Archbishop Vigano recently released a full, well-based treatment of Traditionis Custodes. Courtesy of Catholic Family News, we have both the printed version and a video presentation given by the Archbishop. His Excellency lays the full, unvarnished truth out there for all to read. Please note the parallels that he draws between the Vatican progressives who seek to deny us the Mass of the Ages and the Covid-scandemic tyrants seeking to deprive us of our human rights. I agree with him that these parallels are NOT mere coincidence; both have masonic influences. It is a long read, but well worth your time to do so. Both the ecclesial and the civil tyrants must be resisted to their faces.
I would also suggest that you watch this. Michael Matt illustrates the connections and underlying themes between many of the ominous things that have been occurring: the attempted destruction of the Tridentine Mass, illegals streaming across the border, the threat of vaccine-passports, etc. They have underlying themes because they have the same origins, many of them masonic.
No, I'm not talking of the usual suspects, those progressives who have made a habit of openly defying Our Lord's teachings throughout the years. I am speaking of those who have earned some respect for being faithful, but who have recently displayed abysmal lack of judgment.
Two such examples happened this past week, both on Facebook. Two persons/entities posted memes that I might have expected from those who openly disparage Christian faith and morality. I post the memes below.
Let me point out a few things, though. First, these people themselves, by posting on social media, have made their identities known. I therefore have included their names on the original postings. Anyone who makes public statements should be prepared for public commentary and even criticism. Second, I voice some regret for these memes, for they are offensive. But light must shine on the rot so we can see with what we are dealing. Here they are.
I believe the one to the right comes from a Christian group that isn't primarily Catholic. Still, these Christians are holding the marital act to be fodder for (at best) adolescent jokes. I objected to the lack of taste and reverence behind this meme. Fortunately I was not alone in voicing my displeasure, but the majority of commenters mocked our concerns.
More than a few tried to justify this by citing Song of Songs. I asked them where in that book was the marital act treated as fodder for locker-room sniggering. I've yet to receive a reply. Many told us to shut up and "scroll by".
A bit of background information is needed here. This is a picture of the killing of St Peter of Verona, also known as St Peter Martyr. He met his death by having the axe put into his head. As he knelt down, he wrote the Creed with his blood before he was finally stabbed to death. I'm sure most decent people would hold that the image of a saint's martyrdom is not to be mocked and in fact constitutes sacrilege.
Bree Dail is the Rome correspondent for the Epoch Times. She herself is Catholic. Against the objections of others (myself included) she defended her posting of this mocking image. Again, we heard the calls to shut up and "scroll by".
Several astute individuals, on both posts, reminded us that we are to be in the world, but not of it. They are correct. They quoted some pertinent Scripture passages:
Ephesians 4:29 exhorts us to let no evil speech proceed from us. When we make light of holy matters, we engage in evil speech.
I've written quite a bit of these matters, where Catholics and others are losing sight of the fact that our lives here are meant for specific purposes, not for "lightening up". The Baltimore Catechism stated it quite succinctly: "Why did God make me? God made me to know, love and serve Him in this world, and be happy forever with Him in the next". Now I don't often quote Protestants, but it seems that Protestants of yesteryear had more sense of Christianity than do many Catholics today. Martin Lloyd-Jones stated once that "life is a solemn affair, for the choices we make in this life will determine where we spend eternity."
How on earth can we point the way to Our Lord and His righteousness if we ourselves are giggling and snickering at what God has called holy?
This was a long time coming. At last there is a glimmer of hope for justice. The man bringing these charges is just one of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young men preyed upon by the disgraced ex-cleric. I would hope there is real punishment, including time behind bars. The realist in me says that won't happen because McCarrick may well be able to blackmail key people - certainly his fellow cleric-perverts. Still, I'm glad at least one man had the ability and determination to pursue justice.
As far as McCarrick is concerned, we must pray for his final conversion and repentance. All indicators point to a dismal eternity for him IF he doesn't repent of his many crimes and make a good, sincere Confession. He is an old man with not too much time left before his particular judgment.
