Seminarians: Summorum Pontificum to extend to the Ambrosian Rite -- Call for the Old Rite

(Mailand)A group of seminarians of the ecclesiastical province of Milan have asked Pope Benedict to extend the Motu Prorprio Summorum Pontificum with the generous reinstatement of the Tridentine Rite as the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite, to the Ambrosian Rite as well.  This was reported by the Italian blog, Messa in latino.  The seminarians are asking that in the upcoming rules of implementation for the Motu Proprio that it be specifically mentioned that it is valid for all Latin Rites, and not just forthe Roman.  The Ambrosian Rite, like the Braga [once celebrated in Portugal] or the independent "old" Rites of the various religious orders, as they were celebrated up until the Liturgical reform.

The Ambrosian Rite, which dates from St. Ambrose (339-397), Bishop of Milan and some neighboring areas, as also in parts of the Diocese of Lugano in the Swiss Canton of Tessin.  The Archbishop of Milan is numerically the largest Diocese in the world.  Only some parishes of the Diocese celebrate in the Roman Rite.

The reigning Archbishop, Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, has refused up until now the implementation of the Motu Propio Summorum Pontificum with the reason that the Ambrosian Rite isn't effected by it.

The same position  has been used by the Bishops of other Rites in the Latin Church,, like the Archdiocese of Braga in Portugal.

Because of this various internet blogs of Tradition have expressed the "concern" that the rules of implementation for the Motu Proprio will not bring the hoped for spread of the use of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.  Much worse, it will bring feared "limitations" .  For this reason the call "Request for the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, [English] in the event of the Instruction/Clarification of the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum" has been called to life.  The text is in seven languages (English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese und Dutch) and published on the internet for signatures.

 (Giuseppe Nardi, Bild: The Pope Benedict Forum)

Link to katholisches.info...

Archbishop Gall: Concerns about Liturgy

Editor: Rorate Caeli had caught this Archbishop saying in 2008 that he was mystified about the reports of liturgical abuses in France, but as we can see from what Messa in Latino says:

Good taste reigns supreme.

The rites are defined by a noble simplicity ...(Sacrosanctum Concilium, 34):

Archbishop Le Gall, archbishop of Toulouse, President of the Episcopal Commission for the liturgy and the sacramental ministry and a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship, during the celebration of a 'Day of Peoples' 

Additional Information: In an interview with Le Monde of 5.7.2008,  Le Gall decried the "intolerable pressure" by those who are requesting the old Mass, and at the same time observed that it is essential to reintroduce the celebration according to the new missal [in a] "quieter, more reverential, more interior,  with more beauty to the liturgical vestments." C As shown in the photo above, is precisely what he is doing ...

Father Harrison Takes on Wanderer For their Misinterpretation of Cantate Domino

Editor:  Wasn't aware the Wanderer still existed. 

The following is a scan from the current issue of the Wanderer (Vol 143, No.7- Feb 17, 2011) in which Fr. Harrison corrects them for their misinterpretation of Cantate Domino.

 Read further at Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus, here.

New Cloister in Vienna for The Sisters of the Lamb

In the Briggittenau there is a "little cloister" -- The financing of the building comes completely from donations, the foundation will be followed by a contribution from the Archdiocese of Vienna.

Vienna (kath.net/PEW) In Vienna- Brigittenau there is a new Religious Order:  In the Dammer Street there will be built  a "little cloister" of the "Little Sisters of the Lamb". The corresponding approval has been taken care of.  The building for the wooden frame structure should begin in the spring.  The Sisters should be celebrating Christmas in their new cloister.

The new cloister will have two ground level courtyards and an additional chapel connected to the street.  The financing of the construction comes exclusively from donations.  The building has been ordered by the Archdiocese of Vienna. 

As a newer branch of the Dominican order the Little Sisters of the Lamb want "simple clean homes" built, in order to "live among the people" and make people "from every walk of life" welcome. That they are building their new cloister in the 20th district with its diverse population is especially interesting for the Sisters, because they offer a "wide field for friendship and meeting".  The Sisters would like to be a "sign of friendship and peace of God" in a multicultural area: "We are really happy in our new neighborhood."

Till now the Sisters have set up housekeeping in the former Carmelite church on the Taborstrasse.  Even here -- in an environment that is very strongly marked by Jewish and Islamic families -- they have already begun with "many signs of friendship".

The "Community of the Lamb" is in nine countries with a membership of 130 Little Sisters and 30 Little Brothers.  In solidarity with all of the poor of the world the Brothers and Sisters have chosen a simple life.

Since 1996, Cardinal Schonborn has been ecclesiastically responsible for the order.  Since then the Community has presented itself in Vienna.  The Little Brothers and Sisters of the Lamb bestow their power of prayer to all people, who they meet every day and who confide in them. 

There is a community of the "Friends Promoting the Community of the Lamb"  where you can support it at www.freundevomlamm.at, or here in English.

Translated from kath.net...

Is the Secret of the Tower of Jericho Solved?

Archeolgists: The 11, 000 year old building has something to do with the summer solstice.

Jerusalem   (kath.net/KAP)Two Israeli Archeologists want to solve the riddle surrounding the tower of Jericho.  As Roy Liran and Ran Barkai in the specialist magazine "Antiquity" write, the 11,000 year old structure clearly has some connection with the summer solistice. The cone shaped tower whose situation on the west side of the neolithic settlement has raised some questions, was erected as a kind of guardian against the powers of darkness.

After Liran and Barkai's observations puts the 8.25 meter high structure in alignment with Dschebel Quruntul, which in the Christian tradition is known as the "mountain of temptation" where Jesus is honored, and the point of the sunset on 21 June.  In a computer simulation the researchers from the University of Tel Aviv discovered that the angle of the shadows of the Quruntul-summit matches the tower exactly on the longest day.

According to their indication, the tower structure was a "symbol of strength" to the ancient inhabitants and an expression of their "ability to endure the awe inspiring powers of nature".   At the same time the Archeologists speculate that the builder used collective fear, in order to control the population. In this respect the tower is in the earliest phase of human settlement and also the earliest concrete monument of the "use of architecture as a means of calculating human control".

Link to msnbc, here

Link to kath.net original, here.

Scipio the Continent

Napoleon once said, "this old Europe bores me".  No wonder then that he wanted to kill it.   There was a temptation, still alive today, to regard the classics as something tired, old and dead.   There is a very real inducement to do this as Latin and Greek has been virtually expunged from all academic expectation.  So, too, are the classics, relegated by the perversity of multiculturalism to languish in old libraries and the few classics departments where it is still lingers on like a flickering light among the tombstones and memorials in the cavernous darkness of this present age.

If there were a temptation to join with those who don't know Ozymandias and stare in incomprehension when his name is mentioned, it is a temptation to that same desolation from which he suffered as part of the poet Shelley's ironic contrast, part of that motive force of self-destruction so prevalent in modernity which celebrates the evil as good, and portrays the most deplorable and vile scenarios for the viewing public, to desensitize their finer natures...as if despising creation itself.  If there were a temptation to join that vexing crowd of moral zombies, it would be staved off by a quiet journey to stand before the plan for that drawing by the Venetian painter Pordone, Giovanni Antonio de' Sacchis (c. 1484 – 1539), called, "The Continence of Scipio"

It was astonishing to encounter this work in a public gallery, thrown together by the curators who now guard these collections, what might be a fossilized rendering of the moral refinement of a bygone age, unexpected, perhaps passed by without much of a look.  This painting demonstrates at once the hand and vision of a man raised and bred in Christendom, and who makes something he has witnessed through a lens, peering back through the ages, to the heart of noble antiquity where the conquering General Scipio is offered one of the vanquished city's maidens to have for pleasure;  but he astonishes us, astonished his men, astonished the grateful people of the captured city and pleased the young girl, by having her fiance restored to her as a free gift.

Such grace, nobility and beauty amid the cruelty of war, particularly a war as brutal as that between Carthage and Rome, is captured for us, held in thrall as it were in a modern museum, like an exotic captive, war booty from some revolutionary's conquests, and brought for the contemplation of the masses who pass it by, perhaps unremarked, the way they carry on under the roofs and lattices of Europe's prayer in stone, Her glorious Cathedrals.

It is a work of great moment, because it is a great moment of art history, and of history, of the story of a man, that any man, even a great man though he,  great not unlike the now forgotten Ozymandias, refuses to do what he is expected to do and acts graciously to those in his power, acting for their good, for no other reason than his own virtue.

Is it any wonder, considering the men who are our masters now, that the classics are no longer taught in schools, and that the master works, and the classical education that was their matrix, instead are pushed aside as mere curiosities, antiquarian interests and dusty mementos of the past.

Traditional Nuns Join the Society of Pius X

Traditional Reparative Sisters of the Holy Ghost have taken the consequences after a year long terror from the side of Conciliar Jacobins.

Website of the Reparative Nuns of Niedaltdorf

(kreuz.net) The Traditional religious community of the Reparative Sisters of Niedaltdorf have established themselves under the Society of St. Pius X.

The Sisters explained this in an open letter to the General Superior of the Society, Bishop Bernard Fellay.

The text is available on the website of the Society. [In German]

Niedaltdorf -- is a village in the community of Rehlingen-Siersburg in the district of Saarlouis located in the Diocese of Trier in Saarland.  The Sisters have been entrusted to run the elder home St. Antoniushaus.

In 2000 the Sisters were required to find a second house.


For the moment all the Sisters live in Niedaltdorf.

Worldwide there are twenty seven religious communities in the Society of PIus X.

Persecuted by the Communists and by the Conciliar Commisars

In their letter the Reparative Sisters thank "from the heart" and with "deepest gratitude" for their acceptance into the ranks of the Society.

Since their founding, it has been a goal of the Sisters, through the Old Mass, through prayer and service to neighbor to sacrifice and atone.

The foundress, Mother Cornelia Holewik, gathered her first daughters in Communist  Czechoslovakia between 1945 to 1966. 

The Sisters were inflicted with severe physical and spiritual torments during the Communist persecution -- explained the letter to Bishop Fellay:

"In true and real Catholic Faith for atonement for the mother house and enduring six years of factory work under the worst conditions, till she could travel to the Bundesrepublik after long, difficult battles."

In the Conciliar confusion the Nuns  " were exposed to many battles"  again:  "We have prayed all year for clear understanding."

They learned that  divine providence had led the Order in incorporation with the Society of St. Pius X  -- it went on.

There is "still where the true Catholic Faith is promoted and lived".

The Sisters of the Reparation invited Msgr Fellay to their house:

"Porae patent, magis cor"  -  "The doors remain open, even more so then the heart."

Link to original, here.

Attacker did not drink B.C. bishop's blood, court hears

Editor: Well, that's a relief. Shew.

Attacker did not drink B.C. bishop's blood, court hears

The Coming Decree on the Liturgy is Authentic [Not Watered Down]

Editor: Basically, Paulo Rodari is contradicting some of the big boys in town. Some editing with google-translate:

It is writen here , here and here that the Vatican is trying to water down the implementing decree of the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.
 
In essence, the blogs mentioned above [Rorate, Messalatino, Summorum Pontificum]  instead of giving a greater impetus to the decree Motu Proprio, showing how it will explain the implementation of the Old Mass to the bishops in the best way; they are saying instead that the Old Liturgy is just a concession to the "traditionalists" in recognition of their particular sensitivity. Even still the bloggers write that the originator of this dilution would be Monsignor Charles Scicluna, promoter for  justice in Malta under the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Antonio Canizares Llovera, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship.
 
 I have personally made the necessary checks and I can say that, according to sources inside the Vatican, the information given above "is entirely without foundation." The implementation of the decree is not being watered down. Cardinals Canizares and Scicluna among others  are not working in that direction.
 
The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, which is now chaired by the prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal William Joseph Levada, has already prepared the text of the decree, is waiting for the difficult work of translation to finish, and expects to publish all (provided that the translations do not suffer delays) before Easter.

Original at Apostolic Palace...here 

Fools' Masses All Over Germany for Carnival

In the past many modern parishes have so-called Fool Eucharists. Who can express it more clearly, that his own liturgy is a joke?

Blessed Masks

"The Fool's Mass began with the invitation of the pastor and his music ministers through the Lumpenchapel Burladingen. The Jester Choir, the fool's chapel, the children and the adults form the fool's guild for the festival in the fully occupied Church to make their own contribution. Paster Bueb [sic] has written his sermon in rhyme and has moved the faithful to complete the end of his sentences [...] At the end of the joyful service, the masks will be blessed."

From an article of the newspaper "Sudwest Presse' about a Fool-Sunday Mass in the Fideliskirche in the City of Burladingen in Baden-Württemberg.

What hasn't God given us?

"In the restlessly filled Church of the Assumption there wasn't the usual Sunday Mass. There were already Guggen musicians, cymbals and bells which will accompany the church service. The sermon by Pastor Stefan Möhler which was in rhyme was entertaining [...]. Fools in full uniform are welcome at Mass. 'It is a beautiful living picture. We're not bringing in foolishness into the Church, rather the joy that God has given to us;, said Möhler"

Disclaimer: The Savior will not stand by Fools

"The Vöhrenbacher fools experienced a happy start, as the home guild's cheerfulness invited the Proclamation of the Fool's Mass in the Parish Church. 'The Savior won't stick by the fool, rather the fool is, someone who God doesn't recognize', Pastor Martin Schäuble offered for consideration and was pleased at the full church pews."

From an article with the heading "Preaching with the Foolss Cap" from the Thursday regional paper 'Südkurier' about a Fool Mass in the City of Vöhrenbach in Baden-Württemberg.


Even a Fools' Mass

"Actually, on Saturday evening in the Catholic St. Stephanus Church in Bernhausen there are also numerous uncostumed churchgoers taking their place, but the fools were sigificantly in the majority. 'I'm delighted that the Church is so full it's ready to explode', said [Fr.] Andreas Marquart right at the beginning, and the word choice of the pastor indicated: It was not going to be a normal Mass. Rather a Fools' Mass even -- the third in the last six years. 'That has gradually, slowly become a tradition', said Sabine Paser of the Howler-Witch-Guild, who had organized the spectacle."

From an article in the Tuesday edition of the news 'Stuttgarter Nachrichten'.

The Fool Enters

"Where a few weeks ago the Advent cross dangled was hung a festive carnival cap. The symbol of the Christmas feast has vanished from the Galluskirche. In place of that is the train of fools. Accompanied by organ music come the actors of the Flörsheimer Carnival with their flag altar. All over the pews there are clowns, cowboys and Indians. 'We stand today as fools for God", groaned Pastor Frank-Peter Beuler to the costumed crowd, who were visiting the fourth Flörsheimer Carnival Mass."

From an article in the regional paper "Frankfurter Neue Presse" of February 1.

Fools Instead of Readings

"The Children were always involved with the celebration, as for example at the Kyrie and the intercessory prayers. Even at the 'Our Father' they were invited by the Pastor Hermann Otto who brought them to prayer with arm waving, in which the children joined with glee. The reading was omitted in place a princess entered, a clown, an indian, a pirate and a third level female spellcaster in front of the altar. A mother explained all of that, her life and the meaning of her costumes."

Evil Sorceress Puts Hex on Father Otto

From an article in the 'Münsterländischen Volkszeitung' about the 'first great Carnival Mass" on Sunday morning in the Visitation Church in the City of Rheine in Northern Münsterland.

Liberation Theology is Back?

Will Liberation Theology be Exhumed?

Vatican, today the new neo-Conservative Archbishop João Bráz de Aviz takes up his new office as Prefect for the Congregation for the Institutes of Religious Life. For the occasion, the Vatican daily, 'Osservatore Romano' published an interview with him wherein he defended the Old Liberal Liberation Theology. That which is found as a "preferential option for the poor" is being sold as a "holy imperative option for Evangelization". Already the supposedly holy John Paul II has said that Liberation Theology is "not only useful, rather also necessary".

From kreuznet.

Is Arturo Vasquez Also a Red?

Probably

Arturo has been a kind of crypto-Gnostic presence on line for a while, considered by some to be an interesting "Traditional" Catholic with a unique, if unsystematic and emotional, approach to the Catholic experience. In a post where he criticizes a "what-if" scenario where the South wins the War of Northern Aggression, the ex-SSPX seminary student, not unlike another ex-seminary student, correctly asserts that the institution of Slavery would die out, owing perhaps to the high expense of the commodity.

