Judge Forces the Resumption of Public Masses in France

Reims Cathedral: The French government gave the French government eight days to lift the ban on public services.

(Paris) In France, the judges restore public celebrations. The Supreme Administrative Court opposed the government, which announced numerous easings on May 11, but still wanted to ban services. 

The situation in France is similar to that in Italy. On May 4, the government also announced “Phase 2” of the Corona measures on the Apennine Peninsula. While the curfew was lifted and many things were allowed again, the re-admission of public Mass remains excluded. There was discontent and hectic behind-the-scenes negotiations. Pope Francis himself had to intervene with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte. Finally, public Masses were re-opened on Monday, May 18th.

Comparable easing came into force in France on May 11, but the public Masses were excluded. For weeks, the government of President Emmanuel Macron, led by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, was deaf to the wishes of the Catholic Church. The appeals by the bishops and 67 members of parliament faltered. Now the State Council repeated the request and did it not as a petitioner, but with the authority of a supreme court. The Conseil d'État ordered the government to lift the general and absolute ban on church services.

Édouard Philippe and the Laicité

That the Christian faith plays no special role for the French elites, but rather is marginalized, is part of the state doctrine. So it is not without irony that the scolding comes from the State Council, the institution where Édouard Philippe began his steep career.

Edouard Philippe

He sees himself as an intellectual frontier worker, others see him as a careerist. 1995-1997 he graduated from the elite Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA) where in France, its innermost circle of public servants is formed. The red carpet to power was rolled out to him. His political affiliation is dazzling. However, this only applies if one measures politics according to party labels and less according to content. In the 90s he was a member of the Socialist Party (PS) and sympathizer of the left wing around the ENA graduate Michel Rocard. In 2002, the Gaullist and ENA graduate Alain Juppé raised him to the top as a full-time party official for the civil start-up UMP, whose liberal wing included Philippe. With the political ticket of the bourgeois president and ENA graduate Jacques Chirac (UMP), he received a director position in the state-owned group Areva (today Orano) in 2007. They had noticed him.

In 2011 he participated in the program to support young scientists of the French-American Foundation, the French equivalent of the German Atlantic Bridge, which included the association of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). In 2012 he was elected to the French parliament for the UMP. Since the Socialist Hollande became president, Philippe squeezed into the opposition benches. Formally, he was only one of 577 MPs, and also an opposition figure who was not noticed in the parliamentary committees or in the plenary. Nevertheless, he was destined for higher tasks. Backbencher Philippe was invited to the Bilderberger conference in 2016. The Socialist and ENA graduate Emmanuel Macron, who was then Minister of Economics in the Hollande government, had already been invited to this exclusive meeting in 2014. It was an unmistakable sign. Indeed, for in 2017 Macron became President and made Philippe Prime Minister. Macron, who'd conveniently disposed his Socialist party credentials, put himself at the top of the opposition, En Marche. For Philippe, who at the time already changed his party alignment for a fourth time, at last joined the Republican (Les républicains), in a barely credible way, so he was no party. This digression was necessary to briefly introduce the real political system in France.

Federal Court Boxes Government's Ears

The Supreme Administrative Court, which examined the objections of Catholic movements and organizations, came to the conclusion that an even longer suspension of public Masses "in a serious and apparently illegal manner" violates religious freedom and should be replaced immediately by a less restrictive measure. The Federal Court gave the government eight days to do this.

The Palais Royal, the seat of the French State Council (Conseil d'Etat)

The government's current provision was "disproportionate to the goal of maintaining public health." Rather, it questions a fundamental freedom that "also includes the right to participate in ceremonies collectively".

The verdict is a resounding slap in the face for Prime Minister Philippe, who also wanted to maintain the ban on worship in the so-called "phase 2" of the Corona measures and announced that it could be eased by June 2 at the earliest.

The French Bishops' Conference welcomed the verdict. In their comments, they pointed out that it was entirely in line with what they had written to Philippe in a letter on May 15 without being heard. The bishops now expect the restrictions to be lifted within the next few days. Archbishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, the President of the Bishops' Conference, had already hoped for the resumption of the Masses with the end of the "phase 1" of the Corona measures and informed President Macron via video conference that church life "will be back on May 11th,  and fully restored to a community character.” With government decree of the 11th, the Federal Court has now led the government back to common sense in its own way. At the same time, it put additional reins on the Macron government by banning the use of drones by the police to monitor citizens' compliance with corona measures. Corona measures of this kind have also sparked a discussion among the French public about the danger of an authoritarian regime.

This had also contributed to worrying attacks, some of which involved the church when some armed police invaded the Paris church of Saint-André-de-l'Europe in Paris and required its immediate termination, although in only a handful of people were present. Monsignor Michel Aupetit, the Archbishop of Paris, reacted with unusual clarity:

"There were no terrorists in the church! It's time to put an end to such scenes. Otherwise we will speak and speak. "

Such attacks on the church would have to be avoided, "otherwise we will be very loud," said the archbishop.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi 
Image: Wikicommons

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Francis Celebrates Ad Orientem at Tomb of John Paul II for Centenary

(Rome) On Monday, Pope Francis celebrated the first Mass since the re-admission of public services in Italy - and that versus Deum. It should also be the last to be broadcast on the media due to the Corona crisis.

Among all the measures that have been taken because of the Coronavirus by the Church,  this was Pope Francis' most radical. In his diocese of Rome he had all services suspended on March 8th and all churches and chapels closed on March 12th. No diocese worldwide has gone this far. After only 24 hours and an impending uprising, the priests rowed back. At least the parish churches were reopened, all other churches and chapels remained closed. The Pope's diocese remained on the most radical path. The corresponding decrees were signed by Cardinal Vicar Angelo De Donatis, who heads the diocese on behalf of the Pope. The cardinal vicar is formally an auxiliary bishop who acts as vicar general. Cardinalatial dignity has been associated with this since 1558. De Donatis indicated that the order had come directly from Francis. No other would be conceivable. No vicar general would take such a drastic and historically unprecedented step on his own. Since the Vatican had hermetically sealed itself at the beginning of March, Pope Francis also celebrated without the people in the past ten weeks . Only two or three priests, a religious and an organist took part in the morning celebrations in Santa Marta. In return, the Pope's morning mass was carried over the world through direct channels. The Mass last Monday morning was the last to be broadcast because public services have been allowed again in Italy since the same day.

Franziskus at Sebastian's Altar (St. Peter's Basilica)

The direct transmissions were not concluded from Santa Marta, but from St. Peter's Basilica, namely from the Sebastian chapel. It is located in the north aisle in front of the chapel. The tomb of John Paul II has been under the altar of this chapel dedicated to the proto-martyr, since 2011. The remains of the Vatican Grottoes, the first burial place, were brought to the beatification. The canonization took place three years later, on April 27, 2014.

At the Sebastian's altar above the tomb of the Polish Pope, who ruled the Church from 1978 to 2005, Pope Francis celebrated the last of the morning Masses that were broadcast. The occasion was the 100th birthday of John Paul II, who was born on May 18, 1920 in the Polish town of Wadowice. Here Pope Francis celebrated versus Deum . It's a direction of celebration that gives his House Liturgist, Andrea Grillo, a flush of anger.

Pope Francis had already celebrated at the Sebastian Altar in the past and in each case versus Deum as an alternative to the direction of celebration that was taken for granted in Church tradition, in the direction of the rising sun, towards the returning Christ who would come from the east.

For the first time, however, the celebration was broadcast by the media on Monday, which is why the unusual direction of celebration since the great liturgical reform of 1969/70 was given special visibility. Photos of the celebration were also distributed by international press agencies such as AFP.

The tomb of John Paul II has been under the altar since 2011

It is said that the Pope celebrated "with his back" to the people, as the actual direction of celebrations has been discredited for half a century, because the previous way of things were adhered to. In plain language: There is no "people's altar" in the chapel of St. Sebastian. Another inaccurate claim, because in the past it has been demonstrated many times over how quickly a portable altar can be set up at any location. Pope Benedict XVI had one removed from the Sistine Chapel, where John Paul II usually celebrated. For the Thanksgiving Mass with the Cardinals, his first mass as Pope the day after the election, Francis had it brought back to the Sistine Chapel.

The unusual orientation for Francis  was no tribute to John Paul II. Be that as the people's altar was shuffled into the Sistine Chapel, undoubtedly the celebration versus populum is preferred.

Liturgical gestures by Benedict XVI. paid special attention because Francis knew how serious the liturgical question was to him. The media rush to judgement. Probably for the exact opposite reason of his predecessor.

Gestures that cannot really be classified are an essential feature of the current pontificate.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi 
Image: MiL

Cardinal Sarah: "Nobody Has the Right to Stop a Priest from Giving Communion or Hearing Confession"

Leader of the Vatican Congregation for Worship criticizes restrictions on Church life through excessive corona protection measures - "Nobody has the right to stop a priest from giving communion or hearing confession"

Vatican City (kath.net/KAP) Cardinal Robert Sarah, head of the Vatican Congregation of Worship, has criticized restrictions on Church life through excessive corona protective measures. In an interview with the Italian daily "Compass", he said on Saturday: "Nobody has the right to stop a priest from giving Communion or hearing confession." He doesn't think much of online Masses in times of crisis. This leads to a wrong direction, also the priests. "You have to look at God - not at a camera," said the cardinal.

Considerations to distribute the Hosts in the services in plastic bags for hygiene reasons were strictly rejected. "No, no, no - that's absolutely impossible. God deserves respect. You can't put him in a bag." That is "total madness". The Eucharist must be treated with dignity. "We are not in the supermarket," said Sarah, speaking of "absurd" ideas. Holy Communion was not the subject of negotiations. 

The fact that public services are currently not possible in many places should not lead to "profane" acts, said the curia cardinal. Despite all the difficulties, every believer still has the opportunity to ask a priest for communion. 

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

First Public Mass in the Diocese of Regensberg

Edit: Why not have it on Sunday?

Diocese of Regensburg is a great sign of the importance of public services: Dean Jeschner in Eschenbach celebrates the first public Mass shortly after midnight!

Regensburg (kath.net/pm)  Already on the night of Monday, May 4th, at 0.05 a.m. Dean Thomas Jeschner will celebrate the first approved Mass with in the parish church of St. Laurentius Eschenbach. This had not been possible since Sunday, March 15th. For seven weeks, services were no longer celebrated with the physical presence of the public and believers. From the moment that this is possible again, it will be carried out immediately.

Dean Jeschner said that the anticipation and joy in the run-up to Mass could be felt enormously, especially among the faithful. "We go into the darkness, in which we felt like we had been sent for weeks, and celebrate our public Mass right here, in the brightly lit church." 

The preparations for Mass meet the requirements of the diocese. In particular the dispensing of the Blessed Sacrament is of great importance here, said Dean Jeschner. The organ will be played, singing should be a bit quieter than in earlier times. The believers present will wear masks anyway. What is Pastor Jeschner most looking forward to? "The meeting with the faithful together in the Mass." The question was asked increasingly, Jeschner explains: "When are we going to celebrate Mass again?" The Dean gladly stated that this wish can now be fulfilled again. 

Background information about the diocese:

Church fellowship is unthinkable without the celebration of the Eucharist. It is precisely Communion that is the foundation of the community in the first place. Church father Augustine summed it up in the words, which at first glance seem somewhat paradoxical: “Receive what you are!” By taking in the body of Christ in everyone in communion, everyone shares in the one body of Christ. 

Last but not least, this is why it is important that services are openly accessible again. Of course, the opening of services is only possible under strict conditions and rules, so that the protection of people continues to be guaranteed. The protection concept of the diocese of Regensburg regulates a lot, but beyond that each parish has to specify the regulations for its own parish area and carry out the measures.

You also have to be a bit creative! - Preparations in the parishes

Father Marek, pastor in the parish of Bogenberg, is concerned about the requirement to limit the number of visitors. How should it be possible to simply reject someone? He says. For the services, there will be a folder at the door to control the number of visitors. However, he hopes that ultimately no one will have to be turned away. Over the past few weeks, he has seen that people's longing for the Sacrifice of the Mass is great. The door had to be locked while he was celebrating Mass, otherwise people would have come in and attended the service. In the parish of Bogenberg, the mass has been broadcast on the Internet since Palm Sunday - this was met with an overwhelming response. Around 500 Easter believers tuned in via the Internet.

Pilgrimage church on the Bogenberg 

In the parish of Herz-Jesu in Selb in the district of Wunsiedel, the churches have already been measured and yellow marking points have been attached. Barriers have been avoided to keep the atmosphere inviting. There is no need for a concept to regulate the number of visitors in Selb. This is a diaspora area - from a Catholic perspective - and worshipers would not exceed the specified maximum numbers. In summer, other visitors could stand on the church square and follow the service through the open church door. Pastor Johann Klier says: “You also have to be a bit creative. It is important that the faithful can come again to the service. ”The first public mass of the parish of Sacred Heart in Selb will take place on May 10th.

The parish of St. Augustine in Viechtach is also well prepared for the reopening of services. Hygiene items such as stands for disinfectants, gloves and masks are already foreseen. Pastor Dr. Werner Konrad has drawn up a draft for specific rules of conduct. The places in the churches are measured. In St. Augustine, too, there will initially be no registration system for the services: "We will try it first," said Pastor Konrad, because due to the special situation, he does not expect so many visitors to the service at first. From a musical point of view, the services are to be increasingly instrumental and with solo singing. 

Photo: (c) Diocese of Regensburg

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

AMDG

Covid-19 Uprising

Edit: Jones takes Worst Things commentator, Father Joseph White on his A-historical Thomism.  While reading his contribution, I thought Father White sounded a lot like our very own resident Satanist, Gaybrielle, referring to those who are skeptical about the measures being taken during this "epidemic" as "religious narcissists". 

It was especially hilarious the way he criticized lesbian Attorney General, Dana Nessel as an ineffective leader because she lacks the prudence necessary so that her decisions are unnecessarily draconian.

AMDG

A United Crusade of Public Prayer to Reopen America, the Church

By David Martin

While there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel with the coronavirus crisis, we shouldn't let down our guard too quickly.

In December, it was reported that Bill Gates in league with other globalists had put $4 billion into launching a "pandemic experiment" using COVID-19. Given the internationalist hatred against President Trump, we shouldn't rule out that the objective of this experiment was to first see how society would respond to government orders to shut down businesses and churches before moving on to the crux of their plan—an attempted presidential assassination—since foreknowledge of the public's response would be essential in enabling them to successfully carry out such a plan. Based on our response, the globalists now know that America would all too easily buckle under government pressure to close down shop in such a crisis.

We should note that it is deep-state radicals like Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Andy Cuomo who are adamantly pushing the national lockdown over coronavirus and who are viciously attacking Trump over his attempts to reopen America. This in itself is a dead give-away as to the diabolical nature of the lockdown.    Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti has even said he will pay people to report on businesses that violate the Safer at Home order.

https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2020/03/31/coronavirus-los-angeles-eric-garcetti-snitches-get-rewards/

 This is reminiscent of how people in Hitler's time were paid to report friends and neighbors who went against the Nazi regime.
 
Public Reparation and Prayer Needed

With socialist tyranny fast encroaching upon our nation, we should console ourselves in knowing that a united crusade of public prayer will foil this plan to take our country from us. If there was ever a time to set into motion a national crusade of prayer for our country and the president, it is now! Already, there is legal motion underway to try to get the churches opened again, so now is the time to fan the fire and open those churches so that Masses can be said everywhere. It is high time that priests and laity stop worrying about what bishops and governors will think. "Face fear and it will disappear."  Note that it was the interruption of Masses that strengthened this globalist plan to close down our country, so the opposite would contribute mightily to opening things back up for us.

In the meantime, Catholics everywhere should say the Rosary daily for the protection of President Trump because the danger to our country has not abated. Prayer is powerful against Satan and with Satan having generated this plan to bring down America we should take confidence in knowing that united prayer will bring the Blessed Virgin's heel upon the head of the global serpent.

A Chastisement from God

While we know that this year's Lenten crisis was permitted as a chastisement from God, let this chastisement bear fruit by our resolving never to take the Church for granted but by increasing our fever in the practice of our Catholic Faith. What the Lord expects is that we go upon our knees and make public reparation in the churches for the many crimes against Faith, e.g. Communion in the hand, ecumenism, socializing in Church, allowing women on the altar, the promotion of humanism and modernism through which the Church in our time has been profaned. If such reparation is made, there is no question that victory will be ours.

SSPX Continues to Minister to the People of God Despite the Plague -- Taylor Marshall Comes to Mass With SSPX!

Edit: we've heard reports that the SSPX has continued Mass at his locations, but has instituted precautions like spreading people out and decontaminating the chapel after each Mass. It seems like these spiritual inheritors of Archbishop Lefebvre's Holy Ghost Fathers are no stranger to carrying on with their duties as priests through great plagues, if great plague this is.  Any further input by you, dear reader, would be much appreciated.

Meanwhile, Taylor Marshall, not exactly a friend of the SSPX in the past has exhibited interest in going to these wonderful SSPX Liturgies and apparently attended one on Easter. 

[SSPX]  The District of the United States for the Society of Saint Pius X is saying Mass at its chapels each day "for protection and deliverance."

As Father Wegner stated in his letter of March 14, 2020, the first measures the U.S. District will take against this malady are of a spiritual nature.

In these times, not only do we want to take the precautions to prevent the spread of disease, but we must redouble our prayers and penance, begging for God’s mercy. We will offer a Continuous Mass. This Mass will be the Mass of the day of Lent and the intention is “for protection and deliverance”. We will assign each priest of the District a day where he will say his Mass for this intention and will let you know which priest will say the Mass and where.

Half of Seminarians and All Priests at Wigratzbad Have Corona

ABy Martin Bürger

FOLLOW MARTIN

 

OPFENBACH, Germany, March 20, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Almost all priests and roughly half of the seminarians currently at a German seminary of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), a traditionalist community of priests and seminarians, have been infected by the coronavirus.

On the evening of March 13, the seminary had first announced that a priest, who stayed at the seminary as a guest, had contracted the virus. At the time, the community, which is dedicated to the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, had stated that all Masses in Wigratzbad would take place without the seminarians joining.

“With the powerful help of faith, hope and charity, we do not let ourselves be discouraged. In a few days, the first healed ones will be able to take over from the newly sick, to maintain the spiritual and material life of the house,” the seminary community wrote.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/all-priests-half-of-seminarians-at-traditional-catholic-order-infected-by-coronavirus

AMDG

Archbishop Crepaldi: “The EU is Dead! Cause of Death:Coronavirus”

Archbishop Crepaldi, Bishop of Trieste and an outstanding representative of Catholic social teaching, notes the death of the EU in his latest statement - cause of death: coronavirus.

 Archbishop Giampaolo Crepaldi, the Bishop of Trieste and emeritus chair of the International Observatory Cardinal Van Thuan for the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the most outstanding representatives of Catholic social teaching.  He has now published a document on the coronavirus crisis, in which he states "the death of the European Union by Coronavirus".  The Archbishop of Trieste wrote, among other things:

 “The experience of the past few days has shown that the European Union is not only divided, but a phantom.  There have been selfish disputes among member states rather than cooperation.  Italy is isolated and left alone.  The European Commission intervened late and the European Central Bank intervened poorly.  Given the epidemic, every state has shut itself down.  The resources that Italy needs to deal with the emergency, which would have been associated with currency devaluation at other times, for example, now depend on the Union's decisions, which we have to bow to.

“The Corona virus has definitely exposed the artificiality of the European Union.  It is unable to achieve cooperation between the states to which it has imposed itself through the transfer of sovereignty.  The lack of moral cement was not compensated for by the institutional and political cement.  This inglorious end of the European Union by the corona virus is to be noted.  It is also important to think that cooperation between European countries in the fight for health is also possible outside of supranational political institutions.”

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
 Picture: Correspondenza Romana
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
AMDG