Vidimus Dominum

Despite this restoration- a genuine catechism faithful to the essential content of Revelation and up to date in method. There seems to be some danger that the detailed catechism which has been authorized solemnly may be used in a manner that would be alien to the spirit of the majority in the council, by not allowing enough local liberty.

The most significant change in Church history could probably be change from the Church as being a fortress repelling enemies by firing off dogmas to being the Church as the pilgrim people of God, loving God and God’s world, moving into a future with joyful faith. To this change, I sing te duem. This is also a ‘sign of the times’. In the 90’s two-thirds of Catholics lived in Europe and North America. Now more than three-quarters of the much larger numbers live in Latin America, Asia and Africa. As the Council registered, “the Church has become more educated and humble”. The Second Vatican II Council is likely to be the last Council to be dominated by Europe. The Church has become less white, less rich and more distant from the Vatican. The consequences of both these revolutionary developments will set the agenda for future Popes. Many of the challenges that will confront the Church and the Holy Father will be more or less the same throughout the Church, regardless of locality.

Future Popes would have inherited a severe decline in the number of priests. Many are leaving the priesthood. This decline has encouraged lay movement, like in the days of the apostles; a small compensation. However, priests- no matter how young or dedicated- would be too few to provide the sacraments, care and teaching to those who look to them. The Vatican estimates one priest to seven thousand Catholics in South America as a whole, and one to four thousand in Africa. I’m not advocating, but could this be inter alia, due to the restriction on priests to marry? This could have been the wishes of potential priests to carry out their human right of marriage.

The rising movement to release female talent in Church (as well as society) would be another issue. Certainly (and hopefully) the option of Priesthood is closed. However, an easier option to consider would be the deaconate, as Phoebe certainly was when St. Paul wrote to the Church over which you now preside (Romans 16:1-2).


Perhaps one of the hardest decisions that would have to be made would be the from the multitudes of Catholic laity that sexual intercourse which transmits love need not be always be open to the transmission of life. Would artificial contraception be allowed? In all the weight of Roman authority the answer would definitely be a resounding ‘No’. However, considering the expected doubling of the world’s population (at least twelve billion), how are Catholic clergy to regain the respect of the laity as teachers of sexual morality?

Our future Pope, whoever he may be, would inherit the legacy of many centuries. Will he be open to the possibility of substantial changes or remain conservative- faithful to Roman Catholic tradition?

We are not far from the day where we’ll hear the wide ranging criticisms coming from all corners of the Church. We need to ask ourselves: What is the authority of Sacred Scripture and of the Church? What is the heart of the Christian faith? What diversity in its expressions is right? What is sex for and what is the priesthood for?

In the sixteenth century, nationalist policies increased the force of the Protestant question: What is the authority of the Bible? In the twenty-first century, the importance of sexuality in human life may fuel explosive power to the Catholic question: What is the authority of the Church?

It can be foreseen that the future Popes would have voices coming from their own heart, warning him not to divide the Church whose unity is entrusted to him. He would also look upon Protestantism and be reminded of the innumerable divisions that we created by men and women who followed their own private judgments in defiance of the mind of the Church. He would be warned not to sacrifice the truth entrusted to his guardianship for modernism, post-modernism, agnosticism, materialism, and other passing fashions of a godless age.

We need to pray unceasingly that the ‘deposit of faith’ will be guarded conservatively, as it was under John Paul II or Paul VI or John XXIII as well as Pius XII and his predecessors.

Many marvelous and creative changes have taken place in the history of the Roman Catholic Church, including the papacy. It is Divine Will that the Church has survived the might of the Roman Empire’s persecutions, and the corruption of her own wealth and power, to be the centre of great civilization of medieval Europe. It was by the grace of God that the Council of Trent inaugurated a Catholic Reformation, pouring new energy into the life and mission of the Church after a period when it had seemed that despite many scandals reform was impossible. Likewise, it was grace that brought forth the Second Vatican II Council, changing Catholic thought and life, after a period when it was widely assumed that no further council would be necessary and the only tendency would be an ever-increasing weight of authority and dogma.

Would it be too bold of me to suggest the dangerous duty to convene the Third Vatican Council? In like of (true) ecumenism, which Vatican II blessed, it seems logical that a third council be convened to have many uncomfortable voices heard. And that dialogue could mark the beginning of full restoration of communion with each other and with the Christ who cannot be divided.

Echoing the words spoken in Rome in 1967 by Athenagoras, Patriarch of Constantinople:

The Bishop of Rome who is “the bearer of apostolic grace and the successor to a shinning company of holy and wise men who have shed lustre on this see which, by honor and rank, stands first in the living body of Christian Churches dispersed throughout the world; and whose holiness, wisdom and valiant fight for the common faith of the undivided Church are a permanent asset and treasure for the entire world”.

*My emphasis has been added

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 28, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Antichrist is the reduction of Christianity to an ideology, instead of a personal encounter with the Savior, says the cardinal directing the retreat which Benedict XVI is attending.

Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, retired archbishop of Bologna, delivered that message during a meditation Tuesday, drawing on the work of Russian philosopher Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov.

The cardinal's meditation came during the weeklong Spiritual Exercises being attended by the Pope and members of the Roman Curia. The retreat ends this Saturday. The Holy Father suspended his usual meetings, including the general audience, in these days.

According to Vatican Radio's summary of his preaching, the cardinal explained that "the teaching that the great Russian philosopher left us is that Christianity cannot be reduced to a set of values. At the center of being a Christian is, in fact, the personal encounter with Jesus Christ."

Quoting the work "Three Dialogues on War, Progress and the End of History," Cardinal Biffi told his listeners that "the Antichrist presents himself as pacifist, ecologist and ecumenist."

"He will convoke an ecumenical council and will seek the consensus of all the Christian confessions, granting something to each one. The masses will follow him, with the exception of small groups of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants," he said.

The cardinal added that Solovyov says in that work: "Days will come in Christianity in which they will try to reduce the salvific event to a mere series of values."

No cross

In his "Tale of the Antichrist" Solovyov foresees that a small group of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants will resist and will say to the Antichrist: "You give us everything, except what interests us, Jesus Christ."

For Cardinal Biffi, this narrative is a warning: "Today, in fact, we run the risk of having a Christianity which puts aside Jesus with his cross and resurrection."

The 78-year-old cardinal said that if Christians "limited themselves to speaking of shared values they would be more accepted on television programs and in social groups. But in this way, they will have renounced Jesus, the overwhelming reality of the resurrection."

The cardinal said he believes that this is "the danger that Christians face in our days … the Son of God cannot be reduced to a series of good projects sanctioned by the prevailing worldly mentality."

However, "this does not mean a condemnation of values, but their careful discernment. There are absolute values, such as goodness, truth, beauty," Cardinal Biffi said. "Those who perceive and love them, also love Christ, even if they don't know it, because he is Truth, Beauty and Justice."

The preacher of the Spiritual Exercises added that "there are relative values, such as solidarity, love of peace and respect for nature. If these become absolute, uprooting or even opposing the proclamation of the event of salvation, then these values become an instigation to idolatry and obstacles on the way of salvation."

Cardinal Biffi affirmed that "if Christianity -- on opening itself to the world and dialoguing with all -- dilutes the salvific event, it closes itself to a personal relationship with Jesus and places itself on the side of the Antichrist."

According to some Anglicans, YES. From The Times. Andrew has commented on this in his post.

5 Reasons why I feel the Anglicans should reunite with Rome:

All who are interested in the Church’s liturgy are wondering if the Pope will soon issue a motu proprio allowing the celebration of the "Old Mass," and (if he does), what it will say. One of the Vatican’s liturgists sheds light on the Pope’s plans

ANTHONY VALLE: Your Excellency, you have been generous in giving several interviews to the international press regarding liturgy since becoming the secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship. Some of your statements have been misinterpreted and aroused controversy rather than providing the intended clarity. Would you care to clarify anything?

ARCHBISHOP MALCOLM RANJITH: What I wished to insist on in those interviews was that the post-conciliar reform of the liturgy has not been able to achieve the expected goals of spiritual and missionary renewal in the Church so that today we could be truly happy about it.

Undoubtedly there have been positive results too; but the negative effects seem to have been greater, causing much disorientation in our ranks.

The churches have become empty, liturgical free-wheeling has become the order of the day, and the true meaning and significance of that which is celebrated has been obscured.

One has to, then, begin wondering if the reform process had in fact been handled correctly. Thus, we need to take a good look at what had happened, pray and reflect about its causes and with the help of the Lord move on to make the necessary corrections.

VALLE: It seems as if Pope Benedict XVI will release a motu proprio to liberalize the use of the traditional or Tridentine Mass. Some hope that the Pope’s motu proprio will institute a juridical structure enabling priests to celebrate the traditional Mass without being unjustly harassed and persistently thwarted by, ironically, not people of other faiths or secular authorities, but by their own pastors and bishops. Is this hope for a new juridical apparatus realistic? Is such an apparatus necessary?

RANJITH: Well, there is this rising call for a restoration of the Tridentine Mass. And even certain leading figures of the elite have made public appeals for this Mass in some newspapers recently.

The Holy Father will, I am sure, take note of this and decide what is best for the Church.

You speak of the possible realization of new juridical structures for the implementation of such decisions. I do not think that this would be so much of a problem. Rather what is more important in all of this is a pastoral attitude.

Will the bishops and priests reject requests for the Tridentine Mass and so create a need for juridical structures to ensure the enforcement of a decision of the Pope? Should it go that way?

I sincerely do not hope so.

The appropriate question the shepherds have to ask themselves is: How can I as a bishop or priest bring even one person closer to Christ and to His Church?

It is not so much a matter of the Tridentine Mass or of the Novus Ordo. It is just a question of pastoral responsibility and sensitivity.

Thus, if the Tridentine Mass is the way to achieve an even better level of spiritual enrichment for the faithful, then the shepherds should allow it.

The important concern is not so much the "what" as much as the "how." The Church should always seek to help our faithful to come closer to the Lord, to feel challenged by His message and to respond to His call generously. And if that can be achieved through the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass or the Pius V Mass, well, then space should be provided for whatever is best instead of getting down to unnecessary and divisive theological hair-splitting. Such things need to be decided through the heart and not so much through the head.

After all, Pope John Paul II did make a personal appeal in Ecclesia Dei Adflicta of 1988 to the bishops, calling upon them to be generous in this matter with those who wish to celebrate or participate in the Tridentine Mass. Besides, we should remember that the Tridentine Mass is not something that belongs to the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre only. It is part of our own heritage as members of the Catholic Church.

The Second Vatican Council, as Pope Benedict so clearly stated in his speech to the members of the Curia in December 2005, did not envisage a totally new beginning, but one of continuity with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and a new outlook that better responds to the missionary needs of the time.

Besides, we also have the serious question of the diminishing number of faithful in some of the churches in the Western world. We have to ask ourselves what happened in these churches and then take corrective steps as may be necessary. I do not think that this situation is attributable to secularization only. A deep crisis of faith coupled with a drive for meaningless liturgical experimentation and novelty have had their own impact in this matter. There is much formalism and insipidity visible at times.

Thus, we need to recover a true sense of the sacred and mystical in worship.

And if the faithful feel that the Tridentine Mass offers them that sense of the sacred and mystical more than anything else, then we should have the courage to accept their request.

With regard to the timing and nature of the motu proprio, nothing yet is known. It is the Holy Father who will decide.

And when he does, we should in all obedience accept what he indicates to us and with a genuine love for the Church strive to help him. Any counter attitude would only harm the spiritual mission of the Church and thwart the Lord’s own will.

VALLE: Like many Catholics today, my wife and I have found that we leave the celebration of the Novus Ordo Mass on Sunday exasperated and perplexed rather than spiritually invigorated. Why?

RANJITH: In the celebration of the Novus Ordo we have to be very serious about what we do on the altar. I cannot be a priest who dreams in his sleep about what I will do at the Mass the following day, walk up to the altar and start celebrating with all kinds of novel self-created rubrics and actions.

The Holy Eucharist belongs to the Church. Hence, it has a meaning of its own which cannot be left to the idiosyncrasies of the single celebrant.

Every element in the liturgy of the Church has its own long history of development and significance. It is certainly not a matter of private "traditions" and so cannot be the object of manipulation by all and sundry.

In fact, Sacrosanctum Concilium does state that other than the Apostolic See and the bishops, where this is allowed to the latter by the former, "absolutely no other person, not even a priest, may add or remove or change anything on his own authority" (SC 22). Even then, we note much free-wheeling in liturgical matters in some areas of the Church today, basically due to an incorrect understanding of liturgical theology.

For example, the mystery of the Holy Eucharist has often been misunderstood or partially understood, leaving thus the door open to all kinds of liturgical abuses.

In the celebration of the Holy Eucharist, some place too much accent on the presidential role of the priest. But we know that the priest is really not the main agent of what happens on the altar.

It is Jesus Himself.

Besides, every liturgical celebration has also a heavenly dimension "which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem towards which we journey as pilgrims" (SC 8).

Others explain the Eucharist in a way that places the accent on its banquet/meal dimension, linking it to "communion." This too is an important consideration, but we should remember that it is not so much a communion created by those taking part in the Eucharist as much as by the Lord Himself.

Through the Eucharist, the Lord assumes us unto Himself and in Him we are placed in communion with all the others who unite themselves to Him. It is thus not so much a sociological experience as much as a mystical one. Hence even as "communion" the Eucharist is a heavenly experience.

What is more important is the sacrificial dimension of the Eucharist. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist we relive the sacrifice of Calvary, celebrating it as the moment of our salvation.

And this very fact also constitutes the unique dignity and font of identity of the priest. He has been instituted by Christ to celebrate the wonderful mystery of turning this corruptible piece of bread into the very glorified Body of Christ and this little bit of wine into the Blood of Christ, enacting the sacrifice of Calvary for the salvation of the world. And this has to be lived, understood and believed by the priest each time he celebrates the Eucharist.

Indeed, Sacrosanctum Concilium placed accent on the sacrificial and salvific effectivity of the Mass. The priest thus becomes another Christ, so to say. What a great vocation! And so, if we celebrate the Eucharist devoutly, then the faithful will reap immense spiritual benefit and return again and again in search of that heavenly nourishment.

VALLE: Some have contended that the solution to the liturgical crisis -- and at bottom the crisis of faith -- afflicting the Catholic Church today would be to implement the exclusive use of the Tridentine Mass, while others maintain that all we really need is a "reform of the reform," in other words, a reform of the Novus Ordo. What do you think?

RANJITH: An "either-or" attitude would unnecessarily polarize the Church, whereas charity and pastoral concern should be the motivating factors.

If the Holy Father so desires, both could co-exist.

That would not mean that we would have to give up the Novus Ordo. But in the interaction of the two Roman traditions, it is possible that the one may influence the other eventually.

We can’t say everything is completed and finished, that nothing new could happen. In fact, Vatican II never advocated immediate change in the liturgy. Rather it preferred change to "grow organically from forms already existing" (SC 23). As Cardinal Antonelli, a much revered member of the Concilium that undertook the revision of the liturgy after the Council, noted in his diaries, some of the liturgical changes after the Council had been introduced without much reflection, haphazardly, and made later to become accepted practice.

For example, Communion in the hand had not been something that was first properly studied and reflected upon before its acceptance by the Holy See. It had been haphazardly introduced in some countries of Northern Europe and later become accepted practice, eventually spreading into many other places. Now that is a situation that should have been avoided. The Second Vatican Council never advocated such an approach to liturgical reform.

VALLE: Lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi ("The law of praying (is) the law of believing, (is) the law of living"). Is it true that how we worship and pray influences what we believe, and that what we believe influences how we live? In other words, liturgy ultimately influences our moral life, does it not?

RANJITH: Yes. How can we convince the faithful to make sacrifices in their ethical and moral options, unless they are first touched and inspired by the grace of God profoundly? And such happens especially in worship when the human soul is made to experience the salvific grace of God most intimately. In worship, faith becomes interiorized and brims over with inspiration and strength, enabling one to take the moral options that are in consonance with that faith. In the liturgy, we should experience the closeness of God to our heart so intensely that we in turn begin to believe fervently and are compelled to act justly.

VALLE: What are some contemporary liturgical trends or problems that need correction?

RANJITH: One of these, as I see, is the trend to go for ecumenical liturgies in replacement of the Sunday Mass in some countries, during which Catholic lay leaders and Protestant ministers celebrate together and the latter are invited to preach the homily. Sunday Liturgies of the Word with the distribution of Holy Communion, which form is allowed in cases where a priest cannot be present, if turned into ecumenical events can give the faithful the wrong signal. They may get used to the idea of the Sunday without the Eucharist.

The Eucharist, as you know, makes the Church (Ed E. 21) and this is central to us Catholics. If it is so easily replaced by Liturgies of the Word, or worse still by so-called ecumenical prayer services, the very identity of the Catholic Church would be in question. Unfortunately, we hear also of cases whereby the Eucharist itself is being celebrated under various guises along with the Protestant pastors. This is totally unacceptable and constitutes a graviora delicta ("more grave offense") (RM 172).

Ecumenism is not something left to the ad hoc choice of individual priests. True ecumenism, such as the one espoused by Vatican II, comes from the heart of the Church. For example, the path to true ecumenism begins with serious reflection on the part of those who are deemed competent to engage in that type of reflection, such as the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the Holy Father himself. Not everyone has the competence to know in what way this delicate search for unity is to be perceived. It needs much reflection and prayer. Hence, liturgical novelty in the name of ecumenism should not be tried out individually.

A second disturbing trend is the gradual replacement of the Mass celebrated by a priest with a paraliturgical service conducted by a lay person. This of course can legitimately happen when no priest is available and facilities for the fulfillment of Sunday obligation are scarce. However, this is an exception, not the rule. What is dangerous is to marginalize the priest even when he is available and some lay pastoral leader team arrogates to itself tasks that are reserved for the priests. I mean by this the trend to get the lay leader to preach the homily instead of the priest, even when he is present, or to distribute Holy Communion, leaving the priest to sit idle at the altar.

We have to stress here that, as the Second Vatican Council affirmed, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood "differ from one another in essence and not only in degree" (LG 10). And so it is gravely abusive to relegate to the laity the sacred obligations reserved to the priest.

What is unfortunate is the increasing tendency worldwide to laicize the priest and to clericalize the laity. This too is contra mentem ("against the mind" or "against the intention") of the Council.

There is also an increasing trend to shift the Sunday Mass to Saturdays almost as a "normal" practice. Rather than Sunday being the true day of the Lord, and so a day of spiritual and physical rest, there is a move to reduce its importance, making it become a day of worldly distractions. In Dies Domini, Pope John Paul II warned against this disturbing trend.

A final point I wish to make here concerns some practices introduced in mission territories, for example, in Asia, in the name of change, which are counter to its cultural heritage.

In some Asian countries we see a trend to introduce Communion in the hand which is received standing. This is not at all consonant with Asian culture. The Buddhists worship prostrate on the floor with their forehead touching the ground. Moslems take off their shoes and wash their feet before entering the mosque for worship. The Hindus enter the temple bare-chested as a sign of submission. When people approach the king of Thailand or the emperor of Japan, they do so on their knees as a sign of respect. But in many Asian countries the Church has introduced practices like just a simple bow to the Blessed Sacrament instead of kneeling, standing while receiving Holy Communion, and receiving Communion on the hand. And we know that these cannot be considered practices congruent with Asian culture.

Besides, the laity whose role today is being enhanced in the Church are not even consulted when such decisions are made.

All these situations do not augur well for the Church and we need to correct these trends, if the Eucharist we celebrate is to become, as St. Ignatius of Antioch affirmed, "medicine of immortality and antidote against death" (Eph. 20).

Anthony Valle is a theologian and writer who lives in Rome.

From January 18 - January 25, 2007, we celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, of which I have already posted a prayer. However, I feel that instruction is needed for the faithful during this week.

It would be extremely easy to fall into error this week seeking for unity. For we as Catholics follow the complete Truth of Jesus Christ revealed over the past 2,000 years. And that is what we will always believe. We shall not disregard a single teaching of the Church for "unity". Unity does not mean that all of the separated Christians should come together and make compromises until a new Creed is made. This is heresy! We will not compromise one single article of doctrine, or one single dogma, or one single practice of our faith. For that is a common misconception of what this Week of Christian Unity is about. This week of Christian Unity is about praying for fellow non-Catholics to repent for their sins and enter into the Catholic Church - completely obedient to the Magesterium and all honored Traditions of the Faith. Yes, it is a sin to refuse to believe a single dogma of the Church. And, it may compromise one's soul if that person refuses to believe even one part of the Faith taught by Christ and revealed through the years by the Holy Catholic Church. Again, anyone who will disregard a dogma or teaching of the Holy Church in the name of ecumenism will surely answer to Almighty God.

The Church is our Mother and lead by the Successor of Saint Peter - the Pope. I have already posted a summary of some of the Church's teachings in my post on the Prayer for Unity. And, since we still hold the True Faith, it is our obligation to pray for non-Catholics to see their errors and enter the Church. In truth, interdenominational activity has been condemned through the years by the Church. I have not and will not attend a single Protestant service, and I hope and pray all Catholics will do the same. This is not because I view myself superior. After all, Jesus ate with the sinners and was criticized for it. But, it is a scandelous activity to attend a Protestant service. Not only do Protestants not have the authentic Sacraments like the Eucharist, Confession, Last Rites, Holy Orders, etc., they believe heresy. The very word "Protestant" implies they are "protesting". And what are they protesting against? They protest against the Catholic Church, which is the Sacrament of salvation for the whole world! For this reason, it is wrong for any Catholic to attend a non-Catholic religious service.

Pope Pius XI condemend the "ecumenical movement" in Mortalium Animos:

Now, please realize I don't want violence or discord to result from my opinions or this mentioned statement. But, we must not compromise our beliefs. We must pray for and love non-Catholics, especially Protestants, but we can't compromise our beliefs one ounce. That is why we must pray, pray, and pray for non-Catholics to see their errors and return to the Flock of Christ so that there will exist one Flock and one Shepherd. We must pray for schismatics, heretics, and pagans to all repent and enter the Church of Christ. As St. Pius X wrote, "There is only one divine faith which is the beginning of salvation for mankind and the basis of all justification, the faith by which the just person lives and without which it is impossible to please God and to come to the community of His children. There is only one true, holy, Catholic church, which is the Apostolic Roman Church." (Singulari Quidem, Encyclical of Pope Pius IX)

If you are non-Catholic and would like more information than posted on this website, I suggest you visit One Bread Lay Apostolate, which provides free information for non-Catholics. For an indepth look at numerous issues with the Church, check out the Catholic Defense Directory too. For some articles on Catholic beliefs that I have written, see Living a Catholic Life.

I will conclude with these words from part of the document "Notification relative to the book of Jacques Dupuis, Toward a Christian Theology of Religious Pluralism" from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, when Cardinal Ratzinger was in charge of it. This document was read by Pope John Paul II at the audience of January 19, 2001:

Furthermore, the fact that elements of truth and goodness present in the various world religions may prepare peoples and cultures to receive the saving event of Jesus Christ does not imply that the sacred texts of these religions can be considered as complementary to the Old Testament, which is the immediate preparation for the Christ event.

(This document's commentry can be found here)

Let us pray and work towards unity - that all people will be members of the one, true Church that Jesus Christ established for the salvation of the world - the Catholic Church. Again, I ask for prayers for all people in RCIA. Please read the prayer of Jesus for Christian Unity from The Gospel of John, Chapter 17.

(For more Catholic Apologetics, refer to the sidebar- Defend TRUE Religion)

[Please prepare to say this prayer daily during the Week of Christian Unity which is January 18-25]

English:

May they all be on as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, so that the world may come to believe that you have sent me.

R. You are Peter

V. And it is upon this rock that I will build my Church.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your apostles: I leave peace with you; it is my own peace that I give you; look not upon our sins but upon your Church's faith, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. You who live and reign forever and ever.

R. Amen.

Latin:

Ut omnes unum sint, sicut tu Pater in me et ego in te; ut mundus credat quia tu me misita.

R. Tu es Petrus.

V. Et super hanc petram dificabo ecclesiam meam.

Oremus: Domine Iesu Christe, qui dixisti Apostolis tuis: pacem relinquo vobis, pacem mean do vobis ne rspicias peccata nostra, sed fidem Ecclesie tuae, eamque secundum voluntatem tuam pacificate et coadunare digneris. Qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

R. Amen

We believe in the God of All Creation, that is to say, I believe in the One, Triune God, One God in Three Divine Persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The same God Today, Yesterday and Forever, whose nature is always to have mercy.

We believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church as she exists in Communion with the Bishop of Rome, who is the Successor of St. Peter the Apostle and first Pope.

We believe all that is stated in the Nicene Creed.

We believe that the Catholic Church, in Communion with the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) is the Church that was founded directly by Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago, and is the Church that compiled and Canonized the Bible and that members of this Church were the authors of the New Testament, inspired by God the Holy Spirit.

We believe that I may unite my emotional and physical afflictions, sorrows and sufferings to the sufferings of Christ Crucified for the sake of the Whole Church, and I believe that our personal sufferings are great means of personal Sanctification.

We believe in the Queenship, Divine Motherhood, Perpetual Virginity and Intercession of the Theotokos also known as the Blessed Virgin Mary and I believe that she can and does hear our prayers and can pray for us to her Divine Son, Jesus Christ who is God. The Bible teaches us that we must intercede for each other based on the Mediatorship of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:1-5), the Bible teaches us that the Prayers of the Righteous are powerful (James 5:16) and the Bible teaches us that the Saints and Angels in Heaven offer our prayers to God in the form of incense (Rev. 5:8, Rev. 8:1-4), and the Bible has examples of prayer to the Angels and Hosts of Heaven (Psalm 103:20-21, Psalm 148:1-2). I believe that the Most Holy Ever Virgin Mary, Mother of God is an excellent person to go to for intercessory prayer.

Jesus teaches us that through Him, we may have Eternal Life. Based on this, We believe that the Saints in Heaven are very much alive, can hear our prayers and do intercede for us. Some claim that praying to Mary and the Saints and Angels means that we are worshipping them. This is not so. Prayer in itself is not an act of worship. The word "Prayer" means "Request." So when we pray, we are making a request, and in the case of prayer to Saints, we are requesting THEIR intercession (1 Timothy 2:1-5) to God on our behalves based on the Mediatorship of Jesus Christ.

We believe that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist; the source and summit of our Catholic faith. Protestants reading this may say that the Passover isn't finished until Calvary, I would suggest that Calvary is really begun in the Upper Room with the Eucharist. When does Jesus' sacrifice really begin? Well, He insists on the fact that His life is not being taken away from Him. He is laying it down. Now in the trial, in the passion, it's being taken away; but in the Upper Room, prior to all of that, Jesus lays it down. He says, "This is my body. This cup is the blood of the New Covenant." Christ could not have used clearer, more explicit words than "This is My body." He did not say, "This is a sign of My body," or "This represents My body," but, "This is My body." I together with 1 billion Catholics take Christ at His word because He is the omnipotent God. On His word we know that the Holy Eucharist is the the body and blood of Christ.

To reiterate, We believe in the Catholic Church and ALL that she teaches. This is the Faith handed on to us once and for all by Jesus Christ and His Apostles.

Heavenly Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name, we humbly ask that you sustain, inspire, and protect your servant, Pope Benedict XVI, as he goes on pilgrimage to Turkey – a land to which St. Paul brought the Gospel of your Son; a land where once the Mother of your Son, the Seat of Wisdom, dwelt; a land where faith in your Son’s true divinity was definitively professed. Bless our Holy Father, who comes as a messenger of truth and love to all people of faith and good will dwelling in this land so rich in history. In the power of the Holy Spirit, may this visit of the Holy Father bring about deeper ties of understanding, cooperation, and peace among Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and those who profess Islam. May the prayers and events of these historic days greatly contribute both to greater accord among those who worship you, the living and true God, and also to peace in our world so often torn apart by war and sectarian violence.

We also ask, O Heavenly Father, that you watch over and protect Pope Benedict and entrust him to the loving care of Mary, under the title of Our Lady of Fatima, a title cherished both by Catholics and Muslims. Through her prayers and maternal love, may Pope Benedict be kept safe from all harm as he prays, bears witness to the Gospel, and invites all peoples to a dialogue of faith, reason, and love. We make our prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer composed by Bishop William E. Lori, Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, for the Spiritual Pilgrimage with His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI on his Nov. 28-Dec. 1 pastoral visit to Turkey.

There is no true ecumenism when it reaches the point that we will lose our identity as LATIN-RITE ROMAN CATHOLICS. When we have to give praise to the leaders of certain religions or protestant denominations. To the point of being able to say that they are good and that we can learn from them. Sorry, but Jesus Christ, the ‘Rabbi of Nazareth’ is the greatest teacher we have. He is the supreme giver of all wisdom and does so through his Vicar here on earth. To say that we can learn from other religions- who out rightly denounce him as Lord and Savior- would be an insult to his Sovereign Majesty.

Can we really say that Martin Luther, the first reformer did well by ‘waking up’ the Church? An excommunicated person who split the unity of Christendom- a good person? Luther was a heretic. For over 500 years, many Devout Catholic Scriptural commentators have seen John’s revelation in Apocalypse 9:1-3 as a prediction of Luther and his Protestant revolt. The whole description of the locusts fits down to the last detail the kings and princes who established by force the heresy of the 16th Century:

Saint Teresa of Avila called Lutheranism "that wretched sect," and established her first Carmelite foundation of nuns at Avila to help “cure this terrible evil” by bringing “some comfort to our Lord”, “thus,” said Saint Teresa, “being all of us employed in interceding for the champions of the Church and the preachers and theologians who defend her, we might, to our utmost, aid this Lord of mine Who is attacked with such cruelty ...”

But who cares what Saint Teresa thinks. For ecumenical, modernist Catholics, dancing on the graves of the saints is a necessary ritual of their new religion. Protestantism was the Death Knell of Christendom back in the Middle Ages; false ecumenism will be the Catholic Church's today.

The Protestant revolt tore away millions of souls from the one true Church of Christ, and probable consignment of millions to eternal hellfire.

Can we call ourselves Catholics if we say that all religions are good and it is not necessary for one to become Catholic in order to be saved?

Practices of churches that would have been labeled 'heretics' and 'pagans' in a less pretentious era have crept into our Churches. Things like “Living Stone Cell Group Meetings” and rock music during a solemn Mass. This shows a complete disregard for Catholic Tradition. To say Martin Luther awoke the church from its slumber during the middle ages by starting the reformation is like saying Judas Iscariot is a saint because he betrayed Our Lord so that our Lord could be glorified in Calvary. Are we Roman Catholics or are we Gnostics in disguise?

Not to kill or hate a non-Catholic is religious tolerance. To try to convert a non-Catholic, that is ecumenism. To compromise doctrine and dilute tradition so that it becomes pleasing to the non-believer, that is selling out authentic Catholicism, and this is many priests and laity are beginning to say. What did the English martyrs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I die for? They died for the True Religion and not the diluted, watered down version which is Anglicanism.

So what’s next? Will King Henry VIII be the patron saint of Chastity? Attila, the Prince of peace? For the sake of orthodoxy, restore Tradition!

Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice,

Deo Juvante
Feast of St. Cecilia, Virgin & Martyr

Well, for those of you who did not know, yesterday 31 October, was Reformation Day. It is on this day that Protestants celebrate their 'liberation' the when heretic, Martin Luther nailed to the cathedral doors at Wittenburg his 95 Theses; many of which opposing Catholic Doctrine.

Chapter 9 of the Apocalypse opens with Saint John’s terrifying vision:

Msgr. Joseph Clifford Fenton, the eminent American theologian, rightly observed that Martin Luther’s alleged Reformation of the Church “consisted in an effort to have people abandon the Catholic Faith, and relinquish their membership in the one true Church militant of the New Testament, so as to follow his teaching and enter into his organization.”

This is what the Protestant revolt was, the tearing away of millions of souls from the one true Church of Christ, and probable consignment of millions to eternal hellfire.

This is the true legacy of Protestantism, the shattering of the Social Kingship of Christ (which we celebrated last week). Because, Protestantism rejects the entire notion of a visible Church established by Christ to teach, govern, sanctify and offer worship to the Father in His name. For the Protestant, there is no visible Church, there is only the lone Protestant and his Bible. There is no external ecclesiastical authority that the Protestant must obey for salvation. If the individual Protestant disagrees with his minister’s interpretation of Scripture, he is free to adopt one of his own, and even start his own sect (many evangelical churches started of like this).

Saint Teresa of Avila called Lutheranism "that wretched sect," and established her first Carmelite foundation of nuns at Avila to help “cure this terrible evil” by bringing “some comfort to our Lord.”

“Thus,” said Saint Teresa, “being all of us employed in interceding for the champions of the Church and the preachers and theologians who defend her, we might, to our utmost, aid this Lord of mine Who is attacked with such cruelty ...”

But who cares what Saint Teresa thinks. For ecumenical, modernist Catholics, dancing on the graves of the saints is a necessary ritual of their new religion.

Ecumenism should not exist in the Churh's vocabulary. Protestantism was the Death Knell of Christendom back in the middle ages, ecumenism will be the Catholic Church's today.

Here are parting words from Pope Leo X, in his papal bull, 'Exsurge Domine':