Good News From Rome For The Fraternity

 

I received good news this afternoon.  The Protector Bishop of the Fraternity, Bishop Michael Smith, rang me to tell me that the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments have granted the Fraternity permission to celebrate the feast of Blessed John Paul II.   The letter, signed by Cardinal Canizares Llovera himself, was received by the Bishop this morning, and another has been sent to the Fraternity.   As soon as I get more details I will post them - probably when I get back from vacation.

Following Blessed John Paul's beatification, the Council of the Fraternity made the decision to make him Co-Patron of the Fraternity, since he is one of our major inspirations - we had a special Mass in May of last years, attended by many members of the Fraternity, to formally declare him Patron.  It was announced at that Mass that the Council would petition Rome for permission to celebrate the feast of the Blessed Pontiff as, according to the liturgical norms, a Blessed's feast can only be celebrated within his or her own diocese or congregation, and in those dioceses or congregations which have received formal permission from Rome to do so.  

Having done the preparatory work, assisted and advised by Bishop Smith, we had to make a request to the Irish Bishop's Conference to send a petition to Rome on our behalf.  On the 1st June of this year, Cardinal Sean Brady, on behalf of the Bishops made a formal petition to the Congregation: today it received a positive response.  

First of all, our deep thanks must go to Cardinal Canizares Llovera for granting our petition.  Our thanks must also go to Cardinal Brady for his kindness in agreeing to make the formal petition.  And of course, much thanks and appreciation to Bishop Smith who has been instrumental in helping us in this petition, and has been a great friend and supporter of the Fraternity since the first day we approached him for advice and help.  And finally, to Blessed John Paul himself - for his prayers and fatherly care for our family of prayer, a joyful "dzieki"!

So, I will post the details of the indult when I get them - but to all the members of the Fraternity I ask you to prepare for the 22nd October - on that day I request that all members of our family of prayer throughout the world will celebrate for the first time, the feast of our beloved Co-Patron. 

Poacher Made Gamekeeper

So the Minister for Health has appointed the head of the Irish Family Planning Association, an ardent supporter and campaigner for abortion in Ireland, Tony O'Brien, as the new head of the HSE or what it will become when it is rebranded. The news reached me here on holiday. To say I was angry would be an understatement. 

Time for Enda Kenny to stand up and reverse the appointment. He always passed himself off as pro-life, and you know, I will believe him when he says he is. It is one thing to attack the Pope in the safety of the Dail where he cannot be sued for slander, but it is another to allow the pro-abortion ideologues take the reins and force their deathly agenda on the unborn children of this country. Now it is time to act: if you're pro-life Enda, prove it! I also lay the gauntlet down before the bishops and priests of Ireland: if you believe in the sanctity of life - now prove it: no more silence! 

Pro-life groups, get ready for the fight!

Our Beloved Titus

Today is the feast of Blessed Titus Brandsma, our Carmelite brother who was martyred in Dachau for his Catholic faith and for his work in proclaiming the truth in the face of the National Socialist tyranny.  Blessed Titus was a member of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, who worked as a professor and journalist in Holland.

He understood the Nazis to be pagans who were destroying not only human lives and religious faith, but ideologues who in their attempt to redefine humanity according to their ideology, were destroying humanity itself.  In the Office of Readings for today we read from his writings in which he upheld the dignity of man, a God-given dignity, and warned of the dangers of subjecting that dignity to a political or social philosophy.

Sadly what Blessed Titus fought against, and the Allies won victory over, has remerged in the very countries that opposed the Nazi ideology.  Western society has now adopted the thinking of Hitler and his minions though many deny it.  The atrocities that the Nazis carried out now have the protection of law in many of our countries, and the redefining of man and his relationships according to a pagan ideology, an ideology of false progress - also rooted in Hegelianism, is the agenda many, if not most, of our political representatives are working hard to achieve.   As with the Nazi propaganda machine our media today have an important role in promoting this new pagan agenda.

We need Blessed Titus's intercession and example in these times.  May he help us face the challenges that are now being presented to us, help us remember that Christ in our refuge and strength, and that at the end of the day the battle we now fight will be won - we need only keep faith.

Blessed Titus pray for us, pray for our media, pray for our governments.

Our Holy Jewish Forebears

"Pleasure it is to hear iwis, the Birdes sing" as the old English carol goes. Such pleasures are heightened when one has time to rest, pray and think. I have not had the chance to blog, but have been taking things easy now that I am free for a few weeks from the parish. 

