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| Please pray for little Caleb |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-15-2023, 07:24 PM - Forum: Appeals for Prayer
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Received the following in an email. Please keep this young soul in your prayers!
Quote:Dear Friends,
Our prayers have been especially requested for 8-year old Caleb.
Little Caleb, who has a very serious heart condition, just recently returned home after a long suffering hospital stay, only to be emergency air-lifted to a Boston hospital yesterday. The boy is in very rough shape and greatly needs our prayers. Please, let's remember Caleb in all our prayers and sacrifices throughout the day ...most especially in our daily Rosary.
His family wishes to thank us all for our prayerful help with their little boy. May God bless our kindness, and may Our Lady of Fatima intercede for us.
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| 1919: Catechism of the Liturgy for Young and Old |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-15-2023, 10:59 AM - Forum: Church Doctrine & Teaching
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Text taken from Catechism of the Liturgy for Young and Old, compiled from approved sources by A Religious of the Sacred Heart, Stanbrook Abbey, Worcester
published by The Paulist Press, New York, 1919
Nihil Obstat: 7 July 1919 by Alois can. Attard, Cens. Theol.
Imprimatur: 25 July 1919, + Maurus, O.S.B., Arch. Epus. Melitae.
Nihil Obstat: Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D., Censor Librorum.
Imprimatur: + Patrick J. Hayes, D.D., Archbishop of New York. New York, July 19, 1921.
Catechism of the Liturgy for Young and Old
THE LITURGY
1. What is the meaning of the word Liturgy?
Originally it meant a public duty, a service to the State, undertaken gratis by a citizen. The meaning is extended to cover general service of a public kind.
2. Where is the word first used in Scripture?
In the Septuagint it is used for the public service of the temple (Exodus 38). Thence it comes to have a religious sense as the function of the priests, the ritual service of the Temple (Joel).
3. What does the term Liturgy now include?
The whole complex order of official services, all the Rites, Ceremonies, prayers and Sacraments of the Church as opposed to private devotions.
4. How could you find out which services are Liturgical?
Those services are Liturgical which are contained in any of the official books of a Rite: e, g., Compline is a Liturgical service, the Rosary is not.
5. In what sense is the word Liturgy used in the Greek Church?
The Greek Church restricts it to the chief official service the Sacrifice of the Holy Eucharist which in our Rite we call the Mass. When a Greek speaks of the Holy Liturgy he means only the Eucharistic service.
6. What do you mean by Liturgical Books?
The Liturgical Books are all the Books published by the authority of the Church, that contain the text and directions for her official services.
7. Name the Liturgical Books.
The Liturgical Books are: The Missal, the Pontifical, the Breviary, the Ritual, the Bishop's Ceremonial, the Memorial of Rites, and the Martyrology.
8. When was the Roman Missal first published?
The Roman Missal as we now have it, was published by Saint Pius V in 1570. It has been revised in several succeeding Pontificates, new Masses have been added according to need, but it is still that of Pius V.
9. What does the text of the Missal contain?
The first part contains the "Proper of the Season" from the first Sunday of Advent to the last after Pentecost. The proper of each Mass is given in order of the ecclesiastical year, that is the Masses of each Sunday and other days (vigils, ember days, etc.) that have a proper Mass. Certain rites not Eucharistic, but connected closely with the Mass are in their place in the Missal, such as the blessing of ashes, candles, palms; all the morning services of Holy Week (except the Vespers of Thursday and Friday). After the service of Holy Saturday the whole Ordinary of the Mass with the Canon is inserted.
10. What is the Ordinary of the Mass?
The Ordinary is that part of the Mass which does not change except for the thirteen proper Prefaces and the few changes that occur in the Canon. After the Ordinary comes Easter Day and the rest of the year in order.
11. What does the second part of the Missal contain?
It contains the Proper of Saints, that is, the feasts that occur through the year. It begins with the Vigil of Saint Andrew, which generally falls at the beginning of Advent.
12. What does the third part contain?
It contains the Common Masses, that is, general Masses for Apostles, Martyrs, etc. Masses for the dead. Supplements, i.e., a collection of Votive Masses, special Masses for certain dioceses.
13. What is the Pontifical?
The Pontifical is the Bishop's book, and contains the rites of Confirmation, Ordination, Blessing of Abbots, consecration of Churchs, Altars, Chalices, etc.
14. What is the Breviary?
The Breviary contains all the Divine Office without Chant. It is divided into four parts: Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn.
15. By whom is the Divine Office said?
The Divine Office is said by all Priests and by the members of several religious orders, men and women.
16. What are the Canonical hours?
As each day has its own office, the office is divided into Hours founded on the ancient Roman divisions of the day. The night Hours are Matins and Lauds, Matins being divided into three noctums, to correspond with the three watches of the night, and Lauds was supposed to be recited at dawn. The Day Hours are: Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers and Compline.
17. What does the Ritual contain?
The Ritual contains all the services a priest needs beside those of the Missal and Breviary; directions for the administration of the various Sacraments, processions, funerals, exorcisms, etc.
18. What does the Ceremonial of Bishops contain?
In spite of its title it contains much matter needed by other people than Bishops. It contains general directions for Episcopal functions, and for the Bishop's attendants, full directions for everything connected with Mass, Divine Office, its chanting in Choir and the ritual belonging to it. It is an indispensable supplement to the rubrics of the Missal, Breviary, Ritual and Pontifical.
19. What is the Memorial of Rites?
The Memorial of Rites or the Little Ritual gives direction for certain rites, blessing of candles, ashes, palms, etc., in small churches where there is neither deacon nor subdeacon.
20. What is the Martyrology?
It is an enlarged calendar giving the names, and very short accounts of all saints (not martyrs only) commemorated in various places each day.
21. Name the Liturgical colors?
White, Red, Green, Violet and Black are Liturgical colors.
22. What is meant by Chant?
In the strict sense "Chant" means a melody executed by the human voice only; in a wider sense the word is taken to mean such singing even when accompanied by instruments; it may also mean instrumental music alone.
23. What is Liturgical Chant?
Liturgical Chant means Liturgical or Sacred music. Sacred music embodies four distinct, but subordinate, elements: plain chant; harmonized chant; one or other of these accompanied by organ and instruments; and organ and instruments alone.
24. What is meant by plain chant?
This name only came into use in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, it was given to the old church music to distinguish it from the "musica mensurata" which began to be developed at that time. Plain chant is synonymous with Gregorian or Roman Chant, by which is now meant not only early Church Music, but all similar compositions written to the end of the sixteenth century and even later.
25. Why is the Roman Chant also called Gregorian?
The Roman Chant is also called Gregorian because this dignified and solemn Chant was taught and brought to perfection in a school founded by Saint Gregory the Great for which he gave land and two houses. He collected into one volume, called the Antiphonary, all that was to be sung during Mass and other church ceremonies. He wished these chants to be spread through the whole Latin Church. He is said to have himself presided at the lessons given and even to have taught the younger children himself. When they were sufficiently instructed he sent his scholars to both England and France. Two centuries later the Chants sent by Pope Adrian to Charlemagne came from this Gregorian School of Music.
26. What is meant by extra-Liturgical music?
The music which accompanies non-Liturgical functions of Catholic worship is usually and accurately styled extra-Liturgical. Music for these functions should assume as far as possible the character without the extreme severity of Liturgical music.
27. Which are the principal Liturgies in use in the Eastern Church in the present day?
The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom in its Slavonic form, is used by the Russian church in Russia itself. It is also used in Greece and by the Bulgarians, Albanians, Ruthenians, etc., as well as by the United Greeks of the four patriarchates and some others.
28. Is this the only Liturgy used in these places?
No, the Liturgy of Saint Basil is used on certain days in the year instead of that of Saint Chrysostom.
29. Which are the Liturgies of the Western church?
With the exception of one or two rites, the Roman Liturgy has universal sway.
30. Which other rites are used in the West?
The Ambrosian Liturgy is used in Milan and the Mozarabic Liturgy in Toledo in Spain.
31. What do you know of these Liturgies?
The Ambrosian Liturgy, so-called from Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan A.D. 374, is very ancient. The Milanese say it is the work of Saint Barnabas, Apostle. Many attempts haye been made to abolish this rite and to substitute the Roman, but to no purpose.
32. What are some of the particularities of this rite?
It allows no "Agnus Dei" except in Masses for the Dead. On Easter Sunday two Masses are prescribed, one for the newly baptized and one for the feast and throughout the whole of Lent there is no Mass on Friday.
33. What is the Mozarabic rite?
The Mozarabic rite is a survival of the Gothic Liturgy that was formerly in use throughout Spain but is now restricted to the city of Toledo only.
34. What was the Sarum rite?
The Sarum rite prevailed throughout Great Britain generally, until the reign of Queen Mary in 1560, when through the meditation of Cardinal Pole the regular Roman Liturgy was introduced.
35. How did the Sarum rite originate?
The Sarum rite was introduced by Saint Osmund, Bishop of Sarum, in Wiltshire, England, in 1078, and was renowned for the magnificence of its ceremonies.
36. Which of the Religious Orders have rites of their own?
Three Religious Orders have rites of their own, namely the Carthusians, the Carmelites and the Dominicans.
37. What are some of the different kinds of Mass?
Solemn High Mass, is celebrated with deacon and subdeacon and a number of inferior ministers. It is called "High" from the fact that the greater part is chanted in a high tone of voice.
38. What is a Missa Cantata?
A Missa Cantata or simple sung Mass is so called when there is neither deacon nor subdeacon.
39. What is a Low Mass?
A Low Mass is so called from its being said without deacon and subdeacon and without the usual marks of solemnity of a High Mass.
40. What is a conventual Mass?
A conventual Mass, strictly speaking, is that which the canons attached to a Cathedral are required to celebrate daily after the hour of Terce, that is, about 9 o'clock.
41. What is a Nuptial Mass?
A Nuptial or Bridal Mass is a special service set apart in the Missal for the Bridegroom and Bride and which has a few ceremonies peculiar to it alone. It is of very ancient origin and has the singular rite of interrupting the Canon itself after the Pater Noster to pronounce a blessing over the newly married pair.
42. What is meant by a Golden Mass?
The Golden Mass was one that used to be celebrated formerly on the Wednesday of the Quarter Tense of Advent in honor of the Mother of God. It was a solemn High Mass of the most gorgeous kind and often lasted three or four hours. The Bishop and all his canons assisted at it. At the Church of Saint Guduld, in Brussels, this Mass is celebrated every year on the twenty-third of December.
43. What is a votive Mass?
A votive Mass is a Mass not in accordance with the office of the day. As every day in the year has a Mass peculiar to itself, whenever this order is broken in upon, the Mass said instead is called votive, or a Mass of devotion. Votive Masses may not be celebrated on Sundays or within the octaves of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi nor in Holy Week. The "Gloria in Excelsis" and the Creed are omitted in votive Masses, and a commemoration is always made of the Mass of the day.
44. What exception is there in regard to the "Gloria" in votive Masses?
In the votive Mass of the Angels and in the Saturday votive Mass of Our Blessed Lady, the "Gloria in Excelsis" is allowed.
45. When is Midnight Mass allowed?
Midnight Mass is now only allowed at Christmas, but midnight Masses used to be common during times of persecution, and later on certain festivals had the privilege of Midnight Mass.
46. What is a Requiem Mass?
A Requiem Mass is a Mass for the dead.
47. When may a Requiem Mass be celebrated?
Requiem Masses are accustomed to be said:
when a person dies, or on any day between the day of the death and that of the burial
on the third day after death, in memory of Our Lord's Resurrection
on the seventh day
on the thirtieth day
at the end of a year, that is on the anniversary day
THE ALTAR
48. What is the altar?
The altar is the sacred table on which Mass is offered. Before Mass may be celebrated on it, it must first be consecrated by the Bishop.
49. What is meant by the right and left sides of the altar?
The right and left sides of the altar are so called from the right and left hands of the crucifix so that the right side is the Gospel side and the left side is the Epistle side. Up to the fifteenth century it used to be just the opposite according to the right and left hand of the priest.
50. How must the altar be covered?
It is of strict obligation that every altar upon which the Holy Sacrifice is offered should be covered with three linen cloths. Before these cloths are used they must be blessed by the Bishop or by one of his delegates.
51. Why are three altar cloths used?
Three altar cloths are used in honor of the Blessed Trinity, as well as to commemorate the linen cloths in which Our Lord's Body was wrapped in the sepulchre.
52. Why are relics of Saints placed in the altar?
Relics of Saints are placed in the altar because in the time of persecution it was customary to say Mass on the tombs of the Martyrs. When peace was restored to the Church this custom gradually gave way to that of laying in the newly consecrated altars some portion of the Martyrs' bodies.
53. Who places the relics of the Martyrs in the altar?
The Bishop, who consecrates the altar, places the relics in it.
54. What must be on the altar whenever Mass is said?
There must be, besides the three altar cloths, a crucifix and two lighted candles and usually a Missal, Missal-stand and three altar cards.
THE MASS
55. What is the meaning of the Word "Doxology"?
Doxology means a word of praise or glory. The minor Doxology is the "Glory be to the Father," and the major Doxology is the "Gloria in Excelsis."
56. How many languages are used in the Mass?
Three languages are used in the Mass: Latin, Greek and Hebrew.
57. Why are these three languages used?
Because the title of the Cross was written in these three languages.
58. Which are the Greek and Hebrew words used in the Mass?
The Greek words are "Kyrie Eleison" and "Agios o Theos, etc.," on Good Friday; and the Hebrew words are "Hosannah, Sabaoth, Alleluia, Amen, Seraphim and Cherubim."
59. How many Collects are allowed in the Mass?
It is forbidden to say more than seven Collects at any time, and this number is rarely said. On great feasts, only one is said but on ordinary occasions three is the usual number.
60. Why is the Gradual so called?
The Gradual is so called not as some suppose from the steps of the altar, for it was never read there, but rather from the steps of the ambo.
61. What was the ambo?
The ambo was an elevated lectern or pulpit placed generally in the nave of the church from which the epistle used to be read or chanted. Specimens of these may yet be seen in the ancient Church of San Clemente in Rome.
62. What is a Sequence?
A Sequence is a rhythmical composition which on certain occasions in the year is added immediately after the Gradual.
63. What other names are given to Sequences?
Sequences are also called proses or jubilations.
64. What is the reason of these names?
They are called "proses" because, though in verse, they have not the qualities of regular metrical compositions, i.e., more attention is paid to accent than to quantity. The name "jubilation" was given for their being employed for the most part on occasions of great solemnity and rejoicing; and because the musical phrase following the Allel, to which the early Sequences were set, was called a jubilus, the name Sequence came from their following the "alleluia".
65. How many Sequences have now a place in the Mass?
There are only five Sequences:
the "Victimse Paschali" proper to Easter
the "Veni Sancte Spiritus," proper to Pentecost
the "Lauda Sion" proper to Corpus Christi
the "Stabat Mater" proper to the feast of the Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary
the "Dies Irse," proper to Masses for the dead
66. What do you know of the authorship of any of these Sequences?
The "Veni Sancte Spiritus" is generally ascribed to Blessed Hermann Contractus or the Cripple; by others it is ascribed to Pope Innocent III, and to Robert, King of the Franks.
67. Who composed the "Lauda Sion"?
The "Lauda Sion" was composed by Saint Thomas Aquinas at the request of Pope Urban IV.
68. Who was the author of the "Stabat Mater"?
The "Stabat Mater" is generally ascribed to Jacopone da Todi, a Franciscan Friar.
69. What was the Discipline of the Secret?
The "Disciplina Arcana," or Discipline of the Secret, was the custom which prevailed in the Church during the first five centuries, of carefully concealing the principal mysteries of Our Holy Faith from pagans and Catechumens, and those were therefore dismissed before the most solemn part of the Mass began.
70. What is meant by the Mass of the Faithful?
The Catechumens were dismissed from Mass the moment the sermon was finished at the end of the Gospel, and then the Mass of the Faithful began with closed doors.
71. Who also were dismissed besides Catechumens?
Besides the Catechumens there were also dismissed, those troubled with unclean spirits; the lapsed, or those who openly denied the faith; public sinners whose term of penance had not yet expired, and Jews, Gentiles and pagans.
72. What is meant by the Mass of the Catechumens?
The Mass of the Catechumens means that part of the Mass when Catechumens might be present, that is, up to the sermon.
73. On what feasts is the Creed said at Mass?
The Creed is said on all Sundays of the year, feasts of Our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, the Holy Angels, the Apostles, and Doctors of the Church. The only woman saint besides the Blessed Virgin who has a Creed in her Mass is Saint Mary Magdalene because she was the "Apostle of the Apostles."
74. What old dictum gives the feasts upon which the Creed is not said at Mass?
The dictum, "MUC NON CREDUNT," M stands for Martyrs, U or V for Virgins, widows and non-virgins, C for Confessors, all of whom have no Creed special to them.
75. What is the origin of the Nicene Creed?
The Nicene Creed was framed in the year 325 at the general Council of Nicea, a town of Bithynia in Asia Minor, where three hundred and eighteen Fathers assembled at the call of Pope Sylvester, to condemn the heretic Arius, who denied the Divinity of Our Lord.
76. Which was the principal clause inserted in the Creed by the Fathers?
"Consubstantial with the Father" was the clause which took from Arius the last prop on which his heresy rested.
77. When was the Creed further added to?
The Nicene Creed was added to at the Council of Constantinople A.D. 381, which condemned the heresy of Macedonius, who denied the Divinity of the Holy Ghost.
78. How many Prefaces are in use in the Roman Church now?
The number of Prefaces in use in the Roman Church is thirteen:
of the Nativity
of the Epiphany
of Lent
of the Cross and Passion
of Easter Sunday
of the Ascension
of Pentecost
of the Blessed Trinity, used on every Sunday
of the Blessed Virgin
of the Apostles
of Saint Joseph
of the Dead
of the Common
79. What is the meaning of the word Canon?
The word CANON in Greek signified a straight rod, then a rule used by masons and carpenters for measuring; now, by a metaphor, it is used as a rule in art, and accordingly the sense of something fixed is found in the various uses of the word Canon as applied by the Church.
80. What are some of the uses of the word Canon?
The Canon of Scripture is the fixed list of books which the Church recognizes as inspired. Ecclesiastical laws and definitions of councils are called CANONS and are the fixed rules of faith or conduct. CANONIZATION is the inscribing the name of a Servant of God on a fixed list of Saints whom the Church places on her altars. CANON as an ecclesiastical dignity, means originally one on a fixed list of clerics attached to a church or a cathedral.
81. What is the Canon of the Mass?
The Canon of the Mass means the fixed rules according to which the Holy Sacrifice is offered. It maans the fixed portion of the Mass. Its present form was arranged chiefly by Saint Gregory the Great.
82. What is meant by the term, "Within the Action"?
The Canon was sometimes called by ancient writers the Action or the Great Act of the priest, as it included the consecration of the Bread and Wine, changing them into the Body and Blood of Our Lord. The words, "Within the Action," are now applied to the prayer in the Canon which begins with the word, "Communicantes."
83. What is to be noticed about the prayer, "Communicantes"?
Although this prayer is part of the Canon of the Mass which otherwise never changed, an addition is made to it on five great feasts of the year:
Christmas
Epiphany
Easter
Ascension
Pentecost
84. What Saints are mentioned by name in the Canon of the Mass before the Consecration?
Before the Consecration there are mentioned by name, the Blessed Virgin, the twelve Apostles and twelve Martyrs, the first five of whom were Popes.
85. Which of the Apostles is omitted from the list?
Saint Matthias is omitted because he was not an Apostle at the time of Our Lord's Passion and Saint Paul is inserted, though not one of the twelve Apostles as he is always united to Saint Peter in the Liturgy of the Church.
86. Name the five Popes mentioned in the Canon?
Saints Linus, Cletus, Clement, Xystus and Cornelius, the first three of whom were fellow laborers with Saint Peter.
87. Which are the other Martyrs, not Popes, mentioned at this place in the Canons?
Saint Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage; Saints Lawrence, Chrysogonus, John and Paul, brothers; Cosmos and Damian, also brothers and physicians.
88. What persons of the Old Testament are mentioned in the Ordinary of the Mass?
Abel, Abraham, Melchisedech and Isaias are mentioned in the Ordinary of the Mass.
89. Are any women Saints mentioned in the Canon?
Yes, Saints Felicitas, Perpetua, Agatha, Lucy, Agnes, Cecilia and Anastasia are mentioned in the Canon after the Consecration.
90. What custom formerly prevailed at the Memento of the living and of the dead?
Up to the twelfth century in the Latin Church it was customary to read aloud from the diptychs the names of those to be prayed for.
91. What were the diptychs?
Diptychs were tablets on which were inscribed the names of the living and the dead, and the deacon read them aloud from the ambo. In the Mozarabic rite the custom of the reading of the diptychs is still in use.
92. What was the origin of the elevation of the Host after the Consecration?
The present custom of the elevation of the Host after the Consecration dates from the eleventh century and was introduced as a protest against the heretic Berengarius, who denied the doctrine of transubstantiation.
93. What is the minor or little elevation?
The minor elevation takes place a little before the "Pater Noster" at the words, "omnis honor et gloria," when the priest raises the chalice and Host a few inches from the altar. This used to be the only elevation.
94. How many ceremonies is the priest obliged to observe while saying Mass?
The priest has to observe 500 ceremonies while saying Mass, besides 400 rubrics, which makes in all 900 obligations which he is bound to observe under pain of sin.
95. What are some of the ceremonies he is bound to observe?
He has to turn six times towards the people, to kiss the altar eight times, to raise his eyes to heaven eleven times, and to strike his breast ten times in Masses for the Living, seven times in Masses for the Dead.
96. How many times does the priest join his hands and bow his head during Mass?
He joins his hands fifty-four times and bows his head twentyone times; and he puts both hands on the altar twenty-nine times.
97. How many times does the priest make the sign of the cross?
The priest makes the sign of the cross thirty-three times over the offering, sixteen times on himself and twice when he turns and blesses the people; once on the book; and he makes the sign of the cross with the Host before he gives Holy Communion to each communicant.
98. What are some of the differences between a High Mass and a Low Mass?
High Mass differs from Low Mass merely by way of addition. Music is of obligation, the Gospel is solemnly chanted by the deacon and the Epistle by the subdeacon. The altar and the people are incensed, and the Pax or Kiss of Peace is given by the priest to the deacon and by him to the subdeacon after the Pater Noster.
99. Which parts of a High Mass are sung by the choir?
The choir sings the Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Creed, Offertory, Sanctus, and Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Communion.
100. What powers does a deacon receive at Ordination?
The deacon at Ordination receives the power of assisting the priest at High Mass, of solemnly singing the Gospel, of preaching, and of administering solemn baptism.
101. How does the deacon wear the stole?
The deacon wears the stole across the left shoulder instead of crossed in front like the priest.
102. How does a Mass for the Dead differ from a Mass for the Living?
Chiefly by way of omission - The psalm, "Judica me," is omitted - also the Gloria and Creed as in other votive Masses. At the Agnus Dei the words, "Dona eis requiem," are substituted for "Miserere nobis" and before the last Gospel instead of saying, "Ite Missa est," the words, "Requiescat in pace," are said, and the priest's blessing is not given.
103. What is the special advantage of a Requiem Mass?
So far as the essence of the Sacrifice is concerned, all Masses are equal, but the prayers in the Requiem Mass are said in the Church's name and by the Church's order, and consequently obtain special graces for the departed.
104. Mention some differences between a Bishop's Mass and a priest's Mass.
The Bishop vests at the altar. He receives the maniple only at the "Indulgentiam" after the Confiteor. He says "Pax Vobis" after the Gloria instead of the "Dominus Vobiscum." At the blessing the Bishop makes three signs of the cross over the people. In the first prayer of the Canon, instead of saying the words, "our Bishop N.," he says, "and I Thy unworthy servant." He is always assisted by a priest.
105. What is a Pontifical Mass?
A Pontificial Mass is the solemn High Mass celebrated by a Bishop. The full ceremonial is carried out when he celebrates at the throne in his own Cathedral Church or with permission at the throne in another diocese.
106. What are some of the ceremonials?
The Canons assist in their vestments, besides priests, deacons and subdeacons. Nine acolytes or clerics minister the book, bugia, mitre, crosier, censer, two candles, gremiale and cruets and four minister in turn at the washing of the Bishop's hands. There should also be a train-bearer and at least four torch-bearers at the Elevation.
107. What are the ornaments worn by a Bishop or Archbishop besides the usual Mass vestments?
The ornaments worn by a Bishop or an Archbishop are the buskins, sandals, pectoral cross, tunic, dalmatic, gloves, pallium, mitre, ring, crosier which he carries and the gremiale or apron.
108. What peculiar ceremonies has the solemn Pontifical Mass celebrated by the Pope in Saint Peter's?
In a Papal Mass a Cardinal Bishop acts as assistant priest - a Cardinal Deacon is the deacon of the Mass, and an auditor of the Rota is subdeacon. The Epistle and Gospel are sung first in Latin and then in Greek. While elevating the Host and the Chalice the Pope turns in a half circle towards the Epistle and Gospel side. The Pope receives Communion standing at the throne, the deacon bringing him the Chalice and the subdeacon the paten with the Host.
109. What privilege is retained in the Pope's solemn Mass at the tombs of the Apostles?
The deacon and subdeacon are privileged to partake of the Precious Blood from the Chalice. This is the only survival of a usage which was almost universal in the Church for eleven hundred years.
THE LITURGICAL YEAR
ADVENT
110. Why are the weeks preparatory to Christmas called Advent?
From the Latin word, "Adventus," which means coming.
111. When did the custom of keeping Advent originate?
The custom of keeping Advent originated in the fourth century in the churches of the East. It was only towards the end of that century that the date of Christmas was fixed for December 25th.
112. When is the first Sunday of Advent?
The first Sunday of Advent is the Sunday nearest to the Feast of Saint Andrew, November 30th.
113. How is Advent kept?
Advent is kept by special prayer.
114. What is the earliest proof of special Advent exercises?
In a passage of Saint Gregory of Tours' History of the Franks we find that Saint Perpetuus, one of his predecessors in the See, had decreed in A.D. 480 that the faithful should fast three times a week from the feast of Saint Martin (November 11th) to Christmas.
115. What was this period called?
This period was called Saint Martin's Lent and his feast was kept with the same kind of rejoicing as Carnival.
116. When did this original observance of Advent cease?
Probably in the twelfth century, but the change was gradual, and in time Advent came to be observed in its now modified form.
117. Which are the three "comings" of Our Lord so often alluded to in the Liturgy for Advent?
His coming in the Incarnation.
His coming to each soul.
His coming at the Last Judgment.
118. What does Saint Bernard say of these comings?
He says, in the first Our Lord comes in the weakness of human nature; in the second, He comes in spirit and with power; in the third He comes in glory and in majesty.
119. What connection is there between the first coming and the length of Advent?
The world waited four thousand years for the Incarnation, we wait four weeks spent in special preparation.
120. What color is worn for church functions during Advent?
Purple is worn except on feast-days. This color shows with what sincerity the Church unites herself in spirit with the true Israelites who waited, in sackcloth and ashes, the coming of the Messiah.
121. What omission is there in the Ordinary of the Mass during Advent?
Except on the feast-days of Saints, the "Gloria in Excelsis" is omitted and instead of "Ite Missa est" the priest says "Benedicamus Domino."
122. Is Advent a time of mourning then?
No, because though the "Gloria in Excelsis" and the "Te Deum" are not said, the "Alleluias" are continued.
123. Where is the station for the first Sunday in Advent?
In the Church of Saint Mary Major under the protection of Our Lady and in this basilica where the Manger is kept, the Church begins Advent.
124. What is meant by the word station as used in the Missal?
The stations marked in the Missal, refer to former times when the clergy and people of Rome went in procession to the particular church named for that day and there said office and celebrated or assisted at Mass.
125. Where is the station of the second Sunday?
In the Church of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem, one of the oldest churches in Rome. Here the relics of the True Cross with the title, "Presented by Constantine the Great to this Church" are kept with great care.
126. Is there anything special to the third Sunday?
The third Sunday is called "Gaudete" because of the first word in the Introit; the organ is played, the priest wears a rose-colored vestment and the deacon and subdeacon wear dalmatic and tunic respectively. In the Cathedral the Bishop assists wearing the mitre, known as "precious" (i.e., a mitre adorned with precious stones). The station is at Saint Peter's.
127. When do the Advent Ember Days occur?
The Advent Ember Days occur on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the third Sunday in Advent.
128. When did this custom originate?
From the very first centuries, the Church set apart three days in each of the four seasons as special days of petition and thanksgiving.
129. Besides consecrating the season to God, what other object has the Church in the Advent Ember Days?
She wishes to secure God's blessing on the ceremony of ordination, fixed for the Saturday of this week and (formerly at least) proclaimed to the people on Wednesday.
130. Is there anything special to the December ordination?
Yes, according to the directions of the early Popes, December was the only month during many centuries in which Holy Orders were conferred. Exceptions were made only for some extraordinary reason.
131. When the fourth Sunday and Christmas Eve coincide which takes precedence?
The vigil takes precedence.
132 Name some of the feasts which occur during Advent?
The feast of Saint Andrew (30 November) though it does not always occur in Advent will be found in the Missal at the opening of the Ecclesiastical year.
133. In order of time what feast comes next?
The feast of Saint Francis Xavier (3 December). He is called the Apostle of the Indies; he converted hundreds in India, and when his mission was well established there, he longed to go to China, but he died on the Island of Sancian, within sight of his Promised Land.
134. What feasts are kept on December 8th and December 18th?
On 8 December the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, and on the 18th the feast of the Expectation of Our Lady.
135. When was the dogma of the Immaculate Conception defined?
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception was defined an article of faith on 8 December 1854 by Pope Pius IX.
136. What do you mean by the "O Antiphons"?
The "O Antiphons" are special Antiphons sung at Vespers from the seventeenth to the twenty-fourth of December. They are so called because each one begins with the interjection O (e, g., O wisdom proceeding from the mouth of the Almighty, etc.).
137. How is the vigil of Christmas Day spent?
In prayer and fasting but in the spirit of hope which sees its desires on the eve of fulfillment. If the vigil falls on Sunday, the office and Mass of the vigil are said in preference to those of the fourth Sunday.
CHRISTMAS
138. How does the Church celebrate the Midnight Birth?
By Midnight Mass, which the faithful as far as possible attend.
139. What special privilege is granted to priests for this feast?
Each priest is allowed to say three Masses in honor of the triple birth of Our Lord:
His generation from Eternity from the Father.
His birth as man.
His birth in the souls of the faithful.
140. Has the privilege been extended to any other days?
Yes, the Holy Father extended the privilege to November 20 since 1915, for the repose of the souls of those fallen in the War, and others according to his intentions.
141. Name some of the feasts which fall within the Octave of Christmas.
Saint Stephen, Saint John, The Holy Innocents, Saint Thomas of Canterbury.
142. How does the Church show her sympathy with the mothers of the Holy Innocents?
She leaves aside the color of joy (white) and uses purple vestments which is the color of mourning. She also suppresses the Gloria (unless the feast falls on Sunday then the color of the vestments is red) and the Alleluias.
143. How does the feast of Saint Thomas of Canterbury differ from those we have been speaking about?
He does not belong to the first ages of the Church, neither is his name written in Scripture as those of Saint Stephen, Saint John and the Holy Innocents.
144. What are the next great feasts?
The feast of the Circumcision and the feast of the Epiphany, which are kept on January 1st and January 6th respectively.
145. What is the meaning of the word Epiphany?
The word Epiphany means "manifestation" and was chosen to signify God's showing Himself to man.
146. By what other name is the feast sometimes called?
It is sometimes called the feast of the Holy Lights, because it was one of the days chosen in the early Church for baptism, which is the sacrament of illumination, in memory of the baptism of Our Lord in the Jordan which tradition fixed for January 6th.
147. Has it still another name?
Yes, it is familiarly called King's Day in honor of the Magi whose arrival in Bethlehem the Church commemorates on this day.
148. What is meant by the triple manifestation?
The three manifestations of Our Lord mentioned in the offices on this one feast, are:
His manifestation to the Magi guided by a star which had led them to His abode in Bethlehem
The manifestation of His divinity declared by the voice of the Father at the Baptism in the Jordan
The manifestation of His Power in changing water into wine at the marriage feast of Cana.
149. How did Christian Sovereigns once honor the faith of the Eastern kings?
By offering gifts of gold, incense and myrrh on the feast of the Epiphany.
150. Name some of the Sovereigns whom history records as faithful to the practice.
Theodosius and Charlemagne; Stephen of Hungary; Edward the Confessor; Ferdinand of Castille; Louis IX of France.
151. Name some of the feasts which fall between the Octave of the Epiphany and Septuagesima.
Saint Paul the Hermit, Saint Agnes, the Conversion of Saint Paul, Saint John Chrysostom, and Saint Francis of Sales.
152. When is the feast of Saint Agnes kept?
On 21 January, and on this day the Church honors her name by blessing two lambs. These lambs are then sent to a Monastery of nuns, by whom the lambs are tended.
153. What is made with their wool?
From their wool are made the Palliums sent by the Holy Father as a sign of their jurisdiction to all Patriarchs and Archbishops throughout the Catholic world.
LENT
154. When is Septuagesima Sunday celebrated?
Septuagesima Sunday is the ninth Sunday before Easter. The Liturgy from this day forward is of a penitential character. The altar is unadorned, the hymn "Gloria in Excelsis" is not sung, and purple or violet colored vestments are used. Besides this the Hebrew ejaculation of praise Alleluia is omitted no matter how solemn be the feast that is celebrated.
155. What other changes appear in the Liturgy?
After the Gradual of the Mass a Tract, i.e., a series of verses from the psalms, is substituted for the Alleluia.
156. What does the word Lent mean?
Lent is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning Spring. It is the name given to the solemn fast observed by Catholics in preparation for Easter.
157. Is the practice of the Lenten fast an ancient one?
The Lenten fast dates back to Apostolic times as is attested by Saint Jerome, Saint Leo the Great, Saint Cyril of Alexandria and others.
158. What custom prevailed up to the ninth century?
Up to the ninth century it was the custom not to break the fast until sunset. After that it was allowed to break the fast at the hour of none, that is 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and in the twelfth century this had become general. In the fourteenth century it became the general custom to break the fast at midday.
159. What other custom prevailed in the Middle Ages during the time of Lent?
From the ninth century onwards it was forbidden to carry arms or wage war during Lent.
160. Of what are we reminded by the forty days of Lent?
In the fast of forty days we are reminded of the forty days deluge-the forty years wandering in the desert, the forty days fast of Moses before he received the Tables of the Law, the forty days fast of Elias-and Our Lord's fast of forty days.
161. Mention some of the Rites which formerly prevailed in the Western Church during Lent.
All during Lent an immense veil or screen of violet was hung between the choir and the altar, so that the faithful could no longer see the sacred Mysteries which were celebrated at the altar.
162. What did this veil symbolize?
This veil symbolized the mourning and spirit of penance of sinners who are not worthy to behold the Majesty of God. It also signified the humiliations of Christ, which veiled His divinity. This custom is still observed in the Metropolitan Church of Paris.
163. Did the Lenten fast always last forty days?
No, the length of the Lenten fast varied, and up to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, A.D. 600, lasted only thirty-six days and this older practice is still observed at Milan according to the Ambrosian Liturgy, but after the example set us by Our Lord Himself, a Lent of forty days has become practically universal.
164. From what ceremony does Ash Wednesday take its name?
Ash Wednesday takes its name from the ceremony of the faithful receiving ashes on that day, which is a vestige of the primitive rite, when public sinners did penance each year in sackcloth and ashes.
165. How are the ashes obtained for the ceremony of Ash Wednesday?
The Rubrics prescribe that the ashes used on this day, should be obtained by the burning of the palms blessed on Palm Sunday of the year before.
166. When do the Lenten Ember Days occur?
The Lenten Ember Days are on the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the first Sunday in Lent.
167. What is meant by Ember Days?
The Ember Days called in Latin "Quatuor Tempora" are the Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of four weeks taken in each of the four seasons of the year and set apart as days of strict fasting and abstinence.
168. When did they originate?
They originated in Rome at the time of the Emperor Constantine. They were first days of prayer and later were chosen as the regular days for giving Holy Orders.
169. What addition is there to the Mass on the Ember Wednesdays, and Saturdays?
Two or more Epistles or Lessons are added, together with additional prayers or Collects.
170. What is there to be noticed about the fourth Sunday in Lent?
On the fourth Sunday in Lent which is called Mid-Lent Sunday, the Liturgical austerity of Lent is somewhat relaxed. The altar is adorned with flowers, the organ is played, and the priest may wear rose-colored vestments instead of violet ones.
171. What custom is observed at Rome on this Sunday?
On the fourth Sunday of Lent the Pope blesses a rose made of gold, known as the Golden Rose, and carries it himself in procession. The rose is afterwards bestowed as a mark of special favor on some remarkable personage.
172. What is Passion Sunday?
Passion Sunday is the fifth Sunday in Lent. From this date the Preface of the Holy Cross is said daily at Mass, and as in Masses for the dead the Psalm, "Judica me" and the "Gloria Patri" are omitted.
173. What striking practice is customary in the churches from Passion Sunday to the end of Lent?
The crosses, statues and pictures in the churches are all veiled from Passion Sunday till Holy Saturday.
174. Why are they covered?
All crosses and images are covered during Passiontide to inspire the faithful with greater compunction, in being deprived of the consolation of seeing these objects of devotion.
175. What Feasts of Saints usually occur during Lent?
Saint Matthias, Apostle, February 24th or 2Sth; Saint Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, March 7th; Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor, March 12th; Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland, March 17th; Saint Joseph, March 19th; Saint Benedict, March 21st; Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor, April 11th.
176. When the Feast of Saint Joseph and the Annunciation of Our Lady fall in Passiontide when are they kept?
The feast of Saint Joseph is transferred to Wednesday in Low Week and the Annunciation to Monday in Low Week.
HOLY WEEK
177. Why is Holy Week so called?
It is so called on account of the grandeur and holiness of the great mysteries which it commemorates.
178. Since when has Holy Week been set apart for special veneration by the faithful?
In the third century it was already in great veneration, and in the fourth century Saint John Chrysostom speaks of it in one of his homilies as "the Great Week."
179. How does the Church prepare us by her Liturgy for the celebration of the Passion in Holy Week?
The "Gloria Patri" is no longer said. The Lamentations of Jeremias are sung at the evening office. The vestments of violet are changed for black on Good Friday. The crosses are veiled and the statues and pictures also.
180. Why is Palm Sunday so called and what mysteries are commemorated on that day?
It is so called because palms are solemnly blessed on that day and distributed to the faithful in memory of Our Lord's entry into Jerusalem on the colt of an ass.
181. What meaning do the Fathers of the Church give to the use of these animals?
The ass represents the Jews who had been long under the yoke of the Law, and the colt "upon which no man yet hath sat" represents the Gentiles.
182. What Gospel is read on Palm Sunday and what is the meaning of the procession on that day?
The Gospel of Saint Matthew is read at Mass on Palm Sunday because Saint Matthew was the first Evangelist to write the Passion, and the procession in memory of the deliverance of the Jews from their slavery in Egypt and of their entrance into the Promised Land. It signifies also Christas triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
183. Why is the office of Tenebrae so called?
Tenebrae means darkness, and it is so called from the ceremony of extinguishing the candles during it, till at last it is finished in total darkness recalling that of Calvary.
184. What is the meaning of the candles lighted during Tenebrae?
They mean the light of faith; the Mystery of the Blessed Trinity being symbolized by the triangular candlestick.
185. When are these candles extinguished?
At the end of each of the fourteen Psalms a candle of the triangular candlestick is extinguished, and a candle on the altar at the end of every second verse of the Benedictus, showing how the Jews were deprived of the light of faith when they put Our Lord to death. The fifteenth candle representing the Light of the world is hidden for a time behind the altar and brought out at the end of Tenebrae still burning.
186. On which days of Holy Week are the other three Gospels of the Passion read?
Saint Mark's Gospel is read on Tuesday, Saint Luke's on Wednesday, and Saint John's on Good Friday.
187. In olden times how many Masses were celebrated on Maundy Thursday?
Three solemn Masses were celebrated. Before the first there took place the ceremony of the "reconciliation of the penitents." The second Mass was accompanied with the blessing of the Holy Oils (and Chrism). The third Mass which is the only one said in our days, is in memory of the Last Supper and the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament. It is one of the most solemn of the whole year.
188. Why are there fewer Masses on Maundy Thursday?
The Church wishing to bring before us the grandeur and unity of the Last Supper given by Our Lord to His Apostles and in their persons to us all, forbids the celebration of private Masses on this day unless in a case of great necessity. Only one Mass is offered in each church at which all the priests assist and communicate, wearing the stole as symbol of the priestly office.
189. In what does this Mass differ from the others in Holy Week?
Though the office of this day is of the Passion, the Mass is of the Holy Eucharist and is therefore filled with joy and thanksgiving. The vestments are white like those worn on Christmas Day and Easter Sunday the "Gloria in Excelsis" is sung during which the bells joyfully peal.
190. Why are the bells and the organ silent after the Gloria?
The silence is to honor Our Lord's silence during His Passion and also to express the mourning of the Church.
191. Why is the kiss of peace not given as is usual at a High Mass?
This is to remind us of Judas, who chose this sign of friendship, a kiss, with which to betray Our Lord, and the Church wishes to remind us of this traitorous act.
192. What do the Rubrics prescribe on this day at the consecration?
That two Hosts should be consecrated, one for the sacrifice of the Mass, the other for Good Friday.
193. What is done with the second Host?
After Mass It is borne in solemn procession to a side-altar or Repository decorated with lights and flowers, where It remains for the adoration of the faithful until Good Friday morning.
194. What is the meaning of stripping the altars after Vespers?
This ceremony refers to the stripping of Our Savior's garments and the bareness of the altars signifies that in His Passion He lost all His beauty and comeliness. The priest and choir say or chant the twenty-first Psalm, "Deus, Deus meus," during the ceremony.
195. How is the Blessed Sacrament carried to the altar of repose?
The Blessed Sacrament is not carried in a monstrance as on the feast of Corpus Christi, but in a chalice veiled in white silk. The faithful follow, carrying candles and singing the "Pange Lingua."
196. What is the ceremony of the "Mandatum"?
The washing of the feet called in the Rubrics "Mandatum," or the "Commandment," owes its institution to the words and example of Our Savior when He washed the Apostles' feet before the Institution of the Blessed Sacrament. It reminds us to imitate Our Lord's humility in offices of charity, as well as to cleanse our souls from the stains of sin.
197. Is there any other reason why this ceremony is called the "Mandatum"?
Yes, it is so called because the first word of the Antiphon sung during the washing of the feet begins with the word "Mandatum," taken from the Gospel of the day.
198. Is this custom of ancient origin?
Yes, Saint Paul speaks of it as one of the holy widows' offices to the Saints. It was customary in the times of the martyrs. In the Lives of the Saints frequent allusions are made to it, and today the Holy Father gives the example to the whole Church, which is followed by Bishops and Catholic sovereigns as in ancient times.
199. Who are generally chosen to take part in this ceremony?
Twelve poor people are chosen, but the Holy Father washes the feet of thirteen priests of thirteen different nations. In Cathedral Churches thirteen is the number chosen.
200. What is the reason of this number?
It is supposed to arise from an incident in the life of Saint Gregory the Great; one day as he was washing the feet of twelve beggars, a thirteenth was found among them. He had entered unperceived and was an angel sent by God to show how pleasing to Him was Saint Gregory's charity.
201. What pious custom is there of honoring the Blessed Sacrament on Maundy Thursday?
It is customary to pay seven visits to the altar of repose on this day, either to seven different churches or to one, and in religious houses there is night-adoration.
202. What are the principal ceremonies on Good Friday?
The Divine service is divided into four parts:
There is reading of prophecies
then follow the beautiful prayers in supplication for all men imploring that the fruit of the Passion may be applied to all
after these prayers there is Adoration of the Cross
the Mass of the Presanctified
203. Why is the Mass so called?
The Mass of the Presanctified is so called because the priest does not consecrate on Good Friday, but consumes the second Host, which he consecrated during the Mass on Maundy Thursday.
204. Which are the principal ceremonies on Holy Saturday?
On this day the altars deprived of their ornaments on Maundy Thursday are again clothed. The office begins with the lighting of a triple candle to signify the light of Christ and the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
205. What special blessings precede the office of Holy Saturday?
Outside the Church door the celebrant and deacons go to a place prepared for the blessing of the new fire and incense. The fire represents Christ risen from the tomb outside the Gates of Jerusalem, hence the reason that fire is blessed outside the Church.
206. When is the Paschal Candle blessed and what does it signify?
The Paschal Candle is blessed by the deacon before the office and is a figure of the Body of Jesus Christ; not lighted at first, it represents Him dead and the five blessed grains of incense fixed in it denote the aromatic spices that embalmed His five Sacred Wounds.
207. What does the lighting of the Paschal Candle signify?
It is a representation of Our Lord's Resurrection, and the lighting of the lamps and other candles afterwards teaches us that the Resurrection of the Head will be followed by that of the members.
208. What other special blessing takes place on Holy Saturday?
The baptismal font is also blessed with very beautiful and sacred ceremonies.
209. Does Mass begin immediately after the blessing of the new fire?
No, the celebrant now changes his white vestments for a purple chasuble and reads twelve Prophecies in a low voice at the Epistle corner of the altar while one or more deacons in turn read them aloud in the church.
210. Why are the Prophecies read before Mass?
The Prophecies are read before Mass because in olden times the neophytes received baptism, and the Prophecies, each followed by a prayer, were read during the long baptismal rites.
211. What follows the reading of the Prophecies?
The priests and deacons sing the Litany of the Saints prostrate on the altar steps, to implore heavenly blessing on all the neophytes in the different parts of the world.
212. What takes place immediately after the Litany?
While the deacons are singing the last "Kyrie Eleison," the celebrant goes up to the altar clad in white vestments. He incenses the altar and intones the "Gloria," then the bells ring, the organ peals and the church is flooded with light.
EASTER TO ADVENT
213. What is the origin of the word Easter?
The word Easter is of pagan origin, but by a coincidence of dates has been, by the Teutonic and other peoples whose language they have influenced, preserved to denote the feast of the Resurrection. In other languages a word is employed derived from the word Pasch or Passover.
214. When is the feast kept?
Easter is kept on the first Sunday following the full moon after 21 March. The earliest possible Easter day is 22 March, the latest, 25 April.
215. What is the distinctive feature of the Easter rite?
The constant repeating of the word "Alleluia," the Hebrew shout of joy, which means "Praise the Lord."
216. Why is the following Sunday called Low Sunday?
Low Sunday is so called by contrast with Easter or High Sunday. It has this name, however, only in English, in the Liturgy it is called "Dominica in Albis," Sunday in white garments, as those baptized on Holy Saturday laid aside the evening before this day their white robes worn since then.
217. What are the Rogation Days?
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day are called Rogation Days from the Latin word signifying Asking or Petitioning. The Roman Church, in the eighth century, set them apart as days of special prayer for the fruits of the earth. On each day the Litany of the Saints is sung or said.
218. Are they fast days?
There are no fasts between Easter and Whitsun Eve in memory of the word of Our Lord: "Can the children of the Bridegroom fast whilst the Bridegroom is with them?"
219. What special ceremony is there on Ascension Day?
On Ascension Day the Paschal Candle is extinguished. It has burned during Mass for forty days since Easter, symbolizing the life upon earth of the risen Christ.
220. What likeness is there between Whitsun Eye and Holy Saturday?
Like Holy Saturday, Whitsun Eve was set apart by the primitive Church for the administration of solemn baptism. Six prophecies are read, the font is blessed, the Litany of the Saints sung, and bells are rung at the "Gloria."
221. Whence the name of Whitsunday?
It is so called in English in allusion to the white robes of the newly baptized, the Ecclesiastical name is Pentecost.
222. What is the meaning of the word Pentecost?
The word Pentecost means fiftieth. It is the Jewish Feast of Weeks, celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Pasch and made sacred to Christians by the coming down of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles.
223. Why are the vestments red on Whitsunday?
The vestments on Whitsunday are red in memory of the Holy Ghost having come down in the form of tongues of fire.
224. What is the Octave day of Whitsunday called?
The Octave day of Whitsunday is called Trinity Sunday, as it is celebrated in honor of the Holy and Undivided Trinity.
225. Why is a feast kept in honor of the Blessed Sacrament on the following Thursday as well as on Maundy Thursday?
Maundy Thursday is partly taken up with commemoration of the Passion and therefore the Church cannot rejoice as fully as she would wish to do in the thought of the institution of the Holy Eucharist. We owe the feast to a vision of Saint Juliana of Liege.
226. Is there any great feast kept at this time?
The Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christ! is consecrated to the Sacred Heart in response to an appeal for reparation made by Our Lord to Saint Margaret Mary.
227. How many Sundays after Pentecost are there?
The least number is twenty-four. If Easter has been an early one and the Sundays after Epiphany omitted, these are inserted after the twenty-third Sunday.
228. What feasts of Our Lady are kept between March 22d and December 1st?
The greatest feast is that of the Annunciation, called in England, Lady Day, March 2Sth. It is kept in honor of the announcement made by the Archangel Gabriel to Our Lady of the Incarnation of the Son of God.
229. What lesser feast do we keep in her honor?
Our Lady Help of Christians, May 24th, instituted in thanksgiving by Pope Pius VII. for the end of the exile of the Sovereign Pontifs; the Visitation, July 2d; Mount Carmel, July 16th; her Nativity, September 8th.
230. Are any of Our Lady's feasts Holydays of obligation?
Yes, the feast of the Assumption of her body into Heaven, which we keep August 15th, is a holyday of obligation, and the Immaculate Conception, December 8th.
231. Name some other feasts in honor of Mary at this time of the year?
The Immaculate Heart on the Saturday following the Octave of the Assumption and the Holy Name of Mary, September 12th, instituted in thanksgiving for the defeat of the Turks at Vienna by Sobieski and the deliverance of Europe from the infidels.
232. Why is the Litany of the Saints sung on the feast of Saint Mark, April 25th?
This day sacred to the gods of pagan Rome was by some of the early Popes set apart as a day of special prayer for the averting of God's anger, and the imploring of His blessing on the labors of the year. Saint Gregory the Great obtained on this day the miraculous cessation of a terrible plague.
233. Why are some feasts, such as those of the Apostles, said to have vigils?
A vigil means a watch. The early Christians spent the eve of the feast in prayer and watching. All vigils were formerly fast days.
234. Why is the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist kept on June 24th, whilst no other Saints birthday is kept?
Because, unlike all other saints who were born in original sin, the birth of Saint John was holy owing to the visit of our Blessed Lady.
235. Is there any reason for the single feast of Saints Peter and Paul?
Saints Peter and Paul were both martyred on the same day at Rome, Saint Peter crucified, Saint Paul beheaded. Now, one is never mentioned without the other.
236. What is Petertide?
The time between the Feast of Saint Peter, June 29th, and the Feast of his Chains, August 1st, is called Petertide.
237. Why is this latter day called Lammas?
At the Altar of Saint Peter at Vincula where his chains are kept, it was formerly the custom on this day to offer the first bread baked from the wheat harvest of the year. This gave to the feast its popular name of "Loaf-Mass" or Lammas.
238. Why is the Creed said at Mass on the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, alone of all women saints?
Because she is styled by the Church "the Apostle of the Apostles," being sent by Our Lord to them to announce His Resurrection.
239. When is the feast of the Seven Dolors of Mary?
The Seven Dolors of Mary are commemorated on September 15th. This is one of the few Masses that has a Sequence, viz., the Stabat Mater.
240. What feast is kept on 14 September?
The feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross to commemorate the victory of the Emperor Heraclius over the Persians when he recovered the True Cross from their possession, and carried it in triumph to Jerusalem.
241. What is the special devotion of October?
The Rosary recited in common to obtain perfect liberty for the Holy Father.
242. Why do we keep one feast in honor of all the Saints on 1 November?
To honor all those in Heaven, canonized or uncanonized. It is a day of rejoicing in the Communion of Saints. Because of this same communion the following day we commemorate all the faithful departed who are still suffering in Purgatory and we try to assist them by our prayers.
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| FDA to extend COVID emergency use authorizations for ‘as long as we need,’ commissioner says |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-15-2023, 06:57 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Secular]
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FDA to extend COVID emergency use authorizations for ‘as long as we need,’ commissioner says
The Emergency Use Authorizations are 'independent' of the COVID-19 emergency and do not expire, Dr. Robert Califf said.
![[Image: Covid-hearing-scaled-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Covid-hearing-scaled-810x500.jpg)
Dr. Robert Califf
Mon Feb 13, 2023
(LifeSiteNews) — The commissioner U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner recently testified that the agency’s Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) are “independent” of the COVID-19 emergency and do not expire.
During a congressional hearing discussing “the federal response to COVID-19″ within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Dr. Robert Califf indicated that the federal agency will be transitioning EUAs related to COVID treatments and testing devices to standard procedure.
“Our EUAs are independent of the public health emergency, so we can keep them going as long as we need to,” Califf said. “We’ve been preparing the industry since day one to be ready for the transition. We’ll put a Federal Register Notice out about exactly how to make the transition as these products go to routine use and [are] no longer used on an emergency basis.”
The commissioner’s statement came in response to New Jersey Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone’s question about the “planning for the next phase of the federal response of this pandemic.”
In an opening statement, Califf said that the FDA has “issued EUAs or provided traditional marketing authorizations to over 2,800 medical devices for COVID-19, which is 15 times more EUAs than all other previous emergencies combined.”
Califf’s written testimony provided further details, stating that the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) “prioritized at-home tests since the beginning of the pandemic.”
According to Califf, the CDRH approved 30 over-the-counter at-home COVID tests made available to the public.
“Since January 2020, FDA has engaged with over 1,000 developers and authorized over 433 tests. CDRH continues to issue EUAs as appropriate for other types of devices and has taken various actions to help facilitate the availability of critical devices and supplies for health care providers and patients.”
Out of 510,000 devices that were reviewed by the agency, 1,900 are approved and “can be used for COVID-19 and certain similar diseases, including future pandemics.” The organization also released 28 “guidance documents” in an effort to expand availability of the devices.
“As we look to transition from the COVID-19 PHE [public health emergency] to normal operations, FDA has worked on guidances for transitioning devices that fall within enforcement policies issued during the COVID-19 PHE or that received EUAs to help facilitate a clear and predictable path to market for interested developers.”
Although the experimental vaccines were released to the public under emergency authorization, Califf maintained in his testimony that “vaccination is the best thing Americans can do right now to protect themselves and their families from the risk of becoming seriously ill or dying” from the virus. He added that the “proven effectiveness” of the shots has been “undercut by a constant flow of misinformation,” leading to many citizens choosing to avoid the shots.
Despite Califf’s confidence in the EUA vaccines, evidence has shown that the experimental shots can cause significant harm and may be more dangerous than contracting the COVID virus itself. Last month, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson demanded answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) director as to why the agency said it found no “unexpected safety signals” for the vaccines. Johnson’s letter came after The Epoch Times published a report showing various adverse effects of the shots, including myocarditis, pericarditis, and cardiac arrest.
The data shows that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) found “770 different types of adverse events” among adults over age 18. Additionally, 96 safety signals were found among vaccinated children between the ages of 12 and 17 and 66 safety signals were identified for 5- to 11-year-olds.
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| New Research Finds ‘Little to No’ Evidence Masks Effectively Lessened Covid Spread |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-15-2023, 06:54 AM - Forum: Health
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'Old' Research, i.e. pre-Covid, has shown the same thing.
New Research Finds ‘Little to No’ Evidence Masks Effectively Lessened Covid Spread
![[Image: AA17tPR7.img?w=768&h=448&m=6]](https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA17tPR7.img?w=768&h=448&m=6)
CDC director Rochelle Walensky testifies during a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on the coronavirus in Washington, D.C., January 11, 2022.
MSN | February 14, 2023
Anew scientific review of 78 randomized trials studying the effectiveness of physical interventions in lessening the spread of respiratory viruses found “little to no” evidence that large-scale masking efforts were effective at preventing the wide spread of Covid-19.
The meta-analysis, published by Cochrane Library and led by 12 researchers, found that the difference between wearing a regular surgical mask or not wearing a mask at all “may make little to no difference in how many people caught a flu-like illness/COVID-like illness.” It also “probably makes little or no difference in how many people have flu/COVID confirmed by a laboratory test.”
The research, which draws upon data derived from hundreds of thousands of participants, casts fresh doubts on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s flip-flopping recommendations about masking as an essential tactic for combatting Covid-19. In March 2020, at the outset of the global pandemic, the CDC said that masks were non-essential in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. A month later, CDC director Robert Redfield informed the Senate that masks were one of “the most important” and “powerful” health tools Americans had at their disposal.
But according to the Cochrane Library analysis, even the much-touted, top-of-the-line N95 respirator mask provided little to no extra protection for healthcare workers when compared to medical or surgical masks. “Compared with wearing medical or surgical masks, wearing N95/P2 respirators probably makes little to no difference in how many people have confirmed flu (5 studies; 8407 people); and may make little to no difference in how many people catch a flu‐like illness (5 studies; 8407 people), or respiratory illness (3 studies; 7799 people). Unwanted effects were not well‐reported; discomfort was mentioned,” the analysis found.
Some supporters of masking efforts, however, believe that critics of masking are making too much of the conclusions of the Cochrane Library review, particularly by overlooking the individual benefits of wearing masks, as opposed to the community-wide benefits.
“We have fairly decent evidence that masks can protect the wearer,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Brown University, told The Atlantic. “Where I think it sort of falls apart is relating that to the population level.”
In early February, New York state removed its masking requirements in hospitals handing the power back to individual healthcare providers.
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| Pope Francis: On Relations with Judaism |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-14-2023, 02:10 PM - Forum: Pope Francis
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I have often commented that while many are (rightfully) scandalized by the errors of Pope Francis, a seemingly blind eye is turned to similar statements from the other post-Conciliar popes. It is a strange situation that to some groups, only Pope Francis is found to be scandalous. It is almost as if Paul VI, JPII, and Benedict XVI were not riddled with errors also, which almost always came directly from the documents of Vatican II.
A recent example that was brought to my attention:
Evangelii Gaudium:
Quote:Relations with Judaism
247. We hold the Jewish people in special regard because their covenant with God has never been revoked, for “the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29). The Church, which shares with Jews an important part of the sacred Scriptures, looks upon the people of the covenant and their faith as one of the sacred roots of her own Christian identity (cf. Rom 11:16-18). As Christians, we cannot consider Judaism as a foreign religion; nor do we include the Jews among those called to turn from idols and to serve the true God (cf. 1 Thes 1:9). With them, we believe in the one God who acts in history, and with them we accept his revealed word.
Some are very scandalized at these comments. So much so that they are convinced Francis must be a heretic for repeating them. But please note the word, repeat. These errors did not originate with him. That it is not to say that this is isn't an error. But to have the whole picture we must understand that similar comments are found in several Vatican II documents. The Vatican II document Nostra Aetate in particular states this error.
From the SiSiNoNo article, The Errors of Vatican II:
Quote:[*]In Nostra Aetate §4, the propositions:
Quote:True, authorities of the Jews and those who followed their lead pressed for the death of Christ (cf. Jn. 19:6); still, what happened in His passion cannot be blamed upon all the Jews then living, without distinction, nor upon the Jews of today. Although the Church is the new people of God, the Jews should not be presented as repudiated or cursed by God, as if such views followed from the holy Scriptures.
Necessary to note here is the attempt to limit the responsibility for Deicide to a small group of quasi private individuals, whereas the Sanhedrin, the supreme religious authority, represented all of Judaism. Therefore, in the rejection of the Messiah and Son of God, it had collective responsibility for the Jewish religion and the Jewish people, and this irrefutably is stated in Holy Scripture: "And from then on, Pilate was looking for a way to release him. But the Jews cried out, saying, 'If thou release this man, thou are no friend of Caesar; for everyone who makes himself king sets himself against Caesar'" (Jn. 19:12); and "And all of the people answered and said, 'His blood be on us and our children'" (Mt. 27:25).
Also striking is the statement that "the Jews should not be presented as repudiated or cursed by God, as if such views followed from the holy Scriptures." This lacks the necessary distinction between individuals and the Jewish religion. If the subject is individual Jews, the statement is true, and is exemplified by the great number of converts from Judaism in all eras. But if the subject is Judaism as a religion, the assertion is both erroneous and illogical: erroneous, because it contradicts the evangelical texts and the Church's constant faith from her origins. (cf. Mt. 21:43: "Therefore I say to you, that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people yielding its fruits.") And it is illogical, because if God did not reject the Jewish religion or the Jewish people in the religious sense (which in Jesus' time was one and the same thing), then the Old Testament has to be viewed as being still valid, and contiguous and concurrent with the New Testament. This, then, would sanction the unjustified awaiting of the Messiah, a hope still entertained by today's Jews! All of this is a totally lying representation of Judaism and its relationship to Christianity. [...]
[*]The inversion of Catholics' mission regarding the members of other religions. Rather than exhort the faithful to a renewed energy for converting the greatest number of unbelievers possible by wresting them out of the shadows they are in, in Nostra Aetate §2, the Council exhorts her sons:
Quote:Prudently and lovingly, through dialogue and collaboration with the followers of other religions, and in witness of Christian faith and life, acknowledge, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral goods found among these men, as well as the values in their society and culture.
In other words, it is saying that [the Church's sons] should conduct themselves in such a way that the Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, and Jews, etc., remain Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, and Jews, etc., and that [the Church's sons] should even "promote" the social and cultural values of their respective religions, all hostile to revealed truth. This exhortation expresses a general principle set forth by the Council to the "Church" which was to be born of its reforms and which defines itself as "the Conciliar Church" (cf. Cardinal Benelli), a principle which tells "the people of God"-priests and laity-the attitude that they are to take concerning the "separated brethren" and all non-Christians. This and other pastoral exhortations (for example in Lumen Gentium §17'; Gaudium et Spes §28; Unitatis Redintegratio §4) constitute overt treason against the order given by the Risen Christ Jesus to the Apostles: "Go then, teach all nations" (Mt. 28:19), an order which, mutatis mutandis, is valid for all believers, insofar as they are able, because every believer, as miles Christi, must bear witness to the faith according to the works of corporal and spiritual mercy.
How can anyone be surprised that the application of this deadly exhortation has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Catholics having already become Buddhists or Moslems, whereas the conversions of Buddhists or Moslems to Catholicism are practically nonexistent? How can anyone deny that this exhortation is one of the factual proofs that the post-conciliar crisis has its roots in the false doctrines which suffused the Council's texts?
It is only too true that Pope Francis is heavily laden with error. But to use his errors as a pretext for sedevacantism (in any of its many forms) erstwhile selectively ignoring the very same errors in Vatican II and the other post-Conciliar popes is pure hypocrisy.
In a Vatican News 2018 'correction' regarding Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's comments was eager to clarify the following:
Quote:Judaism and Christianity, said Benedict, are “two ways of interpreting the Scriptures.” ...
Benedict also addressed – among other theological issues – the delicate question of the “mission” to the Jews; that is, the question of whether the Church should proclaim the Good News of Christ to the Jews. Benedict wrote: “A mission to the Jews is not foreseen and not necessary.” At the same time, it is true that Christ gave His disciples a mission to all peoples and all cultures. For this reason, Benedict affirms, “the missionary mandate is universal – with one exception: a mission to the Jews was not foreseen and not necessary because they alone, among all peoples, knew the ‘unknown God’.”
For Israel, then, it was not a mission, but a dialogue about whether Jesus of Nazareth was “the Son of God, the Logos,” for whom, according to the promises made to His people, Israel, and the whole world without knowing it, was waiting. Taking up this dialogue anew, Benedict said, is “the duty given us at this time.”
The Church will one day judge these Conciliar popes and pass a judgement. Until that time, let us remain united in prayer, let us pray for Pope Francis who surely deserves our prayers and may God grant that he be turned from the (many!) errors of his ways.
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| Abp. Viganò: Pagan modernity is preparing a scourge ‘far more disastrous’ than the Flood |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-13-2023, 02:26 PM - Forum: Archbishop Viganò
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Abp. Viganò: Pagan modernity is preparing a scourge ‘far more disastrous’ than the Flood
'Sacred Scripture and the Fathers teach us that the Ark is a type of the Holy Church, thanks to which the elect can save themselves from mankind’s communal shipwreck.'
Feb 13, 2023
(LifeSiteNews) — Yesterday Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò presented a sombre Sunday homily (below) in which he reflected on the “abyss of evil … into which we see the contemporary world sinking” and counsels Christians to find refuge from the coming “scourge,” one “far more disastrous than the ancient Flood,” in the Ark of Salvation, the Catholic Church. He warns against counterfeit arks, and compares those who promote the plans of the New World Order to those who danced “inebriated and carefree” on the Titanic. He suggest that Pope Francis is remiss in his duties, saying “The man who ought to be calling us to board the True Ark has also gotten on board this horrid transatlantic liner, and we see him along with the wicked toasting the mighty of the earth, the enemies of God.” Nevertheless, he reminds Christians that the Helmsman who holds “firmly” the rudder of the Church, the true Ark of Salvation, is Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
VIRTUS IN INFIRMITATE PERFICITUR
Homily of Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò for Sexagesima Sunday
The Lord saw how great the wickedness of men was on the earth and that every inner desire of their hearts was always nothing but evil Gen 6:5
On Sexagesima Sunday we are drawing near to the time of penance and fasting in preparation for Easter. Already for a week the Alleluia has been silent in the liturgy, replaced in the Mass by the Tract. And on this Sunday that is quasi-penitential the Church – with the Readings of Matins – accompanies us in the consideration of sin which leads God to destroy the rebellious human race with the Flood, saving only the family of Noah.
Sacred Scripture speaks of the wickedness of men: every inner desire of their hearts was always nothing but evil. It is hard to believe that humanity could have committed in the past the evil that we see it do today: in no ancient culture was the abyss of evil ever so deep as the one into which we see the contemporary world sinking. Massacres, violence, wars, perversions, thefts, robberies, slaughters, profanations, sacrileges committed not only by individual people but imposed through law by the heads of nations, exalted by the media, encouraged by teachers and magistrates, tolerated and even approved by priests. We ask ourselves if modern man does not merit punishments even worse than the flood, for the wickedness that inspires his every action against God, against his fellow human beings, against Creation; and in contemplating the apparent triumph of the mysterium iniquitatis, in seeing how widespread and deeply rooted evil is in our corrupt and apostate world, we ask ourselves how long the Divine Majesty can tolerate the abomination of men. We almost find it difficult to believe in the Lord’s promise: I will no longer curse the ground because of man, because every intention of the human heart is inclined to evil from youth; nor will I again strike every living being as I have done (Gen 8:21).
What leaves us disoriented is not so much the silence in which we are abandoned to ourselves and our tribulations, so much as the fact that the impunity of present crimes and sins may be itself a punishment that is even more tremendous and severe than that which the Eternal Father could send us. Paganized modernity, plunged into barbarism, is preparing with its own hands a scourge that is far more disastrous than the ancient Flood, a much vaster destruction of the human race, in which it believes that it can sweep away from the face of earth not the wicked but rather the good: those who remain faithful to the Lord and to His holy law. And while the storm clouds by which they will be submerged gather, dark and threatening, our contemporaries deride those who are preparing their own spiritual Ark by seeking to save themselves and their loved ones; indeed, they do everything to prevent them from bringing it to completion.
Sacred Scripture and the Fathers teach us that the Ark is a type of the Holy Church, thanks to which the elect can save themselves from mankind’s communal shipwreck.
Hæc est arca – we sing in the Preface of the Dedication of a Church – quæ nos a mundi ereptos diluvio, in portum salutis inducit. “This is the ark which leads us, saved from the flood of the world, into the harbor of salvation.” But where can we find the Ark of Salvation? How can we tell her from her counterfeits, which are destined to sink under the weight of those who take a seat on them? From her imitations, used to save the wicked, while the helmsman prevents the good from climbing aboard and and even drives away his own children, identifying them as illegal immigrants unworthy of being rescued from the waters?
This distressing thought is not out of place when we consider who is sitting today on the Throne of Peter. The Ark of the Church seems to want to welcome anyone, with the exception of those who are actually entitled to be rescued. Indeed, it seems that it is useless, because there will not be any flood to escape from. Or worse: the huge flood causes not by God’s wrath but by the tide of men’s iniquities is actually considered to be a moment of regeneration, an opportunity to reduce the global population according to the delusional plans of the Great Reset. Just as on the Titanic, the crew and passengers were dancing, inebriated and carefree, while the ship proceeded full speed ahead against the iceberg that would sink it, an arrogant monument to the pride of those who believe that they are exempt from divine justice. The man who ought to be calling us to board the True Ark has also gotten on board this horrid transatlantic liner, and we see him along with the wicked toasting the mighty of the earth, the enemies of God.
But if on the one hand these human considerations can throw us into despair and make us fear for our very survival, on the other hand we can recognize the True Ark of Salvation, because we see her ready on the mount of Calvary where she was built, and on the mystical Calvary of the altar where she waits for us each day.
It matters little that another ark is pointed out to us – even by people in whom we place our trust and who should not be deceiving us – or that there are those who consider it useless and for this reason make fun of us or treat us like we are crazy. It matters little that there are those who deny the impending flood, even as he himself is its impious architect in his foolish presumption of even being able to control atmospheric phenomena with his geo-engineering.
We know that the True Ark, the Only Ark, is the Holy Church. And by the words of Our Lord, the divine Helmsman who holds the rudder firmly, we believe that this Ark will pass through the flood unharmed, and in the end will finally find dry land on which to come to rest. For these reason, we are determined not to let ourselves be deceived, deluding ourselves that we can save ourselves outside this Ark or by building one for ourselves.
In the Epistle of today’s Mass, Saint Paul enumerates all of the trials that he had to face in sowing the Word of God, following the example of the parable of the Sower that is given to us in the Gospel. And He said to me: my grace is sufficient for you, because my power is best felt in weakness. (2 Cor 12:9). In recognizing our weakness, in the awareness of our infirmity and our nothingness God’s power becomes perceptible in an even stronger way the greater our humility and faith in Him. Sufficit tibi gratia mea: My grace is enough for you. Because it is through Grace that we are made worthy to find refuge in the Ark; and it is through Grace that we can remain there during the Flood; and it is through Grace that we will reach the Harbor of Heaven.
Let us not therefore lose the grace of God. Let us climb the mystical mountain on which the Ark awaits us; an Ark in which we also find nutriment for our souls: the Bread of Angels.
And so may it be.
12 February 2023
Dominica in Sexagesima
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| St. Alphonsus Liguori: Daily Meditations for Sexagesima Week |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-13-2023, 07:30 AM - Forum: Lent
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I.
Our holy Redeemer has ransomed us from eternal death at the price of His own Blood, and He does not wish to see these souls of ours lost which have cost Him so much. When He sees souls that are constraining Him by their sins to sentence them to hell, He, as it were, weeps with compassion for them and says: And wherefore will ye die, O house of Israel? Return ye and live! (Ezech. xviii. 31). My children, why will you destroy and damn yourselves when I have died upon a Cross to save you? Return to Me as penitents, and I will restore to you the life you have lost.
The Apostle, St. Paul, teaches that God willeth the salvation of all: He will have all men to be saved. (1 Tim. ii. 4). And St. Peter writes: The Lord dealeth patiently for your sake, not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance. (2 Peter. 9). For this end the Son of God came down from Heaven, and was made Man, and spent thirty-three years in labours and sufferings, and finally shed His Blood and laid down His life for our salvation. And shall we forfeit our salvation?
Thou, my Saviour, didst spend Thy whole life in securing my salvation, and in what have I spent so many years of my life? What fruit hast Thou hitherto reaped from me? I have deserved to be cut off and cast into hell. But Thou desirest not the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live. (Ezech. xxxiii. 11). Yes, O God, I leave all and turn myself to Thee. I love Thee, and because I love Thee I am sorry for having offended Thee. Accept of me, and suffer me not to forsake Thee any more.
How much did not the Saints do to secure their eternal salvation! How many nobles and kings have forsaken their kingdoms and estates, and shut themselves up in cloisters! How many young persons have forsaken their country and friends, to dwell in caves and deserts! And how many Martyrs have laid down their lives under the most cruel tortures! And why? -- to save their souls. And what have we done?
Woe to me, who, although I know that death is near at hand, yet think not of it! No, my God, I will no longer live at a distance from Thee. Why do I delay? Is it that death may overtake me in the miserable state in which I now am? No, my God, do Thou assist me to prepare for death.
II.
O God, how many graces has my Saviour bestowed on me to enable me to save my soul! He has caused me to be born in the bosom of the true Church; He has many times pardoned me my transgressions; He has favoured me with many lights in sermons, in prayers, in meditations, in Communions, and spiritual exercises; and often has He called me to His love. In a word, how many means of salvation has He granted me which He has not granted others!
And yet, O God, when shall I detach myself from the world and give myself entirely to Thee? Behold me, O Jesus, I will no longer resist. Thou hast obliged me to love Thee. I desire to be wholly Thine: do Thou accept of me, and disdain not the love of a sinner who has hitherto so much despised Thee. I love Thee, my God, my Love, and my All. Have pity on me, O Mary, for thou art my hope.
Spiritual Reading
THE POWER OF THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST TO ENKINDLE DIVINE LOVE IN EVERY HEART.
Father Balthassar Alvarez, a great servant of God, used to say that we must not think we have made any progress in the way of God until we have come to keep Jesus crucified ever in our heart. And St. Francis de Sales said that "the love which is not the offspring of the Passion is feeble." Yes; because we cannot have a more powerful motive for loving God than the Passion of Jesus Christ, by which we know that the Eternal Father, to manifest His exceeding love for us, was pleased to send His only-begotten Son upon earth to die for us sinners. Hence the Apostle says that God, through the excess of love wherewith He loved us, willed that the death of His Son should convey life to us: For his exceeding charity wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ. (Ephes. ii. 5). And this was precisely the expression used by Moses and Elias on Mount Tabor, in speaking of the Passion of Jesus Christ. They did not know how to give it any other appellation than an excess of love: And they spoke of his excess, which he should consummate in Jerusalem. (Luke ix. 31).
When our Saviour came into the world, the shepherds heard the angels singing, Glory to God in the highest. (Luke ii. 14). But the humiliation of the Son of God in becoming Man, through His love for man, might have seemed rather to obscure than to manifest His Divine glory: but no; there was no means by which the glory of God could have been better manifested to the world than by Jesus Christ dying for the salvation of mankind, since the Passion of Jesus Christ has made us know the perfection of the Divine attributes. It has made us know how great is the Mercy of God, in that a God was willing to die to save sinners; and to die, moreover, by a death so painful and ignominious. St. John Chrysostom says, that the Passion of Jesus Christ was not an ordinary suffering, nor His death a simple death like that of other men.
It has made us know the Divine Wisdom. Had our Redeemer been merely God, He could not have made satisfaction for man; for God could not make satisfaction to Himself in place of man; nor could God make satisfaction by means of suffering, for He is impassible. On the other hand, had He been merely man, man could not have made satisfaction for the grievous injury done by him to the Divine Majesty. What, then, did God do? He sent His own very Son, true God with the Father, to take human flesh, that so as man He might by His death pay the debt due to the Divine Justice, and as God might make full satisfaction.
The Passion, moreover, made us know how great is the Divine Justice. St. John Chrysostom says, that God reveals to us the greatness of His Justice, not so much by hell in which He punishes sinners, as by the sight of Jesus on the Cross; since in hell creatures are punished for sins of their own, but on the Cross we behold a God cruelly treated in order to make satisfaction for the sins of men. What obligation had Jesus Christ to die for us? He was offered because it was his own will. (Is. liii. 7). He might have justly abandoned man to his perdition; but His love for us would not let Him see us lost: wherefore He chose to give Himself up to so painful a death in order to obtain for us salvation: He hath loved us and delivered himself up for us. (Ephes. v. 11). From all eternity He had loved man: I have loved thee, with an everlasting love. (Jer. xxxi. 3). But then, seeing that His justice obliged Him to condemn man, and to keep him at a distance, separated eternally from Himself, His mercy urged Him to find a way by which He might be able to save him. But how? By making satisfaction Himself to the Divine Justice by His own death. And consequently He willed that there should be affixed to the Cross whereon He died the sentence of condemnation to eternal death which man had merited, in order that it might remain there, cancelled in His Blood. Blotting out the writing of the decree that was against us, which was contrary to us. He hath taken the same out of the way, fastening it to the cross. (Colos. ii. 14). And thus, through the merits of His own Blood, He pardons all our sins: Forgiving you all offences. (Colos. ii. 13). And at the same time He spoiled the devils of the rights they had acquired over us, carrying along with Him in triumph as well our enemies as ourselves, who were their prey. And despoiling the principalities and powers, he hath exposed them confidently in open show, triumphing over them in himself. (Colos. ii. 15). On which Theophylact comments: "As a conqueror in triumph, carrying with Him the booty and the enemy."
Evening Meditation
FRUITS OF MEDITATION ON THE PASSION OF JESUS CHRIST.
I.
The Lover of souls, our most loving Redeemer, declared that He had no other motive in coming down upon earth to become man, than to enkindle in the hearts of men the fire of His holy love: I am come to cast fire on the earth; and what will I but that it be kindled. (Luke xii. 49). And, oh, what beautiful flames of love has He not enkindled in so many souls, especially by the pains that He chose to suffer in His death, in order to prove to us the immeasurable love which He still bears to us! Oh, how many souls, happy in the Wounds of Jesus, as in burning furnaces of love, have been so inflamed with His love, that they have not refused to consecrate to Him their goods, their lives, and their whole selves, surmounting with great courage all the difficulties which they had to encounter in the observance of the Divine law, for the love of that Lord Who, being God, chose to suffer so much for the love of them! This was just the counsel that the Apostle gave us, in order that we might not fail, but make great advances in the way of salvation: Think diligently upon him, who endureth such opposition from sinners against himself, that you be not wearied, fainting in your minds. (Heb. xii. 3).
Wherefore St. Augustine, all inflamed with love at the sight of Jesus nailed on the Cross, prayed thus sweetly: Imprint, O Lord, Thy Wounds in my heart, that I may read therein suffering and love: suffering, that I may endure for Thee all suffering; love, that I may despise for Thee all love. Write, he said, my most loving Saviour, write on my heart Thy Wounds, in order that I may always therein behold Thy sufferings and Thy love. Yes, in order that having before my eyes the great sufferings that Thou, my God, didst endure for me, I may bear in silence all the sufferings it may fall to my lot to endure; and at the sight of the love which Thou didst exhibit for me on the Cross, I may never love or be able to love any other than Thee.
II.
O Saviour of the world, O Love of souls, O Lord most lovely of all beings, Thou by Thy Passion didst come to win to Thyself our hearts, by showing us the immense love Thou didst bear us in accomplishing a Redemption which has brought to us a sea of benedictions, and which cost Thee a sea of pains and ignominies. It was principally for this end that Thou didst institute the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, in order that we might have a perpetual memorial of Thy Passion: "That we might have for ever a perpetual memorial of so great a benefit," says St. Thomas, "He gives His body to be the food of the faithful" which St. Paul had already said: As often as you shall eat this bread, you shall show the death of the Lord. (1 Cor. xi. 26). Oh, how many holy souls hast Thou persuaded by these prodigies of love, consumed by the flames of Thy love, to renounce all earthly goods, in order to dedicate themselves entirely to loving Thee alone, O most amiable Saviour! O my Jesus, I pray Thee make me always remember Thy Passion; and grant that I also, a miserable sinner, overcome at last by so many loving devices, may return to love Thee, and to show Thee, by my poor love, some mark of gratitude for the excessive love which Thou, my God and my Saviour, hast borne to me. Remember, my Jesus, that I am one of those sheep of Thine, to save which Thou didst come down on the earth, and didst sacrifice Thy Divine life. I know that, after having redeemed me by Thy death, Thou hast not ceased to love me, and that Thou dost still bear to me the same love which Thou hadst for me when Thou didst die for my sake. Oh, permit me not any longer to lead a life of ingratitude towards Thee, my God, Who dost so much deserve to be loved, and hast done so much to be loved by me.
And thou, O most holy Virgin Mary, who didst take so great a part in the Passion of thy Son, obtain for me, I beseech thee, through the merits of thy sorrows, the grace to experience a taste of that compassion which thou didst so sensibly feel at the death of Jesus; and obtain for me also a spark of that love which wrought all the martyrdom of thy afflicted heart. Amen.
"Let my mind, O Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech Thee, be absorbed in the fiery and honeyed sweetness of Thy love, that I may die for love of the love of Thee, Who wert pleased to die for love of the love of me." (Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi).
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| Health concerns mounting as animals become sick after train derailment |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-12-2023, 09:28 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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Health concerns mounting as animals become sick after train derailment
WKBN.com | Feb 9, 2023
EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (WKBN) — Health concerns are growing in East Palestine as reports rise of animals getting sick and some even dying. The train derailment is causing struggles not just for the animals, but their owners as well.
Taylor Holzer and his family run Parker Dairy, just outside the original evacuation zone. Holzer is registered with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources as a foxkeeper.
A couple of his foxes broke their legs trying to run after the initial derailment. One of his foxes even died.
“Out of nowhere, he just started coughing really hard, just shut down, and he had liquid diarrhea and just went very fast,” says Holzer.
He says all of his foxes have been sick and acting differently since the weekend. Some have abnormally puffy faces and are not eating properly. Many are dealing with stomach issues and are acting lethargic.
“This is not a fox acts. He is very weak, limp. His eyes are very watery and weepy,” says Holzer.
Some of the foxes are pacing rapidly in their pen, which is another sign that they are not well.
Holzer says the train derailment is causing all of these issues.
“Smoke and chemicals from the train, that’s the only thing that can cause it, because it doesn’t just happen out of nowhere,” Holzer says. “The chemicals that we’re being told are safe in the air, that’s definitely not safe for the animals … or people.”
He hopes justice is served for the animals and people of East Palestine.
“People’s cats are getting sick and dying, and people’s other birds that they have in their house that they weren’t being able to evacuate either. It’s just it’s not safe for them,” says Holzer.
Those with animals that have died need to get a necropsy, which determines the cause of death for their animal. For more information, reach out to your vet.
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| CDC adds Covid-19 shots to list of routine vaccines for kids and adults |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-10-2023, 10:21 AM - Forum: Health
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CDC adds Covid-19 shots to list of routine vaccines for kids and adults
CNN - adapted | February 9, 2023
Covid-19 shots are included in new schedules of routinely recommended vaccines released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. The immunization schedules summarize current vaccine recommendations for children, adolescents and adults, but do not set vaccine requirements for schools or workplaces.
Key changes to the schedules, published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report on Thursday, include the addition of Covid-19 primary vaccine series and recommendations on booster dose vaccination; updated guidance on influenza and pneumococcal vaccines; and new vaccines for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and for hepatitis B.
The schedule also recommends additional doses of MMR vaccine during a mumps outbreak and administering inactivated poliovirus vaccine in adults who are at an increased risk for exposure to the virus.
The proposed changes were recommended by the CDC’s vaccine advisers, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP, and signed off on by the CDC, which worked with physicians, nurses and pharmacists on the recommendation.
The biggest change, the report’s authors told CNN, is incorporating Covid-19 vaccines into both schedules.
“This means COVID-19 vaccine is now presented as any other routinely recommended vaccine and is no longer presented in a special “call out” box as in previous years. This, in a sense, helps ‘normalize’ this vaccine and sends a powerful message to both healthcare providers and the general public that everyone ages 6 months and older should stay up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccines (including a booster, when eligible), just as they would with any other routinely recommended vaccine,” Dr. Neil Murthy and Dr. A. Patricia Wodi said in a statement.
However, including Covid-19 vaccines on the routine schedule does not mean vaccination will be required by schools. School-entry vaccination requirements are determined by state or local jurisdictions, and not by CDC.
The new recommendations also add the use of PCV15, a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine used to treat bacterial infection recently approved for use in children. Either PCV13 or the higher valent PCV15 may now be used based on the specific pediatric population.
A nurse demonstrates how a measles vaccine is administered at the Orange County Health Department on May 6, 2019 in Orlando, Florida. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of measles cases in the United States as of May 6, 2019 has climbed to 764 in 23 states, with 60 new cases reported in the past week, breaking recent records.
The authors of the report include information on what to do in an outbreak of mumps. This comes amid the end of the measles outbreak in Columbus, Ohio, where all children infected were not fully vaccinated. The recommendations stated that an additional booster of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is warranted in the case of a mumps outbreak.
“The vaccine for measles does not need a booster,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, as he says the initial vaccine provides strong protection for life. “Mumps vaccine, however, does wane in its protection. And so if there’s a mumps outbreak, then we would use MMR.”
Similarly, the new recommendations provide clear guidance on the use of an additional poliovirus vaccine if new cases emerge, such as in New York City last year.
“There were lots of questions about whether an additional dose of polio vaccine was appropriate, and this just opens the door for the use of another dose of inactivated virus, that is injectable polio vaccine, in those circumstances where, for example, a local health department in concert with the CDC might recommend that,” said Schaffner, who is a member of CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.
Public health experts emphasize the importance of annual vaccinations as coverage among children has declined in recent years. In the 2021-2022 school year, vaccination coverage for kindergarteners fell to 93% for required vaccines – dropping below the overall target of 95% that was set as an objective by the US Department of Health and Human Services in the Healthy People project.
This dip in vaccination coverage has been attributed to health care disruptions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, experts say, and health care providers are working hard to get back to and surpass pre-pandemic levels.
“Why is that a matter of concern? Because it opens up opportunities for these viruses and other germs to be reintroduced into the United States, and to cause outbreaks of disease. The recently concluded measles outbreak in Ohio is an example, the introduction of the poliovirus into New York is an example, and we need to keep our guard up,” said Schaffner.
