General Discussion (6)
If there’s something of interest in the news that’s not covered in one of the topic threads, or you have a question to ask, a comment you’d like to make about anything under the sun, more or less, this is the thread for you. However, please check first, to ensure that you haven’t missed a topic thread or another thread where it would be appropriate to post your comment. Readers have occasionally gone straight to the General Discussion thread to post news that is already the topic of a thread or to ask a question that is already being discussed elsewhere. So, do your Sherlock Holmes before posting here, please and thank you!
Feel free, also, to share your favourite spiritual reading books, prayers and devotions. Whatever.
Enjoy!
To read General Discussion Thread (1) click here (2) click here (3) click here (4) click here (5) click here
Comments (491)
Just wanted to wish massive congratulations to Charlie Flynn who won the boxing light-welterweight Gold medal at the commonwealth games. Did anybody else notice he was wearing a scapular on the post fight interview by the BBC. He was at the SSPX school in England a few years ago when my son was there and was a really nice kid. He’s a part time postman in Motherwell and came out with some classic quotes. Here’s my favourite.
. “The mail man has delivered once again. … ”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/28623672
CBucket, it would have been good to have this logged on our Commonwealth Games thread. Could I remind everyone of the statement I placed in red font at the top, that it is helpful if you would check the other threads to see if your comment is more appropriate there, before posting on the GD thread. It can lead to confusion with people discussing the same thing on different threads. It is also helpful for bloggers who are later looking for some comment or other. The obvious place to look for any comments on Charlie Flynn, for example, would be on the Commonwealth Games thread, not having to work out which of the GD threads to check.
Anyway, done now. He has done well to win gold, of course, although I find it difficult to comprehend why anyone – especially a Catholic – would find boxing an attractive sport. His family used to attend our SSPX chapel (some still do) and I believe Charlie served Mass. It was certainly good to see his brown scapular. Thanks for the video clip. Not being interested in sport (especially boxing!) I hadn’t realised he was involved and a winner. Thanks for that.
Editor
In view of your (to me) outrageous comment regarding whether Boxing is a fit sport for Catholics to engage in, perhaps if you started a new thread (possibly adjacent to the one discussing whether watching TV is a suitable past time for Catholics) we posters could then enjoy the views of others on the merits or demerits of particular sporting activities with regard to the search for everlasting redemption.
Mikidiki,
If you are outraged that I could possibly dislike boxing, then I’d hate to hear your reactions to my thoughts on football.
I’m perfectly happy to post a thread on the topic – certainly. Will do asap
However, I have to say that it’s quite some time since (to the best of my recollection) you blogged here so I can’t help wishing that you were half as “outraged” at some of the other important topics which have been discussed here since your last appearance, as you claim to be over my expression of a simple dislike of boxing and a certain curiosity as to why any Catholic would take pleasure in beating a fellow human being black and blue in the name of sport. But then, I am, as you must admit, a very simple gal…
Editor
My, oh my, are not we hyper sensitive today! I must say that your ill considered response is unworthy of you.
Of course, anyone is free to dislike any sport. My outrage was not in relation to that, it was the implication that Boxing as a sport is not a fitting past time for Catholics to participate in, either as contestants or spectators.
You refer to your views on football. How about your opinions on whether Catholics should serve in the Armed Forces?
Finally, for someone who constantly ( and justifiably ) urges posters to refrain from personal attacks and abuse, whether I have contributed to recent threads or not, is of no relevance to the matter in hand.
Perhaps I have good, private reasons for my reticence. I may have been unwell, I may have been away on holiday, I may have found the topics uninspiring and somewhat negative.
Whatever, since I have not been allocated a quota to fulfil, I shall post when and how often I choose!
Finally, for your edification and enlightenment, I have not felt competent enough to comment upon recent topics, and so I have been following a dictum familiar to members of my family, “If you have nothing worth saying, say nothing!”
Sometimes I wish others would adopt this maxim.
Mikidiki,
There was nothing personal intended in anything in my post. I’m sorry you interpreted it that way and apologise unreservedly for any offence cause.
I do NOT approve of boxing but we’ll leave that for now since I will post the thread that you requested. I wonder how many other administrators would do the same? From my knowledge of the rest of them across the internet – zero. Just call me Saint Editor. (Joke)
And allow me to answer your question – if there were no soldiers on tap, there would be no wars. I’m not going to sign up for the Armed Services and then condemn war. As I say, I’m a simple gal.
Now, I have apologised for any offence caused by my response to you. There is no law which says anyone must blog at any time or in any given amount. That said, I don’t buy the “I have nothing to say, so keep silent”. There is always something to say even if merely to encourage another blogger or acknowledge the truth in one or other of the comments posted. That said, nobody is under any obligation to blog, just as we are under no obligation to provide the facility, which comes up for review annually when the WordPress fee is due. If we find that folks have nothing to say, we’ll close down.
My remark about your sudden outrage on what seems to me to be a completely unimportant (in the great scheme of things) matter but your apparent silence on others was simply an observation, of the type that crosses my mind when I receive letters attacking Catholic Truth because they dislike our “tone” from people who wouldn’t lift a pen to write to their Modernist bishops.
I should, however, have kept that thought to myself – on that we agree and so I repeat my apology for causing you offence, and I trust you will accept it in good faith.
Some time later… The new thread on boxing is now online – click here
For General Information…
Please note that I will not be commenting much in the next few days because I am racing to get the September newsletter written up and attend to various other pressing matters at the same time, to avoid being late with publication. I published the post on the papal scandals thinking it would leave me free to get on with the newsletter today, as I have a mountain of other things on my list for tomorrow and will be away from my computer part of this week.
However, I have now posted the boxing thread so am about to bury myself (say nothing 😀 )
Thank you.
Editor
Many thanks for your gracious apology, and for setting up the new thread enabling discussion on whether Boxing is a suitable sporting activity for Catholics. Both actions are appreciated.
Cbucket
Thanks for that interesting post 🙂 I think the guy has left a stamp on Scottish sport 🙂 He has obviously being pushing the envelope during training:-) With a bit of sponsorship he could make a packet out of this 🙂 All together a first class effort 🙂
Yes a great achievement!
As it turns out, the Carmel Books blog is already looking for sponsors on his behalf, as he aims to develop his career towards the Olympics in 2016:
http://carmelbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/champion-scapulars-for-catholic.html
Summa
If he is a Celtic fan he will probably sing Mail, Mail the Celts are here.
I have just noticed that the SSPX has published up-to-date statistics (up to an including July 2014) as of 1st August.
Here:
http://www.fsspx.org/en/la-fraternite-en-chiffres/?pid=44
In short, 589 priests (in 37 countries), 187 seminarians. A big fuss was made of them approaching the 600-priests mark recently; but with the numbers of seminarians, I don’t think it will be too long before 1,000 priests is on the horizon.
And given 2013 saw an intake of 43 1st year seminarians, when that batch completes their training the SSPX may well have its biggest number of ordinations in a single year (even if some of them drop out). The stats show that the current record is ~30 in one year, set in the mid 1980s.
(2013 also saw 16 new postulants for the Brothers; I dont know about the Sisters).
Good news! 🙂
Gabriel Syme
I don’t think it will be too long before 1,000 priests is on the horizon.
Actually a rough calculation shows that it will take about another 27 years at the current rate.
Of course, after the upcoming shenanigans in October there is a distinct possibility that the rate might increase dramatically! 🙂
Really? How long does it take to train a priest? I thought about 6 years?
Thanks for the clarification in any case!
Comment removed by editor and re-posted on the Sport: Should Catholics Box thread
Here’s something to make us all smile – especially our American bloggers. A report on the pairing of Dull and Boring was featured on the local television news in Scotland yesterday. Enjoy.
I find the threads rather difficult to follow, as the posts are not in datal order but appear directly under the post one is replying to. It is just me? Am I missing something? (Please be gentle….)
Therese,
That is, indeed, the WordPress system. If you click on “reply” your post will appear underneath the post to which you are replying, or underneath the previous reply. There’s nothing can be done about that, as far as I know. Sorry about that.
I note where Fr. Timohty Radcliffe, OP, has been invited to preach at the National Novena in Knock, Ireland taking place between 14th and 22nd August. Fr. Radcliffe is scheduled to speak on 15th August, the feast of the Assumption, of all days!! As bloggers will be aware this is the priest who thinks that homosexual activity is acceptable and that the Church needs to revisit Her teachings on sexuality.
Timothy Radcliffe. It is a matter of grave concern when a cleric who openly defies church teaching is invited to preach at an event of such magnitude.
Yes, Spiritus, it is indeed a matter of grave concern but the last time we posted a blog thread on the topic of Fr Radcliffe in Ireland, very few, if any (perhaps one) person from the Emerald Isle put in an appearance to express any such “grave concern”.
He is supported by the Bishops quite openly (as evidenced by the above invitation) and with complicity by the majority of the Catholic laity. Those who – like your good self – seek to publicise such scandals are in the minority.
Anyway, thank you for drawing our attention to this latest scandal from the one-time land of saints and scholars. If you care to provide a link to the organisers’ email, we can write to express our disapproval, not that they will care a jot. Why should they? They have the Archbishop on their side, bolstered now by the election of an outright Modernist pontiff. Still, it doesn’t do any harm to keep reminding them that they are in the wrong and will have to face God at their judgment for allowing this heretic to spread his poison.
Email address if you have one, then, Spiritus, please and thank you.
Editor, unfortunately I must agree that dissent appears to be “supported quite openly by the Catholic Bishops of Ireland and with complicity by the majority of the Catholic laity” The laity of Ireland, quite frankly, do not seem to care for the truth any more. it is very difficult to convince people of the grave consequences of words and actions which violate the Commandments of God.
Editor, this is the link. I googled “Spirit Daily” and this was one of the topics listed therein. I am aware, however, that “Spirit Daily” is very much pro-Medugorje (which I am definitely NOT since being enlightened to the true nature of events taking place there). There is a list of speakers and events at the end of the article linked below, but I am sure that if you google “Knock Novena, 2014” or something similar you would also get a list of speakers. e-mail in separate e-mail!
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=25364
The Requiem Mass of “Bishop”‘ Tony Palmer (Evangelical pentacostalist, friend of the Holy Father) in Bath at St John the Evangelist? Is this the first move in the convergence path? How can this have taken place? Has this really taken place?
Have you a link to this innovation?!
Pat Langan,
Hardly the “first move in the convergence path” – there have been all sorts of convergence events, in the past fifty or so years. Loads. Check out any parish bulletin. Every unchallenged ecumenical event in any diocesan parish you care to name, is a walk down Convergence Path.
I’d say the novus ordo Mass may be said to have set the convergence ball rolling and its aftermath (removal of altar rails, Communion in the hand, visiting Protestants preaching in Catholic churches etc) kept it rolling. Big time.
This funeral is just the latest in a long line of scandals, just as this pope is merely the latest in the post-conciliar line of bad popes. Groups like ourselves have been pointing this out for years but only now is perhaps the bulk, if not the majority, of the faithful beginning to waken up to the reality of the horror of this crisis in the Church. To comment further on this scandal, please switch to the Papal Scandals thread. Scroll down to end, where there is a link to a report at Catholic Family News on the topic. Thank you.
Mikidiki
Editor posted a link over on the Papal Scandals thread (Aug 10 2.24 pm).
Editor: thank you for this – please comment on this scandal on the Papal Scandals thread to avoid too much duplication (almost impossible to avoid altogether with this Pope!)
Thank you for the reference. Obviously I had missed the Editor’s link. The whole affair is a serious affront to traditional Catholicism and no doubt has set a precedent.
Many years ago an acquaintance of mine was a lad named Raymond Bishop. He was/is not a Catholic but nevertheless I suppose he could, on current practice, qualify for a Funeral Mass. It does seem that “we are all in this together!”
Hereunder is a copy of the letter e-mailed to Archbishop Michael Neary,bishop of Tuam in which diocese Knock Shrine is located.
I am concerned to learn that the speaker listed for the Novena in Knock on August 15th is Rev. Timothy Radcliffe, OP. Fr. Radcliffe makes no secret of his opposition to Catholic Teaching on human sexuality, most notably on homosexuality.
He has expressed the hope that Pope Francis will allow those who are divorced and in a subsequent sexual relationship to be admitted to Holy Communion. If this were to become the case the Pope would, by his words and actions be placing both his own soul and the souls of those living in a state of mortal sin in grave danger because he would be confirming sinners in their sin.
Fr. Radcliffe has admitted to presiding at Masses that were especially intended to be welcoming to gay people. The Masses in question are the infamous Soho “gay Masses” Fr. Radcliffe goes on to claim that “ There are no grounds at all for regarding these Masses as gatherings of dissenters from the Church’s teaching.”
In a 10th March 2012 article Fr. Radcliffe has stated “ This is not to denigrate commited love of people of the same sex. This too should be cherished and supported. Which is why church leaders are coming slowly to support same sex civil unions. The God of love can be present in every true love” ( in “The Tablet: can marriage ever change”)
Fr. Radcliffe expands the meaning of fertility to include gay sex: “ But not every marriage is fertile in this way. We must avoid having a mechanistic or simplistic understanding of fertility. Jesus speaks a fertile word: “This is my body, given for you” He is God’s fertile word……..when Jesus met Peter on the shore after Easter he offers him a word that renews their relationship……sexual fertility cannot be separated from the exchange of words that heal, that recreate and set free.”
“How does all of this bear on the question of gay sexuality? We cannot begin with the question of whether it is permitted or forbidden. We must ask what it means and how far it is Eucharistic Certainly it can be generous, vunerable, tender, mutual and non violent. In many ways I would think that it would be expressive of Christ’s self gift”. (contribution to the Church of England’s review of homosexuality and gay marriage: Pilling Review, 2010)
Such views are a distortion of Catholic Teaching and of God’s Plan for human sexuality. In a marriage between a man and a woman new souls are brought into being to be educated for heaven. The spouses obtain support from each other and from God in fulfilling this onerous task. A homosexual union is intrinsically sterile.
For these reasons I believe that the inclusion of Fr. Radcliffe in the programme for the Novena is an imprudent decision which will cause grave scandal and endanger very many souls. It also gravely offends God, and His Blessed Mother, in whose honour the Annual Novena is held.
Thanks an excellent letter Spiritus.
Radcliffe is a disgrace. I think he is about 70 and yet still manages to travel far and wide, spouting his nonsense. Basil Loftus is another aged heretic who still manages to regularly foster confusion on a large scale.
This sort – and the Kungs/Kaspers of the world – are, sadly, like ‘Duracell Bunnies’, they just seem to go on-and-on.
Perhaps the old saying is correct — the devil looks after his own! LOL
Can anyone help with some questions I have about St Andrews Church in Glasgow? I think its a beautiful little building and am interested in its history.
In the book “The Living Flame”, which charts the first 25 years of the SSPX in the UK, a photograph appears of the exterior of the Church. In this photo, the Church boasts a small steeple in the middle of its roof.
It looks like it was added later and was not an original feature of the building; you often see protestant Churches (St Andrews is formerly a “wee free” Church) with retrospective steeples added after the original construction.
However, today, the steeple is mysteriously gone!
This is not a criticism – I just wondered what happened to it, I am terribly nosy you see 🙂
Does anyone know the date of construction? I haven’t finished “The Living Flame” yet – so the information may still be lurking in those pages.
Also, a few months back, Fr McLaughlin was talking about having the building spruced up – fresh lick of paint etc; does anyone know the status of this project?
Thanks.
Gabriel Syme,
I’ve been attending Mass at St. Andrew’s for 25 years and I still don’t know much about the origins of the building, other than what you’ve already stated. I wonder if the spire that’s now missing was actually a chimney for Wee Free smokers!! No seriously, I haven’t a clue about its disappearance.
I’m afraid I can’t share your fondness for that little building, “little” being the operative word. We Catholics were used to so much more before the Council. I suppose we shouldn’t complain but it really is time that we looked elsewhere for a church that better accommodates the Catholic spirit, not to mention the elderly and disabled who find it near impossible to climb all those steps. I long for the day when I can once again worship God in a Catholic church that has a big and beautiful sanctuary, a few side altars and a lot more in the way of images of the saints. The church we have at present is simply not big enough, nor is it conducive to alteration. I have noticed how large our congregation is growing, so hopefully those in authority will start the search soon for a more suitable church. Money, of course, is always a problem. Property isn’t cheap. Still, we can dream!
Athanasius,
I’m sure that someone told me that there was a link to the German consulate and that St Andrew’s was once an “Old Catholic” church, prior to being owned by a “wee Free” congregation. For the life of me I can’t remember who told me this.
I have to agree about the building. It’s a bit of a nightmare, especially for young children and babies, not to mention the elderly and disabled.
Thanks Athanasius.
I like the gothic frontage of the building, but I do agree with what you say about the building not being big enough for the needs of the Glasgow congregation, nor particularly conducive to being altered / improved.
What I dislike about it is the inevitable traffic jam at communion time, as everyone has to use the same central corridor to come and go from the altar rail. And, as you say, to get inside is like scaling a cliff face, thanks to those steep steps.
It often pains me to see large, grand looking Church buildings (of any origin) turned into pubs and restaurants or converted for a variety of secular uses. In the west end of Glasgow I can think of many examples of this; in fact it almost seems like secular usage is becoming the dominant usage for such buildings – a sad fact which will only get worse. Its the same story in the town where I work – Churches used as Wetherspoons pubs, Funeral Directors, you name it.
It looks like the Archdiocese will be looking to offload some property but, as Editor once said, fat chance they would be willing to sell one to the Society.
There are many wonderful Catholic Churches around the City Center, but it is shameful to see inside them – there has been all kinds of tinkering and shoddy modification, to try to disguise the fact that few people attend them.
St Columbas (Hopehill Road) has converted the rear half of the knave into a coffee / noticeboard area, and St Theresas (Saracen Street) has similarly built meeting rooms to eat up its unused space. The latter is particularly bad, as it means the stations of the cross cannot properly be seen from the remaining seats. And, of course, in many places vandals have been at the altar rails – like a second reformation.
Reading “The Living Flame” has been an eye-opener for me, to learn of priests having to say mass in living rooms and public halls. So, on one hand I suppose we should be thankful to have a Church building at all, but on the other you are right that it has reached the limit of its usefulness, given the size of the congregation and the issues with access and layout.
If any generous rich people are reading, I know the former RSNO building (a Church just off Sauchiehall Street, west of Charing X) is for sale, as is a lovely looking Church in Bearsden – advertised as a “unique restaurant opportunity”.
Judging by pictures in “The Living Flame”, the Society has managed to acquire some very beautiful Churches in England – so hopefully we might see the facilities for we Scots match the quality of this provision in due course. (Though I appreciate that former Anglican Churches are likely better suited to conversion to Catholic Churches, than are former Presbyterian ones).
I’m aware that the Priory in Carluke is a relatively recent addition to the Societys inventory, so hopefully a new Glasgow Church will be next on the agenda.
Hi all, just got this from national catholic register concerning new perported revelations about the
third secret of Fatima, by Antonio Socci. I would like to know what other bloggers think.
http://www.ncregister.com/blog/pat-archbold/new-fatima-revelation
Sorry here’s the link above.
Tommy,
IMHO, think it’s best not to believe anything that is new about Fatima, because people have made stuff up in the past. Father Gruner says the only reliable things to believe are what we know are definitely from Sr Lucia and I think he said only Fr Fuentes can verify that.
The new material IS from Sister Lucia, it is now on Fr. Gruner’s website and called “astonishing”. It is yet more evidence that Cardinals Bertone and Sodano lied to tbe Faithful back in 2000.
Thanks for that update, Benedict. Much appreciated.
Tommy,
It’s possible that Antonio Socci came across this diary entry of Sister Lucy, he’s a well informed writer. The test will be to see if Fr. Gruner picks up on this and publishes it. If he does, then we can be fairly sure that it’s authentic.
Athanasius,
Hasn’t this idea of a second text containing the words of Our Lady been going around for sometime?
Petrus,
Yes, it has been said by Socci, Chris Ferrara and Fr. Gruner that a second envelope containing some part of the Third Secret is in the Vatican.
Latest shocker from the Pope. He wants Archbishop Oscar Romero to be beatified, quickly.
I read somewhere that Archbishop Romero was really orthodox and his memory is being spoiled by liberals pretending he was one of them.
I wish that were true Josephine. Alas, his record speaks for itself.
I should have known. I probably read it in the Vatican Insider or Catholic News Agency, and they’re not likely to be unbiased.
The secular press is reporting the very sad news that some young relations of Pope Francis have been killed in a car-crash in Argentina.
The wife of the Pope’s nephew, and their two young sons (one aged 2 yrs, the other 8 months), have all been killed in the crash.
http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Vatican-Argentina-car-crash-kills-papal-relatives-5697607.php
http://in.reuters.com/video/2014/08/19/three-pope-francis-relatives-killed-in-a?videoId=340535074&videoChannel=101
Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them,
May they rest in peace. Amen.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Gabriel Syme,
That’s very sad news indeed. A great consolation to their father, when he recovers, must surely be the knowledge that the two little children, both under the age of reason, are now saints in Heaven.
Thank you for posting the links and for the prayer which I’m sure we will all be pleased to offer for the wife’s soul. May she rest in peace.
GS,
Yes, I read that tragic story earlier. Very, very sad indeed.
Is there Mass at SSPX Glasgow tomorrow (thurs) for the Feast of St Pius X???
There is no Mass in Glasgow tomorrow as the traditional Feast Day of St Pius X is 3rd September.
Petrus,
You beat me to it… 😉
From the Scottish Catholic Media Office…
Papal Honour for Scots Priest
Fr John Hughes, Rector of the Pontifical Scots College Rome, has been named by Pope Francis, Chaplain of His Holiness with the title Monsignor.
Fr John, a Glasgow priest, is 65 years of age, and qualifies under new regulations to be named a Monsignor.
He has been Rector of the Scots College Rome for 5 years. Before that, he was Vice-Rector of Scotus College Seminary in Bearsden, Glasgow. Previously, he was for many years Chaplain and Lecturer at St Andrew’s College of Education, which educated teachers for Catholic schools
At the 12 noon Mass in St Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow on Sunday 24th August, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia will present Father Hughes with the parchment with which Pope Francis designates Monsignor John Hughes to be a Chaplain of His Holiness.
Archbishop Tartaglia commented: “I am delighted for John. This award recognises Monsignor John Hughes’ distinguished service to Catholic teacher education and to the formation of priests.” ENDS
Comment removed.
Further to the comments above about the need for a new, bigger Church for the Glasgow congregation:
Rorate Caeli reports on the success of the booming SSPX Pittsburgh congregation in finally managing to acquire a wonderful Church building, despite the malign efforts of the local Diocese to prevent this:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/08/prayer-patience-perseverance-sspx-gets.html#more
The behaviour of the Diocese as described in the report is frankly outrageous. The building had been used as an art gallery prior to this acquisition and the SSPX congregation had for years worshipped in a gym hall.
Here’s hoping Divine Providence will be equally generous to the SSPX in Glasgow and elsewhere.
Gabriel Syme,
Thanks for that – very interesting.
There was a situation in Manchester (I think – or maybe Liverpool, not sure) where the SSPX tried to buy a church and the local bishop objected. One of our readers attended a meeting about it – if she sees this she may well fill in the details which, due to my ever-worsening memory, I can’t recall. Except that the diocese played a leading role in spoiling the chances of the Society, which was accused of being anti-Semitic. It was, I think I am correct in saying, by playing that card (following all the publicity about Bishop Williamson) that they managed to prevent the sale going through. Ever so “equality and diversity” minded NOT.
I get the feeling that only a lottery winner will be able to secure a new church for us in Glasgow.
I thought the following article is a good response to the disgraceful comments of Richard Dawkins about aborting Down’s Syndrome babies.
Why all eyes should be on the baby who survived our abortion laws
Dr Ruth Cullen
Last Updated: Thursday, August 21, 2014, 09:50
Some children should neither be seen nor heard. Nor even acknowledged, it seems. This week abortion advocates have done their best to ignore a little inconvenient truth – a small baby who survived our abortion law and who is still struggling for life in one of our hospitals. This baby’s very existence shines a light on the inhumane reality of abortion. But abortion advocates just look the other way.
The barely concealed logic of the pro-choice commentariat is as ugly as it gets: it is unjust and wrong for the baby to be alive now – the baby should have been killed weeks ago. This baby is an affront to reproductive rights and is the personification of a wrongful birth. The logic is chilling yet inevitable for those who support legal abortion. The only way to avoid facing up to it is to suppress acknowledgment of the child’s existence.
This is exactly what various journalists and Labour Party politicians have done over the past few days. The baby is a reminder to all who would listen that abortion is not a moral abstraction. It is a matter of deliberately destroying a small human life in the name of “choice” or, even more absurdly, “equality”.
The baby was one obstetrician’s assessment away from being aborted. The baby only just survived the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act but, because delivered so obscenely early, still struggles for life and could face lifelong disability. For what purpose? For the baseless reason that the ending of his mother’s pregnancy is a form of psychiatric “treatment” for her threatened suicide. Nobody, mother or baby, is served by the perpetuation of this medical myth. The woman at the centre of this latest tragic case is deserving of every possible welcome, warmth and support but it does a grave disservice to her and to every other woman in the country for pro-choice advocates to claim abortion is a treatment for suicidal feelings when they know it is not.
Deliberately omitted
It’s not just children, born and unborn, who are deliberately omitted from the pro-choice narrative. Women victims of abortion are too. Not all tragedies involving pregnant women are treated equally by the media. There is a hierarchy: those that can be used to advance the abortion agenda are at the top and are given vastly greater coverage. Controversies that do not reflect well on the abortion industry are either ignored or downplayed.
How many people reading this will have heard about the death of a woman from Ireland in the back of a London taxi after an abortion in 2012, a woman who had no life-threatening condition prior to the abortion? Or how many recall hearing about the case of a UK abortionist being struck off the medical register in 2011 for very nearly killing an Irish woman while aborting her child?
And where was the media’s interest in all things abortion when it was revealed that in one year alone 66 infants who survived NHS abortions in the UK were left to die, with one living for 10 hours while hospital staff deliberately ignored the baby’s struggle for life?
Matter of reflex
The truth is that these stories are largely hidden from the public. Other stories are framed from a pro-choice perspective as a matter of reflex: the Savita Halappanavar tragedy broke as a clear cut indictment of our abortion prohibition but, after various expert reports into the case were concluded, emerged as primarily a case of sepsis mismanagement.
The wilful denial of the baby’s life and suffering in the current controversy is a sign that deep down abortion proponents are uncomfortable about the reality of what they want legalised. They sanitise that reality for themselves and conspire to construct an alternative narrative: church versus State, liberalism versus conservatism, man versus woman. Whatever, so long as the child is hidden from view or at least dehumanised.
But the child cannot be fully hidden. This is the same person now as when delivered at 25 weeks and before that again. This is a baby, not a “rapist’s baby”, and is entitled to our respect and protection as much as anyone else. That is what fundamental human equality means.
Fundamental human equality is the principle upon which article 40.3.3 of our Constitution stands. Thanks in significant part to our constitutional protection of the unborn child the Irish abortion rate is far lower than Britain’s. Literally thousands of Irish people are alive today due to the protection article 40.3.3 offered them, whether directly or indirectly, during their earliest and most vulnerable stage in life. You might even know such a person. You certainly know of one baby who was almost aborted.
Dr Ruth Cullen is a spokesperson for the Pro Life Campaign
For those who may not realise, the letter quoted by Crofterlady, above, relates to the case of a young refugee/immigrant to Ireland who sought an abortion under the “Protection of Life in Pregnancy Act” passed by the Irish Government on 12th July 2013. This was on the grounds that her pregnancy, as a result of rape/violence in her home country, made her suicidal. The abortion was refused: however her son was delivered by C-Section at 25 weeks and is now fighting for life in a NICU in Dublin. Her case, like that of Savita Halappanavar is being used by the pro abortion brigade to introduce abortion on demand into Ireland. The baby in this case may end up with serious disabilities as a result of being delivered so early and for no justifiable reason.
St Etheldreda’s Ely Place has refused to allow the celebration of an EF Requiem Mass for Fr Jean-Marie Charles-Roux, who celebrated exclusively in the older form in that church for many years.
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/traditional-priest-refused-requiem.html
Ideology, huh?
Ironically, Fr Charles-Rouxs Telegraph obituary, one of several in the media, includes the anecdote (true or not):
When the Second Vatican Council sanctioned the Mass in the vernacular, Charles-Roux dutifully struggled for 18 months, then sought an audience with Pope Paul VI at Castel Gandolfo, where he asked to be allowed to return to celebrating the Mass in Latin. “Certainly,” the Pope replied. “I never forbade celebration of the old Mass; I have only offered an alternative.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/religion-obituaries/11052862/Father-Jean-Marie-Charles-Roux-obituary.html
Joseph Shaw says that St James, Spanish Place, has instead agreed to host the Requiem mass. (and links to other obituaries).
http://www.lmschairman.org/2014/08/london-requiem-for-fr-charles-roux.html
“This is the holiness of the Church: in recognizing in each other the image of God,” said Francis today.
No, no and no again! This is not Catholicism!
The Holiness of the Church is inherent in Her very being as the Bride of Christ. Indeed, the Catholic Church is the spotless and pure Body of Christ on this earth. The Church’s holiness is NOT contingent on the holiness or otherwise of Her members!
Francis’ definition essentially denies the Creed. This is how serious his half-remembered or half-formed faith is. It is disastrous.
Bencjcarter,
Absolutely spot on!
N O T I C E . . .
I’ve had an email from Hamish Fraser, son of the famous Communist convert Hamish Fraser RIP, to say that his brother, Tony, died at 6.30.am this morning. Requiescat in Pace.
Hamish asks for our prayers for the repose of Tony’s soul. We will have Holy Mass offered for that intention as soon as possible.
I had a call from a journalist at the Scottish Daily Mail late yesterday afternoon asking for comment on the news that under-age girls are being given contraceptive implants by Scottish health boards. I began with a remark about not being a medical person but “this cannot be healthy” which he reports as “cannot be helpful.” Either his hearing or his shorthand needs help! And, as usual, only a fraction of what I said is quoted, and not the bits I would have chosen. Still, there are other very good quotes from other people to this shocking news. Click here to read the report.
And news from down under…
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-28/federal-ministers-urged-to-boycott-controversial-conference/5703242
Federal ministers urged to boycott ‘bigoted’ World Congress of Families conference
The Senate has passed a motion calling for federal ministers to boycott a controversial conference that endorses anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage messages.
______________
So this is where we are at within our stupid liberal western nations.
Anti- abortion is now a bigoted position.
Anti gay-marriage is now a bigoted position.
Got to get this off my chest. I’ve been a Tim my whole life, but am really getting cheesed off with all of the Sunday fitba that is being forced down the throats of fans.
Celtic have potentially got 5 consecutive Sunday home games in the run up after our Thursday Europa League matches.
Does anyone remember what Sunday means? No condemnation from the Catholic Church?
What’s a “tim”?
A “Tim” is a Celtic (Football Club) Supporter.
Just started reading some of Michael Davis. This is a discovery to me after some nice person on this blog mentioned the name and I said, who?
Just love this quote…
Spiritually, to all intents and purposes, many are now floating on their backs. The Catholic Faith which once meant so much to them has died completely, they exist as so many spiritual zombies, proclaiming themselves to be Catholics but professing, in fact, what Cardinal Newman condemned as the “religion of the world.
And more Davis… This gives me great hope and encouragement…
Hilaire Belloc considered that the greatest proof of the Divine nature of the Catholic Church is its survival despite those who have so often governed it. Time and again in the history of the Church we witness declines which would have destroyed a merely human organization, but then a great Pope or a great saint will arise and initiate a process of renewal.
Now for something a bit different…..
While on holiday recently I had occasion to watch a DVD of my nephew’s wedding. The happy event took place in December 2012, but alas I was unable to travel north to attend (sorry I missed it now, after watching the recording). The Nuptial Mass was held in Holy Trinity & All Saints, Coatdyke, with Parish Priest Fr. Colin Hughes as celebrant.
Radiant and resplendent in her wedding dress, the Bride, unfortunately, hadn’t been made aware that ladies must have their shoulders covered in church. All credit to Fr. Hughes, who was adamant that the Mass would ‘not proceed’ until remedial action had been taken. The Best Man had to hot-foot it to locate her fur wrap, which she had sensibly chosen as part of her outfit for a December wedding in Scotland. Once she had been suitably attired, the Mass got under way.
Happy update – I hear the Bride is now ‘with child’ (her first) and due to give birth next February.
Rorate reports that an SSPX priest was granted permission to celebrate mass in St Peters Basilica, at the side altar where St Pius Xs body reposes.
The Priest, a Father Michel de Sivry (SSPX), had led a pilgrimage to Rome, from a congregation based near Paris.
The mass took place on August 9th.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/08/sspx-priest-celebrates-mass-in-saint.html#more
(Rorates video of the mass doesn’t seem to work, but the SSPX French District website has a working version)
http://laportelatine.org/mediatheque/videotheque/messe_a_st_pierre_de_rome_140809/messe_a_st_pierre_de_rome_140809.php
(you can change the language on the French website, via a selector in the top right)
This is pleasantly encouraging news, although one swallow does not a summer make.
At least the days of shunning the SSPX seem to over. Bishops like to point to Francis’ example, to justify their own activities – and so let that be the case here too 🙂
And, please God, may this event finally put paid to the defamatory “schismatic” nonsense which is so often spouted at the mention of the SSPX.
Further to my post above, eponymous flower also mentions the event, but claims that this has been going on for some time, with Society Priests saying Mass at St. Peter’s.
http://eponymousflower.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/immemorial-mass-of-all-ages-celebrated.html
I was not aware of that, (if true).
Gabriel Syme,
I seem to recall that the SSPX was refused permission to offer Mass in St Peter’s at the time of the Jubilee, 2000. They were the only group to be refused permission, and there were hundreds of people on their pilgrimage to Rome. So I would like to know what the Eponymous Flower blogger means by “for some time”.
Beautiful video!! I watched it from start to finish totally engrossed I felt uplifted and filled with hope Deo Gratias
Please view the urgent plea and update posted Friday 29th August on the thread: Iraq: Impressive Christian Response….
Thank you.
I see that the notorious prolific dissident from Catholic moral and doctrinal teaching, Dr Jack Dominian, has died. I once saw a letter written by him to a Catholic layman and was shocked at the arrogance. Basically, it said “I’m right, the Church is wrong. the Church needs to listen to me and then it will have credibility” He will know the truth now . . . please pray that he repented of his dissenting views before he died.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11061797/Dr-Jack-Dominian-obituary.html
So many of these aged dissidents are facing death now and they need prayer. This is a good prayer for the dying (courtesy of Universal Living Rosary Association http://www.philomena.org)
Immaculate Heart of Mary, visit today we beseech thee, those souls who are in the cold sweat of death and at enmity with God. Bathe them in the Most Precious Blood of Jesus. Breathe into them the very life of God. Obtain for them the grace to make perfect acts of Faith, Hope and Divine Charity, that they may be snatched from the very abyss of Hell, to glorify God for all eternity and to add to the lustre of thy Triumph. Amen.
Westminster Fly,
I remember hearing Jack Dominion speak once and it was dreadful. As you say, he will know the truth now.
Thanks for posting that absolutely beautiful prayer for the dying “at enmity with God”. I’ve never heard that before, and am deeply moved by it. I will say that prayer every day from now on.
Margaret Mary,
Universal Living Rosary Association do little cards with that prayer on it. If you email the representative in the UK, Mrs Anne Curran, she might be able to send you a couple:- ulraengland@hotmail.com
Westminster Fly,
Thank you for that email address, although I’ve now copied the prayer to Word document.
I notice that any new article in the Catholic Herald that might be deemed a bit “juicy” has, over the last 48 hours, had its comments sections pulled. They have nothing with which to argue against the Traditionalist voice there, so they are stopping the ability to comment altogether.
Does anyone know the extent of the Bishops’ Conference influence over the Catholic Herald? I and two or three other people have been banned from it multiple times for posting strident Catholic opinions. As these bannings first happened on the same day, obviously there was a decision made by someone somewhere to silence the Traditionalist voice.
Goodbye all my aliases! It was nice knowing you.
Benedict,
I’ve had a particularly busy week but took time to submit some comments on the Mary O’Regan thread at the Catholic Herald because she is just so unbelievably way out of line on Pope Francis that I could not resist. However, one lengthy comment has not been released from moderation, so I’ve just been on to take my leave of the lot of them. If I want to waste time blogging, in future, I’ll waste it here!
I cannot remember who recommended Michael Davies on this website but God Bless you!
What a great inspiration. I have just read The Changes since Vatican II – the Goldfish Bowl
and The Barbarians have taken over and they are brilliant explanatory texts.
Summa,
Michael Davies’s books entitled Pope Paul’s New Mass and Pope John’s Council are goldmines of information. Must-reads.
As for who recommended Michael Davies’s writings, I’ll take the credit for that because even if I didn’t, I would’ve if I’d thought of it 😀
I have found a fantastic website and have been listening to Michael Davies what driving too.
http://www.proecclesia.com/page_free%20talks.htm
Lots of free downloadable stuff here. Highly recommended.
Summa,
Pro Ecclesia is good but not “traditional” in that they do not support the SSPX or Father Gruner and have no problem with the new Mass or Vatican II. Daphne McLeod is a great speaker though and she used to be Head of an Infant school and was a parish catechist, so she knows her stuff when it comes to teaching the dogmas of the faith.
Summa,
Cranmer’s Godly Order is another Michael Davies book you may wish to consider. I found that one particularly intriguing because it parallels the construction and introduction of the New Mass with the work of the Reformation apostate Archbishop Thomas Cranmer in England. The similarities are absolutely shocking; almost as if the same person was behind both, or at the very least someone copied his methods with the utmost precision.
Ok, a few questions for the Glasgow punters on here…
What days are Mass regularly held in St Andrews?
And confession?
Benediction, Stations of the Cross, Novenas, 40 Hour adoration etc?
Is the chapel ever open to just pop in to?
What kind of Mass is said? Low, Sung etc
Are Holy days of obligation catered for?
Where do you get your supplies from? Missals, Prayer Books, Mantillas etc
Are there get social togethers? Cards, Dinners etc
Are there any clubs, associations, groups? Mothers groups, home-school, kids groups, teen groups, 3rd Order of SSPX, Catechism or anything else?
Thanks
Hi Summa,
A typical week at St Andrews, Glasgow is: Mass on Tuesdays and Fridays at 6.30pm, 11am on Saturday and 9.45am on Sundays.
Confessions run before mass.
There is benediction after Sunday mass twice per month; other things as announced. Today it was announced there will be a rosary after mass next saturday, hopefully that will be a permanent feature.
As far as I know, the Church is not open other than before/after mass – someone with better knowledge may correct me.
In the main, low masses are said; however on particular feast days etc there are sung masses. Last year, the District Superior, Fr Morgan, visited from London on St Andrews day, and celebrated a sung mass at our Church which is named for our Patron Saint. (I hope we get a repeat this year, although I think St Andrews is a Sunday this time, which may complicate matters.)
Yes, holy days of obligation are catered for.
The Church has a small shop for supplies – I have used it on occasion, and thought it had a good range of stuff. I also get stuff online, for example Carmel Books (SSPX UK), Angelus Press (SSPX USA) and Baronius Press (Traditional Catholic Press, founded in Glasgow).
The Congregation is exceptionally friendly and welcoming. There is a coffee room where you can meet people after mass. I think some people home-school, but do not know the details. People are indeed sociable and go out of their way to meet up with / welcome newcomers and interested parties.
I know the congregation participates in the UK-wide SSPX activities, such as retreats, pilgrimages and boys/girls summer camps etc. I heard of two boys who had recently been at the summer camp and loved it. Someone else will be better placed to advise you on St Andrews local initiatives / groups.
Hope this helps!
I have been going to St Andrews for a while now and love it! We have two great priests, Fr McLaughlin (Eng), who is the Prior, and Fr Wingerden (NZ).
Thanks Gabriel. Great information 🙂
No problem!
Hope to meet you at St Andrews one day! 🙂
Likely to happen one day soon!
Summa,
Don’t tease! If you are coming home soon, spill! Or at least make sure you come into the tearoom and speak to us, no matter how crowded or how many people are crammed at our table. I would be LIVID if you went off and later blogged to say “didn’t like to interrupt”.. Be warned!
Soonish 😉 more likely late Nov early Dec but haven’t decided if we are staying!
If I wanted to buy a book to learn about indulgences, what would be the best choice?
I had assumed the Raccolta (1957), of which modern reprints are available; but then I read that the the statements of which prayers earn indulgences are no longer valid. I assume this is because the book has been superceded.
However the most recent books of which I am aware are all dated post-vatican II, which makes me somewhat wary: (even if the content was OK, they still may feature modernist language).
Enchiridion of Indulgence (1968)
Handbook of Indulgences (1992)
Manual of Indulgences (2006)
I think each of these supercedes the previous. The most recent is actually from the USCCB.
What would be the best (or only) choice?
Thanks if anyone can advise.
Gabriel Syme,
I would say that since it is always by the legitimate authority of the hierarchy of the Church that indulgences are granted or removed, we should go by the most recent edition, which I guess is the 2006 Manual of Indulgences. I cannot imagine that there is any danger to faith in such a book, even if there are perhaps some Indulgences of the past revoked for no apparent reason.
I don’t know where you read that statements of which prayers earn indulgences are no longer valid. I have never heard this before and I’m at a loss to figure out why such statements would be nullified. Are you sure you read this from a reliable source? If not, then it should be fine to purchase the 1957 Raccolta. Hope this helps.
Athanasius,
Thank you for the advice!
Are you sure you read this from a reliable source?
You are right to question the statement / its source – I know there there is a danger in accepting any online material as legitimate without checks.
I found the statement quite by accident, when searching for books on indulgences. Its from a “recommended books” page of a Latin Mass parish in Canada. It said:
That being said, readers may still be interested in perusing the pre-Vatican II edition of the same book, Loreto Publications reprint of the 1957 edition of The Raccolta. While the statements of which prayers earn indulgences are no longer valid, the prayers themselves are a solid, meritorious collection. The Raccolta is a little less reader-friendly than The Blessed Sacrament Prayerbook or Blessed Be God, two popular reprinted collections of traditional prayers and devotions, but its presentation of the Latin original text of many of the prayers alongside the English is welcome and convenient
http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/wtnews/130120.pdf
I checked that it was a bona fide parish – they have pictures of Bishop Fabbro (Bishop of London, Ontario) visiting, so it seemed above board.
http://www.windsorlatinmass.org/
However I suspect that the statement is probably a casual one, bearing no actual authority. (I just thought it made sense, if the various editions of the book officially supercede the previous one.)
Gabriel Syme
The current Enchiridion Indulgentiarum can be found online at the Vatican website but only in Latin ( here ) There doesn’t appear to be an English translation online of the 1999 text but an unofficial translation of the 1968 text can be found here .
The USCCB ‘Manual of Indulgences (2006)’ is a translation of the 1999 text and would be the one to go for.
Hope this helps.
Thanks very much, Confitebor Domino!
Editor.
I have just had my August donation to Catholic Truth returned to me by PayPal.
My July donation went through fine and for that I used the PayPal link on the CT Website.
When I went to give an August donation, I went directly to PayPal and used the CT email which is catholictruth@ukonline.co.uk
For some reason if you do it the latter way it doesn’t work.
Okay, so all of that sounds convoluted but a cautionary tale!
Summa,
Thank you very much for your kind generosity.
The email address you tried to use is an old one. The current email address is editor@catholictruthscotland.com
That should work.
It did! Thank you sincerely – emailed our gratitude, which I hope has reached you.
I also emailed PayPal to ask them to remove that old email address, as I couldn’t work out how to do it myself on their new-fangled website.
So, thank you for the alert – as well as the donation! You are fast moving up the payscale!
Rorate Caeli reports that Cardinal Muller is to meet Bishop Fellay in a meeting.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/09/cardinal-mullers-meeting-with-sspx.html#more
Following the non-event of the reported “meeting” between Francis and +Fellay previously, I will obviously wait and see how credible this news is and what ultimately transpires. Rorate says:
The way this high-level meeting became public is unusual and incomprehensible as a media operation
Which does not instill confidence!
Rorate also claims the news is now “widespread” and that the original source was an announcement made a few days ago, at an SSPX priory in the Languedoc region of France.
Knowing that Muller is an enemy of the Society, I don’t think this meeting will be anything more than a superficial PR exercise.
I agree Josephine, i am hesitant to think anything significant will happen. Mullers form regarding the SSPX is well known.
The french news blog “tradiereport” suggests that, given Muller has since found himself leading opposition to Cardinal Kaspars communion proposals, perhaps “the lines have shifted” (I used google translate!).
However this is only press speculation (the Catholic press is as bad as the secular in this regard).
It seems this news is actually verified; this from Louis Verrechios blog:
—————————
I just received the following from the Communications Director of the SSPX, Fr. Pierre Duverger, SSPX, concerning the rumored (now verified) meeting between Bishop Fellay and Cardinal Müller.
“As a special courtesy, please see the announcement below given to our priests today. This announcement has already been rumored by some blogs in France. Dici will publish a Press Release tomorrow.
The date is kept confidential to avoid any Press pressure. The invitation comes from Rome but will be kept unofficial by Rome.
If you want to publish this info, I would appreciate that you make a reference to the Press Release of Dici when published tomorrow or to the sspx.org website.
Rome: Invited by Rome, the Superior General will in early autumn meet with Cardinal Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This will be the first meeting with the successor of Cardinal Levada. The last took place on June 13, 2012. The meeting will be an occasion to review the situation and present, yet again, the Society’s position in line with the General Chapters of 2006 and 2012 and the official declarations (Letters to Friends and Benefactors of April 12, 2013 and April 13, 2014; declaration on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the episcopal consecrations, June 27, 2013). Everyone is requested to pray for the Superior General, especially given Cardinal Müller’s positions on the Society, which were reiterated recently. According to him, the only path open to the Society is acceptance of the Second Vatican Council, the rejection of which might have grave consequences. (For reference one may read the interview given to the Corriere della Sera on December 22, 2013. Cf. DICI no. 288 January 17, 2014)”
———————————–
http://www.harvestingthefruit.com/meeting-between-bishop-fellay-cardinal-muller-confirmed/
Still, as this is the first meeting between the two, I expect it is simple pleasantries more than anything significant.
I would hate to see Rome break away from the Catholic Church, but it may well come to that at some point if they continue down their heretical and schismatic road.
A very interesting article on The Remnant site by Christopher Ferrara
http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/fetzen-fliegen/item/978-francis-declares-that-christ-had-a-christian-identity
There seems no end to the scandal of Pope Francis’s off the cuff remarks.
http://www.lifenews.com/2014/09/03/her-father-shook-her-so-hard-he-put-her-in-a-coma-now-the-state-wants-to-kill-her/
On LifeNews.com.
Spiritus,
That’s another shocking example of the state trying to take over the decision- making in a family. I think some top lawyer should make a test case of one of these families to scare off the governments from trying it on.
Since the Referendum thread is now closed, I decided to post this bit of humour on the General Discussion thread. Fast forward to 5:30 on the video. I think it’s priceless but I’m not sure our non-Scottish viewers will understand it. Have a watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-dHrt6t4Y4
I had a wee laugh there, right enough!
That’s turned out to be an uncannily accurate prediction of the actual standard of debate on the issue 🙂
You will find this difficult to believe – I could hardly believe my own eyes this morning. As I was staying with friends in East Lothian, I attended Mass at Our Lady of Loretto in Musselburgh. Its a lovely church with friendly and welcoming people but just before Mass commenced I witnessed a lady passing round a bag of sweets to (I presume) her husband and daughter and to the folks in the row behind her. They all then proceeded to suck their sweets and turn around to one another carrying on a conversation. Is this what is acceptable behaviour at Mass now?
Santiago,
That is one of those occasions when I would definitely have broken the rule I made when I attended the Novus Ordo, my rule not to bother going into the sacristy to speak to the priest about the latest abuse I’d just witnessed. I’m afraid I’d have been in there immediately notifying him that those numpties had broken the fast and must not be given Holy Communion. That might have wakened them up (and the priest) to the loss of divine and Catholic Faith in his parish.
I hope, if you haven’t mentioned it to the priest yet, that you do so or ask your friends to do so at the first opportunity – naming the clowns who passed round the bag of sweets and who accepted them, if possible. It’s highly unlikely that anything will be done or said – sadly too many priests appear to prefer popularity to doing their duty – but at least you will have done what you can about this disgrace. The very least that priest should do is announce that this has occurred and is unacceptable and remind his congregation of the minimal fasting rules.
Michael Voris slaughters Cardinal Dolan in this clip from 8th September “Wicked Bishops”:
Voris calls Dolans decision to allow homosexual groups to join the NYC St Pats parade “Diabolical”. Dolan is “in the grip of the devil”.
Dolan is hammered for his record on giving scandal, homosexuality, public approval of sin, cavorting with Obama/politicians, distorting the Gospel, failure to educate the laity, failure to support orthodox Catholics, celebrating modernist liturgy, confusing the faithful, encouraging false religions, threatening to close Holy Innocents (TLM) parish.
Voris says Dolan is “Bringing death to the flock” and must publicly repent and resign. He strongly alludes Dolan has lost the faith.
“What you are doing is evil and wicked. You tear at traditional-minded Catholics and support and uphold sodomites”
http://www.churchmilitant.tv/daily/?today=2014-09-08
Pretty uncompromising stuff. I wonder if Michael is “coming around” and might do a similar critique of Pope Francis? (wishful thinking eh?).
It would be very easy to do such a video – he could keep the exact same criticisms and simply change “Cardinal Dolan” for “Pope Francis” in the audio 🙂
Gabriel Syme,
If you don’t mind, I won’t be paying a visit to Michael Voris’ linked video, because, as you acknowledge at the end of your comment, he refuses to criticise the Pope publicly which makes him complicit in the worsening scandal. It’s a nonsense to criticise Cardinal Dolan for his acceptance of homosexuals at the St Patrick’s Parade, and not criticise Pope Francis for his “who am I to judge gays?” and other similarly scandalous remarks and actions which effectively have him condoning sin.
Are we to presume that if Cardinal Dolan had telephoned a divorced and remarried woman to tell her to receive Holy Communion he would have been castigated by Voris but when Pope Francis did the same thing, that’s OK? What sort of apostolate is that?
Sorry, but I’m unimpressed with Voris’s half-baked approach to the crisis in the Church. I don’t even understand his terminology – e.g. what does he mean by a “traditional-minded Catholic”? I was unimpressed when I heard him speak in Scotland – my memory of it all is not vivid, but I think I’m correct in saying that he actually praised the Scottish hierarchy at one point – I certainly remember a sense of him giving the impression that the crisis is not all that bad here, so I’m puzzled at what game he is playing.
As I’ve said before, it’s a great pity that he has gone down the papolatrist route because he obviously has the hard cash and technology at his disposal and could do a lot of good. Let’s hope he responds to the grace to see that, sooner rather than later.
It’s a nonsense to criticise Cardinal Dolan for his acceptance of homosexuals at the St Patrick’s Parade, and not criticise Pope Francis for his “who am I to judge gays?” and other similarly scandalous remarks and actions which effectively have him condoning sin.
I completely agree with what you say here Editor; all of the criticisms could be applied to Francis equally well – Voris should explicitly state this, rather than hope people will see it for themselves (people will not see it – because most Catholics impression of Francis is formed by the secular media, not the Catholic faith).
I did think this clip was noteworthy however, as I had before never seen/heard such severe public Catholic-criticism of a Cardinal before; but I do agree that critics should “hit the bulls-eye” directly, rather than dance around matters with veiled or implied criticism.
God forgive me, but I did enjoy Cardinal Dolans dismal review; Ive had a low opinion of him, ever since I first saw the picture of him celebrating mass wearing a large block of artificial cheese as a hat (and now many other factors).
Dolans decision re: the St Pats parade is a betrayal of many people who fought to defend the faith, the parade and their freedoms as the organisers.
Gabriel Syme,
I understand fully that you would “enjoy” (in the right spirit) the video about Cardinal Dolan – I would too. These modernists need some plain speaking, no question about it. I just think that it’s tantamount to lying to fall short of telling the full truth. Many, if not most of the folk watching Voris on video will think he’s the greatest, fearless in speaking out etc. and that is a lie. He will, in the end, have to face up to the truth but right now, I’m giving him a wide berth, as I believe, firmly, that the time is long gone when we can support the half-baked and half-measurers.
N O T I C E . . .
Anyway, I’m on right now to alert readers to our newly updated homepage with news of the banning of SPUC by the University of Dundee at an event there. See the link to the report, video and voting poll – and keep voting!
Further to my notice above, I have just sent the following email to the Principal at Dundee University and urge others to do the same:
Sent: 10 September 2014 13:58
To: ‘principal@dundee.ac.uk’
Subject: Discrimination at Dundee University
Please note that our website currently exposes University of Dundee’s discriminatory banning of the pro-life group SPUC at the Freshers’ Fayre.
Our poll is running at 75% voters who believe this ban is because the University doesn’t want students learning the truth about abortion who may, therefore, change their “pro-abortion” views.
This discriminatory and anti-academic decision is shameful and I write to ask you to use your authority to have it overturned, with immediate effect.
Thank you
(Signed)
Editor
Catholic Truth
My letter of complaint to the Principal was passed over to the President of DUSA for his response. DUSA is unaffilaited to the University and is consequently independent of any University restrictions. DUSA has an agreement which permits the use in its title of the words Dundee University.
The President replied to my original and subsequent mailings with stereotypically liberal support for LGBT, contraception, abortion, etc and an outright refusal to reverse the ban on SPUC since the principles advocated by SPUC conflicted with the charitable aims of the Dundee University Students Association. DUSA is unable to allow the presentation of conflicting viewpoints and is set against facilitating free speech.
Mikidiki,
That sounds, word for word, the same as the reply I received from the President. I replied to say, in short, that the University of Dundee has about as much sense of right and wrong as the Great Train Robbers, and treated him to my considered view on the murder of the unborn child through to the ridiculous concept of men and women switching genders. I now await a visit from the Thought Police … Nice knowing y’all…
Please ,please everybody consider contacting the Dundee Uni we really do need every contact we can I also had the same diatribe this morning and it is quite disturbing how any shred of PRO LIFE support must be obliterated by these little Hitlers in these Unis !!!!
If we do not show any support for the P/Life movement then we have ourselves to blame they want to silence us because they know they have no logical answers to our arguements so from the bottom of my heart many thanks to all who have written and Bless you and to others please consider it and ask others to as well lets flood this Uni with p/Life outpourings .
No wonder there is a great support for home Schooling can you wonder why when your child gets tarnished in these places
In case anyone would like to attend, the Rosary Crusade of Reparation is on Saturday 11th October this year. Meet outside Westminster Cathedral (Ambrosden Avenue) at 1.45pm. Procession of Our Lady of Fatima to Brompton Oratory, ending with Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity to be enrolled in the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Westminster Fly,
We may need passports by that time 😯 but if possible, I’m sure any bloggers who possibly can, will participate in the Rosary Crusade of Reparation in London on 11th October.
Seeing these two headlines on emails in my Inbox this morning http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/09/darkness-in-rome-liberation-theology.html and http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinals-join-to-defend-church-doctrine-on-divorce-remarriage-39031 immediately brought to mind Our Lady’s prophecy at Akita:- “The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see Cardinals opposing Cardinals”.
The chastisement is coming, folks. We can never say that we were not warned.
Message given by Our Lady at Akita on October 13th 1973: “As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their Confreres. The Church and altars will be vandalized. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demon will rage especially against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer be pardon for them.”
Westminster Fly,
That’s really interesting, the letter from the cardinals opposing Cardinal Kasper. Thanks for posting that. I agree it reminds us of Akita. Fatima and Akita are connected, definitely.
Sheer boredom today led me to enter the lair of the beast ….. I had a look at the website for “The Tablet”.
Interesting to note that the stories list was exactly the same, or as near as damn it, as the Catholic Herald’s. All now explained – why I and other Traditionalists have been banned multiple times from the Catholic Herald website.
What’s the connection? Are they owned by the same people?
I have been doing some reading about a Catholic hero called Father Luigi Villa, who was given a papal mandate to spend his life investigating and combating clerical Masonry, a commission initially given to him directly by Padre Pio. It appears that no less than seven attempts were made on Fr. Villa’s life as a result of his work.
he is dead now but the website of his movement/followers has many interesting documents, including a major one on the Enthronement of Lucifer in the Vatican in 1962, which was the reason for what Fr. Malachi Martin called the “superforce” which in the 1960’s and 1970’s proved irresistible in its destruction. Some of the clerical participants are named.
Does the Editor or anyone else have any comment to make on the veracity of this Enthronement, or on the supposed re-consecration of the Chapel of St. Paul in the Vatican where the Enthronement was supposed to have taken place?
And ecclesiastical Masonry now: what happened to the dossier prepared for Pope Benedict? Didn’t Francesca say “I suppose that something must be done” (about the various ‘lobbies’ in the Vatican)?
What has been done?
Benedict,
The matter of Fr Luigi Villa’s alleged mission has been raised from time to time on this blog.
Our response is always to caution readers about it.
There is no way of verifying any of it, and since we have quite enough evidence of the critical state of the Holy See and the Church in general as it is, there is really no need to add Fr Villa to the mix. Stick with what we know for sure – like good detectives – and forget about the rest. Heavens (literally) knows, things are bad enough – we really don’t need Fr Villa’s book to convince us that there is something rotten in Vatican State.
As for your concluding question – when Papa Francis starts confiding in moi, I’ll answer it 😀
Benedict Carter,
I tend not to get too involved with these kinds of stories. It is enough for us to know that the spirit of Vatican II is not the spirit of God and to pray to Our Lady to exorcise this present “diabolical disorientation” from the Church.
Sadly, what Fr. Malachi Martin revealed can never be proven and is therefore best kept in mind as no more than a possibility. As for the Fr. Luigi Villa sensation recently spread abroad by members of “The Resistance”. Again, there is not a single shred of actual hard evidence to suggest that Fr. Villa was ever entrusted with a mission to expose Masonry at the highest levels in the Church, so it’s best to dismiss the revelation as potentially untrue and not worth the damaging controversy it has already caused within Traditional Catholic circles.
My general approach to these kinds of revelations is that what I cannot prove with indisputable fact I put aside as probable fiction. It is enough for us to know that dark forces are at work in the Church and in the world right now, but that God will have the victory over them sooner rather than later. When that happens, all that is now hidden will be made manifest to us. Until then, I intend to keep my fight for the Faith on the solid ground of Divine Revelation without being side-tracked with human revelations.
Thanks for the replies. Athanasius, why do.you call the Villa position “damaging”?
Benedict Carter,
What I mean by “damaging” is that this Fr. Villa business has literally come out of nowhere. Fr. Paul Kramer and others of a schismatic spirit are peddling it with the intention of denying the validity of certain papacies. The difficulty for them is that they cannot actually provide solid evidence to back up their story. They throw lots of accusations around but never produce written proof. Hence, it’s a completely unproven controversial issue that distracts Traditional Catholics from the essential business of helping the Church through this serious crisis and doing what is necessary to save their souls.
Calling certain Popes Masons and denying their legitimate election to the Chair of Peter on the basis of a fantastic tale is not the best way to go around either task. I’m sure you’ll see where I’m coming from. Sadly, these poor souls have become very bitter in spirit.
Yes, understood.
Something both the Editor of this blog and a friend have said to me recently has struck home. : at the end of the day, 1963 Enthronement of Lucifer in the Vatican or not, Great Chastisement soon or not — there is very little or nothing that the individual can do (or should do) other than live a Christian life, trust the Lord and pray that whatever comes is in line with whatever God wills for the Church and for the world.
Benedict Carter,
Very good advice indeed, for all of us. The bottom line is that we can’t do anything about infiltrators in the Church past or present, much less depose Popes on the basis of fantastic stories about them. We can, however, keep up devotion to Our Lady, knowing that her victory is imminent, while continuing to publicly offer the antidote of Traditional Church teaching to those hallucinating on the Modernist poison.
Dear Editor, have I been blocked from the site?
Editor: not at all. Several of your posts went into SPAM for some reason but that happened before with you and with others. I just can’t see any reason for it. I’m sorry about that and will make sure I always check the SPAM list before deleting. No reason that I can see. Please note that, unlike other moderators, I always inform in advance that a particular blogger is heading for moderation (we never block anyone, always allowing for repentance!) Moderation never happens without notice, so if posts say “gone to moderation” or if they disappear, it is a blip in the WordPress system and means the post has probably gone into the SPAM queue. As I say, I will rescue these as soon as I see them and release.
My general approach to these kinds of revelations is that what I cannot prove with indisputable fact I put aside as probable fiction.
Athanasius. How far does this general approach go? I ask because we cannot prove as indisputable fact that Our Lady appeared to three child-visionaries at Fatima, and that the many revelations that Sr. Lucia claimed to have been given during her long lifetime were from heaven. The same applies to the apparently associated private revelations at Akita and Quito.
Being of an imaginitive disposition I rather tend to put what I cannot prove with indisputable fact (about matters such as those here under discussion) not as ‘probable fiction’, but as ‘possible fact’!
As you so clearly point out, this does distract one from the Catholic’s essential business and leads to a troubled soul, so I dearly wish I could share your more sanguine approach to all this.
Christina,
Maybe I could have worded things a bit better.
Our Lady’s Fatima apparitions are indisputable by reason of the miracles that accompanied them. It follows from this that Sister Lucy’s subsequent testimonies must be considered sound, since it is impossible that God would permit his messenger to relay a mixture of fiction and fact on so serious a matter.
As regards Akita and Quito, these are apparitions and prophecies of Our Lady that the Church has approved. So, again, these are not in dispute.
Fr. Villa’s claims are altogether a different matter. Here we have the most astounding accusations being made out of the blue by someone we know nothing about, who has provided no solid evidence and whose revelations have not been approved by the Church. Caution, then, is the operative word. In fact, as with all unapproved revelations, such as Medjugorje, we should proceed with the Church from the viewpoint that they are potentially fictitious. It is astounding that any Traditional Catholic would latch on to such stuff as almost akin to Gospel truth. I’m not that green, I want solid evidence. I hope this makes my position a little clearer.
I firmly believe that Our Lady appeared at Fatima, and I believe also in all the associated revelations approved by the Church. But I’m not sure that i would use the word ‘indisputable’ about the miracles, as they have indeed been disputed by unbelievers – mass hysteria and several subsequent ‘miracles of the sun’ in association with other claimed apparitions to name but two of their ‘explanations’.
I wasn’t thinking specifically of Fr. Villa’s claims – more about the the ‘installation of Satan in the Vatican’ and other associated ‘tales’ which I find interesting, if perhaps unprofitable.
Christina,
I meant “indisputable” from a believing Catholic viewpoint, not from the viewpoint of atheists and liberals. Mind you, even the unbelieving anti-Catholic press in Portugal at the time of the apparitions were forced to change their opinions and come out in favour of divine miracle. As for the mass hysteria claim, it was disproved immediately by the fact that people saw the miracle of the sun from miles away, no where near the general crowd.
Regarding stories of Satan being enthroned in the Vatican, etc., these are, as you rightly say, unprofitable. That being the case, I don’t waste time on them. The arguments we have to take to the Modernists are doctrinal in nature, so I tend to lean more towards reading the Papal Encyclicals, teachings of the Councils and saints, etc., so that I’m armed with sound, indisputable argument. I just don’t see any value in that other stuff. But that’s just me!
Anyone involved in apostolates promoting and defending the Faith should definitely read ‘The Soul of the Apostolate’ by Dom Chautard (available free online here:- http://www.olmc-mission.org/soul_of_the_apostolate.pdf ) It’s invaluable, and was also St Pius X’s bedside reading book.
PS Disclaimer – I don’t know anything about the website that the Dom Chautard book is on, or if the translation is accurate, I just found it via Google, but the book is easily available in Catholic bookstores and on Amazon.
The latest news from lifesitenews.com reveals that Cardinal Burke has been removed from his position at the Vatican and may therefore be unable to attend the forthcoming synod this will be a huge blow to pro life and Traditional Catholics.
lifesitenews.com of Sept 17th
Thanks Mikidiki,
I’d heard that – shocking shocking news.
As far as I know he is currently still ‘in post’, but is expected to be removed.
http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/articolo/1350870?eng=y
I’m right now preparing to post a thread on the Chiesa report. Please hold fire until it goes online, shortly.
I hope this is the correct place to ask this question. I haven’t made up my mind how to vote tomorrow and I was wondering what the general thoughts of this group are – Yes or No?
Violetwisp,
It is up to individuals how they cast their vote. I will be voting “NO”. See our referendum threads here and here
I am voting No also.
No from me
Thank you, I found that most helpful.
” according to a Vatican correspondent of the semi-official daily and Catholic paper of record of the French Episcopate, La Croix (as authoritive a source as there can be for Catholic news in French), in an article published in today’s print edition, Pope Francis is greatly irritated with this book”
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/09/pope-francis-is-irritated-with-pro.html#more
Violetwisp,
Speaking for myself, weighing just the economic costs and risks of separation, and in the absence of any really sound detailed fiscal policy from the YES campaign, I can’t figure out how anyone with an IQ higher than the average house plant could possibly vote otherwise than ‘No Thanks’. There is far too much at stake for so small a country to leap into the unknown wrapped only in optimism and the Saltire.
To be honest, I’m also a wee bit embarrassed that we Scots have made so much of wanting to separate from the rest of the UK. We have been part of a successful union for many centuries, most notably when our British servicemen, Scottish, English, Irish and Welsh, fought and died together to defeat Hitler. It seems to me that we are dishonouring their memory with this separatist nonsense for no other reason than that we might (?) make a few extra pennies out of it. That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth.
Athanasius,
I have a very different perspective on the union and have no sense of pride whatsoever in the “British” stuff – it puzzles me that any Catholic wishes to stand shoulder to shoulder with “the British” but I’ll say no more on that and would be grateful if nobody else would either. It will only lead to acrimony, and we’re not here to discuss politics anyway. I say the above merely in passing following your comment about the “successful union”. A moot – and debateable – point. Let’s not debate it – please!
I will vote NO merely on the grounds of the immoral legislation introduced by the Scottish Government and contempt shown by the Scottish Government for the electorate. I know that the same immoral legislation and contempt has been shown by the Westminster government but I never vote for any of them either and will not do so unless by some miracle they reverse all the evil legislation they have introduced in recent years; I will continue, instead, to spoil my ballot paper. I refuse to give these pagans any more power over me than they already have, since they have treated me with utter contempt to date. As I said on the other thread on this subject, referring to the same sex marriage consultation: “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” Salmond fooled me once, when I sat for ages at my computer completing his convoluted and ridiculous consultation form. He’s not going to fool me into giving him more power over me. No way.
In the natural order of things, of course, each nation should govern itself. The empire building and partitioning of countries has been divisive and caused nothing but trouble and bitterness. So, my default position is that we should, of course, be able to rule ourselves etc. But, as things stand today, I want to have no part in putting a smile on the arrogant face of Alex Salmond tomorrow. I am dreading seeing that smirk all over the TV news on Friday.
Please, folks, prevent that – vote NO!
Editor,
Just a quick point on what you said. This is not Party politics, it’s more serious than that and so it’s a case of choosing the lesser of evils. I don’t disagree with your observation that all political parties in Britain are today Godless, but they’ve only gone that way in the last 50 years or so. My comments covered a much longer period than that. I’ll say no more.
Athanasius,
My comment also covered a much longer period than the past fifty years. Let’s both say no more!
Regardless of the result, I would bet Mr Salmond will be gone before we next elect a Scottish Government.
Hear hear, me too.
Editor,
You state: ” I will continue, instead, to spoil my ballot paper.”
In that case, surely you cannot complain about the Government you get. Women fought long and hard to get the vote.
S anti ago
I disagree entirely. I think the time has long gone for voting for the “least bad” candidate. There are certainly a fee exceptions, but the majority of politicians are all as bad as each other.
Santiago,
The very fact that I am unable in conscience to vote for any politician, is the very reason I am forced to – and have every right to – complain about the Government. Think, think, think. And when you’ve done that, think again !
This is not about voting for any particular party or individual. It is about choosing a new way of governance after which we can vote for the party / individuals of our choice.
Most of the moral causes have already been lost so Independence means trading one Godless state for another but arguably, in a smaller country, there is a better chance of electing a candidate who shares our views on moral issues and the list system by which we elect some of our MSPs has the potential to make this even more achievable.
Athanasius says that We have been part of a successful union for many centuries…
Three centuries – a blink of the eye in historical terms. “Successful union”? Tell that to the many young people who have little hope of gainful employment or the familes queuing up at foodbanks.
I voted against devolution and now cannot imagine having Scotland ruled entirely from Westminster. Independence is the next logical step, and our grandchildren will wonder why the idea was ever controversial. It’s not as if we will be turning our backs on some kind of Utopia.
I have already been to the polling station and voted “Yes”.
I am very happy and proud to be voting YES.
Benedict,
You’ll not be so happy and proud when wee Eck sticks a 60ft wind turbine in your back garden and floods the country with immigrants to make up for the shortfall in taxable population! Aside from that, no Catholic should be happy and proud to vote for the SNP and its separatist agenda, especially in light of recent laws undermining the Sacrament of marriage and the right of families to be preserved from State intrusion into their private lives (criminality excepted). And make no mistake, a YES vote is a vote for the SNP now and for many more years to come.
Athanasius,
I agree with you entirely. I see right through this bogus claim that a Yes vote is not a vote for the SNP. Everything that has been promised to us in an independent Scotland has been SNP policy. The SNP will be leading the negotiating team that will unravel the 300 year successful union with the rest of the UK. A vote for Yes is a vote for the SNP and their godless policies.
People in this country have been using “austerity” as justification for voting Yes. If you look at Ireland, it is a fine example of how a small, independent country can have a booming economy one minute and an economy that’s in the gutter the next. Irish public servants had a 10% pay cut imposed on them yet we complain about a two year pay freeze and two successive 1% pay rises. Unemployment in Ireland is 12% compared to our 6%. We have been protected from the worst of the economic crash because we were part of a successful union.
You’ll not be so happy and proud when wee Eck …floods the country with immigrants to make up for the shortfall in taxable population!
I will.
Exactly how does THIS vote affect our right to vote as we choose in the future? People change their votes regularly, otherwise we would always have the same party in power. There are YES voters from all parties and none.
Athanasius,
Which is the greater evil? The Westminster vote to legalise the murder of the unborn and the proposed Westminster legislation of the murder of the elderly or same sex marriage and wind turbines (which are already around the village). I am sure even you will agree the latter pale into insignificance when placed beside those murdering atrocities.
Make no mistake a YES vote is a YES to the future of Scotland now and for many generations to come. It is time to leave the petty politics of Labour and SNP aside and vote for your people and nation.
As already stated, we know that none of the UK politicians have a moral thought between them. Difference is, the Westminster bunch are not asking for more power over us. Salmond IS asking for more power, more authority to show more contempt for us. And remember, the NP in SNP used to stand for “No Popery”, so notorious were the SNP for their anti-Catholicism. Thanks to ecumenism, that’s been buried for the present but still, Catholics, be careful what you vote for…
Benedict,
You fool yourself if you believe that the SNP are less pro-abortion and pro-euthanasia than Westminster. In fact, given the way the “same-sex marriage” and “State Guardian” Acts have been pushed through, you will soon discover that many previously unimaginable things will be forced on Scotland’s people and there will be no House of Lords to put in at least a token opposition.
Besides all that, there’s absolutely no chance of Scotland doing well economically for a long, long time, if ever again. There is no infrastructure in place either here or abroad, so please Benedict, do not be fooled. Alex is conning you!
Athanasius,
Trust me when I say I am not fooled – by any political party, their policies or their legislation they push through. I treat each with kid gloves and scepticism but not with blinkers on. However you have not answered my question.
I cannot help but think you are over personalising the debate. It is not about Salmond, Darling, Brown or Cameron. These guys are politicians who will, like us all, die away.
No, it is about our children, our grandchildren and their offspring and the future of our believed country of Scotland.
To personalise the discussion is doing Scotland a great disservice – it is about the people not politicians.
Benedict,
What question? I was not aware that you asked a question, but feel free to ask it again and I’ll do my best to respond.
As for the future of our children and their children in this new Utopia Scotland, read the Scottish Government’s ‘Children and Young People (2014) Act’, especially the section headed ‘Named Person Service’. If that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about the future of Scotland’s children, then I don’t know what will.
I’m not into this Nationalist stuff at all. I’m proud to be Scots, yes, but not overly fanatical about the land that produced the Red Clydesiders and the Scottish rite of Freemasonry, the most popular rite in the world. I look at these matters objectively, weighing the facts with reason rather than passion.
Athanasius,
My question per my 10:34am post referred to your post of 2:07am
The question was:
“Which is the greater evil? The Westminster vote to legalise the murder of the unborn and the proposed Westminster legislation of the murder of the elderly or same sex marriage and wind turbines (which are already around the village). I am sure even you will agree the latter pale into insignificance when placed beside those murdering atrocities.
No one has ever suggested an independent Scotland would be a Utopia. The UK we would be leaving is most definitely not a Utopia.
I’m proud to be Scots, yes,…
Why? it is as much an act of God or an accident of birth (depending on your point of view) as having brown eyes of being six foot tall. I see no reason at all to be proud of one’s nationality.
Petrus,
We in Scotland have, as you rightly state, been shielded from those less fortunate nations who have borne the brunt of the economic meltdown. But, as the budget for Scotland is already a devolved matter, who has been managing it for the last few years? None other that the SNP under one of the most astute and statesmanlike MSP’s Holyrood has ever had – Mr John Swinney. It is his budgets which have steered Scotland through the recession and made us ahead of many nations in recovery terms. Never mind Salmond et al, John Swinney has done Scotland proud with his sound fiscal management. On this all political parties have agreed.
Oh well that’s all right then. As long as we prosper economically, who cares about this sort of thing?
Dear Editor,
I was only replying to Petrus’s statements otherwise which rightly deserved an answer. Please do not take that post out of context, I am well aware of “this” sort of thing.
I have voted Yes and agree with Petrus in regards to the Scottish governments economic policies and this is the crux of the arguementThe British state, the union was a religious construct to exclude Roman Catholics, its time has past. We must live in the real world especially the secular western liberal model in that we are not going to get anything but ungodless populist policies. These arguments indeed are now being brought forward in the church. So whatever your basis for supporting the union it certainly is not this!
Pat,
I think you meant to say you agree with Benedict. I can just envisage Petrus swallowing handfuls of anti-apoplexy tablets after reading the first sentence of your post.
I don’t believe it is all about economics. For the first fifty years of its independence the Republic of Ireland was generally poorer than the UK. How long would you have had to search the streets of Eire to find anyone who wanted to go back to being a part of the UK?.
Eileenanne,
You refer to an era which lo longer exists in the world today – that of isolated countries trying to manage on their own. We live in the global village today where the economic market with global/continental alliances minimise those long periods of isolated austerity.
Don’t get me wrong I am not saying that is a panacea for the world – far, far from it as it brings evils on a much grander scale, but they do provide some sort of economic safety net.
I do agree with madam Editor that the world MUST be judged not on economics but on it’s Christian values.
Wow, I cannot believe I have just written something in support of the Editor. Petrus pass the tablets (see previous post).
Scotland won’t be isolated. We will be in the EU and NATO.
Eileenanne,
Yes, and as one prominent politician recently described EU membership, “Scotland will not be independent, it will be a very small and unimportant colony of the EU”. How very true!
It will certainly be small. Whether it is unimportant remains to be seen. “Colony” is a loaded term, and misrepresents the situation. I’ll bet that politician was not a neutral observer of the referendum campaign!
Benedict,
Scotland has no Central Bank, no financial institutions, no benefits agency, no armed forces, no security services, no ambassadorial offices around the globe, a £6 Billion deficit and only 5 million citizens. Come on, get real Benedict, Scotland will cease to be prosperous for a very, very long time.
But listen folks, this is more sinister than we perhaps realise. This breaking Scotland away from the UK has given place to calls for Independence by Welsh Nationalists and to rumblings in Northern Ireland. It has also raised the very real possibility that English counties will demand devolved government from Westminster. All this fracturing at a time when relations between East and West are returning to Cold War status will cripple the UK (Scotland too) in the event of a near-future stand off with Russia and China, which is very likely.
Ever heard the old adage “divide and conquer”? That’s what the plan is for the UK right now. We should all beware these restless movements for separation.
Wouldn’t it be great to live in a country with no armed forces? No forces=no war.
Sadly, there would be armed forces in an independent Scotland.
“No forces = no war”. Also, no forces, no defence = occupation by a country that has forces.
Athanasius,
I think we are both of the age of the “Reds under the beds” era but that is where we part. Global politics has moved on apace and the NATO, EU, Commonwealth alliances – which Scotland wishes to be a part of (if there is a generosity from other nations and not the pettiness they are showing now), had altered that game plan considerably. In addition we have to include that dreaded word ‘economics’ again into the equation. Sabre rattling there will be aplenty as it says in the Bible. My focus is not on the far east but the middle east from whence comes a spiritual evil.
I laughed out loud at the idea of “rumblings in Northern Ireland”. Talk about chickens coming home to roost. If the British hadn’t planted its Protestant people there and separated it from the rest of Ireland in the first place, there wouldn’t be these “rumblings”. The UK is a contrived nation or group of states, whatever way you look at it. For everyone to govern themselves is perfect in order. I don’t trust Alex Salmond and the SNP and – as others have said – it would be a mistake to reward him for his contemptuous treatment of the electorate and for his evil legislation, which is why I voted No. Not because the “UK” has some divine right to exist. It doesn’t.
I heard Fr Gruner say recently that Our Lady spoke about Russia (Consecration) not Syria or Iraq. It struck me then that there was very little in the news about the Ukraine-Russia situation and wondered if the ISIS terrorism was a sort of diversion, in a way. I feel that view is somehow affirmed by this report from Catholic News Agency and I’m interested to know what others think.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/cardinal-dolan-ukraine-flowing-with-blood-america-must-speak-up-50106/
Yes Margaret Mary,
I agree with you. As bad as the Islamic State situation is, Sister Lucia said to Fr Fuentes in 1957: “MANY TIMES the Most Holy Virgin told my cousins Francisco and Jacinta, as well as myself, that many nations will disappear from the face of the earth. She said that RUSSIA will be the instrument of chastisement chosen by Heaven to punish the whole world if we do not beforehand obtain the conversion of that poor nation”. (emphases mine)
So it’s Russia that will be the instrument of chastisement to punish the world – including Islamic states and nations – although that’s not to say that the adherents of “the religion of peace” will continue to inflict other damage until the main chastisement by Russia takes place (unless the Consecration of Russia is done).
Having said that, I’m sick and tired of hearing about so-called “moderate muslims” who are complaining about “Islamophobia’. Watch this great 4 minute clip where one such type, a Saba Ahmed, gets her come-uppance from Brigitte Gabriel . . . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3NzkAOo3s But all is not what it seems. The so-called ‘moderate muslim’ apparently has ties to terrorists:- http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/deborah-weiss/saba-ahmed-unveiled
Westminster Fly,
Many thanks for posting those links – I’ve just watched the video and it is a cracker. Then reading about the alleged “moderate Muslim” was jaw-dropping. What a nerve!
As for Brigitte’s exhortation to “take political correctness and throw it in the garbage” – spot on!
The story didn’t end there. Saba Ahmed went on TV to take on the feisty Brigitte Gabriel . . . and didn’t come out of it too well. The debate takes place in a couple of 6 minute video clips – well worth watching!
Part one here:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFbWafF-J4c
Part two here:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4-HdVFbnw8
Margaret Mary
Further evidence that Russia is the main problem . . . http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/11106195/Putin-privately-threatened-to-invade-Poland-Romania-and-the-Baltic-states.html
WF,
The linked Telegraph article, dated only yesterday, really does bring home to us the fact that Russia MUST be consecrated.
Our Lady said this would happen but it would be “late” and right now all the signs point to the likelihood that we will be at war with Russia before the Pope realises that his tree planting and football matches aren’t really bringing home the bacon.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.
Which reminds me – The Fatima Network is appealing for funds to get a new Centre which would greatly assist them in their apostolate. Donations can be made online here:- http://www.fatima.org
WF,
Your latest two posts went into moderation, for no reason that I can see, including the comment with two links – I think it’s if there is five or more that a post going into moderation. So apologies for the delay in having these latest two very useful comments published.
Unbelievably, the press release from Archbishop Tartaglia on behalf of the Scottish Bishops re. the news that Alex Salmond is standing down as First Minister and leader of the SNP truly beggars belief. Instead of remaining silent (lacking the courage to speak the truth) the Archbishop extols the praises of this man who is responsible for the introduction of so much evil legislation. That he has tolerated “Catholic schools” is meaningless since they are about as Catholic as a bunch of drunks on a Saturday night. The press release follows:
20 September 2014
Scotland’s Catholic Bishops commend First Minister
The following letter has been sent today to Scotland’s First Minister by the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia.
The Right Hon Alex Salmond MSP
20th September 2014
Dear First Minister,
You have announced your decision to step down as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party.
On behalf of the Bishops Conference of Scotland, I want to acknowledge your long and outstanding career in politics, and your distinguished service as First Minister of Scotland. With good reason, you have been described as one of the most able and influential political leaders that Scotland and the United Kingdom has ever produced.
The Bishops are especially grateful for your recognition of the important place of religion and faith in Scotland, for your support of Catholic education as making its own distinctive contribution to the good of Scotland as a whole, and for your sensitivity to the issues around religious freedom which are emerging in our country as they are elsewhere. You have also shown real concern for those in our society who are less affluent and less fortunate. And of course, you have always been a wonderful champion and ambassador for Scotland at home and abroad. We hope that your political successors will be inspired by your example and continue to protect and promote these same values.
And lastly, we remain grateful for the support and assistance given by your government before and during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Scotland in 2010.
The Bishops Conference of Scotland wishes you every blessing and happiness in the future.
With my prayerful good wishes,
Philip Tartaglia, Archbishop of Glasgow
President of the Bishops Conference of Scotland
ENDS
Peter Kearney
Director
Catholic Media Office
5 St. Vincent Place
Glasgow
G1 2DH
0141 221 1168(T)
0141 204 2458(F)
07968 122291(M)
pk@scmo.org
http://www.scmo.org
I come not to bury Caesar, but to praise him!
That letter is just typical licking the boots of politicians by the bishops. It made me cringe.
Editor
That letter from Archbishop Tartaglia is extremely regrettable, but not so surprising given that the Bishops of Scotland are also men of Independence who have managed, a little more successfully, to divorce Scottish Catholicism from 2000 years of Traditional belief and practice. We shouldn’t be particularly shocked that these revolutionary Churchmen praise revolutionary statesmen.
A reader in England sent me this article about bogus abuse claims and compensation paid out. Why on earth the same rules of “innocent until PROVEN guilty” don’t apply in these cases, beats me.
Lionel, one of our readers in France, sent the following report which I think will interest everyone:
Eucharistic Congress, meeting in Cebu in 2016 at the Vatican
From September 25 to 27 with representatives from 5 continents
The meeting will be presided by Archbishop Piero Marini, with assistance from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, the prior of the community of Bose, Enzo Bianchi brother, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, and the Archbishop of Cebu Archbishop Jose S. Palma.
The prior of the community of Bose, Enzo Bianchi brother, is a notorious syncretistic, a hard-heretic…
The Holy Father appoints br. Enzo Bianchi consulter of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (it cannot be worse).
Mgr Antonio Livi: http://www.lavie.fr/chroniques/matinale-chretienne/controverse-en-italie-autour-d-enzo-bianchi-20-04-2012-26682_167.php
“Enzo Bianchi? He stands as the prior of the community Bosé. Catholics see him as a new monastic order but that is not canonically the case because he does not respect the laws of the Church on religious life. Joint Devotees also regard him as a spiritual master, a new St. Francis of Assisi who could restore Christianity today with a purified Gospel, but in his writings, the Gospel is not the Word of God preserved and interpreted by the Church, but only a rhetorical device for his vision of an atheism and substantially nominally Christian humanism” etc… etc…
It is absolutely appalling! END.
A reader in England emailed me a Spectator report regarding Peter Kearney, Spokesman for the Scottish Bishops, who apparently acted also as a press officer for the SNP. The question of his possible influence over the letter from the Bishops to Alex Salmond is raised. However, Peter Kearney’s support for the YES campaign has been public knowledge from the git-go. He has written openly in the Catholic press in support of independence. We reported this in our newsletter way back when…
So, with regards to the Spectator report, I’m more interested in the comments from James MacMillan, who, passes as a “traditional” Catholic due to his love for Gregorian Chant, while quite happy with his local novus ordo Mass. In other words, if the music is “cool”, he’s OK with the new (and getting newer by the minute) Mass. Anyway, click here to read the Spectator report.
Has nobody seen the disgraceful resignation of Bishop Conry of the diocese of Arundel and Brighton?
Crofterlady,
We are commenting on that on the lead thread – click here and scroll down to where the Conry scandal is mentioned, if you wish to share your thoughts.
Must read….. Dr Kelly Bowring’s open letter to Pope Francis (published on Gloria TV. (2.10.14)
Thank God for Dr Kelly. Amen.
Graeme
Thanks very much for posting this. Thank God indeed.
Therese,
Dr Kelly ( not being a clergyman) is outside the bully boy tactics of this pope and his courage and faith are clearly gifts from Almighty God, lets hope more catholics ( prelates and lay) stand up to this pope and his Kasper like friends.
Graeme,
I’ve only now managed to read the Open Letter to Pope Francis which seems to have excited quite a few – it’s been recommended to me by email plus your post above alerted us all to it. So my expectations were high. I was looking forward to reading it.
And hugely disappointed when I did. For one thing, it comes from the “two hearts” website which I believe Westminster Fly recently warned us against visiting since it promotes unapproved apparitions, including Medjugorje. So, that was off-putting right away.
Regarding the letter itself, I noted the following:
1) it is far too long.
2) it is very long-winded and laboriously takes us through an awful lot of stuff that we already know about Pope Francis, which, since it is addressed TO Pope Francis should have been either condensed into a couple of sentences or omitted altogether.
3) Dr Kelly comments throughout in a manner which leads readers to presume that if there is any apparent change in doctrine, we can depose Pope Francis. Not true. Nor can the Church’s teaching change. Throughout, Dr Kelly appears to be accepting the possibility of doctrinal change. He does stress “pastoral” care as the vehicle for this, but it is false to suggest that the Church’s teaching can ever change. Priests have been going along with the contraceptive mentality for years now, using the “pastorally sensitive” argument, but the Church’s teaching on the immorality of contraception remains intact. So it will always be with the indissolubility of marriage – his letter is so convoluted that, if he did, in fact, make the necessary distinctions to emphasise that the doctrine cannot change, it didn’t hit me between the eyes. It’s late, and I’ve had a very busy day, so maybe I’ve missed it. If so… oops!
4) He writes this towards the end: “To the Catholic faithful and people of good will, I declare, vigilance is now required! “ Exclamation mark included in original. Well, some theologian, if Dr Kelly thinks that only now we have to be vigilant. Some of us have been exhorting our Catholic brethren to vigilance since the close of Vatican II – so, that – I’m afraid – made me laugh a hollow laugh.
5) Not unconnected with #4, Dr Kelly’s references to Pope John Paul II (or “Pope Saint” as he calls him) indicates that he is unaware that the crisis in the Church did not begin with Pope Francis though it may well end with him.
6) His references to La Salette as an approved apparition was rather disconcerting, when there is some doubt about that, although it was initially approved. Because of the doubt, as we’ve discussed a few times here, we tend to discount it. Fatima is mentioned only in parenthesis by Dr Kelly without any mention at all of the necessity of the Consecration of Russia to right the wrongs in both Church and world. Good that he quoted Akita, though. That’s an important quote.
7) The Catholic faithful are not told about the “lifeboat” given to us by Our Lord to see us through this crisis – no mention that Our Lady of Good Success promised “a prelate who would restore the spirit of the priests” and that this prelate, who would come in the 20th century, is more than likely to have been Archbishop Lefebvre, with an exhortation to all to support the SSPX chapels and receive the Sacraments from the Society priests. Disappointing omission.
In short, Dr Kelly’s Open Letter was more of an essay of which an English teacher might say “Some good work here; interesting examples given, but some key information omitted and conclusion rather weak. A fair first draft, so well done, but check your notes and visit some informative websites (such as Catholic Truth!) before re-drafting.
Sorry to be so negative but this is my reaction on reading the letter. If I’m wrong on any or all points, please feel free to correct me. Nobody will be moved down the pay scale – honest 😀
Editor,
I hear what you say, however, the fact that a catholic theologian has written an open letter to the pope questioning where it appears the pope is heading with his Kasper (heretic) mouthpiece is a breath of fresh air. When Card. Burke spoke out he was sent sideways.
When we get to hear of this synods closing statements, i am sure, sadly, that we will need men like Dr Kelly and other lay men and women ( and real prelates) to speak out too.
Dr Kelly has asked (before the synod) questions that require answering. Thank God he asked them.
For my (many) sins I missed the discussion about La Salette. I thought until now that it was an improved apparition. Can someone enlighten me? Thanks.
Helen,
I have some problems with LaSalette. Yes, the apparition is approved by the Church, but only insofar as there is nothing contained in the text of the Secret that is contrary or dangerous to the Faith.
However, the actual texts of the Secret of LaSalette are otherwise very controversial, by which I mean that Melanie originally revealed a quite short message from Our Lady in 1851 but then issued a much longer, cryptic text in 1879 which many bishops censored. There are stories of Melanie having become fixated with apocalyptic events and accounts of the last times in the intervening years between 1851 and 1879, which some wise souls rightly questioned. It’s a bit of a confused history of events that does not rule out the possibility of mental instability in the seer in later years. That’s why I personally pass over LaSalette and stick with the more certain and sound apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, proven by the great miracle of the sun.
Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not rubbishing the original LaSalette visions, it’s just that it’s all so confusing and uncertain that I think it best to stick to what is much clearer and more profound for our times – Fatima! The Third Secret of Fatima (linked with Quito) is what everyone needs to concentrate on today.
Thanks, Athanasius.
Apologies for my longish absence from commenting on the blog, folks, but I am trying to get the November newsletter underway – and please note it WILL be late this time, due in large part to family illness.
Some of you may have noticed that that there have been some problems with the website recently. Webmaster spent some hours today repairing the software but we are going to need a complete overhaul, which he plans to do for us next week at some point. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
I would like to ask a question unrelated to any topics above.
I have just attended a physiotherapy appointment for back pain. I was given 4 exercises to do and recommended to do a yoga class. I have never done yoga. Can anyone tell me is yoga exercises/classes against the Catholic Faith as I am not clear about this but seem to have some reservations about this but don’t know why? If there is anyone with some knowledge on this topic, I would be interested to know.
Catherine,
I would avoid Yoga like the plague. It’s a pagan practice.
I found these two links which might help you to decide.
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/yoga.htm
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2012/10/01/the-southampton-priest-was-right-to-ban-yoga-classes/
I agree with the first commentator on the Catholic Herald blog, see my second link, that it is against the First Commandment – maybe others disagree, but I’m sure I’ve read Yoga condemned on this blog before.
Catherine
I’ll probably be shot down in flames, but I did yoga some years ago and found it very beneficial. I wasn’t aware, at the time, that it was questionable. There is a lot involved in doing yoga properly (which I didn’t do), for instance breathing in certain ways, and meditating. I didn’t find it necessary to do either of those things to get fitter. I had a Protestant friend who was appalled that I had done yoga and told me that many of the positions are designs as acts of worship to various gods, which surprised me. However, as I was never very good at it I would never have been able to achieve the more outlandish positions, and I didn’t have the desire to do so, either. I found the basic exercises, sans the extras, most effective in strengthening my muscles, without pain or strain.
I may now be excommunicated by Editor…
Therese,
Our comments went up at the same time. I does say in the EWTN article (my first link) that it is acceptable to use the position as long as they are separated from the religious part, but it is not easy to do that also it is dangerous to dabble in the occult. In your case you didn’t know anything about the religious part so you can’t be culpable (but Editor may excommunicate you anyway!)
Lily
Yes, she’s a hard woman at times….
Since I believe it is correct to state that the commission of a sin depends upon an intention so to commit, how can it possibly be sinful to engage in yoga exercises simply for the beneficial effects of such exercise? Perhaps the priest in question will ban line dancing classes next? To condemn yoga is probably easier than preaching against contraception, same sex unions and homosexuality. Such is life”
I don’t think anyone could claim that line dancing was a means of getting involved in the occult, Yoga definitely is. Yoga classes were run in St Mary’s cathedral in Edinburgh and the advert was a scandal, pinned to the board in the church porch. It is dangerous to dabble in the occult, so I wouldn’t touch Yoga with a barge pole.
I do agree with what you say about not preaching about contraception, same se unions and homosexuality. You are definitely correct there, but at least he’s recognised the dangers of Yoga.
Almost every activity known to Man may be, if one is so predisposed, an occasion of sin,.
It follows, therefore, that line dancing may be no different, nor for example whist drives, food banks, parish dances and church societies! It may be a possibility that the priest is practising distraction whereby an easy target is selected whilst more controversial and essential ones are pushed conveniently into the background.
I do not, never have and never will, engage in yoga but I have personal friends who regularly attend yoga exercise classes and these good folk could not be further from tarot cards and seance mumbo jumbo. They would not know the occult if it bit them on the rear.
The stretching exercises strengthen the muscles and give the body an amazing flexibility never before attained. The advice of the physiotherapist mentioned earlier is well meant and would indeed be beneficial.
Naturally, to be on the safe side, discrete enquiries could be made as to the religious/spiritual affiliations of the instructor/instructress. Perhaps the car registration of DEV 1L would give a clue?
To coin a phrase — Gerralife
Mikidiki,
I wouldn’t call Yoga “an easy target” – not if you believe in the devil. By your “car registration” you seem to be mocking the idea that the devil is involved in Yoga. That’s dangerous and lacks discernment, which is why I think you and your friends might find this article helpful:
http://www.spiritual-research-network.com/christianyogahinduoccult_pt1.html
It’s not actually about the religious disposition of the instructors, as you say. If you understood the way the devil works a bit more you would know that if you empty your mind, something needs to fill it. Yoga is a pagan practice so no prizes for guessing who fills the minds that use it.
It’s a pity that so many Catholics have no problem with Yoga, but then they have no problem with so much that is wrong in the Church today that it’s not really surprising.
I hope you don’t tell me to “Gerralife” as I already have one that I like and don’t want to change!
Since you imply that I know but little as to how the Devil works and conversely how much you suggest that you do know, I should point out that the article you refer is a critique of “Holy Yoga” and is published by a Network of, possibly well meaning, heretics.
I have written about “Exercise Yoga” or cannot you discern any difference?
I am delighted that you do not need to “Gerralife” and are thus content with your views. Good for you.
Mikidiki,
I actually thought twice about replying to your comment because I’ve seen how aggressively you have communicated with other bloggers on other topics, something which I think is out of place on this Catholic blog.
I said what I thought came across in your post. Instead of insulting me, perhaps you ought to look again at the way you write your own comments. Frankly, you come across all the time as if you are looking for a fight and that’s not why I come onto this blog. I won’t answer any more of your comments, if they are in the same insulting tone,
Lily
I am sorry that I have upset you simply by pointing out that your link to an article on “Holy Yoga” was nothing like the “Exercise Yoga” to which I was referring. It is also a fact that the website to which you linked is nominally Christian but nevertheless heretical. It is not unusual to discover that when a person loses the argument they change the subject to complaints about personal abuse whilst at the same time casting aspersions on the other person’s motives.
It is this which is out if place on a Catholic blog not vigorous debate. Please and thank you.
I really can’t see what difference it makes whether the article on Yoga is on a “heretical” site or not, as it’s giving facts about Yoga, nothing else.
I can’t imagine why any Catholic would want to do Yoga. It’s weird. If they want to meditate why not do so in front of the Blessed Sacrament, in the way the great saints did? Why follow a pagan system of meditation?
Margaret Mary
As a Catholic, I did yoga to get fitter. Meditation didn’t come into it, and I think this is the case with most people. If we are talking about yoga with all the bells on, I fully accept that that would be extremely dangerous, but merely doing the the basic exercises is quite a different matter. You will find yoga exercises incorporated in many gym classes, without harm either to one’s soul or body.
I think we are talking about two completely things here. To lie on the floor and slowly raise each leg as high as it will go poses no danger that I can see to one’s immortal soul and I fail to see anything un-Catholic about it.
Again, why not just join a gym and do ordinary exercises? Why pick something that is rooted in pagan beliefs? I find it really weird.
It’s not just an occasion of sin, it’s about the possibility of being drawn into the occult. There’s a huge difference IMHO.
Margaret Mary
I couldn’t agree more.
Without laying blame at anyone’s door for past involvement in Yoga through ignorance, my advice is the same as almost everyone else, which is, please do not do Yoga.
Yoga originates from Eastern mysticism. It is a form of spiritualism disguised as healthy exercise. I remember one priest years ago describing it as “how to get yourself possessed” therapy. I cannot recall the name of the priest who said this, but I do remember that he was well respected.
Catherine
That inexplicable reluctance you mentioned, to get involved with Yoga, was your Guardian Angel protecting you!
Therese
You’re safe enough because your Guardian Angel stopped you from getting into the most dangerous aspect of Yoga, which is the breathing exercises/meditation part.
We can always see our Guardian Angels at work in our lives.
Athanasius,
Much as I hate to disagree with you…..I think I am about to, at least partially on the topic of yoga :'(
Yoga originated in the East, but it is not a religious practice or a ritual – it is founded on the (scientific) knowledge of the workings of the body which is why it is effective in alleviating pain and strengthening the body gently but naturally. The exercises are just that- a series of movements calculated to increase blood supply to otherwise neglected muscles and organs, and to strengthen the body.
Catherine,
At the risk of being excommunicated by Editor- like Therese, I have found yoga to be very beneficial in dealing with back pain, and strengthening muscles, and in speeding recovery from surgery.
As for the breathing exercises, they are, I believe, intended to increase the oxygen supply to the muscles being stretched.
Unless you are forced to listen to Eastern chant along with the exercises, I don’t see how the exercises themselves can be harmful.
Jobstears
I fear you have been misinformed about Yoga. Follow the link below to a short introduction to the origins of this practice and why it is incompatible with Catholicism. The article is by the late Fr. John Hardon SJ., a very sound and respected Catholic priest.
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0275.html
Athanasius,
Thank you for the very informative link. I do like Fr. Hardon (his Catechism is required reading in high school) . I fully understand that the practice of yoga which includes accepting its goals and ends (and apparently requires years of training) is incompatible with Catholicism.
However, when I speak of yoga (and I’m pretty sure this will hold true for the average person who talks of yoga ), I am referring only to the individual exercises, taught in isolation from any philosophy – the kind of instruction offered in books/ physiotherapists/nurses. Here’s what’s bothering me: Can the simple body movements done without the knowledge of or the least desire to release ‘energies’ or ‘powers’ – be tainted because they are a part of pagan philosophy? The Ouija board was thought to be harmless fun and sold as a game- but dabbling in the occult is never harmless. Thank you!
Jobstears
I understand perfectly well that some Catholics have done Yoga at just the physical level, and so have not put themselves at risk spiritually.
The problem is that by using Yoga as their preferred method of working out they add to its popularity and help to attract others to it who may not be so restrained when it comes to limiting this essentially all encompassing esoteric religion to just what it offers in terms of physiology.
Athanasius,
I see your point. Thank you!
You are more than welcome, Jobstears.
Athanasius
It probably helps that I can’t concentrate on anything for longer than 15 seconds (at the most)!
(But that’s not to take away glory from my guardian angel; he has saved me from peril many a time.)
Therese
15 seconds is quite good. I usually manage about 7 myself!
May anyone enter the bidding competition? I will offer 4 seconds.
Mikidiki
Ok, I’ll bid you down to the IQ of the average house plant with 2 seconds! How’s that?
Oops! I was just about to say “2 seconds for me.” Back to the drawing board!
i would imagine that not many people are au fait with the IQs of house plants, so well done, you win.
Oh, I do? My aspidistras will be ecstatic with joy.
Good news for the SSPX as reported on DICI:
This year, the Society has welcomed 51 first year seminarians and 16 postulants for the Brothers.
This eclipses even last years large intake (43 first year seminarians and 16 postulants) and is welcome news indeed. I have a real sense of the Society building momentum, with these figures.
The French and Americans continue to dominate, in terms of nationality. It is especially pleasing to see that the UK & Ireland district has 2 seminarians amongst this intake (1 English and 1 Irish).
http://www.dici.org/en/news/the-society-of-st-pius-x-welcomes-51-new-seminarians/
Gabriel Syme
Yes, this is extremely good news that shows, I believe, the blessing of God on the SSPX as a result of its Rosary crusades. I think it is also significant that SSPX chapels are beginning to see a dramatic rise in the numbers of faithful attending Mass. St. Andrew’s in Glasgow has noted a significant rise in recent months, to the extent, in fact, that there wasn’t an empty seat last Sunday. Many Catholics, thank God, are beginning to open their eyes to this crisis in the Church, and they’re seeing through the lies that have been spread by liberals about the SSPX.
Athanasius & Gabriel Syme,
I agree that God is blessing the SSPX. There was a letter in one of the Catholic papers from a priest who was praising Bishop Conry, calling the SSPX “pernicious and disloyal”. His frustration and anger spilled out. It must infuriate the liberals to see their own seminaries emptying but the SSPX growing.
Margaret Mary,
Good point – it must indeed make some people very sour to see the SSPX success, whilst many Dioceses could not buy a vocation in the modern day.
When one thinks about it, why would any young man want to become a priest in the post-conciliar Church?
In the years following the Council, the priesthood has been completely denuded, to the extent that most lay people (and even some priests) do not really understand what a priest is / should be.
So, its hardly surprising that the moderns struggle for vocations. – the only question is how much damage and decline will they tolerate, before being able to bring themselves to accept reality?
Athanasius,
Yes, it has been standing room only at St Andrews several times recently – encouraging circumstances. (My only complaint is that I had to stand once – haha!)
Father Wingerden remarked last Sunday after mass that he had noticed some more new faces amid the congregation. And he had said recently that the Edinburgh attendances had also been good.
Gabriel Syme, Father is correct, there has been quite a few new faces in Edinburgh recently including a family of six. Fortunately nobody has to stand as we have plenty of seats. I was told by one priest that the Edinburgh chapel is the largest the SSPX has in the UK.
Wendy Walker, our indefatigable pro-life activists, asks me to post the following statement, and to encourage everyone to sign the petition. I have already signed, hint hint…
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) has plans to open an abortion “clinic” at Blackfriars Medical Practice on Thursday 16th October. A doctor’s surgery is a place to treat the sick and save lives, so to have a room on the premises dedicated to killing the innocent lives of pre-born children is a total contradiction to everything a doctor’s surgery represents and is an outrage.
We must speak out now and prevent the further spread of this culture of death into family GP clinics.
These plans were drawn to our attention under two weeks ago when the abortion facility was first due to open on 2nd October. We are grateful to have this two week window of opportunity to campaign to put a stop to this opening.
How can you help?
There are two very easy ways you can help
1) Sign AND share our petition to call upon the owner of the GP surgery not to rent this space out to a service that kills lives. 2) Come out to our public education display and protest next Wednesday to show that many people oppose this opening. We really do need many people to come out in support, so even if you have never been out with us before – all we need is your presence at this peaceful protest. As Edmund Burke said “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Let’s do something and see these plans do a u-turn.
12 noon – 2pm outside:
Blackfriars Medical Practice
45 Colombo Street
London
SE1 8EE
Nearest station – Southwark.
Please respond to this email if you are planning to come, so we have an idea of numbers.
____________________________
We have had two displays outside the GP surgery since we heard the news, and can see support of the local people as well as media interest in the protest and petition.
Last but not least, if you are someone who prays, please also pray!
Thank you for your support and your care for all life.
If we come together and stand up, we really can have victory!
Kind regards,
Ruth Rawlins
London Co-ordinator
Am I alone in thinking that this is obscene?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/11168027/Pope-Francis-allows-Sistine-Chapel-to-be-rented-out-for-private-corporate-event.html
Josephine it is evil. Our own Card. O’Brien turned the entrance of the cathedral into a shared entrance with a bistro bar.
Arch- bishop Conti removed the tabernacle and replaced Our Lord’s presence with his chair and put the holy water font, not at the entrance to Glasgow Cathedral but half way up the central isle and included a bubbling feature!!!
The cathedral in Edinburgh has concerts throughout the year, I could go on.but any prelate who allows this profane use of the sacred space clearly do not believe.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-20/ancient-fish-to-thank-for-sex/5825594
“We’ve solved this great mystery,” he said.
Groan.
Unfortunately this stuff is mainstream now. I wonder if they might tell us where the matter to organisms came from, seeing as they know everything.
Summa,
Hmmm! I suppose the only proper response to that evolutionary revelation is – CODSWALLOP!
Has anyone seen this latest scandal? Cardinal Nichols is still continuing his pro-‘gay’ campaign, which began with his protection of the notorious ‘Soho Masses’ (which are still going strong at Farm Street Jesuit Church):- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/the-pope/11172521/Vatican-call-for-Church-to-welcome-gay-people-did-not-go-far-enough-Cardinal-Vincent-Nichols.html
Westminsterfly,
He’s a scandalous character, Cardinal Nichols, who ought to be stripped of all ecclesiastical dignity without delay. He certainly would have been laicised in holier times, before Vatican II. The man is an enemy of truth and holiness, an enemy of God. No wonder the Catholic Church is in crisis.
I have just watched this shameful video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0e8Uve7cJU
http://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/1179-the-catholic-thing
I am simply at a loss of words of how we have come to this.
The irreverence. The immodesty. The scandal. The insult to our Lord and His Mother.
Summa,
Utterly incredible! Heart breaking!
No Athanasius, WORSE, MUCH WORSE! It is beyond words. (I know you know this, but I think some hyperbole is required to even get close to this disgrace.)
I’m not up to speed on things that go on TV shows and the like, but I assume this woman has been promoted to some lofty rank of some irreligious order by now or that Francis is considering female priests for the next synod, on the back of this success for the Catholic Church.
A Pope of surprises.
Summa,
Yes, it is indeed too great a scandal for words.
Here below is a link to an interesting Mario Tosatti article regarding the SSPX. Its about an interview ++Pozzo has given to a French magazine regarding the Society and Rome.
( I dislike the repeated use of “Lefebvrians” in the article – “Catholics” should suffice. And this after all that hang-wringing about “offensive language” at the synod! 😉 )
Here is the meat of it:
Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview is that which addressed the sticking points in said dialogue. Mgr. Pozzo underlined that “any reservations or positions the Society of St. Pius X may have regarding aspects which are not related to faith but to pastoral questions or the prudential teaching of the Magisterium do not necessarily need to withdrawn or relinquished.” Here Rome seems to be showing an attempt to alter positions expressed in the past: According to Mgr. Pozzo, the fraternity’s reservations are linked to “aspects of pastoral care or the prudential teaching of the Magisterium.” The monsignor’s statement suggests that since these criticisms and reservations are no longer labelled as “doctrinal” the Lefebvrians could legitimately continue to express them.
This approach is expressed more clearly in the following part of the interview: “The Holy See does not wish to impose a capitulation on the SSPX. On the contrary, it invites the fraternity to stand beside it within the same framework of doctrinal principles that is necessary in guaranteeing the same adhesion to the faith and Catholic doctrine on the Magisterium and the Tradition. At the same time, there is room for further reflection on the reservations the fraternity has expressed regarding certain aspects and the wording of the Second Vatican Council documents as well as some reforms that followed but which do not refer to subjects which are dogmatically or doctrinally indisputable.”
Finally, one other very important clarification was made: “There is no doubt that the teachings of the Second Vatican Council vary a great deal in terms of how authoritative and binding they are depending on the text. So, for example, the Lumen Gentium Constitution on the Church and the Dei Verbum on the Divine Revelation are doctrinal declarations even though no dogmatic definition was given to them”, whereas the declarations on religious freedom, non-Christian religions and the decree on ecumenism “are authoritative and binding to a different and lesser degree.”
http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/lefebvriani-lefebvrians-lefebvrianos-37117/
Gabriel Syme,
“…whereas the declarations on religious freedom, non-Christian religions and the decree on ecumenism “are authoritative and binding to a different and lesser degree.”
Not half. The fact is, they’re not remotely authoritative and not binding at all.
Gabriel Syme,
That statement of Mgr. Pozzo is historically inaccurate and riddled with potential pitfalls. The following web page explains in some depth why this is so.
http://www.sspxasia.com/Documents/SiSiNoNo/2003_January/errors_of_vatican_II.htm
We are all excommunicated unless we repent for our errors.
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/10/pope-close-advisor-and-member-of.html
Summa,
I’ve just posted that link on the current top thread “Resisting Pope Francis…” –
Could I remind everyone of the notice at the top of this thread, to always check the most recent threads before posting on this one. The General Discussion thread is placed at the top to make it easy to access, not so that bloggers will post there as first choice.
Please, then, comment on this over on the “Resisting Pope Francis to his face” thread. – otherwise we’ll have some comments on that thread and some on this thread, which is messy. The Pope might want folk making a mess, as he told the young people at World Youth Day, but we, at Catholic Truth, don’t! We like to be neat and tidy!
Thank you.
Hi Editor
Well truth be told, there was no link when I posted this one here, and I thought that it was a different subject and did not want to derail the other thread.
Thanks
That’s OK, Summa, but it’s always best to post a related topic on the first available thread, as this one fills up so quickly. It’s really meant for issues that are not being discussed elsewhere and Pope Francis is usually being discussed elsewhere these days! It reaches 500 in no time at all, and I have to re-launch a new GD thread, so, as long as the link is related to one of the other threads, especially the current top one, it’s best to place it there.
Note: your pay is not being deducted! No fines!
Phew! Got away with it then 🙂
Summa,
Just this once 😀
Okay, searched and haven’t seen this elsewhere on the site 🙂 but…
Elton John is reported over here in Australia on ABC as saying that pope Francis shoiuild be canonised NOW.
There’s a story behind every headline eh?
Summa,
October 30 @ 4.59pm, on the ‘Resiting the Pope’ thread, I wrote:
While on the subject, I read a short report in today’s Scotsman newspaper on Elton John’s call for Francis to be canonised. This really should tell any Catholic worthy of the name that there is something unorthodox about Francis’ Pontificate.
Mind you, I suppose it takes about 24 hours for that post to travel to Australia!! Only kidding!
Summa,
I can see what the problem is. You are searching for a thread on Elton John’s comment but that’s not how it works. There is a thread on Pope Francis running and it’s there that everything about the Pope gets posted. If it’s something about the Synod, then I think you’d post on the Synod thread but if it’s anything else, about Pope Francis, it would be on the latest Pope Francis thread.
I’m not really sure whether jokes about Pope Francis would go on the Pope Francis thread on the Jokes thread! However, IMHO, I don’t think you should risk posting one on this thread!
Ah! Penny drops.
It’s amazing beyond words that this issue has been given very little publicity in Scotland – and I have to say that I’m amazed, too, at the lack of concern from just about every young parent I know, when the matter does arise. Incredible. I suppose when it literally hits home, then they will sit up – after the stable door has been bolted, so to speak.
These are some beautiful Carmelite prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Pray the different prayer for each day of the week, followed by the prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Daily Prayers for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
Sunday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech thee by the Precious Blood, which Thy Divine Son shed in the Garden, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and especially that one which is the most forsaken of all, and bring it into Thy glory, where it may praise and bless Thee for ever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
Monday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which Thy Divine Son Jesus shed in His cruel scourging, deliver the souls in purgatory, and among them all, especially that soul which is nearest to its entrance into Thy glory, that it may soon begin to praise Thee and bless Thee for ever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Tuesday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus that was shed in His bitter crowning with thorns, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and among them all, particularly that soul which is in the greatest need of our prayers, in order that it may not long be delayed in praising Thee in Thy glory and blessing Thee for ever. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Wednesday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus, that was shed in the streets of Jerusalem whilst He carried on His sacred shoulders the heavy burden of the Cross, deliver the souls in Purgatory and especially that one which is richest in merits in Thy sight, so that, having soon attained the high place in glory to which it is destined, it may praise Thee triumphantly and bless Thee for ever. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Thursday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Body and Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus, which He gave on the night before His Passion as meat and drink to His beloved Apostles and bequeathed to His Holy Church to be the perpetual Sacrifice and life-giving nourishment of His faithful people, deliver the souls in Purgatory, but most of all, that soul which was most devoted to this mystery of infinite love, in order that it may praise Thee therefore, together with Thy Divine Son and the Holy Spirit in Thy glory. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Friday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech Thee by the Precious Blood which Jesus Thy Divine Son shed this day upon the tree of the Cross, especially from His sacred hands and feet, deliver the souls in Purgatory, and particularly that soul for whom I am most bound to pray, in order that I may not be the cause which hinders thee from admitting it quickly to the possession of Thy glory, where it may praise Thee and bless Thee for ever more. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Saturday
O Lord God omnipotent, I beseech thee by the Precious Blood which gushed forth from the sacred side of Thy Divine Son Jesus, in the presence and to the great sorrow of His most holy Mother, deliver the souls in Purgatory and among them all especially that soul which has been most devout to Our Blessed Lady, that it may come quickly into Thy glory, there to praise Thee in her, and Her in Thee, throughout all the ages. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Eternal Rest, etc.
Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
O Most blessed and Immaculate Virgin, Ornament and Splendour of Carmel, we beseech thee to have mercy and compassion upon the poor souls in Purgatory, especially on the soul (name). Thou hast promised St Simon Stock to extend a special protection to those who die wearing the Brown Scapular and to bring them as soon as possible to thy heavenly home. Graciously hear the prayers which we pour forth for them and grant that they may soon be worthy of the promises of Thy Divine Son. Show thyself a Mother to them and bring them to dwell with thee and all the Saints of Carmel for ever and ever. Amen.
Mary, Queen of Carmel, intercede for them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
WF,
Thank you for those lovely daily prayers for the Holy Souls.
I’ve posted the prayer of St Gertrude the Great on our homepage (video) which I’ll leave up there for the rest of today, if anyone wishes to listen to it and visit the link to the website from whence the prayer may be copied.
Editor,
It is not too often one has a chance to offer unalloyed congratulations but your choice of video for All Hallows was inspired.
In the bad old days of Pius X, I believe the custom among the Italian Mission to the Irish was to restrict hymn choices to writers who, if not born, had at least died in the Roman obedience.
“For All the Saints” is one of the best works of one of the best of Victorian bishops – the English Church has much to be proud of, perhaps, its tiniest-ever bishop. And ‘Sine Nomine’ is a great tune, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the English Hymnal. The Dean of King’s College, Cambridge, perhaps the outstanding choral foundation in the entire Diocese of Ely, has reason to be proud of the choir’s performance – and no doubt our Supreme Governor will have been pleased to see them kitted out in the scarlet cassocks she reserves for royal foundations.
So, very well chosen. An Anglican hymn, written by an English bishop, sung to a tune from English Hymnal, in an Anglican chapel by a choir kitted out in Her Majesty’s scarlet. Great stuff – the Bishop Emeritus of Rome is clearly not alone in his appreciation of the Anglican patrimony. I never expected to see this blog so warmly endorse something from the Green Book.
Editor: well, don’t get too excited Dowden. Here’s what happened. I’ve only ever heard that hymn on TV. Due to a string of commitments fighting for my time right now, I didn’t have much time to think about a video for All Saints, so, realising it was very late and I’d better get a move on, and couldn’t think of anything off the top of my pretty little head, I Googled “Catholic hymn, All Saints” or something similar and up came this link Scroll to the foot of the page to see why I presumed it is a Catholic hymn, if not one of the better ones.
I was surprised, since I don’t think I’ve ever heard it sung in any church, but it was a familiar tune (probably TV) and the words were OK, no heresy that I could spot, so I Googled a video and decided to ignore the fact that it was an Anglican choir since there’s nothing in Canon Law says Anglicans can’t sing 😀 Anyway, glad I made your day… just don’t read too much into it – I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite hymn or anything, you understand. Still, we aim to please and so I’m glad we succeeded on this occasion…
Editor, you should have been in Edinburgh last Saturday and you would have heard it sung then. It can be found in many old Catholic hymn books including the St Andrew Hymnal and the Westminster Hymnal as well as the SSPX hymnals produced in Australia and Canada.The Church has always allowed hymns written by non Catholics as long as they didn’t contain any heresy. At Christmas we sing much loved carols such as Away in a manger, Child in a manger, Hark the Herald Angels sing and Angels from the realms of glory and none of them were written by Catholics.
Almost missed this, Vianney. Well said. I mean it makes perfect common sense, doesn’t it. We know Dowden’s theology on the Church is off beam, but that doesn’t mean he can’t sing 😀
Editor,
The English church is quietly aware that it produced a fair proportion of the best English hymn writers (even if some strayed from the path). That is what comes of the English having both the good universities – and with Vaughan Williams behind it, the Green Book is impossible to beat. But I followed the link you suggested with increasing sympathy – the words are self-evidently ‘catholic’ but I can see why you were led to think they were by a Roman-Catholic writer. Just goes to show that Roman blogs are prone to fecund error. Ever thought of Fr Black and his Ordinariate – they are likely to have the best words and the best tunes?
Editor: I don’t know any “Roman blogs” – this one is based in Scotland.
(As the synod threads have ended, I thought I’d post this here.)
An interview with the excellent Bishop Schneider on the synod:
http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2014/11/bp-athanasius-schneider-on-synod.html
Editor, I was delighted that you chose ‘For all the Saints’ on their feast day – it’s a glorious hymn, Provided that one checks for heretical content, then ‘Why’, as we used to say, ‘should the devil have all the best tunes?’ And anyway, for heresy, many of the hymns in the awful ‘Celebration Hymnal’ (which, believe it or not, is used in at least one SSPX chapel I know of) would take some beating.
And how about Cardinal Newman’s ‘Praise to the Holiest in the Height’ and ‘Lead Kindly Light’? Dowden, of course, missed out the word ‘primrose’ when he said of men such as Newman even if some strayed from the path..
One of the most moving hymns I know, ‘When I survey the wondrous Cross’ was written by noncomformist Isaac Watts. Here is the King’s College choir.singing it – glorious, – but a pity the words were not shown throughout instead of various images of crosses.
Christina,
I refrained from telling the following anecdote in response to Dowden’s gloat, for fear of making him gloat even more, but I can’t resist now on reading your comment.
Some years ago, in my novus ordo days, I sang the recessional hymn with great gusto ( can’t remember which one) and at the very end, a voice near me (a parishioner, not someone I knew well) said in a pronounced stage whisper “That is a Protestant hymn” to which I replied much as you have said above, that “well, it’s more Catholic than the rubbish they usually sing here before, during and at the end of Mass!”
Now, of course, Dowden will be gloating, if not floating (on air). Ach well. Can’t deny him the pleasure of knowing that Anglicans do get some things right – and as long as they stick to song-writing, we won’t complain… 😀
It’s worth distinguishing between ‘a Protestant hymn’ (i.e. one expressing protestant theology) and ‘a hymn written by a protestant’ (which might be perfectly orthodox). Obviously we can’t use the former but I don’t see why we should have any reservations about using the latter.
For example, I’m sure no-one has (or should have) a problem with ‘Lead Kindly Light’, but it’s worth remembering that Newman wrote it 12 years before his conversion. So it is a hymn written by a protestant. (Mind you, I think it’s better left as a poem than a hymn – unless you’re adventurous enough to try Sullivan’s setting.)
CD
Excellent point. Moving up the pay scale, not ” slowly but surely” – more like fast and furiously!
We sang “for all the Saints” after Mass in Edinburgh on All Saints Day. I can’t believe an SSPX chapel is using the Celebration Hymnal, which chapel is it?
For this Month of the Holy Souls:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnXpsJMqewo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYU6WWCm2Hw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1yngirDtw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu7mM_zqapA
DOTF,
Thank you for those videos which I look forward to viewing asap.
Damsel of the Faith, thank you for that beautiful treat. The Introit of the Requiem Mass is my favourite piece of liturgical music. It’s sad, though, that apart from the work of a few choirs, such as the Rudgate Singers from the north of England, a resurgent plainsong was effectively killed off when the NO hit us with its guitars and other assorted monstrosities.(more suited to modern man of course).
Pope St. Pius X (Tra le Sollecitudini, 1903), Pope Pius XI (Divini Cultus) and Pope Pius XII (Musicae Sacrae) all pleaded for the wholesale return of plain chant to all our parish churches as an essential accompaniment to the holy Sacrifice of the Mass, but results varied enormously, according to the musical ability of parish priests. Some did try to train their church choirs properly – in my teens I was sent off to the summer schools of the Society of St. Gregory, and we were taught plainsong at school, and sang it at our school Masses, but it is not easy to sing it properly, and recovering an art is always difficult because there are very few people left who can still practise it.
I think that all traditionalists should read the three papal documents I mentioned above, as I have heard more than a few express ‘heresies’ about the subject of liturgical music that would not at all please these three great pontiffs..
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/the-great-heresies
What?
It is important to distinguish heresy from schism and apostasy. In schism, one separates from the Catholic Church without repudiating a defined doctrine. An example of a contemporary schism is the Society of St. Pius X—the “Lefebvrists” or followers of the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre—who separated from the Church in the late 1980s, but who have not denied Catholic doctrines.
Grrrrr…..
Summa,
Happily, nobody takes Catholic Answers seriously any more. The Remnant writers wiped the floor with them a couple of times in the recent past when they spouted similar nonsense about “traditionalists” in general. As for their definition of “schism” – hilarious.
The simple answer to those who continue to peddle the lie of schism against the SSPX is to ask them to provide an authoritative Vatican statement to that effect. There are none, so they usually slouch off into the darkness in which they live and move have their morning coffee. Numpties.
Yes I know, it’s extremely poor form. But still, it never fails to leave me exasperated when you I come across nonsense like this.
Really awful personal attack on those attached to the Traditional Mass in this weekend’s edition of the “Catholic comic”….SCO. By someone called Hugh Dougherty. It has to read to be believed.
Can we have a link?
Liberanos & Crofterlady,
I haven’t seen this week’s SCO but took a quick look on their website, and as usual nothing of any real interest is posted there. Hugh Dougherty’s article is not there, as far as I can see. Having looked in each section of the site, I then used their search engine but nothing came up.
I did notice, though, that in last week’s paper, Gerald Warner (the token “traditionalist”) wrote an outspoken column on the Synod, arguing that it threatened to provoke the worst ever schism in the history of the Church. His column – uniquely – always concludes with an invitation to readers to write in and say whether they agree or disagree. In the same edition, Hugh McLoughlin wrote a convoluted piece on a particular annulment (“The curious case of an English duke illustrates synod’s debate on family”) which was really a thinly disguised attack on Catholic teaching on marriage. The presumption there, by the hapless editor, seems to be that we all agree with McLoughlin – there’s no invitation to challenge HIS “views”. The column concludes that “… you might well think that there is more to Catholic belief and teaching on marriage then meets the eye. And you’d be right! That’s why I sincerely hope that between now and next October, when the synod reconvenes in General Session, our hierarchy will lead us all in a serious study of that belief and teaching. And that the media might more seriously and truthfully report on all aspects of the Synod.” Dissent with a capital “D”.
I’m certainly with him about the “more truthful” bit, having just read Archbishop Tartaglia’s dubious report in Flourish (the official organ of the Archdiocese of Glasgow). Every time I think of his strong denunciation of “gay” rights when he was first appointed Bishop of Paisley, when he exhorted us all to be ready to go to prison if necessary, for our beliefs on homosexuality, and then read his wimpish attitude to the Synod and his looking forward to next year’s conclusion of the Synod, I wish, yet again, for that five minutes alone with him, preferably in a soundproof room.
Please could someone explain to me in the simplest way possible the principles of Corporatism?
CatholicConvert1,
I’d never heard of “the principles of Corporatism” so I Googled and found this article which seems simple as even I could understand most of it!
http://www.firstprinciplesjournal.com/articles.aspx?article=1802
Following recent reports that Scottish Schools are rife with “homophobic bullying”, MSP Ruth Davidson has hit out at “homophobic abuse” she has received via social media:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-30003132
(All this, of course, is part of the preparatory bombardment before the next assault on reality from the Panzer Divisions of Sodom).
I thought this was exceedingly rich coming from Ruth, given that her close circle of friends and Holyrood staff were involved in repeated anti-Catholic scandals in 2011.
Burning the EU flag amid sectarian abuse Meet the election agent of the Tories’ moderate face
http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/political-news/burning-the-eu-flag-amid-sectarian-abuse-meet-the-election-agent-of-the-tories-moderate-face.14993475
Ruth’s tough talk after this September 2011 incident was obviously just for show, for just two months later:
Sectarian tweets by Tory Ruth Davidson’s staffer provoke outrage
http://www.newsnetscotland.scot/index.php/scottish-news/in-brief/3657-sectarian-tweets-by-tory-ruth-davidsons-staffer-provoke-outrage
At first I thought there was a lack of credibility here, but then realised that Ruth is well placed to know about abusive speech, given the standard of behaviour among her close associates.
Gabriel Syme,
I think we’re all sick of “gay” victimhood – they’re virtually running society (and on target to run the Church as well) yet they are never satisfied. If Ruth Davidson doesn’t want to be “bullied” on social media, she should cancel her accounts – we have enough “twits” in the country so she won’t be missed on Twitter, for starters. 😀
Catholic nun Sr Gemma Simmonds, Head of the Catholic Theological Society of Great Britain, and lecturer in Theology at London’s Heythrop College, apparently supports contraception under certain circumstances (in today’s Daily Telegraph). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/11228727/Catholic-nuns-What-they-can-teach-us-all-about-sex-and-love.html
Westminster Fly,
Having listened to Sr Gemma Simmonds in person when she was invited to address the dissenting Garnethill Glitterati (at the Jesuit Church in Garnethill, Glasgow in one of their “Gonzaga Lectures), I can tell you that there isn’t a lot that she doesn’t support ain any and all circumstances. And I can say that without any fear of contraception!
Sister Simmonds, simple, not Catholic.
LATEST PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SCOTTISH CATHOLIC MEDIA OFFICE…
Pope Francis appoints new Bishop of Galloway
Pope Francis has today (Saturday 22 November 2014) appointed Fr. William Nolan, as Bishop of Galloway. Fr. Nolan is currently parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, East Kilbride and Vicar General of the Diocese of Motherwell.
Reacting to the announcement, Bishop-Elect Nolan said; “I am overawed to be appointed by Pope Francis as Bishop of Galloway. I already know some of the clergy and I look forward to working with them and with the the people of the Diocese to help the faith flourish in the land where Ninian planted the seeds of faith so long ago. I wish to serve the Diocese as best I can, but knowing I am hindered by my failings and weaknesses, I ask everyone to pray for me.”
Bishop-Elect Nolan added;
“The last 20 years of my life have been spent in Our Lady of Lourdes parish East Kilbride. I wish to pay tribute to the people of the parish for their kindness and support to me over the years. My move to Galloway is tinged with sadness at leaving Our Lady of Lourdes behind.”
Welcoming the appointment of his successor, Bishop John Cunningham said “I am delighted with the appointment of Fr. Nolan, and I look forward to working with him in the period of transition. I know that he brings with him experience in many pastoral situations, and that this will serve him well as he leads the Diocese of Galloway. Galloway is a diocese consisting of parishes which are both rural and in large towns, and so Fr. Nolan’s wide expertise in dealing with people in his parish ministry, and in being able to adapt to different situations, will serve him well.”
Bishop Cunningham added:
“I leave my role as Bishop of Galloway confident in my successor, and can assure him that the people and the priests of Galloway Diocese will offer him every support.”
Commenting on the appointment, Fr. William McFadden, Vicar General of the diocese, said:
“On behalf of the priests of the diocese I welcome the appointment of Fr Nolan, and can assure him that the clergy of Galloway will support him in every way. We are aware of the demands that await him, particularly in the process of Embracing Change, but he can be sure that there is enormous goodwill and a real commitment to collaborative ministry awaiting him. I would also like to take the opportunity to express the gratitude of the priests of the diocese to Bishop Cunningham for his ministry as bishop, and to wish him well in his retirement.” END.
Editor,
I think it was Fr Nolan I heard who doesn’t use Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion or tries not to use them much, something like that, although it was a while ago and I’m short on details.
He’s also the priest who has been replacing Fr Despard so I’ve heard mixed reports about him from friends in Motherwell Diocese.
Bishop Fellay’s Superior General Letter #84 just out. God bless our great Bishop, Bernard Fellay!
http://sspx.org/en/publications/letters/november-2014-superior-generals-letter-83-5586
“The priest and the Mass
But the supernatural life would not be possible without the priest, the privileged instrument who is willed and chosen by God to spread that life in the Mystical Body, particularly through the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The close bond that should unite the priest and the Mass is the testament that Archbishop Lefebvre left us. For the Mass is the source of all sanctification, and the priest, before all others, must drink deeply from that source so as then to make the souls entrusted to him benefit from it: “For them do I sanctify myself,” Our Lord said, “that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (Jn 17:19)
This mystery is at the heart of our seminaries. We jealously watch over it, and we carefully provide everything that can serve to beautify the liturgical ceremonies. The beauty of external signs reflects the sublimity of the mysteries by which our Redemption is wrought. Thus these ceremonies, which are grandiose and intimate at the same time, are like a prelude to Heaven.
The Mass is the joy and daily privilege of our approximately 200 seminarians, as well as the 40 or so pre-seminarians in our six seminaries on four continents. In the United States their growing number obliges us to build a new seminary, in Virginia. It should have a roof over it by next spring.
Moreover many churches are being built almost everywhere in the world, which shows the dynamism of the Faith. Yes, indeed, faith can move mountains! I firmly believe that only faith can explain this phenomenon, which surpasses human abilities. Thanks to God, your constant generosity and your ardent zeal make such achievements possible. Please accept our deepest thanks. Be assured of the grateful prayers of the seminarians, the priests, the brothers and sisters religious who each day ask God to reward your good works a hundredfold.
May Our Lady keep you in charity and peace, my dear friends, and may her Immaculate Heart lead you all to eternal happiness.
On the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady,
November 21, 2014
+Bernard Fellay”
Damsel of the Faith,
Thanks for posting that letter from Bishop Fellay – I think he is a living saint.
DOTF,
And to think that this is how all prelates (not to mention Popes) of the Church once spoke of the Mass. Now most of them hardly ever call it Mass, they call it the celebration of the Eucharist in line with ecumenical correctness. How very tragic!
Athanasius,
Precisely. Because it IS a celebration, a celebration of ourselves. The New Mass makes the pleasure of the people its worship. It’s that simple.
From Bishop Williamson’s November 2014 Eleison Comments comes the clearest example yet of His Excellency’s erroneous reasoning and schismatic mindset.
Quoting from Archbishop Lefebvre’s famous 1974 Declaration on the 40th anniversary of its publication (http://sspx.org/en/node/650), Bishop Williamson twists the Archbishop’s declaration of fidelity to Sacred Tradition into a declaration of war against the Church’s lawful authorities. Here is the key paragraph from Bishop Williamson’s Eleison Comments:
“…Now it is true to say that Conciliar Rome is occupying the structures of Catholic Rome, but to say that the Conciliar Church is therefore none other than the Catholic Church is as foolish as to say that a cuckoo is a nightingale because it occupies a nightingale’s nest. (And to say that the Archbishop wrote of Conciliar and Catholic “Rome” and not of the Conciliar and Catholic “Church” is to quibble with words.)”
No, it is not “to quibble with words” to maintain this absolutely essential distinction between “Conciliar Rome” and “the Catholic Church.” It makes all the difference between legitimate Catholic resistance and illegitimate schismatic rebellion.
The Catholic Church is a divinely instituted Church, the Spotless Bride of Christ against which the Gates of Hell can never prevail. The men who are appointed shepherds of the flock of that Church, however, are fallible human beings not immune from falling into serious personal doctrinal errors, as the Arian heresy of the 4th century amply demonstrates.
Archbishop Lefebvre spoke and wrote of “Conciliar Rome” in this latter sense, which is to say in the sense that the Roman authorities have succumbed to the errors of Modernism and are thereby damaging the Church. It was anathema to his venerable mind to conceive of this two-Church scenario that Bishop Williamson peddles in his name.
Suffice it to state that not a single Modernist error since Vatican II has been imposed universally on the faithful by formal Magisterial decree, proof positive of the protection of the Holy Ghost in matters of faith and morals. It is therefore evident that the Catholic Church is infallibly intact, if somewhat sick from the poison being diffused through her veins by the personal errors of her human members. SHE HAS NOT CEASED TO BE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH with a valid Papacy, legitimate episcopal authorities and valid priests and Sacraments.
To state otherwise is tantamount to observing Our Lord in the present affliction of His Mystical Body, as Peter once observed Him bound and bruised before the Sanhedrin, and declaring “I know not the man”.
At least St. Peter’s denial was down to human weakness, a weakness he quickly recognised and repented of when the cock crowed. In Bishop Williamson’s case we’re looking more at intellectual pride, not so far removed in its source and consequences from that of the conciliar innovators, who are likewise divisive “partisans of error”. His Excellency did well to speak of the “cuckoo,” because I can think of no better word to describe the very foolish path he and his little band have chosen.
From Archbishop Lefebvre’s Declaration, I quote the following wise counsel for all of them to contemplate: “…That is why, without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, with the timeless Magisterium as our guide. We are persuaded that we can render no greater service to the Holy Catholic Church, to the Sovereign Pontiff and to posterity…”
Bishop Fellay and the SSPX have remained faithful to this truly Catholic spirit of Archbishop Lefebvre. It may be, however, that Bishop Williamson’s anti-Rome Anglican upbringing has coloured his thinking more than he realises! His Excellency is certainly no Archbishop Lefebvre, that’s for sure!
Athanasius,
Good points, but I have to say that one of the things I find off-putting about the SSPX is the way they talk about “Conciliar Church” and “Eternal Rome”. I just don’t like it. Why can’t they just keep making the point that it is the “churchmen” as you say and not “the Church”. It’s really off-putting, and it is IMHO an unnecessary obstacle that keeps people from understanding the SSPX position because it feeds the idea that the Society is outside the Church (I know that’s not true, of course.)
Margaret Mary
Yes, I think you have a valid point there. If they would just call it the post-conciliar Church, I think that would clear up any potential misunderstanding. I don’t have the same issue with “Eternal Rome”, since this is a statement of fact rather than a soundbite.
Athanasius,
“Eternal Rome” still gives the impression of schism. It needs to be explained and that’s why I think it’s better not to use it at all. No city is “eternal” anyway, come the end of the world so it’s not really a statement of fact, IMHO, and with respect.
I agree with you about “post-conciliar Church” being better than “Conciliar Church”.
Margaret Mary
The term “Eternal Rome” was used long before Vatican II to describe the City Our Lord had chosen from all eternity to establish His Church. We’ve often heard Rome referred to, even by Modernists, as “The Eternal City”. It’s eternal by the fact that the eternal truths of the Faith reside there. The term has a supernatural meaning.
Athanasius,
Oops! I did know that (“the eternal city”) but wasn’t thinking of that because of its use by the SSPX along with “Conciliar Church” which can give the wrong impression. So we’re really agreed after all!
Margaret Mary
It’s an easy mistake to make, given all the various terms thrown around today.
Athanasius:
Bishop Williamson is not who he says he is. He was a Masonic mole from the
get-go; placed there by his handlers upon his entrance into Econe back in 1970’s. His main lieutenants, Pheifer and Hewco are Freemasons as well. Sometimes it’s guilt by association – You have to look for the hidden hand.
They are all reading from the same script in their pathetic excuses for a sermon, about how Williamson is some kind of poor beggar kicked to the curb by a corrupt SSPX, never mind his mansion in the Kent town of Broadstairs. It’s all just such a joke. It’s a hoax is what it is. A giant hoax perpetrated towards the gullible in the virtual world of the internet where the ‘Catholic Resistance” exists for the most part.
Just Williamson’s association with the likes of the fraud “Alex Jones,” who we all know is not who he says he is, is evidence enough that Williamson is nothing more than part of this elaborate “actor based reality” with the advent of the “Catholic Resistance” being little more than a recent addition to the the overall superstructure.
A cashed copy if it’s still around since I exposed him for what he is…
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://libertyfight.com/2013/bishop_richard_williamson_boston_bombing_was_another_false_flag.html
Please notice that the Alex Jones, “We are the RESISTANCE campaign” was started at the same time the Masonic takeover of the SSPX was spearheaded by Williamson; which of course failed, thanks in totality to the wisdom and forethought of Bishop Bernard Fellay. This Resistance Catholic Campaign has now taken to destroying the Society from without…
This is no coincidence here with the advent of all this Resistance terminology.
http://www.prisonplanet.com/alex-jones-v-for-victory-resistance-campaign-launched.html
I may not agree with all the work of my good acquaintance Ed Chiarini has done, but he is spot on on this here. We are being lied to on a scale that is almost unimaginable…
http://wellaware1.com/jones.shtml
Much Love,
RbM
Thank you for your comments. However, I have to state clearly that charity and justice forbids my entertaining such conspiracy theories in regard to Bishop Williamson and his followers. We should remember that “The Resistance” itself was born and thrives on such harmful thinking. So let us not fall into the same error lest we also lose our objectivity and peace of soul.
Bishop Williamson has his own agenda; there is no question about that. But that his agenda is a Freemasonic one, I very sincerely doubt. I can state with absolute certainty that Frs. Pfeiffer and Hewko, whatever we may think of them and their motives, are NOT Freemasons. They are angry, misguided priests, yes, but absolutely not associated in any way with the cult of Freemasonry.
This is not to say that a certain cultish behaviour is not visible in “The Resistance” movement, because it clearly is. I mean by this Bishop Williamson’s references to some unknown pseudo mystic he has contact with; a person claiming to be receiving messages from Our Lady. This kind of thing is always extremely dangerous, and His Excellency and his followers should know that.
Then there is Bishop Williamson’s promotion of Maria Valtorta’s ‘Poem of the Man-God,’ which, again, is highly suspect. There is a clue immediately in the title where we read ‘Man-God’ instead of ‘God-Man.” Our Lord is God made man, not man made God. Is there a link here with Modernism, which essentially peddles the idea of the human evolving into the divine by “Vital Imminence?” Perhaps!
At any rate, Catholics are forbidden to lend credence to such things until the Church herself approves them. The problem for “The Resistance” is that they no longer recognise the Catholic hierarchy as retaining any legitimate authority from God by reason of its embracing Modernism. Hence, the resistance has become its own Magisterium, the very error that Archbishop Lefebvre was afraid some may eventually succumb to. Such, I’m afraid, is the blind folly of the angry man.
I hope you will see where I’m coming from here? My sole intention when writing of the errors of “The Resistance” is to persuade its adherents that they have gone down a road that is leading them away from God. I very much doubt that I shall be successful in this endeavour – personal exchanges suggesting that they are fixed and furious in their own opinions. Nevertheless, that is my purpose, the good of souls, and so I stick to the known facts and leave all else to the grace and mercy of God.
God bless.
Sooner or later people will finally realize that not only is Williamson and his lieutenants not who they say they are, but neither is Pope Francis…
It has been my experience that in the recent past if you could convince the Catholic faithful that something was Mary, they would believe anything! This is not saving faith but flat out credulity. The same puppet-masters that are behind Medjugorie are behind this ridiculous Disney production we have been seeing take place at the Vatican.
This whole thing is all actor based reality. A deception of a colossal scale. It’s almost unimaginable what is really going on. Please people, stop believing what you see on the T.V. It is all fake. The news, everything. The Ferguson fiasco over here in the States is a giant HOAX. Nobody was hurt. A totally staged event using actors.
http://wellaware1.com/brown.shtml
I’m just trying to help you
RbM
The Telegraph and Catholic Blogs have reported that rent-a-mouth (“Catholic Voice”) Austin Iverleigh is writing a book which spills the beans on how Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor secretly lobbied for “Team Bergoglio” around the conclave which inflicted Francis upon us.
Iverleigh is a close associate of the Cardinal, having previously worked for him directly as press secretary.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11248263/English-cardinal-Cormac-Murphy-OConnor-lobbied-for-Pope.html
http://marymagdalen.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/intriguing.html
http://offerimustibidomine.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/how-to-elect-pope.html
This was followed by a letter to the Telegraph from the Cardinals current press secretary, a Maggie Doherty, in which Iverleighs claims are denied.
The link below has an image of the curt letter, along with information regarding the latae sententiae excommunication Cardinals incur if they violate their obligation to secrecy regarding matters pertaining to elections at Papal conclaves. (this also applies to non-voting Cardinals who take part in the general congregations).
https://fromrome.wordpress.com/2014/11/25/if-ivereigh-is-to-be-believed/
Gabriel Syme,
I have no problem believing that (despite the source) because Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Conner said openly on camera, right after the election of Pope Benedict, that “we did not get our man”. Shocking.
Gabriel Syme,
A reader in England emailed me the follow up article from the “From Rome” blog which you can reach here.
If possible, would readers, especially those who are signed up to the blog, simply post things directly onto the blog. It means I’ve got one less thing to do and these days, that = gold dust. Please and thank you!
Editor
Thanks for posting this update. There needs to be a very serious investigation into what went on prior to the conclave that elected Francis as Pope. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Cardinal Kasper appear to be up to their neck in dubious goings-on, with the possible consent of Cardinal Bergoglio.
Editor,
Thank you for that most interesting link. If not for CT, I don’t think I’d have ever heard any of it.
Gabriel Syme,
This is very interesting, potentially explosive, information. I’ve just followed the last of your links, read the script and posted a comment. I will now follow the other links to catch up. I just wonder how Austen Ivereigh got hold of the information he reveals in his book. If what he says is true, then a Cardinal must have leaked details despite the Church’s automatically applied censure of excommunication for such an action. Mind you, if this proves to be true then no censure could be justly applied to the one exposing wrong doing on such a scale.
Gabriel Syme
According to the Telegraph report, Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor is said by Invereigh to have teamed up with no less than Cardinal Walter Kasper in this pro-Bergoglio push for the Papacy. Things begin to make sense!
From the United States, I wish a Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone at Catholic Truth.
DOTF,
Thank you! I always wonder if I could manage another turkey dinner so close to Christmas but I would definitely make every effort to do so!
From Scotland… Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Damsel of the Faith,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Is there any special Catholic input to the celebration? I’ve never heard of any but just wondering.
These are some interesting facts related to Thanksgiving and Catholicism.
http://taylormarshall.com/2013/11/6-interesting-catholic-thanksgiving.html
Happy Thanksgiving, Margaret Mary!
Thank you for that great link, Damsel of the Faith. That was really interesting.
Happy Thanksgiving, DOTF.
Happy Thanksgiving to you as well, Helen.
In a sermon about remembering the dead in the Clutha tragedy, you’d imagine, would you not, that a Catholic archbishop would mention the fact that Catholics remember the souls of the deceased in prayer, very especially during the month of November. But then again, these days? Maybe not… Catholicism with the Catholic bit left out, seems to be very popular these days.
Some of you people with longish memories will recall I politely emailed the new Bishop of Leeds, Marcus Stock, regarding the provision of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Leeds Diocese, which is minimal. Anyway, he replied tonight:
‘Thank you for your email of 21st September 2014. Thank you also for the generous assurance of your prayers.
Please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in replying. Having been in Rome with Cardinal Nichols during most of October for the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops and subsequently making my canonical retreat, I am only now just catching up with all my correspondence since my Episcopal Ordination on 13th November.
I hope you will appreciate that having spent most of priestly ministry in the Archdiocese of Birmingham, I have yet to become familiar with the geography, clergy and the faithful of the Diocese of Leeds.
I am more than happy to investigate the adequacy of the provision of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite of Mass within this Diocese. However, I will need a little time to do this, so I hope that you will be patient with me further while I consult and seek advice from my clergy.
When I have a clearer picture of the existing provision, I will endeavour to write to you again.
Assuring you of my prayers and blessing, I remain
Yours sincerely in the Lord Jesus Christ
+Marcus Stock
Bishop of Leeds’
I don’t know what to think of it. He has been in office only a short time, so I can’t really blame him. I just hope that he is true to his word and thoroughly examines the TLM provision.
CC
The bishop sounds genuine enough to me. He really does need time to get to know the lay of the land, so to speak. I’m sure he’ll get in touch again once he’s up to speed.
CC,
We’ll certainly give him the benefit of the doubt, but there’s very little doubt in my mind that if you were asking for a regular ecumenical service in Japanese, Bp Stock would have responded “great idea – will get back to you as soon as I’ve got it organised.”
Call me a cynic if you will, but that’s after years of reading similar letters – often designed as a fob off, which if it doesn’t work first time will end with you eventually being told that “this correspondence is now closed”.
I would love to be wrong, so please keep us informed.
He seems quite genuine to me CC; I agree with the others – let us give him the benefit of the doubt and see what transpires.
Were he one of those types who are extremely hostile to the Catholic faith, then most probably he would simply have ignored your letter altogether.
(That is certainly known to be the modus operandi of many Bishops, not least Nichols who is mentioned in the letter.)
A timely article . . .
Chesterton’s Islamic England
G K ChestertonWILLIAM KILPATRICK writes for Crisis Magazine : ‘G.K. Chesterton had a knack for anticipating future trends but when, in his 1914 novel The Flying Inn, he anticipated the Islamization of England, it seemed so far out of the realm of possibility that it was difficult to take it as anything but a flight of fancy.
True enough, the book has a whimsical, Pickwickian quality. It follows the rambling adventures of two British stalwarts, Patrick Dalroy and Humphrey Pump, as they try to stay one step ahead of the law, dispensing free liquor as they go in an England where alcohol has been banned. The ‘Flying Inn’ is their motor car which they have furnished with a large keg of rum, a cask of cheese, and a pub sign.
Roughly one hundred years later, Chesterton’s scenario no longer seems improbable. Many observers believe the Islamization of England is just a matter of time. For example, in her 2006 book Londonistan, Melanie Phillips presents a detailed description of the Islamic ‘colonization’ of England now underway and shows how it is made possible by the governing class’ abandonment of cultural and spiritual values. Chesterton was remarkably prescient not only in imagining that Islamization might happen, but also in envisioning how it would happen-through the instrumentality of a deracinated governing class. The reason that alcohol is banned in Chesterton’s tale is because some upper-class elites have become enamored of Islam and everything Islamic-including the prohibition of drink. Chief among these is Lord Ivywood, a Nietzschean diplomat who has enlisted the aid of a mysterious Turk, Misyra Ammon, to spread the new gospel among the jaded upper class who find exotic Islam to be more exciting than their own traditions and religion.
Among other things, the establishment of the new order involves a rewriting of history. As Ammon patiently explains to his sophisticated audiences, England was originally an Islamic country. This is evident, he says, in the existence of numerous pubs with Islamic names-‘The Saracen’s Head,’ for example-as well as in the English fondness for the word ‘crescent’-as in ‘Grosvenor Crescent,Regent’s Park Crescent,’ and ‘Royal Crescent.’ Moreover, like today’s multicultural elite, Chesterton’s ‘smart set’ are all too happy to hear that this exotic culture is superior to their own, and are quite willing to accept that virtually all scientific and technical discoveries were first made by Muslims. As one of the English characters puts it: ‘Of course, all our things came from the East…. Everything from the East is good, of course.’
One of the imports from the East is polygamy or, as Ammon calls it, the ‘Higher Polygamy.’ No one is as yet practicing polygamy, but it eventually dawns on one of the young ladies in the story that this is the direction in which things are trending-that Lord Ivywood’s mansion is, in fact, designed to be a harem. Not quite as astute, the other young ladies prefer to think, as Misyra Ammon tells them, ‘that women had the highest freedom in Turkey; as they were allowed to wear trousers.’
Chesterton was smart enough to realize that something like Islamization could not happen without a prior undermining of the existing culture. As Hal G.P. Colebatch observes:
Chesterton was original not only in seeing a then apparently down-and-out Islam was still a threat to Europe, but also in seeing that the Islamic conquest would not be possible without a preceding culture war to destroy the social agents of resistance, that Islam had a certain seductiveness for a type of jaded Western mind, and that the betrayers would not be the lower classes but the wealthy elite.
As Chesterton foresaw, and as is the case today, naïve clergymen would also help to pave the way for Islam. In The Flying Inn, the great cathedrals replace the cross with a cross-and- crescent emblem, and intellectuals believe that the time has come ‘for a full unity between Christianity and Islam.Something called Chrislam perhaps,’ observes a skeptical Irishman. But others are convinced that Christianity and Islam are ‘natural allies’-to use a term that is currently in favor. In Chesterton’s Edwardian setting, progressives believe that Christians and Muslims can work together to ‘deliver the populace from the bondage of the all-destroying drug [alcohol].’ Today, some conservative Catholics believe that Christians and Muslims can work together to fight pornography and restore sexual morality. And then, as now, many believe that we have much to learn from Islam. As Lord Ivywood puts it:
Ours is an age when men come more and more to see that the creeds hold treasures for each other, that each religion has a secret for its neighbour … and church unto church showeth knowledge.
Or, as one contemporary Catholic author claims: ‘Islam has great and deep resources of morality and sanctity that should inspire us and shame us and prod us to admiration and imitation.’
Then, as now, part of the softening-up process is accomplished by employing politically correct euphemisms to hide plain facts. The reclusive Turkish warlord, Oman Pasha, who has taken the estate next to Ivywood’s, and who, with Ivywood’s assistance, is secretly building a Turkish army in England, is referred to by naïve neighbors as the ‘Mediterranean gentleman.The description,’ notes the author, ‘did not illuminate and it probably was not intended to do so.’ In our day, the elites have invented a whole panoply of Newspeak terms designed to cover up for Islamic aggressiveness. Thus, in England and Europe, Muslim gangs that riot and rape on a mass scale are referred to in TV news as ‘Asian youth,’ or simply ‘youths.’ And Islamic terrorists are routinely designated by the generic, could-be-anyone label ‘violent extremists.’ Meanwhile, in public and private schools, children are learning that jihad is an interior spiritual struggle to become a better person. Perhaps the mother of all euphemisms designed to keep us off guard is the oft-repeated assurance that Islam is a religion of peace. That phrase doesn’t appear in Chesterton’s story, but Misyra Ammon assures his listeners that Islam is a religion devoted to serving others.
Chesterton’s prophetic novel hits uncomfortably close to home. One thing he didn’t anticipate, however, is that the final Islamization of England could be accomplished without importing a foreign army. Since modern England has already imported enough Muslim immigrants to engineer a significant cultural shift, an occupying army won’t be needed. Otherwise, Chesterton was right on target. He foresaw that an Islamic takeover would be facilitated by cultural elites eager to show their tolerance for new ideas and fashions and their corresponding disdain for traditional culture. In Chesterton’s day, the cultural elites were referred to as the smart set; today they are the multicultural and media elites. And, as in Chesterton’s story, they are quite willing to believe that Muslims discovered or invented just about everything under the sun.
Recently, for example, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, claimed that Muslims were the first to discover America and this, no doubt, will soon be taken seriously by Western educators. Multiculturalists would love to believe that America was discovered not by a light-skinned European Christian but by a dark-skinned Muslim. It would fit in nicely with their decades-long campaign to undermine the Western tradition. Thanks to his teachers, the average Western student doesn’t know much about history, but he does know that he was born into a rotten culture with an appalling history of racism, sexism, and imperialism.
Much of what Chesterton foresaw has already come to pass. Cross-crescent emblems haven’t yet appeared on the cathedrals, but several churches in the West have been sold to Muslim groups and subsequently turned into mosques. And just recently, in a gesture of Chrislamism, the Washington National Cathedral opened its doors to a weekly Muslim prayer service. Meanwhile, a senior Church of England bishop recommended that Prince Charles’ coronation service should be opened with a reading from the Koran. The gesture, he said, would be ‘a creative act of accommodation’ to make Muslims feel ‘warmly embraced.’
In the England of Chesterton’s imagining, polygamy was just a gleam in Lord Ivywood’s eye. Nowadays, for all intents and purposes, it is an institution. Although polygamy is still against the law, it is, in fact, a growing practice among Muslims of Great Britain. Instead of enforcing the law, culturally sensitive police and courts look the other way, and the welfare agencies do their best to provide material support. A Muslim man with four wives can expect a welfare check for each of them-and all signed over to his name.
One of the things Western citizens take comfort in when contemplating Islamic radicalism is that we possess powerful armies and well-trained police. Once again, Chesterton skewers our illusions. As it turns out, the England of The Flying Inn has been disarming itself militarily as well as culturally. It gradually dawns on the citizenry that police are few and far between, and many of those who remain have taken to wearing Turkish fezzes. They also discover that while Ivywood and Pasha have been quietly bringing in a Turkish army, the ‘British army is practically disbanded.’
I don’t know if the British police are declining in number, but whatever their number, they have become one of the most politically correct organizations on the planet. For example, the London Metropolitan Police Authority recruitment target for 2009-10 required that 27 percent of all new recruits must be black and minority ethnic and 41 percent must be female. Many of them might as well be wearing fezzes or hijabs because, if you say something critical about the religion of peace, you will quickly find yourself in front of a magistrate on charges of Islamophobia. When, for example, Parliamentary candidate Paul Weston stood in a public space and read aloud Churchill’s unflattering assessment of Islam in The River War, he was promptly arrested.
As for the British army, it hasn’t been disbanded yet, but the armed forces of the UK are not what they used to be. The same can be said for NATO forces in general. They can be relied on to march in the local gay pride parade or help out with ebola patients or even launch an occasional ‘overseas contingency operation,’ but major wars on multiple fronts are another matter. The United States, the largest NATO member, has been drastically reducing the size and strength of its military. The U.S. plans to shrink its Army to pre-World War II levels, the number of ships in the Navy is lower than in 1917, and, according to several reports, the Obama administration has been quietly conducting a massive purge of top military officers.
Just at the point when Islam is advancing by stealth jihad and armed jihad all over the world, the West is letting down its guard, both literally and metaphorically. And all the while, the Lord Ivywoods of the world assure us that we have nothing to fear from Islam. What at one time seemed merely a fanciful fiction is fast becoming fact. Chesterton would not have been surprised.
[Crisis Magazine]
Westminster Fly,
That’s a very interesting article. It’s really incredible that Chesterton could have foreseen the way Islam would dominate in this part of the world. Thanks for posting that – I found it amazing reading.
Comment removed
Look at this appalling video. Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
http://www.aleteia.org/en/religion/article/latin-american-music-fills-st-peters-basilica-for-our-lady-of-guadalupe-5900603867791360
Here is a link to an interesting recent interview with Cardinal Burke;. what a breath of fresh air it is, compared to the inane ramblings of certain other prelates:
http://theradicalcatholic.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/an-intereview-with-cardinal-burke.html
I’m in the middle of reading Fr Nicholas Gruner’s new book “Crucial Truths to Save Your Soul”. Very good indeed – short, easy-to-read and straight to the point. Vital reading for those suffering from post-conciliar confusion and diabolical disorientation. Buy it in bulk and give it to family and friends, and priests and laity that you know. For those in the UK, it’s fairly easy to order, from Tommy Price (Fatima Centre Ireland) P.O. Box 165, Newry, BT34 2WZ, Northern Ireland. Phone: 048 30263861 Or if he hasn’t got any, phone The Fatima Network USA Mon-Fri (phone in the evening because of the time difference) on 001-800-263-8160. They take credit cards. A short review of the book can be found here:- http://waltwhitemansworld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/book-review-crucial-truths-to-save-your.html
WF,
We ran a blog thread on that new book some time ago – sounds great. Thanks for the ordering details.
Its being reported that the Catholic midwives have lost the case at the Supreme Court (they have been told they do not have the right to object to supervising staff carrying out abortions)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30514054
Gabriel Syme
Shocking, but not surprising. So much for free speech and conscience. At least in formally totalitarian states they don’t pretend to value these things. In this much lauded “democracy” we are told they are part of the great “British values” that we get shoved down our throats at every turn, and told they are sacrosanct. Yeah right.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1217/667468-bernadette-smyth-dawn-purvis/
This is an absolute disgrace! Hopefully there will be other “Precious Life” volunteers who can take up where Bernie Smyth has been forced to leave off and continue the protest.
Spiritus,
Yes, the treatment of Bernadette Smith is a disgrace. I’m glad to hear that she’s a fighter, though, so it won’t get her down too much. She’ll recognise it as a grace and fight on, please God. We’ll all pray that she has a particularly blessed and happy Christmas this year.
A blessed and holy Christmas to you Editor, Athanasius and all at Catholic Truth. May God continue to bless your outstanding work and make you prosperous in the New Year 2015!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
DOTF
Many thanks for your very kind words about the work of our blog – your encouragement is genuinely appreciated. And thanks, too, for YOUR contributions to our discussions. We’re delighted to have you as part of our team, doing what we possibly can to contribute to restoring the traditional Catholic Faith in all its glory, at this time of dreadful crisis. So, thank you sincerely for your support, and I hope you have a wonderful, peaceful, holy and happy Christmas.
God bless you!
A very happy and holy Christmas to all bloggers.
That old Scots song could have been written with you in mind, switching genders to read: “she’s no a lass tae throw a word away…” 😀
Happy Christmas to you, Helen – God bless, and thank you for all your contributions to the blog in 2014. Stick with us – we need you!
A very happy and blessed Christmas to everyone!
Special thanks to Editor for her dedication, patience and good humor! A big thank you to all the bloggers – the best of the best in the blogging world 😀
Jobstears,
“Editor… dedication… patience… good humour” …
I LOVE it ! Humility ? Moi ? Nay, nay… I leave all that stuff to Papa Francis!
Thank you for all your hard work on the blog and I look forward to reading more pearls from you in the year to come.
Have a wonderful Christmas. Hope Santa is good to you!
God bless
Jobstears
Many thanks for your good wishes to editor and all the rest of us bloggers. May the Divine Infant Jesus also pour His blessings on you at Christmas.
ALL
I second Jobstears wishes for a happy and blessed Christmas to editor and all bloggers.