A Conspicuous Omission in the New DDF Document on Private Revelation - Guest Article
"Ecclesiastical Oddities": Héctor Agüer, Archbishop Emeritus of La Plata, tries to understand what is going on in the Argentine episcopate under Francis
ECCLESIASTICAL ODDITIES
[La Plata, Argentina: Immaculate Conception Cathedral in central Moreno Square] |
The corresponding adjective is "odd" ("rare"), which has several meanings in the dictionary; I choose one: odd is that which has little density and consistency. Although it also refers to extraordinary and extravagant things. I mean: it is an oddity that the Pope is Argentinian, what is also odd is the fact that in over a decade he has not had the concern to visit his homeland. John Paul II (Wojtyla) and Benedict XVI (Ratzinger), as soon as they were elected, the first trip they made took them to their homeland, respectively Poland and Germany. I read in “La Prensa”, a Buenos Aires newspaper: “Francis revealed that he would like to come in November or at the beginning of 2025”. Under this title, the newspaper says that the Pope “commented that it is in his plans to travel to Argentina either at the end of November or at the beginning of 2025”. According to the old saying, “think wrong and you will be right,” I dare to think that he will not come, and I outline a reason: he knows that he is not going to do very well. I may be wrong, of course, but this opinion of mine responds to a 46-year-old knowledge of Jorge Bergoglio.
Does the Church Still Believe in the Supernatural? - From Fiducia supplicans to the norms on the discernment of supernatural phenomena (Roberto de Mattei)
From Fiducia supplicans to the norms on the discernment of supernatural phenomena
by Roberto de Mattei
Fontgombault Sermon for Corpus Christi: "Communion after communion, our hearts resemble more and more Christ’s Heart."
Corpus Christi
Make our hearts like Thine.
(Verse from the Litanies of the Sacred Heart)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My dearly beloved Sons,
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, which we celebrated last Sunday, rounded off the liturgical cycle dedicated to the Christian mysteries. Two feasts, however, come and complete this cycle: Corpus Christi, and the feast of the Sacred Heart. The former dates back to the 13th century. The latter is in line with the development of the devotion to the Heart of Jesus during the Middle Ages, and in the wake of the apparitions of Paray-le-Monial between 1673 and 1675. The feast of the Sacred Heart was extended to the universal Church by Pius IX in 1856.
Benedictines of Norcia: now an abbey
Some outstanding news from Italy. The Benedictines of Norcia, currently celebrating their 25th year as a monastery, received a canonical elevation. The monastery is now an abbey, and current prior Dom Benedict Nivakoff, O.S.B., has been elected abbot.
This writer was privileged to attend a recent 25th anniversary luncheon in Washington, D.C., with several of the Benedictines, including Dom Benedict. It is hard to say enough good things about these holy and prayerful men. They pray for you. They pray for the Church. They are growing. They are building -- and indeed still rebuilding after a massive earthquake. They are smart, savvy and dedicated servants of our Lord and His Church.
Pope Uses the “F word”: Tells Italian Bishops Not to Admit Gay Seminarians, because “there’s already too much faggotry” in the Church (Updated)
“There's already too much 'faggotry'.” Pope Francis thus invites Italian bishops not to admit gay seminarians
Signs: Contemplating "the Love that moves the sun and the other stars" - by Roberto de Mattei
Exceptional weather events, including eclipses and northern lights, have multiplied around the world over the past year.
On April 8, 2024, there was a major solar eclipse in the Americas, visible from Mexico to the United States to Canada, 14 days after a lunar eclipse that had darkened the skies over parts of the Americas and Europe on March 25.
“This is My Destiny” - Fantastic Sermon delivered during the Chartres Pilgrimage
This is my destiny
(Sermon for Pentecost Sunday given by Fr Augustin-Marie Aubry, Prior of the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer, to the pilgrims walking to Chartres)
Come, O Holy Ghost, and send from heaven a ray of thy light
To enlighten our souls about our mysterious destiny
I have a question for all of you who are gathered before the altar, and for all of you who are following this Mass of Pentecost from a distance, this Mass of the pilgrimage of Chartres: dear pilgrims, do you know what your destiny is?
An Ordinariate for Traditional Catholics? An interview with Father de Blignières
Considering the new situation created by the motu proprio Traditionis custodes and the documents of the Dicastery for Divine Worship in 2021, Father Louis-Marie de Blignières proposes the establishment of a "traditional ordinariate", i.e., in canonical terms, an ecclesiastical circumscription dedicated to the ancient Latin rite. This type of structure (like military ordinariates, ex-Anglican ordinariates or Eastern Catholic eparchies) consists of a group of faithful served by a clergy, headed by a prelate appointed by the Holy See. The "traditional ordinariate" would offer a stable structure for Catholic faithful wishing to receive the sacraments according to traditional forms.
