Cancel the Latin Mass!
In what seems a studied, calculated affront, a slap in the face to Our Lady of Mt Carmel on her feastday, Jorge Mario Bergoglio - the man many consider to be an antipope, if not the anti-Christ - has made his definitive move to obliterate the Mass of Ages.
For 1500 years the Latin Mass nurtured countless saints, and since Vatican II has fostered far more vocations to the priesthood than that spurious creature, the Novus Ordo.
But it seems Bergoglio doesn't want saints. He doesn't want holiness. He wants a New World Church and himself as its errant head.
The sheer quantity of evidence, and the diversity of the confluent evidence sets, is now so utterly overwhelming that I believe that a person, fully informed of the dataset, would have to engage in the willful suspension of disbelief to continue to acknowledge Bergoglio as Roman Pontiff (Ann Barnhardt, writing in 2016. What overwhelming evidence Bergoglio has provided since then, crowned with his Our Lady of Mt Carmel edict yesterday. What more can his flock look forward to?) .
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| The same day Pope Benedict XVI announced his abdication, lightning struck the Vatican twice. |
And that is why the Latin Mass must go: Bergoglio and his cohorts are well on their way to replacing the Catholic Church with a counterfeit, faithless church - and the Latin Mass, with its resurgence of orthodoxy, its burgeoning congregations and priestly and religious vocations is the main obstacle to that infernal goal.
St Vincent of Lérins: We know true teachings because they have been believed everywhere, always, by all.
In 2007 the Pope who many faithful Catholics believe is still Pope - Benedict XVI - relaxed the restrictions placed by the schemers of Vat2 on the Traditional Latin Mass. The interloper Bergoglio is, in effect, revoking Pope Benedict's motu proprio because, he says, it has become "a source of division in the church and been exploited by Catholics opposed to Vatican II."
The world's bishops, in cahoots with Bergoglio, modernists almost to a man, hand-picked by Bergoglio and then surveyed by Bergoglio, have reported to Bergoglio that - surprise surprise! Pope Benedict's reform is a source of division in the Church and 'exploited' by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council.
So Latin Mass communities are hotbeds of discontent, and any criticism of Bergoglio must be quelled. But in fact every Latin Mass ends with prayers for the pope - unchanged since the days not so very long ago when the Latin Mass was the only Mass, and attended by all the faithful.
Bergoglio's move, more or less revoking the hallmark of Pope Benedict's reign, surely precipitates the arrival of the schism which Novus Ordo Catholics have been pretending for years isn't happening, or in their stupor would rather ignore.
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| Pope St Pius X |
He's handed the fate of the Traditional Latin Mass and its adherents faithful to Church teaching over to the world's bishops in the sure and certain knowledge that since he usurped the Bishopric of Rome he's ensured that enough of them - vide New Zealand's sorry lot - are so steeped in that Modernism which Pope Pius X called the "heresy of all heresies", they will connive at Bergoglio's machinations or actively promote them by forbidding the Latin Mass in their dioceses.
Newly-ordained priests will now have to go cap in hand to these bishops to obtain permission to celebrate the Mass of the Ages.
Latin Mass communities like the one at St Columba's, Ashhurst, will likely be turfed out of their churches. Their bishop will have to find them somewhere else to go, some hole-in-the-corner like a funeral parlour perhaps, like the SSPX who drive from Whanganui every third Sunday to celebrate the Mass of Ages at Dunstall's Funeral Services, at 5 p m. And bishops can't allow any new Latin Mass groups in their dioceses.
Bishops can no longer authorise any new Latin Mass communities in their dioceses.
Will the average N O Massgoer - if they're even aware of this - think that it is even fair, let alone Christian, let alone Catholic, let alone papal, to treat lay people and priests in this despicable fashion?
How can a pope who invokes mercy for sodomists be so merciless towards Catholics who stand firm in the faith of their forefathers?
There won't be a lot of N O priests apprising their flocks of this appalling turn of events. That would mean sticking their heads up above the parapet, standing up for Our Crucified Lord and His right to the worship of His faithful, instead of looking to their 'career' in the priesthood instead of their heavenly homeland with their Almighty, Gracious God.
Has Bergoglio forgotten, or is he overlooking, the fact that throughout the entire history of the Catholic Church, beginning with the first bishops (the Apostles themselves) and martyrs of Rome, that persecution - which is what his attack on the Latin Mass and the orthodoxy which is essential to sainthood (Cardinal Pie) amounts to - will unfailingly produce more converts to the faith, more priests, more martyrs?
