FSSP assisted by Frs. Deprey, FSSP (Ottawa) and Huang, FSSP (Montreal) who served as deacon and sub-deacon respectively and he gave a sermon. The Mass was followed by a reception then a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament by the Cardinal. Pictures of the pastoral visit are available on the website of the parish.

[Source: Notions Romaines, May 19, 2014]

Jesuit General to resign in 2016 due to advanced age.And the Society of Jesus? Still aging, and still shrinking.

Today's announcement by the Jesuit Curia that the General of their Order, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas SJ, will be resigning in late 2016 due to "advanced age" naturally raises the question: how are the Jesuits doing? How many Jesuits are there, after 49 years of aggiornamento and of the post-Conciliar "springtime"?

As of January 1, 2014, according to a report published on March 25 in Populi (citing statistics published on that same day by the Society of Jesus), there were 16,986 Jesuits worldwide: 12,107 priests, 1,331 lay brothers, 2,842 scholastics and 706 novices: a decrease of 268 members over the previous year. The report itself is deceptively titled "Gesuiti, aumentano le vocazioni" -- "Jesuits, an increase of vocations" -- due to there being 706 Jesuit novices as of Jan. 1, 2014 as compared to 699 in 2012. (The source for the figure of 699 novices is not given.)

Unfortunately even that little statistic does not seem to be accurate, insofar as pre-2014 figures are concerned. A complete set of statistics from 1974 to 2013 on the website of the Jesuit Curia, published on April 10, 2013 gives a slightly different picture: As of Jan. 1, 2013, there were a total of 17,287 Jesuits: 12,298 priests, 1,400 lay brothers, 2,878 scholastics and 711 novices. 

If the Populi statistics for Jan. 1, 2014 are accurate, then the real decrease of Jesuits since Jan. 1, 2013 has been by 301 members (and not 268), and there has been a decrease of 5 novices rather than an increase of 7 novices. Priests, lay brothers, and scholastics also saw a diminution of their numbers

And how many Jesuits were there in 1966? There were 36,038, of whom 20,301 were priests. (Source.) 

Pope names former adversary in Argentine episcopate to head office that does not yet exist

From the Monday bollettino:

Vatican City, 19 May 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has - appointed Metropolitan Archbishop Jose Luis Mollaghan of Rosario, Argentina as member of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, with responsibility for the Commission for the examination of appeals by clergy accused of “delicta graviora”, to be established.

Sandro Magister quite understandably interprets this as a removal - from Archbishop of a large diocese of over 2 million faithful to head of a (non-cardinalatial) office within the CDF that does not even exist yet. The 68-year-old Mollaghan was one of those named by Pope Benedict XVI against the line espoused by the Bergoglio side of the Conference - and actually from outside the "terna" prepared in Argentina.

Rorate reported this at the time, when, during the first half of his pontificate, Benedict XVI appeared strongest (2006):

Pope picking bishops from outside the lists

The general system for the appointment of bishops in the past 40 years has included some negotiations between the local episcopal conference and the local nuncio -- who then sends a list of three names to the Pope, through the Congregation for Bishops.

The Italian press reports today some very interesting news. In his recent audience with the Pope, Cardinal Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires (and, according to some reports, runner-up in the last conclave) mentioned the fact that two of the most prominent recent episcopal nominations in Argentina, the Archbishops of Rosario and Resistencia, were men whose names had not been included in the lists sent by the nuncio. It is not completely clear if he complained to the pope about the practice, but it seems so, since the report mentions the "concern of the Argentinian episcopate"

It is excellent news that the Pope has chosen to eventually choose names from outside the usual "progressive" careerists handpicked by the local nuncios and conferences of bishops.

And most importantly:

Pope picking bishops from outside the lists - II

The largest Argentinian newspaper, Clarín, has several interesting news on the crisis between the Holy See and the "ultra-progressive" Argentinian Conference of Bishops on the nomination, by the Holy Father, of so-called "conservative" bishops to the Archdioceses of Rosario and Resistencia, whose names had not been included in the ternas (the lists of three names sent by the local nuncio, in agreement with the local episcopal conference, to the Pope through the Congregation for Bishops) .

Some excerpts of the three articles published today show the amazing insolence of the local bishops. Fortunately, the Holy Father has shown even greater determination in this showdown with the Argentinian Episcopate by naming another "conservative" bishop to the Diocese of Zárate-Campana, while Cardinal Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires and President of the Episcopal Conference, is in Rome to voice these pathetic "concerns" of his colleagues.

