AMAZONIAN SYNOD CONFIRMS NEW 'AMAZONIAN RITE' FOR CELEBRATION OF MASS

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Schism has arrived. Surely.

In admitting that the statues that got their comeuppance in the murky waters of the Tiber are actually Pachamamas (idols representing 'mother earth'), and announcing that he might reinstate them at the closing Mass of the Amazon Synod at St Peter's, Pope Francis insults the faithful - once again - and finally puts himself quite beyond the pale.

Assemble yourselves, and come, and draw near together, ye that are saved of the Gentiles:they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven work, and pray to a god that cannot save (Is 45,20).

The headline that flashed around the world - "Pope Francis apologises" - must have raised the hopes of millions of faithful Catholics. Ah, we thought, the Pope has realized his mistake in 'watching on' with his cardinals in the Vatican Gardens as indigenous Amazonians and at least one Franciscan prostrated themselves, foreheads to the ground, before a statue of a nude, pregnant woman.

But no: the Pope was actually apologising to those sensitive, ecologically aware people who were offended by the daring night raid of Santa Maria Transpontina and the idols' unceremonious dunking in the Tiber. Talk about adding insult to injury!

But hey, in being insulted by our own Holy Father, as traditional Catholics have become used to in this pontificate, we're in good company, the best: Pope Francis has called St Peter, our first and truly Holy Father, "a hypocrite".

Bishop Jose Luis Aczona of Marajo in the Amazonian region has confirmed that Pachamama (now identified as such by the pontiff) is "a pagan goddess". He denounced the ritual in the Vatican Gardens, saying, "in those rituals there is the devil, there is magic".

The Church of the living God - the pillar and the bulwark of the truth (1 Tim 3:15) - teaches, and so requires that every Catholic believe, that any kind of idolatry or pantheism cannot be considered either as 'seeds' or 'fruits' of the Divine Word, since they are deceptions that preclude the evangelization and eternal salvation of their adherents: The god of this world has made blind the minds of those who have not faith, so that the light of the good news of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, might not be shining on them (2 Cor 4:4).

Exactly. The criminals in charge at the Vatican have no faith, and have ensured that millions of Catholics throughout the world have lost the faith also, and their chief instrument in achieving this is Annibale Bugnini's Novus Ordo.

This is where the syrupy songs have led us, where the gross understatements and inanities of the texts ('spiritual drink', for instance, not even 'divine drink', supposed to mean the Blood of our Lord, shed in excruciating agony on Calvary for our salvation) have led us, the lay people doling out the Precious Body of Christ like so many crackers, to laity lining up like a queue in a cafeteria: the Novus Ordo is gradually extinguishing the light of faith.

Which is why, this morning, I'm driving one and a quarter hours to attend the nearest Latin Mass, the only indult Latin Mass this morning in the entire diocese, at little St Columba's, Ashhurst, to be with believers and worship the one true God.

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path than sinners tread, or sit in the company of scorners (Ps 1, 1).

It falls, most appropriately, to Father James Martin SJ to announce on Twitter right now that the Amazonian Synod has confirmed an 'Amazonian Rite' for the celebration of the Mass.

Does this mean we'll soon have Pachamamas on NZ altars?

Most ominous is Father Martin's comment to the effect that this is 'a milestone', a 'recognition that the Eucharist is more central to the Church than is celibacy'.

Tell us something we don't know. But Father Martin is a Jesuit, and there's something as murky as the waters of the Tiber lurking beneath his tweet.

Philippa O'Neill says:

I'm reminded constantly of Jesus... angry in the temple... smashing things.

I say:

Yes, He made a whip and drove out the sheep and oxen, and overthrew the tables and poured out the money of the money-changers. Interesting though, that none of the Gospels says He was angry.

St Augustine suggests that the 'little cords' of the whip Jesus used to drive them out is a metaphor for our sins, with which we scourge ourselves. Jesus I believe was clearing the temple of animals used for sacrifice to make way for the Sacrifice which He Himself was to become.

Bob Gill says:

Not a good time for talking about statues in St Joseph’s Dannevirke either, we hear. In a request to the Palmerston North Liturgical Pastoral Commission to move the Our Lady statue out of a side alcove and situate it to one side of the Sanctuary, the Commission members were unanimous in the decision that the statue remains in the alcove. 

The statue is a secondary image, we are told, and the primary focus of the congregation needs to be on the Sanctuary without distractions. I can tell the Commission members have never seen the interior of our church because the altar is not in the Sanctuary – it’s situated in the middle of the church, where the congregation’s focus will be during a Mass. 

Also, the proposed location for our statue is well away from the Sanctuary and I cannot see how it would interfere with anyone looking towards the Sanctuary. The proposed new position too would have us saying the Rosary facing the Blessed Sacrament, thus avoiding some of us having our backs to the tabernacle.

Linda says:

I just checked out the images online for St Joseph's Dannevirke. You poor people. 

Most Catholic Churches in NZ are appalling. But that is quite weird having the altar in the middle, especially with the architecture clearly designed for the original sanctuary focus. How disorientating. 

Obviously not enough money to tear the whole thing apart so you go plan B. Neanderthal iconoclasts and witless vandals.