The former prior of the Fraternity of Saint Vincent Ferrer is interviewed on this subject in the FSSP magazine Tu es Petrus :
Why are you proposing the creation of an ecclesiastical circumscription for the Ancient Latin Rite?
The Largest Traditional Pilgrimage is on: Follow the Live Feed of the Chartres Pilgrimage #NDC2024
A great multitude of over 16,000 pilgrims left Saint-Sulpice after Mass this morning in their pilgrimage to Chartres.
Follow their live feed and past events here:
Harrison Butker Commencement Address at Benedictine College: "The TLM is so essential, move to where it's readily available."
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2024. I would like to start off by congratulating all of you for successfully making it to this achievement today. I’m sure your high school graduation was not what you had imagined. And most likely, neither was your first couple years of college.
By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID. I hope you learned the important lessons that suffering in this life is only temporary. As a group you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don’t stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society. It is through this lens that I want to take stock of how we got to where we are and where we want to go.
"Unresolved Tensions in Papal-Episcopal Relations": New Anthology Maps Out the Terrain
Fontgombault Sermon for the Ascension of the Lord, 2024: "Each man is called to kindle his own lamp."
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My dearly beloved Sons,
Synodal Cancellations - by Archbishop Héctor Agüer
Buenos Aires, Wednesday, May 8th, 2024
Solemnity of Our Lady of Luján,
Patroness of the Argentine Republic
The progressive official party installed in Rome for just over a decade goes on in its policy of “cancellation” of those who, with freedom of spirit, seek to serve Jesus Christ in orthodoxy and Tradition. By “cancellation” one means all forms of ignoring, conspiracy of silence, marginalization, prohibition of publishing in media and social media, and even the cessation of functions of those who do not adhere “synodally” to the current Vatican ideologies and discretions.
May Month of Mary: "The salvation of the world began through Mary and through her it must be accomplished."
Mary alone found grace before God without the help of any other creature. All those who have since found grace before God have found it only through her. She was full of grace when she was greeted by the Archangel Gabriel and was filled with grace to overflowing by the Holy Spirit when he so mysteriously overshadowed her. From day to day, from moment to moment, she increased so much this twofold plenitude that she attained an immense and inconceivable degree of grace. So much so, that the Almighty made her the sole custodian of his treasures and the sole dispenser of his graces. She can now ennoble, exalt and enrich all she chooses. She can lead them along the narrow path to heaven and guide them through the narrow gate to life. She can give a royal throne, sceptre and crown to whom she wishes. Jesus is always and everywhere the fruit and Son of Mary and Mary is everywhere the genuine tree that bears that Fruit of life, the true Mother who bears that Son.
May Month of Mary: the Marian Life of Father Dolindo Ruotolo
Neapolitan diocesan priest and third-order Franciscan, Dolindo Ruotolo, was the author of theological, ascetical and mystical treatises as well as thousands of letters on spiritual direction. He devoted every moment of his day to prayer, penance and charity towards the sick and the poor. An unflagging apostle, his life was filled with suffering of all kinds, intensified by his decision to offer himself as a victim soul for humanity and the Church.
MAJOR STATEMENT: The Crimes and Heresies of Pope Francis, Their Causes and Effects, and the Action to Be Taken
May 2, 2024
The Associated Press on the future of the Church
Event: Conference on the 150 Years of G.K.Chesterton - London, June 1st, 2024
The Corner Cabinet magazine is organizing a conference in London on June t1st hat will delve into Chesterton's enduring influence on literature, philosophy and Catholic thought. The conference promises to be a stimulating event featuring esteemed speakers including Fr. David Sherry, and Kennedy Hall, as well as engaging discussions on Chesterton’s legacy and relevance in today’s world:
On the 55th Anniversary of the Novus Ordo: "The Problem with Judging a Book by its Cover" -- by Fr. Richard Cipolla
Suppose a new edition of a famous novel was published with great fanfare, including press conferences, new releases, and all the other public manifestations of an important event. We can use a classic like Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield as an example. The talking heads in the media would speak about the meticulous scholarship that this new edition reflected and the joy of making this great novel more accessible to a readership that perhaps thought of Dickens as a great author but definitely part of a past that may be inaccessible to postmodern man. Some would be confused by the claim of renewed accessibility and what this could possibly mean. That would be answered by those in charge of the press conference that would have been covered by the media in all the English-speaking countries of the world. The chief spokesperson would explain that the novel had been revised so as to speak to a new generation that were living in a time very different from the mid-nineteenth century when Dickens wrote David Copperfield. The revision, she would explain, was done by literary experts who understood the important task they were chosen to take on. And although only 38% of the original text remained in the new edition, there should be no fear that this new edition was not completely faithful to the edition of 1850. The reaction upon publication would be swift and vociferous: this new book is NOT David Copperfield!
