Last weekend a group of faithful Catholics protested against a radio station owned by Seton Hall University in Cardinal "Nighty-Night Baby" Tobin's Archdiocese of Newark NJ. The station, ostensibly Catholic, plays vile satanic music in disregard to the feedback issued by faithful Catholics.
This is the kind of action that faithful Catholics must take when these evils emanate from the prelates who are supposed to be protecting their congregations from these wolves.
It happened in Washington DC this past weekend. Given that the event was put together with relatively short notice, I understand that the attendance was quite respectable. LifeSiteNews covered it and I now link to their post.
But this was one day. What about the rest of the year? I haven't found any talks that hint of any follow-up, so I pray that these men will go back home with concrete plans to bring about a culture of life in their own localities. As the saying goes, "think globally, act locally." One rally, by itself, will NOT suffice to protect babies and restore Godliness to western civilization. It will require regular, disciplined prayer and action throughout the year. That is where the rubber will really hit the road.
In the lead article of the latest edition for Defend Life's newsletter (in which I regularly write a column), one is led to ask that question as the MCC supported a bill in the Maryland State Legislature that would allow Planned Parenthood into schools for easy access to school-aged kids.
I needn't rehash the excellent Defend Life piece but rather, I'd suggest you read it yourselves. Some things need to be highlighted about the MCC's support for HB 401. First, two local pro-life groups opposed it. Didn't Molly Sheahan think it might have been wise to inquire why the other two groups opposed it? I would think it should have been a part of some "due-diligence" research on her part. Second, NARAL, existing only to promote abortion, favored it. I might have thought that might raise a red flag or two as to whether or not HB 401 was really beneficial. Defend Life staff questioned Sheahan about these matters, only to receive an evasive response.
So now the question must be asked. What, or maybe, who urged Sheahan to disregard the voices of others in the pro-life community and stand side by side with rabid pro-aborts in support of HB 401? I would not be surprised if those directives came from chanceries. Recall that all three Maryland prelates sit on the Board of Directors of the MCC.
The Archdiocese of Washington has displayed some strange behavior towards pro-life activists. I touched a bit on it three years ago. Might our prelates have been willing to support HB 401 in exchange for some other favor? We don't know. Suffice it to say that Sheahan most likely would not have supported that bill without obtaining at least the permission of the MCC board of directors - that is, the area bishops. I regret this episode might be more than just an error of judgment.
What follows is a summation of all the destructive things that we've been seeing over the years, many of them facilitated by Pope Francis. This is from a post that I saw in Facebook. I will release his/her identity if and only if I receive permission to do so. I may disagree with him/her on some minor points, but overall I think this illustrates how seemingly disparate events really do speak to an overarching agenda.
One thing that I did not see in this list is the now-looming attack on the Traditional Latin Mass. I will have more on that in the following post.
Now follows the facebook post...
If you haven't done so yet, please read the previous post. It is an attempted summary on recent events. In that otherwise-excellent summary, I saw no mention of the attacks on the Traditional Mass; perhaps the summary was composed before the nefarious designs against the Mass became known.
St Padre Pio once said that "it would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass." He died before the Novus Ordo Mass was promulgated by Pope Paul VI. St. Leonard of Port Maurice said of the Mass, "I believe that were it not for the Holy Mass, as of this moment the world would be in the abyss." Clearly Saints Pio and Leonard understood the absolute necessity of the Mass - as it existed before Vatican II.
Vatican II, either by intent of some council fathers or by misinterpretation (and I think it's the former), led to massive changes in the Mass. I don't have time to rehearse all of them, save to say that extreme violence was done to the dignity and theology of Holy Mass, with devastating spiritual and societal results. Many good people understood the dangers, if only instinctively. Thanks to them, the Traditional Latin Mass never completely faded into obscurity.
In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued a Summorum Pontificum, basically allowing priests to celebrate the Tridentine Mass without having to seek permission of their bishops, provided that a stable group of lay people wished to have said Masses and be willing to support them. With that, the Mass in the Extraordinary Form started to be celebrated in many locations. Many of the faithful Catholics attending them were young people. These young people tend to have large families and thus their children were growing up in a decent liturgical setting.
As I mentioned in one of my posts this past Thursday, it became clear that the pope and many of the progressives in the Vatican have malicious designs upon the Tridentine Mass. The edicts they are going to promulgate will have the immediate effect of hobbling those who wish to participate in the Mass of the Ages, with the ultimate aim at choking off that Mass altogether.
The details of this attack are now crystalizing. Both GloriaTV and Rorate Caeli agree that there are two parts to this attack. First (to come in a matter of weeks) involves focus on the clergy currently celebrating Traditional Latin Masses. They will have to apply for permission from their bishops to celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass, even if the Mass is now well-established. This is a direct contradiction to Pope Benedict's Summorum Pontificum.
In addition to the previous post's take on current events, I post the June 4th broadcast of the Anchor Team, where Michael Hichborn and Jim Maughan put forth their own observations. Please take the time to watch this and to read the other material. I realize it's a lot of information and it can be overwhelming, but we - each and every one of us - must understand these matters so that we can understand and defend ourselves and our loved ones against all the forces designed to imperil our souls.
Might this wreckage be averted? By the grace of God, it can. Sometimes shedding the light and drawing attention to planned mischief can cause would-be perpetrators to reconsider their contemplated crimes. Of course be praying your daily Rosaries. Pray the prayers of Leo XIII after Mass. They are a standard ending of every Low Mass anyway, but consider making them a part of your after-Mass thanksgiving. Certainly be talking of these matter amongst yourselves to make all aware of what is happening and to strategize how you'll approach your pastor, bishop, etc.
As further developments emerge, I will post them.
Join in the fun! Get your pulse rates going! Pump that blood! Go for the burn (in more ways than one?) Do some penance as you listen to the cheesy music! What are you waiting for?
Of course the word "blesses" belongs in quotes, for under no circumstance can sin, especially one of the four mortal sins that cries to God for vengeance, can be blessed. But that is precisely what Bishop John Stowe of Lexington, KY attempted on May 31st. It's not the first time he bowed and scraped before gays. Last year, during "pride month", he extended a "welcome" to the revelers and apologized that the Church wasn't "welcoming". In reality, he was really apologizing for Our Lord Himself - a bit blasphemous by the way.
Maybe we've stumbled on a motive behind his obvious animus against Nick Sandmann and his friends. They were Catholic young men attending the March for Life; I'm willing to bet that Sandmann wasn't the only one sporting a MAGA cap. The fidelity of those young men put his own dissidence in a most unfavorable contrast.
Fr James Martin, Stowe's fellow dissident, let us know that this stunt was engineered by Dignity. Stowe is up to his eyeballs in disobedience, jeopardizing his soul. Those in his diocese should cut off all donations to him and let him know why. We will also pray for him.
Rumors have been swirling about this for a few weeks now, but not on sites that I trust. Lo and behold, The Remnant Newspaper now confirms them. Mind you, this document and the measures detailed therein is simply the first round in what may well be an all-out assault on Holy Mass.
For the record, I am now attending Sunday Mass in the Extraordinary Form. I have been doing so for over a year. During the disgraceful shuttering of the Churches, the Traditional Latin Mass was all that was available. It seems that the TLM priests were the only ones to take their sacerdotal responsibilities seriously. For a few months, I had to drive considerable distances to attend those Latin Mass, but it was well worth the effort to receive Our Lord physically and sacramentally. I will continue to attend Sunday Masses at TLM locations. During the week, I attend the Novus Ordo at local parishes, as the TLM isn't readily available.
Now it seems that the Vatican progressives have the Mass of the ages in their crosshairs. Early on in this papacy I was alarmed by Pope Francis' disregard of ceremonial traditions surrounding the papacy, being concerned that disregard of tradition (small t) often went hand-in-hand with disregard of Tradition (large T). Regrettably I was correct. Perhaps they intend to strip whatever vestiges of dignity that still remain of the Novus Ordo, perhaps festooning it with pachamama-esque debaucheries - once they've choked off any hope of Catholics escaping to the Latin Mass.
The Remnant article has contact information for people whom we should petition to spare the Traditional Latin Mass from progressive wrecking balls. Please do so, and please explore the Latin Mass.
Several priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore have retired, including the renegade priest Father Joseph Muth. Recall that his retirement wasn't entirely voluntary; Archbishop Lori asked for his retirement, and for ample reason. The Catholic Review sang the praises of these new retirees, Father Muth among them. I thought that the Review, being the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, might have the good sense not to mention the gay pandering of Father Muth throughout the years. After all, to have a priest actually herding his all-too-willing sheep on the their way to hell is not exactly worthy of praise. It speaks ill of the Review, and perhaps the Archdiocese of Baltimore itself, that they would choose to celebrate Father Muth's promotion of mortal sin.
Baltimore Catholics, would not "letters to the editor" be in order? I suspect that the Review is at least partially funded by the Archdiocese of Baltimore: in other words, by your contributions. Do you want your contributions used to affirm mortal sin? On the Review's page, I saw no provision for letter submission, so I'd suggest that you send yours to mail@CatholicReview.org. Not only Baltimore Catholics, but all faithful Catholics should protest this travesty. Here is my letter to the editor.
Dear Editor, I read with disappointment Christopher Gunty’s all-too-glowing article regarding the retirement of Father Joseph Muth. It’s understandable that when highlighting the career of a retiring priest, that the Archdiocese would wish to laud his legitimate accomplishments. However, his activity for the mortal sin of homosexual conduct is not among those accomplishments. He validated so-called “gay couples” in their mortal sin. Time and again, he led a contingent of St Matthew’s parishioners in Baltimore’s “gay pride” parade, while carrying a St. Matthew’s banner. The list of scandalous behaviors could go on.
Gundy’s article says that he provided “welcome” for gay people. May I remind you that Holy Mother Church has always provided that welcome? She has always welcomed not only homosexual people but others also embroiled in mortal sins such as murder, drunken behavior, theft, etc. That welcoming has always been accomplished through the Sacrament of Confession, when those in mortal sin foreswear their sinful conduct. Mr Gundy and most likely others of the Review staff seem to approve of homosexual conduct; in so voicing that approval, they commit their own sin and most likely could benefit from a visit to a confessional themselves.
