The Tide Is Turning

This is a video I would suggest you watch, CMR drew my attention to it and it deals with the US organisation, Students for Life.

A few thoughts.  I am impressed by the many organisations represented here, it reveals that the pro-life movement is a truly ecumenical movment, exposing the lie that the only pro-lifers are old fashioned Roman Catholics.

We also see that they are more pro-life than the previous one, for a number of reasons: three being - they are the survivors of the culture of death - as they think about that they begin to lament the deaths of the  children of their generation who have perished in the ideological battle against life.  Secondly, they are further away from the naive sexual revolution of the Sixties.  Thirdly, they can see the fruits of this culture of death and the sexual revolution and it is not a pretty picture, they see a wasteland and have discerned it is the result of an assault on the most sacred of all rights - the right to life.

There is also great hope here.  As the US seems to be coming out of the darkest period of its history, its own holocaust, we in Ireland seem to be entering into ours, as I have said before on this blog, our pro-life movements can learn a great deal from them.  One of the lessons we can learn is that fringe pro-life groups rarely have success - they perpetuate the bias in a pro-abortion culture that pro-lifers are right wing lunatics who resort to illegal and murderous means to push their agenda.  

Those who are committed to the pro-life movement must come together in a mainstream movement, or alliance of movements, putting differences aside and working towards the goal of a pro-life culture.  Hearts and minds must be changed - pro-abortion groups have won the support of politicans and judges because they appear to be rational and compassionate, and seem to have the support of the people.  Pro-lifers must learn from this and begin lobbying in a rational way.

I pray we will see the day when abortion is made illegal and clinics all over the world are dismantled, and the memory of those little ones who perished be remembered with regret and prayer.  I hope one day, in those countries where abortion is legal, national shrines will be constructed with an eternal flame to the memory of children who have died and written over the door of these monuments: "We Shall Remember Them" and "Never Again".  

CTS Missal Gorgeous

Fr Finigan has provided us with a link to a sample page from CTS's version of the corrected translation of the Missal - I have to admit I was salivating - it looks absolutely gorgeous.  Just last week I put our parish order into Veritas for three copies for the three churches in the parish - there is a special discount price if ordered before June.  I hope the Veritas edition will be just as nice otherwise I will regret submitting the order.  From experience Veritas tends not to do great publications, but I hope they rise to the occasion and in the spirit of the new translation, present us with a masterpiece. 

One commenter on the site shares my apprehension, but consoles himself by intimating he will buy the CTS version - I will probably do that myself for my own Missal, but I think our official Missals in diocesan churches will probably have to be the Veritas edition.  I also wonder if the Veritas edition will include the Latin Mass in the back as does the current translation - always good to have the basic Mass texts in the same volume.

A Missal should be a work of art, a book worthy of the Holy Mysteries for which it is used.   Our functional approach to the liturgy has meant we tend to be functional and boring in our liturgical books and use art more inclined to conceptualism than sacred realism.  Given the darkness of the times, the empty place art has deviated to and the rich tradition of faith and culture Pope Benedict has been at pains to revive in the Church, I hope beauty will be restored to our books. 

I know some liturgist somewhere will remind me of the "noble simplicity" of the Roman Rite, but I do not think Bauhaus modernism was what was meant by the ancients when they used this phrase.   As far I am concerned the above illustration is a perfect example of noble simplicity which is supposed to leave room for true beauty rather than cloak religious art and liturgy in gray and uniform ugliness.


UPDATE:  I see the self-styled Association of Catholic Priests has issued a statement following their meeting with the bishops in which they voiced their opposition to the corrected translation.  See Fr Z's (peace be upon him!) commentary on the statement - always very enlightening.  It seems all did not go well at the meeting - perhaps for the first time in their career as clerics they found they could not bully the bishops or frighten them into giving into their demands.  Congratulations to our bishops, when it comes to the implemetation of the corrected translation they have the full support of the orthodox priests of Ireland, and the young priests in particular: we are right behind you, fathers in God! 

The Association's intention to meet in Portlaoise to discuss their response sound ominious, I hope for the sake of unity they will not ferment any more dissent on this issue, we in Ireland have had enough! 

Related to this I hear Bishop John McAreavey of Dromore, who was involved in the translation process, has been giving some excellent workshops on the new Missal, and some of the accompanying explanatory books are quite good, so congratulations to the Bishop and all involved.

And The Sun Danced....??

"Look, Pedro, it's ET...or is the sun spinning?"

