THE RED DRAGON, IS IT COMING TO A CHURCH NEAR YOU

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Yesterday (Monday) I visited three churches in the Hastings Parish of Palmerston North Diocese. After dropping a Uzbekistani friend off at the hospital for chemo - with her Kazakhstani friend for company - I wanted to pray the Rosary before the Blessed Sacrament.

I went around the corner, sort of, to St Peter Chanel. Closed. Then having gone as far as Farmers' in the CBD for eyebrow pencil, I thought I'd put aside my squeamishness and darken the door of the Pretender Protestant, main parish church of Sacred Heart. 

Closed. So was its office, secure behind its grille with notices making it clear that if the office wasn't open, any penitents wanting absolution for mortal sin would just have to pray they didn't die in the night.

By then I was fired up. I reckoned I had just enough time to get to Our Lady of Lourdes in Havelock North, pray the Rosary and be back in time to collect Nara and (sounds like) Eyeken after the chemo. 

There were three cars in OLOL's well-groomed carpark (presumably their owners were tending the garden or the 'gathering space') and the door to the church stood ajar. Deo gratias. 

Following instructions from a medically-minded son, to lie flat on my back for ten minutes every day, I lay down on the woollen-carpeted floor near the tabernacle. I was fairly sure I wouldn't be discovered and I wasn't - and while I was praying the Rosary, flat on the floor, I heard rain on OLOL's iconic aluminium spire, the rain our Hawke's Bay pastures and gardens have so desperately needed. 

OLOL may have lost its resident priest, the much-loved Father Pat Cooke who returned to the Ould Sod, but obviously not its Catholic morale. Is it just that in green and leafy Havelock North, parishioners have more leisure to devote to Our Lord in the Eucharist than in Pasifika-style Raureka, or in Hastings' CBD, or is vandalism less likely in 'the village', or both? 

If vandalism's the reason for locking churches, why not roster parishioners for, say, half an hour each a week to keep them open? In our aging, comparatively affluent society are there not many pensioners fully capable of simply sitting for a while with the Lord? What benefits would accrue to parishes and priests alike!

It's good of people to take Holy Communion to the house-bound but the fact is, Our Lord and Saviour is church-bound, waiting in the tabernacle for company with infinitely greater longing and blessings for His visitors than any of the sick and elderly.

I suspect it's the Novus Ordo ('New Mass') which has drained us of all enthusiasm for such enterprise, and that to a large extent, by boring the faithful to tears and into missing Mass over the past 50 years, the NO has in itself contributed to the scourge of vandalism. I'm telescoping the scenario, but you get my gist. The devil makes work for idle hands - and also for idle souls. 

We now take God for granted. We take our Catholic Faith for granted. The Catholic Church in New Zealand is almost completely comatose, and I fear that one day we might find ourselves woken from our stupor by the heavy tread and flaming breath of the Communist Red Dragon of China.

The world was first warned of Communism by Our Lord Himself, in March 1847, when he "commanded" the French Carmelite nun Sister Saint-Pierre "to make war on the Communists, telling me they are enemies of the Church and of her Christ"-
https://fatima.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/BT041_Revelations_of_the_Holy_Face_of_Jesus.pdf

- and much more famously, Our Lady echoed that same warning at Fatima in Portugal in 1917. "The name Russia in the Fatima message represents the political system of a militant godless materialism", says Bishop Athanasius Schneider (funnily enough, considering my companions yesterday) of Kazakhstan, in his new book, Christus Vincit. It applies now to China.

Cardinal Joseph Zen has written to his fellow cardinals, "begging you on my knees", to prevent the "killing of the Church in China". He speaks of her "long history of persecution" under Communism, and asks, "Is there anything logical in totalitarian systems? The only logic is that ... a white cat is the same as a black cat, so long as it serves the purposes of the Party.

"In everything the orders of the Party will be followed, including the prohibition of minors under the age of 18 from participating in any religious activity."

How cunning are the Commos! They know that when children are deprived of Catholic teaching (as they are pretty much, in NZ's 'Catholic' schools) they will be deprived of God, which is Communism's main aim - and incidentally of eternal life, but the Party's not interested in that; the Party doesn't believe in eternal life. 

Do we? Really?

Last year, the retired Cardinal Zen called on Catholics to "fight" for their faith as harassment of the underground church increases in the wake of Pope Francis' 'Pastoral Guidelines of the Holy See Concerning the Registration of Clergy in China'. He has warned that the Pope's "strategy was wrong", that the agreement is "all about compromise and surrender".

It was July 3 when Cardinal Zen met with the Pope, who promised to "take care of that; I am going to look into the matter", said the Pope. So far, he hasn't.  It strikes me as highly likely that the Asian woman who grabbed at the Pope's hand, in that highly publicised incident, and spoke to him so urgently, was begging him to "take care of that", as he'd promised Cardinal Zen. It would explain his reaction, would it not? 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WySwhj2SwE

The US ambassador for religious freedom has stated that since this 'provisional deal', the Chinese government's abuse of Catholics has continued. "We see no signs that will change." 
 https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/cdl-zen-urges-loyal-chinese-catholics-to-fight-for-the-faith-amid-worsening-persecution

"You can never renounce your faith; says Cardinal Zen, who however advises Catholics not to rebel, and priests who are not allowed to say Mass, because they refuse to register with the communist government according to the deal struck by Pope Francis, should "go home". 

"In difficult times you can renounce the benefits of the sacraments (because they are not available) and God is able to give grace even outside the sacraments. Catholics should not trust those who want to destroy their faith. "You have to be dissident. You have to defend yourself."

