The Holiness of the Liturgy and The Provisions of Pope Sixtus I

(Rome) The always valid ban on lay people getting too close to the holy things  and  touching the chalice and the sacred vessels, was officially enshrined in the earliest Christian times by the holy Pope Sixtus I (c. 115-125). The commemoration of this Pontiff is committed by the Church in the old and the new liturgical calendar on 3 April.  His Latin first name alludes to the number six. Sixtus was the sixth successor of the Apostle Peter and the seventh Vicar of Christ on earth. The son of a Roman priest and shepherd was elected by the clergy of Rome on 115  to the bishop.

The need to explicitly codify the prohibition resulted from  attempts by the unworthy to approach  holy things, which are exclusively reserved for the priests of God. The sacredness of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass resulted in the Latin Church, as in the apostolic Eastern Church, to largely obscure services from the sight of outsiders, but also of the faithful. Non-baptized persons were not allowed to enter the houses of worship during the Holy Mass. The Sacrifice of the Mass took place in the West behind a curtain and takes place in the East today behind the iconostasis for the protection of the Holy.

Penetration of the Laity in the Presbytery

It was not until the revolution of the zealots of the liturgical reform, which came after the Second Vatican Council and the subsequent liturgical abuses,  meant that the laity invaded to the restricted area of the presbyterium   during the Holy Mass,  the Sanctum Sanctorum, which - as the name presbyter = Priest - expresses, is reserved to the celebrant and the altar servants. In many places the laity are instructed to hand out Holy Communion, so that they take not only the Holy vessels, but also the consecrated Hosts in the hand.

At the time of Pope Sixtus I the emperor Hadrian (117-138) ruled, an original philosopher on the throne, a lover of Greek culture and art. Although heathen, he declined the persecution of Christians. To one of his proconsuls in Africa, he wrote: "If someone brings charges and can prove that the Christians who commit offenses against the laws are guilty, leave, then punish them for their crimes. By Hercules, yet  if someone is just looking for a mere pretext to punish them, then you have to decide depending on the severity and punish them instead."

Seal of Christian Liturgical Tradition

Pope Sixtus  put particular emphasis on the faithful preservation and development of the cultus. He summed up the current practice together with provisions that were to be a seal for the Christian liturgical tradition. It was also a big concern for him that all the Christian communities themselves remained in contact, because, as it seems it  had already come to pass during his pontificate,  because  the exact date of the Easter celebrations became the first disagreement between East and West.

 Christian tradition also owes Sixtus I for the hymn of the Trisagion,  which was dedicated of the divine Trinity triple Sanctus. The expression of Greek Trisagion hagios (holy) and treis (three) means the thrice-holy God. Already in the Old Testament we find this definition of the Holy Trinity. The thrice Holy Prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament corresponds to the naming of the three divine persons in the New Covenant as saying: Holy is God the Father, God is holy son, holy God is the Holy Spirit. In order to acquire this knowledge independently, you had to be able to read and know well the Scriptures  and thus belong to the circle of educated people. To make this praise of the Trinity accessible to all believers, Pope Sixtus introduced the thrice praise into worship in the Holy Mass just before the Consecration and Transubstantiation.

Trisagion, the Thrice Holy in the Old and New Testaments

All apostolic churches regardless of rite know this Trisagion, the angels singing, which Isaiah heard, when he had his vision of heaven. The well after him, it was described by St. John the Apostle and Evangelist in the Apocalypse (4:8).

Dom Prosper Guéranger (1805-1875), the famous Benedictine Abbot of Solesmes said: "What do the angels sing?Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth . They celebrate the holiness of God. But how do they celebrate? In a perfect way: they use the superlative, in which they call three times that God is really holy. (...) But why did they turn to God three times with the determination of holiness? Because holiness is the most important of divine perfection: God in his essence is holy. "

"God is as Strong as Holy and as Sacred as Strong"

The Trisagion we also find in the Te Deum : " Tibi Cherubim et Seraphim incessabili voce proclamant: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth "(Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts). The hosts in the service of the Almighty have nothing to fear, as all wars, tests and hurdles running by their God have ended in triumph. Dom Guéranger wrote: "God is holy and strong, as strong as holy and as sacred as strong."

This Roman Pope whose holiness is sung in Catholic Christendom to this day, died not as a martyr, although he is occasionally. His grave is awaiting the resurrection of the body, is not near the grave of St. Peter in the Vatican, but in the Cathedral of St. Paul in Alatri in Rome, where he is revered as a patron saint.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Alatri / Lazio

Trans: vekron99@hotmail.com

Kath.net...

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Horror Missae --- Discuss the Sermon in Church

(Rome) Liturgy Free Day worship instead of Holy Mass, instead of confession, general absolution. The  abuse as sham knows many forms of expression. Even the sermon was not exempt. A pastor invented as the latest novelty for Lent a "sermon in dialogue”. He moved the sermon to the very end of  Holy Mass and opened to the faithful, to replicate in the church on his sermon, discuss and express their opinion.

What  a sermon is,  is clearly defined in the ecclesiastical regulations. In the introduction to the Missale Romanum  it states in paragraph 65:

The homily is part of the Liturgy and is strongly recommended: For it is necessary to nourish the Christian life. You should present a point of view from the readings of Sacred Scripture or of another text of the Ordinary or the Proper of the Mass of the day - taking account of the Mystery that is celebrated and the particular needs of the listeners.

The conciliar Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium says of the sermon in point 52:

By means of the homily the mysteries of the faith and the guiding principles of the Christian life are expounded from the sacred text, during the course of the liturgical year; the homily, therefore, is to be highly esteemed as part of the liturgy itself; in fact, at those Masses which are celebrated with the assistance of the people on Sundays and feasts of obligation, it should not be omitted except for a serious reason.

So there it is neither a speech nor a talk show and not a discussion board. In the introduction to the Missal states in paragraph 66:

In general, the priest-celebrant has perform the homily, or it is transferred to a priest concelebrating with him (...) but never a layperson. In specific cases and for a just cause, the homily may even be given by the bishop or by a priest, taking part in the celebration, without being able to concelebrate.