International Campaign for the Total Freedom of the Traditional Liturgy
Being a Catholic in 2024 is no easy endeavour. The West is undergoing a massive de-Christianization, so much so that Catholicism appears to be vanishing from the public sphere. Elsewhere, the number of Christians being persecuted for their faith is on the rise. What’s more, the Church has been struck by an internal crisis that manifests itself in a decline in religious practice, a downswing in priestly and religious vocations, a decrease in sacramental practice, and even a growing dissension between priests, bishops and cardinals which, until very recently, was utterly unthinkable. Yet, among all the things that can contribute to the internal revival of the Church and to the renewal of her missionary zeal, there is, above all, the worthy and reverent celebration of her liturgy, which can be greatly fostered thanks to the example and the presence of the traditional Roman liturgy.
Towards a Global War? Ducunt fata volentem, nolentem trahunt - by Roberto de Mattei
As missiles and drones ply the skies from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean, the concern of Western diplomacies seems to be to procrastinate as much as possible a general conflagration that everyone believes is inevitable. One reason for this pessimism is the apparent lack of a way forward in the face of increasingly intractable international issues, such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East. Only an axiological view of politics could offer a glimmer of light, but today every state, every coalition, makes Carl Schmitt's categories its own, according to which it is up to those who guide the destinies of peoples to decide from time to time who is the friend and who is the enemy. To the traditional social order, based on the Augustinian "tranquility in order"(De Civitate Dei, lib. 19, c. 12, 1), Schmitt opposes, as the norm of politics, the principle of disorder, based on Hobbes' theory of homo homini lupus . However, in the age of international disorder, nothing can be predicted and calculated with certainty, and politics turns into a game of chance, whose only rule is the imponderable. Probably neither Russia had calculated well the risk of the invasion of Ukraine, nor Hamas the consequences of the October 7 attack. The process of subsequent events is fraught with uncertainty and randomness.
ABORTION AND POLITICS - by Archbishop Héctor Agüer
April 17, 2024
The question of abortion continues to be an important object of debate in many countries. The worldwide wave of approval of the "abominable crime", as the Second Vatican Council called it, is driven by feminist movements, progressive sectors, and the left in the nations; and "Catholic" groups, which submit to the neo-pagan conception of life, supported by alleged anti-human "rights", and contrary to the Law of God.
Gregorius Magnus: new edition published
- Pope Benedict, one year on: Caroline Farey on 'The Way of Beauty'; Andrew Cusack on the liberation of the Old Mass.
- 120 year anniversary of Evelyn Waugh
- St Thomas Becket, by Thomas Colsey
- T.S. Eliot, by Robert Lazu Kmita
- Cardinal Ambongo on Fiducia supplicans, by Michael Haynes
- A Traditional Catholic school in Nigeria
The Eucharist: What is said and done around this sacrament and during its celebration
Vatican II and the Re-emergence of the Traditional Latin Mass
It is often assumed that there is a deep and irreconcilable tension between allowing the continued celebration of the traditional Latin Mass and the Second Vatican Council. After all, the reform of the liturgy was itself set in motion by the Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium. Thus, Pope Francis stated in his apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi, “I do not see how it is possible to say that one recognizes the validity of the Council — though it amazes me that a Catholic might presume not to do so — and at the same time not accept the liturgical reform born out of Sacrosanctum Concilium, a document that expresses the reality of the Liturgy intimately joined to the vision of Church so admirably described in Lumen Gentium.” It was for this reason, Pope Francis explained, that he felt it “his duty” to issue his motu proprio Traditionis Custodes, restricting the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass.
Joseph Shaw on Traditionis Custodes and the Future of the TLM
Last Sunday, Dr. Joseph Shaw delivered a lecture for the Arlington Latin Mass Society titled Traditionis Custodes and the Future of the Traditional Latin Mass. In it, he provides an update on the status of Latin Mass restrictions and their future, and answers audience questions. We are delighted to share this lecture at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHay2Vl0I2A.
