Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from May, 2014

Obedience - A Maligned and Misunderstood Virtue

+ JMJ The principle of obedience as laid down by St. Thomas says 'nothing' about trusting one's superiour.  Probably because to make a principle subject to how one feels about the person issuing the command is the essence of liberalism. The Catholic principle is laid out as follows: The person issuing the command is in a position of authority over the inferior The command is within the scope of the superior's authority The command does not require the inferior to sin, either in the immediate or proximate case. If the above conditions are met then the person has an obligation to obey. Disobedience in this case is sinful. Whereas if #3 is lacking (sinful command) then the person has an obligation to disobey Whereas if #1 or #2 is lacking the person practice greater virtue in obeying a command that is not obligatory. Now if conditions 1,2, and 3 are met - then the inferior whether th

Council of Trent Canon VII

Quote CANON VII.--If any one saith, that the ceremonies, vestments, and outward signs, which the Catholic Church makes use of in the celebration of masses, are incentives to impiety, rather than offices of piety; let him be anathema. This canon has, by some, been used as a basis to accuse traditional Catholics of error or in some cases heresy, due to their criticism and resistance to accepting the Novus Ordo Missae etc. Quote CHAPTER V. On the solemn ceremonies of the Sacrifice of the Mass. And whereas such is the nature of man, that, without external helps, he cannot easily be raised to the meditation of divine things; therefore has holy Mother Church instituted certain rites, to wit that certain things be pronounced in the mass in a low, and others in a louder, tone. She has likewise employed ceremonies, such as mystic benedictions, lights, incense, vestments, and many other things of this kind, derived from an apostolical discipline and tradition, whereby both th

Looking Back - A Letter to Friends and Benefectors - No 62. June 2002

+ JMJ I am currently putting together a timeline from 1974 to 2014 of the main interactions between Rome and the SSPX. As part of this, I have come across this letter by Bishop Fellay. P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org Dear Friends and Benefactors,      Catholic Tradition, in its relations with the Vatican, has truly lived through a number of important events over the last two years.     Since Rome first approached us at the end of the year 2000, it seems to us that the time has now come to take stock, and to reply to a number of objections or questions which the whole issue raises. However, we would also like to mention that if we go into these questions, they are not our main pre-occupation. Celebrating the Holy Mysteries, imparting grace in abundance to your souls, being the instrument of numerous and always very touching conversions, is at the heart of our lives, and these are facts which show us to be truly Catholic, whereas all the discussions and disagreements with

Ecumenism: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Original SSPX.ca Article from 2014)

 + JMJ  Can't we all just get along?  Well that depends on where the gaps are between people's principles, value and perspective. If one tries to get along by glossing over the gaps, then it is like walking in the Antarctic Ice Fields without safety equipment.  Eventually, you will fall through the thin layer of ice and plummet to your demise. P^3   Courtesy of SSPX.ca Ecumenism: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly May 24, 2014 Source: District of Canada Modernists have a tendency of taking a perfectly Catholic word and applying a new non-Catholic meaning to it.  The word 'Ecumenism' has suffered the same fate and as a result there are now three types of Ecumenism: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. The Good Ecumenism An example of the Good Ecumenism can be found in the encyclical of Pius XI - Mortalium Animos (1928) in articles 10: 

The Chastisement of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI) - Part 7

+ JMJ Rorate is reporting that the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate are now being placed under visitation. This should not be surprising as the Secretary of the Congregation for Consecrated Life, Franciscan José Rodríguez Carballorecently stated that: ... the Congregation for Consecrated Life, they are "particularly concerned" with this matter: "we are seeing true deviations." Above all because "not a few institutes give not only a pre-conciliar, but even an anti-conciliar formation. This is inadmissible ... (Source: Rorate) From a cultural point of view this is entirely consistent. There are two cultures present and neither wants to ''leave" the Church.  On the one hand we have the Traditionalist Culture that wants to keep the Teachings of the Church as always taught. On the other we have the Neo-Modernists who want to recreate the Teachings of the Church in their own image. It is no wonder that it looks like open season on Tradit

Communion for the Divorced and 'Remarried'

+ JMJ Tantamergo has reported that Cardinal Kasper stated that his proposals for admitting people living in concubinage to the Holy Eucharist was "...   made [them] in agreement with the pope, I did not do them just myself. I spoke beforehand with the pope, and he agreed .” … , read the rest  here . I have been reading the Catechism of the Council of Trent from cover to cover, and yesterday reached the section on the Eucharist. Reproduced below are the key points. All I can say, is that if the Pope goes through with allowing people to commit sacrilege, then he will be more culpable than the poor souls who avail themselves of this permission. P^3

Guess Who - Pertinacious Papist

+ JMJ Pertinacious Papist has some very good food for thought. I'm a little rushed today, so here's the posting. HT: Pertinacious Papist Always to be counted on for some exacting analysis and quality writing on his blog, Elliot Bougis (a.k.a.  Codgitator ), in " Guess who? " (FideCogitActio, May 13, 2014), offers a typically though-provoking comparison of a notably transparent passage from an editorial by  Fr. Michael Simoulin  in the April issue of  Le Seignadou  (SSPX, Montreal de l'Aude, France) and a thematically-related passage from the former  Cardinal Ratzinger's  address to the Chilean bishops in 1988:

The Church and the SSPX - is the SSPX right?

+ JMJ Some time ago I was challenged with the above statement. You have to be right otherwise ... The person at the time was trying to make the point that I was subject to a confirmation bias. These words have replayed in my mind over the last two years since they were uttered, but not exactly with the result intended. Is the SSPX right?  Are Traditional Catholics right? The question behind these question is: Right about what?

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo

SSPX and Rome - It isn't over ... DICI Update

+ JMJ Courtesy of DICI - French Courtesy of DICI - English Following the previous reports , DICI has just posted a message about the 'meeting' between the Pope and Bishop Fellay. Here's the french version, I will post the english version when it appears. Suffice to say, that the Rorate report is not contradicted by three sources: SSPX, I.Media, Vatican Insider. Updated with the English Version. Given the varying accounts this appears to be a FUD attack. P^3 About a “meeting” between the Pope and Bishop Fellay 12-05-2014   Filed under From Tradition , News On May 10, 2014, the English-speaking blog Rorate Caeli published under the pseudonym “Adfero”, some “exclusive information” whose sources could not be – according to him – disclosed. This “exclusive information”, spread by the media, revealed that Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, met with Pope Francis. On May 11, the Roman agency I.Media published t

Ou S'envien Msgr Williamson et son 'Resistance'?

+ JMJ Originale en anglais Je vous demande pardonne pour cette traduction de google - je n'ai pas assez de temps pour faire in traduction propre. Pour la plupart, les associés  de la "résistance" continu ses attaques contre la direction de la FSSPX  sans resprirer. Périodiquement ils tirer le rideau sur les principes qui guident leurs actions .

SSPX and Rome - It isn't over ... Updated

+ JMJ An update to the update: Bishop Fellay gave a conference today that corroborated the I.Media / Vatican Insider version of the story. This casts doubt upon the source of Rorate Caeli - which, in my opinion, appears to have been exaggerated. P^3 Of course we knew from Bishop Fellay that he would never cut all ties with Rome because they would cease to be Catholic. Rorate Updates: UPDATE (05/11/14) :  I.Media  reports that Bishop Fellay came to the Vatican with Frs. Niklaus Pfluger and Alain-Marc Nély (respectively the First and Second Assistants to the Superior General of the SSPX). On this occasion, the two assistants of the Superior General of the SSPX were present at the daily Mass celebrated by Pope Francis at St. Martha House. Afterwards Bishop Fellay dined with Abp. Guido Pozzo and Abp. Augustine Di Noia (respectively the Secretary of the Pontifical Commission  Ecclesia Dei  and the Adjunct Secretary of the CDF) at the refectory of the same House. At the end of t

Would the Real Archbishop Lefebvre Please Stand Up!

+ JMJ Confirmation biases  lead to a narrowing of the perspective and therefore errors in judgement due to a searching for information that supports the individuals opinions. In the case of Archbishop Lefebvre's talks and writings I have encountered just such errors numerous times. In some cases an individual would quote a sermon, only to ignore (in some cases deny) that their interpretation was contradicted only a few paragraphs later. Why this polarization occurs it beyond me, but this article gives some good guides for avoiding just such a perceptual error when examining the thoughts of Archbishop Lefebvre. P^3 Courtesy of SSPX.org

The Four Marks of the Church of Christ

+ JMJ The Marks of the Church of Christ The explanation of the Four Marks of the Church forms a significant part of the article 'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church' in the Catechism of the Council of Trent. This is understandable as it is by these marks that a Catholic recognizes the Church. A Church that they profess belief in each Sunday in the Nicene Creed to be One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and daily in the Apostle's Creed to be Holy and Catholic. A Church that they must belong to in order to be saved. Apostolic The Church of Christ can be recognized by its Apostolic origin, for "the Holy Ghost, who presides over the Church, governs her by no other ministers than those of Apostolic succession". Catholic The Catholic Church is Universal, "embraces ... all mankind" and includes "all the faithful who have existed from Adam to the present day, or who shall exist, in the profession of the true faith, to the end of

Satis Cognitum and the SSPX - Part 2

+ JMJ As noted earlier a  branch  of the 'resistance' referenced one of my articles (natually without directly responding to its contents) making the assertion that: No Canonical Agreement Prior to a Doctrinal Resolution” Is a Catholic Principle...“a canonical recognition cannot be had if it is not based on the Catholic Faith” In support of this assertion the author made a number of claims, one of which came from Satis Cognitum, a quotation from Archbishop Lefebvre and then his own reasoning.

Old Hippies Are Funny - The Remnant

In a number of ways the Church, in its read the 'signs of the times' has been caught in a moment of time - the late sixties to early seventies. Instead of being timeless, the Church is now bound to the hippy era. P^3 Courtesy of the Remnant Old Hippies Are Funny  Written by   Nate Metzger | Remnant Columnist "Vatican Two, Man! It's Far Out!" It goes without saying that hope for the ever-on-the-horizon New Springtime to finally come to our withering Church, has been relegated to the True Believers, and by that I mean the Old Timers. I suppose that makes sense: after all, their ideas have hardened with time, making such folks less liable to change their views, even when confronted by the cold light of reality. I stress that this goes without saying. Everyone who has a stake in the Catholic game knows that it’s the Old Timers who cling to the Myth of Vatican II with an ungodly, stubborn strength.

Who Is A Catholic? The SSPX?

+ JMJ In discussions between 'modern' and Traditional Catholics who have turned to the SSPX for sound doctrine and liturgy the accusation that the SSPX is not in full communion is often hurled as the argument of mass destruction. Having been confronted with this 'unanswerable' argument and faced with the confusing responses provided by other sources, I decided to see if I could get a straight answer to a few very straight and specific questions. Reproduced below is the significantly less than straight answer. Much to pray for when the SSPX and others remain censured and others  have their censures removed. P^3 Prayer Penance Patience