Prohibition of Lay Preaching in Holy Mass for Pastoral Interior

A clarification will be given with reference to Canon 767 Canon Law, which  establishes:

The most important form of preaching is the homily, which is part of the liturgy, and is reserved to a priest or deacon. In the course of the liturgical year, the mysteries of faith and the rules of christian living are to be expounded in the homily from the sacred text.

A ruling, which is found in Article 3 in the Instruction regarding Questions of the Collaboration with the Laity in Functions of the Priest in 1997 is found:

The homily is as an outstanding form of preaching, " qua per anni liturgici Cursum ex textu sacro fidei mysteria et Normae vitae christianae exponuntur ", part of the Liturgy itself.

Therefore, the homily must be during the Eucharist the sacred ministers, priests, and deacons, are reserved. Excluded are lay people, even if they fulfill tasks as "pastoral assistants" or catechists in whatever groups or associations. The issue is not about a possibly better gift presentation or a larger theological knowledge, but rather that of a reserved task, which was equipped with the sacrament of Holy Orders. Therefore, not even the diocesan bishop authorized to dispense from the norm of canon.It is in fact not a merely disciplinary available, but a law that deals with the tasks of teaching and sanctifying, which are mutually closely connected.

If the pastor does not want to preach or may not preach

A look at the documents shows that the statements on the subject are clear and binding. However, this increases the abuse. There are parishes where the pastoral assistant preaches because the pastor thinks this is a "good”  and for "variety". There are also parishes where the pastor may not preach, because the "pastoral team” distributes the ministry  and the pastor appears in the rotation process  only when he is  scheduled. There are parishes where the Protestant pastor preaches in terms of an "ecumenical preaching exchange" in the Catholic Mass. And there are parishes where  instead of preaching a dance or a development project is presented. The "market opportunities", can allow the imagination wide berth.  All these forms have in common that they are not allowed, and thus represent a liturgical abuse.

Reply to the  Preaching, Give Opinion, Discuss

A parish priest of San Carlo Borromeo of Pognano in the home diocese of John XXIII had a new idea.   During Lent, he offers his faithful in the Sunday Mass as a “novelty", the ability to respond in the church on his sermon. The faithful can ask him questions in the church or speak their minds. The whole thing is called "sermon in dialogue".  It supposed, as it is described in the parish sheet, to be a response to the general criticism that the priest is talking from the ambo, "to answer without that, the believers have the opportunity to respond and to argue." Therefore, the priest in the parish journal wrote, "I am celebrating the Mass, closing with the homily from and openning  up the debate.” He put the Sermon arbitrarily at the end of the Eucharistic celebration.

The initiative was singled out for praise in a recent issue of Famiglia Christina, the largest Catholic weekly magazine in the country.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
Image: Medieval Miniature
Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches…
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Rorate Confirms Apostolic Visitation of FSSP: Bishop Bruskewitz Leads

Edit: as we’d reported below, there will be a Visitation.  Looks like friendly forces so far, possibly just a social call and nothing more.

The recently mentioned Ordinary Apostolic Visitation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) is, as its name indicates, a routine measure determined by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei (PCED). 

The first news item of the visitation was posted by the FSSP themselves (see here) only with the name of the principal visitator. Rorate can now confirm that the visitation is indeed happening, and the officials are: 
Bishop Vitus Huonder, of Chur/Coire (Switzerland), Principal Visitor (Wigratzbad)

Dom Hervé Courau, O.S.B., Father Abbot of Notre-Dame de Triors (France), Co-Visitor (Wigratzbad) 

Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop Emeritus of Lincoln, (United States)

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  Link...

Bono: "Jesus Was Either the Messiah or a ... Nutter."

Edit: media figures don't often have much to say that's worth hearing about anything, much less about religion, but if someone like this contradicts the standing "wisdom", that's remarkable, indeed it's rare.  Here's an interview Bono gave for RTE.  The interviewer can barely believe what he's hearing.

Ibrahim A. -- A Ghanian Asylum Seeker as Church Desecrator

Islamism

On Saturday afternoon of the 29th March 2014 there were four churches of Vienna which suffered severe, religiously motivated criminal damage, especially statues of saints and sacred objects. Alleged perpetrators: an asylum seeker from Ghana.

Has the Archdiocese of Vienna and kathpress has hidden the (alleged) vandal, Ibrahim A.'s religious belief so as not to mess up the Caritas business with the asylum seekers? [Image: National Police Headquarters in Vienna, image quote by orf.at]

Systematic property damage

Thus, 

• the statue of St. Jude Thaddeus was pushed from its by its marble base, in Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral,
• in the parish church Breitenfeld four statues was overturned and the lid of the baptismal font destroyed,
• in the Lazaristenkirche of Vienna in the fingers of a stone statue of Saint Vincent had its fingers chopped off,   all (!) statues in the church damaged or destroyed, the "wooden body a crucifix" (ie Christ) was torn down and demolished while his arms were chopped off,
• in the parish church Neuottakring there was property damage.
• The "Kronenzeitung newspaper" reports of possibly three other acts of vandalism at churches in the district of Meidling.

Ibrahim A. - religiously motivated offenders

In a press release from the Police Headquarters in Vienna from 30March 2014   they describe damage to property in St. Stephen's Cathedral: "On 29.03.2014 at 17:15 hours an unidentified man threw a statue of the saint in the church of St. Stephen from its marble base. A moment later the man wanted to leave the church. Many passers-by forced the 37-year-old Ibrahim A. to the ground in front of the cathedral shop  and held him until the police arrived. The accused described religious reasons as his motive. He was arrested."

The Vienna Cathedral Parish Priest Fr. Anton Faber supposed that the offender Ibrahim A. had "been a madman [I], who was playing religious themed music prior to the incident on his iPod." In addition, the offender Ibrahim had suffered a  "psychotic episode" and been seized by an "internal disturbance".

Ibrahim A. was prevented from the destruction of the Sacred Heart image. 

In the course of detention by those present, Ibrahim A. had also injured a person slightly.

Offender set free - warned by police against renewed arrest

The spokesman for the Vienna State Police, Roman Hahslinger, although the presumption was obvious that the perpetrator was a serial offender, he was not arrested apparently.

Rather, the police didn't   question   Ibrahim A. at the time.  Not until this week will he be asked about the other crime scenes. -  Thus, if he can be found again the police have pre-announced his timely arrest.

Oddly enough the police did not consider the grounds for detention (such as  the danger of recidivism).

Ibrahim A. - an asylum seeker from Ghana

In media reports, the origin and status of the (alleged) church vandal is mostly concealed.

He is the 37-year old Ibrahim A., an asylum seeker from Ghana, who is housed in the care center in Lower Austria Traiskirchen.

How fortunate that he was able to  save, despite the assuredly alleged persecution  in Ghana, his iPod from his African tormentors. Otherwise he would not have gotten the "inspiration",  to "proceed against religious statues." 

The fact that he referred to the Catholic faithful as "puppets", fits well into the picture.

Whitewashing by the Archdiocese of Vienna and the Catholic Press Agency (kathpress)

Characteristically,  the Archdiocese of Vienna and Catholic press was silent on their websites about the origin of the offender and the Cathedral Parish Priest Fr. Faber  himself  and the release of the police referred to the religious motivation of the Ghanaian asylum.

The other assessments of the offender by Father ("seized by an inner disturbance" or "psychotic episode") Faber, however, were cited.

In the OTS- broadcast, the Catholic press (on the following day at 14:02 clock) is rather pointed out that "the uncharacteristic act of vandalism for the otherwise peaceful life of religions in Vienna" and that "also no one was [would be] harmed."

Why is there silence about  the Muslim religious devotion of the (alleged) perpetrator?

Note

For legal reasons, the presumption of innocence for the asylum seeker from Ghana, Ibrahim A. applies. [Naturally!]

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Kreuz.net...

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Editor Tries to Deny Financial Connection With Mel Gibson --- Gibson Still Supports Pro-Abort, FEMEN Mouthpiece

Edit: we'd published an article last week about Mel Gibson's strange relationship with an online tabloid that gives positive news coverage for FEMEN and attacks Pro-Life causes. It was a head scratcher for sure.  To date, nothing has come to light showing that Mr. Gibson has altered his relationship with TheLip or Mr. Lustig, although his son no longer works for the company.

The original publisher of the article, The Deadline's editor, Mike Fleming, however, has chosen to defend its article while attempting to portray Allison Hope-Weiner's alleged change of heart as the honest to goodness truth, even going so far as to write about how The Passion had changed his life.  He denies any financial relationship with Icon or Mr. Gibson.

The Deadline is an entertainment and media news source, which featured  an opinion piece was  by journalist Alison Hope-Weiner.  Ms. Weiner not only writes for Deadline, but she writes for TheLip.com, a publication where Mel Gibson's son until quite recently worked, and which is partly owned by Gibson's production company, Icon.    

Whether or not Ms. Weiner's extraordinary conversion took place as result of a real change of heart or for other reasons doesn't belie the fact that she failed to disclose an obvious conflict of interest based on the financial relationship her employer has with Mr. Gibson.  

Mr. Gibson and theLip's founder, Michael Lustig, are very close indeed, or at least it seems from the photos of them together on a balcony at Cannes.

Lustig and Mel Hanging Out

Actually, one commenter from Deadline puts it  succinctly:

Ms. Weiner made a major breach of journalistic ethics by not disclosing Icon’s involvement with a start-up venture which she has an equity stake in. This is journalistic ethics 101 and she knows it. It’s smoke and mirrors to suggest since she has editorial freedom and isn’t paid by Icon she did nothing wrong. The fact is she has a financial connection to Icon and should have disclosed it. Readers should be able to decide for themselves if there is a potential for bias, but they need all the facts to do this. 

I’m also disappointed in Mr. Fleming’s long-winded explanation about how much “Passion” meant to him. It’s not relevant here. DHD should just acknowledge they blew this one and make a commitment to doing a better job in the future. I actually think Deadline is more professional than it was when Nikki was running it and think Mike’s a terrific writer. Not sure why it’s so hard to just apologize when you make a mistake instead of all this self-justifying.

Photo stolen from JustJared.

"Former" SSJ Superior Monsignor Carlos Urrutigoity Now Second in Command of Paraguay Diocese

The bishop of the Diocese of Scranton will write a letter to Pope Francis warning about an alleged sexual predator priest  who has risen to second-in-command in a Paraguayan diocese.

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, the present ordinary, in the Diocese the alleged predator was suspended,  is deeply concerned about this state of affairs and is reaffirming the previous ordinary, Bishop Martino.

In February, Monsignor  Urrutigoity was named the vicar general, second-in-command, in the Diocese Ciudad del Este in Paraguay. As a member of the Society of St. John, he was accused of sharing alcohol and a bed with students at St. Gregory's Academy in Elmhurst in 2004. He was not charged with a crime because of the statute of limitations, but there was a civil settlement.  Of course, SNAP is closely involved.

Bishop Martino, Bishop Bambero’s predecessor, has already expressed his own reservations about him. Although the Society of St. John was suspended in his Diocese, Bishop Bambera has no jurisdiction.  It’s difficult to believe that Father Urrutigoity’s ordinary wouldn’t have known about the present situation.  

 A review board, the Southdown Institute,  looked into the suitability of both clerics for the priestly life.  Father Eric Ensey was diagnosed with being sexually attracted to adolescent boys.

Thim's Rise in Hamburg's Diocesan Hierarchy Has Astonished Erfurt Seminarians

Edit: Despite his controversial views on sexuality, his own strange past, Leftist associations and all that, this man is on the fast track to be the next Bishop of Hamburg.  He will certainly be among the three to be chosen by the Pope to replace the vacant seat abandoned by

(Hamburg) "This will secretly please our Hamburg diocesan administrator."  This refers to the possible first step towards a paradigm shift in the assessment of homosexual relations in the Catholic Church by Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck. For the  bishop of Essen went on a week night meeting in Mülheim / Ruhr here -at least at first glance- for the welfare of children who are exposed allegedly to discrimination  in same-sex partnerships.

In a public discussion, Ansgar Thim would  not have ventured quite so far. Which is why he was too cautious, says and outside the diocesan apparatus. After all, he has not yet reached the top, although Thim under Archbishop Emeritus, Dr. Werner Thissen, has already forged a remarkable career. After ten years as a pastor  Thissen  appointed him personnel officer of the Archdiocese of Hamburg in 2008. In 2009 Thim was appointed to the cathedral chapter. And in 2013 he "inherited"  the office of Vicar General from predecessor Franz-Josef Spiza.

If the current diocesan administrator is to really  arrive at the top of the diocese in just a few years to that  half  step below the episcopal rank, this is an important decision in spite of the election after the mode of the Prussian Concordat in Rome, which  decides in advance on the list of three.   Thim's rise in the Hamburg diocese hierarchy has been followed with amazement at least by former seminarians of the Erfurt seminary. Not only that their former seminary speaker was positioned "theologically to the extreme Left", Thim and former seminary classmate and current Dean and Pastor, Bernd K.,   were a "kind of monogamous couple" in the Erfurt Institute.

Fierce resistance still exists to this  in Church circles.  But the consequences that follow are no longer so dire that you would have a dramatic career slump result automatically. Unless one comes across as  too rough and noticeable in relevant forums of the global network. This is exactly what had once been confidently done by a Lübeck priest who in addition to his parochial duties  was employed as a chaplain at the at the University of Lübeck. Certainly it was  purely coincidental that this appointment came under the aegis of the personnel officer, Thim. But one thing is also probably correct: The former scandal would have been avoided smoothly, if only they had looked out and kept their place. 

Old friendships do not rust. "Pastoral spaces are a window to the future of our communities" - was the subject of a presentation to which  Thim had recently been invited to give in the Berlin-Weissensee parish of Bernd K.. The particularly illuminating insights he was able to contribute in the establishment of pastoral spaces from the view of Hamburg, revealed themselves, at least not from the content of his speech. When it comes to pastoral areas, it comes to drawing boards and plan sketches, where the current lack of pastoral wealth in the new structures will  be highly praised. Nothing is automatically better because it is different. In reality, the pastoral space is represented as old wine in new bottles.

In other words, the still young history has in its staffing up to this point and a lot else has not been too kind to the refounded Archdiocese of Hamburg. At the Hamburg fish market, one would say this: The fish always begins to stink at the head.

Ansgar Theißen
Trans: Tanced vekron99@hotmail.com
Link to Katholisches...
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Church Bishop Huonder Named as Apostolic Visitor to FSSP

Bishop Huonder was commissioned by the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" with the Apostolic Visitation of the Fraternity of St. Peter - Chur media relations officer described this for kath.net a "sign of confidence"

Chur-Vatican (kath.net) The Bishop of Chur, Vitus Huonder, was commissioned by the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" with the Apostolic Visitation of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter. This was announced in a press release by the Diocese of Chur on Friday. It is to be a routine Visitiation as it is done in other communities. Bishop Vitus Huonder will act as key visitor, in cooperation with other agents in Europe and the USA.

Giuseppe Gracia, Media Officer of the Diocese of Chur, commented for kath.net: "Among the numerous possible bishops of the universal Church that are eligible for such a task in question, Rome has selected the Bishop of Chur. This is a big vote of confidence at a crucial time, about which  we are extremely pleased. "This decision also shows" the diplomatic wisdom of the Apostolic See," continued Gracia. "It is known that the bishop of Chur enjoys the trust of  the Fraternity of St. Peter  and that the visitation will take place under his leadership, with open doors." 

Bishop Huonder thanked the Apostolic See you for the trust they have placed. He will be preoccupied  by the visitation till the end of 2014.  A formal procedure of the Fraternity of St. Peter  will ensure that the bishop may still handle his main tasks in the diocese during this time and to be represented in some areas.

 The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei" is responsible for the care of different communities, which use the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. The President of Ecclesia Dei is the prefect of the CDF, Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Cardinal. 

Pope Francis and the Bishop of Chur Vitus Huonder Photo (c) Diocese of Chur

Link to kath.net...

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Cardinal Brandmüller Complains of "Chaos" in the Catholic Church

Ignorance of Catholic doctrine among bishops and theologians is in the opinion of Cardinal Walter Brandmüller the main reason for the current "chaos" in the Church.

Rome (kath.net / KNA) Ignorance of Catholic doctrine among bishops and theologians is in the opinion of Cardinal Walter Brandmüller (photo), the main reason for the current "chaos" in the Church. Given the internal Church debate on marriage and family the "unadulterated Catholic doctrine" is in danger, said the German cardinal and ecclesiastical historian of the Italian newspaper "Il Foglio" (Thursday).

Under bishops, preachers, catechists and "especially among moral theology professors", there is  often prevails an absence or lack of  clarity about the doctrine, complained Brandmüller. Adding to the resulting confusion are bishops who claim that the Catholic moral teaching is not up to date.

 Brandmüller also identified statements by Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier to a renewal of moral and sexual education. Ackermann might be right if he meant that believers are more motivated to live a life according to Catholic doctrine, and this needed to be better explained. He could, however, be wrong, if he wanted to have said that the Catholic doctrine no longer fits the times, says the cardinal. Ackermann told "Mainzer Allgemeine" early February declaring in an editorial interview with the that he saw the need for a change of morality and sexual ethics of the Church. It is no longer appropriate, to refuse divorced and remarried   admission to the sacraments permanently and consider premarital sex in general as a grave sin. At the same time Ackermann stressed he  is not about making fundamental changes in teaching. 

 The Augsburg Church Historian Brandmüller had been President of the Pontifical Committee of Historical Sciences from 1998 to 2009. He has belonged to the College of Cardinals since September of 2010.  

Link to Katholisches...

The Old Demon of Gallicanism is Not Dead (Not Just in France)

(Rome) A recurring problem in the Catholic Church is the question of the autonomy of the local churches from Rome.  A problem that has recently returned in astonishing ways.

The latest controversial case is the case Fabienne Brugere.The speech of the philosopher  for 19 March before the French Bishops' Conference has been canceled.

Gallican Bishops of France's Mind Games?

The cancellation sparked fierce debate in France. Stephanie Le Bars, wrote in her blog for Le Monde , the case "proves that strong disagreements prevail within the Catholic Church  which are broken up by the discussion of "marriage for all".  As a "marriage for all" is only the law legalizing  "gay marriage" in France,  from which   the counter-movement "Manif pour tous"  takes its name.

The decision of the Bishops' Conference to allow the philosopher Fabienne Brugere to speak  at a training session was criticized in Catholic circles. Brugere who already had guest professorships in Hamburg and Munich, is considered a representative of bridge-building, is seeking to mediate the Bishops' Conference with the government. The Bishops' Conference meekly opposed  the introduction of "gay marriage". However, an active minority supported the resistance and forced the majority of the bishops to take a stand.

Search for a Accomodations of the Bishops with the Government

No sooner had "gay marriage" but been approved by Parliament, when most bishops withdrew from the resistance and has  looked back since then to form of arrangements with the government majority, although this rarely prosecuted as another a radically anti-Catholic course. The invitation to Brugere should assist in "Arrangements".

But on the other hand rose up in protest of the Church. The projection is therefore attributed to "certain Catholic circles", where the labels who are good and who is evil taken up quickly by the secular media. Father Louis-Marie Guitton expressed, however, on the website of the traditionally friendly Diocese of Frejus-Toulon, that the French Bishops' Conference is being flirtatious with a new Gallicanism: "As Pope Francis is in favor of a real subsidiarity in the Church, it  is to be feared that the old demons of Gallicanism is not all dead. The 'offices', 'presentations' and commissions of  the Bishops' Conference are not the French Church.'"

2000 dispute between Cardinal Ratzinger and Cardinal Kasper on the understanding of the church

Can the Episcopal Conferences be autonomous or must the bishops  always be in complete agreement with each other and be more so with the Pope as "successors of the Apostles"?  The question is not new. In early 2000 there was a famous debate between the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Cardinal Walter Kasper. The future Pope Benedict XVI. defended the understanding of the Church as the universal Church. The world Church he described as "a reality that is always  comes ontologically and chronologically before any particular church". An understanding of the church, which was critized  by the then secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kasper.  Kasper turned the understanding of the Church on its head. Not a world Church with a clear center, which is divided into a number of local churches, but many local churches, which only form a single whole. Where does  the primacy come in, that of Rome or the local churches?

If Diocese or  the Sum of Dioceses Form a Local State Church?

The specific question goes even further: How important are national churches in the form of episcopal conferences?Where already are "national churches" defined by  the current state borders meaning a subordination of spiritual things under the mundane concerns of  states. In other words, with this breakdown, the decision is in favor of practical things and not the doctrine of faith. Who is the local church? Is it, according to the understanding of the Church of Benedict XVI. the single diocese with their bishop, who exercises the responsibility and sole decision-making authority in his field? Or are the dioceses of only a minor appendage of the Episcopal Conferences that have taken over the rights of the dioceses as an autonomous institution?

Between Canon Law and Reality

Considered canon law, things are as Benedict XVI. defined. The diocesan bishop and not the chairman of a bishops' conference is a sacramental reality in the church. But in reality, the Bishops' Conferences are often taken the place of rights and obligations of the individual bishops with their apparatus. The majority decisions in the Bishops' Conference are  formed according to  a consensus. This means, first above all that possible minorities should not be considered. Because the Bishop of Chur Vitus Huonder does not want to submit  otherwise to the dictates of the majority of the Bishops' Conference, he published his reply to the questionnaire of Rome to moral teaching of the Church about remarried divorcees and homosexuals independently, as  he is required by Church law . That earned him a lot of criticism because he thwarted the intention to report a unit review for the whole of Switzerland to Rome. An opinion that has little in common with that of Bishop Huonders. Huonder was with his "go it alone"  spoiler vote  undermined a uniform position that hardly tolerates dissent and intends to carry through the "unity vote" of the Episcopal Conference to pressure  Rome.

Another aspect of the episcopal conferences is the opportunity it provides bishops to hide behind it. However, does the Bishops' Conference relieve  a bishop of his responsibility?

Cardinal Baldisseri: Strengthening the Bishops' Conferences

The divergence of the Church away from Peter, the center of  unity,  towards a spin-off of the local churches, poses a serious threat to the unity of faith and doctrine. Pope Francis seems with Monsignor Lorenzo Baldisseri the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, and who was also made cardinal at the end February, to forego the risk to shake the fragile unity of the Church. The price for such a development is clear, but where are the benefits?

The decision of Pope Francis, to allow Cardinal Walter Kasper at the Consistory  to speak  and  explain his controversial theories about remarried divorcees, at least  is read from the perspective of a German as "Gallican".

"Process of Decentralization" Towards National Churches

Cardinal Baldisseri said in an interview by Jean Mercier: "The process of decentralization takes place in a medium in which   the episcopal conferences and other regional and continental episcopal conferences are given  significance." The discussion about "subsidiarity" and "decentralization", therefore, does not mean that between Rome and the dioceses meet as local churches, but between Rome and the bishops' conferences as "national churches".

In the Apostolic Letter Evangellii Gaudium Pope Francis says the Second Vatican Council had compared the Episcopal Conferences with the ancient patriarchates. How could this contribute in multiple and fruitful ways, so that the Bishops' Conferences, could be realize the collegial sense concretely.

The line of approach has been struck in this direction by the C8-Kardinalsrat of Pope Francis. It's a risky path.

Text: Giuseppe Nardi
image: Messa in Latino

Slovakia: Constitutional Amendment Against "Gay Marriage" -- Historic Alliance Between the Left and Right

(Bratislava) in Slovakia an historic agreement between the political left and the political right has been made. "We will anchor in the Constitution that marriage can exist only between a man and a woman," says Jan Figel, Vice President of the Slovak Parliament. "It is a response to the attempt to seek to impose gender theory on us.".

Last 24 February  the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Christian Democrat, Jan Figel (KDH) agreed on a constitutional amendment. The two leaders of the Socialists and Christian Democrats were considering to establish  marriage as a union between a man and a woman in the Constitution. "The constitutional amendment prohibits the legalization of marriage between same sex people," said Figel.

Hidden Gender Theory in EU and UN Documents

The initiative to protect marriage by the Constitution is based on a request of the KDH. The initiative is a response to the growing pressure to try to impose the gender theory Slovakia. "The initiative is a response to the proposal to implement the strategy for the enforcement of human rights in Slovakia, where the gender theory is hidden," said Figel. However, a true human right of marriage is between a man and a woman. In order to protect this human right, Figel has been trying for months to get a two-thirds majority in Parliament. "We want that marriage  is no longer called into question  or threatened," said the KDH politician.

This opinion is shared by a clear majority of the population. The breakthrough came when the Socialist Prime Minister, decided to to stick to the population and not the pressure exerted by the EU and the UN. Fico is applying straight to the office of the people's elected president.

Agreement Between the Christian Democrats and Socialists

Already in 2012, the electoral program of the socialist-led government focused on supporting the family. Even then,   marriage was enshrined as a union between a man and a woman in the election program. With this line, which is different from that of the socialist president of France, Fico had success to date.

The Eastern Central Europe thus defines an open counter-position to the west. Croatia decided in a referendum to enshrine marriage as a union between a man and a woman in the Constitution. Romania recently rejected "gay marriage". Slovakia wants also to change  its Constitution in this sense. The corresponding amendment has been introduced by Fico.

On 29 March first vote in Parliament

In 2010, the then center-right coalition had proposed the drawing up of marriage in the Constitution. However, due to the resistance of the Liberals it did not happen. Now an agreement on the block boundaries could be reached between the Socialists and Christian Democrats. 40 out of 150 MPs had already signed the original KDH request.First, the behavior of the socialist deputies remained unclear.

In order to pass a judicial reform, Fico needed the votes of the Christian Democrats. In the negotiations for the consent agreement was reached on the constitutional amendment in favor of marriage and family. This Figel can currently expect 96 votes for his initiative. He hopes, however, still be able to win more MPs for the change.

Main Opponents: Liberal, Big Media and Homo-network

 "The Liberal Party, as well as all major media in the country," remain the main opponents of the constitutional amendment, There is also the international aberro network that exerts pressure against the agreement. The first parliamentary vote takes place on 29 March, the decisive vote in May. "Maybe before the European elections," said Figel.

Figel is of the opinion that the former Communist countries are more sensitive to ideological monopolization. It can not be that a certain ideology should be imposed on all. "We have a clear idea of ​​marriage and family," said Figel, "and we do not want to be lectured to from outside".

Text: Giuseppe Nardi

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches....

AMGD

Cardinal Müller About Cardinal Kasper: “Can only speak for himself"

(Rome) The German editors of Vatican Radio streamed an interview on Monday  with Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of Doctrine and the Faith. In connection with the  Consistory Cardinal Kasper's running discussion on divorced and remarried, Cardinal Müller said that he was the Prefect of the Congregation sharing in the Magisterium of the Pope, "while others who talk here, even if they are of the cardinal rank, simply speak only for themselves personally and do not  make an official statement. "

Vatican Radio: Your Eminence, the Pope wants a debate. He wants it to take place in two synods on marriage and family. How do you see the role of the CDF in this upcoming debate?

Cardinal Müller: The CDF will  participate at  this point, but of course in all matters of Catholic doctrine on the level of the truths of faith. I think it is important for the public perception to overcome the narrowing now to only on one subject, as if that would be the solution of all. There is much about getting back centrally to usher the Church's teaching of marriage and family to the consciousness of the Catholic faith, because only when we talk about the success of  marriage and  family have we contributed to this, can we make a positive difference.

Vatican Radio: In public opinion, they are so often perceived or presented as the brakeman or the naysayers when it comes to the Initiatives of the Pope. Does it touch you personally?

Cardinal Müller: Of course, this is now a propaganda that is made specifically to me to construct a contrast to what the Prefect of the CDF or the congregation as a whole, it is only the primus inter pares, has to do. This is clearly just defined by the statutes. However,  also means that we ensure that the Pope is not appropriated for specific goals. It's just interesting that now the time so many groups rely on the Pope, who previously almost invariably rejected the papacy. In this respect, it comes to us in any case that we serve the Pope and the Church, and we are not  served by the Pope. 

Vatican Radio: The debate I just mentioned which has indeed been initiated  by the Pope,   included your participatition too. There are circles, especially in the Italian media, "Il Foglio", a newspaper even went so far  as to say it, there was a campaign against Cardinal Kasper for several days. What is their stake in the debate? What do you demand in the upcoming debate, which far transcends even  the congregations in the Vatican?

Cardinal Müller: I'm not involved as a private theologian, but it is in this function, the CDF is indeed the only one of the Roman congregations, which immediately has a share in providing the Magisterium of the Pope, while others who register here, even if they are of the cardinal rank,  are simply speaking personally for themselves and not to make an official statement.

Vatican Radio: Let's go one step further. It's not just cardinals, who are  participating but there is still a questionnaire, which has indeed generated an attitude of great expectations. Now once it is asked positively: What can the international involvement and suggestions have in the debate, what can its positive contribution be?

Cardinal Müller: Yes it can be positive, I believe,  in its contribution,  very much in  that  Catholics again deal with their own faith and not simply isolate this or that exception from the liturgy,  or  the Church's teaching. We need to see the relationship of preaching and pastoral care of the teaching of the Church but also Diakonia. Can I choose, am  I very socially engaged  or am I doing charitable works at the church, but the worship of God or the celebration of the Sacraments, which doesn’t matter to  me so personally. But the questionnaire as such is no dogma, which is worth as much and just means  as  much as the quality of the questions and the relationship that is given or is not given.

Vatican Radio: You are a man of clear words, which we have just heard. I think it also goes back far in history. Is this the role of the CDF to speak or rather is it  Gerhard Ludwig Müller who speaks?

Cardinal Müller: The CDF has a clear mandate to promote the Catholic faith, but also to protect.  But that is no other than the task  the Pope himself received from Jesus Christ and here we must mention I do not sit back in  comfort and ease to flirt with public opinion. That’s fine if you have the wind at your back and is inflated to a great size.   But I think this temptation must be resisted by every bishop and every priest, whether there is a desire to  hear it or not.

Text: Vatican Radio
Image: Il Foglio
Trans: Tancred99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches….

AMGD

Syria: Islamists Descend on Christian Town

About 80 dead - 670 families from Kasab fled to the port city of Latakia Kasab (kath.net / idea ) In north-west Syria, Islamist rebels have attacked the predominantly Christian town of Kasab. The reports are from the Christian Hilfsbund (Bad Homburg) working there in the Orient, citing eyewitnesses. As the director of federal assistance, Andreas Baumann, the Protestant news agency 'idea' said it has so far the area on the Syrian-Turkish border has been relatively quiet and safe. In the 3500 population city and twelve surrounding villages, there live mainly Christian Armenians. Even Armenian refugees from the city of Aleppo and other parts of the country have sought refuge there from the fighting. On 21 March an offensive had been launched by the Islamists. 670 Christian families then fled or were evacuated by the Syrian military - more than 60 kilometers south from the port city of Latakia. They lived there with relatives or in churches. Partner organizations of Christian auxiliary Federal supplied them with food.

Turkey Syrian Shoots Down Syrian Jet.

Baumann showed himself very concerned about the development. Government troops had tried in vain to repel the insurgents. So far, 80 people have been killed. Rebels had beheaded 13 Armenians. In the fighting, the Turkish military had shot down a Syrian fighter aircraft, according to the media reports it had penetrated Turkish airspace. According to Baumann it is believed that the rebels had advanced from Turkish soil to Kasab. The place is located just three kilometers from the Turkish border. Meanwhile, Latakia was being attacked with rockets, Baumann said. The Armenians are considered as the oldest Christian nation in the world. During the First World War they were the victims of genocide by the then Ottoman Empire, now Turkey. He noted an estimated 300,000 to 1.5 million Armenians fell victim. Turkey denies this genocide. Of the 21 million inhabitants of Syria, 90 percent are Muslim and 6.3 percent Christian, of which three percent are Catholics and Orthodox, plus small groups of Protestants before the Civil War. The rest of the population consists of non-religious people or followers of other religions. The Christians enjoyed relative freedom of belief under the regime of President Bashar al-Assad; they are hunted by the insurgents as his allies.

  Link to kath.net....

 AMGD

No Immemorial Mass of All Ages for the Franciscans of the Immaculate, Either

Edit: we just received another, more recent update on the Franciscans of the Immaculate.  Remember when all those people were saying that the FFI would have the option to say the Mass if they sent in requests?  All the requests have been ignored.  As the following shows, there are two hermeneutics at work here.  One which opens new religious houses and the other which closes them.

Correction from the comments section:

Actually I think there are possibly 3 (out of a former 33?) TLMs allowed in Italy. There is one in Cornwall and one allowed at a parish in New York state...as far as I know. Others have been denied through.

March 10 2014

The Stakes are High for the Franciscans of the Immaculate 

by Maurizio Grosso


Since the beginning of the external “commissioning” of the Institute of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, the new authorities have continuously repeated the same refrain: "Are you on the side of Father Stefano Manelli or on the side of the Pope?" ... "If on one side there is Fr. Stefano and on the other the Pope, whom do you choose?" It was an external commissioning which started out on the wrong foot, and it soon caused the capitulation of any undertaking for unity.

In the name of the authority enjoyed by the Commissioner, the Capuchin Father Fidenzio Volpi wished to pressure the brothers, not so that they might recognize their mistakes and thereby correct them, but so that they might embrace the new line of thought proposed by him and abandon fidelity to the Founding  Fathers. The Friars have not yet been officially notified of the infamous "reasons" for the necessity of an external commissioner. Were there serious crimes? No. This was merely a "benevolent attention that expresses the maternal care of the Church.” Such were the words of those “in the know,” who have constantly repeated the same lullaby, which at times has been extremely contradictory.

Dissident Nuns Promoting Women's Ordination on Pilgrimages to Roman Dicastries: Future Church

Christine Shenk with Heretical Roy Bourgeois

Edit: check out the fawning interview at the Vatican Radio website.

(Vatican Radio) Rediscovering and re-evaluating the role of women in the first centuries of Christianity. That’s the goal of a pilgrimage taking place in Rome this week under the auspices of a U.S. based Catholic group seeking greater leadership roles for women in the Church today. Members of the Future Church group have also been meeting with officials at different Vatican dicasteries, sharing suggestions on how to follow up on Pope Francis’ call to increase the participation of women in Church and in society.

For the fourth year in a row Future Church has organized the pilgrimage to visit some of Rome’s ancient basilicas and catacombs, following in the footsteps of many influential early Christian women whose contribution to the spreading of the Gospel has largely been lost over the centuries. Among those organizing the annual event is the former executive director of Future Church, Sr Christine Schenk of the Congregation of St Joseph [Call to Action too]. She spoke with Philippa Hitchen about what she describes as a journey of discovery and healing for the men and women embarking on this pilgrimage….

MP3...

Text from page .... of the Vatican Radio website 

Future Church's goals:

   * Just, open and collaborative structures for Catholic worship, organization and governance.
     * A return to the Church’s early tradition of both married and celibate priests.
     * A return to the Church’s earliest   tradition, modeled on the inclusive practice of Jesus, of recognizing      both female and male leaders of faith communities.
     * Regular access to the Eucharist, the center of Catholic life and worship, for all Catholics.
Future Church's activities grow from a spirituality based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist, the Spirit-filled beliefs of the faithful, and the teachings of Vatican II.
Our work falls under four basic initiatives.

Photo credit at evil CTA site...

There is no Exoneration for the Innocent Franciscans of the Immaculate to Date

Edit: The following a translation of an article by Federico Catani  we've received and edited slightly, recapping the situation as it stood in February and continues today:

“Lies have short legs” and time continues to give reason to popular wisdom. A few days ago, Msgr. Jose Rodriguez Carballo, secretary of the Roman Congregation that is concerned with religious life, has released in a press conference some affirmations regarding the question of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. The aim? To defend at all costs a congregation (that is the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated life and Societies of Apostolic life) that is already considered an accomplice before the whole world, if not in actuality sent, for the destruction of one of the most flourishing and holy Institutes of pontifical right, erected by the will of the future saint Pope John Paul II. Naturally climbing up a slippery slope is not easy, and sooner or later one is bound to slip, and in fact his affirmations are failing desperately in many ways. The first to notice this was Sandro Magister who had brought the numbers at hand to light,  the figures that have been manipulated by the ex-general of the Friars Minor to justify an external commissioner has given birth to the banner of injustice and of falsity. In fact, the total, to be benevolent, was numbered to be of about fifty religious, which has miraculously been transformed in the hands of Carballo (or by someone for him) to 74% of friars of the Institute (regarding this, read the precisely documented article of Lorenzo Bertocchi). Another journalist that has awakened to this deceitfulness is Marco Tosattione one of the few vaticanists that have not been seduced by the dominant methods in use in these parts for almost a year now.


There is however one other affirmation of Carballo, passed by unobserved from the excellent pen of Magister, that is destined to contradict itself with the facts at hand, and that is the circumstantiation that the external commissioning would not have been caused primarily by the adoption of the Old Rite of the Mass. Nevertheless anyone having had read the questionnaire sent out by the apostolic Visitor Msgr. Vito Todisco to the religious of the FFI (only to the perpetually professed, about 200) would not need long to understand that main accusation was principally the adoption of the Old Rite (see here). It’s very true that the questionnaire seemed already to underline the forced introduction of the rite on the part of the founder Father Stefano Manelli, or at least this is how he was calumniously accused by a small group of disobedient friars. Although unfortunately, that with this type of attitude the founder had never either recalled or reprimanded or excluded these friars for  not having ever celebrated it. This, however, the Congregation came to understand much too late or if they had understood right away, had maliciously left it unmentioned for other reasons. So when they became aware that this accusation didn’t hold up anymore, they desperately looked for another primary accusation: and behold! the tale of the movable goods and the passing of the immovable goods to the relatives of Father Manelli. Nevertheless   this was also a baseless accusation that has finished in failure, insomuch that the same commissioner, with his profound humiliation had to officially deny the defamation (see here).


Now one may ask what else  these destroyers of the order must now invent about the FFI. Among others, besides that of the Corrispondenza Romana, which has begun another collection of signatures against the vaticans handling of the circumstances of the poor religious and other journalist, like Antonio Socci (see here, and here), who are taking.

*Note of the sea of falsity and injustices which are coalescing a cheap spectacle for all in the Church of mercy, towards a religious order that is absolutely CATHOLIC. We must wait to see but we already know that the truth sooner or later will come to light!

First Male Cloister in Thailand Established

Chiang Mai (AsiaNews) - At last, Thailand's Catholic Church opened the country's first Benedictine monastery. The inauguration ceremony was held in the presence of Mgr Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana, bishop of Chiang Mai.
The event was an "historic" moment because the new structure is the first male monastery in the "Land of Smiles," already home to seven female monasteries (Carmelites and Poor Clares).
Held on 18 January, the ceremony saw the presence of Mgr Antonio Mattiazzo, archbishop of Padua, who had suggested and supported the project after receiving a positive response from Abbot Stéphane Huynh, head of the Benedictine Monastery in Thien An (Hue) in Vietnam.
Vietnam is already home to three Benedictine monasteries, which are literally "bursting" in terms of vocations. However, Vietnamese authorities do not seem very keen on authorising a fourth one. For this reason, setting up a new monastery in neighbouring Thailand seemed a good idea.
The new monastery is located just outside Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand. It has ten cells for monks, eight guestrooms and a chapel on the ground floor.
The five resident monks, all from Vietnam (including Abbot Stéphane who retired because of age and decided to come to live in the newly founded Thai structure), follow the old rule of Saint Benedict, alternating moments of prayer with work, growing maize, rice and fruit trees.
The importance of the Benedictine institution, which is a sign of the growth and vitality of the Vietnamese Church, is the first concrete step in the "new evangelisation," since its importance does not lie primarily in its educational or social role, as it does in its monastic and contemplative life, which are also the bases of Buddhism.
For Thais, a monk is in fact a "man of God", dedicated to prayers and meditation.

The necessity which drove the monks from Vietnam will lead to new evangelization in a Buddhist country.  Of the 70 million inhabitants of Thailand, there are only a half-million Christians, mainly Catholics. 93 Percent are Buddhists, 4.5 percent are Muslims.  It is not an academic or social apostolate which will be undertaken by the first male religious establishment in Thailand, but the monastic life of prayer.  A form which is very dear to Thailand’s Buddhists.

Text: Asianews/GiuseppeNardi

Photo: Asia News

Trans: Tancred vekron99@hotmail.com

Link to Katholisches…

AMDG