From the first article:

"The most serious case is that of conservative bishop José Luiz Mollaghan, named new archbishop of Rosario, of the most important sees of Argentina. Most Argentinian bishops had preferred bishop Agustín Radrizzani, who had also been elected vice-president of the Argentinian episcopal conference, in a clear sign to Rome."

"The other case is that of bishop Fabriciano Sigampa, new bishop of Resistencia, also seen as 'very conservative'."

From the second article:

"The last nominations of bishops in the Argentinian Church have not reflected the majoritarian preferences of the Argentinian episcopate. ... Finally, the bishopric of Santiago del Estero is also vacant, since its titular bishop, Juan Carlos Maccarone, resigned in August, after being involved in a sex scandal. It is said that the only recent nomination which has reflected the wishes of the leadership of the episcopate was that of Jorge Lozano -- up to December an immediate collaborator of Cardinal Bergoglio -- to Gualeuguaychú. Even so, his nomination was not the product of a rapid process, but [of a] labor-intensive one."

Do you all remember who Maccarone was? He was the bishop who was forced to resign last August [Aug. 2005] because of a video portraying his sexual acts with a young man -- a resignation which the pope immediately accepted (of course), as he was on his way to the World Youth Day in Germany. And the Argentinian bishops want the Pope to accept their choices?

The third article explains that the conference of bishops wishes to minimize the clear battle between the Roman Curia and the national episcopate. Well, too late for that, now.

(Just to clarify the information published in the Italian press, as reported here, the Argentinian articles make clear that the Pope has actually not granted the audience requested by Cardinal Bergoglio to voice his concerns -- at least not until now.)

Well, things have certainly changed. But maybe it is just a fortunate coincidence, and the Pope really wanted to charge Mollaghan with judging the delicate delicta graviora, which are truly at the heart of the crisis of credibility faced by the Church since the late 20th century, in the office that still does not really exist. Of the conservative bishops named against the wishes of then-Cardinal Bergoglio, Magister recalls that Sigampa is already retired, Mollaghan is now named to this non-cardinalatial subordinate post, and the only one remaining is the now completely isolated archbishop of La Plata, Héctor Aguer.

You suggest: creation versus evolution, a debate

From a reader:

The Kolbe Center for the Study of Creation with the assistance of friends at the University of Kentucky has scheduled a debate on theistic evolution with a retired biology professor and a priest of the Lexington Diocese. The debate will take place in the hall of the Catholic cathedral in the Lexington Diocese from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, 2014. The event is open to the public.

The Kolbe center proposition is the following:

Be it resolved that the traditional Catholic doctrine of special creation -- the creation of all things by God's fiat at the beginning -- is a better explanation of all the facts of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, Magisterial teaching, and natural science than theistic evolution. 

The opponents will argue against this proposition.

Click here for details.

Event: Bishop Athanasius Schneider to confer ordinations on LiveMass.net

The good folks at LiveMass.net have sent us a sneak peek at a promotional video they will start running soon announcing the ordination of seven FSSP candidates to the priesthood to be conferred by His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider.

Please check out the video below, plan to watch the ordinations live on LiveMass.net and pray for these seven fine young soldiers of Christ that they may remain always attached to Our Lord, Our Lady, the Church and Tradition.

Centennial of Dom Delatte's Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict I - Saint Benedict was above all a man of Tradition

Solesmes Abbey, France

Dom Paul Delatte, a diocesan priest who, later in life, joined St. Peter's Abbey, in Solesmes (historically, on the border between the Maine and the Anjou, now at Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France), and, not long after his perpetual vows, was elected third Abbot of Solesmes in 1890, wrote many of the fundamental works on Benedictine life in the modern age. He suffered greatly in his years as successor to Dom Guéranger, certainly due to the intense persecution unleashed by the government of the Third French Republic, that forced the religious of France from outside their own houses (the monks of Solesmes had lived in various houses in the city outside their abbey since 1880) and finally into exile for not adapting to atrocious anticlerical association rules established in 1901.

But, and this is less well-known, Dom Delatte suffered even more from the intense internal persecution by some of his monks, who again and again denounced him (and also his great friend Mother Cécile Bruyère, first Abbess of St. Cecilia's, Solesmes) to the Apostolic See, causing him all kinds of trials, until his request for resignation (not his first) was finally accepted by the Holy See in 1921. Much of this is detailed in the French edition of a selection of his letters, "Lettres", published by Solesmes

Among his many great writings, probably none is as influential as his Commentary to the Rule of Saint Benedict, first published 100 years ago, in September 1913. The full text is available in its French text here, and in English here (translated by Dom Justin McCann, of Ampleforth Abbey). Various reasons prevented us from celebrating its publication in the exact centennial date, but since we are still in its centennial year, we are quite happy to post excerpts of the English translation for the edification of our readers. If you wish to help the work of Our Lady of Clear Creek Abbey, you may also buy a print version from their website here.

INTRODUCTION

"THE man of God, Benedict, among the many wonderful works that made him famous in this world, was also conspicuous for his teaching: for he wrote a Rule for monks, remarkable for discretion and rich in instruction. If anyone desires to know more deeply the life and character of the man, he may find in the ordinances of that Rule the exact image of his whole government: for the holy man cannot possibly have taught otherwise than as he lived." To this judgement of St. Gregory the Great, so complete for all its grace of form and sobriety of language, we may yet add two observations: first that the moral beauty of St. Benedict, his temperament and almost his characteristics, are reflected also in the pages, at once candid and profound, of his biographer; secondly, that the Rule itself came, in the middle of the sixth century, as the ripe fruit of a considerable monastic past and of the spiritual teaching of the Fathers.

St. Benedict was above all else a man of tradition. He was not the enthusiastic creator of an entirely new form of the religious life: neither nature nor grace disposed him to such a course. As may be seen from the last chapter of his Rule, he cared nothing for a reputation of originality, or for the glory of being a pioneer. He did not write till late, till he was on the threshold of eternity, after study and perhaps after experience of the principal monastic codes. Nearly every sentence reveals almost a fixed determination to base his ideas on those of the ancients, or at least to use their language and appropriate their terms.

But even though the Rule were nothing but an intelligent compilation, even though it were merely put together with the study and spiritual insight of St. Benedict, with the spirit of orderliness, moderation, and lucidity of this Roman of old patrician stock, it would not for all that be a commonplace work: in actual fact, it stands as the complete and finished expression of the monastic ideal. Who can measure the extraordinary influence that these few pages have exercised, during fourteen centuries, over the general development of the Western world? Yet St. Benedict thought only of God and of souls desirous to go to God; in the tranquil simplicity of his faith he purposed only to establish a school of the Lord s service: Dominici schola servitii. But, just because of this singleminded pursuit of the one thing necessary, God has blessed the Rule of Monks with singular fruitfulness, and St. Benedict has taken his place in the line of the great patriarchs.

We may almost say of the Benedictine Rule what is certainly true of the Law of God that it bears in itself its own justification, that it is self-sufficient; "the judgements of the Lord are true, justified in themselves," and that it only needs to be read and loved and lived. ... Perhaps the publication of these notes will satisfy, in some measure, the interest of the many Christian souls who ask us every day for enlightenment on the mode of life, spirituality, and real usefulness of monks.

...

The primary purpose of these studies is neither curiosity nor historical knowledge: our concern is with the soul and with the supernatural life. By constant communing with the master thought of St. Benedict and with the minds of his best disciples, will the sons of D. Guéranger be able to keep alive among them the true spirit of monasticism.

Clear words, “prophetic words”

The follow originally ran in Riscossa Cristiana, translated by Rorate's Francesca Romana:

By Marco Bongi

“We will find ourselves more and more faced with someone who professes to speak to us in the name of God by telling us that we have no need of Him.”

I listened to these dreadful words spoken by Alessandro Gnocchi on the 8th March 2014 at the annual meeting of Civitella del Tronto.  The title of Gnocchi’s presentation was: “The Crisis of the Sacred and the Church kneeling before the World.”

At first reading this seems to be a provocative statement and a bit over the top.

However I have reflected on it for some time - not as a theologian which I am not - but as a simple layman who observes what is happening around him.

Now I have arrived at the conclusion that these are, indeed, “prophetic words” an expression which will make those who are [especially] fond of it in the wrong way very happy!

Here then are some simple thoughts on the matter:

1) In the final analysis, what is the religious liberty expressed in the concilar document Dignitatis Humanae? In the years following the document, the diplomacy of the Holy See didn’t do very much, in the name of the Council (and thus  God)  about the demand to remove  every reference to the religion of the State from the constitution, did they? In other words, it (The Holy See) was asked to declare in the name of God that God is not important.

2) Didn’t the same thing happen with ecumenism? In the name of God they forced us to believe that, fundamentally the differences among the various Christian religions and non-Christian ones too, are - all things considered - negligible i.e. whether God is present in the Eucharist or not, whether Christ is the Son of God Incarnate or not, whether “without Faith it is impossible to please God” or not –  these things are not important.  So God Himself ultimately, is not important to them.

