Protestant Attends Mass While Catholics Watch Online – Legacy of Lockdown …
Comment:
There’s no mistaking the sincerity of the young Protestant Evangelical in the above video. He very accurately summarises the differences between the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) and the novus ordo (NO).
One mistake which he makes – a very common mistake – is to think that “the Church” is not “one”. He misunderstands the difference between the break-up of Christendom thanks to Martin Luther et al, who left the Church, with the Church itself upon which Christ bequeathed unity from the beginning: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:21) Here Christ was bestowing unity on His Church – it was not some future goal.
However, this is, as I say, a very common misconception. Catholics make the same mistake, so we have to cut the young man some slack on this.
Where there is absolutely NO slack to be cut, is for those Catholics who have not returned to attending Mass since the disgraceful Government ban was lifted, but are choosing instead to stay at home and watch Mass online. I’d heard concerns expressed that this would happen and I could see the temptation but it didn’t occur to me for a second that any Catholic accustomed to attending the TLM would fall prey to such temptation. I’ve now heard of at least three such cases – and I remain incredulous.
Watching Mass online does not fulfil the Sunday Mass obligation. The notices and announcements in churches at the time of the lockdown stated clearly that “there is a temporary dispensation from the Sunday obligation” – that is, the obligation was temporarily lifted [due to the Government ban]. That ban is no longer in place. Neither is the dispensation from attending Mass in person. We are once again obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
So, what does this readiness to skip Mass for the comfort of watching it online tell us? Well, with this willingness to miss Mass, remember, is a willingness to live without the benefit of the Sacraments – no confession, no absolution, no Holy Communion. What kind of Catholic life is that? Answer: it’s not.
If you have any thoughts on this phenomenon please share them in the comments below, but do not name names. Suffice that we try to work out what is going on here – are these “Lockdown Legacy Catholics” staying away from church out of a [human but faithless] fear of “the virus”, or is the virus merely an excuse to re-structure life in such a way that God’s law does not interfere too much with their secular lives? Were they always Catholics of weak Faith, or what… What’s the mentality – I’m genuinely puzzled. Over to thee…
And don’t forget to pray for the young Protestant man in the video – he appears to be very open to the grace of God, so it would be wonderful if he were to embrace the gift of the Faith. Our Lady, Help of Christians, pray for him!
Comments (33)
editor,
Sorry to intervene to correct you, but the Sunday (and Holy Day) obligation to attend Mass (in person) has still not been re-instituted. Sadly our bishops are still putting worldly concerns above the life of the soul and are encouraging people to get to Mass at some point in the week if they cannot book a place at a Sunday Mass.
I would not be surprised if they never announce the return of the Sunday obligation as their main concerns seem to revolve around money and they are looking at alternative means of financing their bloated bureacracies other than the Sunday Mass offerings.
Deacon Augustine,
No need to apologise – I am always open to correction. My infallibility certificate still hasn’t arrived in the post 😀
Being a simple soul, I took the “dispensation” at face value; when I read the Notice on our church bulletin board explaining that we were dispensed from the Sunday obligation due to Government Coronavirus restrictions/forthcoming closure of churches, I assumed that this was temporary and so when the Government, in its dictatorial wisdom, decided that the churches could re-open in July (?19th I think?) then I took it that the dispensation was ended. Then again, I’m almost sure that the dispensation Notice originally posted on our church bulletin board has been removed, but I’m open to correction on that. As I say, simple soul – and believe me they don’t come much simpler…
Essentially, since the ban on attending Mass (we were led to believe) came from the Bishops who wanted to please the Government, and docile religious superiors following suit, I assumed that the State permission to reopen churches meant that the dispensation no longer applied.
I’m not sure if your situation in England is different from ours – but, as far as I can tell, most Catholics here have assumed the return of the “in person” obligation.
As for your concluding paragraph – I wouldn’t be at all surprised. The Bishops, north and south of the border have lost the Faith if ever they truly held to it; as for finances – one of the first things I noticed at the start of the lockdown/closure of churches was the way the Bishops were unashamedly asking for donations on their websites, and providing means of paying. I hope they received my six figure donation: £000.000.
Their sheer nerve is outrageous.
editor,
You are guilty of applying common sense to the situation – repent! 😉
As for the faithless gits scrounging for money (the nerve of it after they have abandoned the faithful!!!) the internal documents circulated “Ad Clerum” have been even more money-grubbing. We can look forward to being deluged with a plague of great fund-raising schemes in the next 12 months, I’m afraid.
As for me and my house, our money will go to the deserving church – not the apostates living in concubinage and faggotry – oh yes, that is something else the pandemic has flushed out of the closet!
Deacon Augustine,
I think that a lot of us are only too aware of the episcopal population of that closet and it makes us even more unwilling to hand over money which may end up in (now can I put it) “cheerful” enterprises …
Hence my donations will never exceed the six figure amount, indicated above 😀
Dear editor,
Only 50 people can attend a Mass at a time so not everyone will be able to get a ticket. That’s why the obligation is still suspended. Ridiculous, isn’t it?
Regarding those individuals you cite that haven’t returned to the TLM – perhaps a good place to begin there is to stop gossiping and start minding ones own business?
Dear Reggie Swire,
Definition of Gossip: a conversation involving malicious chatter or rumours about other people:
(1) identity any “malicious chatter”
(2) identify any “rumours”.
On the contrary…
A) There is a clear instruction to bloggers not to “name names” (in case anyone should know an individual(s) who has chosen to stay at home to watch Mass online) and
B) There is nothing more than curiosity expressed about why any Catholic would choose not to attend Mass in person, now that the Government has given us “permission”.
The closest anyone could get to alleging “gossip” is from my comment explaining that “I’d heard” of some cases of people choosing to watch TV Masses at home rather than return to Mass – perhaps for nit-pickers like you I ought to have added that this “gossip” comes from people who are concerned about their friends and wish they could come up with some way of getting them back to Mass. You’re a terrific help in that regard – NOT. I’d hoped that the comments on this blog might, indeed, provide those concerned with some answers. Not from you, obviously, but you are not a regular here. My only hope is that you’re not here to make trouble – if so, be warned. My troll tolerance level is now coasting at zero.
What’s your problem? Apart, that is, from your manifest lack of charity…
Regard that as a rhetorical question – who cares?
RS
I feel sorry for people like you, I really do.
Deacon Augustine
I have always said in matters such as the abolition of the Friday abstinence and the eradication of so many holy days of obligation, the bishops, regardless of what we think of their motives, have the authority to make these judgements. Whether we like it or not we must obey in all that does not directly impact the faith.
Everything changes, however, when it comes to the New Mass, Communion in the hand and, most recently, subordinating the superior supernatural mission of the Church to State legislation. These are illegal acts on the part of bishops (abuse of authority) that run contrary to Church law and teaching, not to mention historical precedent and the divine mandate. Hence they must be considered immediately dangerous to faith and opposed.
Adding further weight to the case against them is the fact that in many countries, our own included, the churches were locked down by the bishops before the government legislatively mandated the evil. This is another sign that our bishops are lost to supernatural faith, as you rightly suggest in your comment, and are not serving Our Lord or acting in the best interests of immortal souls.
Within reasonable moral grounds they could have removed the obligation temporarily for that minority of immune-suppressed faithful most at risk from respiratory illness, but even then the question is begged: What is more important – health of the body or health of the soul?
For those who have minor health ailments or no ailments at all there is no justification before God to miss Mass in Church on the Sabbath day. Those who think they can rely on the dispensation administered by rogue bishops are taking one enormous gamble with their eternity, for the Divine Judge has already declared that “those who try to save their life will lose it”. Bottom line, regardless of fake argument, these Internet Mass people are people of either weak faith or no faith.
What the Bishops did by locking down the House of God, and now by their sanitising rules and numbers restrictions they have put in place, is straight from Hell. Just imagine Our Lord appearing in the flesh at, say, St. Andrew’s Cathedral in Glasgow only to be met at the entrance by one of those “ushers” in face mask asking for His contact details, offering Him a muzzle and a squirt with sanitiser, then leading Him to one of a few pews not taped off reminding Him that He mustn’t move around, light candles or kiss statues.
I think it fair to state that when Our Lord left that church, empty of God, there would not be left a stone upon a stone. This is how we must view this demonism that has entered our churches and act contrary, which means attending Masses under the usual obligation on Sunday without restriction or feigned excuse. Our very salvation depends on it at this time more than at any other.
In fine, we recognise in our Catholic conscience the voice of the true shepherd calling us to Calvary as opposed to the voice of these modern-day Pharisees, to whom Our Lord says: “But woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites; because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in; and those that are going in, you suffer not to enter.” (Luke 11: 13-14).
Athanasius,
I agree with your comments wholeheartedly. I am fortunate in that I was aware of an “underground” TLM that continued throughout the lockdown, and so have been able to continue meeting the obligation despite the edicts of my bishop. I guess I will find out whether such disobedience is culpable when I meet Our Lord.
Fortunately, there are still restrictions on deacons exercising their ministry so I have taken advantage of the situation to avoid the N.O. ever since. In a perverse sort of way, I hope that “normality” does not return.
“Adding further weight to the case against them is the fact that in many countries, our own included, the churches were locked down by the bishops before the government legislatively mandated the evil.”
To be fair to the government, they only mandated the evil at the request of our bishops! Their original intent had been to keep the churches open until the bishops prevailed upon them to do otherwise. My strong suspicion is that the prospect of benefitting from the employee furlough programme was more important to them than the spiritual welfare of the faithful.
With any luck, as we enter into the insolvency phase of this depression, we will see the spiritual bankruptcy of the N.O. establishment escalate into its financial bankruptcy.
Deacon Augustine,
To be fair to the government, they only mandated the evil at the request of our bishops! Their original intent had been to keep the churches open until the bishops prevailed upon them to do otherwise.
That’s even more shocking.
How to explain these Bishops, their spiritual, religious and moral corruption, their utter degeneracy?
I have a very clear opinion about this, which I’ve explained more than once, so won’t belabour here, but one thing that does bear repeating is that they are at risk of losing their souls for all eternity. Prayer and fasting, folks.
I’ll do the prayer… 😀
Deacon Augustine
I wouldn’t be questioning any supposed “disobedience” to the bishops when it is clear that Our Lord provided you with a very great grace during lockdown. Note that it was a TLM, not NO. I think that speaks for itself spiritually.
As reagrds the lockdowns, I had no idea that the bishops had requested this for the churches. My assumption was that they merely pre-empted was they thought was inevitable, which is scandalous enough. To have actually asked the government to lockdown churches is just evil beyond comprehension. It is these “men of God”, I fear, who should be in terror of their judgement.
I agree that many more Catholic priests, younger ones, and a few prelates are beginning to see the spiritual bankruptcy that was always going to be the end of the revolutionary “conciliar reform”. We see it most pronounced now in the faithless bishops closing churches and turning the House of God into a House of Fear. We also see it, tragically, in a Pope who is approving “gay relationships”, speaking of “lady Covid” as though it were the Black Death and writing up three Encyclicals that read like the Communist/Freemasonic Manifesto. The scandal has now reached its height and I suspect Our Lord will not permit the mockery much longer.
I think it was St. Pius X, in one of his Encyclicals, who predicted that just when all seems lost victory will appear on the horizon. The world’s governments are corrupt and the high Churchmen are largely corrupt, but it’s about to end!
Athanasius,
What the Bishops did by locking down the House of God, and now by their sanitising rules and numbers restrictions they have put in place, is straight from Hell.
Absolutely. And those priests who have gone along with this scandal will likewise be held accountable before God. False obedience does not cut any ice with God.
As will those able-bodied Catholics who are continuing to stay at home to watch Mass online. What an insult to God!
I would dearly love to see Our Lord overturn the tables of the pandemic-peddlers in our Churches, and drive them out – into outer darkness.
In our (traditional) parish , the Zoom-Masses were held for 2 months and then we all returned, with only one exception that I know of: a woman seriously ill with lymphoma, who was actually wearing a mask even before the scam-demic began. That is, we have 99.99% attendance despite the dispensation still being in effect.
It is tempting for me to stereotype those in the Novus Ordo world as having a faith as casual as their liturgy, but that’s probably not true for a significant portion of them, and that would be judging by appearances. However, I am unable to hazard an accurate guess as to why some TLM parishioners have stayed home when parishes have re-opened. Some possibilities:
-Refuse to submit themselves to the scam-demic protocols in church?
-Fear of catching the virus? (as Editor notes)
-If they take public transportation to get to Mass, a refusal to submit to mask-wearing on transport?
I would hesitate to guess “ignorance of the Faith” in the case of TLM-goers, but you never know…
RCA Victor,
In the cases brought to my attention, the only reason/excuse given is fear of the virus. In fairness, one of those cases is a person who does have some health condition but that’s not what I understand is the reason (or at least the sole) reason for his decision to stay at home.
No, like TV dinners, TV Mass are, it seems, increasingly popular.
Editor
While, as you suggest, there are one or two genuine cases of people with health issues who fear catching this flu, I agree that there are many more who are using the situation to satisfy their sloth, and maybe save a bob or two on travel, collection, etc. This was always the great risk with live stream Masses; that some Catholics would give up going to Mass altogether, salving their conscience with televangelism instead. It’s not the same and it does not sanctify!
RCAVictor
It’s like a mixed bag of everything with Catholics these days, both N.O. and TLM. I’ve seen some Traditional Catholics coming to Mass wearing face masks and I always wonder where the divine wisdom has gone.
But the N.O. is by far the worst. Enter a N.O. church for, say, Confession and it’s like you’ve entered a robot factory. They accept these demonic things like taping off pews, sanitising, mask wearing, social distancing, etc., without the least question about justification or appropriateness in the House of God. The overwhelming sense is of superficiality, no real depth of faith or, at best, no true understanding of the faith. Talk about sheep!
In my opinion it is the result of decades of spiritual sloth in this particular duty of nurturing one’s faith through education, a duty incumbent upon all if they are to truly know the faith and what the Church teaches. That’s why we find ourselves today in this tragic situation of blind oberdience to Modernist bishops and priests who are betraying Our Lord and the souls under their care.
If Church history teaches us anything it is that every heretical attack on the faith throughout the centuries has been clerical in its source. The notion, then, that the faithful are absolutely bound at all times in obedience to clerical superiors isn’t just unCatholic, it’s heretical.
There are times when subordinates must choose between obedience to God and obedience to men, that’s what makes us free children of the Church rather than slaves, yet so many people in our time are unaware of the fact.
We look back, for example, at the Arian crisis and we recall those famous words “the world awoke to find itself Arian”. Today we can say in truth “the world is still asleep but will one day awaken to find itself Modernist and Socialist”. This is what’s happening under these prelates and priests, the “progressives”, who have helped progress the Church and society all the way back to paganism. Such utter blindness!
Athanasius,
The sacred music choir I accompany has been having rehearsals in an N.O. parish (quite a beautiful old parish, in fact – no Vatican II wreckovation, at least not to the building…only to the parishioners). Between the scam-demic protocols published by the Choral Music Association, and the protocols of the Archdiocese, insanity rules. Or should I say, Red Chinese depraved insanity rules.
Choristers have their temperature checked upon entering the building and must be wearing masks covering both nose and mouth – including while they sing. Then they must sit spread out throughout the church while the mask-clad Director, with his back to the altar and half a football field away from his choristers, conducts the rehearsal. As for me, I’m well off to the side by the St. Joseph altar (Deo gracias!), so I can do my own thing whilst plunking out accompaniment. Oh, and sectional rehearsals are cut short so that (wait for it!), the ventilation system can be turned on between segments of the rehearsal, to circulate the air!
Germophobia + hypochondria + paranoia = medical dictatorship = the success of the Great Reset.
As if that wasn’t enough, and speaking of spiritual sloth, so thoughtless and careless are the resident Catholics in this group that I have yet to see anyone genuflect before the tabernacle. Last week I asked the parish organist, who is a chorister, to ask the priest to remove the Blessed Sacrament from the Tabernacle, as no one was paying the slightest bit of attention to Him, including the Director (a N.O. Catholic who actually home-schools his children!!).
Ray Bradbury himself could not have written a more dystopian story.
Dear Editor,
As usual, many great responses to the question posed.
This young man is to be congratulated on asking the right questions.
I have a few of my own.
If, unlike your lucky selves, some keen Catholics find themselves living miles from any Latin Mass centre, should they ignore the ever more draconian restrictions imposed on New Mass attendance and go with the flow?
Is it acceptable for Catholics to grit their teeth and apply on line to attend a Mass where the pews are blocked off with ‘crime scene tape’ , they have to comply with track and trace, only receive the body of Christ in their hand, hum any hymn through a mask, and leave the church without speaking to any one?
Is that what the celebration of Mass has come to?
If so, it is no wonder some think mass on TV is more acceptable.
Patrick,
I should have thought about those in your situation attending the NO when writing up my introduction – I can’t in conscience attend the NO at any time, virus or no virus. So, in your position, with no TLM within reach, I WOULD watch the TLM online and participate in prayer, the best I can. The fact that NO attending Catholics may think nothing of not returning to the Sunday obligation in person, speaks volumes. It was of those that I was thinking when I wrote my introduction.
However, you would still need to think about how to get to Confession and Holy Communion, so if you are anywhere within reach of Glasgow – we can arrange that for you with a sympathetic priest. Just email your phone number to editor@catholictruthscotland.com and voila – wonders will not only never cease, but they will begin to happen!
See, I can be poetic at times 😀
Dear Editor,
Thank you for your customary prompitude.
Well – not being within 150 miles of Glasgee, I could not partake of your kind offer.
Now that our wee wooman has imposed her latest house arrest dicktats, it does not appears if we are allowed to cross to the sunny side of the street let alone cross country.
Be that as it may – we are plodding on as best we can.
The main point I was trying to make above, is – it better for our redemption to participate in a Latin Mass on TV, or to succumb to the abomination of the New SNP Mass with all the Sturgeon restrictions involved? You know the New Holy Water in a plastic bottle made in China et cetera.
Ps I am seriously considering hanging my poetic boots as I am not flavour of the month.
Patrick,
Sorry if I didn’t make myself clear; I thought I had, but then I’ve convinced myself that chocolate is the best possible part of my diet, so let me try again. Yes, better to NOT attend the NO but participate in the TLM online.
Dear Editor,
Thank you.
The readiness to skip Mass for the comfort of watching it online tell us that the faith of the person was not strong in the first place. The willingness to miss Mass and live without the benefit of the Sacraments – no confession, no absolution, no Holy Communion, is not living the faith. There is no excuse for Mass not to be publicly said especially when deaths from respiratory diseases are at their lowest for five years, see link below!
The Doctor also states that no-one can be forced to take the Vaccination as it is against International Law and the oppressor can be sued for trying to enforce it!
Please circulate this video widely!
Francescomarta,
Well said.
The problem about threatening to sue, comes down to the cost of legal action for us ordinary Joe and Josephine Blogs.
Francescomarta,
That’s a first class interview – Dr Yeadon knows his stuff and he shows clearly that there is something going on here that is nothing to do with any virus.
He should be advising the government, not Whitty and Vallance.
I have to admit that I have been Guilty of Missing Mass on Sundays and although I haven’t been keeping in the best of Health ( al not go into the details ) I have been able up until 3 weeks ago to go to the Shops . My Wee Car has finally given up on me and after spending £ 340 getting it through an M.O.T the Clutch Broke . I received an estimate of between £ 200 and £ 300 to get it sorted but as it was nearly 15 Year old I decided to scrap it . Such is life but had the Clutch gone 2 Weeks earlier I would not have put it through an M.O.T and would have saved £ 340 . So much sorry ,of my Motoring Problems but as I have Claustrophobia my car was really essential ( so I thought) I bit the Bullet the other day and went on a Bus probably my First time in 20 years. Anyhow I had really no other options rather than Taxis as I had to Pick up Prescriptions and get messages. Anyhow seen as though I did that I decided no matter what to go to our T.L.Mass last night and attended Confession before Mass . To be Honest I was really surprised at the Crowd that was there . For 2 years at least only 4 or 5 of us attended it every week but last Night there were Approximately 50 at Mass . God works in strange ways and I felt a hint of gratitude which may have been tinted with False Pride that I myself kept attending it when it was at its lowest. But last night now shows a Healthy increase in us attending the T.L.Mass . As a pat on the back to you Ed and it has to be said. Had this Blog not been here I myself would probably not have attended the T.L.Mass in the first place . And as it were only such a small number that went Our Priest may have cancelled it . So God Bless and Take a Bow . As for watching Mass online it is certainly not my Forte .
FOOF,
On behalf of the entire CT blogging community…
http://www.gamegorillaz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/take-a-bow.gif
God Bless you and take care .I know that lots of times on here I haven’t been flavour of the month but keeping my mouth shut has never been a gift I possessed and I doubt if al change now .Unlike you though I have often been wrong .In fact I cant seem to stay on that horrible Social Media Facebook for more than 2 weeks without sustaining a Ban .The latest post that got me banned was talking about the absolute Hypocrisy of Sportsmen some who make £1000s a day following that awful Colin Kaperknickers and taking a knee for Black Lives Matter and so called social justice. I like probably most on here come from Irish Forefathers .One of whom I remember as a child him always struggling to breath because of Silicosis and am sure many on here witnessed what I would now most certainly call White Slavery .And on a Final note did anyone on here from a mining background ever hear their Fathers Grandfathers or Uncles sing . O De camp down races sing this song Doo Dah .O De Camp down races sing this song O Doo Dah Day . On their way to the horrible conditions in the Coal Pits and Coal Mines especially pre War. Sorry if I rambled on and if I get another Yellow Card I will completely understand . God Bless You again You do some great Work .
Faith of Our Fathers,
Here you go, this is bound to give the cancel culture Marxists some serious indigestion:
RCAVictor
Ah, the old Asa Jolsen! He was my dad’s favourite singer.
Victor sorry for taking so long getting back to you I just seen that post That’s getting Posted on to the Reptile Zukerbergs Facebook as soon as my Bans up which is of course after President Trump wins the Election. The Black Lives Matter mob seem certainly on this Video to be a lot Happier 🤗 than my Forefathers who most definitely couldn’t Sing as it was hard enough for them to Breathe. Facebook will have a Hissy Fit and instead of Facebook Jail it maybe a Scottish Jail. On a more serious note do you know if any of the Backing Singers were Back Moslems. O sorry 😐 that was a Typo I of course meant. Black Moslems. No wonder all of the Mob take a Knee as they must have been handed down joint pains with all of that Jumping around singing Doo Dah Doo Dah Day . 🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿🕺🏿
God Bless. You and Your Country. James. D .
In my country parish (two little churches served by one priest) of approx. 320 souls we have been offered 2 Masses at 15 “tickets” a piece, that was increased to a third “Sunday” Mass offered on Saturdays at 11 am ( as a Sunday obligation) – so 45 can assist at Holy Mass out of 320???
My mother is in Edinburgh, her parish is made up of around 500 souls and they are offered two Masses one a Saturday “vigil” at 50 “tickets” and one on Sunday morning at 50 “tickets” – what are the other 400 souls supposed to do?
I heard from a faithful Catholic on Friday that the priests are clearly just lazy. I have no defense, I just stopped giving them any money.
Graeme,
You are absolutely correct. I’ve been saying for a long time now, or it seems a long time, since this lockdown and these ridiculous restrictions came on the scene, that it is clear that many if not most priests are quite happy with the situation. Indeed, in the October issue of Flourish (official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Glasgow) a number of priests featured to explain their experience of lockdown. The one who sticks in my mind admitted to enjoying it (I think he said “secretly enjoying it” but they don’t make it easy to find past editions online – I’ve been looking but can’t find – so I am unable to verify that). He read and read and read and … you’ll get the picture.
So, I think you are perfectly right to withhold money. If you check out the diocesan websites they’re not shy of saying, sorry we haven’t been offering the sacraments or only in a very limited way, but the church still needs money so…
Yeah right. I’ve yet to meet a priest in a homeless shelter, and I’m pretty confident that dear old “secretly enjoyed lockdown” will always be able to find the price of the latest John Grisham, so rest easy, Graeme. Rest, as I say, easy.
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