A few years ago I was watching a documentary on Fatima, and some sceptics were trying to explain the miracle of the sun.  Now ordinarily they would just dismiss it as religious nuts having hallucinations, but the fact that 70,000 people saw it, among them devoted atheists, and that it was reported in a secular newspaper, means they cannot take refuge in that argument.  So they have to come up with something, after all one cannot accept on a scientific basis that the Virgin appeared at Fatima, that God exists and that a miracle was performed.

So as I was crunching away on some snack or other I was listening to the various theories one of which was that some sort of alien craft had come down on the crowds in Fatima.  Now I don't know how you would answer that one, to be honest.  Some poor devil who does not believe in God seemed quite content to introduce ET and his mates as a valid explanation for the miracle.  Now, we could, indeed, examine that particular hypothesis on its merits, scientific or otherwise, but let's face it, life is too short.

What prompts my post: Matthew Archbald, always a good read, has an article on the most recent "explanations" put forward as a means of undermining the miraculous nature of the event.   Enjoy, or a priest friend of mine would say, "knock yourselves out".  It is a pity that among those positing these weird ideas are members of the science faculty of the Catholic University of Louvain.   

All of this reminds me of the days I was studying Scripture in the Milltown Institute in Dublin.  Our lecturer was coming up with all sorts of strange ideas to explain away the miracles of Jesus.  One gem was that used to show Jesus never walked on water.  It seems that if you are in a boat in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, at a certain time of day, when the sun is at a certain strength, and the tide is at such and such etc etc, if you see someone walking on the beach, it will appear as if the person is walking on water, and that's what happened.  "Right", says I, "and tell me now, ignorant man that I am: if the disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, and Jesus was only walking on the beach, how did he get out to the boat?"  Response: "You're so closed to new ideas."

Sometimes the "alternative" explanations require a greater act of faith than the original miracles!

All that said: the Fraternity is going to Fatima in June, would you like to join us?  A week's stay at the shrine: 10th- 17th June, with full board only €759.  For more details contact Therese at JWT Pilgrimages: 01 241 0800.

Of Gods and Men

I posted an video review of The Rite by Steven Greydanus a short time ago: a snappy review in thirty seconds, so here's his take on the hit movie Of Gods and Men:

Have you seen the movie?  If so, would you consider writing a quick review for our newsletter, Fraternitas?  I'm putting the last bits of the next issue together, so there is room for one more review - if you can get 500 words to me in the next few days there will be a prize.  Send it to me at my Fraternity email: fatherdirector@stgenesius.com.  Send it as part of the email, not as an attachment, and include your name and postal address.

Hijacked

Pope John XXIII and myself did not get on for a long time.   I'll tell you why.  As I was growing up in the eighties I heard and saw a lot concerning Vatican II, and as I observed what was happening in the Church, I did not think Vatican II had been a very good idea, and the so-called "Good Pope John" who ushered in what seemed to tearing the Church apart was not high on the list of those I admired (neither was Archbishop Lefebvre, by the way).  He was adored by the more liberal proponents of the "spirit of Vatican II" and seeing what they were up to did not enamour him to me either.  However, as I began to wiggle my way out of a bad catechetical process and the "coffee-table Mass brigade" I began to discover that Vatican II had been very different from what I, and many of my generation, had been told.  

That began to change my attitude towards Pope John.  His treatment of St Pio (and I love St Pio), did not mean we suddenly jumped into a fire of fraternal harmony, but it eased tensions between us.  When he was beatified in 2000 I accepted the will of God and decision of the Church though not jumping for joy, but I welcomed it and congratulated him.  And when I finally got to Rome as a pilgrim and later living there as a seminarian, when in St Peter's I would go to his tomb, kneel before his incorrupt body and pray.  Bit by bit things are improving - we are moving in the right direction, it may be slow due to my fallen humanity, but we are getting there.   I now see that what he envisioned was tremendous, orthodox and evangelical, his best interpreters are Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI, not the "spirit of Vatican II" crowd.

My attitude towards Archbishop Oscar Romero was not much better - I always associated him with Liberation Theology - and Marxists who tried to reinterpret the Gospel according to their own materialist, revolutionary ideas.  Of course he was concerned for his people, but, as I began to discover, he was not a Marxist - like Blessed John XXIII he has been hijacked by an ideology, and used by the proponents of that ideology to further their own aims.  As Francis Phillips points out, Archbishop Romero was a holy man, a man in full communion with the Church, who based his struggle to defend his people on the Church's social teaching rather than The Communist Manifesto or Das Kapital.    Phillips in his article expresses his uneasiness with the visit of President Barack Obama to the late Archbishop's tomb: I can relate to that.

