VIDEO: The final episode (?) of Catholic Star Wars

Speaking of tyranny (see previous post), the "Catholics" who rule today's Church are working harder than ever to stamp out, once and for all, the Mass of All Time, and convert us Catholics who cling to the old and True Faith and the practice thereof to belief in and obedience to Francis and Leo's New Church of the New World Order. 

If we persist in our resistance, we are condemned as "schismatics", cast out from the Church, and therefore doomed to suffer eternally in Hell... assuming, that is, that there is a Hell -- something the modernists don't talk about nowadays. Sin, Hell, redemption, salvation, Heaven, the Four Last Things: we don't hear about those things any more. Instead we are lectured on climate change and the benefits of mass immigration.

Remnant TV has just published this remarkable video -- a montage of video clips, actually -- narrated by Arthur Hallett-West, s Catholic in deep mourning over what was lost in Vatican II. This hilarious new parody skewers the latest SSPX controversy with exactly the kind of wit traditional Catholics will appreciate. You'll laugh... but you'll also recognize the uncomfortable truth beneath the jokes. Warning: Side effects may include uncontrollable laughter and quoting Star Wars at coffee hour.

Key takeaway (IMHO): "Just whose spiritual life is it? Is the hierarchy entitled to dictate the terms of liturgical engagement as a mere servant class, which is all they are mandated to be? And if they have buggered it up, as they appear to some to have done, should they not be rebuked and held to account?'

Walt invites fellow "Rad Trads" to send the link to this post to the Catholics you know who are still apologizing for the crisis in the Church, not admitting that the poisoned fruits of Vatican II were the work of Communists, Masons and other enemies within Holy Mother Church. Their aim was, and still is to change the True Faith to something other than what was revealed to us, through the Apostles and Doctors of the Church, by Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, while He was on Earth with us.

Let us pray. Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God, cast into Hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Cardinal Zen still fights for religious freedom and the Catholic Faith

We are happy to pass on, somewhat belatedly, this report from Hong Kong, where this past Sunday -- Corpus Christi Sunday -- Joseph Cardinal Zen Ze-Kiun, the 93-year-old Archbishop Emeritus of the former British colony, celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass and led a Eucharistic procession at a parish church.

On X, he wrote (in both English and Chinese): "We celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, a feast the Church established precisely so that the faithful might allow God to enter more deeply into their daily lives through the Holy Eucharist. 

"After celebrating the Tridentine Mass (Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at Mary Help of Christians Parish in Hong Kong, I led a Eucharistic procession, bringing the Holy Eucharist out of the church and through the streets of the campus."

After the Eucharastic process, the prince of the Church added this touching testimony about Our Lord Jesus Christ, providing a public witness to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in Communist-ruled Hong Kong:

"Jesus is truly Emmanuel -- God with us. He so desires to be with us that He left us this marvelous Sacrament, offering Himself under the appearance of bread and wine for us to eat and drink. The food we eat becomes part of our body, but when we receive Jesus, we become His Body. 

"Sometimes we say, 'Let us not leave Jesus alone in the tabernacle.' Of course, this is a figurative way of speaking. When Jesus revealed His Sacred Heart, He said, 'This heart has loved men so much, yet is so little loved in return.' As though He needs our consolation. In truth, it is not Jesus who needs us—but He knows that we need Him. To forget Jesus is our greatest loss."

A friend of the Cardinal wrote, "The procession (along with Cardinal Zen’s decision to publicly post his involvement in it on his X account) was a public demonstration of the unwavering hope and faith of many Chinese Catholics facing the brunt of the CCP’s persecution of religion and basic civil freedoms in Hong Kong."

Lord David Alton, a Catholic, responded to Cardinal Zen’s post with a post of his own: “Hong Kong’s Cardinal Joseph Zen is the outstanding religious leader of our times. refusing to abandon his people and refusing to comply with the demands of the Chinese Communist Party. He gives inspiration to all those persecuted for their beliefs."

Just so. To many Catholics both in China and the world who treasure the sacredness, reverence, and theological value of the Traditional Latin Mass, Cardinal Zen’s fortitude in defending orthodox Catholic doctrine, traditional Catholic liturgy, and standing up to anti-Christian persecutors (like the schismatic Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association), is an inspiration.

This report was abbreviated from an article by Angeline Tan, the Singapore-based correspondent of the Remnant Newspaper. Click here to view a list of Walt's many posts about the courageous Cardinal who seems destined for sainthood.

UNCENSORED VIDEO: RTV's Michael Matt on the events of a busy week, including the latest on COVID and the Great Reset

Michael Matt's "Underground" is still on YouTube, but to keep it there he's had to edit certain parts/subjects heavily to avoid offending YouTube's woke "community standards". When we repost Michael's vids -- it's hard to resist the temptation to repost all of them -- we get the feed directly from RemnantTV. Walt suggests you bookmark the link and check `em out for yourself; they're always worthwhile!

Here's this week's "Underground": "A Papal Meltdown: Vigano Accused, Rupnik Excused". If you want to see the contents before you watch, look below the window.

In this episode, Mr Matt looks at the COVID aftermath and how the wheels are coming off the Great Reset. 

With influential cultural figures such as future hall-of-fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, speaking out against the global surveillance state, it becomes easy to see that "we’re not in Kansas anymore" where conspiracy theories are concerned. The Wizard is fake news, and everyone knows it! 

Speaking of Kansas, Bishop James Johnston of Kansas City has joined Bishop Thomas Paprocki in enthusiastically supporting Harrison Butker’s clarion call for bishops to "man up" and start behaving like Catholic bishops again. 

Mr Butker blasted the bishops for closing the churches during Covid and, what do you know, several bishops just seconded the motion. Go figure! 

So, with the EU elections scoring big wins for Europe’s populist/nationalist parties – a stinging indictment of Pope Francis the Globalist – is this Reign of Terror finally running out of steam? Francis seems desperate. A case in point: With the world teetering on the edge of war, Pope Francis is putting his paranoia on full display by ordering Archbishop Vigano to come to Rome to face charges of schism. 

Yes, you read that right! He’s not trying to excommunicate MISTER Ted McCarrick – one of the worst sexual predators in Church history. Nope! Francis is going after the whistle blower. You just can’t make this stuff up! 

And, finally, with nothing better to do, the obsessed (with traditional Catholics) pontiff finds himself at the center of swirling rumors that claim Team Francis is about to launch a "Final Solution" to permanently ban the Latin Mass. Is there anything to the rumors, and what’s really behind this Vatican witch hunt?

Watch and learn!

VIDEO: Michael Matt on the passing of Pope Benedict XVI

Yesterday I posted a few words on the death of Pope Benedict XVI, RIP. It was all I had time for. More to the point, I have mixed feelings about the papacy of Pope Ratzinger, and needed time to sort out my feelings. Even more to the point, I could never write a clear and objective analysis of the Benedictine era so well as others, notably Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper. 

In this special edition of The Remnant Underground, Mr Matt says that, for some, Benedict was a saint, while, for others, he was a villain. What cannot be denied, Mr Matt says, is that his intervention on behalf of the Latin Mass changed history and breathed new life into the Catholic counterrevolution.

   

In an e-mail received here today, Mr Matt outlines the legacy of Pope Benedict XVI: 

* An entire generation of young Catholics were reconnected to the Mass of our fathers, thanks to Benedict. 

* As Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, he was instrumental in the founding of the Fraternity of Saint Peter. 

* He made it clear that the Latin Mass was never abrogated, and never could be. 

* He lifted the excommunications of the bishops of the Society of Saint Pius X. 

But in the end (Mr Matt writes), he left the Church in the hands of the worst pope in history. So where does one stand on the pontificate of Pope Benedict, and how will history judge the man who restored the Latin Mass on the one hand, and saddled the Church with Francis on the other?

Let us pray: Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, and the souls of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. Amen.

MUSIC VIDEO: "Imagine no felt banners" - Dr Taylor Marshall

This is for all our Catholic readers, or at least those who still hold to the Faith of our fathers, and practise their faith in accordance with centuries-old Tradition.

 

Thank you, Dr Taylor Marshall, for creating this. Let us pray that a return to Tradition will not just be in our imagination, but in reality. Amen.

Pope Francis condemns "cancel culture"... but does he walk the talk?

"Every morning before breakfast, Pope Francis says three stupid things. Believe it or not!" It's an old joke, but not without some truth. Yet it's also true that sufferers from alcoholism and dementia occasionally have moments of clarity. [Even President Brandon? Ed.]

One such moment apparently happened to Pope Bergoglio yesterday, during an address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, when Francis warned against attempts to "cancel culture", decrying "one-track thinking" which, he said, attempts to deny or rewrite history according to today’s standards.

Francis told the assembled dips that there was a "crisis of trust in multi-lateral diplomacy" which has led to "agendas increasingly dictated by a mindset that rejects the natural foundations of humanity and the cultural roots that constitute the identity of many peoples."

He didn't actually use the words "globalist" or "one-world", but his statement seems pretty clear and pretty argument, even to those who, like my goodself, have little time for the man who calls himself "pope". 

I have even less time for "Peter the Roman", aka Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the author of the sell-out of Chinese Christians, but even he gets things right now and then. Last month he expressed "concern" over a draft European Union communications manual that suggested not using the term Christmas. The manual, which the Vatican saw as an attempt to cancel Europe's Christian roots, was later withdrawn for revision. 

Francis warned his listeners of "a form of ideological colonization, one that leaves no room for freedom of expression and is now taking the form of the 'cancel culture' invading many circles and public institutions." He used the two words in English in the midst of a long speech in Italian. Pretty heavy stuff. But wait (as Vince Offer used tosay), there's more.

Pope Bergoglio went on to say that the cancel culture controversy is particularly sharp in English-speaking countries, such as the United States and Britain. (He didn't mention Canada, where the cancel culture thrives under Emperor Trudeau II.) Those who subscribe to and promote this culture, he said, risked cancelling identity "under the guise of defending diversity." Yes, he really said that.

In the Excited States of America, there have been conflicts over such acts of iconoclasm -- the physical manifestation of the cancel culture -- as the removal or decapitations of statues of historical figures such as Saint Junipero Serra, Christopher Columbus, and of course General Robert E. Lee. 

In Canada, besides the removal of statues, some loonie lefties have demanded -- and got -- the changing of the names of institutions such as schools and hospitals named after such historical figures as Egerton Ryerson and Sir John Eh Macdonald, saying they played a part in the destruction of indigenous cultures. 

While Pope Bergoglio did not mention any such examples of cancel culture, he did say that any historical situation must be interpreted not by today's standards, but in the context of its times. 

Quite so! But here's the irony, or should I say hypocrisy. While he preaches respect for tradition, he had been for months now campaigning ruthlessly to wipe from the history and culture of the Catholic Church the traditional Latin Mass, which the Council of Trent decreed can never be abrogated!

That was then -- 1570 to be exact -- but this Pope Bergoglio's now. Last July,, Francis moved to stamp out the Mass of All Time, once and for all. He issued a Motu Proprio -- kind of like an Executive Order in the American governmental system --which virtually bans the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in ordinary parish churches throughout the world. See "Traditional Catholics outraged: 'Pope Francis' nukes Traditional Latin Mass", WWW 17/7/21.

In Traditionis Custodes, Francis attempted to completely reverses the course set by Pope Benedict XVI, just fourteen years ago, in Summorum Pontificum, which specified the circumstances in which priests of the Latin Church could celebrate Mass according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, in the form known as the Tridentine Mass or Traditional Latin Mass, and administer most of the sacraments in the form used before the liturgical "reforms" that followed Vatican II. 

He said at the time that he was reversing Pope Benedict's attempt at "reforming the reform" had become a source of division in the Church, and been exploited by traditional Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council and its thoroughly modern liturgy. Am I the only one who sees a cognitive dissonance there?

But wait... Unfortunately,  there's more. A week before Christmas, Francis doubled down on his efforts to quash the old Latin Mass, forbidding the celebration of some sacraments according to the ancient rite. The Vatican repeated the excuse that it was necessary to let go of history and tradition, and to embrace everything that's new, for the sake of promoting diversity and inclusion, yada yada yada. But isn't that exactly the cancel culture he now condemns? 

Pope Bergoglio's crackdown on the Latin Mass has outraged his conservative and traditional Catholics. Many have gone so far to accuse him of heresy and watering down Catholic doctrine with his focus on the environment, migrants and "social justice". Where will it all end? There was a time when heretics were burned at the stake, but that's a part of Church history which we should forget... I suppose.

Further reading and viewing: "The most radical thing Pope Francis has ever done", WWW 17/7/21. Includes video commentary by Dr Taylor Marshall.

Cardinals say Church's problems stem from "progressives" undermining core Catholic beliefs

Cardinal Joseph Zen, the Archbishop Emeritus of Hong Kong,  has published a scathing rebuke to Jorge "Pope Francis" Bergoglio for ongoing attack on the traditional Latin Mass and other sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church.

In July, as reported here, the man who claims to be pope issued an apostolic letter, Traditionis Custodes (Guardians of Tradition - NOT!), restricting the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass in Catholic parishes and eliminating many existing accommodations for priests who wanted to use the traditional Tridentine form (called "the Extraordinary Form" by Benedict XVI) of the Catholic liturgy. 

In his post (link to English and Chinese versions at bottom), Cardinal Zen says Francis' letter contains "many tendentious generalizations" which "hurt more than expected the hearts of many good people."

The prelate goes on to say that the papal text "considers the very existence of a parallel rite [alongside the Novus Ordo or "new mass"] to be an evil," and clearly wishes "for the death of the [traditional] groups."

Traditionis Custodes was supposed to have been the result of a consultation with the bishops of the Church, but His Eminence claims it came "as a bitter surprise to me personally that the 'widespread' consultation did not reach me, a cardinal and once a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments." He writes, "Not having known either the questionnaire or the responses to the questionnaire, I cannot judge, but only suspect that there was much misunderstanding (or perhaps even manipulation) in the process."

Then comes the real sting. The real problem is not "which rite do people prefer," but rather "why don’t they go to Mass anymore?" 

Thus Cardinal Zen echoes the reflections of fellow Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former chief of the Congregation for the Defence of the Faith, who in an article published in July chided Francis for trying to suppress the traditional Latin Mass while at the same time allowing progressives to reject with impunity basic tenets of the True Faith.

Francis has "drastically restricted" the celebration of the Latin Mass (the prelate wrote) with the clear intent to "condemn the Extraordinary Form to extinction in the long run."

Worse, the Cardinal observed, by punishing the conservative peripheries, Francis "ignores the religious feelings of the (often young) participants in the Masses according to the Missal John XXIII" without the "slightest empathy.... Instead of appreciating the smell of the sheep, the shepherd here hits them hard with his crook!"

In summary, both Cardinal Zen and Cardinal Müller are saying unequivocally that the very real problems of today's Catholic Church do not come from traditionalists, but from progressives who undermine the core of Catholic belief.

Further reading: "Why do they see problem where there is none and close their eyes to the problem, for which they are also responsible?" - complete text of Cardinal Zen's blog post. And here's the Chinese version: "為什麼他們見到不存在的問題，卻見不到實在的問題，且也是他們有份造成的?"

CENSORED VIDEO from Michael Matt at Remnant TV: "Why Does Francis Hate the Latin Mass?"

Walt received an e-mail today from Michael Matt, editor of the Remnant newspaper, asking us to share his latest video, CENSORED by YouTube, from which he's been banned for a week. Mr Matt writes: 

In this Remnant-Tv.com exclusive, I consider the question of why in the middle of global upheaval, apostasy, and pandemic, Francis is focusing his papal sights not a church wracked with apostasy, but rather on the small remnant of believers who wish simply to attend the Mass of their fathers. 

Even non-Catholics are perplexed by Francis' unprecedented decision to contradict Pope Benedict XVI, who freed the Latin Mass and insisted it was never (and could never be) abrogated. 

In this video, Mr Matt analyses Traditionis Custodes, the latest (and worst) attack by "Pachamamma Papa" on traditional Catholics and the Traditional Latin Mass. See also our earlier posts: "The most radical thing Pope Francis has ever done..." and "Catholics outraged: 'Pope Francis' nukes Traditional Latin Mass". 

Mr Matt says this is all about "the crumbling facade of Vatican II". What is to be done? Do we have to go back to the catacombs, like the early Christians? Mr Matt provides some answers. Check it out. Running time 32 minutes.

   

Dear Catholic friends... As Michael Matt says, it's the Mass that matters! Do the right thing and do not be afraid! You are not alone! Onward, Christian soldiers!

Further viewing: "Francis Suppresses the Latin Mass | A Conversation with Brian McCall and Chris Ferrara", from the Fatima Center, 17/7/21. Our old friend Chris Ferrara calls Traditiones Custodes (the title of Francis' Motu Proprio) "a joke".

Catholics outraged: "Pope Francis" nukes Traditional Latin Mass

In order to bring about the "Great Reset" and achieve the New World Order, (((George Soros))) et al. must first destroy the one institution which stands in their way. I don't mean the Disunited Nations. The globalist liberal elites and Communists have had the UN in their pockets for decades. I refer to the Roman Catholic Church, which at one time was the guardian and protector of the Western (read: Christian) civilization without which the entire world would be like... ohhh, let's say Afghanistan.  

Try as they might (and are!), the Jews, Muslims and heathens cannot destroy Holy Mother Church by themselves. The One-Worlders need and are getting the active co-operation of the enemies of the One True Faith who lurk and work like termites within the Church. None of these is more powerful or more dangerous than Jorge Bergoglio, the man who calls himself "Pope Francis".

More and more traditional Catholics are beginning to think that Francis is the Antichrist, the evil one prophesied in the Bible, who opposes Our Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to substitute himself in His place before the Second Coming. 

We mere mortals our not to judge Pope Bergoglio, for we cannot know his intentions for sure. But if we go by his actions, we are not wrong to infer that he means to emasculate and eviscerate the forms and structures of the traditional Catholic Church, and in particular the Lex orandi, lex credendi -- "the law of what is prayed [is] the law of what is believed" -- which expresses the relationship between worship and belief.

Expanded to Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi -- "the law of what is prayed [is] what is believed [is] the law of what is lived" -- the traditional Christian motto means that prayer and belief are integral to each other and that liturgy is not distinct from theology.

This ancient Christian principle provided a measure for developing the Creed, the Canon of scripture, and other doctrinal matters. It is based on the prayer texts of the Church, that is, the Church's liturgy. In the Early Church, there was liturgical tradition before there was a common creed, and before there was an officially sanctioned Biblical canon. So the liturgical traditions provided the theological framework for establishing the Creeds and Canon.  

Six decades ago, the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul VI began the task of dismantling this theological framework by instituting the Novus Ordo, a "New Mass", not in Latin but in the 1000s of "languages of the people", with a generous admixture of Protestant and even Jewish forms of prayer. 

Today, in many modern Catholic churches, there is virtually nothing left of the old ways of worship. No Latin. No bells. No incense. A "resurrex" in place of the crucifix. A handful of people in a circle around the priest mumbling prayers which belong only to the priest, and singing "Kumbaya".

For traditional Catholics (like your obdt servant) attending a Novus Ordo "Mess" is painful in the extreme. Some of us believe that if we can't find a Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) to attend, we're better off -- our souls are better off -- staying and praying at home.

Thanks be to God, many of us could still find a traditional Mass within driving distance, perhaps at a chapel of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) or in a parish where an old-fashioned priest might at least pray in Latin, albeit following the modern form. But no more!

Yesterday, on the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (!), Francis moved to stamp out the Traditional Latin Mass, once and for all. He issued a Motu Proprio -- kind of like an Executive Order in the American governmental system --which virtually bans the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass in ordinary parish churches throughout the world. 

In Traditionis Custodes, Francis completely reverses the course set by Pope Benedict XVI, just fourteen years ago, in Summorum Pontificum, which specified the circumstances in which priests of the Latin Church could celebrate Mass according to the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, in the form known as the Tridentine Mass or Traditional Latin Mass, and administer most of the sacraments in the form used before the liturgical reforms that followed Vatican II.

Effective immediately, priests may celebrate the traditional Mass only under special circumstances, and with explicit permission from the bishops of their dioceses, who are not bound to give such permission, even though they may have done so in the past. Can you imagine..."Please, your Eminence, can I keep saying the Latin Mass?" Cardinal Cupich: "No!"

I am running out of space. Later this weekend I'll explain exactly how the Motu Proprio works to suppress the Mass of All Time, beloved of faithful Catholics for at least 1500 years. Explaining why Pope Bergoglio did this is harder. My take is that Francis, under increasing pressure from the puppet-masters to fold the Church into a new pantheistic religion, feared that he would die -- he knew when he wrote this that he would soon be undergoing major surgery -- before he could accomplish the mission.  

Traditionis Custodes may therefore be (let us pray!) the last act of a desperate man. Will he succeed in taking away our Mass, which is central to what we believe and how we live? God has promised that He will protect and preserve His Church, and for that let us pray, devoutly and urgently:

Saint Michael the Archiangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits, who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Worth watching: "Francis Suppresses the Latin Mass | A Conversation with Brian McCall and Chris Ferrara" - video from the Fatima Center, 17/7/21. Our old friend Chris Ferrara calls Traditiones Custodes (the title of Francis' Motu Proprio) "a joke".

VIDEO: Michael Matt on the cancel culture in America AND the Vatican

It's been a while since we reposted a video by Michael Matt, editor the Remnant newspaper. Mr Matt is by way of being one of my favourite commentators on matters political and religious, because he doesn't sugarcoat the truth. And when so many of us are getting discouraged, he remains positive that we can stand up against the forces of the New World Order, and that eventually, with the help of our Lord and His Blessed Mother, we will prevail.

In this video, Mr Matt argues that the cancel culture began with the cancellation of the traditional Catholic religion. Our Lady of Fatima warned Sister Lucia that this would happen. Sister Lucia wrote down the warning and sent it to the Vatican, with instructions that it be revealed in 1960 "because it will be better understood then."

The Vatican sat on the Third Secret and has yet to divulge the full contents of the warning. But it is apparent now... or should be, even to the doubters... that the prophecy of the destruction of the Church and of Western society is progressing, exactly as predicted. 

Mr Matt asks what John Lennon, Pope Paul VI and Margaret Sanger have in common. The answer is that traditional Catholics were at war with them all, long before anyone had ever heard of Cardi B, "Pope" Francis or Bill Gates. The Great Reset is nothing new. What is new is the fact that nobody's laughing at traditional Catholics anymore. Listen and learn.

   

Dear friends, we can defeat the New World Order! Stop being afraid! Start wearing the Brown Scapular -- it will protect you more than any mask -- and praying the Rosary. Even if you're not Catholic, you can still pray to God and His Son for the restoration of Christian civilization. Christus vincit! Christus regnat! Christus imperat!

VIDEO: Faith Goldy talks about the de-Christianization of Québec

Faith Goldy (who is not Jewish, by the way), reports on a letter sent by a group of young French-Canadian Catholic men to their bishops, asking them to teach the traditional Catholic Faith -- the faith of our fathers -- and give the spiritual leadership they say is essential to combat the nihilistic culture that tempts many to despair. That includes allowing access to the traditional Latin Mass.

Twenty-nine men between the ages of 18 to 44, including university students, a doctor and two lawyers, calling themselves "The Disinherited", signed the open letter titled "We Ask for Faith: Open Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church in French Canada". Ms Goldy says the message of the letter "will stir your soul." It stirred mine, and so I share it here.



If God has spoken to you through this message, please pass it on by sharing the link to this post. And do it quickly, before YouTube takes the video down! Saint Joseph, patron of Canada, pray for us.

Thanks to Poor Len Canayen for alerting us to the publishing of this fine video.

Liberal Catholics stall beatification of Ven. Abp. Sheen

Traditional Catholics who read WWW rejoiced in the news that the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen was to be beatified, at last, on December 21st in Peoria IL. Archbishop Sheen, the greatest Catholic evangelist of the 20th century, did leave the mainstream church following the disaster that was Vatican II.

Towards the end of his life, though, Archbishop Sheen is said to have expressed regret at the dubious "reforms", particularly the suppression of the Mass of All Time. Thus he made himself the enemy of the "reformers", particularly the liberal bishops of the United States.

They and their powerful friends in the Vatican held up the cause for Abp Sheen's beatification for centuries, through such devices as a very unseemly wrangle in the courts over where the prelate's earthly remains should be buried. All this has been reported in WWW, passim; enter "Archbishop Sheen" in the search window at top right to check past posts.

Now, it seems, Archbishop Sheen's enemies have succeeded in delaying his beatification yet again. The Catholic Post, the newspaper of the Diocese of Peoria, published a press release dated December 3rd, excerpted here:

With deep regret, Bishop Daniel Jenky, C.S.C., Bishop of Peoria, announces that he has been informed by the Holy See that the Beatification of Fulton Sheen will be postponed. On November 18, 2019, the Diocese of Peoria received formal notification that Pope Francis had approved the Beatification of Fulton Sheen to take place on December 21st of this year. However, on December 2nd, the Holy See decided to postpone the date of Beatification, at the request of a few members of the Bishops' Conference who have asked for further consideration.

In our current climate, it is important for the faithful to know that there has never been, nor is there now, any allegation against Sheen involving the abuse of a minor. The Diocese of Peoria observes that the life of Fulton Sheen has been thoroughly and meticulously investigated. At every stage, it has been demonstrated definitively that he was an exemplary model of Christian conduct and a model of leadership in the Church. At no time has his life of virtue ever been called into question....

This development is unfortunate especially because there continue to be many miracles reported through Sheen’s intercession. Several have even been reported since the announcement of the Beatification date two weeks ago. It is undoubtedly further proof for those who truly believe in this Cause that these miracles will be credited to the intercession of the Venerable Fulton Sheen in the future.

Bishop Jenky is deeply saddened by this decision. In particular, Bishop Jenky is even more concerned for the many faithful who are devoted to Sheen and who will be affected by this news. He is firmly convinced of the great holiness of the Venerable Servant of God and remains confident that Sheen will be beatified. Bishop Jenky has every intention of continuing the Cause, but no further date for Beatification has been discussed. The Diocese of Peoria will offer no further comment at this time.

Walt wonders who were the "few members" of the USCCB who requested "further consideration". And what prompted them to intervene? In keeping with the culture of secrecy which pervades the hierarchy and affairs of the Roman Catholic Church, the USCCB has declined to provide any details or any comment of any kind. But the truth will out, one of these days. And don't be surprised if the name of Cardinal Blase Cupich, ninth Archbishop of Chicago, is mentioned. Lifetime pct .977.

Crisis in the Catholic Church coming to a head... as in Head (= Pope)

I am no prophet [We leave that to Poor Len Canayen. Ed.] but, dear Catholic readers, it looks to me as if we may be mere months, or even weeks away, from a revolution in the Roman Catholic Church -- a revolt of the faithful against the leadership into perdition of Pope Francis. By "the faithful", I mean not just traditional Catholics like Michael Matt, but all those who cling to what's left of the True Faith after what Mr Matt rightly calls "universal dumpster fire" that was Vatican II.

The Unholy Father calls those of us who cling to the Faith of Our Fathers, "orthodox Catholics". I'm just as proud to be an "orthodox Catholic" as I am to be a "deplorable". The appellation reminds me of a school cheer I learned in my university daze.

We are the salt of the earth, so give ear to us

No new ideas shall ever come near to us

Orthodox, Catholic, crammed with divinity

Damn the dissenters, hurrah for the Trinity.

But I digress... The news... the sad news... is that, according to a transcript published in the National Catholic Register September 11th, Francis told a plane-full of international reporters on a flight from Madagascar to Rome that if you're an "orthodox" Catholic, he doesn't want you in his church! The Pope (if such he is) is obviously smarting from criticisms from many quarters that he is a heretic and a schismatic, even that is not a valid pope. These denunciations have come from his own Cardinals and bishops, the Curia, the religious press, and devout Catholic laymen like Michael Matt and Christopher Ferrara, not to mention lesser-known traditional Catholics like Yr Obdt Servant.

Francis called such attacks "the criticism of arsenic pills...throwing the stone but hiding the hand." Then he rambled on, denouncing his critics -- he mentioned the late Archbishop Lefebvre by name -- as being "schismatics". Yet it is Francis himself who is not only a heretic, but the true schismatic. The great Jesuit theologian Francisco Suarez wrote (translated): ...the pope could be schismatic, if he were unwilling to be in union and association with the whole body of the Church, as would occur if he attempted to excommunicate the whole Church, or, as both [Cardinal-Theologians] Cajetan and Torquemada observe, if he wished to overturn the rites of the Church established in Apostolic Tradition. (De Charitate, Disputatio XII de Schismate, sectio 1)

Yet that is exactly what Francis has done, in rejecting (along with every pope since Vatican II) the traditional Latin Mass and substituting for it an invalid and heretical Protestant service. Francis is the man who has destroyed the Catholic liturgy, Catholic doctrine, and Catholic morality! The "orthodox" Catholics, those who preach and practise correct doctrine (that's what "orthodox" means -- "correct doctrine") are the true Catholics. Those who don't, like the Unholy Father and his followers, are the true schismatics.

Two of the prelates who Pope Francis would judge to be "orthodox" are Cardinal Raymond Burke and Bishop Athanasius Schneider, both mentioned on WWW before. The National Catholic Register reports their call for a Crusade of Prayer and Fasting, from September 17th to October 26th, for the welfare of the Church. Their plea cites the dangers of "implicit pantheism" in the working document for the upcoming Amazon Synod, and argues against tailoring Catholic ordained ministries to the ancestral customs of the aboriginal people."

Faithful Cardinals, Bishops, priests and laypeople -- 1000s of them -- are righteously indignant over the direction in which Pope Francis is leading Holy Mother Church. He is not the good shepherd, but a false prophet leading us to the edge of the cliff at the bottom of which lies heresy, apostasy and the punishment of eternal separation from a just God.

How much longer can Francis' perversion of the Faith and destruction of the Church continue? It is not easy to "impeach" a pope, but it is possible. The opposition of the "orthodox" seems about to reach the tipping point. God bless those who stand up for the True Faith, and confound the enemies of Holy Mother Church, both without and within... even those at the very top!

Further reading: "Pope Francis: 'Need some more nails?'", WWW 1/7/19.
Further viewing: "Vatican II a "'universal dumpster fire'", video with Michael Matt, editor of The Remnant newspaper, WWW 7/9/19.

A real surprise from Pope Francis

What an amazing pope is Pope Francis! We -- not just Catholics but the entire world -- never know what's coming next. When he opens his mouth or takes pen in hand, it's impossible to know what to expect. Sometimes his pronouncements make us traditional Catholics laugh. Sometimes they make us cry. Sometimes they leave us confused. And sometimes we are left speechless in disbelief or, rarely, appreciation.

Today's headline news, so surprising and important that even the lamestream media are giving it major coverage, is the Pope's letter to Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, on the subject of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, a year of penance and prayer which begins on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

In line with the Holy Father's emphasis on compassion and mercy, he has ruled that during the Jubilee Year, all priests will have the authority to give penitents absolution from the grave sin of abortion. For those (including most mainstream Catholics) who don't know it, having or procuring an abortion is a "reserved" sin under canon law, which can be absolved only by the diocesan bishop or priests to whom the bishop delegates that authority. In England, Scotland, Wales and some American dioceses, bishops have already delegated the authority to all their priests, but now this authority is given to all priests, worldwide, for the duration of the Year of Mercy.

The Pope said many [Walt's emphasis] women sought an abortion because they "believe that they have no other option". He said he had "met so many women who bear in their heart the scar of this agonizing and painful decision." But he regards compassion and mercy as virtues that outclass all others, so "I have decided, notwithstanding anything to the contrary, to allow all priests for the Jubilee Year to absolve of the sin of abortion those who procure it and who also seek forgiveness."

The BBC's David Willey reports that Pope Francis is aware that the decision will not be welcomed by traditionalists. That's putting it mildly. However, there is a second part to the Pope's letter -- so far unreported by the secular media -- which will gladden the hearts of traditional Catholics, particularly those who align themselves with the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX), the traditional Catholic order founded by the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre.

In an astounding volte-face, the Pope has declared that priests of the SSPX will validly and licitly absolve sins during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. "A final consideration concerns those faithful who for various reasons choose to attend churches officiated by priests of the Fraternity of St. Pius X," the Pontiff wrote. "This Jubilee Year of Mercy excludes no one. From various quarters, several brother bishops have told me of their good faith and sacramental practice, combined however with an uneasy situation from the pastoral standpoint.... I trust that in the near future solutions may be found to recover full communion with the priests and superiors of the Fraternity.

"In the meantime, motivated by the need to respond to the good of these faithful, through my own disposition, I establish that those who during the Holy Year of Mercy approach these priests of the Fraternity of St Pius X to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation shall validly and licitly receive the absolution of their sins."

Walt, who is one of "these faithful", is happy to read this, and grateful to the Holy Father for the indult. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of Catholics who harbored some doubt about the validity of sacraments administered by bishops and priests of the SSPX will (or should) rejoice and give thanks to God.

However... Walt can't help but wonder what affected the Pope's "disposition". I understood the Vatican's position on the SSPX to be that its bishops were in schism and excommunicated (although the excommunication was lifted a couple of years ago), and therefore could not licitly ordain new priests. That would mean that the hundreds of SSPX ministering to the needs of the faithful worldwide aren't really priests, right? At least, that's what a lot of "regular" bishops and priests have been telling people. But now, all of a sudden, they can hear confessions and give absolution.

What does this mean? The clue may be in the line about solutions being found to "recover full communion". That could mean that the Vatican may declare the "schism" ended and accept the traditional Catholics back into the fold, allowing them to keep the pre-Vatican II Faith and practices of the Church, particularly the Latin Mass.

Or (and, sadly, more likely) it could mean that the SSPX is going to give in to the demands of the Vatican and "reform" itself, eating the poisoned fruits of the Council, in order to gain some sort of "personal prelature" or other accommodation. In very blunt language, the Pope's indult may have been made in anticipation of a sell-out. God help us and Our Lady guide us! Let it not be so!

Further reading: Full text of the letter of Pope Francis granting indulgence during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy

Prominent Cardinal suggests "more traditional" Catholic worship

Walt knows that this item is going to be relevant only to a minority of WWW readers, including Agents 9, 10 and 3. But I'm posting it anyway because I think it's important for traditional Catholics and the world at large to know that the modernists in the Vatican have not yet succeeded in stamping out the yearning for the Mass of All Time and forms of worship that are more spiritual and respectful than the dreadful Novus Ordo Mass, particularly as "performed" in the USA.

Yesterday, L'Osservatore Romano (the official Vatican newspaper) published "Silenziosa azione del cuore", an article written by Robert Cardinal Sarah, in which the prelate discusses the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy. Modernists, including Pope Francis (known for his "anything goes" celebrations of the Mass) should be mortified to read Cardinal Sarah's call for a more faithful implementation of its text.

The Cardinal laments the continuing misinterpretation of the Constitution's teaching on "active participation", and suggests (shock! horror!) an appendix to the Roman Missal that might better manifest what he thinks is the continuity of the ordinary (Novus Ordo) and extraordinary (Tridentine - traditional Latin) forms of the Mass.

It should be noted that Cardinal Sarah is the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, so should know whereof he writes. In a telling criticism of priests and bishops who see the Mass as a kind performance or entertainment, and make themselves the focal point of the liturgy. He writes, "The liturgy is essentially the action of Christ. If this vital principle is not received in faith, it is likely to make the liturgy a human work, a self-celebration of the community."

Discussing the peculiar American practice of having not just the priest but everyone involved -- holding hands during the Our Father, raising their hands during the consecration, shaking hands and kissing during the abominable "sign of peace" -- Cardinal Sarah criticized the "contemporary Western mentality" in which the faithful are to be "constantly busy" and in which the Mass is to be rendered "convivial".

"To speak of a 'celebrating community'", he writes "is not without ambiguity and requires real caution. The participatio actuosa [active participation] should not therefore be understood as the need to do something. On this point the teaching of the Council has often been distorted. It is instead to let Christ take us and associate us with his sacrifice."

Instead, the Cardinal recommends modification of the Novus Ordo liturgy to include some of the elements and practices of the traditional Tridentine Mass which the modernists -- not least Pope Francis -- have been trying to suppress. He advocated ad orientem (East-facing) workship, in these words: "It is entirely consistent with the conciliar constitution, it is indeed opportune that, during the rite of penance, the singing of the Gloria, the orations, and the Eucharistic prayer, everyone, priest and faithful, should turn together towards the East, to express their will to participate in the work of worship and of redemption accomplished by Christ."

He also recommends less noise! The Tridentine Mass has long periods of silence during which the priest prays in a low whisper, or even silently, allowing the faithful to meditate or pray silently. Cardinal Sarah says that "sacred awe" and "joyful fear require our silence in the presence of the Divine Majesty. It is often forgotten that sacred silence is one of the means set forth by the Council to encourage participation."

And there's more! Cardinal Sarah recalled the Council’s teaching -- ignored even before the ink dried on the documents -- that the faithful should "be able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the Mass which pertain to them," and said that the liturgy "must stop being a place of disobedience to the requirements of the Church."

The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, he emphasized, should not be read with a "hermeneutic of rupture". Walt can imagine Pope Francis and the likes of Cardinal Dolan saying, "Really? But we thought it was supposed to be a break with the past!" But Cardinal Sarah disagrees strongly: "It would be wrong to consider the extraordinary form of the Roman rite as coming from another theology." To manifest that the ordinary form and the extraordinary form are "in continuity and without opposition," he writes, "it would be desirable that there be an appendix in an upcoming edition of the Roman Missal that would permit celebrants in the ordinary form to use the penitential rite and the offertory of the extraordinary form."

So there. Vatican II did not call for the suppression of the Latin Mass. Indeed, it could not be, because, as John Vennari points out in "Traditional Mass Never Forbidden", the Papal Bull Quo Primum of St. Pius V solemnly proclaimed that the Latin Tridentine Mass could never be forbidden, and that all priests and faithful will always have the right to avail themselves of this liturgy."

Now, all Cardinal Sarah has to do is convince Pope Francis to not just read but heed what the Vatican II Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy actually said, and put its recommendations (and his) into practice. The Pope could, himself, set the proper example. But, dear Catholic readers, don't hold your breath...

Further reading: "Derive liturgiche. Ma il cardinale Sarah riprende il timone", by noted Vaticanista Sandro Magister, in L'Espresso.

VIDEO LINK: Pontifical High Mass for Father Nicholas Gruner

His Excellency Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX, celebrated a Pontifical High Mass on Saturday for the funeral of Father Nicholas Gruner, RIP, who passed away on April 29th.

Over 600 people attended the Mass at the Scotiabank Convention Centre, in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Click here to see the Fatima Center video of the entire Mass. And in your charity, please pray for the repose of the soul of Father Gruner.

Hail Mary, full of grace,

The Lord is with Thee.

Blessed art Thou among women,

And Blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Pope Francis: a traditional Catholic's view

Christopher A. Ferrara, Esquire -- that's the way he likes his name to appear -- has written several books and numeours articles on the struggle to uphold the traditional Catholic Faith against the onslught of secular humanism, modernism and syncretism within the Church itself. Walt has received in the overnight e-mail Mr. Ferrara's reaction to the election of Pope Francis.

What are we to make of the new Pope? In the journalistic arena from which this is being dispatched, one feels the pressure to say something definite almost immediately or risk dying the death of being ignored amidst a welter of “first impressions.” But this writer is going to let the story evolve.

It is said that as Archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Bergoglio was hostile to the traditional Latin Mass, but it is far too soon to make any prognostications in that regard. And now that he is pastor of the universal Church, in which the Latin Mass is returning to use on every continent, it is difficult to see him implementing any such merely parochial prejudice contrary to the letter and spirit of Summorum Pontificum and the liturgical restoration it has already launched. Indeed, as we learned today at the Vatican press conference, the first papal Mass, this evening in the Sistine Chapel, will be in Latin, even if it will not follow the 1962 Missal.

As further revealed at the Vatican press conference, after he prayed before the famous icon of Mary under the title Salus Populi Romani (Protectress of the Roman People) at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major early this morning, Pope Francis made it a point to pray as well before the tomb of Saint Pius V, who canonized the traditional Mass in perpetuity with his Bull Quo Primum. As one Italian traditionalist blog site observed of this gesture:

The conciliatory gesture escaped no one, seeing the terror that was wrongly spread among traditionalists and that some of their expressions of opinion have emphasized. Of Ratzinger it was said that he was a Rottweiler of the Catholic Faith, but instead he was a very sweet German pastor. Of Bergoglio they now say he is a South American revolutionary, and instead is seen a Pope in the line of his predecessors, who salutes the Pontiff of the Missal rehabilitated by Benedict XVI.

This much we know with surety from what we have seen thus far: that the new Pope is a humble man with evident Marian devotion. His first devotional act as Pope was to brush aside all concerns about security in order to pay a visit to the largest Marian church in Rome, bringing Our Lady a bouquet of flowers and leaving it before the icon of Mary as Protectress of the Roman People.

The most important question now before us respecting the new Pope is this: Will he perform the Consecration of Russia to Mary's Immaculate Heart? For this we must pray, wait, and hope with renewed determination.

Correcting errors of Vatican II chief problem in SSPX-Rome talks

Sunday seems to be a good day to look at what's happening in and to the Roman Catholic Church. This week sees the confirmation of what Walt and so many others long suspected. According to leading Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli, the chief obstacle to the return of the Society of St. Pius X to the bosom of Holy Mother Church is the former's insistence on being free to criticise and correct the errors of Vatican II.

So says a letter from Fr. Christian Thouvenot, the SSPX Secretary General, to its District Superiors. Sr Tornielli says the letter, dated 18 July, was not intended for publication. He also says Fr. Thouvenot's views were confirmed by the new Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Müller, in an interview with the Catholic News Agency.

In his letter, Fr. Thouvenot revealed that the SSPX had set certain conditions for signing the "doctrinal preamble" that would allow for the "regularization" of the Society. First among these conditions was the insistence that the SSPX would remain free to "correct the promoters of the errors or the innovations of modernism, liberalism, and Vatican II and its aftermath."

The SSPX also demands the right to use the traditional Latin liturgy of 1962 exclusively. That should be no problem for the Vatican, since Pope Benedict XVI's moto proprio Summorum Pontificum allows for the use of the traditional liturgy.

However, the determination of the SSPX to correct the teachings of Vatican II poses a major problem in continued negotiations with the Vatican. Both Fr. Thouvenot's letter and the concluding communiqué published at the end of the Society’s General Chapter refer to the errors of modernism and the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council.

But in the interview with CNA, Archbishop Müller said, "The assertion that the authentic teachings of Vatican II formally contradict the tradition of the Church is false." Note the use of the weasel word "authentic". What does that mean? Out of the other side of his mouth, the archbishop allowed that there is room for discussion of how the Vatican II documents should be properly understood. "The purpose of dialogue [with the SSPX]," he said "is to overcome difficulties in the interpretation of the Second Vatican Council."

Is the Prefect saying, then, that the "Doctrinal Preamble" -- a text that was debated and closely examined by cardinals of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and then approved by Pope Benedict -- is subject to further debate and change? Stay tuned.

SSPX reply to Rome -- start of a sell-out?

The number of people who know what's really going on at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church is very small. One such is Andrea Tornielli, a "Vaticanista" whose conclusions and predictions are accurate almost as often as Walt's. (Lifetime pct .983)

In yesterday's Vatican Insider, Signor Tornielli opines that the "positive response" of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) to the "doctrinal preamble" presented to them by the Holy See last September could form the basis for reconciliation between the traditionalist group and the mainstream Church.

The response, which Tornielli says has only a few minor alterations to the most recent version of the document, will be reviewed by the Ecclesia Dei commission, which is responsible for relations between the Vatican and traditional Catholics, as well as by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. If they find no fault in it, the document will be forwarded to Pope Benedict XVI for a final decision which would presumably result in the lifting of the purported suspensions of the Society's bishops.

But here's the problem. Of the four SSPX bishops, only one -- Bishop Bernard Fellay -- appears fully committed to the reconciliation. The other three -- Tissier de Mallerais, Galarreta, and Williamson -- are opposed to what they see as a sell-out. So are at least 25% of their faithful followers, according to the Italian daily La Stampa.

Both the Vatican and the SSPX are on record as saying Bishop Fellay’s response does not resolve all remaining disagreements between the two sides. Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, warned reported that "we cannot conclude that a positive outcome has been reached quite yet."

The SSPX issued a statement saying that the latest development in a 3-year series of negotiations must be seen as "a stage and not a conclusion". However, Tornielli and others sympathetic to the SSPX are optimistic about the prospects for resolving the split between the Society and the Holy See.

Signor Tornielli sees it as likely that the Society will be awarded the status of "personal prelature" a new juridical role added to the Canon Law in 1983 and so far adopted only by Opus Dei. Bishop Fellay doubtless sees himself as the first prelate, answerable only to the Holy See.

Will the other three, especially Bishop Williamson, kiss Fellay's ring? Don't be surprised if some or all of them separate from the separated! (Lifetime .pct still .983.)

See also "The Lefebvrians' answer to the Vatican". "Vatican, SSPX reported ready to reconcile", from Catholic World News, has a useful summary of the history and background to the conflict.

Reform of the reform? Whatever for?

Our man in Rome [the other man! Ed.] weighs in with some comments on Pope Benedict XVI's plan to somehow merge the traditional Latin Tridentine Mass with the Novus Ordo "new mass", which the Holy Father himself called a "fabricated, banal, on-the-spot product".

John Vennari, editor of Catholic Family News, makes the excellent point that what is urgently needed in today's Catholic Church is not a "reform of the reform", but a return to the Mass of All Time, which by decree of Pope St. Pius V could not and cannot be changed.

In an e-mail to Agent 3, Mr. Vennari called Kurt Cardinal Koch’s announcement that the Pope's Motu Proprio is part of a long-term plan to merge both the old and new Mass "lunacy"!

On May 15th, John was privileged to attend a Pontifical High Mass celebrated at St. Peter's according to the "extraordinary" (Tridentine) rite. He made a short (six-minute) video which you can see on here.



Why anyone but a Protestant would feel moved to replace the beauty of the Latin Mass and sacred music with the dumbed-down guitar-picking "kumbayas" of the modern era is beyond me.