Seeking The Beatific Vision

The Decree of Excommunication has been lifted!

2009-01-24T20:39:00.002+08:00

Three cheers for the Pope! I love being vindicated.

The Power of the Rosary

2009-01-24T03:29:00.008+08:00

Never doubt it.

My convertion into tradland reintroduced me to the rosary after an absence of almost 17 years. Although I say the rosary regularly now, I am ashamed to say that I do not say the rosary as I should, which I learnt at my two five-day Ignatian retreats. The spiritually fruitful method what I was thought by my retreat master District Superior of Asia SSPX Rev Fr Daniel Couture almost two years ago was to meditate on each mystery as you say the prayers on each decade. Regretfully, I have been sadly neglectful of that method. However, having said that, I am still amazed at the effectiveness of praying the rosary. I have always heard of the power of prayer, but never have I experienced it concretely myself as much as I have in the past year. Other people always tell me of their own experiences of having their prayer heard, but I myself have never "kept score" of whether my prayers have been answered or not. Mostly it is because I don't really keep track of what I pray and what happens after, and also because nothing really spectacular happened enough for me to take note of.

In the past year itself however, we've seen two successful rosary crusades which has brought about immense change in the world-or at least, one has, and another about to. Trads would know of what I am speaking off. What else but of the first rosary crusade which brought about the Motu Propio Summorum Pontificium within months of the crusade, after years of empty promises from Rome? And the second, said of the SSPX faithful of the intention for the lifting of the 1988 decree of excommunications? I hope that I am not, but do not think, that I am speaking too soon. For within barely a month after the conclusion of the second rosary crusade, religious and secular news services carry news that our Pope has already signed the document that will lift the infamous excommunications and that the public announcement of the decree is imminent. But I will not go on speaking about that. I brought it up more so because I wanted to set the scene for which I am about to write of, of my own personal experience of the power of the rosary.

About two years ago I read of a 54-day rosary novena to our Queen of the Heavenly Rosary. It consists of an unbroken chain of 6 back to back 9-day rosary novena- with 3 novenas said for a petition, and 3 said for thanksgiving, whether or not the petition has been answered or not. However, I was more interested in the fact that single people looking for a soulmate say the rosary novena with great success. Being a trad Catholic does not increase your chances of finding someone to marry, as many trad single Catholics know and will sympathise. Attending a small SSPX chapel where there are more single females than males didn't make it any easier. I was also determined not to get involved with someone who did not agree completely with me on matters of the faith and on the SSPX, knowing that it would require me to compromise painfully. When I bumped into my fiance online last August, who was then only a friend I haven't spoken to in 2 years, and later on finding that we liked each other, we both decided to say the 54-day rosary novena with the intention of finding out if we were meant for each other. Amazingly, things started to progress very quickly, very positively. Within a few short weeks of saying the rosary, things moved forward enough for my darling fiance to decide that it was time for him to visit me in Malaysia. We were very much in love by that time, finding that we were completely in tune with the other spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. By the time the 54 days was up, he was in Malaysia, and we decided to say the second series of rosaries together. And we fell even more deeply in love than ever, finding ever more things that we had in common with each other, sharing dreams, thoughts, the future, even anticipating and finishing each others thoughts and words. In between starting the first and second novenas, so many amazing coincidences just providentially happened to make it possible for us to be together. There were no objections from either sides of the family, nor from our priests. University and work holidays just seem to coincide beautifully. We had my family's blessing for me to go to Australia to meet and stay with my fiance's family for a month for Christmas on very short notice-four days notice to be exact. And at the end of the novena, we were engaged, and to be married in less than six months.

There were so many things that could have been obstacles that kept us apart, and yet, as each threat of an obstacle loomed closer, it just seemed to melt away into nothing. Against so many odds, we managed to find each other over almost 6000km of land and sea. We joke with each other-what if either of us was born in another time and age, if there were no computers or internet, if either one of us spoke another language, if I didn't go to the muslim university that I did(thats another story for another day), or if I never turned trad as a result of it, nor became affiliated with the SSPX, if I never started a blog, if he didn't email me three years ago, or if I never answered - we'd never have met. Any number of things could have gone wrong, and we won't have met nor gotten engaged. Everything in our life happened for a reason, and led us to this-meeting, loving, and marrying. Every good and bad thing that has ever happened in both of our lives had a reason, because it had to happen for providence to move the chess pieces to us meeting. Perhaps it seems a little trite to say those things. Perhaps, it could be said that we wanted to meet somebody so bad that it would have worked anyway. Perhaps. But all of the above seems all the more miraculous to us because we seem to be so perfect for each other.

We still feel a strong sense of wonderment-of how heaven played so strongly a role in bringing us together. It was the rosary novena to Our Lady which brought us so strongly together. Finding each other has reinforced our belief in the rosary and prayer like nothing ever has before. Our prayers stormed heaven, and Our Lady, saying as she did to Fortuna Agrelli, said to us "I can no longer refuse the favor thou dost petition". We can never thank heaven, or Our Lady enough.

I'm Getting Married!

2009-01-22T17:14:00.003+08:00

Dear readers,

It's been a long hiatus since the last post. So many things happened in between then and now. For those who do not know, I am engaged to a fellow trad SSPX-er from Australia, and we are getting married on the 30th of May of this year. I'm deliriously happy to have found my soulmate, who emailed me almost three years ago after reading one of my old blog posts which was posted on Angelqueen forum. Finding each other was a journey in providence, as we both early on in our friendship decided to say the 54-day rosary novena for heavenly guidance as to whether we were meant for each other. We are now on our 3rd series of the 54-day rosary novena, and we don't plan to stop even after we are married. Naturally, I will soon be moving to Australia permanently to make my home with my husband-to-be. However, I will try to update my blog periodically after I've settled down and share my perspective as a trad housewife and mother in a modern world. Contratulate us, pray for us, and wish us luck!

St Benedict Cross

2008-07-16T00:50:00.005+08:00

This is a specially commissioned St Benedict Cross made in 100% pewter by Royal Selangor. Only 200 pcs in existence. This collector's item has beautiful detailing of the corpus Christi and the St Benedict medal in plated chrome, while the rest of the cross is in a matt pewter tone. Ideal as a gift or to wear as a small pectoral cross.

Weighs 0.035kg and approx.3.1 inch (8cm)
Comes in a nice souvenir box.

Price:USD19.99/RM60

For orders within Malaysia, please pay to Maybank 562740050222 -WEE ENG CHOO. Email address ecweediana@hotmail.com

For international orders, please pay by Paypal to ecweediana@hotmail.com or by Western Union.

Shipping within Malaysia and Singapore is free up to 2 pieces. Shipping per order to everywhere else is a flat rate of USD3.

For a wider selection of books, holy cards and crosses, please visit www.Christianbooksmalaysia.com

Special Edition Rosary Booklet

2008-07-16T00:30:00.015+08:00

This special rosary booklet is a wonderful way to explore the mysteries of the rosary. Reduce distractions and enhance your meditations while saying your rosary by concentrating on the 150 colour pictures of Our Lord's life. Every picture is explained by a short caption and each decade ended with the prayers based on the St Louis de Montfort method. Good for children and adults! Give as a gift. Not available anywhere else! 100 pages. Full colour.

Price:USD9/RM28

For orders within Malaysia, please pay to Maybank 562740050222 -WEE ENG CHOO. Email address ecweediana@hotmail.com

For international orders, please pay by Paypal to ecweediana@hotmail.com or by Western Union.

Shipping within Malaysia and Singapore is free up to 2 books. Shipping per book to everywhere else is a flat rate of USD3.

We welcome large orders. Please contact us for a quote and a discount at scriptorium7@gmail.com.

For a wider selection of books, holy cards and crosses, please visit www.Christianbooksmalaysia.com

SSPX Newsletter

2008-06-23T14:09:00.004+08:00

Superior General's Letter # 72
to Friends and Benefactors

#72: April 14, 2008

Dear Friends and Benefactors,

The motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, which acknowledged that the Tridentine Mass was never abrogated, raises a certain number of questions concerning the future of the relations of the Society of St. Pius X with Rome. Several persons in conservative circles and in Rome itself have made themselves heard, arguing that, since the Sovereign Pontiff had acted so generously and thus given a clear sign of his good will towards us, there would be nothing left for the Society to do but to “sign an agreement with Rome.” Unfortunately, a few of our friends were deceived by such an illusion. We would like to take the opportunity of this Eastertide letter to review once again the principles governing our actions in these troubled times and point out a few recent events which clearly indicate that, basically, nothing has really changed except for the motu proprio’s liturgical overture, so as to draw from all this the necessary conclusions.

The fundamental principle that dictates our action is the safeguard of the faith, without which no one can be saved, no one can receive grace, no one can be pleasing to God, as the First Vatican Council states. The liturgical question is not paramount; it only becomes such inasmuch as it is the manifestation of an alteration of the faith and, consequently, of the worship due to God.

A notable change of orientation took place at Vatican II with regard to the Church’s outlook, especially on the world, other religions, the State, and even itself. These changes have been acknowledged by all, yet not all judged them in the same way. Until now, they were presented as being very profound, even revolutionary. One cardinal at the Council could even speak of “the 1789 Revolution in the Church.

While still a cardinal, Benedict XVI phrased it thus: “The challenge of the sixties was to assimilate the best values expressed in two centuries of ‘liberal’ culture. These are values which, even if they originate outside the Church, can find a place, once purified and corrected, in her vision of the world. This is what was done. ¹” In the name of this assimilation, a new vision of the world and its components was imposed: a fundamentally positive vision, which dictated not only a new liturgical rite, but also a new mode of presence of the Church in the world: much more horizontal, and more concerned about social and temporal problems than those of a supernatural and eternal character...

At the same time, the Church’s relationship with the other religions underwent a transformation. Since Vatican II, Rome has avoided any negative or depreciatory observations about other religions. For example, the classic term of “false religions” has completely disappeared from ecclesiastical vocabulary. The words “heretic” and “schismatic,” which used to designate the religions closer to the Catholic Church, have also disappeared, except when they are occasionally employed, especially the term “schismatic,” to label us. The same holds true for the term “excommunication.” The new approach is called ecumenism, and contrary to what everyone used to think, it does not mean a return to Catholic unity, but rather the establishment of a new kind of unity that no longer requires conversion.

Christian denominations are considered under a new light, and this is especially clear for the Orthodox. In the Balamand Declaration, the Catholic Church officially pledged herself to not convert the Orthodox and to collaborate with them. The dogma “outside the Church there is no salvation,” recalled in the document Dominus Jesus, underwent a reinterpretation for the sake of the new vision of things. They could not keep this dogma without broadening the limits of the Church, and this was accomplished by the new definition of the Church given in Lumen Gentium. The Church of Christ is no longer the Catholic Church, it subsists in her. They may say that it subsists only in her, but the fact remains that they claim that the Holy Ghost and this “Church of Christ” act outside the Catholic Church. The other religions are not without elements of salvation... The “Orthodox Churches” become authentic particular churches in which “the Church of Christ” is built.

Obviously, these new views completely disrupted the Church’s relations with the other religions. It is impossible to speak of a superficial change; for what they want to impose on the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ is a new and very profound mutation. John Paul II consequently was able to speak of a “new ecclesiology,” admitting an essential change in the part of the theology that treats of the Church. We simply cannot understand how they can claim that this new understanding of the Church is still in harmony with the traditional definition of the Church. It is new; it is radically different and obliges the Catholic to observe a fundamentally different behavior towards the heretics and schismatics, who have tragically abandoned the Church and scorned the faith of their baptism. From now on they are no longer “separated brethren,” but brothers who “are not in full communion”... and we are “deeply united” by baptism in Christ in an “inamissible” ² union. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s latest clarification of the word “subsistit” is very revealing on this point. Even as it states that the Church cannot teach novelty, it confirms the novelty introduced at the Council...

Likewise for evangelization: the sacred duty of every Christian to respond to our Lord Jesus Christ’s command is at first upheld: “He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mk. 16: 15-16). But then it is alleged that this evangelization only concerns the pagans, so that neither Christians nor Jews need be bothered. Very recently Cardinals Kasper and Bertone, addressing the controversy over the new prayer for the Jews, stated that the Church has no intention of converting them.

Add to this the pope’s positions on religious liberty, and we can easily conclude that the combat for the faith has not slackened over these last few years. The motu proprio that introduces the hope of a change for the better in matters liturgical is not accompanied by the logically related measures that should follow in other domains of the Church’s life. All the changes introduced at the Council and in the post-conciliar reforms, which we denounce precisely because the Church had already condemned them, have been upheld. The only difference is that now they claim at the same time that the Church does not change... which amounts to saying that these changes are perfectly in line with Catholic Tradition. This confusion of terminology combined with the assertion that the Church must remain faithful to her Tradition might well be troubling to more than a few. So long as facts do not corroborate this new assertion, we must conclude that nothing has changed in Rome’s intention to pursue the conciliar course despite forty years of crisis, despite vacant convents, abandoned rectories, and empty churches. Catholic universities persist in their divagations, and the teaching of the catechism is uncertain while Catholic schools are no longer specifically Catholic: they have become an extinct species...

For these reasons the Priestly Society of St. Pius X cannot sign an “agreement.” It definitely rejoices at the pope’s desire to reintroduce the ancient and venerable rite of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, yet it also observes the opposition— sometimes very tenacious—of entire bishops’ conferences. Without giving up hope and without impatience, we can see that the time for an agreement has not yet come. This does not prevent us from continuing to hope, nor from following the line of conduct defined in the year 2000. We are still asking the Holy Father to annul the 1988 decree of excommunication because we are convinced that this would be a boon for the Church, and we encourage you to pray for this to happen. But it would be very imprudent and hasty to dash off ill-advisedly in pursuit of a practical agreement that would not be based on the Church’s fundamental principles, and especially the faith.

The new Rosary Crusade we have invited you to join, to pray that the Church recover and resume her bimillennial Tradition, calls for some clarification. This is how we envision it: let everyone pledge to recite daily a rosary at a fairly fixed time of day. Given the number of our faithful and their distribution throughout the whole world, we can be assured that at every hour of the day and night prayerful voices will be ascending to heaven, voices earnestly praying for the triumph of their heavenly Mother and the coming of the reign of our Lord “on earth as it is in heaven.”

+ Bernard Fellay
Superior General

Menzingen, April 14, 2008
+ Bernard Fellay
Superior General
Menzingen, April 14, 2008

1. Interview, Jesus, November 1984, p. 72.

2 . [Theological term meaning “that cannot be lost”—Translator’s note.]

Tepidity, A Debate, Purgatory and Extreme Unction

2008-06-23T08:54:00.008+08:00

I have a confession to make. For the past 6 months, I have not been posting because...I suffered from a spiritual tepidity. It was gradual, and happened slowly but surely. Prayers were hard to say without distractions. Mass attended without fervour. Confessions said out of duty. I felt no consolation from any of my prayers nor acts of religion, of which I had in abundance in the beginning. I did not want to read spiritual books- in fact, I felt so guilty reading it I kept it all away so as not to remind me of my conscience and God. I felt the world seducing me with all its material promises-for which I felt nothing but an empty vanity and disgust when I first found my Faith in Tradition. Even though I knew what was happening to me, and even though I regret my lack of perseverence, I became too tepid to do anything about it.

My spiritual lethargy came about through many small things. Listening to pop/rock songs. Watching too many movies. Joining in unedifying conversations. Intemperance in food and drink. Fleeing penance and mortification. Very common things that everybody indulges in. But for a Traditional Catholic who is trying to save her soul, I realise-oh so deadly. Already I was falling into bad habits that I thought I was free from. And yet even as I write, I hesitate as to how I'm going to go about giving up all these things which gives me a some measure of pleasure, no matter how fleeting. And yet I know that I must.

I found though, that it helps to talk about this with others. You find that you are not the only one suffering from terrible distractions in thought while attempting to pray, that you no longer feel consolation nor comfort in prayers and meditations. That actually it is very common, and happens to the best of us. It's true that misery loves company. I did feel better after knowing that I wasn't alone in this.

Last night I had a lively conversation/debate on the faith with fellow Catholics. The topic on the effects of the sacraments came up. One of the reasons I stopped reading spiritual books was because I felt that it was a little repetitive-after all, I knew the gist of it-why read more of the same? It was pride that stopped me - I realise now. And last night I found that I didn't know THAT much after all.

We were debating the essentiality of the Message of Fatima. I'm no Fatima expert. What I read was so long ago I'm not sure of many things now. But the debate touched on the objective effect of the sacraments of Confession, Baptism, Communion and Extreme Unction. Now, I had always known that confession washed the soul clean of the guilt of mortal sins, but that the temporal punishment due to sin remains and must be paid in purgatory. I also thought that all souls who went to confession regularly, and died in God's good graces have a good chance of not going to hell, but still have to go to purgatory to repay the temporal punishment due to sin. What I did NOT know was that the sacrament of Extreme Unction remits not only the GUILT due to sin, but also the TEMPORAL PUNISHMENT due to sin. What this means is that when a soul receives the sacrament of Extreme Unction, it need not go to purgatory, but is received immediately into heaven.

The Seventh Means of avoiding Purgatory is Extreme Unction: God Himself has given us a Sacrament, the end of which is to take us directly to Heaven. This Sacrament is Extreme Unction, which according to St. Thomas and St. Albert was instituted especially to obtain for us the grace of a holy and happy death and to prepare us for immediate entrance into Heaven.

Many Catholics do not understand this most consoling doctrine, and because they do not understand it, they prepare themselves insufficiently for the reception of Extreme Unction and so lose many of its great graces.

It is most consoling. What a pity that many people do not know its value, nor treasure the effect of its graces. How blessed and lucky we are as Catholics! Of course, this does not mean we can go about abusing the sacrament by committing sins right and left and just ensuring that we obtain the Last Rites before we die, as protestants are bound to protest.

The importance of this is so much overlooked. To think that heaven is within our grasp as long as we pray faithfully and perseveringly that God would give us the grace of a happy death. That we have a God that loves us so much as to institute the Sacraments with such tremendous generosity.

It's so wonderful-I still have a little trouble internalizing it.

To Say Yes or No: That Is The Question.

2008-04-27T13:43:00.003+08:00

"Better to be had by a con than to say no to somebody truly in need."

You know how sometimes some scruffy-looking guy comes up to you asking for handouts, and most times, you feel that it's a con, and you shoo the person away? Well, maybe we should start thinking this way-that

"...even if a person does get conned, the money was given in God's name and the reward merited by the giver remains the same. It is the con men who will have much to answer for! To ask dishonestly for charity (a gift given for the love of God) is a serious thing - it calls on God to witness what was asked for in His name for a dishonest purpose..."

From Patti of RomanCatholics@yahoogroups.com..

Hamas Cleric Predicts 'Rome Will Be Conquered by Islam'

2008-04-17T20:54:00.001+08:00

From Foxnews

Monday, April 14, 2008

A sermon last Friday by a prominent Muslim cleric and Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament openly declared that "the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital," would soon be conquered by Islam.

The fiery sermon, delivered by Yunis al-Astal and aired on Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, predicted that Rome would become "an advanced post for the Islamic conquests, which will spread though Europe in its entirety, and then will turn to the two Americas, even Eastern Europe."

"Allah has chosen you for Himself and for His religion," al-Astal preached, "so that you will serve as the engine pulling this nation to the phase of succession, security and consolidation of power, and even to conquests through da'wa and military conquests of the capitals of the entire world.

"Very soon, Allah willing, Rome will be conquered, just like Constantinople was, as was prophesized by our prophet Muhammad," he added.

Al-Astal last June preached how it was the duty of Palestinian women to martyr themselves by becoming homicide bombers.

"The most exalted form of jihad is fighting for the sake of Allah, which means sacrificing one's soul by fighting the enemies head-on, even if it leads to martyrdom," he said in a June 23, 2007 interview.

"When jihad becomes an individual duty, it applies to women too, because women do not differ from men when it comes to individual duties," he said, calling Jews "the brothers of apes and pigs" who should "taste the bitterness of death."

Friday's rant repeated that theme: "Today, Rome is the capital of the Catholics, or the Crusader capital, which has declared its hostility to Islam, and has planted the brothers of apes and pigs in Palestine in order to prevent the reawakening of Islam.

"I believe that our children, or our grandchildren, will inherit our jihad and our sacrifices, and, Allah willing, the commanders of the conquest will come from among them.

"Today, we instill these good tidings in their souls – and by means of the mosques and the Koran books, and the history of our Prophets, his companions, and the great leaders, we prepare them for the mission of saving humanity from the hellfire at whose brink they stand."
____________________________________________

Pater Noster,
Sed libera nos a malo.

10 Things You Didn't Know About Pope Benedict XVI

2008-04-16T12:22:00.002+08:00

By Bobbie Kyle Sauer

Posted April 15, 2008

1) The future Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger, was born in Marktl am Inn, a Bavarian village, on April 16, 1927. The pope was born on Holy Saturday and was baptized that same day. He is one of Josef and Maria Ratzinger's three children. The pope has a brother, Georg. His sister, Maria, is deceased.

Pope Benedict XVI

(Jim Lo Scalzo for USN&WR)

2) When the pope was 5, he met a cardinal visiting his town. According to his brother, the young boy came home that day and told his father that he wanted to be a cardinal.

3) After the pope's father retired in 1937, the Ratzingers moved to Traunstein, a town in Bavaria. The pope spent a majority of his childhood in Traunstein, where the family lived in a farmhouse built in the 18th century.

4) Growing up, the pope wasn't interested in sports but loved music and reading. He took piano lessons as a child and still plays today. The pope enjoys playing Mozart and Bach.

5) Along with Jay-Z, David Beckham, and Barack Obama, Pope Benedict XVI was named by Esquire magazine in 2007 as one of the best-dressed men in the world. The magazine named him "Accessorizer of the Year."

6) Vatican Radio gave the pope an iPod nano in 2006 when the radio station celebrated its 75th birthday.

7) The German Army drafted Ratzinger in 1943, but, because of an infected finger, he never learned to shoot. He deserted the Army near the end of the war.

8) Ratzinger entered the seminary at age 12. His studies were put on hold when he was drafted, but he continued them after the war. On June 29, 1951, he was ordained on the same day his brother was.

9) The pope has been seen wearing red loafers. Some speculated that the shoes were Prada; others say they were made by the pope's own cobbler. He has also been photographed wearing Serengeti sunglasses.

10) The Marktl Am Inn house where the pope was born is open to the public. It features exhibits about the pope and his family.

Prayers for SSPX Priest and Faithful in Zimbabwe

2008-04-16T10:50:00.002+08:00

There is a discussion going on in Angelqueen about an SSPX Priest and a family who is undergoing terrible persecutions due to the dictatorship and uprising in the Zimbabwean government. The family, with children aged 8, 10, and 12 have been surviving on nothing but soy mush, which can only be bought in American dollars at outrageous prices. They cannot leave the country because they have been waiting for their passport, which takes 4 years to process. The priest, who goes there 3 weeks at a time to service a mission parish cannot leave the country as the revolutionaries has closed the borders, murdering the police in the process. He made it to an American Embassy, but decided to go back to the mission to do more for Our Lord.

The SSPX have been organizing an underground food parcel relay to help the starving faithful. 99% of it has been distributed with the help of Catholic Zimbabweans at the Post Office.

You can read the original thread here. Please storm heaven for help. Donations can be sent at the address at SSPX District of Africa:

Our Lady of Sorrows Priory
11 Amelia St., Roodepoort

Postal address:
P.O. Box 878, Roodepoort, 1725

Tel: +27 (11) 763 1050
Fax: 0866 72 8789
Cell: 072 545 3304
E-mail: rsasspx@mweb.co.za

Resident priests:
Fr. Coenraad Daniels (Superior)
Fr. Anthony Esposito
http://www.sspxafrica.com/

A Study Into The Legal Aspects of Homeschooling In Malaysia

2008-04-15T14:13:00.007+08:00

I did a mini-thesis for my law course entitled A Study Into The Legal Aspects of Homeschooling In Malaysia. I chose the topic due to personal interest, and also because of the feedback I've had listening to some families who homeschool in Malaysia, where the legal status is in a sort of limbo.This research paper sets out the rights, duties, liabilities and legal options for parents who want to homeschool. It was done within the time frame of 3 months, with a word limit of 15000. As such, it is not as comprehensive as I would have liked. Nevertheless, I hope that this legal study may prove helpful in the future for homeschoolers.

Part 1 A Study into the Legal Aspects of Homeschooling in Malaysia
http://www.badongo.com/file/8843792

Part 2 A Study into the Legal Aspects of Homeschooling in Malaysia
http://www.badongo.com/file/8843829

The links expire in 50 days. So if you can't download, please notify me by leaving a comment and your email. I'll send it by email.

The Baking Duchess

2008-04-10T16:26:00.001+08:00

Visit my new blog at http://thebakingduchess.blogspot.com/

If you've tried any of my gastronomical attempts, do leave a comment!

The Saddest and Sweetest Poem

2008-04-10T01:07:00.000+08:00

You'll Find Someone Else

by TinyDancer46

Age of six
He loved her so
And everyday
He'd let her know

"I love you Grace"
He'd say each day
She'd just laugh
And run away

Till one day
She turned around
And sat with him
On the playground

"I'm sorry Chris
I don't love you
You'll find someone else
Who loves you too"

Highschool came
They met again
They laughed about
The things back then

They began to date
And fell in love
He got the girl
That he'd dreamed of

But when college came
Everything changed
They were far apart
With lives rearranged

"We'll be fine Grace"
But she had doubt
She turned and said
"It won't work out"

"I'm sorry Chris
I can't love you
You'll find someone else
Who loves you too"

In their twenties
They met again
They laughed about
The things back then

He took her hand
They began to dance
Remembering
Their old romance

Two years later
She became his wife
They'd be together
All of their life

They went on a drive
When it was no longer light
They drove down the roads
Of the starry night

The music came on
She started to sing
He whispered, "Grace
You're my everything"

But then suddenly
In one big flash
Headlights shone
As their car crashed

He saw her laying
Down on the ground
He felt his tears
Start rolling down

"Grace..." he cried
She took his hand
"I have to leave...
Please understand"

"I love you so much
It's always been true
But you'll find someone else
And you'll love again too"

"No," he cried
"It's always been you
I don't want someone else
I only want you"

And there on that street
Is where he cried
Hugging his love
As she slowly died

The Worth of a Human Soul

2008-04-01T12:51:00.004+08:00

A human soul is not worth much nowadays it seems.

Ebay seller giambogna is selling the soul of her friend Kristine Dias for USD18.63 plus 37 cents for shipping. She promises that "Upon the highest bid being reached, the bidder will receive a contract signed by Kristine which will forever and irrevocably hand over her immortal soul." The winning bidder is a godalexander.

You'd have at least thought that the winning bid will go into millions. It IS a soul, after all. But for a measly USD18.63?

People may laugh it off as a inconsequential prank. But these things have real spiritual consequences. There are cases of possession as a result of a pact with the devil. The devil does not take these things lightly, especially a contract where a soul is sold and bought. Rest assured that he will have a say in a contract for human souls.

Our Lord died the most cursed death to save our souls. And people like this don't give a damn. The devil is having a field day. And I foresee another Katrina coming.

Latest News On SSPX and Rome

2008-04-01T09:26:00.002+08:00

Castrillón speaks:On the SSPX: "Discussions may take place inside the Church"
Sourced from Rorate-Coeli.blogspot.com

[L'Osservatore Romano:] How is a return to "full communion" possible for excommunicated persons?

[Castrillón:] The excommunication applies only to the four bishops, because they were ordained without the mandate of the Pope and against his will, while the priests are only suspended. The Mass they celebrate is undoubtedly valid, but not licit, and, thus, participation is not advised, unless there are no other possibilities on Sunday. Certainly, neither the priests nor the faithful are excommunicates. I wish, speaking of this, to repeat the importance of a clear knowledge of things in order to be able to judge them correctly.

[L'Osservatore Romano:] Don't you fear that the attempt to wish to bring back to the Church men and women who do not recognize the Second Vatican Council may provoke an aversion among those faithful who instead see Vatican II as a compass for navigation in the barque of Peter, particularly in these times of continuous changes?

[Castrillón:] First of all, the problem regarding the Council is not, in my opinion, as grave as it might seem. In fact, the Bishops of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, headed by Bishop Bernard Fellay, have expressly recognized Vatican II as an Ecumenical Council and Bishop Fellay reasserted it in a meeting with John Paul II and, more explicitly, in the audience of August 29, 2005, with Benedict XVI. Nor can it be forgotten that Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre signed all Council documents.I believe that their criticism of the Council is related mostly with the clarity of some texts, in the absence of which the path is opened to interpretations not in agreement with Traditional doctrine. The greatest difficulties are of interpretive character and are related even to some gestures of the ecumenical level, but not with the doctrine of Vatican II. It is a matter of theological discussions, which may take place inside the Church, where, in fact, there are several interpretive discussions of the Conciliar texts, discussions which may continue even with the groups which return to full communion.

The second phase of the One-Two-Three Strategy seems to be taking shape.

The Suppressed interview with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

2008-03-19T18:20:00.002+08:00

The following interview with the archbishop was to have been published in 1978 by a leading American Catholic publication. However, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops threatened the publication's publisher with excommunication and decreed virtual extinction for the publication itself if the interview were run. In fact, the bishops ordered that no Catholic publication could run this interview with Archbishop Lefebvre.

An edited version of the interview was finally published in The Spotlight, a weekly newspaper in Washington, D.C., in its issue of July 18, 1988. The complete and unedited interview is transcribed below.

The Spotlight makes no case for or against the doctrinal positions of Archbishop Lefebvre. We printed the interview for we find his statements of 14 years ago, if read in the light of current events, to be extremely timely.

The world itself we find to be in a state of near collapse and the Catholic Church an institution that was once regarded by friend and foe alike to be changeless, now to be riddled with elements of moral relativism, communism, homosexuality and gross uncertainty. Archbishop Lefebvre speaks out in opposition to these trends. The questions asked of the archbishop are in dark type; his responses in light type.

You have debated and taken part in the deliberations of the second council of the Vatican, have you not?

Yes.

Did you not sign and agree to the resolutions of this council?

No. First of all, I have not signed all the documents of Vatican II because of the last two acts. The first, concerned with "Religion and Freedom," I have not signed. The other one, that of “The Church in the Modern World”, I also have not signed. This latter is in my opinion the most oriented toward modernism and liberalism.

Are you on record for not only not signing the documents but also on record to publicly oppose them?

Yes. In a book, which I have published in France, I accuse the council of error on these resolutions, and I have given all the documents by which I attack the position of the council - principally, the two resolutions concerning the issues of religion and freedom and "The Church in the Modern World.”

Why were you against these decrees?

Because these two resolutions are inspired by liberal ideology which former popes described to us-that is to say, a religious license as understood and promoted by the Freemasons, the humanists, the modernists and the liberals.

Why do you object to them?

This ideology says that all the cultures are equal; all the religions are equal, that there is not a one and only true faith. All this leads to the abuse and perversion of freedom of thought. All these perversions of freedom, which were condemned throughout the centuries by all the popes, have now been accepted by the council of Vatican II.

Who placed these particular resolutions on the agenda?

I believe there were a number of cardinals assisted by theological experts who were in agreement with liberal ideas.

Who, for example?

Cardinal (Augustine) Bea (a German Jesuit), Cardinal (Leo) Suenens (from Belgium), Cardinal (Joseph) Frings (from Germany), Cardinal (Franz) Koenig (from Austria). These personalities had already gathered and discussed these resolutions before the council and it was their precise aim to make a compromise with the secular world, to introduce Illuminist and modernist ideas in the church doctrines.

Were there any American cardinals supporting these ideas and resolutions?

I do not recall their names at present, but there were some. However, a leading force in favor of these resolutions was Father Murray.

Are you referring to Father John Courtney Murray (an American Jesuit)?

Yes.

What part has he played?

He has played a very active part during all the deliberations and drafting of these documents.

Did you let the pope (Paul VI) know of your concern and disquiet regarding these resolutions?

I have talked to the pope. I have talked to the council. I have made three public interventions, two of which I have filed with the secretariat. Therefore, there were five interventions against these resolutions of Vatican II.

In fact, the opposition led against these resolutions was such that the pope attempted to establish a commission with the aim of reconciling the opposing parties within the council. There were to be three members, of which I was one.

When the liberal cardinals learned that my name was on this commission, they went to see the holy father (the pope) and told him bluntly that they would not accept this commission and that they would not accept my presence on this com- mission. The pressure on the pope was such that he gave up the idea.

I have done everything I could to stop these resolutions which I judge contrary and destructive to the Catholic faith. The council was convened legitimately, but it was for the purpose of putting all these ideas through.

Were there other cardinals supporting you?

Yes. There was Cardinal (Ernesto) Ruffini (of Palermo), Cardinal (Giuseppe) Siri (of Genoa) and Cardinal (Antonio) Caggiano (of Buenos Aires).

Were there any bishops supporting you?

Yes. Many bishops supported my stand.

How many bishops?

There were in excess of 250 bishops. They had even formed themselves into a group for the purpose of defending the true Catholic faith.

What happened to all of these supporters?

Some are dead; some are dispersed throughout the world; many still support me in their hearts but are frightened to lose the position, which they feel may be useful at a later time.

Is anybody supporting you today (1978)?

Yes. For instance, Bishop Pintinello from Italy; Bishop Castro de Mayer from Brazil. Many other bishops and cardinals often contact me to express their support but wish at this date to remain anonymous.

What about those bishops who are not liberals but still oppose and criticize you?

Their opposition is based on an inaccurate understanding of obedience to the pope. It is, perhaps, a well-meant obedience, which could be traced to the ultramontane obedience of the last century, which in those days was good because the popes were good. However, today, it is a blind obedience, which has little to do with a practice and acceptance of true Catholic faith.

At this stage it is relevant to remind Catholics allover the world that obedience to the pope is not a primary virtue.

The hierarchy of virtues starts with the three theological virtues of faith, hope and charity followed by the four cardinal virtues of justice, temperance, prudence and fortitude. Obedience is a derivative of the cardinal virtue of justice. Therefore it is far from ranking first in the hierarchy of virtues.

Certain bishops do not wish to give the slightest impression that they are opposed to the holy father. I understand how they feel. It is evidently very unpleasant, if not very painful.

I certainly do not like to be in opposition to the holy father, but I have no choice considering what is coming to us from Rome at present, which is in opposition to the Catholic doctrine and is unacceptable to Catholics.

Do you suggest that the holy father accepts these particular ideas?

Yes. He does. But it is not only the holy father. It is a whole trend. I have mentioned to you some of the cardinals involved in these ideas. More than a century ago, secret societies, Illuminati, humanist, modernist and others, of which we have now all the texts and proofs, were preparing for a Vatican council in which they would infiltrate their own ideas for a humanist church.

Do you suggest that some cardinals could have been members of such secret societies?

This is not a very important matter at this stage whether they are or not. What is very important and grave is that they, for all intents and purposes, act just as if they were agents or servants of humanist secret societies.

Do you suggest that these cardinals could have taken up such ideas deliberately or were they given the wrong information or were they duped or a combination of all?

I think that humanist and liberal ideas spread throughout the 19^th and 20^th centuries. These secular ideas were spread everywhere, in government and churches alike.

These ideas have penetrated into the seminaries and throughout the church. And today the church wakes up finding itself in a liberal straitjacket.

This is why one meets liberal influence that has penetrated all strata of secular life during the last two centuries, right inside the church. Vatican Council II was engineered by liberals; it was a liberal council; the pope is a liberal and those who surround him are liberals.

Are you suggesting that the pope is a liberal even if he has never declared himself to be a liberal?

The pope has never denied that he was (a liberal).

When did the pope indicate that he was a liberal?

The pope stated on many occasions that he was in favor of modernist ideas, in favor of a compromise with the world. In his own words, it was necessary.’to throw a bridge between the church and the secular world.'

The pope said that it was necessary to accept humanist ideas, that is was necessary to discuss such ideas; that it was necessary to have dialogs. At this stage, it is important to state that dialogs are contrary to the doctrines of the Catholic faith. Dialogs presuppose the coming together of two equal and opposing sides; therefore, in no way could (dialog) have anything to do with the Catholic faith.

We believe and accept our faith as the only true faith in the world. All this confusion ends up in compromises, which destroy the church's doctrines, for the misfortune of mankind and the church alike.

You have stated that you know the reason for the decline in church attendance and lack of interest in the church today, which you reportedly attributed to the resolutions of Vatican II. Is that correct?

I would not say that Vatican II would have prevented what is happening in the church today. Modernist ideas have penetrated everywhere for a long time and that has not been good for the church. But the fact that some members of the clergy have professed such ideas, that is to say the ideas of perverted freedom, in that case-license.

The idea that all truths are equal, all religions are the same, consequently, all the moralities are the same, that everybody's conscience is equal, that everybody can judge theologically what he can do - these are really humanist ideas – (the idea) of total license with no discipline of thought whatever which leads to the position that anybody can do whatever he likes. All of this is absolutely contrary to our Catholic faith.

You have said that most of these theological counselors and experts only pretend that they are representing the majority of the people, that in fact the people are really not represented by these liberal theologians. Could you explain?

By 'majority of the people,' I mean all the people who honestly work for a living. I mean the people on the land, people of common sense in contact with the real world, the lasting world. These people are the majority of the people, who prefer traditions and order to chaos.

There is a movement of all these people throughout the world, who are slowly coalescing in total opposition to all the changes that were made in their name, of their religion.

These people of good will and good sense have been so traumatized by these dramatic changes that they are now reluctant to attend church. When they go into a modernist church, they do not meet what is sacred-the mystical character of the church, all that which is reallt covine.

What leads to God is divine and they no longer meet God in these churches. Why should they come to a place where God is absent?

People perceive this very well and the liberal cardinals and their advisers have seriously underestimated the loyalty of the majority to their true faith. How (else) can you explain that as soon as we open a traditional chapel or church, every-body rushes in from everywhere? We have standing room only. The Masses go on all day to accommodate the faithful.

Why? Because they find once again what they need: the sacred, the mystical, the respect for the sacred.

For instance, you would see at the airport different people coming to the priests who were there to meet me, shaking their hands - total strangers. Why? Because where people find a priest, a real priest, a priest that behaves like a priest, who dresses like a priest, they are attracted to him immediately and follow him.

This happens here in the United States, it happens in Europe and everywhere in the world. People in the street coming to greet a priest; they come to congratulate him out of the blue and tell him how glad they are to see a real priest, to tell him how glad they are that there are still some priests.

Do you suggest that clothes and habit make a difference in the quality of the priest?

Habits and clothing are, of course, only a symbol, but it is to what this symbol represents that people are attracted, not, of course, the symbol itself.

Why do you appear to attach such importance to the rituals of the Tridentine Mass?¹

We certainly do not insist on rituals just for the sake of rituals but merely as symbol of our faith. In that context, we do believe they are important. However, it is the substance and not the rituals of the Tridentine Mass that has been removed.

Could you be more specific?

The new Offertory prayers do not express the Catholic notion of the sacrifice. They simply express the concept of a mere partaking of bread and wine. For instance, this Tridentine Mass addressed to God the prayer: "Accept O Holy Father, heavenly and eternal God, this immaculate victim which your unworthy servant offers to you, my living and true God to atone for my numberless sins, offenses and negligences." The New Mass says: 'We offer this bread as the bread of life.' There is no mention of sacrifice or victim. This text is vague and imprecise, lends itself to ambiguity and was meant to be acceptable to Protestants. It is, however, unacceptable to the true Catholic faith and doctrine. The substance has been changed in favor of accommodation and compromise.

Why do you appear to attach such importance to the Latin Mass rather than the vernacular Mass approved by Vatican Council II?

First the question of the Latin Mass is a secondary question under certain circumstances. But under another aspect it is a very important question. It is important because it is a way to fix the word of our faith, the Catholic dogma and doctrines. It is a way of not changing our faith because in translations affecting these Latin words, one does not render exactly the truth of our faith as it is expressed and embodied in Latin.

It is indeed very dangerous because little by little one can lose faith itself. These translations do not reflect the exact words of the Consecration. These words are changed in the vernacular.

Could you give me an example?

Yes. For instance, in the vernacular, it is said that "the Precious Blood is for all." When in the Latin text (even the latest, revised Latin text), the text says, "the Precious Blood is for many" and not for all. All is certainly different from many. This is only a minor example that illustrates the inaccuracies of current translations.

Could you quote a translation, which would actually contradict Catholic dogma?

Yes. For example, in the Latin text, the Virgin Mary is referred to as “Semper Virgo," "always virgin.” In all the modern translations, the word "always" has been deleted. This is very serious because there is a great difference between "virgin" and "always virgin." It is most dangerous to tamper with translations of this kind.

Latin is also important to keep the unity of the Church because when one travels - and people travel more and more in foreign countries these days - it is important for them to find the same echoes that they have heard from a priest at home, whether in the United States, South America, Europe or any other part of the world. They are at home in any church. It is their Catholic Mass, which is being celebrated. They have always heard the Latin words since childhood, their parents before them, and their grandparents before them. It is an identifying mark of their faith.

Now, when they go into a foreign church, they don't understand a word. Foreigners who come here don't understand a word. What is the good of going to a Mass in English, Italian or Spanish when no one can understand a word?

But wouldn't most of these people understand Latin even less? What is the difference?

The difference is that the Latin of the Catholic Mass has always been taught through religious instruction since childhood. There have been numerous books on the matter. It has been taught throughout the, ages - it is not that difficult to remember.

Latin is an exact expression, which has been familiar to generations of Catholics. Whenever Latin is found in another Church, it immediately creates the proper atmosphere for the worship of God. It is the distinctive tongue of the Catholic faith, which unites all the Catholics throughout the world regardless of their national tongue.

They are not disoriented or baffled. They say: This is my Mass, it is the Mass of my parents, it is the Mass to follow, it is the Mass of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is the eternal and unchanging Mass. Therefore from the point of view of unity, it is a very important symbolic link; it is a mark of identity for all Catholics.

But it is far more serious than simply a change of tongue. Under the spirit of Ecumenism, it is an attempt to create a rapprochement with the Protestants.

What proof do you have of this?

It is quite evident because there were five Protestants who assisted in the reform of our Liturgy. The archbishop of Cincinnati, who was present during these deliberations, said that not only these five Protestants were present but also they took a very active part in the debates and participated directly in the reform of our Liturgy.

Who were these Protestants?

They were Protestant ministers representing different Protestant denominations who were called by Rome to participate in the reform of our Liturgy which shows clearly that there was a purpose to all this. They were Dr. George, Canon Jasper, Dr. Sheperd, Dr. Smith, Dr. Koneth and Dr. Thurian. Msgr. Bugnini did not hide this purpose. He spelled it out very clearly. He said, “We are going to make an Ecumenical Mass as we have made an Ecumenical Bible."

All this is very dangerous because it is our faith that is attacked. When a Protestant celebrates the same Mass as we do, he interprets the text in a different way because his faith is different. Therefore, it is an ambiguous Mass. It is an equivocal Mass. It is no longer a Catholic Mass.

What Ecumenical Bible are you referring to?

There is an Ecumenical Bible made two or three years ago, which was recognized by many bishops. I do not know whether the Vatican publicly endorsed it, but it certainly did not suppress it because it is used in many dioceses. For instance, two weeks ago, the Bishop of Fribourg in Switzerland had Protestant pastors explaining this Ecumenical Bible to all the children of Catholic schools. These lessons were the same for Catholics and Protestants. And what has this Ecumenical Bible to do with the Word of God?

Since the Word of God cannot be changed, all this leads to more and more confusion. When I think that the archbishop of Houston, Texas will not allow Catholic children to be confirmed unless they go with their parents to follow a 15-day instruction course from the local rabbi and the local Protestant minister.

If the parents refuse to send their children to such instructions, they (the children) cannot get confirmed. They have to produce a signed certificate from the rabbi and the Protestant minister that both the parents and the children have duly attended the instruction and only then can they (the children) be confirmed by the bishop.

These are the absurdities with which we end up when we follow the liberal road. Not only this, but now we are even reaching the Buddhists and the Moslems. Many bishops were embarrassed when the representative of the pope was received in a shameful manner by the Moslems recently.

What happened?

I do not recall all the specific details, but this incident happened in Tripoli, Libya, where the representative of the pope wanted to pray with the Moslems. These Moslems refused and went about their separate ways and prayed in their fashion, leaving the representative high and dry, not knowing what to do. This illustrates the naiveté of these liberal Catholics who feel that it is enough to es, nd talk with these Moslems and for them to accept immediately a compromise of their own religion.

The mere fact of wanting to have a close relationship with the Moslems for that purpose only attracts the contempt of the Moslems toward us. It is a well-known fact that Moslems will never change anything of their religion; it is absolutely out of the question.

If the Catholics come to equate our religion with theirs, it only leads to confusion and contempt, which they take as an attempt to discredit their religion and not caring about our religion. They are far more respectful of anyone who says that, “I am a Catholic; I cannot pray with you because we do not have the same convictions.” This person is more respected by the Moslems than the one who says that all the religions are the same; that we all believe the same things; we all have the same faith. They feel this person is insulting them.

But doesn't the Koran display moving verses of praise toward Mary and Jesus?

Islam accepts Jesus as a prophet and has great respect for Mary, and this certainly places Islam nearer to our religion than say, for instance, Judaism, which is far more distant from us. Islam was born in the 7^th century and it has benefited to some degree from the Christian teachings of those days.

Judaism, on the other hand, is the heir to the system, which crucified our Lord. And the members of this religion, who have not converted to Christ, are those who are radically opposed to our Lord Jesus Christ. For them, there is no question whatever of recognizing our Lord.

They are in opposition to the very foundation and existence of the Catholic faith on this subject. However, we cannot both be right. Either Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Lord and Savior or He is not. This is one case where there cannot be the slightest compromise without destroying the very foundation of Catholic faith. This does not only apply to religions, which are directly opposed to the divinity of Jesus Christ as the Son of God but also to religions, which, without opposing Him, do not recognize Him, as such.

Therefore you are very sure and dogmatic on this point?

Completely dogmatic. For example, the Moslems have a very different way to conceive God than we have. Their conception of God is very materialistic. It is not possible to say that their God is the same as our God.

But isn't God the same God for all the people of the world?

Yes. I believe that God is the same God for the whole universe according to the faith of the Catholic Church. But the conception of God differs greatly from religion to religion. Our Catholic faith is the one and only true faith. If one does not believe in it absolutely, one cannot claim to be a Catholic. Our faith is the one that in the world we cannot compromise in any way. God as conceived by the Moslems says: "When God says to His believers, 'When you go to paradise, you will be a hundred times richer than you are now on earth. This also applies to the number of wives that you have here on earth'." This conception of God is hardly what our Lord and Savior is about.

Why do you attach more importance to Pope St. Pius V than to Pope Paul VI? After all, both are equally pope. Do you not accept the doctrine of papal infallibility? Do you feel that this doctrine applies more to one than the other?

I feel that on the side that Pope St. Pius V wanted to engage his infallibility because he used all the terms that all the popes traditionally and generally used when they want(ed) to manifest their infallibility. On the other hand, Pope Paul VI said himself that he didn't want to use his infallibility.

When did he indicate that?

He indicated this by not pronouncing his infallibility on any matter of faith as other popes have done throughout history. None of the decrees of Vatican II were issued with the weight of infallibility. Further, he has never engaged his infallibility on the subject of the Mass. He has never employed terms that have been employed by Pope St. Pius V when he (Paul VI) decided to allow this new Mass to be foisted on the faithful. I cannot compare the two acts of promulgation because they are completely different.

Has Pope Paul VI ever said that he did not believe in papal infallibility?

No. He never actually said this categorically. But Pope Paul VI is a liberal and he does not believe in the fixity of dogmas. He does not believe that a dogma must remain unchanged forever. He is for some evolution according to the wishes of men. He is for changes that are originated by humanist and modernist sources. And this is why he has so much trouble in fixing a truth forever. In fact, he is loathe to do so personally and he is very ill at ease whenever such cases have arisen. This attitude reflects the spirit of modernism. The pope has never employed his infallibility in the matter of faith and morals to date.

Has the pope stated himself that he was a liberal or modernist?

Yes. The pope has manifested this in the council, which is not a pastoral council. He has also clearly stated so in his encyclical called Ecclesiam Suam. He has stated that his encyclicals would not define matters but he wished that they would be accepted as advice and lead to a dialogue. In his Credo, he said that he did not wish to employ his infallibility, which clearly shows where his leanings are.

Do you feel that his evolution toward dialogue is what allows you not to be in disagreement with the pope?

Yes. From the liberal standpoint they should allow this dialogue. When the pope does not use his infallibility on the subject of faith and morals, one is very much freer to discuss his words and his acts. From my point of view, I am bound to oppose what has taken place because it subverts the infallible teachings of the popes over 2,000 years. I am, however, not in favor of such dialogues because one cannot seriously dialogue about the truth of the Catholic faith. So really this is an inverted dialogue, which is forced upon me.

What would happen if the pope suddenly utilized his infallibility to order you to obey him? What would you do?

In the measure where the pope would employ his infallibility as the successor of St. Peter in a solemn manner, I believe that the Holy Ghost would not allow the pope to be in error at this very moment. Of course, I would heed the pope then.

But if the pope invoked his infallibility to back the changes you so strongly object to now, what would your attitude be then?

The question does not even arise, because, fortunately, the Holy Ghost is always there and the Holy Ghost would make sure that the pope would not use his infallibility for something that would be contrary to the doctrine of the Catholic Church. It is for this very reason that the pope does not employ his infallibility because the Holy Ghost would not allow such changes to take place under the imprimatur of infallibility.

But if this should come to pass?

It is inconceivable, but if it did, the church would cease to exist. That would mean there would be no God, because God would be contradicting Himself, which is impossible.

But isn't the fact that Pope Paul VI occupies the seat of St. Peter enough for you to heed whatever the pontiff as the vicar of Christ on earth asks you to do, just as other Catholics do?

Unfortunately, this is an error. It is a misconception of papal infallibility because since the Council of Vatican I, when the dogma of infallibility was proclaimed, the pope was already infallible. This was not a sudden invention. Infallibility was then far better understood than it is now because it was well known then that the pope was not infallible on everything under the sun.

He was only infallible in very specific matters of faith and morals. At that time, many enemies of the church did all they could to ridicule this dogma and propagate misconceptions. For example, the enemies of the church often said to the unknowing and naive that if the pope said a dog was a cat, it was the duty of Catholics blindly to accept this position without any question.

Of course this was an absurd interpretation and the Catholics knew that. This time the same enemies of the church, now that it serves their purpose, are working very hard to have whatever the pope says accepted, without question, as infallible, almost as if his words were uttered by our Lord Jesus Christ himself.

This impression, although widely promoted, is nevertheless utterly false.

Infallibility is extremely limited, only bearing on very specific cases which Vatican I has very well defined and detailed. It is not possible to say that whenever the pope speaks he is infallible. The fact is that the pope is a liberal, that all this liberal trend has taken place at the Council of Vatican II, and created a direction for the destruction of the church - a destruction which one expects to happen any day.

After all of these liberal ideas have been infiltrated into the seminaries, the catechisms and all the manifestations of the church, I am now being asked to align myself with these liberal ideas. Because I have not aligned myself with these liberal ideas that would destroy the church, there are attempts to suppress my seminaries. And it is for this reason that I am asked to stop ordaining priests.

Enormous pressure is being exerted on me to align myself and to accept this orientation of destruction of the church, a path which I cannot follow. I do not accept to be in contradiction with what the popes have asserted for 20 centuries. Both myself and those who support me obey all the popes who have preceded us, or we obey the present pope. If we do (obey the present pope, i.e. Paul VI), we then disobey all the popes that have preceded us. Finally we end up disobeying the Catholic faith and God.

But as the bishops (of old) obeyed the popes of their days, shouldn't you obey the pope of your day?

The bishops do not have to obey the humanist orders that contradict Catholic faith and doctrine as established by Jesus Christ and all the various popes throughout the centuries.

So then are you deliberately choosing to disobey the present pope?

It has been a soul-searching and painful choice because events have really made it a choice of whom you disobey rather than whom you obey. I am making this choice without doubt or hesitation. I have chosen to disobey the present pope so that I could be in communion with 262 (former) popes.

Your independence has been attributed by several observers to a tradition of Gallicanism.²

On the contrary, I'm completely Roman and not at all Gallican. I'm for the pope as successor of St. Peter in Rome. All we ask is that the pope be, in fact, St. Peter's successor, not the successor of J.J. Rousseau, the Freemasons, the humanists, the modernists and (the) liberals.

Since you have said that these ideas have been widely spread and accepted throughout the world, including within the church, do you not consider you are taking on too much? How do you expect the Society of St. Pius X to counteract such a trend against what would appear overwhelming odds?

I trust our Lord the Saviour. The priests of the Society of St. Pius X trust our Lord and I have no doubt that God is inspiring us all. All those who fight for the true faith have God's full support. Of course, compared to the liberal machine, we are very small. I could die tomorrow. But God is allowing me to live a little longer so that I can help others in fighting for the true faith. It has happened before in the church. True Catholics had to work for the survival of the faith under general opprobrium and persecution from those who pretended to be Catholics. It is a small price to pay for being on the side of Jesus Christ.

When did this happen?

It happened with the very first pope. St. Peter was leading the faithful in error by his bad example of following Mosaic Laws. St. Paul refused to obey this order and led the opposition to it. Paul won out and St. Peter rescinded his error.

In the fourth century. St. Athanasius refused to obey Pope Liberius's orders. At that time, the church had been infiltrated by the ideas of the Arian heresy and the pope had been pressured to go along- with them. St. Athanasius led the opposition against this departure from church doctrine.

He was attacked mercilessly by the hierarchy. He was suspended. When he refused to submit, he was excommunicated. The opposition to the heresy finally built up momentum and at the death of Pope Liberius, a new pope occupied St. Peter's seat and recognized the church's indebtedness to St. Athanasius. The excommunication was lifted. He was recognized as a savior of the church and canonized.

In the seventh century, Pope Honorius I favored the Monotheletism heresy - the proposition that Jesus Christ did not possess a human will and hence was not a true man. Many Catholics who knew the church doctrines refused to accept this and did everything they could to stop the spread of this heresy.

The Council of Constantinople condemned Honorius I in 681 and anathematized him. There are many more examples of this nature when true Catholics stood up against apparent great odds, not to destroy or change the church but to keep the true faith.

I do not consider the odds overwhelming. One of the major aims of our society is to ordain priests - real priests - so that the Sacrifice of the Mass will continue; so that catechisms will continue; so that the Catholic faith will continue. Of course some bishops attack and criticize us. Some try to thwart our mission. But this is only temporary because when all the seminaries will be empty – they are almost empty now - what will the bishops do? Then there will be no more priests.

Why do you think there will be no more priests?

Because the seminaries of today are not teaching anything about the making of a priest; they teach liberal psychology, sociology, humanism, modernism and many other sciences and semi sciences that are either contrary to Catholic doctrine or have nothing whatever to do with church teachings or with what a priest should know. As for Catholic teachings, they are hardly being taught in today's seminaries.

What is being taught in the seminaries today?

For instance, in a New York seminary, theology professors are teaching seminarians that, "Jesus did not necessarily see what the result of His death on the Cross would be;" that: "No one is so thoroughly consistent that he does not say something that disagrees with what he said in the past. This even applies to Jesus;" that, "Joseph may have been the natural father of Christ;” and another professor teaches that: "One psychiatrist recommends extramarital sexual relations as a cure for impotence - I am open in this area and not closed to possibilities.”

Are these statements documented and on record?

Yes.

Have they been brought to the attention of the hierarchy?

On numerous occasions,

Has the hierarchy made any attempt to stop such similar teachings?

Not to my knowledge.

Do you ever feel alone and isolated?