Divine dignity alone is strictly infinite - Edward Feser, for Rorate Cæli
Edward Feser
for Rorate Cæli
Saint Thomas Aquinas, by Juan de Peñalosa |
“Dignitas Infinita” as a Naturalistic Vision of Mankind — Article by Jeanne Smits
(source) |
Following the presentation in Rome of the Declaration on Human Dignity, Dignitas infinita, the most frequent reactions, including in so-called conservative circles, are focused on its reminder of the prohibition of abortion, surrogate motherhood, euthanasia, assisted suicide, gender theory and sex reassignment, not to mention its plea for respect for the disabled. None of this is new, nor should it be. What needs to be analyzed, however, are the arguments deployed and the principles asserted. As might be expected, the Declaration Dignitas Infinita (“infinite dignity”) is, despite many traditional assertions, in line with a naturalistic vision of man. While it quotes extensively from Vatican II, Paul VI, John Paul II, Benedict XVI and—in abundance—Pope Francis, the magisterium of earlier popes is virtually absent.
The Declaration Dignitas infinita and the Mystery of the Church in our time - by Roberto de Mattei
On April 8, 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, published the Declaration Dignitas infinita on Human Dignity, with the "ex audientia" approval of Pope Francis. Cardinal Fernández, dwelling in the Introduction of the Declaration on its genesis, clarifies that the first draft of the text, which dates back to 2019, is due to his predecessor, Cardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Ferrer.
Fontgombault Sermon for the Annunciation: "Who sows the Fiat reaps the Magnificat"
Declaration “Dignitas Infinita”, on Human Dignity - Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
Declaration “Dignitas Infinita”
on Human Dignity
Presentation
During the Congresso of 15 March 2019, the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided to commence “the drafting of a text highlighting the indispensable nature of the dignity of the human person in Christian anthropology and illustrating the significance and beneficial implications of the concept in the social, political, and economic realms—while also taking into account the latest developments on the subject in academia and the ambivalent ways in which the concept is understood today.” An initial draft of the text was prepared with the help of some experts in 2019 but a Consulta Ristretta of the Congregation, convened on 8 October of the same year, found it to be unsatisfactory.
The Doctrinal Office then prepared another draft ex novo, based on the contribution of various experts, which was presented and discussed in a Consulta Ristretta held on 4 October 2021. In January 2022, the new draft was presented during the Plenary Session of the Congregation, during which the Members took steps to shorten and simplify the text.
Following this, on 6 February 2023, the amended version of the new draft was reviewed by a Consulta Ristretta, which proposed some additional modifications. An updated version was then submitted for the Members’ consideration during the Ordinary Session of the Dicastery (Feria IV) on 3 May 2023, where Members agreed that the document, with some adjustments, could be published. Subsequently, Pope Francis approved the deliberations of that session during the Audience granted to me on 13 November 2023. On this occasion, he also asked that the document highlight topics closely connected to the theme of dignity, such as poverty, the situation of migrants, violence against women, human trafficking, war, and other themes. To honor the Holy Father’s directions, the Doctrinal Section of the Dicastery dedicated a Congresso to an in-depth study of the Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which offers an original analysis and further consideration of the theme of human dignity “beyond all circumstances.”
Francis: a Pontificate filled with Bad Omens - The Icon of Christ the Redeemer Falls Down During Vatican Easter Mass
The fallen Christ the Redeemer in front of Pope Francis, what does it mean? Omens and alleged mysterious signs.
A certainly unforeseen anomaly that has inevitably been juxtaposed with other signs that have occurred in recent years coinciding with major Vatican changes
[Main excerpt]
On Easter Day, during Mass at the Vatican, a gust of wind more powerful than the others caused the ancient icon of the Christ the Redeemer on the courtyard facing St. Peter's Basilica to fall ruinously to the ground. Two attendants immediately intervened to put back up the heavy support that had collapsed just a few meters from the Pope during the Easter ceremony. An anomalous and curious episode on which many have dwelt trying to identify messages, as if that fact could be a heavenly sign, capable of unveiling future events.
Fontgombault Sermon for Easter Sunday 2024: Our Mission is to belie Ecclesiastes: No, all is not in vain. After the darkness, Christ comes glorious, victor of the tomb
Salve… Dies prima.
Hail… O first day.