Actually, and certainly one of the things he misses, serfdom in Russia, which is similar to Southern slavery, was being abolished just as the War of Northern Aggression was coming to a close in 1865. It wasn't merely the expense of keeping slaves without a slave trade, which certainly increased their expense, it was the invention of the modern Cotton Gin and the industrialization of Agriculture and Urbanization, then taking place in Russia and throughout the West.

In any event, Arturo goes on to say the following, using Marxist terminology and assumptions, to describe what was happening in the South as elsewhere, to explain the possibility of the Southern victory as being a victory for "progressivism".

If the South won, perhaps the United States and the world would be far more progressive, and not less. Only in Russia, an autocratic, pre-capitalist society, did an actual “socialist” revolution take place, precisely because only such a radical change could bring Russia into the 20th century. Perhaps if what is now the United States had been dominated by a rural autocracy and a backwards lumpenbourgeosie, it would have been the beacon of socialism, and not Russia, in a massive revolutionary movement. This would have been due to what Trotsky called, “combined and uneven development”. Defeating the South may have been the best friend that capitalism ever had.

Why use Marxist terminology and assumptions if you are not also a Red? Is there sarcasm there, or just intellectual laziness? Arturo was at Berkeley and we know what goes on there. But here, he describes "autocratic" Russia as "pre-capitalist" and then explains, quite inaccurately, that it had to be dragged into the "20th century" by a "socialist" Revolution. about:blank

In reality, the Red Revolution which Arturo is praising here as something which brought the Soviet Union to the Twentieth Century, actually put Russia back at least fifty years. Pre-Revolutionary Industrial growth in Russia was such that it was poised to outproduce Germany by the twenties, had not the First World War and the Russian Revolution not happened. Read the link to an exhaustive article on Industrial Growth prior to the Revolution: Actual estimates put Russia at about seven percent annual growth, lagging behind the USA by about five times, but closing the gap. [The Rate of Growth of Industrial Production in Russia, 1887-1913 in pdf]

Budget cuts must protect poor and vulnerable, say US bishops :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Budget cuts must protect poor and vulnerable, say US bishops :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Monstrance with Blessed Sacrament stolen from parish in Spain :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Monstrance with Blessed Sacrament stolen from parish in Spain :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Bishop Dolan Trashes Attorney ACLU Anderson

Editor: Finally, ++Dolan is catching on. He's an ACLU, Democratic National Convention supporter.

Groundless Gossip

I owe it to all of you — both the Catholic and wider community — to be very clear about the ridiculous and groundless gossip spread about me by a tort lawyer named Jeff Anderson.

You may have heard this man claim that, when I was Archbishop of Milwaukee, I “hid’ $130 million of archdiocesan funds so victims of clergy sexual abuse could not sue for it.

Malarkey! The Archdiocese of Milwaukee has an excellent record of fiscal integrity and transparency.  I worked hard at that, and my successor, Archbishop Listecki, continues to do so.  (By the way, you might also be interested to know that during my years as Archbishop of Milwaukee, and with the generous service of many dedicated people, we established a mediation process that reached settlements with almost 200 victim survivors; that mediation process has been praised by the victim survivors who have participated in the process.)

From the Diocesan paper, here.

H/t: Catholic Culture.

Vindictive Pro-Abort Priest Sues Lifesite in a fit of Rage

Raging priest, Fr. Gravel, who is on record for attacking the teachings of the Catholic Church is now suing the organization that reported his evil deeds.  It should mean that the raging ex-catechist and politician will have to cover their substantial legal costs when all's said and done.

He claims that Lifesite damaged his position in the Church.   Perhaps you did that when you decided to flaunt your anti-Catholicism by saying the following:

“I am pro-choice and there is not a bishop on earth that will prevent me from receiving Communion, not even the Pope.”

Actually, this case should have trouble even being heard, unless they Lavender Mafia has paid off the judge.  Just goes to show you how vindictive and nasty these people are.

Lifesite, here.

Catholics in Boston Ask Holy Father to Intervene

 Catholics who oppose the Archdiocese of Boston’s ill-conceived policy to admit the children of gay and lesbian parents to Catholic schools and who are FED UP  with the leadership of the archdiocese can now voice their opinion directly to the Holy See–and ask them to intervene and rescind the policy. Just click the FedUp button to the right.
As you may already know, Boston’s Cardinal Sean O’Malley pandered to people pushing the gay agenda on Catholic schools by approving a policy that directs pastors they cannot discriminate against children of gay parents in school admissions.  So, if two gay parents want to place their child in a Catholic school, the policy says the pastor is not to refuse them admission.

Never mind that the young child who depends on their gay/lesbian parents for sustenance might be harmed by hearing their teacher say their parents’ lifestyle is considered disordered and immoral. Never mind that the Church would be giving some implicit or explicit seal of approval on the gay relationship of the parents.  Never mind the rights of faithful Catholic parents to protect the innocence of their own children’s minds at a young age. Never mind that the Boston Archdiocese misappropriated a quote from the Holy Father saying on a financial basis all children should be able to access Catholic education, and instead used it to deceive people into thinking the Holy Father condoned this policy.

Gay “Catholic” organizations like DignityUSA praised the archdiocese and Catholics for Marriage Equality said they “hope dioceses around the country will adopt Boston’s guidelines.” So, like “gay marriage” that originated in Massachusetts, this disaster too could sweep across the country quickly if faithful Catholics do not act quickly.

Read further and sign the E-Mail petition, here.

WANTED! Bishop of Fulda Seeks Priests for 'Old Mass'

Heinz Josef Algermissen to priests:  "I would be grateful, if one or more of you could learn this Mass, in order that the faithful who wish it can enjoy the celebration of the Eucharist in the extraordinary form."