We, in the Church, have so much to reclaim - including the truth and authentic legacy of our heroes and saints, including Blessed Pope John and Archbishop Romero.  I would never class myself as a victim - but I do think that I, and many of my generation, have lost something of the Church's great tradition and people who should set our hearts on fire with love and enthusiasm, but raging ideologies within the Church have given us a distorted picture and we have to overcome that in ourselves.  That is why the pontificates of the Ven. Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI are so important: they are helping us reclaim what is our inheritance in this Communion of faith and love, while still being open to the world and to new (orthodox) evangelical possibilities.  That is what Blessed Pope John XXIII was trying to do, and the Servant of God, Archbishop Oscar Romero in defence of his people.   Francis Phillip's article got me thinking about all that again, thought I might share it.   

And The Word Was Made Flesh

"You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us.

The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life.

Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race.

Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word.

Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word."

 

St Bernard

 

Wishing you every blessing on this most holy solemnity.

We Knew This Was Coming....

Do you remember a post I wrote a short time ago in reference to the Christian couple who were told they could not foster because they would not promote the homosexual lifestyle?  The subject of the post was that our society has crossed over the line and wondering if it is at all possible to turn back?  Well, another indication that the world is gone completely and utterly nuts, immoral and, yes, I will say it, satanic. 

Here is a news item dealing with what is referred to as Genetic Sexual Attraction.  What's that, I hear you say?  Well, put simply, in old fashioned, intolerant terms: incest.  It seems a father and daughter have conceived a child together and it also seems they are delighted with their relationship, putting their uncontrollable attraction to each other in terms of this "condition".  Read the article, lest you think I am a raving lunatic.   Apart from the whole situation being shocking, the tone of the article is worse - it seems to be sympathetic.  The father and daughter intend to continue their relationship and raise their child together. 

The last taboo is incest.  Already there are efforts being made in some quarters to pass over the boundary and work towards a more tolerant acceptance of close familial sexual relationships.  A number of months ago an unidentified Irish couple - a half-brother and sister, were making plans to marry and were intent on going through with it (their parents had had an extramarital affair, so the fact that the couple were half-siblings would not have been known).   

All of this is to be expected.  If we accept that men can marry men and women can marry women, and argue that once you love someone then everything is okay, then the flood gates have been opened to legitimise any sexual relationship, and that is what is happening.  There already is a movement among militant gays to abolish the age of consent to allow "intergenerational sexual relationships".  If that is successful we will see the legitimisation and institutionalisation of statutory rape and paedophilia - that will be ironic given recent Church scandals.

The most dazzling line in the whole article is: "We are not committing incest, but are victims of GSA".   To introduce abortion, pro-choice advocates used privacy, is the pro-incest lobby going to use the culture of victimhood?  

What's In A Name?



My silence over the last fews days has been due to preparations for Confirmation in the parish, which took place yesterday and went well, thank God.  My first year as a pastor has presented all sorts and I am learning.  While I assisted at Confirmation in my last parish, this year the buck stopped at my desk, so I had to make sure everything went smoothly, and it did.  We had sixty-eight children for the sacrament and all of them took a saint's name rather than conform to the new trend of picking the name of a pop stars or actor: there wasn't a Britney or Beyonce in sight! 

I would encourage priests when preparing the children to introduce them to the saints and tell them the stories of their lives - the children love them.  Every one of the children yesterday knew who their saint was and chose the saint rather than just the name, and they seem happy to start a relationship with their new patron.  Some chose names of parents, uncles or aunts, or other relations, but they also knew and chose the saint, and found something in common with them.  This provides a perfect opportunity to help the children move towards the practice of virtue by admiring the saint heroes and heroines and then, hopefully, imitating them.  I hope this good work that has been started will continue.

The Finer Points

My recent post on Akita has got me thinking, and as I was reading a few articles on the net I realise some clarification is needed with regard to reported apparitions.  The Church is very careful when it comes to reports of supernatural activity, and apparitions and visions are examined with great prudence.  Ironically it seems to be easier to discern and deal with demonic activity and preternatural events than heavenly and mystical manifestations. 

Normally when an alleged apparition is reported, the Church takes a neutral stance, she cautions her bishops and priests, and observes.  Officially these events do not have approval and so no cult can be established in the Church, although the devotion of the faithful is not curbed, but rather prudence is advised.  The Church tends not to forbid the faithful from attending alleged apparitions.

When the visions cease, the local bishop may appoint a commission to examine the events, the message and any reports of miracles.   The local bishop has the competence to deal with this investigation and the Vatican tends to leave the investigation to him.  His decision is usually accepted by the Church, so an investigation by the Vatican is not necessary.  Sometimes, in grave circumstances, the Vatican may intervene and remove a bishop's competence - this may occur if the bishop's investigation has not been conducted in accordance with the regulations or has been biased.  The Vatican may then ask the episcopal conference to conduct a new investigation or conduct one itself.

The commission reports back to the bishop with its findings, and he releases the decision.  This decision will fall into one of three categories established by the Church, and it is here that we have alot of confusion among the faithful and even controversy.  These categories are constat de supernaturalitate, constat de non supernaturalitate, and non constat de supernaturalitate.

The first, constat de supernatualitate, means it is established that these events are supernatural: with this decision the local bishop or the Vatican recognises that the apparitions or visions are authentic and worthy of belief.  The cult associated with these apparitions is permitted and considered praiseworthy.   Apparitions which fall into this category are Lourdes, Fatima and Guadalupe.   It is to be understood that while these apparitions are approved, they are still only private revelations, and so no one is bound to accept them, though if an apparition has been approved by the bishop or the Vatican prudence dictates those who do not believe not do engage in a campaign to have the decision reversed. 

The second, constat de non supernaturalitate, means that it is established that the events are not supernatural.  This is a negative judgement, and the faithful are bound to respect it: unlike the positive judgement, the faithful are not free to accept it even in a private capacity as to do so may be imprudent and damaging to the faith.  Such apparitions may manifest hostile attitudes to the Church or certain Church teachings.  Among those reported apparitions to have received this definitive negative judgement are the claims of "Mama Rosa" in San Damiano in Italy, the claims of Veronica Leuken in Bayside, USA, among others.

The third, non constat de supernaturalitate, is perhaps the most confusing the most misunderstood.  This one means that it is not established that the events are supernatural, this, however, is not a negative judgement, but rather a decision which allows the Church more time and space to continue her careful discernment.  What must be understood is that when a reported apparition has received this judgement there seems to be something in the events which cautions the Church against a negative judgement.   With this judgement the Church permits the faithful to go to the site of apparitions and allows priests to provide spiritual care for them.  Official pilgrimages are not permitted - an official pilgrimage being one organised and led by a bishop or priest, yet bishops and priest are permitted to go in a personal capacity and they must maintain officially that prudence and reserve the Church herself is exercising.   Further study is to be expected.  Normally this judgement is given if an investigation has been conducted while the alleged apparitions are ongoing and are not detrimental to the faith.  Alleged apparitions which fall into this category are Garabandal and Medjugorje.

Looking at a number of articles and websites a number of people are maintaining that this third judgement, non constat de supernaturalitate, is a negative one, and those who go to the apparition sites are being disobedient to the Church, and priests who go there are leading the faithful into scandal.  This is not true: until a constat de non supernaturalitate is given, the faithful may, with prudence, go on unofficial pilgrimage to such sites.  Such misunderstandings themselves give scandal since they erroneously disturb the consciences of the faithful.

A word on visionaries.  Not all visionaries have become saints.  In fact, if you look at the approved apparitions of the Church only a minority of visionaries have been beatified or canonised.   The fact that a visionary has not become a saint is not a good indication of whether a vision is authentic or not.  In a few cases the visionaries turned out to have problematic lives afterwards, as with the visionaries of La Salette. 

Some also believe that if a vision is authentic then the visionaries must enter priesthood or religious life.  Again this is not the case.  Few of those who received approved apparitions entered religious life or priesthood, most married and lived ordinary lives.  In fact as far as I know, among the approved visionaries who were not in religious life at the time of the apparitions, only three entered religious life: Sr Lucia of Fatima, Sr Adele Brise of Green Bay, and St Bernadette of Lourdes, and it is known that Bernadette entered at the request of others and some have speculated that she may not have had a religious vocation at all.   The Ven. Benoite Rencurel of Laus became a Third Order Dominican which, strictly, is not religious life. 

Bless us, Holy Father Joseph

Off to Carmel today, so no chance to blog.  But to all my readers: every blessing for the great Solemnity of St Joseph: may he the Patron of the Universal Church, bless you and intercede for all your needs.  Let us remember today all fathers: may they learn from this loving foster father.  And all priests, may we become as Joseph to God's children who are in our care.