(Sequence, Adam of St. Victor)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My dearly beloved Sons,
“Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity. […] What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; and there is nothing new under the sun,” wails Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes 1:2-9) André Chouraqui translates it in a vivid way, “Smoke, says Qoheleth, smoke of smokes, and all is smoke.”
Mankind’s history would thus be nothing but void, nothingness, an endless maze ineluctably going back to square one. From our first parents Adam and Eve’s disobedience, and the murder of Abel, to the last victim of the fratricidal conflicts that ceaselessly bloody the earth, all seems to be nothingness. All seems to be hatred.
Fontgombault Sermon for Easter Vigil 2024: Easter and the Sacred Heart
Easter Vigil
Credo,
I believe.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My dearly beloved Sons,
“Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For He is risen, as He said.” (Mt 28:5-6). Such are the words addressed by the Resurrection angel to the women coming early to the tomb. What the Lord had promised has been accomplished. The dark and grim outlook in the heart of the women who had come to embalm their Master suddenly blazes with light. After the doubts comes a certainty. He is truly risen. Such is the core of our faith, the cornerstone of our hope.
An Easter of War -- and the Dying West | by Roberto de Mattei
An Easter of War -- and the Dying West
by Roberto de Mattei
The flames of war, violence, and terror blaze across the world on this Easter of 2024. While Russia attacks Ukrainian cities with its hypersonic missiles, an attack strikes the heart of Moscow: the massacre is claimed by ISIS and is consumed with the same heinousness with which Hamas attacked the State of Israel on October 7. Europe, lapped by war on its borders, at the March 20-21 European Council in Brussels, reveals its inability to arm itself to defend itself. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, questioned by journalist Nicola Porro, admits that, faced with an attack like the one on Ukraine, Italy would capitulate immediately ("Fourth Republic," March 25, 2024).
Saint Dismas: the Good Thief -- by Roberto de Mattei
Saint Dismas the Good Thief
The Church's Latin liturgy remembers on March 25 Saint Dismas, the Good Thief, to whom Jesus said on Calvary, "Today you will be with me in Paradise." The choice of March 25 is not accidental. This date is not only that of the Annunciation and Incarnation of the Word but according to an ancient tradition it is also the day on which the Savior of Humanity consummated his supreme sacrifice. The Gospel tells us that on Calvary they crucified Jesus with two Thieves, placing one on his right and one on his left (Lk. 23:39-42). We know their names from the apocryphal Gospels: Dismas, the good Thief,and Gismas, or Gesta, the bad Thief.
The word Thief should not mislead. The term Latrones denoted street robbers, not just thieves but murderers and robbers, punished by death among all peoples of antiquity. The most dastardly of the many who filled Pilate's prisons were chosen to humiliate Jesus. Dismas was a brigand leader, probably Egyptian, who lived and grew old amid the gravest crimes, including that of fratricide. On his cross was written, Hic est Dismas latronum Dux.
Fontgombault Sermon for Palm Sunday: The Temptation to Despair is Great
Palm Sunday
Faciem tuam, Domine, requiram.
Thy face, O Lord, do I seek.
(Ps 26 [27]:8)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My dearly beloved Sons,
On Palm Sunday, let us enter into the heart of the liturgical year. Let us live once again the days, the hours in which the mystery of our redemption has been carried out, through Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection. It is an opportunity to renew our presence during our communions, which are so frequent, and yet so often too material, to Christ’s redeeming Body and Blood.
More than ever, the world and men need to draw from this mystery of mercy and reconciliation. Yet, more than ever, the world and men seem to emancipate themselves from God, from His laws and His plan of salvation. Is it still worthwhile talking to a society that congratulates itself on having been able to enshrine in the marble of its Constitution the deliberate murder of the innocent child still inside the protective and nurturing precinct of the maternal womb, a society that considers this as a huge step towards freedom?
LENIN: 100 Years of the Death of one of the Greatest Criminals in History - by Roberto de Mattei
Lenin on the centenary of his death (1924-2024)
An atmosphere of penumbra enveloped the centenary of the death of Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov, known by the pseudonym Lenin, one of the most criminal figures in history. He died on Jan. 21, 1924, in Moscow, of paresis; he had been born 54 years earlier in Simbirsk, on the west bank of the Volga River. The son of a school inspector, Vladimir Ulyanov was a typical product of that turn-of-the-century Russia in which, as Curzio Malaparte wrote, "petty-bourgeois fanaticism ranged from Marxist liberalism to Tolstoy's rotten Christianity" (The Good Man Lenin, Adelphi, 2018, pp. 22-23).