I am still trying to get the hang of this iPad - I am finding it difficult to type on it and some of the features of blogger are not popping up, so forgive me if this post does not look tidy (I can't find "Justify text" for example). Though I write in paragraphs, the text all merges into one! I lost one post I had written and I'm finding it difficult to post pictures - I know, I know, I am technically inept! 

Anyway I feel I must blog today given the feast - SS Joachim and Anne, Our Lady's parents and the Lord's grandparents. First of all a happy feast day to all the Annes and Joachims out there, and to all grandparents. 

This is an interesting feast for we not only celebrate these two holy people, but we also honour the holy Jewish men and women who lived lives devoted to the covenant God made with Moses, and were sanctified by God for their love of him and their heroic virtue. We do not know most of them, apart from Joachim and Anne, we know only the famous ones whose names and deeds are preserved in the Holy Scriptures. But we must acknowledge these holy Jewish people, our spiritual forebears, our fathers and mothers in the Faith. 

Today, then, is a celebration of our Jewish roots! A moment to remind ourselves that we must love the Jewish people as our own. Though they do not accept Jesus as their Messiah, though some may not accept us as brothers and sisters in the Faith, we love them, and admire them for their fidelity to the covenant. We pray that they will embrace Jesus and enter into the new covenant, we must not presume that God has abandoned his people. 

SS Anne and Joachim were holy Jewish people. They were not Christians in the sense that they were not baptised, but they offer an example of fidelity to the Word of God. They love God, as they and all Jewish people are urged to love him in the Jewish profession of faith, the Shema, and they trusted in him in the way revealed by the Psalms. Though poor and lowly, God's work was revealed in them - they cooperated with him in the formation of the one who was holy and immaculate and destined to be the Mother of God. as we honour Mary and reflect on her virtues we cannot forget that she found great teachers in her mother and father. 

Did Joachim and Anne ever see Jesus? An interesting question. I hope they did. What joy would have filled their hearts as they looked on their little grandson and see before them the divine Lord. How humble they would have been as they stood before this mystery, like Elijah at the mouth of the cave. And imagine that moment as they held little Yeshua in their arms and embraced him and discovered that in him salvation had come to Israel. There is something for your meditation today - to embrace the Infant Jesus in your heart and know that in him salvation has come to you.

UPDATE:  I have since found out from the local Apple shop here that Blogger does not work properly on iPad - they said Blogger has not updated its programmes to take account of it.  They advised I write what I need to write on the iPad and upload it later on another computer, which I am doing now.  There you have it.

Time To Act

Things are hotting up in the abortion debate here in Ireland. The committee appointed by the government is due to report in the Autumn and many are speculating that it will be the beginning of the government's campaign to legalize the killing of our children.

Fr Gabriel Burke has an interesting post on this. He points out that now is the time for the bishops to act and begin informing those TDs who claim to be Catholic what the consequences of their support for the legalisation of abortion will mean for them. I hope they will take the bull by the horns and show our government that we will not sit down and stay silent in the face of this abuse of unborn children - we have been silent for too long. 

A friend pointed out that the government may not even allow a vote on the matter, but negotiate all party support, as they did with the civil partnership bill, and then pass the bill.  In that way they think they can stop the Church implementing canonical penalties against individual Catholic TDs who would have voted for it. I wouldn't put anything past them.

Of course God knows what goes on in the human heart: at the end of the day sly political tactics will not save those who seek to facilitate the murder of the innocent.   Perhaps reflection on King David's murder of Uriah and Ahab and Jezebel's murder of Naboath is required. 

The Fiery One

Today is the feast of St Elijah the Prophet celebrated by both Carmelite Orders - the O Carms as a Solemnity and us, the Discalced, as a feast (why not a Solemnity too?).  It is a special day for me as it is the anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood - I was thrilled when the bishop picked this day.  Elijah was present at the ordination Mass, during the Litany of the Saints the heavens opened and torrential rain fell heavily on the church roof.  It was a wonderful experience. 

Now Elijah would not be renowned for his pastoral sensitivity, no more than St John the Baptist who took up the Prophet's mantle in his ministry as Precursor.  I imagine if he was priest in Ireland today he would probably be on "administrative leave" for preaching the Gospel a little too directly to the faithful.  Whether that means he was too strong, or we have become too soft I'll leave it up to you; but given that Jesus had great time for Elijah and praised the fiery John the Baptist, the second Elijah, as being the greatest born of women we might look to ourselves rather than Elijah when considering the question.

Elijah rose up to defend God among a people who wavered in their allegiance.  They were out for themselves, so they followed the god that gave them what they wanted.  The battle on Mount Carmel between the prophets of Baal and Elijah was the means through which God proved to his people that he was the stronger one, the only One.  It is a message that needs to be proclaimed today.  The word of Elijah - "How long will you waver between the two?" must be spoken to the people of our time.  We have become a comfortable lot - we want heaven, but also the pleasurable way of life even if it brings us into sin - "sure God loves anyway".  

As a priest it can be difficult to proclaim this word to people.  One thing I find most challenging is trying to answer one particular question in a particular situation.  When people who live lives contrary to the Gospel, rejecting Christ's moral teaching, and then when difficulties, tragedies or other problems emerge they fall out with God: "Why did God let this happen?"  I am tempted to say - "Why blame God?  You chose to live in a way which is contrary to his moral law, creating a distance between you and him, and now you blame him when things do not turn out well for you."  People do not see.  Elijah was very clear in his response to such questions: "Your sin has led you to disaster - only your repentance and return to God will bring you life and grace."  That is the prophetic message, our task is to preach this in a way that is pastorally sensitive, direct and opens the door for reconciliation, but it must also be proclaimed in a way that does not undermine the message.  We have had too many priests who have diluted and reversed the Gospel and the Church's moral teachings in the name of pastoral sensitivity. 

As we celebrate in Carmel today, I bring to your attention a message from the Holy Father to the Bishop of Avila marking the 450th anniversary of the reform of our Order.  We celebrate the anniversary on the 24th August next.  It is a beautiful letter and a real resource to help us mark what is essentially the beginning of Discalced Carmel.  With reference to what I wrote above, this line from the Pope is interesting: "We can say that in her time the Saint evangelised without mincing her words, with unfailing ardour, with methods foreign to inertia and with expressions haloed with light."   That's fantastic!

I see the culture of death is triumphing in Holland.   According to one article 14% of deaths in the country are actually brought about through the action of doctors.  That does not surprise me.  Holland is a country which fell for the liberal agenda hook, line and sinker, from legalised drugs, abortion, legalised prostitution and now euthanasia.  I remember a holiday there a number of years ago - I could not wait to get out of it.  In Amsterdam on a warm summer's evening there was the odor of pot in the air.  We tried to avoid the red light district, but suddenly found ourselves in the middle of it when we went to visit the Lutheran Cathedral - the cathedral square has a "mall" of brothels.  To see women sitting in windows selling themselves makes one wonder how far we have gone.  A liberal, "modern" country and it permits a culture where women sell their bodies to make a living?  Are we surprised they think it is okay to kill their sick and elderly?

That said, euthanasia is more common than we think.  I remember a conversation with a nurse during which she told me how a patient can be killed leaving no trace of the act - nothing that would stand out in a postmortem.  I was shocked.  "You'd be surprised how often it happens", she said.  "Even in Ireland?" I asked.  "Oh yes", she said.  Scary!

An interesting article here on recent events concerning the SSPX.  They say they recognise the authority of the Pope, let's hope they do and come back into the fold, accepted a Council of the Church the Popes called, presided over and have been implementing since the 1960s. 

Blogging will be erratic over the next few weeks - I am away on holidays and may not get a chance to blog too often.  Although..... I may have no excuse!  I was given an iPad for my birthday - you may remember a post where I was wondering should I or should I not, well the decision was made for me.  Over the last few days I have been experimenting with it - I feel it could become an addiction, so moderation is called for.  But at least when I get time I can do a bit of writing.  At the moment I have three books half finished, never getting time to complete them and send them off to a publisher, the iPad might put manners on me.  But then again, who wants to read what I have to say?  I torment you poor people enough as it is!  I will probably have many more years in Purgatory thanks to this blog!

Happy feast day to you all!  May St Elijah watch over you, and the ravens never fail!