By this tragic oversight Bergoglio is falling victim to the worldliness which Our Lord warned against:
If the world hate you, know ye that it hath hated me before you. If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you " (Jn 15:18, 19).
Bergoglio is "the world". By this move he defines himself as the enemy of Christ and His Church.
And the Catholics who continue to file sheepishly into most (but not all) Novus Ordo churches on Sundays (but never during the week) align themselves with Bergoglio and his devilish work.
As traditional Catholics foresaw, he's based his move on his 2020 survey of the all the world's bishops whose "responses reveal a situation that preoccupies and saddens me". Well of course. As previously noted, he's stacked the world's dioceses with modernist bishops who hate the Latin Mass as much as Bergoglio does.
And why? Because the Latin Mass shows them up as failures. It shows the Novus Ordo up as a failure. Because "By their fruits you shall know them": and Latin Mass attendance soars while Novus Ordo Mass counts plummet. The wretches cannot get away from those facts.
And so the bully-boy response, the clericalism non pareil, rampant, undisguised, retaliates by exerting its authority.
But let Bergoglio and his bishops beware. The authority is not theirs, it is divine. And "vengeance is mine", says the Lord, and He will repay. Bergoglio reckons Pope Benedict's effort to foster unity by reaching out to the SSPX had essentially backfired. We may have to wait a long time to witness it - and maybe not this side of the grave - but in the end it's Bergoglio's bullying that will backfire.
He regrets that Summorum Pontificum was "exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the Church, block her path, and expose her to the peril of division." He clearly believes, having injured the Church, blocked her path and exposed her to the peril of division like no other pope in modern history, that attack is the best form of defence.
Joseph Shaw, chairman of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales, says Bergoglio's requirement for Latin Masses to be held outside a parish was "unworkable". Well, that's an Englishman's response. The Kiwi No 8 wire approach could be be very different. There are more ways than one to skin a cat.
"Revenge not yourselves, my dearly beloved; but give place unto wrath, for it is written: Revenge is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord" (Rom 12:19).
"Will the average N O Massgoer - if they're even aware of this - think that it is even fair, let alone Christian, let alone Catholic, let alone papal, to treat lay people and priests in this despicable fashion?"
ReplyDeleteNo, Julia, I do not. It is a terrible thing to do, and so far as I can tell there have been some very generous responses from a fair number of Bishops in the USA.
I thought the first reading for today, being the first Sunday after Pope Francis' actions against the Latin Mass very very fitting.
Fr Z made a very wise comment, to not attack any Bishop over this, which is the natural response to such a blow and deep hurt of being deprived, by the Pope himself, of the rights to express deep devotion and true worship to Christ in solemn worship through the Latin Mass. Rather to ask permission with the hope of a merciful hearing to continue in whatever function and form the Latin Mass has to date been made available.
I hope that Archbishop Paul Martin comes through on this, particularly for Christchurch where he is the administrator, and provides a positive influence that Ashburton may continue. Also for Bishop Dunn to respond generously as well, Fr Palman celebrates the Latin Mass in his Diocese and so on.
We are all having a hard time, with covid and all the uncertainty that brings, the cessation of the Mass at times and restrictions around all that, when the Church should be there, sadly it has in some places not been the case, especially for the sick.
Hold fast, the Lord has this, and consider all this a practice run for what may be (I don't know) the hard times ahead.
I offered my Eucharist this morning for all those who worshipped Christ and the Most Holy Trinity at the Latin Mass. There is an opportunity in this for holiness and we should not waste it.
Oops I meant Ashhurst not Ashburton.
DeleteI would add, I think that Pope Francis found a precedent (apart from Vatican II's changes, which were, by the way never faithfully implemented which is why we have all this mess today), in, was it Pius V? He had restricted the liturgical form to only those Mass forms that could claim to have been in practice for more than 200 years, (I may have that number wrong). In which case, there were many liturgical practices that were by law dispensed with. But surely the precedent here is not just the exercise of Papal power with Pius V, but the longevity of the form of the Mass. In which case the Latin Mass is the one which survived through Pius V's changes and is received today, as Pope Benedict held, that it could not (and had not) been abrogated.
ReplyDeleteBishops are answerable to the Lord. As we learned through the Nuremberg trials, following the law is not an excuse when it leads to persecution. St Thomas Aquinas said that the law had to be just. Taking the long view of the Tradition, in which way is this just to deny the Latin Mass ipso facto.
I don't see it that way at all. But still, we as lay people must obey the Bishop as long as valid sacraments are there for us. But the Bishops have a whole other layer of obedience to consider. I wouldn't like to be one today, and of course never will be.
Anon says:
ReplyDeleteI will try to analyse the context, the bigger picture.
The Church is in schism, largely because the Pope is trying to rapidly advance a liberal agenda, and he is predictably getting a lot of criticism from within the Church. Much of the criticism is from people who care very deeply about the Church. The criticism is mostly well researched, factually accurate, and well presented (especially on the internet). A very high proportion of critics are clearly advocates of the Latin Mass. The criticism is hurting Pope Francis, who repeatedly attacks these so-called "rigid" traditionalists.
The Pope's political logic with the new Motu Proprio "Traditionis Custodes"seems to be to weaken the critics by subjecting the Latin Mass to a slow but certain death. I think the Pope's actions will have the opposite effect, it will inflame the schism and make it more public, the criticism will increase. The Pope will also provide fertile ground for the growth of SSPX.
We must be careful to make sure the new battle over the Latin Mass does not obscure the big picture issues that are driving the schism. Pope Francis would better spend his time explaining to his flock the doctrinal distortions he is creating, rather than dudding the Latin Mass.
To end, it is worth noting the enthusiasm with which the NZ Church embraces the secular political cause of biculturalism. Why not two liturgies?! We could be the 'biliturgical' Church.
"...provide fertile ground for the growth of SSPX."
DeleteIt is strange, on the one hand Pope Francis has made concessions toward the SSPX, and then on the other hand, with this MP severely restricted the Latin Mass, assuming the Bishops co-operate fully.(Do Bishops want to be that unpopular?)
Is Pope Francis taking his time here? If things go to plan it may be the SSPX is the only option for tradition minded laity. Then, over time, once they are all corralled together with the SSPX it would be an easy thing for the Pope to find a pretext to excommunicate their Bishop and priests. In that way, the laity would place themselves outside the Church by choosing to attend what would not be a formally schismatic sect. Here it finally comes to pass, that this is the end of the line for troublesome rigid Catholics.
Bob Gill says:
ReplyDeleteAnd where is the evidence showing that the Traditional Mass undermines unity within the Church? Surely the varied interpretations of the Novus Ordo Mass being celebrated throughout the world are more likely to lead to disunity - and such irregularities have shown little evidence of being addressed.
Of more concern for some years now and not being addressed, I’m thinking, is the lack of belief in the Real Presence so obviously demonstrated by a large percentage of Catholics receiving Communion during a typical Novus Ordo Mass. And what about those school children who have been taught to blatantly ignore the Blessed Sacrament as they enter and leave the church?
This decision by the Pope will surely cause nothing more than further Church division.
The Pope has been shrewd. He knows the battle is not just about the Tridentine Mass but the new Christology and moral theology. To advance the modernist agenda restrict the Mass and quizz those priests who say it on their theology. Those with traditional theology will be restricted in offering this Mass. Then you have modernist priests saying the Mass and the whole thing becomes a farce. Like Bishop Cullonane who offered the Tridentine Mass but didn't really want to do so.
ReplyDeleteI'm sympathetic, I think the Latin Mass is beautiful and timeless. I want it to be available for ever in every diocese. But I also acknowledge as a faithful Catholic that the Pope does exercise this legitimate authority regarding liturgy. To suggest otherwise is heretical.
ReplyDeleteNo it's not heretical. Legitimate authority is a just authority. St Thomas and others were clear about that, Catholic obedience is not blind obedience.
DeleteAnyway, in this case it is up the each Bishop and each Bishop can just let things continue as they are with some restrictions, but that doesn't imply punishing suppression.
We will be watching.
I say:
Delete"An unjust law is no law at all" (St Augustine, St Thomas Aquinas") or if you prefer, "We must obey God rather than men". If lay Catholics had blindly followed Arius instead of resisting, his heresy would have prevailed.
And Bergoglio - whose election to the papacy is widely contested - has had plenty of time to stack the Church with modernist bishops who were just waiting for this opportunity.
That is open to question and certainly not heretical to ask if the Pope is acting ultra vires even as supreme legislator.
ReplyDelete