Now, in Communist China there's not much difference between 'Chinese corporation' and 'the Chinese government'. In 2011, 43% of profit in China was produced by companies controlled by the government. Bear that in mind, then think on:

• A Chinese company has bought the largest pork producer and processor in the world
• A Chinese company controls more movie ticket sales than anyone else in the world
• Many US communities are now heavily dependent on local but China-owned businesses
• China is mining for coal in Tennessee
• China is building a city larger than Manhattan just outside Minsk, capital of Belarus
• China is now the number one trading nation on the planet
• China has more foreign currency reserves than any other country on the planet
• China now has the largest new car market on the planet
• China is the number one gold producer on the planet
• China now consumes more energy than the United States
• China is now in aggregate the leading manufacturer of goods on the planet 
• China uses more cement than the rest of the world combined
• China is the number one producer of wind and solar power on the plant
• China produces more than 90% of the global supply of rare earth elements
• China is the number one supplier of components critical to the operation of any national defence system
• Very soon, China is expected to become number one on the planet in publication of scientific research articles
• Beijing is providing governments around the world with technology and training in controlling their own citizens
• China has managed to take down targets in space
• By 2030 China's navy will be twice the size of the US navy
• A British consulate staffer was tortured in China by police who insistedhe was "a mastermind and British proxy to incite and organise the protests" in Hong Kong
• One million Turkic Muslims in China are detained in 'political education' camps where they are forcibly indoctrinated to rid them of what President Xi Jinping calls 'extremist religious thought".

Do we think it's about time we NZ Catholics began to live what Jinping might call our 'extremist religious thought' - our faith - to prepare for a day when we might have to "renounce the benefits of the sacraments"? 

Let's reflect on the 'necessity' for Sunday Liturgies of the Word, for example, when Mass is celebrated 35 minutes away, and then on being Catholic under Communism in the Soviet Union, as shown in the following excerpt from Christus Vincit (expect many more Schneiderisms to be paraded on this blog before I finish the Bishop's book).

"My parents went to look for the Catholic church; they were searching almost the entire day and finally found it, an old Catholic church in the Gothic style which the government had allowed to remain open. They came home and said to us, "Oh, children, we are so happy! We have a church so close to us. Only 100 kilometers!" I remember this. "So close to us. Only 100 kilometers!" We were all so happy. 

(On Sundays) we went in the morning by train while it was still dark ... It was not permitted for minors to go to Church. ... And then we came back at night once evening had fallen and again it was dark. 

This is also one of the most beautiful memories of my life, those Sunday Mass trips" ('Christus Vincit' by Bishop Athanasius Schneider in conversation with Diane Montagna, Angelico Press).


Let's us NZ Catholics find out what we've got before it's gone.

Teresa Coles says:

Well Julia you would have found the doors of St Patrick's open yesterday, as it is most days in Taupo....Maybe because our Mons lives on the grounds...

Bob Gill says:

I complain a lot (act pro-actively) about practices in my local church, but have to admit the doors are open daily. A great consolation, I feel, for having to put up with the Protestant association of the Novus Ordo. We do have security cameras, which I expect all New Zealand churches would have these days – as an effective deterrent?

I say: No security cameras in Holy Trinity. I suspect the Parish Council wouldn't see a need to justify the expense, and I think maybe Dannevirke's were installed by Fr Brian Buenger (of fond memory).

Philippa O'Neill says:

How blessed we are in Dunedin. I can go to 8.30, 9.30 or 11am at Little Sisters and starting Feb I can go to 12.10 at the Moran Chapel. So spoilt for choice. A 6pm would be brilliant too though, for workers not near the Octagon! 

Julia, I do feel for you... Thank you, great info on China (very influential in the Pacific too... lending money to poor Pacific countries... selling themselves to the devil no doubt) and I do believe that's why she grabbed his hand. Desperate lady.

I say: 

What a luxury, to have the Mass so available. I've been driving 20 minutes to an 8 a m Mass (no options) for a couple of weeks now.  
But in a city the size of Dunedin there would surely be a need as you say, for an evening Mass. 

Bob Gill says:

I do envy you being spoiled for choice, Philippa. I see you have Michael Joseph Dooley as Bishop who obviously determines the flow of things in the diocese. I didn't miss your point about a needed evening Mass to cater for non-retirees - the main of the Catholic population. I hope we end up being so lucky in the Palmerston North Diocese.

I say:

I'm always saying there's no such thing as luck. Everything's either ordained or permitted by God's Providence. We need to pray for a holy bishop.

Philippa O'Neill says:

You have a lovely priest from here heading your way - or close to you I think. Fr Vaughan Leslie. Such a shame for us to lose him when we really need more priests.

I say:

Yes, I attended Fr Leslie's weekday Mass a couple of times at OLOL in Palmerston North. I was very impressed. 
I believe OLOL would love to have him back - but for his sake I'm glad he's going to Whanganui, where he will have the holy SSPX priests handy, not to mention Fr Nathaniel Brazil. 
Whanganui could be the place to live, were I not living where God has put me.   

Bob Gill replies: 

Father Leslie is moving to Wanganui, which is some distance from Dannevirke. I recently visited the beautiful SSPX church there, but was unable to be there at Mass time, so my immediate goal is to return to the SSPX to hear a Mass as soon as I can this year.

I say:

Try to make it a Sunday Mass, when you'll get a sermon. A proper sermon. 

Philippa O'Neill says:

My hubbie's parents used to have the Latin Mass in their chapel in their home said by SSPX priests when they could visit Dunedin. I now understand why ... at the time I was not too sure about this ... maturity makes me more understanding.
Being a recent convert to the beautiful Latin Mass, I'm so happy that we have a weekly Sunday Latin Mass here. Blessed as! 

Clare Omvig says:

One day I will go to my first Latin Mass.

Can I go to the LIttle Sisters at 8.30 a m?

Philippa O'Neill says:

No, Clare ...it's 11  M. 8.30 is the Latin Mass in the wee chapel behind the cathedral. Might be an 8.30 at Holy Name ... or is it 7.30 ... not sure. 

Roseanne Sheridan says:

Perfect love drives out all fear. There is only one Mass. It is the Sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ once and for all time. This is the only Mass.
 I hope you find out what time the Mass is that you want to attend. I don't see why this all has to be oppositional. I have been to Mass, in different rites, in many languages and with a variety of music styles. Yet, every time, Jesus is present, to offer His Sacrirfice in the Mass. Every time, Jesus joins His Life to our lives, His Sacred Heart, to our hearts in Holy Communion. Every time, Jesus calls us to follow Him in through Baptism.

Bob Gill adds:

 Clare, I would encourage you to go to your first Latin Mass soon, and relish the experience! For the first time since before Vatican II, this morning I attended a Latin sung High Mass - in St Anthony’s SSPX church in Wanganui. What an experience!

Helen Carver says:  Sounds wonderful🎵

Philippa O'Neill says:

Roseanne, why are you suggesting it is oppositional ... we all have different tastes and this is our taste ... the Latin Mass. Are we not allowed to express our love for what we love? God bless.

Roseanne replies:

Not at all, Philly. No one needs to defend the Mass in any form to me, Latin or otherwise. It's all the one Mass. People themselves are able to relate to God in different ways at different times as they grown in their relationship with God. Our Catholic faith has such a rich heritage that is beautiful. Sadly there are some, however, who oppose the Mass in the present rite. We are all Catholics together, united in the beauty of the Mass. God's blessings to you too.

The Mass is one in Christ,, regardless of the people involved or their views. For example, the Mass at Lanciano, when celebrated by a Priest who did not believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, was not less because of his unbelief. Then one day, at the Consecration, the bread and wine changed physically into the visible Body and Blood of Christ. Was this more Holy? No. The Presence of Christ in His Priesthood, perfects the Mass. Should we celebrate Mass in giving of ourselves in the best way possible? Indeed! Those who are better able, need in love, to help those who struggle. We are each called to come to God in our imperfection, so we can be perfected in Christ.

Philippa O'Neill: I  never mentioned more holy?

Roseanne replies (again):

I wasn't referring to you, Philly. I have been on a page where there are people who think this way in extreme ways, sadly. Judging the "holiness" of a Mass by what they view as anything from how decorative the church building is, to the music, the manner of the Priest, the rite or language or style of the Mass. People who state that if people attend Masses in certain rites, that are authenticated by the Church, are committing a mortal sin.This of course, is not true. It makes me very sad. In Masses, most people are genuinely trying their best for God, imperfect as we all are. The holiness of a Mass, the perfection, is in Jesus, in His Sacrifcie made once for all time. So every Mass is that one Mass.

Josephine Dickson says:

Yes I would hate to see that in our churches ..it is all about personalities and entertainment and i never want that in our true Catholic churches...but I have already seen a little creeping in. 

Bob Gill:

  We are sick of the Mass being butchered. Have we not a responsibility to express feelings about some aspects of the liturgy that have been deliberately modified by some priests and laity over the last 50 years or so – without permission of Rome? Isn’t it our duty to speak out about such abuses of the Mass in order to protect our God-given gift – for ourselves and for future generations? Only by overcoming these abuses can we hope to “….celebrate Mass in giving of ourselves in the best way possible?”

Philippa O'Neill:

Bob, this YouTube Clip sums up some of them ... but many abuses are missing, like the priest and the 'Eucharistic Ministers' taking Communion after they have given it to the faithful; the priest changing the word 'many' in the Canon to 'all' and lately the Creed being changed from 'and became man' to 'became human'. None of these is correct and right. 

One point on this clip I don't agree with, Fr Pagano (with respect, dear Father) is lay people coming up to give the sermon. That could be open to huge abuse - the mind boggles.

https://catholictalkshow.com/15-things-that-need-to-stop.../


Roseanne Sheridan says:

In having specific concerns Bob, have you spoken to your Bishop or written to Rome in what you feel are actions not approved by the Church? If so, what response have you had? It can be distressing when changes are made and adequate reason is not given. What "butcherings" do you see as happening that concern you? The events in the Church, particularly recently, have caused many people a crisis of faith.

Bob Gill replies:

I moved to the Palmerston North diocese just over three years ago and have had a few concerns during visits to my local Dannevirke church and the Cathedral in Palmerston. These concerns were made known to my parish priest initially, then to Bishop Charles Drennan in writing. Mark Richards responded to me on behalf of the Bishop initially, a response I found unsatisfactory. The Bishop failed to answer any other of my emails on the same concerns over the last couple of years. I tried writing to the Liturgy Office on a couple of occasions about the same concerns, but still no response to my emails. For the record, I have never had a response in writing over the years on any request for information from the Liturgy Office.

Things that concern me? I will mention one, otherwise I will be filling pages! As you know, blessings of people in the Communion queue have become so common that many people think it is an acceptable Mass practice – which it isn’t. The problem is that many celebrants and lay ministers touch people’s bodies, and then use that same hand to rummage around in the chalice to pick up a Host for handing out to the next recipient – thus deliberately contaminating the Blessed Sacrament. And because people like to add their own interpretation of the practice, you get teachers at school Masses herding out the school children row by row for a blessing so that you end up with more people in the Communion queue going for a blessing than those waiting to receive Communion. What happened to the old system of giving out blessings at the end of Mass? Alternatively, why can’t we follow what Phoenix, Arizona diocese does? Bishop Thomas Olmsted there instructs all ministers to raise a hand above those wanting a blessing and to say: “Receive the Lord Jesus in your heart.” Most of the lay ministers are now doing this in St Joseph’s Dannevirke, but none of the celebrants.

Since discovering that Bishop Lowe is now secretary of the Bishops Conference I have requested that he bring up for discussion at the next meeting in February two of my concerns for discussion. Bishop Lowe is well-known for his love of the Eucharist (one of his first moves after becoming Bishop was to introduce Exposition six days a week), so as one of my concerns is to do with Communion abuse I am hoping he will respond to my request. From previous correspondence with him I do know he will at least respond in writing.

Unfortunately, priests and lay people have been allowed to make many unauthorised changes to the Novus Ordo liturgy since Vatican II. A few dioceses in the States, though, seem to have resisted these changes, remained orthodox, and are not suffering the lack of priests situation associated with liberal dioceses elsewhere. Little wonder, then, that many of us are attracted to the unchanging, orthodox Latin Mass.

Philippa O'Neill says: And school Masses... aaargh... the worst.

Bob ... looks like the Mass is the least of the problem at the moment: 

 https://www.lifesitenews.com/.../breaking-vigano-comes...

Roseanne Sheridan says:

Such divisiveness amongst the clerical hierachy in the Church needs a great deal of prayer, especially from the laity. The Holy Spirit will continue to guide and protect the Church no matter what crises raises its head. Even in the face of all, we know, that the Body of Christ, the Church, will not fail to triumph in the Mass of Resurrection. I think of our Bishop's motto, "We trust in God."

Correspondence on this post is now closed.

.

ATTENDING A LITURGY OF THE WORD ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL NOT FULFIL YOUR SUNDAY OBLIGATION

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Let's get straight down to tin tacks. Attending a 'Paraliturgy', as it's called in this neck of the woods - but properly known as a Liturgy of the Word with Communion - almost certainly will not fulfill your Sunday obligation, which is to keep the Lord's Day holy by attending Mass.

"Canon 1248 - If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is strongly recommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word"(emphasis added, for ease of understanding).

That's it. Cut and dried. Here in New Zealand, if Father's away or ill, or if you live in a 'priestless parish', how impossible is it for you to attend Mass? Do you, or many other Catholics, live more than an hour away from a celebration of the Mass? And how many Catholics wouldn't drive for an hour or more to a sports fixture, or the beach, or to lunch in a restaurant or cafe? 

In regard to my parish of Holy Trinity, Central Hawke's Bay, Sunday Mass is celebrated at four churches in nearby Hastings and Havelock North. So the 'Holy Mass', as my German leprechaun Leo calls it, is only 40 minutes away. In the other direction, Sunday Mass in Dannevirke is a 35-minute drive. Admittedly, there are many in our St Patrick's community who can't seem to manage the five-minute drive to St Joseph's when the occasion calls for it (and vice-versa, I suppose). It's a mini-manifestation of the same maxi-problem: lack of charity. 

Under the 'progressive' leadership of NZ's bishops, ably assisted by the ladies of the Catholic liberal left ('lay leaders' are usually women), Liturgies of the Word are likely to be served up in more and more parishes in future. 

So we all need reminding of the seriousness of our Sunday obligation to attend Mass. "Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin" (CCC 2181).

Last Sunday, with Father away on holiday for two weeks, the logical response to the requirement of canon law would have been to car-pool, hire a mini-bus or two, and/or offer rides to parishioners who for one reason or another can't drive themselves to Mass elsewhere. Imagine how happy those communities would have been to have their Mass counts boosted, and what it could have done for our own community spirit and morale to share the journey to Mass.

But no; Holy Trinity made do with a 'paraliturgy'. So before the 'service' (such a Protestant expression), and after, I offered as many  parishioners as I could a ride with me to the best Mass on offer, the indult Traditional Latin Mass at St Columba's, Ashhurst, at 12 midday. 

Okay, the Manawatu Gorge is closed (has been for a couple of years) so Ashhurst is now 75 minutes away - and 'over the Saddle' might as well be over the moon for some. I had no takers. I even made so bold as to mention fulfilling my Sunday obligation, at which our parish expert on all things liturgical  - a woman, of course, who'll lead next Sunday's 'paraliturgy' - assumed an expression of caring tolerance. Another woman was so emphatic about turning me down, it was like I was offering her a ride to a black Mass. 

I hadn't intended to go to the 'paraliturgy' but I'd changed my mind, in a spirit of good will, I hoped. I think these good people believe they're doing The Right Thing, because for one thing Father told them to do it and for another, they've had absolutely no catechizing on the Mass and its meaning as "the source, centre and summit" of our Catholic Faith.

"Justice towards God is called the virtue of religion" (CCC 1807). And, talking about our duty to God as Christians, St Thomas Aquinas says, "the precepts pertaining to religion are given precedence (Ex 20), as being of the greatest importance. Now the order of precepts is proportionate to the order of virtues, since the precepts of the Law prescribe acts of virtue. Therefore religion is the chief of the moral virtues" (Summa Theologiae, ii-11, Q. 81, A.6). 

So in the same way that I wanted to cut my fellow-parishioners some slack by going to their 'service', I had to give God His due by going to His Holy Mass. 

That's justice, which is the principal virtue. And obeying His Third Commandment - which like all Jewish law was fulfilled in the New Covenant by Jesus - is even more than giving God His due; it's being kind to God, it's loving God. 

My fellow-parishioners, as far as I know, are kind people. Well, Jesus commanded us to "love one another" - and isn't God the Other beyond all others? If the people we love ignored us, sent us to Coventry, acted as if we weren't there, how would we feel? If our husband/wife refused to drive for one hour to see us just once a week, when we'd specially asked them to, and if they maybe even drove an hour to see someone else instead, how would we feel? 

So when we can't be bothered to make the effort to attend Mass as He asks, how do we imagine God feels?

In his encyclical Mediator Dei Pope Pius XII stated that "all the faithful should be aware that to participate in the Eucharistic sacrifice is their chief duty and supreme dignity ... (and) with such earnestness and concentration that they may be united as closely as possible with the High Priest, according to the Apostle "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (MD 80).

Of course it's hard for us post-Vatican II Catholics, surviving on our subsistence diet of the Novus Ordo and the fol-de-rol that goes with it, to appreciate the sublimity of the Mass and what they can gain for themselves by sharing in that other-worldliness, the largesse of our loving Saviour who hung on the Cross in agony to achieve it for us. 

And in their homilies, our shepherds, good Protestants that most of them are, have led us to even leaner pastures by assuring us that we're all going to Heaven and there's nothing we even need to do to get there.

That's why we owe it to ourselves and our families to find out what the Mass offers us, not to mention what we should be offering to God.

Even Pope Francis has stated that " It is true that the quality of Christian life is measured by the capacity to love, ... but how can we practise the Gospel without drawing the energy to do so, one Sunday after another, from the inexhaustible source of the Eucharist? We do not go to Mass in order to give something to God (ahem; I don't agree) but to receive what we truly need from Him."

https://media.ascensionpress.com/2019/07/10/why-sunday-mass-is-an-obligation/

And as St (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina said:  "It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass".

CARDINAL MARX SAYS ACTIVE HOMOSEXUALS BELONG TO THE CHURCH'S 'SACRAMENTAL COMMUNITY'

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A bad fruit of Vatican Council II and the Novus Ordo, one which stinks to high Heaven (and you may take that literally), like the Durian or the 'Corpse Flower' (Amorphophallus titanum), is Cardinal Reinhard Marx's recent statement that homosexual couples can receive 'a blessing in the sense of a pastoral accompaniment'.

A couple of days ago I posted a list of the evil 'fruits' of Vatican II and the 'New Mass', and as if the Cardinal wished to furnish an example, and the Christchurch Botanic Gardens an illustration, it coincided with the story yesterday about the Cardinal's recent chat  about homosexuals belonging to the Church's 'sacramental community', and 'blessing' homosexual couples.

A percipient reader of this blog wishes to add this fruit to my list. She asks "what the term 'pastoral accompaniment' means, and does it have the same meaning for all accompanying individual priests? Also if two people are in an active sexual homosexual relationship, how can their sin be blessed?"

She "flippantly" suggests that eventually all sin may be eliminated except for climate change denial and ant-'immigration sentiments. Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Cardinal Marx, head of the German Bishops' Conference, stated in an interview with the German magazine Der Stern, that he insisted on welcoming homosexuals. "They belong to the Church, also to the sacramental community". 

At the Synod of Bishops on the Family (2014/2014) he said, "When people in a homosexual relationship are loyal to one another (sic) over years, are available to one another, and even take care of each other until death; then we as Church cannot make a bracket around this entire life, placing a minus sign in front of it and say that all of this has no worth because it takes place in a homosexual relationship."

Well excuse me, but in the eyes of the Church Marx quotes so freely, active homosexual relationships are seriously sinful. Marx may as well say that a couple of serial axe murderers who are 'loyal to one another, are available to one another' etc etc, they also belong to the Church's sacramental community and that he insists on welcoming axe murderers too.

The Church teaches that those who live in the state of mortal sin without the intention of changing their way of life are absolutely to be excluded from the sacraments.

What's more, what's the point of blessing active homosexuals or axe murderers? They have placed themselves outside grace; they have cut themselves off from Christ and His Church. "Christ is our life," says St Paul (Col 3:4) and so as St Thomas Aquinas says, "He is the source of our life."

If we are living in serious sin we are incapable of deriving any benefit from blessings, no matter how good it makes Cardinal Marx feel, or how much the media approve.

My reader says quite rightly that to be consistent, Cardinal Marx should also bless the sin of couples living in adultery and fornication (okay, I agree that 'axe murderers' is stretching the point somewhat). 

"A blessing in the sense of a pastoral accompaniment" means, apparently, to Cardinal Marx, that "we can pray together". Fine for the Cardinal to pray - that is, if he's in a state of grace - but the prayers of people living in serious sin cannot be heard by God; spiritually speaking they are dead. "As a branch can't live once it's broken away from the trunk, neither can the soul live if separated from God" (Divine Intimacy, Fr Gabriel of St Mary Magdalen).

So Cardinal Reinhard Marx should certainly pray, not with active homosexuals because their prayers cannot be heard, but for them. So, of course, should we. As Father Gabriel adds:

"Every Christian ... must throw himself ardently into the battle against sin and fight it with the proper weapons: penance, expiatory prayer, and most of all, love. 

When the love of charity is perfect, it destroys sin more efficaciously than the fire of purgatory. We see why the saints were able to convert so many souls. God used the fire of their charity to do away with sin in sinners."

Helen Carver says (in answer to my Facebook comment, "If the Cardinal wants to bless active homosexuals, why not axe murderers):

Probably because being an axe murderer is completely different to loving another person also possibly because Jesus Christ never mentioned homosexuality he only ever talked about not being judgemental He told us to love each other unconditionally 💜

I say: 

Admittedly - as I say above, and at the risk of repeating myself - axe murderers are an extreme example of my point, which is that in this context what active homosexuals and axe murderers have in common is that both types are in a state of serious sin, also called 'mortal sin' because the sin of both cause spiritual death to the soul. That may be all they have in common, but I draw the comparison only to show that both types of sinner have put themselves beyond the reach of God's grace. They have destroyed their spiritual life in its constituent elements of charity and grace. 

Any kind of mortal sin, not just axe murders and sodomy, has this terrible effect: one might say that the soul has committed suicide.

Jesus never mentioned homosexuality because he didn't need to: it's condemned in Jewish law, and Jesus said, "Do not think I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am come not to destroy, but to fulfil" (Mt 5:17).

Yes, judgment is reserved to God alone, but the fact is that God has judged sodomy as seriously sinful, and to judge the sin of sodomy doesn't mean condemning the sinner. I hope you see the difference. 

The only real motive for loving one another is our love for God - to love others "propter Deum". Then we wish and work for others what God wishes and works for us: eternal life with Him, and for that we must ask forgiveness for our sins.



Bruce Tichbon says:


Julia, you say “The Church teaches…” By what "the Church teaches  ..." I assume you mean the traditional teaching of the Church. I suspect that Cardinal Marx is developing a new 'teaching of the Church'.

Does Cardinal Marx care about the traditional teaching of the Church? Isn't 'pastoral accompaniment' most likely a way of saying he can ignore the traditional teaching of the Church?

Cardinal Marx acts as a lightning rod but do our bishops agree with what he says? I suspect so. Does the Pope agree with what he says? I suspect so. Are we being eased towards an LGBT-friendly Church? I suspect so.

A steady drip, drip of water wears away the stone. Will we wake up one morning and discover the liberal Catholic Church has officially accepted the LGBT agenda? I suspect so.

The United Methodist Church is about to split over the LGBT issue. They will even split their Church assets among those who accept LGBT, and those who do not. This appears to have happened because, I think, they have had the guts to confront the issues. 

I suspect our hierarchy think a drip, drip approach will ease us to LGBT acceptance without a confrontation or splitting of assets.

When did the hierarchy even tell us what assets the Church has? Do they think it's our duty to stay, pray, pay and obey? 

I suspect so.

Bob Gill says: 

Without rocking the boat, I'm thinking. 

I say:

It will cheer you up, I hope, to hear that a Brazilian bishop, Argemiro de Azevedo, has exemplified faith and courage by temporarily suspending a priest who had the cheek to defy Church teaching by blessing a homosexual partnership of two men.

A video - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/brazilian-bishop-suspends-priest-for-blessing-homosexual-partnership
- shows this Judas priest miming the aversion he should properly feel by turning his back, and covering his eyes, while the men kissed after exchanging promises, as he'd invited them to do. 

It makes your blood run cold.

Would the Judas priest have dared to do it if he were not encouraged by the Pope's 'inclusive' attitude towards LGBTQ++++ you-name-it? 

Teresa Coles says:

Illumination of conscience can't come soon enough for the world.

Bob Gill says:

Fair comment, Teresa. 

Helen Carver says: 

Good points but Jesus did say do not kill, do not steal which also should have gone without saying I do find it curious that He doesn't mention homosexuality whereas he was always telling women not to be promiscuous albeit in a context of trying to protect them. I cannot believe that it is wrong for two men to be in a consensual loving exclusive relationship I know quite a few gay couples who are very happy together after many years of personal torment trying to find themselves and, having endured contempt and judgment from family members and others, have finally felt free to be who they really are I feel it is would be cruel and wrong for the Church to exclude them

I say: 

Jesus had nothing to say about homosexuality because – believe it or not –  homosexuality is a modern concept which would have been unintelligible to the Jewish society of His time. 

St Paul said that male prostitutes and sodomites, among other ‘bad people’ will not inherit the kingdom of God, but he named them as only two categories of sinners among multiple others. We can infer that homosexuality was not the obsession for Jesus and the New Testament writers that it is for us in the 21st century. In fact it was unheard of.

One of my closest friends ever is a homosexual who is assumed to be living in a homosexual relationship. But the fact that I love him dearly doesn’t make his putative relationship right in the eyes of God. 

Your belief - widely held among intelligent Mass-going Catholics - is yet another sour fruit of the years of Novus Ordo and its terrible, short-hand delivery of Catholic teaching.

'Many years of personal torment' doesn't even begin to compare with the eternity of torment that awaits practising homosexuals and the priests and bishops and popes who have been 'cruel and wrong' in failing to teach the Gospel truth on this issue. 

A TALE OF THREE GERMANS: PICK THE NUTTER

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"Is there Holy Mass here tonight?" 

I was amazed to hear this shot across my bows, as it were, as I sat praying the Divine Office in my parish church of St Joseph the night before New Year's Eve: as Father himself had declared the day before, "No one comes here during the week!"

Picture, if you will, a German leprechaun. Because that's what materialized beside me, and that was his question. I had to say no - Father had gone on holiday for two weeks, depriving us of the 6 Masses a week that we didn't deserve, because hardly a soul attended.

The deeply tanned, skinny, silver-haired foreigner introduced himself as Leo, and his next line hit me directly amidships. Feeling somewhat hurt at Father's declaration re nil visits to the Blessed Sacrament - and very hurt, on behalf of Jesus, that it was almost true - that very day I'd decided to forgo Mass at the abbey twenty minutes away, which I usually attend when Father's out of town, and pray the Divine Office etc at St Joseph's instead.

But Leo said to me, "The Mass is the most important thing." 

I think he'd been sent to tell me to revert to attending the Mass. Read on, if you have the time, to see why. Otherwise, just skip to the last two sentences.

Leo is from Lake Constanze, on the German/Swiss border. He grows raspberries and redcurrants in summer and since his mother died 17 years ago, he's spent the European winters on his bike. Leo has ridden his bike across every continent in the world, including Australia (Perth-Alice Springs Kalgoorlie) at the height of summer. 110,000 ks all up.

Leo attends daily Mass wherever he can and prays the Rosary at least once a day. And, he told me,"I never had any accident".

To cut a long story shorter, Leo, who'd been offered a shed on a local orchard as shelter for the night, said he'd bike out to the abbey instead, for Mass the next morning. "Nah," I said, and brought him home to Clairvaux.

"Hello, Leo," said 'im indoors (I'd called him with a heads-up), "have a shower," and he cooked him a very good dinner and poured him a glass of wine.

Next morning Leo looked rather poorly. But he seemed to think poached eggs were a good idea, so that's what I gave him. He dropped an egg (a very lightly poached egg) on the floor. I scooped it up, sort of, put it back on his plate and cut everything up, and he ate it. He looked a bit wibbly-wobbly, so I somehow shoved his bike and saddlebags into 'im indoors' car (I'd had to tie the hatch of my little one to his bike wheel to get him home the night before), and drove him to the abbey.

As we turned into the abbey road, Leo put his window down and started throwing up. I slowed; he opened the door and carried on spewing. I accelerated up the abbey avenue (speed limit 30k) and with 3 minutes to go till Mass started, dashed into the day-centre to wet Leo's terrible old towel in the kitchen sink and wipe him down, almost from head to foot (scraping egg off his trousers) and propelled him into the church just as the community sang the opening antiphon.

I took him up to Holy Communion; Father looked taken aback at Leo's somewhat unconventional appearance and started to give a blessing. I shook my head, Leo put his out tongue, and Father gave him the Sacrament.

After Mass he recovered the power of speech but I doubted his legs, and took him home again, and cleaned the car, pretty well I thought. 'Im indoors left to go to the supermarket, then returned.

"Was Leo sick in the car?" he inquired. My heart sank. "I'll just clean the window," said 'im indoors. I hadn't put the window right up to clean it properly; the evidence was incriminating.

That afternoon I took Leo and 'im indoors' car down to the Mobil to finish the job. It took 3 $2 coins ('im indoors has better things to do than clean cars) and while going in to get the second $2 I asked Leo to take out the mats. $4 later, followed by 'the works' car wash, the job was done.

Our New Year's Eve guest ate a very good dinner, washed down with the glass of wine he asked to be served at the table. "How civilised," I said, finishing off mine which I'd poured half an hour earlier.

In the morning we set Leo on his way, on his bike, I hoped in time for Mass at the abbey. (I'd decided that for the Solemnity of the Mother of God I'd go to the Latin Mass at Ashhurst later in the day.)

The next morning, after Mass at the abbey again, I spoke to the community's German resident, Andreas, who'd kindly offered Leo cash which Leo had refused - he wanted 'vork'. (Leo had been eating bread dated Dec 7, and rotten bananas.)

I asked Andreas if he'd made it in time for Mass. "Ja, but only because someone picked him up," he said. 

Someone on that deserted country road, early on New Year's Day, had offered Leo, his bike and his saddlebags a ride, and had dropped him off at the abbey in time for Mass.

That afternoon, 'im indoors said to me, "Thank you very much for cleaning my car, but next time make sure you undo the floor mats instead of ripping them out." It took him quite some time to undo those ripped-out buttons and replace them.

Because Leo was safely out of the way, I decided to shop him. "It was Leo who took the mats out," I said, virtuously.

"You'd wonder how he makes it around the world," said 'im indoors. I saw my opportunity.

"By grace," I said smugly. "By the Rosary and 'Holy Mass'."


A coda:

Today I spoke to yet another German, a well-educated, well-off German, who when told of Leo riding around the world on his bike attending Mass daily and saying the Rosary, opined that he was what was known formally as 'a nutter'. 

This German, unlike the others in my story, would not call himself a Christian, much less a Catholic. 

I came away thinking it was actually he who was the nutter.

Paul du Fresne says:

'Beware of entertaining strangers' etc.

I say: 

I think the quotation is "And hospitality do not forget; for by this some, being not aware of it, have entertained angels" (Heb 13:2). Leo made an unlikely angel, but an angel nonetheless, I believe.

Bob Gill says:

Fun and games in your part of the woods, it seems!

CHRISTMASTIDE AT CLAIRVAUX

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Sovereign of all he surveys: 

Not quite the partridge in a pear tree, just a quail in the silver germander here at Clairvaux, contemplating the Ruataniwha Plains of Central Hawke's Bay.

EVIL FRUITS OF THE NEW MASS SUCH AS: A PAPAL SLAP ON THE HAND

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"No one comes in here during the week!"

Last Sunday's Mass had just finished, and Father was talking to our wonderful flower lady (make that our only flower lady). She was bringing in a new arrangement of artificial flowers to replace the amazing fresh hydrangeas she'd done for Christmas Day, and Father wondered why she'd bothered, probably because he was about to leave for two weeks' holiday, leaving the parish to the tender mercies of the lay persons entrusted with leading 'paraliturgies' for the next two Sundays. 

I'm fairly certain that as usual, there was no arrangement made for unlocking the church in Father's absence, and that was confirmed when in defiance of Father's decree I went there on Monday as I often do, with my own key, for silent prayer (contemplation), the Rosary and organdizing (practising my next playlist). 

I've visited the Blessed Sacrament like that every day for a couple of weeks. I'm usually there for at least an hour. During that time, no one has entered the church. When there is a weekday Mass, it's attended by one or two parishioners.

A former parishioner visiting family here has made comment on Facebook on the dismal turnout at Christmas Day Mass, compared with thirteen years ago when she left Central Hawke's Bay. It seems she was right in speculating that everyone might have been at the Vigil Mass in St Patrick's, Waipawa and maybe that's because on Christmas morning at St Joseph's Waipukurau, I'm at the organ. (I hope I being facetious.) 

But you get my drift. Attendance at Christmas Eve Mass only is about as Catholic as a Christmas tree or a turkey. It's one of the things you do at Christmas time.

For years I've been thinking and have even said, a couple of times, that we don't deserve a priest and we don't deserve the Mass. Well, now the Mass has been taken from us. 

Fundamentally, it's not our fault. For years Father has told us there's nothing we can do nothing to merit salvation, so we've concluded there's no point in attending weekday Mass (and by the same logic, no point going to Mass on Sunday, either). Last Sunday he unwittingly put his finger on the spot, when he told us - not for the first time - that 'fear' as in 'fear of the Lord' is a bad translation. We mustn't fear the Lord; the correct translation, said Father, is not "fear" but "reverence". 

Ahem. Here goes. 

• 'Reverence' means 'deep respect'. 'Fear' means 'an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, harm or harm'. Can you see any similarity in these definitions? No. But you can see that 'reverence' is a pleasant emotion. It's 'nice'. This phony definition of fear is a trademark of the Church of Nice and the Novus Ordo. 
• Scripture tells us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10).
• The Lord Himself tells us He has power to condemn us to Hell: "As long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. And these shall go into everlasting punishment" (Mt 25:45b, 46).
• So we begin our spiritual journey by fearing the Lord's punishment (a few Redemptorist sermons of the old sort would be very helpful). 
• To avoid the Lord's punishment we learn His commandments, and those of His Church, and we learn to obey them.
• In learning to obey His commandments we come to know the Lord, who seeing our efforts rewards us in ways that induce us to love Him.
• In loving the Lord, we become wise.

Fundamentally, I believe it's not Father's fault either: he's been on the same spiritual starvation diet as ours ever since the implementation of the Novus Ordo, the 'New Mass', the Mass in the vernacular. 

"By their fruits you shall know them," said Jesus. "Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit" (Mt 7: 15-17).

Do we really believe thede words of Jesus Christ, the word of life? If we do, we'll recognise as sour and truly evil the fruits of the New Mass: 

• the huge drop in Mass attendance and reception of the Sacraments; 
• the huge drop in vocations to the priesthood and religious life; 
• the closing of churches; amalgamation of parishes; 
• Intercommunion
• disappearance (in 'Godzone' at least) of public displays of faith such as Eucharistic processions; 
• Almost complete lack of preaching Catholic Tradition and dogma, especially in relation to contraception and abortion;
• Almost complete lack of witnessing to Catholic Tradition and dogma in the media, especially in relation to abortion;
• reception of the Blessed Sacrament in the hand while waiting in a queue, like it's a cafeteria; 
• banishment of the tabernacle from the church proper, or its sidelining;
• 'Eucharistic Ministers' distributing Holy Communion;
• Lay people leading 'paraliturgies' and giving 'Reflections' in place of the Mass;
• The sacred vessels abandoned on the credence table, unpurified;
• The handling of the sacred vessels by lay people not appointed to the ministry;
• Talk and laughter in church
• Eruption of above, accompanied by gallivanting between pews to shake hands and hug and kiss, at the 'Sign of Peace' while the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the altar and the faithful are preparing to receive their Lord and Saviour;
• The celebrant often abandoning the Blessed Sacrament at the Sign of Peace to join the melee;
• The celebrant chatting or even making jokes during the Mass;
• Banal, hard-to-sing, unmusical 'music';
• The celebrant distracting the congregation from their thanksgiving by blessing children immediately after Holy Communion.

That's not all, of course; that's just what comes off the top of my head. Do feel free to add to the list. None of these offences occurred during the traditional Latin Mass, which is still attended by millions of Catholics in ever-increasing numbers, of an ever-decreasing average age.

But I've never witnessed a public demonstration of the evil fruits of the Novus Ordo, and could never have imagined any dereliction of the Papal Office like that which was beamed into the world's sitting rooms this evening, of the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of Vatican City, Servant of the Servants of God, Pope Francis, angrily slapping the hand of one of the aforesaid servants, in St Peter's Square on New Year's Eve.

The Scripture reading for this evening's Divine Office on the feast of Ss Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church, goes like this: "The wisdom which comes from above is marked chiefly indeed by its purity, but also by its peacefulness; it is courteous and ready to be convinced, always taking the better part; it carries mercy with it and a harvest of all that is good; it is uncensorious and without affectation" (Jas 3:17-18).

Please pray for the Church and for Pope Francis.

Philippa O'Neill says:

·        Oh how I was saddened by this act. Glad he has apologised. I would love to know what She said to him.... did she ask him why he sold the Chinese Catholic church down the drain for the communist party? She blessed herself before he came towards her and I wonder if what she was saying to him angered him more than her pulling his hand. 

     Helen Carver says: 

     Pope Francis is the first to admit that he is far from perfect he has apologised no one can know what it is like to walk in his (brown) shoes. 

n     I say: Yes, he apologised, as of course he simply had to, But he hedged his apology by saying, in effect, that we're all guilty of losing patience - and we are; but St Teresa of Avila taught that we must guard against excusing ourselves, that the Gospel way of accepting humiliation is to imitate Our Lord before the Tribunal: "Jesus held His peace".
 
      Bruce Tichbon says:

I     I often wonder if the Church would be better off or worse off or the same if it had not introduced the Novus Ordo Mass and not demoted the Latin Mass?  Of course I should be asking the question would the Church be saving more souls.

      And I wonder if the Church would be better or worse off (or saving more souls) if it stayed true to its doctrine (as given us by Christ) and was not trying to become more adapted to the 'spirit of the age'?

I    If we were doing things differently would we have more children and young adults at Mass (parishioners and seminarians)?

I'    I'll try to keep praying. 

      I say: 

     

     As you may have inferred, I am utterly convinced now that had the Church retained the TLM, it would have saved millions more souls.

     Because we have no Mass here at the moment I went to the church, turned the light on in the crib, turned on the star and included the Litany of the Saints (unexpurgated, pre-Vat II, the version used for private prayer) in my morning prayer.

,    And I wondered how many more souls would have been saved - and disasters like the Australian conflagration averted - if the Church were still praying that glorious Litany. 

     Try it. You'll like it 
     
     Philippa O'Neill says: 

     I'm convinced too, Julia.

Bob Gill says: 

      I wondered too if Australia Catholics had even resorted to asking St Mary MacKillop, their first Australian born saint, to pray for the land of her birth.  


      I say: 

      Not if my Lay Carmelite Moderator in Australia is anything to go. St Mary MacKillop isn't mentioned in the 'Prayers for Our People and Our Nation' dispatched to all Lay Carmelites in NZ and Oz a few days ago. As for a Litany of the Saints, I notice our Patron St Elijah has been demoted from 'Saint' to 'Prophet'.
      
      And there was not even a hint of prayers of reparation and atonement for Australia's sins, especially of murder of the unborn and of blasphemy, which have insulted the Divinity for so long. 

: