12 RULES FOR FAITHFUL CATHOLICS FROM FAITHLESS CLERGY

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'Masks must be worn by everyone while in church.' 'Ministers and priests are not free to place the host (sic) on people's tongues.'

This diktat, issued today by a Fr Craig Butler, Local Administrator, is beyond belief outrageous. 12 pettifogging, ridiculous rules have been dreamed up by faithless clergy for infliction on faithful Catholics, an insult to the intelligence of lay people and a grievous wound to the Heart of Jesus, Our Eucharistic Lord.

Even our godless Government of Ardern,Little&Co, Death Dealers to the Nation, does not require these measures.

One of the most regrettable effects of the dumbed-down Novus Ordo is the flight from the Church, over the years since Vatican II, of the better brains. Another is the effeminacy of the clergy, so many of whom seem content to be bossed around by managing women for whom their manipulation serves at once as a means to the end of female priests and something to do while they're waiting for it.

A Palmerston North Diocese Latin Mass/Novus Ordo Massgoer commented today, having ignored the mask handed her by a busybody during her silent prayer in the Blessed Sacrament chapel, that while she'll consent to wearing a mask in retail premises as per Government instructions because people's livelihoods depend on masked customers, she will not do so on holy ground. In God's house, Almighty God Himself makes the rules and everyone, clergy and lay, must comply under pain of sin.

All right, she didn't say that much, or quite like that, but that's what she means. She was distressed by being refused her right to Holy Communion on the tongue, and probably not so distressed as the priest - an import from Asia, where priests and lay are devout rather than lackadaisical, as in New Zealand. 

Almighty God, through the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has mandated that no one may ever be denied Holy Communion on the tongue. Priests, bishops, archbishops and cardinals alike know this very well but many, like ours in New Zealand, simply flout Church  rules. And yet they have the gall and the hypocrisy to give us 12 rules (going two better than God) which we flout under pain of the loss of God Himself, in the Eucharist.

'Delta Outbreak Level Two' Government advice (absurd though it is, in light of the statistics quoted above) is "ENCOURAGE attendees to wear a face covering". But that's not enough for Fr Craig Butler (who of course is fronting for Cardinal John Atcherley Dew). No; "Masks MUST be worn by everyone while in church". 

Oops! Oh no! A certain party must admit that she's already flouted the very first rule by visiting Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament today without wearing a face covering. If Father gets to hear of this infringement he might feel constrained to lock the church up again. The certain party was wearing a head covering - she does that out of reverence for Our Lord, for Church Tradition, and in reparation for sins of irreverence - but that would not work in her favour with the PP, or with Fr Craig Butler probably. Rather the reverse, actually. 

She didn't sign in, either. And she's not likely to. Masks and signing in are tools for the manufacture of fear and control of the masses, and she won't contribute to either. "An unjust law is no law at all" (St Augustine, Doctor of the Church). 

Our Heavenly Father loves us with a love beyond all telling. What earthly father would want to see his children's smiles and tears hidden behind a mask? How does our Father feel when He sees us hiding our faces from Him, for fear of a pretty average flu virus from which He will protect us if only we will pray with faith in Him, and will allow it to end our lives only when it is in our best eternal interests - almost always only when we have lived long, and been given by Him all the graces necessary to save our souls.

Fr Craig Butler says that 'our diocesan requirements for church use during Alert Level II INCLUDE  the following' (our emphasis).  Good grief. Does he mean that the 12 rules are not all? There are more??? Is this just the first instalment?

Has Fr Craig Butler or any of his female assistants totted up the costs incurred by his 12 rules? The cost of masks, hand sanitiser, slips of paper. And - rather sinister - the cost of 'training'. Especially 'training' for 'dealing with someone who chooses not to wear a mask'. 

Achtung! Achtung!  'We have ways of making you talk!' Who will do this training? The police? Does Fr Craig Butler realise that the police have recently used strong-arm tactics on protestors?  

'Limiting people to 100 per Mass is not easy.' Diddums. Ask the priests of the Society of St Pius X at St Anthony's Whanganui how to do it. How to celebrate 6 Masses in a day, as they do. Where there is a will, there's a way. 

The rigmarole indicated for 'coming forward to receive Communion' would be hilarious if it weren't sacrilegious. Which it is. 

How many reasonable, thinking adults are going to submit to the charade of Fr Craig Butler's 'diocesan requirements'? 

"21 September 2021

Following the most recent changes to Alert Level II restrictions, and in conversations with both Cardinal John and the Council of Priests we will open our churches for the celebration of public Masses, beginning tomorrow.

The only real change announced yesterday is the increase of gatherings from 50 to 100 people, which means we need to be just as vigilant in terms of keeping our people and the wider community safe.  To be clear, everyone is obliged to follow the public health requirements, because public safety comes before personal rights and personal opinions.

Our diocesan requirements for church use during Alert Level II include the following:

1. Masks must be worn by everyone while in church.  Each church should have a supply of masks (for those who forget)

2. People entering the church must sign in using the COVID-19 tracer app (or sign in manually) and use hand sanitizer.  Signing in must now involve privacy, with separate slips to be completed and deposited in a record box.  Children over 12 must sign in.

3. There must be someone appointed to oversee this process, firstly by welcoming people and then ensuring that everyone signs in, is wearing a mask and a reminding people to keep 2m spacing.  These people may need some training.  Eg when dealing with someone who chooses not to wear a mask.

4. The 100 person limit does not include the presider, musicians, readers, coordinator and eucharistic ministers. 

5. Church seating must be clearly marked allowing 2m spacing in each direction (not including people from the same family/bubble)

6. Holy Communion is to be distributed, only on the hand.  Ministers and priests are not free to place the host on people’s tongues.

7. Holy Water fonts are to remain empty.

8. No Altar Servers.

9. The priest is to wear a mask, except when praying from the Presider’s Chair, reading the Gospel, giving the homily and praying the Eucharistic Prayer.

10. During the Eucharistic Prayer the hosts are to be covered with a corporal.

11. When distributing Holy Communion, the priest and Eucharistic Ministers must keep their masks on. 

12. When coming forward to receive Holy Communion, parishioners are to keep 2m away from others, keep their masks on when receiving the host (on the hand) step to one side remove their mask to receive the host and then replace it as they make their way back to their seat.  (In the case of those who use walking aids, those ministering Holy Communion can use their discretion)

Limiting people to 100 per Mass is not easy. We don’t have a Diocesan Booking system, so each parish will need to work out its own method.  As soon as I receive it, I will pass on a suggestion from the Palmerston North parishes. 

Baptisms are allowed.  Maintaining the 2m distance will be difficult.  We can only do our best to keep people safe and encourage them to play by the rules.  Having said this, I know from experience that families will go back home where they will do what they want…. In the end, we are not policemen.  

To conclude, I have enclosed a quote from Cardinal John’s letter to his priests.

“Bishops sometimes have a responsibility to issue directives during pandemics such as the one caused by Covid-19 especially in regard to the health and welfare of other people. Jesus told us that we have to love our neighbor as ourselves. Love of neighbor obviously includes doing our best to protect others from infections that threaten their health or even their lives. For reasons such as these the final Canon (223) in the section of rights reminds all the faithful that their rights are not absolute, and they must consider the common good of the Church and all other members of Christ’s faithful.

Lastly, these restrictions are intended to keep people safe.  At the same time we need to be unified in our approach.  The increased virulency of the Delta Strain and the government’s response proves to me that we are not out of the woods - we are in this for the long game.  Thank you for your understanding and your care for our people during this extraordinary time.  

Our diocesan situation will be reviewed sometime in October.

With every good wish and blessing,

 

Fr Craig Butler

Local Administrator"

Words of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, December 5 1975:

"The number of good Priests is less, and the time is nearing in which many of the Faithful people will be orphaned in their soul. Their home will become the dwelling place of the Church, wherein they alone and together, will pray and sing praise of God. 

Spiritually, in love and with longing, they will foster the memory of the Blessed Sacrament and wil receive Communion in a spiritual way."

Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci