The Power of the Traditional Priestly Orders

 H/t to Fr. Ray Blake:- he writes:

"I am told by a priest of the diocese that in Westminster diocese there are no ordinations to the diocesan priesthood this year but apparently -according to the com-box there are seven however in Buenos Aires, this year has only three, my own diocese has only two seminarians spread over the whole six year course, some diocese have no seminarians, some diocese have far more bishops (active and retired) than seminarians.

But my own rather odd little parish, 'least of the cities of Judah', prays regularly for three men who came here to Mass and were very much part of our parish. One is at one of our English Oratories, another has joined one of the Traditional priestly societies and yet another has joined the most ascetic monasteries in Britain.


One of the things that attracted these young men here is Old Mass, all three came to it, all three had a great love for it. It does seem to be a source of vocations. As one teen age lad said, "I don't understand a word of it but at least it gives you a chance to pray". Prayer, communion with Christ is the source of vocation.

Personally I found it easier to speak to young men about priesthood when Pope Benedict so often spoke about the great value and the significance of the priesthood and the Sacred Liturgy. Now, there seems to so many warnings to young priests, so much criticism of young priests, even suggestion they might be mentally ill, it makes it far less attractive, perhaps there is sense that maybe young men considering the priesthood might be better off being tender hearted social workers, rather than servants of the altar.

One of the things that is at the back of mind is that young men are certainly not choosing the secular or diocesan priesthood though some religious orders aren't doing too badly, especially those with something of traditional about them. The traditional Mass priestly societies are flourishing, and some religious orders are making steady progress, this year the Irish Dominican province had more ordinations than all the Irish diocese put together. I think as we grow older, we secular clergy become increasingly unattractive to young men, there is something of the smell of the geriatric ward about us. Like attracts like. In fifteen years time half the present diocesan clergy of England and Wales will be incapable of saying Mass, most of us will dead or in a home! In France, for most people it will be easier in ten years time to get to the Traditional Mass than the Novus Ordo. I think many of us secular priests have a sense failure about them, whilst young religious communities have a sense of mission and growth, a hopefulness about them.

For all the rather sad holding on to the 1970s of some of the most senior clergy this is not where the Church will be in ten years time."

photographs from here

Secularism and Atheism Have in fact Become a New Ideology of the Western Europe - Metropolitan Hilarion

Moscow, April 19, Interfax - Head of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk draws a parallel between the USSR and present-day Europe.

 

Metropolitan Hilarion states that: " faith and the Church are revived in Russia, new churches are being built, monasteries and theological schools are open, while “religiosity is decreasing in the West, churches are closed, some church buildings are just sold.”
“Secularism and atheism have in fact become a new ideology of the Western Europe....
He also believes that religious revival in Europe will go through “being drunk with freedom, with permissiveness and people will understand what it leads to and start coming back to their Christian roots.”

See more at http://www.pravmir.com/metropolitan-hilarion-compares-europe-with-the-atheistic-soviet-union/

QUESTION: My Unconscious Aunt Died After Being Anointed: Was She Forgiven?

QUAERITUR to Fr. Z (H/t to WDTPRS):

My aunt recently passed away two major strokes. After her second, my uncle, an openly declared agnostic, asked me if she should have a priest. I replied in the affirmative, and the hospital had a priest come. Since my aunt was heavily sedated and likely very impaired due to the stroke, she was unable to confess. I’ve read several blogs, but its unclear if forgiveness of sin occurred or if it is even possible in such as case. Can a person impaired in such a way that they are unable to confess receive absolution? Or is this one of those mysteries that we hold out hope for God’s mercy?

It is good that the priest came.  I am sure that he anointed your aunt before her death.  This can be a consolation to you as it was a great spiritual benefit for her.

The Sacrament of Anointing, also called Extreme Unction when administered close to death, has several effects. The effects are 1) to comfort us in the pains of sickness and to strengthen us against temptations, 2) to remit venial sins and to cleanse our soul from the remains of sin, and 3) to restore us to health, when God sees fit.  These are the effects when a person is still conscience and in the state of grace.  When you are compos sui this sacrament should be received only in the state of grace, which means that, when possible, it should be administered after sacramental confession and absolution.

However, not all people near death are conscious and able to make a confession of their sins.  In cases of necessity, the Sacrament of Anointing, Extreme Unction, will also take away mortal sin (not just venial) if the dying person is no longer able to confess, provided she has the sorrow for his sins that would be necessary for the worthy reception of the Sacrament of Penance.

And so, we can say that the Sacrament of Anointing straddles two categories in one instance: when the person cannot express sorrow for sins and receive absolution from the priest.  If a priest anoints a person who is incapable of response and in danger of death, the sacrament can not only possibly heal (according to God’s will), and strengthen the soul in the last moments of life, but also forgive mortal (not just venial) sins.

Dear readers, do you see how important it is to make a regular confession of your sins?  We do not know the day or hour when we will be called before God’s Judgement Seat.

That woman was given a great grace: the priest came before she died.

And, yes, there is such a thing as mortal sin and, yes, there is a particular judgment which each of us will undergo at death.

Some people might want to give the impression these days that the mercy of God is so great that mortal sin doesn’t mean anything.

Some people might want to give the impression today that it is nearly impossible to commit mortal sins and that we shouldn’t even talk about these outdated categories anymore. Mercy mercy mercy, they cry, while ignoring truth and justice and, frankly, common sense.

Well… THIS PRIEST is here to tell you that you CAN sin mortally and that you will be JUDGED.  THIS PRIEST is here to tell you that we all are going to get God’s JUSTICE whether we want it or not even though we can always BEG for His mercy.

We should daily reflect on the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell.

We should daily, even several times a day, beg God to spare us from a sudden and unprovided death.  An “unprovided death” is a death when someone has not had the last sacraments.

Some will tell you that it is really really haaard to commit a mortal sin.  I’m not so sure about that.  Don’t bet your immortal souls on the devil-may-care pabulum spooned out by modernists and the foolish.
Don’t be distracted from what is important for salvation by those who are rattling that shiny thing over there in the wrong direction, on the road to perdition.

Examine your consciences, be brutally honest with yourselves, and GO TO CONFESSION!

Do you know fallen away Catholics?  Help them to GO TO CONFESSION!

 

Breaking.... Pope Agrees that Amoris Laetitia has Brought New Openings

Pope Francis agrees that the Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia has brought, "new, concrete possibilities that didn’t exist before the publication of the exhortation." He directs people to Cardinal Schonborn's summary of the document on 8th April, which among other things, promotes the notion that Amoris Laetitia is a "development of doctrine," from the teachings of Pope John Paul II (Ed. in practical terms this means it's a contradiction not a development?).

 From Catholic World News:-

"Frank Rocca (Wall Street Journal): Thanks, Holy Father. I see that the questions on immigration that I had thought to ask you have been asked and answered by you very well. If you permit me, I’d like to ask you another question about an event of recent days, which was your apostolic exhortation. As you well know, there has been much discussion about on one of the many, I know that we’ve focused on this a lot…there has been much discussion after the publication. Some sustain that nothing has changed with respect to the discipline that regulates access to the sacraments for the divorced and remarried, that the Law, the pastoral praxis and obviously the doctrine remain the same. Others sustain that much has changed and that there are new openings and possibilities. For a Catholic who wants to know: are there new, concrete possibilities that didn’t exist before the publication of the exhortation or not?

Pope Francis: I can say yes, many. But it would be an answer that is too small. I recommend that you read the presentation of Cardinal Schonborn (Ed. this is a big deal), who is a great theologian. He was the secretary for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, and he knows the doctrine of the faith well. In that presentation, your question will find an answer.

 Jean-Marie Guenois (Le Figaro): I had the same question, but it’s a complementary question because you wrote this famous ‘Amoris Laetitia’ on the problems of the divorced and remarried (footnote 351). Why put something so important in a little note? Did you foresee the opposition or did you mean to say that this point isn’t that important?

Pope Francis: One of the recent popes, speaking of the Council, said that there were two councils: the Second Vatican Council in the Basilica of St. Peter, and the other, the council of the media. (Ed. PF appears to be not answering this question) When I convoked the first synod, the great concern of the majority of the media was communion for the divorced and remarried, and, since I am not a saint, this bothered me, and then made me sad. Because, thinking of those media who said, this, this and that, do you not realize that that is not the important problem? Don’t you realize that instead the family throughout the world is in crisis? Don’t we realize that the falling birth rate in Europe is enough to make one cry? And the family is the basis of society. Do you not realize that the youth don’t want to marry? Don’t you realize that the fall of the birth rate in Europe is to cry about? Don’t you realize that the lack of work or the little work (available) means that a mother has to get two jobs and the children grow up alone? These are the big problems. I don’t remember the footnote ?, but for sure if it’s something general in a footnote it’s because I spoke about it, I think, in ‘Evangelii Gaudium.’"

16 April, is Pope Benedict XVI’s 89th birthday

16 April, is Pope Benedict XVI’s 89th birthday! Happy birthday Pope Emeritus!

Analysis of Amoris Laetitia Continues

H/t to Fr. Z for providing the following episode of EWTN's, "World Over Live" programme .

This document has caused chaos throughout the Catholic world, it's important that we pay attention to the respectful and restrained criticisms given below.

Fr. Z states:-

"Great commentary about Amoris laetitia from Robert Royal and Fr. Gerald Murray on EWTN.

At about 20:00 Fr. Murray has gives a fantastic response to Arroyo’s toungue-in-check challenge after reading out a portion of AL 304.

Arroyo from 304-305: “It is reductive simply to consider whether or not an individual’s actions correspond to a general law or rule, because that is not enough to discern and ensure full fidelity to God in the
concrete life of a human being….  For this reason, a pastor cannot feel that it is enough simply to apply moral laws to those living in “irregular” situations, as if they were stones to throw at people’s lives. This would bespeak the closed heart of one used to hiding behind the Church’s teachings…. [THEN]  Is that what you are doing Fr. Murray?  Are you hiding behind the Church’s teaching?”

Tune in for Father’s brilliant response."

Ephatta - an Online Christian Hospitality Network

Ephatta is an online Christian hospitality network. It connects people looking for a temporary place to stay with people willing to welcome them. With Ephatta, experience moments of hospitality and sharing during your future pilgrimage, gathering, professional trip or your holidays. The website is open to everyone sharing or discovering these values.

List a couch, a private room, an entire place or a green spot to plant a tent. Welcome and enrich yourself spending time with your guests. Travel with Ephatta and find a warm Christian welcome wherever you go.

See:- http://en.ephatta.com/ for more details.

Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia - Meaning "The Joy of Love,"

The embargo on the forth coming Apostolic Exhortation is still emargoed, although if you look hard enough, it has now been leaked to a number of sites.  The picture above, perhaps, sums up the document very well.

Unfortunately,  the title can mean the " The Joy of Love," or "The Joy of Sex."????

BREAKING NEWS ON APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION - Pope encourages not just a 'renewal' but even more, a real 'conversion' of language."

Taken from author:- http://www.ncronline.org/authors/joshua-j-mcelwee

VATICAN CITY - A Vatican reading guide sent to Catholic bishops globally ahead of the release of Pope Francis' widely anticipated document on family life says the pontiff wants the church to adopt a new stance of inclusion towards society and to ensure its doctrines are: "at the service of the pastoral mission." The Vatican reading guide came to bishops alongside a letter signed by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldiserri, the head of the Vatican Synod office. The cardinal’s letter tells bishops that the exhortation is:- "first and foremost a pastoral teaching." The reading guide says Francis "wants to express himself in language that truly reaches the audience -- and this implies discernment and dialogue." Discernment, it says, "avoids taking truths and choices for granted; it has us examine and consciously adopt our formulations of truths and the choices."

McElwee concludes by quoting the summary document:-

"The Pope's concern is therefore to re-contextualize doctrine at the service of the pastoral mission of the Church," it states. Using a Greek word for the proclamation of salvation through Jesus, it states: "Doctrine should be interpreted in relation to the heart of the Christian kerygma and in the light of the pastoral context in which it will be applied."

http://www.ncronline.org/news/vatican/vatican-guide-says-francis-family-document-puts-doctrine-service-pastoral-mission

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI Asks To Be Reinstated As Pope

VATICAN–According to reports today, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is seeking the chair of his pontificate months after his resignation. The news has sent shock waves around the world.

Vatican spokesman Fr. Vitateli Devitiamani told EOTT that, “He came for a dinner as scheduled and then proceeded to return to his old living quarters. That wouldn’t be a problem, since His Holiness Pope Francis chose to live elsewhere, the room is open. However, once we asked him where he was going, he simply said, ‘I’m back,’ then proceeded to put his sunglasses on even though we were inside.”

Sources say that the next morning, he walked down the hall asking for his valet and his red....shoes, and was overheard asking an adviser to “get Burke on the line.”

H/t to Eye of the Tiber on 1st April 2016.

Young Catholic Adults and WAF Marian Day - on 9th April between 11:30 - 2pm at St. Gregory's Cheltenham

The Parish of St. Gregory the Great (10 St James Square, Cheltenham, GL50 3PR) will be hosting a Marian event on April 9th 2016 11:30 - c.2pm. It will start with a Rosary at 11:30am followed a procession around the Church. 

There will be a presentation on Fatima by Donal Foley, the Secretary of the World Apostolate of Fatima, England and Wales, which will start at 12:15pm in the Old Priory and finish by c.2pm. It will include a DVD and a PowerPoint presentation, as well as time for refreshments and questions and answers. Books, booklets and DVDs will be available for sale. The focus of the presentation is the importance of the Rosary and the Five First Saturdays devotion, and how they can revitalise our own spiritual lives, the parish, and the Church generally. 

This event is organised by Cheltenham YCA and the World Apostolate of Fatima and is for ALL AGES. There is a suggested donation of  £5 – please bring a packed lunch.

The Devil Hates Latin!

By David Clayton.
 

I just attended a talk by the exorcist for diocese of San Jose, Fr Gary Thomas. He is the subject of a book and a film called The Rite, starring Anthony Hopkins. (The talk was organized by a group called Catholics at Work.)

First, he was a great speaker. He described how almost by accident, and after 20 years as a parish priest, he found himself sent to Rome to learn how to perform the Rite of Exorcism. He was very clear in saying that, in his opinion, the recent rise in interest in (the) New Age.... has opened the door to adherence to the occult for greater numbers of people than before, which in turn opens the way to diabolical possession. He has always been inundated with requests, even before the publicity. 

The fact that he described these things pretty much in the same straightforward, matter-of-fact way that one might describe what goes on in a marriage or baptism in a parish RCIA class only served to reinforce the truth of it all for me. And I would say that if anything is to increase your faith, it is listening to accounts of how the Church overcomes the effects of possession by the devil and demons, and the suffering of those poor people who are affected by them.

I wanted to pass on one little comment that he made almost in passing. I do not know where he stands liturgically in regard to the Mass - there was nothing in what he said that led me to believe that he celebrates the Latin Mass, for example. However, he did explain that the Rite of Exorcism is only said in Latin. One reason is practical - there is no approved translation in English as yet. He gave another reason why he was so strongly in favor of the use of Latin in the Rite of Exorcism: “The Devil hates Latin, it is the universal language of the Church.” I asked him about this afterwards, and he repeated it, saying that his personal experiences as an exorcist who has performed many, many exorcisms have convinced him of this. He told me he had heard from exorcists who did exorcisms in Italian, Spanish and Portuguese (the only approved vernaculars for this Rite) that Latin was the most effective language.

H/t: http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/

WYD 2016 Registration for Federatio Internationalis Juventutem Is Open!

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From Fr Armand de Malleray, Ecclesiastical Assistant to the FIJ:-

World Youth Day, to be held from July 25^th to August 1^st in Krakow, Poland, is right around the corner. Those who wish to attend Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite can do under the patronage of the Federatio Internationalis Juventutem (FIJ) group, organized by Krakow’s youth. During the meetings the daily Mass celebrant will be His Excellency Bishop Athanasius Schneider of Kazakhstan. The Bishop will also lead catechesis sessions. All of the events for our group will take place in the very heart of Krakow at Saints Peter and Paul Church on Grodzka Street https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Peter_and_Paul_Church,_Krak%C3%B3w . 

We wish to encourage youth from traditional communities in Poland and across the world to attend this event. Organization and group registrations can be made only through WYD 2016’s registration page. We urge those registering to familiarize themselves with all information either on the registration page or in the FAQ:  http://www.krakow2016.com/en/informacje-en

See http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm

5 Reasons Young Catholics Should Pray the Rosary

From "Mary":-

Let’s be honest.  The rosary isn’t the most popular prayer amongst our age group.  It’s the prayer that we sometimes got guilt-tripped into reciting on long car rides with the family, or guilt-tripped into reciting while at the Lenten prayer service, or guilt-tripped into reciting when…well, you get the picture.  For many of us, the rosary is pretty much just the result of a guilt trip.

However, despite what preconceived notions or feelings you may have towards the rosary, I submit to you that it should be a regular part of your daily life as a young Catholic.  Why?  Five main reasons:

1. In the fight against temptation and against Satan, a wimpy and sporadic prayer life simply will not do.
What does the prayer life of most people our age look like?  Most likely: whatever we feel like that day.  This is, quite simply, a recipe for disaster, and a fast-track to grave sin (which if committed with full knowledge and full consent equals Mortal sin....ed).

If you’re not accustomed to it, developing the habit of praying a daily rosary (or any consistent daily prayer) is difficult.  Because of this, we can easily come up with a thousand reasons why getting in a rosary every day is just not all that important.  The Catechism describes this battle of prayer:

2725 Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. The “spiritual battle” of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.

So, we turn to the one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal: the rosary.

“The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” -Saint Josemaria Escriva

“No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary: either they will give up sin or they will give up the Rosary” -Bishop Hugh Doyle

2. Because “World Peace” isn’t just a go-to answer for beauty pageant contestants
Prayer may be described both as an internal struggle and as a spiritual battle, but as Christians, we are always faced with the task of bringing the peace of Christ to a confused and hurting world.  How are we even to begin to go about this?

Mary literally gave us the answer to this herself.  And then she made the sun dance. If you’re not familiar with Mary’s apparitions at Fatima, she appeared several times to three children at the beginning of the twentieth century.  Her message:

Our Lady stressed the importance of praying the Rosary in each of Her apparitions, asking the children to pray the Rosary every day for peace. Another principal part of the Message of Fatima is devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart, which is terribly outraged and offended by the sins of humanity, and we are lovingly urged to console Her by making reparation. She showed Her Heart, surrounded by piercing thorns (which represented the sins against Her Immaculate Heart), to the children, who understood that their sacrifices could help to console Her.

Again and again, Mary has appealed to us in her apparitions to pray the rosary daily.  Why not do as she says?

3. Because Jesus listens to his mother
We see this in John’s account of the gospel, when Jesus transforms the water into wine after Mary tells him they had run out at the wedding (John 2:1-11).  In a similar way to the Old Testament, when the King listened to and respected the Queen Mother, so Jesus respects and listens to his Mother, Mary, Queen of Heaven.

“And the king said to her, ‘Make your request, my mother; for I will not refuse you” -1 Kings 2:20

Of course we can go straight to Jesus, but he has given us his Mother as well (John 19:27).  And as we know from the gospel, Jesus hastens to answer his Mother’s requests.

4. Miracles Happen

“Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.”  -Pope Pius IX

Books could be filled (and, in fact, have been filled) with stories of miraculous healings, conversions, and other events brought about by the regular recitation of the rosary.  There’s no reason to expect the rosary not to bring about some dramatic and powerful change in your life as well.

5. Because meditation helps us to “see for the first time”
The rosary is meant to be the “epitome of the entire Gospel”.  When we pray the rosary, we are engaging in the practice of mediation

CCC 2708: Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him.

Mediation is meant to lead us as a step along the way to true knowledge of the Lord, to personal union with Jesus.  As GK Chesterton said, “If you look at a thing 999 times, you are perfectly safe; if you look at it for the 1000th time, you are in danger of seeing it for the first time.”  This is what we attempt to do in mediation – to see for the first time.  We meditate on the stories of the Gospel as we pray with Mary to help us see Jesus for the first time....So get the beads out and start praying!  You won’t regret it.

H/t to Mary at http://youngandcatholic.net

http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk Website Updated

The old Young Catholic Adults website has been revamped!

                                               Courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com

 It now has better mobile functionality and will be updated on a more regular basis!

See:- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk .