Prince Charles pens tribute to Cardinal Newman, canonized today

Walt almost never reads L'Ossservatore Romano, the daily newspaper (but not the official publication) of the Holy See, since these days it is little more than a propaganda sheet for the ultra-liberal Jesuits, who, led by Pope Francis, are leading the Roman Catholic Church down the road to heresy and irrelevance. To learn more about the diabolical disorientation of Francis' Church, check out Michael Matt's latest video, "Hippies in the Vatican: A Groovy Kind of Synod", 12/10/19.

Today, however, the front page of L'Osservatore Romano features "John Henry Newman: The harmony of difference", a lengthy op-ed piece by HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, on the occasion of today's canonization of Cardinal Newman. He calls the canonization "a cause of celebration not merely in the United Kingdom, and not merely for Catholics, but for all who cherish the values by which he was inspired."

John Henry Newman was a 19th-century Anglican priest and scholar who converted to Catholicism at the age of 44 and was later made a cardinal. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. Today he becomes the first Briton in four decades to be declared a saint. Prince Charles held him up as "a great Briton" and "one of the greatest theologians of the nineteenth century [who] applied his intellect to one of the most pressing questions of our era: what should be the relationship of faith to a sceptical, secular age?"

Prince Charles continues: "...first with Anglican theology, and then, after his conversion, Catholic theology, [Saint John Henry Newman] impressed even his opponents with its fearless honesty, its unsparing rigour and its originality of thought. Whatever our own beliefs, and no matter what our own tradition may be, we can only be grateful to Newman for the gifts, rooted in his Catholic faith, which he shared with wider society.

"His faith was truly catholic in that it embraced all aspects of life. It is in that same spirit that we, whether we are Catholics or not, can, in the tradition of the Christian Church throughout the ages, embrace the unique perspective, the particular wisdom and insight, brought to our universal experience by this one individual soul. We can draw inspiration from his writings and his life even as we recognise that, like all human lives, it was inevitably flawed. Newman himself was aware of his failings, such as pride and defensiveness which fell short of his own ideals, but which, ultimately, left him only more grateful for the mercy of God.

"Those of all traditions who seek to define and defend Christianity have found themselves grateful for the way he reconciled faith and reason. Those who seek the divine in what can seem like an increasingly hostile intellectual environment find in him a powerful ally who championed the individual conscience against an overwhelming relativism.

"And perhaps most relevantly of all at this time, when we have witnessed too many grievous assaults by the forces of intolerance on communities and individuals, including many Catholics, because of their beliefs, he is a figure who stood for his convictions despite the disadvantages of belonging to a religion whose adherents were denied full participation in public life. Through the whole process of Catholic emancipation and the restoration of the Catholic Church hierarchy, he was the leader his people, his church and his times needed."

Considering what has happened to the Church he loved in the 20th century, Saint John Henry Newman was blessed to have died in 1890, during the reign of Pope Leo XIII, mere moths before Leo's promulgation of Rerum Novarum, subtitled "On the Conditions of Labor", in which he articulated the Church's response to the social conflict that had risen in the wake of capitalism and industrialization and that had led to the rise of socialism and communism as ideologies.

The saint would surely not recognize today's world, dominated by leftist ideology, nor today's Catholic Church, ditto. Saint John Henry Newman, pray for Holy Mother Church, and pray that God will raise up a courageous leader like yourself, to confound the apostates and heretics who are perverting our Catholic Faith, and set His Church back on the right course. Amen.

Vatican experts verify authenticity of miracle attributed to intercession of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Catholics praying for the beatification of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen may well offer a prayer of thanks, as a panel of theologians has approved a miracle attributed to his intercession.

The Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation announced that the Vatican experts had verified the authenticity of the miracle, which involved the revival of an infant who had appeared to be stillborn. In March, a panel of physicians had found that there was no medical explanation for the child's recovery.

The miracle still requires formal approval from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. If the Pope Francis then authorizes the release of a decree certifying the miracle, all requirements would be fulfilled for the beatification of Archbishop Sheen. Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria IL, Archbishop Sheen's hometown, said that there is "no timeline" for the final Vatican approval of the miracle, or the scheduling of a beatification ceremony. He did say, however, that the beatification would be held in Peoria.

According to Catholic tradition, beatification is the first step on the road to sainthood. Normally -- although it's hard to say what is "normal" at the Vatican these days -- a second miracle is required for canonization.

What's wrong with the canonization of John Paul II: Michael Matt

I am really sorry that I didn't post this before the Big Event. It only came to my attention this weekend. Michael Matt, the editor of The Remnant, calls on his neo-Catholic brothers to drop the narrative and come to the aid of the Church as the secular press turns on the Vatican's decision to fast-track the canonization of Pope John Paul II.

He quotes some interesting statements by the Vatican's chief media spokesthingy, Father Federico Lombardi, who tells us that a person doesn't necessarily have to lead a saintly life or do saintly things to be declared a saint. Incredible!

Note from Ed.: I've had to "disimbed" the video because the video player associated with it caused the video to start running the minute you hit our home page, which interfered with other posts and videos. Click here to view the Michael Matt video. It's well worth watching!

At about the 10 minute mark (total running time 14:51), Mr. Matt comments on the disaster that is the "New Mass" -- the Novus Ordo mass foisted on us by the Protestants and Masons who were "advisors" to Vatican II. I was reminded of just how bad the New Mass can be -- aesthetically if not theologically -- when I chanced on a televised "Mass for Shut-ins" earlier today.

The "music" was provided by two size-XL ladies accompanied by their husbands -- I'm guessing -- on the inevitable guitars. Oh Lord -- this is a prayer -- spare me from ever again having to hear 60s-style folk music in a Catholic church! Anyway, I knew the mass was over when the fat ladies sang.

St McPeter's special today: Sainthood 2-for-1!

This editorial cartoon appeared in The Remnant -- a pro-family, pro-life, pro-Catholic newspaper which Walt recommends highly. A big "well done" to the artist.

Worth reading in the Remnant: "Pope Paul VI: Next Contestant on the Santo Subito Show"

Hasty canonizations of John XXIII and JPII - Heaven can't be pleased!

Walt will not be among the million or more pilgrims expected to flock to the Eternal City this weekend for the "canonizations" of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. I put "canonizations" in quotes because there is serious doubt about the propriety of declaring these popes saints.

In times past -- before Vatican II and even through the papacy of Paul VI -- it took a long time for the process of canonization to unfold. A case or "cause" had to be opened, and then promoted under the direction of a "postulator", whose mission was to make the case for the sainthood of the individual. But there was also a "devil's advocate" charged with arguing the case against the person in question. And, as proof of saintliness, two miracles -- not one but two -- had to be authenticated, and declared attributable to the intervention of the proposed saint. All this could take decades, even centuries.

But nowadays, under Francis the Party Pope -- now becoming known as "Pope of the Cold Calls" -- all those formalities are no longer required, especially for wannabe saints of the "new and improved" Roman Catholic Church of Vatican II. Francis has short-circuited the norms of Holy Mother Church so that JPII and John XXIII can be elevated to sainthood without the usual enquiries, arguments, and proofs of sanctity.

Why is this being done? Because to authenticate the saintliness of John XXIII, who convened Vatican II in spite of the warning given to him by Our Lady of Fatima, and John Paul II, who perpetuated and even worsened its errors, is to (in the minds of the faithful) authenticate the Council itself. So says Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, in his latest Letter to Friends and Benefactors (No. 82), titled "We vigorously protest these canonizations ".

Also worth reading is the Catholic Family News interview with Professor Roberto de Mattei on the proposed canonizations. Here's a quote: "If I had to admit that Pope Roncalli [John XXIII] exercised virtue in a heroic way while carrying out his role of Pontiff, I would undermine at the core, the rational presuppositions of my faith. When in doubt, I adhere to the dogma of faith established by the First Vatican Council, according to which there can be no contradiction between faith and reason..."

Meanwhile, in a village called Cevo, in northern Italy, a man was killed yesterday when a crucifix devoted to John Paul II collapsed on top of him. The gigantic cross -- nearly 100 feet high -- was erected to honour the late pontiff’s 1998 visit to the nearby city of Brescia.

Coincidentally, the 21-year-old victim lived with his parents in a town called Lovere, on Via Papa Giovanni XXIII. In English, that's "Pope John XXIII Street". More primitive people might take the event as an evil omen, but of course we Catholics aren't that primitive... are we...

Cause for beatification of Archbishop Fulton Sheen makes progress

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen was the first Catholic TV star. (OK, there was Ed Sullivan, but we're talking about a Catholic clergyman!) His programme, Life Is Worth Living, began in 1951 and attracted millions of viewers in prime time. At one time the most popular programme on American TV, it can still be seen in reruns and on YouTube.

In October of 1979, two months before the prelate's death, Pope John Paul II visited St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City and embraced him, saying, "You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church." And so he was.

In due course a cause for Archbishop Sheen's canonization was opened. Yesterday the President of the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation, Most Rev. Daniel Jenky, Bishop of Peoria, announced that a team of medical experts has verified the authenticity of a miracle attributed to Archbishop Sheen's intercession. This moves the beloved preacher a step closer to beatification.

The panel of experts, appointed by the Vatican, found no medical explanation for the case of a child who was restored to life after being stillborn. Medical personnel had tried for an hour to revive the child, without success, while the parents prayed for the intercession of Archbishop Sheen. The child, born in September 2010, is now a healthy 3-year-old.

The reported miracle will now be examined by a team of theologians. If they approve, it will then be submitted to the entire Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The final approval of the miracle would fulfill the last requirement for the beatification of Cardinal Sheen, who was proclaimed “Venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in June 2012.

Click here to visit a website which includes links to 48 audio files (MP3) of Archbishop Sheen's teachings on Life is Worth Living. Younger Catholics raised on the wishy-washy catechism which followed Vatican II should hear these clear and powerful statements of the True Faith, the traditional Faith of Our Fathers.

Finally, Walt offers one -- just one -- of the many talks by Archbishop Sheen which you can find on YouTube. This is one of the later ones, not a recording of the TV show, although there are plenty of those too. Since we are just beginning Lent, it will do us good -- you and me -- to listen to this reflection on sin, guilt and the Sacrament of Confession. (There's no such sacrament in the modern Church. Now they call it "reconciliation" and nobody talks about it much because it makes us feel... well... you know... kind of guilty.)