Archbishop Tagle and his pallium

Fresh screengrab courtesy of Ave Maria (Ina ng Diyos, Ina ng Pilipino)

Caption Epic Fail!

Wow!

The woolen pallium has been replaced with the metallic PALLADIUM!

FYI, this is palladium.

Funny how these people love to trash the Church they cannot even do a little Googling on what happens in the Catholic Church ceremony they are covering.

Oops!  Yahoo doing a Google.

Ha!

BREAKING NEWS: Stalemate!

The re-unification of the SSPX with the Catholic Church has come to a grounding halt.

from Andrea Tornielli

***

In his homily for the priestly ordinations in the Swiss town of Ecône, the Superior of the Society of St. Pius X confirmed that the Lefebvrians could not sign the Vatican’s doctrinal preamble.

He had not made any public statement during the meeting with Cardinal William Levada on 13 June, in the Vatican. But today, the Superior of the Society of St. Pius X, Bishop Bernard Fellay, confirmed that no agreement could be signed with the Holy See at the present time.

During this morning’s homily for the priestly ordinations celebrated in Ecône, Fellay also made some comments about the negotiations with Vatican leaders.

You can listen to the homily - which lasts approximately half an hour - by clicking on this link. The passage about the Society’s relations with Rome can be heard when the player gets to 21.50. “You rightly ask me how things are going with Rome.” The Lefebvrian superior said, before going on to add: “Things are currently at a standstill.”

“There has been a lot of back and forth, exchanges, letters and protests - Mgr. Fellay added – but we are back to square one.” The bishop recalled: “We said we could not accept, we could not sign; that is all.”

This confirms the content of yesterday’s communiqué issued by the Lefebvrians after the meeting in the Vatican. They also hinted at the need for new clarifications and discussions. In his homily, Fellay also confirmed the opinion expressed in the letter sent by the Secretary General of the Society of St. Pius X to district superiors on 25 June, ahead of the next general chapter: the last version of the doctrinal preamble which was discussed by cardinals of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and approved by the Pope was defined as “unacceptable”.

***

I can only speculate who is working against the reunification...

Something happened during the sending of the draft from the CDF to the Pope then from the Pope to the CDF...

Imagine if Fellay were not elected superior general during the next SSPX chapter and the preamble hasn't been signed yet!



More prayers please!

The minions of the Evil One are against this!

GULP Alert: Whos is the center of your church?

Uhm.....the Sun?

Hey! The Save Sierra Madre Network greets and worships FATHER SUN!

And look!

The Bible is equal to the Eucharist, where Christ is present Body, Blood Soul and Divintity.

Really?

The Book equal to Christ Himself?

Have you see this kind of an arrangement in your church?

Yeah, the tabernacle at the side altar, almost saying that the Lord is equal to a statue.

Would you agree with that?

And yeah, that is a Catholic Church in Poland, where John Paul II was born and raised and became bishop, archbishop and cardinal.

PS:  This church does not even have a tabernacle. And yes, it is a cAtholic church.

No that was not a typo.

New Venerable Servants of God!

Two great bishops are moving closer to their elevation to the honors of the Altar!

***

Vatican City, (VIS) - Today, during a private audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato S.D.B., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorised the Congregation to promulgate the following decrees:....

- Servant of God Fulton Sheen, American archbishop, and former bishop of Rochester (1895-1979).

- Servant of God Alvaro del Portillo y Diez de Sollano, Spanish prelate of the Personal Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei (1914-1994).


Read more about this great news here.

HABEMUS PAPAM!!!

We have a new pope!

No make that 3 new popes!

And they are all Filipinos!

So says the Manila Bulletin!

Woohoo!!!!!

Pro-life priest Fr. Pavone IS NOT suspended

So says the Vatican!

***

Vatican Upholds Fr. Frank Pavone's Appeal

Priests for Life
6/26/2012

We are happy to announce that the Vatican has upheld Father Frank Pavone's appeal and has declared that Father Pavone is not now nor has ever been suspended. Father Pavone remains a priest in good standing all over the world.

We were confident all along that a just decision would be made by the Vatican's Congregation for the Clergy. While we fully agree that Bishop Zurek has rightful authority over the priests of his diocese, we also see the urgent need for Father Pavone to be allowed to conduct his priestly ministry outside the diocese of Amarillo for the good of the pro-life movement.

With regard to all inquiries relative to Father Pavone's status and the Diocese of Amarillo, we will continue to be as transparent as possible and place all communications and press releases on our public website. In this way we can best respect the rights and privacy of all concerned, particularly ecclesiastical authority and communications which are intended to be confidential at this time.

***

Fr. Pavone was suddenly suspended by Bishop Zurek Patrick J. Zurek of the Diocese of Amarillo, and recalled to his home diocese about somethings the bishop does not even want to fully clarify.

Most in the pro-life circles are wondering why the sudden discipline of the bishop of a priest who is working tirelessly to protect the unborn.

What is most obvious, IMHO, is that the bishop is probably, moooosssttt probably, not in favor of what Fr. Pavone is doing.

Humane Vitae ring a bell to you guys?

Yeah, what the Queen of Looney Tunes, Miriam has been saying that there are priests and bishops who are supportive of the RH Bill, that is true. Heard a lot of whispers in the rectory.

Meanwhile, the angry bishop who just got trumped isn't backing down and issued a very ambiguous statement:

In its decree of May 18, 2012, the Congregation for the Clergy has sustained Father Frank A. Pavone’s appeal of his suspension from ministry outside the Diocese of Amarillo and his appointment from me on October 4, 2011 as Chaplain of the Disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ in Channing, Texas. Father Pavone is to continue his ministry as chaplain until further notice. As a gesture of good will, I will grant permission to him in individual cases, based upon their merits, to participate in pro-life events with the provision that he and I must be in agreement beforehand as to his role and function.  [Gesture of good will....then his permission on an individual case, based upon the merit?!?!?  What?!?!  Going to pro-life events must be based on its merits?!?!  Does the bishop do these to theological dissent festivals?!?!?]

All other matters are outside the purview of this statement.

Amarillo, Texas, June 20, 2012

+Most Rev. Patrick J. Zurek, STL, DD
Bishop of Amarillo

The mystery of the missing altar rail

Does your church have an altar rail?

Or did it have one and your parish priest just hammered it away?

You will be surprised to know that Vatican II DID NOT, I repeat, DID NOT say that churches must have no altar rails nor did the Council say that the rails need to be torn down.

In fact the GIRM states that:

295. The sanctuary is the place where the altar stands, where the word of God is proclaimed, and where the priest, the deacon, and the other ministers exercise their offices. It should suitably be marked off from the body of the church either by its being somewhat elevated or by a particular structure and ornamentation. – General Instruction of the Roman Missal

Thankfully, Manila Cathedral still has it.

How about your church, do you still have your altar rails?

Why do we need it?

Here is a reflection from Fr. Evan Harkins:

Practically, the rail is a help to people, both physically and spiritually. The use of rail and the way Holy Communion is distributed with it sets a solemn pace for the reception of Holy Communion. On the part of the priest, more of his time is spent actually distributing the Blessed Sacrament and less time waiting. On the part of the person receiving, the hurried tone is removed; there is a great opportunity for quiet and prayer both a few moments before and after receiving our Lord. The rail also is a help to people in kneeling and standing back up.

Tune in on Friday!

We are pagan!

No.  Not us, but some in the Catholic Church is.

There is a "pilgrim cross" making the rounds in our churches nowadays. It is not the World Youth Day Cross.

Nah.

Too Latin looking.

It is the Sierra Madre Cross.

Here is their promotional poster.

Here is the close-up

Yup.  That is the hideous looking cross.

The Inquirer reported about it:

To dramatize the government’s failure to stop the destruction of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, environmentalists, religious and nongovernment organizations started on Good Friday a pilgrimage of a 7-foot cross across 10 Luzon provinces and Metro Manila.

Fr. Pete Montallana, chair of the Save Sierra Madre Network, said over the phone that through the pilgrimage of the Sierra Madre cross, they “want government officials and the public to see and feel that the continuous destruction of the mountain is no different from the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.”

Oh my....

The salvation of our souls........likened to the destruction of the planet.

Avatar alert?

No surprise there actually.

This is totally Wiccan.

The pagan religion disguised as a Catholic effort to save the planet.

To work for the conservation of our planet is laudable.  No problem with that.   But to blur it with our own salvation history.  Just plain apostasy!

Here is a part of the liturgy that is being passed around:

"Let us greet the East which bring the light of the Sun. Father Sun, in your blinding radiance, give us strength, light, at knowledge."

For the ordinary Catholic, this seems harmless, right?  But no.

This was how pagans worshiped.  And this is not how Christians worship.

We do not call the sun, Father!


Head on over to Fr. Zerrudo's blog and get blown away at how pagan some in the Catholic Church have become.

Q & A: About improper ways of receiving Holy Communion

I have been advocating the stopping of Communion in the Hand and how it is an epic failure for the Church.

And from that post, I have received an interesting question which I will post here:

***


In retreats, usually they do self-intinction. Now that I know it is wrong (Lord Jesus, have mercy on me), can I receive communion in the tongue while everybody else is doing self-intinction? Can you tell the priest it is wrong while he is "administering" communion?


You cannot and please do not insist on it especially if the priest in your retreat is a school administrator. I am basing this on experience, ok? You get tagged or branded as "too oldie", "too traditional" and "dangerous". Yes, that is how modernists view those who follow the norm.

Holy Mother Church is against this. Redemptionis Sacramentum is very specific on this:

104. The communicant must not be permitted to intinct the host himself in the chalice, nor to receive the intincted host in the hand. As for the host to be used for the intinction, it should be made of valid matter, also consecrated; it is altogether forbidden to
use non-consecrated bread or other matter.

Obviously, priests who do this on retreats think that you are just a bunch of mindless drones who'll just agree to what he commands you to do. And that you do not care about liturgical abuses.

Take a picture and we'll post it here because quite frankly it is frustrating to know that our bishops will find the time to address the issues of gender equality and nature conservation rather than issues of profanation of the Eucharist.

What I do?

I don't receive Holy Communion if I am forced to receive it that way. You are not sinning for not receiving Holy Communion. You are already in the state of sanctifying grace if you have made a very good confession of your sins. Holy Communion gives you that extraordinary push, so to speak, since it is the Lord Himself who enters your entire being. He comes Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity into you so that your own body, blood, and soul, your entire being shares in the supernatural nature of the God-Man.

You are in fact being forced, against your will, to perform an act that is contrary to the commands of Holy Mother Church, which quite frankly is almost a form of crime, isn't it?

***

PS:

I am still wondering when the CBCP will promote this.

"That they may be one!"

The prayer of Jesus in John 17:21 is the TRUE MEANING of ecumenism.

And Pope Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity.

His visit to Westminster Abbey is just that.

Note that he is wearing the stole of Pope Leo XIII.  Do you know Apostolicae curae?

Well, you should read it.  :)

St. Thomas More, ora pro nobis.

St. Thomas More, the example of a true Catholic politician and public servant...

And if this be not enough to keep a man alive, in good faith I long not to live.
— Letter to his daughter, Margaret, 1535.

We may not look at our pleasures to go to heaven in featherbeds; it is not the way, for our Lord Himself went thither with great pain, and by many tribulations, which was the path wherein He walked thither, and the servant may not look to be in better case than his Master.
— To his wife and children, according to William Roper.

Where there is no malice there can be no offense.
— Speech in his Defence, to the Lords of the Council, 1535.
Quoted by William Roper

I die the King's good servant, but God's first.
— Last words on the scaffold, 1535,
according to Paris Newsletter, August 4, 1535:
"qu'il mouroit son bon serviteur et de Dieu premierement."

Liturgical renewal in UST

Though I still see stoles over habits but still, this is definitely an improvement compared to the Piero Marini style where the candles are NOT ON the altar and the crucifix is on the side.

Q&A from a TPC reader

Sir TPC, what is wrong with the first picture? Is it a Liturgical abuse for the EMHC (extraordinary ministers of holy communion) 1.) to give communion to the sick (give communion and say a short prayer only)or 2.) perform the last sacrament unto the sick person (i'm assuming that what the minister is doing is the last sacrament?)?

***

Bogey, EMHCs may administer Communion to the sick. But they cannot perform Anointing of the Sick. Even a deacon cannot do that. He obviously has the best of intentions for the sick man. But we always do not do things with only the best of intentions. He is performing an act, laying on of hands, as if he were a priest.

I am really annoyed by this gesture of the laity. We can pray for the sick person without laying our hands on them. Laying on of hands is a liturgical act of the ordained.

This is obviously one of the bad influences of the Charismatic Movement. Every Tom, Dick and Jane can just stretch out his hands over anything, and pray.

Did Padre Pio, who is an ordained priest, extend or laid his hands, over those who ask for his prayers? He worked wonders, healed the sick, but did he do what the Charismatics did?

Do the other saints, who are miracle workers during their lifetime, healed the sick by laying their hands on them?

OK, they might be following the example of Christ in the Bible, but this act, has been reserved by the Church to the ordained and only the ordained.

Just pray. No need to stretch out your hand or lay it on someone or something.

God will hear your prayers.

And to conclude this, the EMHC in the photo, most probably used the same hand to distribute Holy Communion to lay on the head of the sick. The particles!!!

Now that is not an liturgical abuse anymore.

It is sacrilege.

Positive impact of the Mass

I have got to hear a young man say that he wants to become a priest because he wants to have his weekly televised Mass at SM Megamall.

Or to be an expert in order to go up against the Pope.

Knights of Columbus fights Obamacare!

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The 1.8-million-member Knights of Columbus are the latest voice calling on the federal government to rescind a mandate that many view as a violation of religious freedom.

On the eve of the Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period in which Catholics will pray, sacrifice and study issues of religious freedom, the Knights filed a formal comment with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the department overseeing implementation of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

That law called for certain “preventive services” to be provided through employer health plans, with no cost-sharing on the part of employees. The services covered include contraceptives, sterilizations and abortion-causing drugs. Religious employers can get an exemption, but only if they meet a very narrow definition of religious organization. Catholic hospitals, schools and social service organizations would not qualify.  [In other words, they force you to follow a civil law even if it is against your religious conviction or conscience!]

Today’s letter, signed by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, urged "the Administration to rescind the Mandate altogether" or at least "to expand the religious exemption so that it covers all objecting individuals and organizations from cooperating in actions that genuinely offend their religious beliefs and moral convictions."

"To exempt only some institutions on the principle of respect for religious liberty, as the government seems to contemplate, and to refuse to exempt individuals makes no sense. The right to the free exercise of religion enshrined in the First Amendment extends to the people," the Knights’ letter says.  [a universal human right!  Sorry, Filipino Freethinkers!]

In the letter, the Knights note that the mandate "requires private Catholic individuals and entities, including organizations such as the Knights of Columbus, to violate their most deeply held religious beliefs" and that "it appears to do so in violation of federal law and the First Amendment of the Constitution." The letter also pointed out that "it is improper to deny statutory and First Amendment rights to religious liberty in order to create an entitlement to sterilization, abortifacients and contraception."

"Whatever the intent of the Mandate, and whatever form it takes, it should not compel religious individuals to pay for what they believe is morally wrong,” the letter states. “It is time for this Administration to chart another course."

At the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Atlanta last week, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, the chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, affirmed the conference’s commitment to individual conscience rights and expressed frustration that secular forces and special interests were moving in an opposing direction.

“The idea that individual persons have a right to conscientious objection, as against coercive government action like the HHS mandate — though firmly established in both the teaching of the Church and the policy of the conference for generations — has not merely been called into question, but mocked as some kind of novel or marginal theory,” said Archbishop Lori, who is also supreme chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.

***

Expect the same thing when the RH Bill or that dumb Palatino Bill against religious symbols and activities in government offices becomes a law.

Yes, the Knights will not take these things sitting down.

The side of Bishop Jessie Mercado of Parañaque

You probably read the rubbish from that scumbag Aries Rufo.  Yes, I won't miss words with him.  He is a paid anti-Catholic hack who does not care about the issue.  He just cares anything against the Catholic Church.

Now, get these info which Aries Rufo and that toilet called the Rappler refuses to post and give attention.

They came from Bishop Mercado himself.

And to those from Katotohanan, shame on you!  You got me in a moment.

Aries Rufo

I'd love to call him "Waster Management Specialist".  No, he does not manage the waste.  That is a euphemism for a garbage collector.

The Word Exposed got it wrong!

No, not the entire thing!

OA na naman kayo.

Look out at the 1:57 mark.

"‎In the past (referring to the Traditional Latin Mass), only altar boys and those preparing to become priests were allowed to assist the priest in the celebration of the Mass. The rest simply remained at their seats, WATCHING THE RITUALS, participating in the singing of the hymns, and from time to time responding 'et cum spiritu tuo' and 'Amen.'

Uh.......

Let's look at these old photos.



The priest looks familiar,eh?

Wow! According to The Word Exposed, that old man kneeling and answering "Et cum spiritu tuo." is an ALTAR BOY or those PREPARING TO BECOME A PRIEST!?

Wha?!

Hmmm....I know someone who is not even a seminarian but dresses up like a priest or even a bishop. Yeah complete with biretta!

Ha!

There's the active participation again.

This is what the Holy Father was talking about at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Congress. For the producer of this edition of The Word Exposed, you do not worship if you do not do anything with your body. If you just sit, sing, and from time to time answer, then you DON'T ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE

This is the typical bias of those who are against the TLM. They do not know what they are talking about and they create a picture of those who attend the TLM as a bunch of mindless drones.

Whether in the TLM or in the Novus Ordo, if you do not PRAY THE MASS as St. Pius X taught us, you are not ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING.

When you just stand, sit, kneel and talk when you are told so by the commentator, then following the same argument of The Word Exposed, then you are NOT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING.

So, even in the Novus Ordo, active participation does not happen!

So, is it the form of the Mass? Why keep on pinning the blame on active participation against the TLM?

Shame. Such bias.

In fact, attendees of the TLM are even more knowledgeable of what goes on in the sanctuary. The TLM does not need a commentator to answer for them. They know when to answer, men and women, young and old, educated or not, they know when to open their mouths and when to sit, and kneel.

A Novus Ordo will always look for a microphone and a commentator. Why? You can't get the participation you so desire if no one is directing you.

So, who are the remote controlled drones now?


Huh?  Greeters and Collectors are Liturgical Ministers?  Where is that in Vatican II or post V2 Documents from the Holy See?

And as if the ministry of altar servers and choir was not allowed for the laity before Vatican II.

See the bias?!

Shame.

PS:  Ok so maybe the entire thing.

Too many biases in this episode.

It's like reading a book of Fr. Anscar....

.............Hmmmm....Maybe it was based on..............

The Holy Father's view on true liturgical reform!

 
This is an excerpt of the Holy Father's message at the conclusion of the International Eucharistic Congress.

***

The Congress also occurs at a time when the Church throughout the world is preparing to celebrate the Year of Faith to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council, an event which launched the most extensive renewal of the Roman Rite ever known. Based upon a deepening appreciation of the sources of the liturgy, the Council promoted the full and active participation of the faithful in the Eucharistic sacrifice. At our distance today from the Council Fathers’ expressed desires regarding liturgical renewal, and in the light of the universal Church’s experience in the intervening period, it is clear that a great deal has been achieved; but it is equally clear that there have been many misunderstandings and irregularities. The renewal of external forms, desired by the Council Fathers, was intended to make it easier to enter into the inner depth of the mystery. Its true purpose was to lead people to a personal encounter with the Lord, present in the Eucharist, and thus with the living God, so that through this contact with Christ’s love, the love of his brothers and sisters for one another might also grow. Yet not infrequently, the revision of liturgical forms has remained at an external level, and "active participation" has been confused with external activity. Hence much still remains to be done on the path of real liturgical renewal. In a changed world, increasingly fixated on material things, we must learn to recognize anew the mysterious presence of the Risen Lord, which alone can give breadth and depth to our life.

***

I think these are the things the Holy Father was talking about.

Communion in the Hand is an EXTREME failure!

By FR. KEVIN M. CUSICK

At our recent celebration of the occasion of First Holy Communion for our young people, I spoke to them about the love of their parents. When they were born, I told them, it wasn’t enough for their parents to simply look at them, or to be with them. A parent’s love for a child is so overwhelming and so powerful that he or she immediately reaches for the most passionate expression of love they can muster which is a kiss.

We tell our children quite rightly and often that God loves them more than anyone else possibly can, that God’s love is greater than any hu­man love. In his writings on the Eucharist, the Holy Father Benedict XVI likens the love of God for us in the Eucharist to giving us a kiss. If this be the case, then reception of the Eucharist in the hand is like giving the Lord a handshake when what He offered was a kiss. We all know what it means when someone refuses a kiss and responds instead with a hand­shake and it doesn’t mean a return of the affection offered.  [Great comparison if you ask me.]

For this and other reasons, I have come to believe that chief among the indults which have abysmally failed to improve Catholic faith and life as promised is this one which touches upon the central act of wor­ship: the permission to replace with Communion in the hand the normal, universal, and noble custom of receiving the Most Holy Eucharist on the tongue while kneeling.  [An indult which wasn't even formally asked of the Holy Father, but was rather an act of defiance orchestrated by the King of Charismatic Movements, the liberal Cardinal Suenens of Belgium, which is happily un-Christian now.  Guess this is the fruit of his work in his country, eh?  By the way, the cardinal is opposed to Humanae Vitae.  You have an idea what he'll say about the RH Bill if he were alive today.  Well, how about same sex marriage? Hmmm...]

If the liturgy is given so that we might grow in adoration and love of Jesus Christ truly present in the Eucharist, then the abuses that I and others have seen which have resulted from the handling of the Eucharist by the faithful are responsible for encouraging not only a diminishment of love for the Eucharistic Lord but even scandal and sacrilege as well. How this disaster is supposed to improve upon the worship of the people of God I cannot say.  [Well, for those in the Bukidnon school think otherwise. Works wonders here, no?  Bah.]


This indult, a special permission granted at the insistence of bishops in office years ago, is one among the other indults which have rendered many celebrations of the Catholic liturgy both unrecognizable from what came before as handed down in the Church from Christ and the apostles and also unrecognizable from the many church services offered by other ecclesial bodies who deny and attack Catholic teaching. In many cases, the indults have served only to distract from the primary purpose of the Sacrifice of the Mass: to meet, know, and love Jesus Christ.  [aka...we don't look different from the Protestants.  In fact a friend who belongs to the High Anglicans said that they now look more Catholic than the post Vatican II Catholics.  Can't complain about it.  He is right.  No wonder there is Anglicanorum coetibus.]

In what way has reception of Communion in the hand served to deep­en reverence or inculcate a more profound belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist? [Don't spend money on surveys.  The results are obvious.  Priests themselves have been complaining....well, those priests who care about their job and not those who care how to look entertaining and relevant and less boring...  Swswswshhhh] For over 40 years we have tried over and over again to explain the proper method for receiving Communion, the bow replacing kneeling and reception in the hand replacing receiving on the tongue.  [Sin of Sloth if you ask me.]

Repeated instructions have failed [like the posters!] to result in any deep or lasting change in behavior as the proposed practice as permitted by the indult has de­generated into a procession no different from that to receive the sacra­mentals of ashes. The communicants in many cases simply march for­ward and stand before the priest or other minister and sometimes hold out one hand like they are getting a handout, “ pop” the Body of the Lord into their mouths in a movement very much failing to reflect the sense that they are receiving One who is not ordinary food, and return to their pews. The indult is too difficult for our faithful and so it is simply not done properly.

There will always be those who have faith strong enough to survive any liturgical changes and who will respectfully adapt to any innovation simply because they would cooperate with anything the Church asks of them. This same group would happily have retained the noble cus­tom of reception on the tongue if they had been left happily enough alone. [They have even removed the kneelers in the pews and even the Communion rails.  Why?  They hate kneeling.  The liberal priests I mean.]

The answer to this disaster appears to be what many priests are now doing. They introduce all first communicants to the noble custom, use the practice for the celebration of First Holy Communion, and offer to all the people of God at every celebration of Holy Mass those things necessary for kneeling and receiving on the tongue in the kneeler and a server with paten.

We are saved by grace through faith in the One we receive really, tru­ly, and substantially in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. The manner in which we receive Him affects our faith either for good or ill. Offering the option of receiving on the tongue while kneeling encourag­es those who wish to express the greatest love and reverence for the Lord truly present and invites others to do the same.

[in other words, how can you lift the senses of the faithful into the divine and supernatural when you teach them to approach the supernatural with actions which are so trivial and mundane?  By golly!  Sticking out your hand even if it were cupped like how it was quoted from St. Cyril (albeit out of context ala Iglesia ni Cristo), does not teach the person the sense of the sacred!  Can you just go out and shake the hand of the Queen of England or the POTUS?  Hell no.  Then here come the priest who treat the Lord as if he were just a mere arcade coin token.  Goodness!]

***

The Church has granted indults.  Communion in the Hand is one of them and it is not only permitted by most bishops and priests, it is even being promoted.  Remember how the troops of Frs. AC and GD made posters on dressing properly for Mass and the proper way of receiving Communion in the Hand?  Yeah.

How about the proper way of receiving Communion directly on the tongue?

Where are the posters for that?

There are other indults in the Church right?

This one is the most recent.

Where is your poster for this Fr. Diwa?

Will you have the same gusto to promote this just as you promote this manner of receiving the Lord?

I'll repeat it once again.


COMMUNION IN THE HAND IS A LITURGICAL ABUSE AND AN ABOMINATION AND MUST BE STOPPED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ASAP!

I am not shouting.  I am drilling a point.

Probably exasperated that this manner of communion is still not stopped, univesally.

Sign the petition now!

Look for the link in the left-hand bar.

PS:  Read this article about how the ugly practice of Communion in the Hand.  And visit the website dedicated to eradicating this practice.

When a Congressman wants to ban God.

from Cito Beltran's column in the Philippine Star

***

Yes a member of the Philippine Congress wants to ban GOD in public, the same way a minority group in the US succeeded to stop prayers in public schools as well as the reading of the Bible in the United States of America.  [More like a bunch of nit wits following whatever they see on TV or the Internet.  Just because foreigners did it, then go!]

In the Philippines, a party-list Congressman wants to legislate a ban on all religious activities, symbols and ceremonies by claiming that (in a predominantly Catholic nation such as the Philippines) “the state cannot be seen as favoring one religion over the other, in allowing the prominent conduct and display of religious ceremonies and symbols, respectively in public offices and property.“  [just how monumental of an idiot this congressman here is?  Check the Constitution.  It is laden with mentions of God.  Check what the country's motto is!  Click here.]

In a news item published in the Philippine Star last Saturday; Kabataan Party list Representative Raymond Palatino [yeah that guy there.] has reportedly filed a House bill entitled “RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN GOVERNMENT ACT”. While the title sounds pro-religion, the contents of the House bill turns out to be a scheme designed to ultimately prevent any and all religions and their practices from being observed in any government or public place.  [Does Filipino Freethinkers ring a bell here?]

In the story written by Star reporter Paolo Romero, he quotes section 4 of the propose House bill that states:

“Religious ceremonies shall not be undertaken within the premises and perimeter of their offices, departments, and bureaus, including publicly owned spaces and corridors within such spaces and corridors within such offices, departments and bureaus.”

“Religious symbols shall not be displayed within the premises and perimeter of their offices, departments and bureaus, including publicly owned corridors within such offices, departments, and bureaus,”

Since I don’t know Congressman Palatino personally, I can’t decide if he is just trying to be noticed or an Atheist. Rather than dismiss him as a crackpot or the Anti-Christ, I choose to take him seriously because to ignore him may one day result in allowing an insignificant minority to decide the faith and the future of the next generation.  [Right on Cito!]

That is what happened in the United States in the early 1960’s when God loving, Bible believing people chose to ignore an insignificant bunch of “looneys” who wanted to remove prayer from the school rooms. No one paid attention because no one believed they were serious or that it would ever happen. What many “believers” failed to realize was that the insignificant loonies simply needed to convince a dozen individuals, or wait until their allies made it into the system.

After just a few years, the US Supreme Court ruled that prayer in public schools violated the rights of “non-believers” or people of other beliefs. [How about the rights of believers?  Didn't it deprive them of their rights as well?] Three years later, lawyers filed for a ban on reading the Holy Bible in US public schools.

So 50 years later, Americans can’t pray in school or any public place, Americans cannot display any symbol or possible representation of their faith such as the Star of David, the Cross, etc. not even in their front yard or on top of their house, but they can have an abortion on demand and now they have the first Black American President who supports gay marriage.  [And that looney called Carlos Celdran, aka Carlita, calls it "advancement".  It is degeneration, dudette.]

Anyone who watches western TV programs knows all about the social and moral breakdown that has taken place in the United States right after prayers and religion were taken out of the schools and public places. For a country that “Trust In GOD”, it is ironic that the word GOD is something they are careful about uttering not for fear of GOD but for fear of man.  [More like Trust in Obama, or Trust in Me is what they have now.]

So going back to Congressman Palatino’s legislative agenda, I would rather that we Filipinos quarrel over religious beliefs and practices rather than let a minority representative meddle or steal our freedom to exercise our religious practices and beliefs whenever and where ever.  [Does he really represent the marginalized youth in Congress or he indeed represents only a bunch of cry-babies who have nothing to do with their filthy wealth so they start thinking they can eat, sleep and be merry without the help of God, so they can just play along with out legislative system?  Quite frankly, this guy needs a serious job.  Really, Palatino needs to be schooled.]

I have had no problem joining a “Muslim brother” in prayers, the same way I enjoyed and learned from joining a service at the “Central” church of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in Diliman. I have spent half of my life as a Catholic and the rest of my life being “Born Again”. Yes I am ignorant of many other faiths and practices but only in interacting with them in public will we all learn and truly give meaning to Respect and not just tolerance.

Yes, I sometimes get a queasy feeling seeing an oversized statue of the Sto. Niño in government offices, I’m sure some people weird out when people invite them to Bible studies during lunch or after office inside a military camp or police precinct. Some people might shake their head every time government offices in the ARMM come to a pause for prayer. But all of that simply shows that the great majority of people believe in “GOD” or “ALLAH”.

Congressman Palatino should consider that suppression of religious beliefs and practices by legislation is not representative of the “benevolent neutrality” he infers from the Constitution. Rather, the proposed legislation he has crafted is an act of violence against every religion in existence in the Philippines. As a follower of Christ I am taught to turn the other cheek, but that miraculous event might happen if the issue or the problem were personal. But when someone intentionally misinterprets the Constitution and attempts to violate our GOD given and constitutionally protected right and duty to worship the GOD we believe in, I have no plans of going meekly to the slaughter of my faith.  [count me in!]


Congressman Palatino should pay attention to his work and his assignment and not tell us when and where to worship GOD. Perhaps it is high time that the members of Congress limit and regulate the participation, and legislative agenda of party list representatives. Pass bills that address your marginalized sectors and stop meddling in matters that are none of your business.  [Booya!]

***

Well, this is the kind of trash we call "Honorable".

On second thought, I should thank Palatino....for being true to himself and showing his true bias and being the clone of the Atheist group in the Philippines called Filipino Freefarters.

Yeah. Nothing but bad air.

What these atheists and most in the LGBT group want is this:

 "I want my rights!  I want what I want, now!  And I don't care if you get offended or your rights trampled.  I am oppressed (I think so.) so I want my rights, now!"

They are in fact not marginalized but a bunch of...

So, remember this:

DO NOT VOTE KABATAAN PARTYLIST in 2013!

Add them to the jobless list next year.

That is the best that you can do for your country!

GREAT NEWS! Cebu to host 2016 International Eucharistic Congress

Carlos Antonio Palad of Philippine Roman Catholicism Blog, reported the announcement of the Holy Father of Cebu hosting the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress!

Yup.  Thank God it is not my home diocese of Manila!


Ha!

But since this is an International Congress, expect the liturgical hoodlums from the National Conference to meddle in this affair.

And I hope and pray that Marini gets a diplomatic post in Iran....just like his past worshipful master!

Booya!

BREAKING NEWS: Liturgica closing shop!

Barely two years in operation, Liturgica is closing shop.

Confirmed!

They have until June 30.

Any sales before the closing of the store?

No idea.

But I certainly pity the employees of the store.

The owner. Nah.

Their books don't sell at all.

Ha!

Not your ordinary 4th degree Knights

I have had more than a couple of times been asked if the Knights are exclusively for the Catholic Church.

Duh!

Of course!

Then I was also asked if there are Knights in the Eastern Churches as well.

Duh!

Of course!

The Easterners are also our brothers, ok?

"But hey Sir Knight TPC, where is your proof?"

Duh!

Here it is!

These fourth degree Knights, based on the ribbons of their officers jewels (they are not called medals, ok?) and the lining of the social baldric (they are not called sash, ok?) these men are Canadian Knights.  Yup, we take the national colors as identifying colors of our country of origin.  So 4th degree Knights of the USA and the Philippines have the red, white and blue.

These Catholic gentlemen are members of Bishop Nykyta Budka Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly #2755 - Saskatoon

Blessed Bishop & Martyr, Nykyta Budka, is the first Ukrainian Catholic Eparch of Canada and the patron saint of the Assembly.

Want to know more about them, click here and visit their site.

You'll sure learn more about the Knights being present in all of the Catholic Church, West or East, Novus Ordo or TLM.

Of course!

Duh.

Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Go to confession, Mass and receive Holy Communion!

Make an Act of Reparation!

And pray for me as I pray for you too.

May the Heart of Jesus present in all tabernacles of the world be honored, praised and glorified now unto the end of ages. Amen!

The best way to celebrate Corpus Christi

I am not saying it is the only way.  I am saying that it is probably the best way to show your love of Christ and giving him public honor.

It is always done in Rome.




And also here, albeit quite rarely, in the Philippines.


Thank the Lord for this!

Photo credits from Sense of the Sacred of Rev. Fr. Jojo Zerrudo of the Diocese of Cubao.

Sung TLM.  Yup.  That little kid is serving because as haters of the TLM say, the kid does not understand Latin and does not understand what is going on. Try talking to that kid and you'll be surprised.

So, who is the one who does not understand, eh?

As the saying in Tagalog goes:

"Kung gusto hahanapan ng paraan.  Kung ayaw, hahanapan ng dahilan."

Street procession of the Blessed Sacrament.  Yeah, Fr. Zerrudo is just following liturgical laws.  Why would your parish priest not do this?

Hmmm...let me answer that.

LAZY!

The procession of the Blessed Sacrament outside of the church or chapel happens only twice a year:  Corpus Christi and Christ the King.

Only two.  And your friendly neighborhood TV Mass priest would not dare have it.

Guess airtime is too short for him, eh?  But not the SOBRE!

Ha!

The procession goes back to the church patio where the Benediction was done.

This is how you promote religious fervor among the faithful!

If you don't hold processions, how do you expect people to develop that love and devotion to the Mass and the Eucharist?  By your jokes in your homily?  By singing and dancing at Mass?  By asking them to clap at the end of a lousy, empty homily?






This is the right way to do it!

And this one is the way to sure failure!

KSPs............

I bet that this Willie Revillame priest did not have a Corpus Christi procession.

Guess where they had been

 The sisters posing after attending a seminar....

......about Pranic Healing!

Sooooo, Catholic!

Booyah!

If you have Catholic nuns like this spending more time learning to become more Hindu, then who needs a yogi to drive you away from the teachings of the Church?

Pranic healing heals you through cosmic energies called prana.  We, Catholic believe that we are healed by Grace, through the mercy and providence of the Almighty, not through the waving of hands, not through the channeling of good prana or chi.

God's grace of healing comes to us through his instruments, be it a sacred relic, like the helm of the Lord's garment (Mt. 9:20), the handkerchief of Peter (Acts 19:12), even the mere shadow of Peter can heal  (Acts 5:12-16)!

Pranic healing masks itself as channeling the healing power of the Holy Spirit since He is the source of all good energies.  This is baloney.  Pranic healing requires you to follow steps on which chakras or energy centers to "clean" and you also "wash" yourself of bad energy using salt and water (huh?  copying from Catholics?  hehe).

If indeed the Holy Spirit heals, why focus on each chakra?  Why not just go and touch!

So Pranic Healing and other New Age stuff that these "Catholic" nuns woould like to learn, most probably in order for them to become..."healers", like all those televangelists  you see and hear are.....as Fr. John Trigilio of EWTN calls it:  "NONSENSE!"

Hahaha!

St. Anthony of Padua!

Ora pro nobis eo!

The Skeleton of St. Anthony

The incorrupt tongue of St. Anthony

***

And here is a very great article about the life and works of St. Anthony, including why he is the patron to ask for prayers in finding lost things, the miracle of the donkey and the Blessed Sacrament and why he is represented with the Baby Jesus in his arms.

***

Why is St. Anthony the patron saint of lost things?

Before actually addressing why St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things, we ought to take some time to review his life.

St. Anthony was born in Lisbon in 1195 and was baptized "Ferdinand." His parents were of nobility. Some writers of the fifteenth century posited that his father was Martin Bouillon, a descendant of the famous Godfrey de Bouillon, commander of the First Crusade; and his mother, Theresa Tavejra, was a descendant of Froila I, fourth king of Asturia. However, this genealogy is unproven. Nevertheless, his parents were faithful and sought to hand their faith onto their son. He also was privileged to receive his early education at the cathedral school of Lisbon.

At the age of 15, Ferdinand joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in Lisbon. Two years later, he transferred to the monastery in Coimbra to avoid the distractions from frequent visits of relatives and friends. During this time, he studied diligently and, being gifted with an excellent memory, he attained an excellent knowledge of theology, sacred Scripture and the Church fathers.

In 1220, the five bodies of the first Franciscan Martyrs, who were martyred in Morocco at the hands of the Moslems, were returned to Portugal. They were brought to the Church of Santa Croce in Coimbra for burial where Ferdinand was stationed. Moved by their witness of faith in suffering martyrdom, Ferdinand also desired to preach the gospel to the Moslems and even give his own life for our Lord. To pursue this desire, he left the Augustinians and joined the Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans, and took the name "Anthony."

St. Anthony set sail to go to Morocco in the spring of 1221. Almost as soon as he arrived, he was stricken with a severe illness, which, after several weeks, necessitated his to return to Portugal. On his return journey, a violent storm drove the ship off course, and eventually it docked in Messina, Sicily. He remained there until he regained his health. He learned that a general chapter of the Franciscans was to take place on May 30 in Assisi, so he traveled there to take part and to meet St. Francis.

During the chapter, St. Anthony asked to be assigned to live in a place in solitude and penance. His superior, Father Graziano, sent him to the hermitage of Monte Paolo near Forli and Bologna. One day, St. Anthony was attending an ordination of Franciscan and Dominican priests at Forli. (Possibly, at this time, St. Anthony himself was ordained as a priest.) When the time came for the sermon, they discovered that no one had been appointed to preach. The Dominicans declined because no one was prepared. The Franciscans then offered St. Anthony, who they thought could read only the Missal and the Breviary. They told him to preach whatever the Holy Spirit put into his mouth. This he did. He astonished everyone not only with his zeal and eloquence, but also with his profound theological knowledge. This event launched St. Anthony’s preaching and teaching career. The provincial assigned St. Anthony to preach through the Lombardy region, and he had great success in converting many heretics and renewing the faith of many people.

St. Francis himself soon heard of St. Anthony’s ability. In 1224, he wrote, "To Brother Anthony, Brother Francis sends his greetings. It is my pleasure that you teach theology to the brethren, provided, however, that as the Rule prescribes, the spirit of prayer and devotion may not be extinguished. Farewell." St. Anthony taught at Bologna, Montpellier and Toulouse.

In 1230, he moved to Padua, a monastery he helped establish and where he would spend his remaining life. Besides preaching, he organized relief for the poor, the abolition of debtors prisons, and the release of prisoners captured in the wars between city-states.

Nevertheless, St. Anthony was most known for his eloquent and compelling preaching. St. Anthony exhorted the faithful to conversion, laity and clergy alike. He preached against the vices of luxury, avarice and tyranny. At a time of fighting between the city-states of Italy, his sermons inspired peaceful reconciliations. He also converted many heretics to the faith with his solid, persuasive and compassionate arguments. He was especially noted for his defense of the Real Presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist, the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary, and the infallibility of the Pope. By the end of his life, 30,000 people would gather in Padua to listen to him; moreover, so many were moved to repentance that more priests had to be found to hear confessions. For these reasons, he was given the title "Hammer of Heretics" and "Ark of the Covenant." (Pope Gregory IX, who heard St. Anthony preach, in his canonization decree gave him the title "Ark of the Covenant," for just as the original Ark held the sacred Scriptures, so did St. Anthony in his person.) Pope Pius XII remarked, "If anyone attentively considers the sermons of the Paduan, Anthony will stand forth as a most skilled master of the Scriptures, an outstanding theologian in examining doctrine, an excellent doctor and master in treating of ascetical and mystical things."

Several miracles are attributed to St. Anthony during his lifetime. One miracle occurred when he was preaching on Holy Thursday evening in the Church of St. Pierre du Queriox in Limoges, France. He remembered that he had to sing a lesson in the Divine Office back at his monastery. He appeared simultaneously preaching in the church and singing the lesson at the monastery. Here is the miracle of bilocation.

Another famous miracle involved the defense of the Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist. (The same story is told with different antagonists — one a Jewish merchant, the other, a heretic named "Bonillo"; for this article, the former will be used.) The Jewish merchant challenged St. Anthony to prove the "fable" of the holy Eucharist and devised a contest. The merchant would starve a donkey for three days, denying it any kind of food. Meanwhile, St. Anthony retreated to the forest where he would fast and pray for three days. At the end of the three days, St. Anthony returned to town, and went to the church where he obtained the Blessed Sacrament. He then went to the town square where the donkey was. The merchant placed a bale of hay 20 feet from the hungry donkey. The donkey was untied and walked toward the hay. St. Anthony then exposed the Blessed Sacrament and called to the donkey, "Mule, in the name of the Lord our God, I command you to come here and adore your Creator!" The donkey stopped as though someone had pulled him by a bridle, turned and walked to St. Anthony. The donkey bent his forelegs, bowing to the Blessed Sacrament with his head toward the ground. The Jewish merchant was astonished, asked St. Anthony for forgiveness and converted. These and other miracles during and after St. Anthony’s death merited him the name, "Miracle Worker."

St. Anthony also received an apparition of the Infant Jesus. (French writers maintain that it happened at the Castle of Chateauneuf-la-Foret near Limoges, and Italian writers maintain that it happened at Camposanpiero near Padua.) St. Anthony, before going to bed for the night, was reading his Bible. Suddenly, the Infant Jesus appeared resting on the Bible and in the arms of St. Anthony. The Infant Jesus stroked St. Anthony’s face. Here the word of God appeared to the man who had so well preached His word. For this reason, most images of St. Anthony depict him holding a Bible with the Infant Jesus.

St. Anthony is invoked as the patron saint of lost things. A little jingle goes like this: "St. Anthony, please look around; something is lost and must be found." This attribution comes from an incident where a novice carried off a valuable psalter St. Anthony was using. St. Anthony prayed very hard that the psalter would be found. After seeing an alarming apparition of St. Anthony, the novice returned the psalter. However, many suggest he is more importantly the patron of lost souls — those who have fallen to mortal sin, have abandoned the Church and have grown apathetic to the practice of the faith.

This beloved saint died on June 13, 1231 at the age of 36. Right before his death, he went to confession, sang a hymn to the Blessed Mother, and was anointed; he was asked, "Do you see anything?" to which he replied, "I see my Lord." Upon his death, the children of Padua ran through the streets, crying, "The holy Father is dead. St. Anthony is dead." Thirty years after his burial, the vault was opened and his body had deteriorated to dust except for his tongue, which remained preserved and incorrupt: St. Bonaventure took the tongue in his hands and kissed it, exclaiming, "O Blessed tongue that always praised the Lord, and made others bless Him, now it is evident what great merit thou hast before God." Moreover, to this day, many faithful have received miracles at the tomb of St. Anthony in Padua.

Pope Pius XII declared St. Anthony a Doctor of the Church on January 16, 1946. His apostolic letter began as follows: "Exult, happy Portugal, rejoice, happy Padua; for you have given birth for earth and heaven to a shining star, a man who has illuminated and still dazzles with a radiant light the whole earth, not only by holiness of life and fame of miracles, but by the splendor of his celestial teaching."

A monument commemorating the miracle of the Eucharist and the Donkey

PS:  The Donkey falls on its knees while you opt to stand during the consecration and Communion and receive him using your hands.

If that donkey could ever speak...

Key Curial appointments: Müller and Tagle and more!

Hmmm....

Let's read Whispers in the Loggia.

***

While the Stateside audience has spent the morning fixed on the CDF's LCWR summit, a much less conspicuous piece of related news slipped into today's Vatican's Daily Bollettino could prove at least as significant.

Amid months of speculation that's increasingly tipped him as the front-runner to succeed the soon-to-retire Cardinal William Levada at the helm of the former "Holy Office," Bishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller of Regensburg was quietly given a seat on two key Curial dicasteries at Roman Noon by the Pope. [So he really is headed to Rome.]

Said to be particularly close to Benedict [that is the management style of the Holy Father, which quite frankly is not surprising.]-- whose held his last professorship in Regensburg during the 1970s -- the 64 year-old theologian was surreptitiously added to the memberships of the Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Given the crucial tie-in of doctrinal matters with the church's educational institutions and ecumenical efforts, Levada is the lone senior Curialist who currently has a vote in both offices.

On the reigning pontiff's appointment, Muller -- bishop of Regensburg since 1992 -- has been a member of CDF for the last several years.

Beyond the long trail of buzz pointing to the German as the next "Grand Inquisitor," the announcement is likely to spike chatter as, at least for some, today's move recalls an apparent precedent.

In early May 2008, it sparked notice in some quarters when then-Archbishop Raymond Burke of St Louis was quietly named to two dicasteries, the Congregation for the Clergy and the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts. Less than two months later, Benedict called Burke to Rome full-time as prefect of the Apostolic Signatura, the church's "chief justice."

[This gets interesting here.]
Other notable prelates figured into this morning's batch of nods to the two offices. Among them, Manila's Archbishop Chito Tagle -- the 54 year-old CUA alum named to lead Asia's largest diocese late last year -- and Bishop Charles Morerod OP of Lausanne and Geneva (a former rector of the Angelicum) were tapped to join the Catholic Education table, while Bishop Don Bolen of Saskatoon, the onetime lead pointman for the church's relations with Anglicans and Methodists at the Unity council, now returns to his alma mater as a member.

Considering his expertise on (and close engagement with) the Orthodox world, likewise named to the latter body was the head of Catholicism's largest Eastern church: the de facto patriarch of the 6 million-member Ukrainian Greek-Catholic flock, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev, who at 42 is almost certain to become the youngest cardinal in the last half-century in the not too distant future.

***

Interesting movements in the Vatican.

So, after the pallium this June 24 for Tagle, the red hat soon?

With all indication, it might be.

GULP Alert: When you have trouble identifying the right tinge

Then choose all the available swatches of purple you could find.

Scene from the International Eucharistic Congress

How will you promote respect to the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament if you have communion during an International Eucharistic Congress with this?

Look! The girl is not even paying attention to what she was doing!

She might not even be saying "Amen." to the archbishop.

Singing the Communion Hymn while receiving the Blessed Sacrament?

Most probably.

GULP Alert: Sit-down Mass...getting common?

Isn't this liturgical abuse getting a bit common nowadays?  Like in retreats and recollections?

Oh come on, admit it.  You too had been to this sit down, campers-type or Buddhist type of a Mass, dont ya?

And as some people would say:  "May sinira na namang buhay si TPC."

I call out the liturgical abuse and I destroyed a life.

Yeah.  Guess they think like the abusers themselves, eh?


"Walang basagan ng trip!"  So, it's just tripping doing liturgical abuse?!

Just leave them alone as they continue this travesty.

Liturgical abuse is no simple matter.

It is a desecration of what is Holy.

It taking things for granted.

And it is not any simple thing that we can take things, uhm, sitting down.

Yeah, pun intended.


***


Thanks to DKB for the tip!

The Saints about the Most Holy Sacrament

"If we but paused for a moment to consider attentively what takes place in this Sacrament, I am sure that the thought of Christ's love for us would transform the coldness of our hearts into a fire of love and gratitude."

- St. Angela of Foligno

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it."

- St. Augustine

"Recognize in this bread what hung on the cross, and in this chalice what flowed from His side... whatever was in many and varied ways announced beforehand in the sacrifices of the Old Testament pertains to this one sacrifice which is revealed in the New Testament."

- from the writings of St. Augustine, Sermon 3, 2; circa A.D. 410 {original translation}

"O Lord, we cannot go to the pool of Siloe to which you sent the blind man. But we have the chalice of Your Precious Blood, filled with life and light. The purer we are, the more we receive."

- St. Ephraem

"When the bee has gathered the dew of heaven and the earth's sweetest nectar from the flowers, it turns it into honey, then hastens to its hive. In the same way, the priest, having taken from the altar the Son of God (who is as the dew from heaven, and true son of Mary, flower of our humanity), gives him to you as delicious food."

- St. Francis de Sales

"When you have received Him, stir up your heart to do Him homage; speak to Him about your spiritual life, gazing upon Him in your soul where He is present for your happiness; welcome Him as warmly as possible, and behave outwardly in such a way that your actions may give proof to all of His Presence."

- St. Francis de Sales

"What wonderful majesty! What stupendous condescension! O sublime humility! That the Lord of the whole universe, God and the Son of God, should humble Himself like this under the form of a little bread, for our salvation"

"...In this world I cannot see the Most High Son of God with my own eyes, except for His Most Holy Body and Blood."

- St. Francis of Assisi

****

and you just receive Him by hand?

Goodness me.

Franciscan Brothers support the Magisterium of Nuns

From USA Today

***

The brothers have come to the sisters' defense.

Franciscan friars in the U.S. called a Vatican crackdown on American nuns "excessive."
The Franciscan friars are believed to be the first Catholic religious order to voice support for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious since the Vatican announced a full-scale makeover of the group in April.

The Vatican said the LCWR, which represents most of the nation's 57,000 nuns, does not adequately advocate against gay marriage, abortion and women's ordination.  [In fact they support it!  Like most religious orders here in the country, like.....BUT! If the Franciscan brothers support the liberal nuns openly, then GOOD!  We know now who to purge after the nuns, eh?]

The Vatican's "doctrinal assessment" also faulted the sisters for sponsoring conferences that featured "a prevalence of certain radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith."  [and the Franciscan brothers support these group of mad angry women and their teachings which are incompatible with the Catholic faith!]

Noting that many members of LCWR belong to female Franciscan orders, the friars pledged solidarity with the sisters and called the Vatican assessment "excessive, given the evidence raised."  [Honestly, IMO, it is not even close to being excessive!  They should have been excommunicated outrightly for going up against Church dogma!]

The sisters have been wrestling with complex contemporary issues, the Franciscans said, and those deliberations should not be equated with disobedience to Catholic doctrine.  [Wrestling is the last word I'd describe the actions these nuns have been doing.  How could they be wrestling with the fact when they are already teaching and advocating them?]

"The efforts of LCWR to facilitate honest and faithful dialogue on critical issues of our times must not result in a level of ecclesial oversight that could, in effect, quash all further discernment," the Franciscans said.  [But my dear little brothers!  Matters on abortion, euthanasia, women's ordination are not up for dialogue anymore.  They are on the level of "If you can't live with it, the door is open."]

Catholics since the Middle Ages have disagreed about how to apply church doctrine to public policy, the friars argued, [Wah?!  You can quote me on this one.  Wah?!] and seldom were those disputes deemed "equivalent to questioning the authority of the Church's magisterium."  [The Brothers are either denying the truth or they have stayed too long in a cave to meditate, which is highly unlikely for all Franciscans today, or they have been into cryogenics!  Ha!]

Many church observers suspect the Vatican crackdown was at least partially a response to prominent Catholic sisters' support for President Obama's health care overhaul, despite bishops' objections.  [Just that?  Nothing about doing their jobs as shepherd of the Church?  Nothing about that?  Hmmm...Strange.  The Vatican II document these liberals love to quote mentions something about the Primacy of Peter and the bishops in communion with him in teaching matters of faith and morals.  Hmmm...  Really cryogenics.]

"Rather than excessive oversight of LCWR, perhaps a better service to the people of God might be a renewed effort to articulate the nuances of our complex moral tradition," the friars said.  [That phrase I bolden is code for liberals and modernists.  Take note of that folks!  Take it from someone who studied with them.  Ha!]

The LCWR itself has called the Vatican's assessment "unsubstantiated" and a source of "scandal and pain."
LCWR leaders will meet on June 12 in Rome with Cardinal William Levada, the former archbishop of San Francisco who now heads the Vatican's doctrine office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

***

As if something concrete will come out of that meeting.

I say....

There is a reason why our bodies flush out toxins.

Same thing in every organization, be humanly established or divinely founded.

What do you do with bad eggs?

Yup.  Throw them out.

Up next............AMRSP!

Yebah!!!