3) And the question of the Mass of Ages? If you think about it a bit, the innovators hate it because it attributes too much importance to God and to the transcendent dimension of [our] relationship with Him. In the name of God, they oblige us instead, to give importance to man, the assembly and “the supper in the community”…

4) The harshness and intransigence which admits no discussion that the modern pastors hurl at every supposition of “ a war” started in the name of Religion is also shocking:  to wage war in defense of God is blasphemy, an inexcusable crime. Much more understandable instead, are the people’s revolts i.e. the occupation of factories and the so-called wars of liberation.   What does it mean? It’s obvious. God is not important, there is no sense in fighting to defend Him and, if you haven’t understood this [yet], we order you to understand it in the name of God Himself!

5) There would be many more examples, but looking at the near future, I would like briefly to mention the possible and probable, re-admission of the divorced and remarried to the sacraments. We will certainly have to accept it, in the name of God’s authority, even if God has clearly said: “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Moral: the law of God is not important, you must believe this in the name of God Himself!

6) And the praxis, (or what they like calling “the pastoral”), follows the new theology faithfully.  What does it mean?: imposing, de facto, Communion in the hand, impeding, de facto,  genuflections (since  the kneelers have been taken away) expelling, de facto, sin, the last things, the objectivity of morality from catechesis as well as homiletics?

This is why, in my view, Alessandro’s statement is truly prophetic, in the most authentic sense of this expression.

The final questions are consequently inevitable, even if they appear provocative:

Can the ecclesiastical authorities teach such things? Is it part of their legitimate powers? Do the faithful have the duty to obey such orders?

And, ultimately:

Will God accept being put to the side like a useless toy for much longer?

Franciscans of the Immaculate: will Francis save them?Sources: large number of FI priests petitioning to be relieved of pontifical vows

Last month, Sandro Magister reported (see here) the personal plea to Pope Francis of a couple, six of whose nine children are members of the Franciscans of the Immaculate (FI).  In response to the couple begging the pope to help, he answered "soon, soon" according to Magister.

Now, multiple sources are telling Rorate that a large number of FI friars -- possibly 100-150 -- are petitioning Rome to be released from their pontifical vows and to be placed under diocesan bishops.

As we have reported from the beginning, the order assigning a commissioner, which has led to the rapid destruction of a growing order that was increasingly attached to Traditional Catholicism, and has led numerous Faithful to lose access to the Traditional Latin Mass, was approved directly by Pope Francis.

We do not know what Pope Francis meant when he told the distressed parents "soon, soon." In Roman time, soon rarely means quickly. Let us pray that soon the Holy Father will end this drastic intervention that he approved and save a beautiful order currently in critical condition.

Restoring the Mass to an ordinary parish

A parish in Alexandria, Virginia, in the U.S. has been slowly introducing the traditional Latin Mass to its congregation and beyond since Summorum Pontificum, starting with one-time High Masses on certain feast days, then expanding to weekly Thursday evening Masses, and now with weekly Tuesday and Thursday evening Low Masses. The goal, many there would agree, is a Sunday Mass added to that schedule.

The parish, Saint Rita's church, is in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood and survived almost all of the building wreckovations of the late 20th century. A former parochial vicar there, the Reverend Father Paul Scalia, restored the traditional Latin Mass, and the current pastor, the Reverend Father Daniel Gee, expanded its now-regular schedule.  Father Gee, who previously offered the TLM at Christendom College while chaplain there, has also worked with Saint Rita's clergy, including former and current parochial vicars and the parish's deacon, to offer several Solemn High Masses in addition to the Tuesday and Thursday Low Masses he rotates with the parochial vicar, attracting an impressive number of young adults from the area.

Saint Rita's will mark two important events on Thursday, 22 May, with -- fittingly -- a traditional Latin Missa Cantata.  The first event is the feast of Saint Rita that day, and the second is the 100th anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone for the original church (a larger, beautiful, stone church was subsequently built in 1949: the dedication Mass is pictured below).  What better way to commemorate Saint Rita (who died 22 May 1457) and a centennial than offering the Mass that would have been recognized by both Saint Rita and the church's first congregation?

The High Mass on 22 May will begin at 7:30 p.m., preceded by a half hour of polyphonic motets beginning at 7 p.m.  The pastor has hired a local, all-male polyphonic choir, the Suspicious Cheese Lords, to sing.

A newly found Canto

This "find"  comes from our friends at the The Society of St. Hugh of Cluny:

The following manuscript was sent to me by a friend. He said it was found recently in the cellar of what was once a monastery and now is a Walmart. Its authenticity is certainly open to question.  As experts have already pointed out, the terza rima scheme has been abandoned, and it is in the wrong vernacular.  But there has been no authoritative judgment as yet on its provenance or authenticity.  Its authorship remains a mystery.