Fulda (kath.net) Heinz Josef Algermissen, the Bishop of Fulda, has encouraged the learning of the extraordinary form of the Mass through a current letter to the priests of his Diocese.  "In order to meet the desire of the faithful  with the celebration of the Holy Mass in the extraordinary form, I wish to request something of you:  I would be thankful, if one or more of you could learn this mass in order that the faithful who wish it, to hear the Mass in the extraordinary form," wrote the Bishop in a recent correspodence to kath.net.

Algermissen recalled the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of 7. July 2007, with which Pope Benedict XVI had freed up the celebration of the "Old Mass" and also, that the Holy Father who was concerned for the unity of the Church, who also lifted the excommunications which were incurred when Society of St. Pius X Archbishop Lefebvre engaged in forbidden consecrations in1989.

Algermissen wrote then, that there has been an "Old Mass" Indult allowed in his Diocese since 2003 and that presently it is being celebrated in the Diocese of Fulda and in Kassel as well.  For that reason six priests are needed some of whom will serve as replacements for various reasons  (Age, health) for those priests who can no longer say the Mass.  "Please understand this proposal as an opportunity to help fulfill the desires of the Holy Father", wrote Algermissen at the end to his priests.

Read further...

FSSP Mass on EWTN.

Conservative Jews Vote for Homosexual Rabbis

[New York Times] The decision, which followed years of debate, was denounced by traditionalists in the movement as an indication that Conservative Judaism had abandoned its commitment to adhere to Jewish law, but celebrated by others as a long-awaited move toward full equality for gay people.

"We see this as a giant step forward," said Sarah Freidson, a rabbinical student and co-chairwoman of Keshet, a student group at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York that has been pushing for change. But in a reflection of the divisions in the movement, the 25 rabbis on the law committee passed three conflicting legal opinions — one in favor of gay rabbis and unions, and two against.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07jews.html?_r=1
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Priest Says Cardinal Will Report Irish Church Close to Collapse

Editor: That's the problem when you send a pro-Abortion politician to do the job of a Catholic Prelate.

Monday, 14 February 2011 15:11
DUBLIN — Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley reportedly will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Catholic Church in Ireland is "on the edge" of collapse due to the fallout from clerical abuse scandals. Cardinal O'Malley is one of several senior prelates charged by Pope Benedict with carrying out an apostolic visitation of the Irish Catholic Church following a series of highly critical judicial reports that revealed abuse by priests and a widespread culture of cover-up for decades among church leaders. Father Tony Flannery, a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests, revealed at a conference of laypeople Feb. 12 in the Irish capital that "Cardinal O'Malley told the association the Irish Church had a decade, at most, to avoid falling over the edge and becoming like other European countries where religion is marginal to society." The Compass here, for the  rest.

Catholic Church Hosts Anti-Semitic, Marxist Congressman for Talk

Editor:  Antonio Gramsci alert... Comrade Keith Ellison,  a Jesuit educated byproduct, has been brought to you by the usual socialist electorate you'd expect in a major American city.  He's been an enthusiastic supporter of Lou Farrakhan in the past, when he's not dodging parking and traffic tickets, but anti-Semitic is ok at the leftists who run the Basilica of St. Mary's; perhaps someone should explore the connection between fascism, homosexuality and Islam?  Certain people have long inspired the public to believe, with some justification, that there's a connection between Catholicism and homosexuality, and given what goes on regularly at the Basilica, you can see why this is more than a passing possibility.

"Jews are among the most racist white people I know." Declared Ellison [laughably]:

“We stand by the truth contained in the remarks attributed to [Ms. Jackson], and by her right to express her views without sanction. Here is why we support Ms. Jackson: She is correct about Minister Farrakhan. He is not a racist. He is also not an anti-Semite. Minister Farrakhan is a tireless public servant of Black people, who constantly teaches self-reliance and self-examination to the Black community.”

Here's the offending article at Basilica:

Interfaith Forum with Congressman Keith Ellison

The Generosity of Inclusion: Everybody Counts, Everybody Matters

Thursday, February 24, 12:00–1:00pm
Westminster Presbyterian, Nicollet Mall & 12th StKeith Ellison represents Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the DFL Party, he is the first Muslim to be elected to the United States Congress. He served two terms in the Minnesota State Legislature, representing District 58B, prior to election to national office. Keith Ellison offers a message of hope, reconciliation, respect, and inclusion. Join us for music at 11:30am and a reception at 1:00pm. Free and open to all! Co-sponsored by The Basilica of Saint  Mary. Contact Susan McKenna at 612.332.3421.

Link, here.

They were also present at the "Gay Pride" event last year too.

Catholic Priest Removed From San Dimas Church

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Catholic priest who admitted having a sexual relationship with a high school girl more than 40 years ago was removed his position, and a high-ranking official who oversaw the background checks of priests resigned.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced Friday that the Rev. Martin P. O’Loghlen, who worked at Holy Name of Mary Church in San Dimas, was removed from any priestly activities.

The archdiocese said it was reacting to inquiries from a New York Times reporter researching an article about O’Loghlen.

The 74-year-old priest is accused of having a long-term sexual relationship with the teenage girl beginning in 1960, and seeking her forgiveness later, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Read More: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/02/12/catholic-priest-removed-from-san-dimas-church/

In brief: Afghan soldier killed and dozens injured in bomb attack on police HQ

Taliban suicide bombers killed an Afghan soldier and wounded 28 people yesterday in an assault on the police headquarters in the main city in southern Kandahar province, the focus of a Nato offensive against insurgents.

In what appeared to be an attempt to raid the provincial police headquarters in downtown Kandahar, insurgents detonated a car bomb just outside the building before two suicide bombers blew themselves up on the street, the Nato-led coalition said

Read More: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/in-brief-afghan-soldier-killed-and-dozens-injured-in-bomb-attack-on-police-hq-2538192.html

Death toll in Iraq blast rises to 36

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say the death toll in a suicide bombing on a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims has risen to 36.

The blast went off Saturday, as pilgrims were returning from a religious ceremony.

Police and hospital officials said Sunday that 64 people were wounded in the attack in Samarra, 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Baghdad

The officials did not want to be identified because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Read More: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jidMrfMrtjpxQswXQMj1Sg8pXx9Q?docId=559b029cdd9c4eb5b946446d9066ed4f

Notre Dame Loses Senior Night Clash With Knox Catholic

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lost a close game to the Knox Catholic Fighting Irish on Saturday night. The visitors won 47-37 on Senior Night.

Notre dame fell behind early, but managed to climb back into the game in the fourth quarter only trailing the ranked Knox Catholic team by 4 points with 3:47 left in the contest.

Read More: http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_194496.asp

Public to have big say in who will be new bishop

THE PROCESS of selecting the next Bishop ofWinchester is well under way. It’s one of the most important positions in the Church of England dating back more than 1,000 years.

These days the public has a big say in who takes over the top post at the cathedral from the current incumbent, the Right Rev Michael Scott-Joynt, who is one of England’s most influential bishops.

The bishop, 67, a father-of-three, has been in the post for more than 15 years. He retires in May. And this month the ecclesiastical machinery to find his successor gets into top gear. Sir Paul Britton, the Prime Minister’s appointments secretary, and Ms Caroline Boddington, the Archbishop’s appointments secretary, will start their rounds of the diocese as they carry out wide-ranging consultations.

Read More: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/8850019.Search_for_next_Bishop_of_Winchester/

Pope declares the Internet presents great missionary opportunity

The Internet, because of its ability to overcome distances and put people in contact with each other, presents great opportunities for the church and its mission, Pope Benedict XVI told the Congregation for Catholic Education.

Referring to a draft document on the Internet and seminary formation, the Pope told the Congregation that with "necessary discretion for its intelligent and prudent use," the Internet may be of help for both studies and pastoral work of future priests in the various fields within the church.

He stressed that it was important to have adequately trained persons to work in the Internet missionary sector.

Read More:http://www.goddiscussion.com/40663/pope-declares-the-internet-presents-great-missionary-opportunity/

Christianity Experiences the Largest Growth and Islam Too -- 270 Christians are Killed Daily

(New York) For 27 years the International Bulletin of Missionary Research  (News Haven, Connecticut) has published a yearly report about the situation of Christians in the world.  The "Status of Global Mission" - Report offers interesting and astonishing numbers every year of the numerical strength of Christians and other religions.  The strength of the various denominations are also be included.

In the report of 2011 (which deals with the year of 2010) puts the martyrdom of Christians right before your eyes.  The report defines "martyr" Christians, as those "who lose their lives violently for their faith".  The report estimates that in the last ten years (2000-2010), one million Christians were killed.  That involves the death of an average of 270 new martyrs every day.

The report estimates there are 2.306.609.000 Christians in the whole world.  That corresponds to a third of the population, over 33 percent.  This means that a small rise since 2000 (32,7 Percent), but a slight decline since 1900 (34,5 Percent). Of the 2,3 billion Christians there are about 1,5 billion regular church goers with an entirety of about 5.170.000 churches, community centers and gathering spaces. In  1900 there were about 400.000.

The complete number of Christians are divided into six "large church groups".  The largest group is made up of the Catholic Church with  1.160.880.000  Catholics. In second place are the Protestants with 426.450.000 (for example: the national churches of the Lutherans, Calvinists and others)  In third place are the 271.316.000 Orthodox Churches and on fourth are the 87.520.000 Anglicans.  The fifth group is identified by the report as 378.281.000 "independents", who are seperated from the historical denominations and don't belong to any of them.  Then the last group is identified as "marginal Christians" of around 35.539.000, whose christology is doubtful relative to what is in the "published texts" of the "Bible".

In comparison to the 2,3 billion Christians there are around 1,6 billion Muslims, who are divided into various large groups and subgroups; 951 million Hindus; 468 Buddhists; 458 million adherents of Chinese religions and  137 million atheists.

Besides the strong media attention atheists get with the  likes of Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens, their numbers have declined since the last decade (period of consideration 2000-2010).

Every day there are  270 Christians who are killed because of their faith.  Every year there are, however, 80.000 new Christians to replace them.  More than 31.000 of them are Catholics.  The number of Muslims grows daily at  79.000.  The number of atheists declines about  300 per day, according to the report.

Africa has been awarded with the status of the most "breathtaking Christian growth" in the report, like the Catholic historian George Weigel writes of it, "In 1900 there were around 8,7 Million African Christians (in order, from Egypt, Ethiopia and South Africa.) Today there are 475 Million African Christians.Their numbers will reach 670 by 2025.

The yearly report of the International Bulletin of Missionary Research continues with still more numbers.  Accordingly, there were  71 Million Bibles distributed worldwide in 2010. About two billion people listen at least once to Christian radio -- or television. In 2010 there were 7,1 million books published about Christianity.  In 1970 there were 1,8

Globally it is observed, the report continues,  that although Christianity is declining at this point in Western Europe, it is experiencing in other parts of the world a "remarkable" growth, also in Asia, where the announcement of the Gospel in "bitter" terrain is in evidence.  At the same time that there is a measurable growth in Christianity, as the "decline of atheism" which is evaluated in the light of the report against "the radical advance of neo-Atheism" before the Papal visit in England and Scotland which was described as "a doubtful leap forward" for an atheism, whose "hour had gone".

In conclusion there is the data of the Status of Global Mission-Report on the unity of Christians.  In 1900 there were 1600 different Christian denominations.  In 1970 there were 18.800 and in the year of  2010 even 42.000.  The Catholic Church is the most numerous with 1.160.880.000 and their worldwide scope with a the largest world-wide net of Diocese of all Christian denominations, but also all other religions of the world, the only universal Church and universal religion.  Far behind in second place is the Russian Orthodox Church with 100 million believers.  The protestant branch of Christianity falls in a hard to decipher myriad of communities and groups, which range in numbers between a few million to only a dozen or so followers.

Read further...German original.

insidecatholic.com

Youthful Dissidents Reorganize in Minneapolis

Saturday, February 12, 2011

 

Full of the Vigor of Life

 CCCR's Action Plan for 2011

The Twin Cities-based Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (CCCR) is building on its successful Synod of the Baptized of last September with a bold and hope-filled action plan for church reform.

The Progressive Catholic Voice is a founding member organization of CCCR, and so the PCV editorial team is happy to share the following message from CCCR. This message was originally published last month on the CCCR website.

 H/t: Stella Borealis

The Priest Makes His Strength from Friendship with Christ

Benedict XVI to the Priestly Society "St. Charles Borromeo":  Jesus wanted a priesthood for maintaining the life of the Church.

Rome (kath.net/as) The importance of the priesthood in the life of the Church and the world is in the middle of the language, with which Pope Beenedict XVI addressed the priests and seminarians of the Missionary Society of St. Charles Borromeo this Saturday on the occasion of their twenty fifth anniversary.

Benedict XVI recalled his long friendship with Don Luigi Giussiani, the founder of the movement, "Communion et Liberation" from whose charisma helped establish the priestly society through the work of Massimo Camisacascas.  The Society testifies to the fruitfulness of Don Giussiani's initiative of charisma.

The priesthood needs constant renewal, in which it finds in the life of Jesus the natural form of its existence, says the Pope, who exclaimed: "The Christian priesthood is not an end in itself".  Much more, it is deliberated through Jesus for the sustainability and the life of the Church.

The glory and joy of the priesthood consists in serving Christ and His mystical body.  it is a "very beautiful and rare calling in the Church" in which the presence of Christ is the participation in  the particular and eternal priesthood of Christ.  The priestly calling "is a sure sign for the reality and the vitality of the Christian society."

"There can be no true and fruitful growth in the Church without true priestly presence which bears and nourishes it", says Benedict XVI, further, that the importance of contemplation and the prayer must be stressed there as a "dialog with the risen Lord".

The Pope undescored the "value of  common life", that isn't just an answer to the urgency of the moment like the priest shortage.  The theological signficance of the community, explained Benedict XVI., as the "expression of Christ's gift, which is the Church".  The communal life is formed by the Apostolic community, which comes from the priest: "no priest, to wit, gives something that is his, rather he allows the other brothers to participate in a sacramental gift that comes directly from Christ."

The communal life brings such a help to expression, "Christ in our midst".  Living together means the necessity to accept its own existing return and above all to recognize the beauty of this path, "the joy of humility, penance and even of talking together, the encounter of forgiveness and support."

"A real community life is not possible without prayer", says Benedict in conclusion. It is necessary to be with Jesus, in order to come to another being:  " That is the heart of mission.  In the society of Christ and the brother, every priest can find the power that is necessary, to accept the other person, with those ever more new words from the love to learn the eternal truths of the faith, for which our present age thirsts."

Read further...

Traditional Masses in The Diocese of Harrisburg

Saint Anthony's Roman Catholic Church
501 East Orange Street
Lancaster, PA 17602
Sung High Mass Every Sunday 1:30 P.M.
717-872-3350
Website http://www.hbglatinmass.com/lancaster/

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Mater Dei Latin Mass Community
Saint Lawrence Chapel
110 State Street
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Low Mass Every Sunday 8:00 A.M.
Sung High Mass Every Sunday 10:00 A.M.
Daily Mass-Monday,Tuesday, Thursday, Friday-7:30 A.M.
                       Wednesday-7:00 P.M., Saturday-9:00 A.M.
Call for details 717-889-4217
Website http://www.hbglatinmass.com/

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Saint Joseph Parish
2935 Kingston Road
York, PA 17402
Traditional Mass Sunday-Friday 6:00 A.M.
Website http://www.sjy.org/efm

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Carmel of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
430 Monastery Road
Elysburg, PA 17824
Sunday 8:00 A.M.
Monday-Friday 7:00 A.M.
Saturday 8:00 A.M.
570-672-2937

Muslim Rebels Burn Down Christian Town

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Archbishop Zycinsky of Lublin 62, RIP

He was a friend of John Paul II, but also a friend of the TLM.  He was a great exponent of dialog with the Orthodox as well.



There are film fragments of that Holy Mass.

Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK484A2HhAE

Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0HW1Hm8NAc

Part 3:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3MCE5N_RPs

(Archbishop Józef Życiński had served Holy Mass in Trident Rite (Lublin, 7. 2. 2010 A.D., The Church of Immaculate Conception at the Stanislav Staszic street).)

H/t: catholic answers for the mass links.

Capitulation Bishop to Take Major Diocese in Wales

Editor:  Thompson at the Tablet has just reported that we're going to get a really poor appointment for Wales. Thompson says it's business as usual, which from our perspective is chaos as usual.  We'll see. Thompson says he's a good pastor, but he looks more like an Old Liberal.  When you accept the assumptions of your enemies, you play by their game.  So,  if you want the kind of guy who's paid to take a fall, this is the kind of hireling you want to put in place.  He recently said that Traditionalism promotes pedophilia.  Of course, if you're guilty of something, redirect people's attention to someone small and relatively defenseless.