Catching Up

Though often regarded as the silly season, this summer has a number of important news stories to keep the press on their toes.  The Irish Examiner notes some criticisms of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter, for refusing to allow the army to participate in the Eucharistic Congress.  A former Minister for Defence, Willie O'Dea, has accused Shatter of blind prejudice.  Some people are trying to rake up a row by reference to Shatter's ethnicity as a Jew (I don't know if he is practicing or lapsed) - that should be a non-runner to start with - if Shatter is prejudiced his religion makes no difference one way or the other.  Call him to task and challenge him, but there is no place for sectarianism.

O'Dea says that the refusal may arouse suspicion among people of faith that the Coalition is becoming increasingly hostile towards Catholics.  I'm afraid O'Dea is behind the times - many Catholics in Ireland have believed for some time that this government is hostile towards the Catholic faith.  Their attempts to strike at the heart of our sacraments may be one indication that, at the end of the day, Catholics in Ireland should be very cautious and not put too much trust in the administration.  Our history teaches us time and time again that many a persecution began in similar circumstances.

Mark Shea is predicting a decision from the Holy See's Commission on Medjugorje in November of this year.  Shea claims that this is a definite indication that the apparitions will be rejected.  Well, that is a conclusion none of us can make, we cannot presume that because a date has been set (no word as of yet from the Holy See confirming this, by the way) that it means the decision is negative.  We will just have to wait and see.   Andrea Tornelli, always a good source for news from inside the Vatican, has not hinted at a definite date.  In an article on the issue he said that the Commission would conclude their work by the end of the year.  Tornelli, who has inside information most of the time, said that those on the Commission were impressed by the alleged visionaries - that drove many critics mad and they attacked Tornelli.   Medjugorje is a hot topic which divides the young/charismatic wing of the Church from the Traditionalist wing. 

And speaking of Traditionalists, I have to say I do not know what is going on in the Society of St Pius X.  Are they rejecting the Pope's offer or not?  The Internet is ablaze with statements, opinions and confusion.  The most recent statement from the SSPXers seems to indicate that they will not accept Vatican II, indeed they seem to say that Vatican II stands in opposition to the Magisterium of the Church.  Fr Z has the statement with his usual commentary on his blog which is worth reading.   If the SSPX are saying that Vatican II is an erroneous Council, then they have come to the end of the road: if they want to be received back into full communion they must accept the legitimacy of the Council. 

The Holy Father has taken serious risks to try and heal the schism with the SSPX: when he lifted the excommunications even good Catholics wondered if he was doing the right thing.  We had to trust that he was doing the right thing, and he was - he opened the door to dialogue.  However it seems to me, many in the SSPX, and perhaps most, will not return unless it is on their terms.  If that is the case, the door may well be closed - not locked and bolted for there is always hope for the future.  As Fr Z points out, the Pope may finally conclude that this ongoing discussion is a non runner.

I meant to mention Mark Dooley's latest offering on his blog, concerning gay marriage.  This is well worth reading - just because we oppose gay marriage does not mean we are bigots.  I see Scotland's cabinet has ruled out a referendum on gay marriage in the country, despite Cardinal Keith O'Brien's call for a vote.  I presume they know the vote would be lost - the people would not be behind the measure, as we see in every single vote in the US states. 

And here's an interesting story: as terrorists threaten the West, the FBI in the US, has been investigating the pro-life cause and paying a visit to one pro-life activist and threatening him with deportation. And all the while millions of US citizens are being "terminated" in the abortion clinics of the country.  It is a world gone mad - kill children and the administration protect us (and pays you), seek to defend them and the administration sends the heavies around to sort you out.  Well, people of Ireland, its coming to a parliment hear us soon.

Under Her Mantle

Today is the Patronal Feast of our Order - the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.  As we celebrate the feast, I commend you all to the care of our Holy Mother: may you find sure protection under her mantle, a loving Mother to guide you and a powerful advocate in all your needs.

Flos Carmeli,
vitis florigera,
splendor caeli,
virgo puerpera
singularis.

Mater mitis
sed viri nescia
Carmelitis
esto propitia
Stella maris.

Flower of Carmel,
Blossoming vine,
Splendor of heaven,
Childbearing maiden.
None equals you.

Mother so tender,
Whom no man did know,
On Carmel's children
Your favours bestow,
Star of the Sea.

The Fall Of The House Of Schori?

Further to my post below on the state of the Church of England, it seems their American cousins are heading for a serious crisis not because they refused to ordain women bishops, but their presiding bishop, Katharine Schori, seems to be centralising power in herself.  That coupled with high living is causing some people in the community to worry and wonder if the Episcopalian ecclesial community is about to collapse.

Thanks to Fr Longenecker for his post on the issue and the link to an article by an Episcopalian lamenting the transition from democracy to tyranny.  Both of these articles are worth reading.  Perhaps Rowan Williams should read them too.

It seems the Episcopalians have passed a liturgy for the funerals of pets.  That brings me back to the para-liturgical services that took place in the Hogan family garden over the years as dogs, goldfish, terapins and other pets, having reached their span of years, were laid to rest by tearful children and consoling parents.  Over a Hail Mary and a thanks to God for the joy the deceased brought to our lives, the loved one was gently buried, and after the rites were concluded, a modest reception was held in the kitchen.  And though parents vowed never to get another pet because it was too hard losing them, they were already biding their time for the day when a new life bounded into the hall. 

Lovely memories, and lovely practices, moments for children to learn to appreciate the gifts of God, but to make it a formal liturgy in the Church - not so sure.

Christianity: A Public, Not A Private Faith

St John Wang Kuixin and his cousin St Joseph Wang Kuiju

Last Monday we celebrated the feast of the martyrs of China – a group of 120 men and women and children who were put to death for their Catholic faith between 1648 and 1930.  With such a large group we might be tempted to forget that each one of these martyrs has a personal story and made an individual decision to choose Christ and the Church knowing that it would mean death.  Among the martyrs are members of families arrested en masse for their faith and put to death in various ways. 

Today is the anniversary of the martyrdom of one of these martyrs, St John Wang Kuixin, whose martyrdom resonates with what is going on in Western society today.

St John was born in Qi County in Hebei Province in the north of China in 1875.  He was a devout Catholic who sought to live his faith as well as he could.  By the age of twenty-five he was married with children, serving his family humbly and passing on the Catholic faith to them.  In 1900 the Boxer rebellion broke out.  The Boxers were a nationalist/religious group who were trying to rid China of foreign influences including Christianity.  A fierce persecution was waging throughout China with countless Catholics being put to death by the Boxers.  Aware of the threat to their families John and his cousin Joseph Wang Kuiju (born 1863), also a fervent Catholic, decided to leave their native village and settle in another one where there was a large Catholic population. 

Loading their meagre possessions on wagons, the cousins and their families had no problem leaving and reached the safety of the other village.  Having left some stuff in their native place, the two cousins returned to collect them.  As they were on their way a heavy shower prevented their continuing the journey, and so they found shelter at an inn.  During a conversation in the inn it was discovered that the cousins were Catholic and the two had to defend their faith as the other guests were attacking their religion.  In the course of the debate, someone sent for the Boxers and as soon as they arrived, they beheaded Joseph on the spot.   John tried to escape, but he was caught and, for some reason, not killed.  He was arrested and brought before a local magistrate.

The magistrate seemed to be a kindly sort and he wanted to spare the young man’s life.  He urged John not to speak about his faith: he should keep it to himself: that way he would not offend anyone and his life would be spared.  But John could not accept such conditions – to hide his faith, to consign it to his “private life” was not what Christ asked his disciples to do.  In fact, for John, to do so was to deny Christ and the faith.  John refused.  With great reluctance, the magistrate handed him over to the Boxers.  On the 14th July 1900 John was put to death, invoking the Holy Name of Jesus as he went to his execution.

John and his cousin Joseph were canonised together by Blessed Pope John Paul II in the year 2000.

St John was asked to do what we are being told to do by our secular governments – to consign our faith to the private sphere and not allow it influence our public words and actions.  Catholic politicians, President John F Kennedy of the USA foremost among them, publicly disavow their Catholic faith and reassure the powers that be that they will not allow their “personal faith” interfere with their decisions.  We have Catholic politicians voting for abortion, civil partnership, gay marriage, euthanasia even though these contradict the moral teaching of the Church in which they claim to be in communion. And then they have the audacity to present themselves as Catholics in good standing and arrive at the altar to receive the Eucharist – and, unfortunately, clergy facilitate this by silence and giving them Holy Communion. 

St John Wang Kuixin’s martyrdom reveals the hypocrisy at the heart of this “double-think” or spiritual schizophrenia.  He also offers us an example of how we should act in the face of secularism’s pressure to make us deny our faith in public and tries to rid the public square of the Christian voice.