A Pontifical High Mass had been scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 14, at DC's Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It was supposed to take place last year, but the Covid shutdowns forced its postponement. I suspect it would have been much like the one I attended three years ago.
Despite the fact that all permissions and other protocols had already been obtained, Cardinal Gregory compelled the intended celebrant of the High Mass, Archbishop Thomas Gullickson, to apply for permission, ostensibly in compliance with Traditionis Custodes, even though that had already been done. Today Gregory sent notice that permission was denied - just two weeks prior to the Mass, after all preparations had already been made. This motu simply gave the archdiocese an excuse to renege on its word to the Paulus Institute for the Propagation of Sacred Liturgy.
In light of the contents of this motu proprio, I think the name would be more accurately rendered, "Traitorous Custodians". Earlier, Cardinal Gregory said he would have to "prayerfully reflect" on the pope's missive. Obviously we now know where he stands
By-the-by, the ADW's Annual Appeal is underway. I think we now have yet another reason to boycott this shake-down. Whatever "support the work of the Church" means, it does not mean throwing money at those who dare to quash the Mass of the Ages.
A shout-out to my blogging colleague Dymphna for her practical suggestions in preparing for the worst in the wake of Traditionis Custodes. She reminds us that the steps that she suggests were taken in the 1960s-1980s by those who sought to preserve the Traditional Mass in the wake of Vatican II. At the time, I was a child whose family more or less went along with the new changes so I was not aware of those people and their heroic efforts. At this time, a goodly number of US bishops are opting for the status quo, at least until they've had a chance to study the document. If the Vatican had two functioning brain cells, they would have realized that an immediate implementation was not logically feasible, but but logic and common sense are not in plenteous supply at the Vatican these days.
Following along with my previous post against trying to put on a "smiley-face" for the benefit of the progressives watching us, I'd like to post an article reminding us of the proper use of righteous anger - an anger not to be stuffed down, but to be utilized for the good. And now, a word from Mother Miriam on this mess...
With these two reactions, I seek not only to give the reactions to highly-respected orthodox clerics in the Church, but to highlight also their understandings of just how insidious this motu proprio really is. They both bring to bear their expertise on theology and canon law. First, I link to a treatise written by Cardinal Burke.
Note that in his first point, Cardinal Burke asks why the document wasn't written first in Latin. He then points out how an Italian word could be mistranslated into English. Whether or not he intended it, His Eminence illustrated Latin's value as a dead language.
Throughout his analysis, His Eminence comments on the alleged evils described in the motu, stating that in all his years of dealing with attendees of traditional Latin Masses, that he never saw the ills that the pope stated were such a threat. I'll leave the rest for your reading.
Taylor Marshall then deals with the statement that Archbishop Vigano made regarding the pope's obvious antipathy for the Latin Mass. The archbishop recommended to our reading an article by Massimo Viglione, entitled "The Hatred For The Mass Of All Time And The Question Of Obedience". The archbishop wrote the forward to that article. To be honest, I haven't yet had time to digest the article myself, but I trust the archbishop enough to believe that when he recommends it to our reading, then we should take him at his word. I also post Marshalls' commentary below.
In this video, Taylor Marshall gives his analysis of the MPFH, that is, Moto Propitio From Hell, also known as Traditionis Custodes.
Towards the end of the video, Marshall opines that the end game of the modernists is to move faithful Catholics into some "coral". He speaks as if that is an inherently bad thing. I'm not so certain of that. Recall that Pope Benedict XVI predicted that the true Church would have to get smaller. So is this "coral" necessarily bad? If we are isolated, perhaps we are in the sense that the ancient Roman Christians were isolated in the crucible of the catacombs. They loved and supported each other, and most importantly, gave true worship to God and spread the Gospel and the Church.
I do have another issue with this video, and perhaps it's more of a matter of emphasis. Several times Marshall exhorts us to be "joyful", but he seems to be speaking in terms of not giving the progressives ammnition to us against us. Well, what does he mean by "being joyful"? I ask because the world has a definition of "joy" that is quite at variance with that listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians. If he means that this "joy" should somehow mollify the progressives, isn't that in fact asking Catholics to conform their behavior to worldly standards of "joy"?
I'm not so certain that "joy" is a proper response. Consider that the (reputed) Vicar of Christ just abrogated the supreme means of offering God fitting worship. This isn't about us primarily, but about an insult to God Almighty by the Vicar of Christ in the name of the Roman Catholic Church. Do we understand how catastrophic this is? If this goes unopposed, serious spiritual ramifications will follow. Yes, God is in ultimate control and yes, there will be the ultimate triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart, but in the meantime souls will be lost forever owing to the derelictions by the Church that seem to be mounting almost on a daily basis. Pray, fast, do penance. Build up your local TLM parishes and Masses. If necessary, go to TLMs outside your dioceses - and take your donations with you. This is a time for serious prayer and action, not trying to give or take comforts every time a hardship is presented to us. There will be literal hell to pay in the meantime. We need stiff spines, hard noses, thick skins.
I believe Michael Matt's take on the gravity of the situation is much more realistic. Yes, hope, but acknowledge the reality of the struggle.
Church Militant had done some expose on Father Miqueli, a priest in the Archdiocese of New York who was both a thief and pervert. He resigned only after Catholics of that diocese filed suit in court. Since the time of my writing Miqueli died under very sordid circumstances. Church Militant has uncovered more tentacles of that corruption. See below
I suspect that this sort of thing doesn't register a blip on the pope's radar. He is dealing with greater threats - such as Catholics kneeling reverently for Holy Communion at a Traditional Latin Mass. Now we see that the pope can be forceful and resolute - when he wants to be.
The "rumors" that have been circulating about the pope's intention to strangle the Usus Antqior have all been confirmed. Here is the official decree. Please scroll down for the English version. At the very bottom is a link to an accompanying letter; again, scroll down for that English translation.
Note the frequent references to "Saint Paul VI" and "Saint John Paul II". I think we now see why those canonizations were hurried along - to give credibility to the claim that the Novus Ordo can actually supplant the Tridentine Mass. But if we need to invoke canonized pontiffs to establish legitimacy of rites, let's examine Quo Primum, authored by Pope Saint Pius V just a few years after the Council of Trent ended. From the third paragraph: "Let all everywhere adopt and observe what has been handed down by the Holy Roman Church, the Mother and Teacher of the other churches, and let Masses not be sung or read according to any other formula than that of this Missal published by Us. This ordinance applies henceforth, now, and forever,.." (Emphasis mine) Please read the entire thing, which happens to be an Apostolic Constitution, as opposed to a Motu Propitio. Pope Francis cannot overrule that.
Two weeks ago, I posted a video from Taylor Marshall about the situation with my own commentary. Again I reiterate my claim that this supposed invocation of "unity" as a reason to strangle the Traditional Latin Mass was merely smoke and mirrors. That too has been confirmed. This is nothing more than sheer hatred of Tradition - and part of the scheme to make the church more suitable as a vehicle to legitimize the New World Order/One World Government. I think that is the end game.
Meanwhile, we must resist this diabolical attack with everything that we have. That may mean walking away from our parishes (with our donations) to find where a Latin Mass is being celebrated. During the lockdown, no entity beholden to the bishops - including the FSSP - had their doors open for Mass; indeed, in most cases the restrictions imposed by the bishops were more draconian than those of civil authorities. The SSPX did offer Mass to the public, albeit in conformity with local restrictions. I attended those SSPX Masses; driving 6 hours round trip. It was worth every minute to actually receive Our Lord physically in Holy Communion and attend a Mass in person, even if in my car. I remind one and all that the SSPX is not in schism with Rome and was, for at least two months, the only Catholic organization looking out for the sacramental needs of the Catholic faithful. If necessary, I will attend SSPX mases once again.
Again, we are presented with the need to resist evil in the Church, even if that evil emanates from the Holy See. We either prepare ourselves to do that, or we risk the eternal loss of our souls and those of our loved ones.