Capitulation Bishop Tom Burns

Link to Tablet, here

Cardinal Ravasi: Duet Instead of Duel Against the Cultural Fog: Another Voice Against Multiculturalism

More The idea of multi-clturalism is shattered, said the President of the Pontifical Council on Culture.  The "double sickness of Europe".  by Armin Schwibach

Rome (kath.net/as) Not only the British Prime Minister David Cameron [Sarkozi and Merkel as well], but also the President of the Council for Culture Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi,  has recognized that the idea of multiculturalism as the cohabitation of different cultures in western lands is shattered.

For Ravasi it is necessary that at this point of the dialogue has brought out the "interculturality", that are interacting with "powerful cultural identities". The president of the Council of Culture expressed itself in this way at Castel Gandolfo at the event of the 35th meeting of Bishops who are associated with the Focolare Movement.

At the same time he proposed the possible publication of documents on the side of the Vatican dealing with this theme, according to a report in today's edition of the Milan paper "Corriere della Sera".

Cardinal Ravasi explained that it is necessary to manage a confrontation, which not be described as conflict and is communicated from within values, without each losing its own identity.  Multiculturalism has been a fact since antiquity, it is present to all in the midst of the urban environment.   There are various cultural presences established there,  which in any event  are colliding together in diverse forms leading from fundamentalism.

"Dialogue" is presented that it is a "dia-logue" " and with it a relation between two "logoi".  This means that the goal of interculturalism is not consist in the identification of the building of a single global society.

The attempt of multiculturalism is in the atempt of a "duel" for domination, said the Cardinal.  Against that it is above all necessary today, to form interculturalism as a "duet", by which the two can be strengthened, rather forming the different identities not to be like each other, rather they harmoniously encounter each other.

Cardinal Ravasi warned of a "double sickeness" in Europe.  this is on the one side aggressively approaching ideology of "the sword" , which is not necessarily excluded to the Christian, and on the other side from "cultural syncretism, superficiality, banality, stupidity, depraved morals, colorless and a overbearing cultural fog, which is predominant."

Cardinal Kasper Severely Criticizes Theological Dissidents

Editor: We got earlier statements from the good Cardinal at Enlace Catolico. Here he is again, this time for Vatican Radio and kath.net, saying his piece against these theologians.  It's certainly one of the most striking statements from a Curial official so far, and one of the most surprising.  Here are some excerpts from his interview as translated at kath.net.

As we pointed out last year in September, the Cardinal had admonished Germans to obey the Holy Father.  


"Churches, which have opted for woman's ordination and the recognition of same-sex partnerships, have put themselves for that reason in a very deep crisis"

Rome (kath.net) The Roman Curial Cardinal, Walter Kasper has made a clear denunciation for the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" against the Munster "Theological Referendum".  Kath.net has documented the main statements from "Radio Vatikan"  from FAZ-Report on the theme of "We're Coming to the Point".

"No sensible man, no follower of Christ will contend that the Catholic Church in Germany has had an acerbic and necessary break.  No one can seriously contend that the teachers and teacheresses of Theology are accorded any especial responsibility.  As one who has been in service for more than thirty years in academia,  I must say clearly, that the Memorandum has disturbed me greatly... because I would have expected more from Theologians, namely, a substantial theological contribution.

I ask myself, how a theologian can speak of the past situation and their difficulties, without mentioning the crisis of faith. Instead of this, the Memorandum remains stuck in a justifiable self-criticism.  Do the undersigned seriously believe that the Church's constitution today is an existential question for people? Is it not the reverse: that the crisis in the Church follows from a crisis of faith?  That is also valid for the horrible cases of sexual abuse.

What the undersigners of the Memorandum want to bring to the Dialog, has already been long known and expressed by other groups ad nauseum.  For that reason I have paid attention as the initial words of the message of freedom in the Gospel demand.  I thought: Yes, that's it.

I asked myself, how can it be that German Catholic theologians are so clearly  closed, that  churches, which are decided for women's ordination and for the recogniztion of same sex partnerships, have for that reason put themselves in a much deeper crisis than the Catholic Church in Germany.

The Celibacy is not just for today a hot iron in the fire.  Actually, I have been preoccupied with it for over forty years with other theologians that Pope and Episcopal College have the duty to assure the unmarried state of the diocesan priesthood.  Clearly, the fact is little known that this assessment has been for a long time in place.  The question has been discussed internationally, exegetically as well as historically some exceptions, that it can't be seriously allowed to review the old arguments.  Not less than three World Conferences of bishops have voted in the meantime with overpowering majorities for the continuance of the unmarried priesthood.  If anyone had wanted another internal Church legal structure, then it would have been appended, that decisions would also have been recognized, that he had preferred another solution himself.

Only a hopeless and futureless and therefore false conservatism can be living, what pastoral structures have previously been  identified artificially with 'viri probati' [married men of good character].  In any event those superficial German priestly communities in the Diocese are also not the final word.

More imagination and a view  beyond one's own teacup could help out tremendously.

The crisis of faith is not only a celibacy crisis, rather it has also led to a crisis of the faithful and the community.  When in Germany the number of regular churchgoers since 1950 has dropped more than two thirds, then that is a sign that has been long nudging and pushing to the real ground, what the priest shortage really means.  I can only propose a radical solution which is set on this "radix", on this root, in place of superficially turning on the parameters of celibacy."

From kath.net...