Health care professionals urge families to make sure children are up to date with their vaccines.
“Vaccines are essential for the health of our whole society, including children and adolescents,” said Dr. Sean O’Leary, chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases and a vaccine adviser to the CDC. “We all have a responsibility to ensure everyone can access vaccinations, both for their individual health as well as to prevent the spread of illnesses. These schedules provide a roadmap parents and pediatricians can follow to help children get the vaccines they need so their immune systems will be ready to recognize and resist diseases.”
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| Archbishop Lefebvre Never Celebrated the New Mass |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-10-2023, 08:58 AM - Forum: Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre
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Archbishop Lefebvre Never Celebrated the New Mass
![[Image: cr_34.jpg?itok=4uBXsvV8]](https://sspx.org/sites/sspx/files/styles/dici_image_full_width/public/media/usa-district/new-news/cr_34.jpg?itok=4uBXsvV8)
JANUARY 30, 2023
SOURCE: DISTRICT OF THE USA [slightly adapted, emphasis mine]
Sometimes one hears the claim being made that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, founder of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), celebrated the New Mass for a time before devoting himself exclusively to the traditional Mass. The purpose of this article is to show that this claim is false.
The Society’s Liturgical Disposition
As recounted in Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais’s authoritative Marcel Lefebvre: The Biography (Angelus Press 2004), “Since Archbishop Lefebvre was opposed to the New Mass, he would not have it in the seminary” (p. 416). When the first crop of seminarians who would form the foundation of the Society arrived in Fribourg, Switzerland in 1969, it was decided quickly that the Old Mass, that is the traditional Latin Mass (TLM), would be celebrated by the nascent priestly fraternity rather than the New Mass of Pope Paul VI. After the New Mass was introduced into the Diocese of Fribourg on the eve of Advent 1969, the Archbishop continued to celebrate the TLM, though some of the seminarians assisted at the New Mass in Latin at a nearby Bernardine monastery on Sundays when the Archbishop was called away on other matters.
The Archbishop’s decision to allow his seminarians to assist at the Novus Ordo Missae was nothing more than an expression of his prudence. Not wanting to cause scandal to the faithful by appearing to disobey the local bishop, Archbishop Lefebvre took a cautious approach at first, informing an inquiring priest that the Roman Canon should be retained while the words of consecration are said in a low voice. As time went on, the Archbishop’s concerns over the New Mass grew as he observed its disastrous fruits, consulted with episcopal colleagues, and reflected more on its doctrinal distortions.
While much could be written on the liturgical praxis of the SSPX and other traditionalist Catholics during the years following the New Mass’s introduction, many priests simply relied upon the missals, breviaries, and other liturgical texts that were available to them. In 1965, for instance, several alterations were made to the 1962 Missale Romanum, such as the abbreviation of Psalm 42 during the so-called “Prayers at the Foot of the Altar”; the use of the vernacular for the epistle and gospel readings; and the suppression of the Last Gospel. The Archbishop accepted these slight modifications to the traditional Mass at first before finally settling on the 1962 books promulgated by Pope John XXIII as the SSPX’s normative liturgy in 1974.
False Accusations
At no point did the Archbishop himself ever say the New Mass. It appears that the calumny saying that he did has its origins in an unsubstantiated letter written by Fr. Guérard des Lauriers, OP, on April 12, 1979. Fr. des Lauriers was a French theologian and professor who had formerly taught at the SSPX’s seminary in Écône, Switzerland until his embrace of sedevacantism in 1977. Not only did the Archbishop deny this charge, but it was refuted in detail by Jean Madiran in the May 1980 issue of the journal he founded, Itinéraires. Madiran called Lauriers out for his outrageous language against the Archbishop, namely, accusing him of being a traitor and another Pontius Pilate. However, he noted the claim that the Archbishop celebrated the New Mass from April, 1969, to December, 1971, as being the worst accusation of all. Madiran pointed out to Fr. Lauriers that the New Mass was not even permitted before November 1969, and that it was absurd to think that the Archbishop was such an enthusiast for the New Mass that he would have started celebrating it before everyone else.
In the end, when the Archbishop wrote to Fr. Lauriers to deny the charge, the latter wrote back to say that he was happy this was the case, but that the Archbishop had made certain gestures while celebrating the traditional Mass that made him think he was celebrating the New Mass. It was clear at this point that Fr. Lauriers’s original letter was a case of bad polemics.
Consequences of the Archbishop’s Decision
The Archbishop’s decision that he and his priests would not celebrate the New Mass had immense consequences for the Church. It is clear, in hindsight, that the Roman authorities would have been happy for the traditional Mass to disappear completely from the life of the Church, despite the fact that its origin is too ancient to be pinpointed precisely and that it had been the cultural bedrock of Western civilization for over a millennium. If the Archbishop had not refused the New Mass and formed generations of priests in the old Mass, we may ask whether the TLM would even be available in 2023.
Furthermore, it was surely the Archbishop’s perseverance in the formation of traditional priests for the SSPX from 1970-88 that caused the Roman authorities to decide to make some place, even if just a little one, for the “Mass of All Time” in the life of the Church. This was the primary reason why the 1962 Missal, the “Mass of Écône,” received specific Roman approval in the indults issued by Pope John Paul II in 1984 and 1988. It was the reason why Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI after him, allowed for the canonical erection of the so-called Ecclesia Dei communities, which were established celebrating the TLM exclusively.
It is clear that the Conciliar churchmen would have been quite content for the TLM to vanish and that they had no will to grant concessions for it. Only pressure applied from the outside made them change their minds. This pressure came primarily from one source: the Archbishop’s fidelity to the old Mass ... .
The Archbishop’s Liturgical Legacy
Traditional Catholics the world over continue to feed on the spiritual harvest planted by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre over 50 years ago. Whether or not they assist at Masses offered by the priests of the SSPX, these faithful are able to receive the sacraments according to the 1962 texts because of the Archbishop’s choice to remain faithful to the never-abrogated Mass of All Time, before the disastrous intrusion of the Novus Ordo Missae into the Roman Catholic Church’s liturgical life. Had the Archbishop capitulated as his calumniators contend, there is no telling what state the traditional liturgy would be in today.
May this history of the brave Archbishop’s refusal of the novel liturgy of the New Mass, which has been so damaging to the eternal salvation of souls in the past 54 years, be a source of encouragement to all those who are tempted to sacrifice the interests of the Catholic Faith in difficult circumstances.
sspx.org - 01/30/2023
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| FLASHBACK: Pope Francis lashed out at protesters fed up with COVID lockdowns, restrictions |
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Posted by: ThyWillBeDone - 02-10-2023, 06:20 AM - Forum: Pandemic 2020 [Spiritual]
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FLASHBACK: Pope Francis lashed out at protesters fed up with COVID lockdowns, restrictions
https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/flash...urce=daily-
usa-2023-02-10&utm_medium=email
It couldn’t be that Pope Francis was as mean and nasty as Tony Fauci bashing people and just making fun of them, right? Well, actually, yes.
Did you know that Pope Francis went after those who were complaining about forced vaccination, forced masking, and everything else?
In a November 2020 rant where he lets down his guard and allows his leftist colors to show more than in the past, the Pope said of anti-lockdown protesters: “You’ll never find such people protesting the death of George Floyd, or joining a demonstration because there are shantytowns where children lack water or education, or because there are whole families who have lost their income.”
His comments came in a teaser for the Pope’s book-length interview with leftist Vatican journalist Austen Ivereigh.
We know where Pope Francis is coming from. He’s coming from a very strange place. Did you know that right at the pandemic, when everything was being shut down and of course they shut down the Masses, they actually did something else?
They did a redo of Mass for pandemics. The reading, though, was very weird. The redo was all about removing any reference to God’s wrath. So, it used to be that in the old way we did the Mass for pandemics, we prayed for health and safety, and so on. But we also recognized that man’s sin is what has caused all the evil in the world, and so there was “Lord, turn away the wrath from us.” But not anymore.
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But we can’t hate Pope Francis. We still have to pray for him, and pray for his conversion.
For much more, tune in to today’s look-back episode of The John-Henry Westen Show.
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| FBI To Retract Catholic 'White Supremacist' Memo, Launch Internal Investigation |
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Posted by: Stone - 02-10-2023, 06:08 AM - Forum: General Commentary
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FBI To Retract Catholic 'White Supremacist' Memo, Launch Internal Investigation
![[Image: roman%20catholics.PNG?itok=0RZW_7cw]](https://assets.zerohedge.com/s3fs-public/styles/inline_image_mobile/public/inline-images/roman%20catholics.PNG?itok=0RZW_7cw)
Father Alessandro da Luz elevates the chalice as he celebrates a traditional Latin Mass on Aug. 11, 2020, at Our Holy Redeemer Church in Freeport, N.Y. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
ZH [emphasis mine] | FEB 09, 2023
The FBI has vowed to launch an internal investigation to look into a now-retracted, leaked document which advised the agency to infiltrate groups of Roman Catholics which were 'at risk of committing acts of extremist violence,' the Daily Caller reports.
According to the document, Catholics "characterized by the rejection of the Second Vatican Council" are prone to embracing "anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and white supremacist ideology."
The Second Vatican Council, which concluded in 1965, supplanted the 16th-century Latin mass with the vernacular Novus Ordo form - which some groups have rejected while attempting to preserve the old Latin liturgy while continuing communion with Rome.
The FBI document cites the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), including the group's list of "Radical Traditional Catholicism Hate Groups."
Quote:The document showed that the FBI’s field office in Richmond was considering infiltrating groups of traditionalist Roman Catholics who prefer the Latin mass, a whistleblower revealed Wednesday.
Former FBI agent and whistleblower Kyle Seraphin published the alleged document, which he wrote is “dated January 23, 2023” and originated with an “intelligence analyst within the Richmond Field Office.” Seraphin, who describes himself as a “confirmed Catholic” in his bio, did not say how he obtained the document. -Daily Caller
According to the agency, the document, which originated from the Richmond field office, "does not meet the exacting standards of the FBI" (lol), and the Bureau will probe how it came to be, reads the report.
"Upon learning of the document, FBI Headquarters quickly began taking action to remove the document from FBI systems and conduct a review of the basis for the document," the FBI told the Caller. "The FBI is committed to sound analytic tradecraft and to investigating and preventing acts of violence and other crimes while upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans and will never conduct investigative activities or open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity."
According to the FBI report, the agency assessed with "high confidence" that threats from so-called 'radical traditional Catholics' (RTCs) can be dealt with via "source development," among other strategies.
Quote:The document expresses the FBI’s concern that racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) will use traditionalist Catholic social media groups and parishes as “facilitation platforms to promote violence.” It also connects RTCs to an “increase in hostility toward abortion-rights advocates on social media in the run-up to and aftermath of” the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Among the Catholic or Catholic-adjacent groups mentioned in the document are the traditionalist Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), the right-wing Catholic news outlet Church Militant and “groypers,” the nickname for followers of traditionalist Catholic political commentator and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. -Daily Caller
According to the memo, there is a "growing collaboration" between Church Militant and Fuentes' America First group, which shows evidence of increasing ties between traditional Catholics and extremist groups.
"The FBI report is based on ‘reporting’ by far-left extremists group and media outlets which clearly demonstrate zero understanding of Catholic theology. Those voluminous errors then found their way into this FBI report where flat out false conclusions are drawn," Church Militant told the Caller, adding that they have "zero connection" to Fuentes.
"Church Militant (and all faithful Catholics) in no way hates women, blacks, jews, immigrants or anyone else we may be accused of hating. To disagree with social or political points of view does not signify ‘hate’. It signifies disagreement."
"Likewise, to bolster its fear-mongering, the FBI report goes on to try and draw an imaginary link between Catholics and ‘white supremacy’ yet never defines what that ubiquitous term actually means," the statement continues. "Church Militant does not believe that ‘whites are superior’ or non-white races are somehow inferior. We are faithful catholics and Catholic teaching abhors such a notion. CM has zero connection to any person or outfit who espouses these anti-Catholic ideologies and condemns such beliefs. The FBI report falsely suggests that all of this is bound up in potential violence aimed at abortion supporters. For the record, Church Militant in no way shape or form supports physical violence against those with whom we disagree on moral/political issues of the day."
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![[Image: Calming-the-storm-Rembrant-810x500.jpg]](https://www.lifesitenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Calming-the-storm-Rembrant-810x500.jpg)