How can I feel alone when I am in communion with 262 popes and the whole of the Catholic faith? If you mean alone among other bishops, the answer is no. Hardly a day goes by that I (do not) receive some communication from some bishops, some priests, some laymen from different parts of the world expressing support and encouragement.

Why do they not come out publicly and support you?

As I have mentioned previously, many feel that they want to keep their positions in order to be in a position to do something about it should the occasion arise.

Does your stand separate you further from other Christian denominations?

Not at all. Only five days ago, some Orthodox heads came to see me to express their support for our stand.

Why should they express support when in fact you say that you are right and they are in error?

It is precisely because my stand is unequivocal that they support me. Many other Christian denominations have always looked at Rome as something of a stabilizing anchor in a tumultuous world. Whatever happened, they felt, Rome was always there, eternal, unchanging.

This presence gave them comfort and confidence.

Even more surprising are the Islamic leaders who have warmly congratulated me on my stand even though they fully know that I do not accept their religion.

Would not Christian charity try to avoid solidifying differences and divisions that could be healed?

Differences and divisions are part of this world. The unity of the church can only be gained by example and unswerving commitment to our Catholic faith. Charity starts with loyalty to one's faith.

What makes you believe that significant numbers of Orthodox, Protestants or Moslems support you?

Apart from direct, frequent contact these people have made with me, there was, for example, an extensive survey conducted by a reputable newspaper in Paris and they have surveyed members of these various denominations. The result was that far from finding our faith offensive or threatening to them, they admired the unequivocal stand, which we are taking.

On the other hand, they show utter contempt for all those liberal Catholics who were trying to make a mishmash of our Catholic faith as well as their religion.

Has not the pope invited you to be reconciled? Have you accepted this invitation?

I requested to see the pope last August. The pope refused unless I signed a statement accepting unconditionally all the resolutions of Vatican II. I would very much like to see the pope, but I cannot sign resolutions paving the way for the destruction of the church.

How can you be loyal to the church and disobedient to the pope?

One must understand the meaning of obedience and must distinguish between blind obedience and the virtue of obedience. Indiscriminate obedience is actually a sin against the virtue of obedience.

So if we disobey in order to practice the virtue of obedience rather than submit to unlawful commands contrary to Catholic moral teachings, all one has to do is to consult any Catholic theology books to realize we are not sinning against the virtue of obedience.

1 The followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre insist on preserving the so-called Tridentine Mass. This was the Mass (and attendant ritual) that followed upon the Council of Trent (Trento, Italy) and that was pronounced as permanent and irrevocable by Pope St. Pius V in 1570. This is the Mass that Latin Rite Roman Catholics knew for 400 years until the service was rewritten after Vatican Council II (1962-1965).

2 Gallicanism, associated with French Roman Catholicism, was a tradition of resistance to papal authority. There were two aspects of Gallicanism, royal and ecclesiastical. The first asserted the rights of French monarchs over the French Roman Catholic Church; the second asserted the rights of general councils over the pope. Both were condemned as heresies at the First Vatican Council in 1870.

- CATHOLIC APOLOGETICS -

Holy Week Schedule

2008-03-12T21:33:00.002+08:00

This is the Holy Week Schedule of Sungai Buloh's Sacred Heart Chapel. We are blessed indeed!

Saturday 15th March 2008
5.30 pm Rosary / Confession
6.00 pm Low Mass

Sunday 16th March 2008
9.00 am Rosary / Confession
9.30 am Blessing of the Palms followed by Sung Mass

Monday 17th March 2008
7.30 pm Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm Low Mass

Tuesday 18th March 2008
7.30 pm Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm Low Mass

Wednesday 19th March 2008
7.30 pm Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm Low Mass

Thursday 20th March 2008
7.30 pm Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm Mass in Cœna Domini, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until midnight

Friday 21st March 2008
7.30 pm Stations of the Cross
8.00 pm Good Friday Liturgy

Saturday 22nd March 2008
10.30 pm Rosary / Confession
11.00 pm Pascal Vigil
Midnight Easter Sung Mass

Sunday 23rd March 2008
10.00 am Low Mass
10.30 am Low Mass

Indie Songs...

2008-03-07T22:55:00.002+08:00

This is for fun- this is a song my classmate Yunalis wrote and composed, called Dan Sebenarnya. And I kinda did a cover version. Enjoy.

Rate this performance at the Sims On Stage

oh bulan
yang melayan diriku lagi
apabila air mata membasahi pipi
dan lagu lagu di radio seolah oleh memerli aku
apabila kau bersama yang lain

adakah perasaan benci ini sebenarnya cinta
yang masih bersemadi untukmu
dan sebenarnya ku mengharapkan
sebalik senyumanmu itu
kau juga
merindui aku

ku enggan
berpura-pura ku bahagia
ku enggan
melihat kau bersama si dia
oo ku akui cemburu mula menular dlm diri
apabila kau bersama dengan lain

adakah perasaan benci ini sebenarnya cinta
yang masih bersemadi untukmu
dan sebenarnya ku mengharapkan
sebalik senyumanmu itu
kau juga
merindui aku

Mother of God vs Creator of God

2008-02-12T20:49:00.000+08:00

Protestants protest against the Catholic use of the title Mother of God. It is one of their pet arguments against the Catholic church. They say that it is blasphemy to call Mary the Mother of God, because it is tantamount to saying that she is the Creator of God. Here however, since there are plenty of apologetic material that doctrinally defend the attribution of the title, I will not attempt to today to go along those lines in defending the said title of Our Lady. What I will do is to explain the word mother and the role of a mother in procreation.

I believe that Protestants do not understand the basic meaning of the word 'mother', and that it is the cause of the whole debate against its use in the title Mother of God. What is a mother? A mother is one who bears a child within her womb, gives birth to it, nurses it, feeds it, bathes it, shelters it, nurtures it. One who does all this is Mother. There is no other name for her, any less is an insult.

However much it is an honor to be a mother, she is not a creator. No one can say that their mother created them, as it is just as absurd to say that a female cat is the creator of her kittens. The role of a mother and a creator are two different things. A mother plays a role in the procreation of her child, but she is never the creator. Whatever the role a mother has in giving her child life, it is still God who is called Creator.

In giving the title of Mother of God to the Blessed Virgin, we are recognising her divine maternity. She did all that a mother does. She carried Our Lord in her womb for nine months, gave birth to Him, nursed Him, bathed Him, fed Him, clothed Him and sheltered Him. She was His Mother in every sense of the word. And because He is also God, she is the Mother of God.

The title Mother of God does not in any way derogates the role of God as the Creator. To assume that Mother of God equals Creator of God, is to assume that all mothers are creators, which is clearly absurd. If all mothers are not creators of their children, then why is it that Mary is assumed to be creator of God merely because she is His mother?

Not understanding fully the role of a mother and its difference to a creator, Protestants make the astounding leap of logic that to call Mary Mother of God equates her to being the Creator of God. This is blasphemous, and no Catholic has ever made that claim. But protestants accuse us of it anyway. They do not understand what a mother is, what a creator is. And that is the cause of all confusion.

So the next time a Protestant uses this classic argument against you, ask him if he thinks his mother is his creator. He'll get it. Hopefully.

Incidentally, a protestant friend once said to me that Mary was just a mere vessel for God, not His Mother. So I said to him, "X, from now on, don't call your mother- Mother, call her--Vessel. See how insulted she would be." He got the point.

Judaism And The Talmud

2008-01-10T02:12:00.001+08:00

If one is not aware of what modern Judaism is, or what the Talmud contains, please read this page. Before my reversion to Traditional Catholicism, I was persuaded to read a book on Judaism by the Dummies series. It caused me to believe that the Jews were a special breed of people, with their own covenant with God, unjustly prosecuted and exiled from various countries just for being Jews. With anti-semitism propaganda as they are now, no one criticises the Jews for what they believe and teach. Even after my reversion to Traditionalism, traditionalist literature was not explicit enough in condemning Judaism, nor clarifying what the Talmud contains, hence I still retained my earlier view that somehow Judaism used to be the True religion, foreshadowing Christianity, and that today it is misguided as to the fulfillment of the coming of the promised Messiah. I was ignorantly unaware of the blasphemies that the Talmud contained against Our Lord and Our Lady, too terrible to utter. Neither was I aware that the Talmud teaches that all non-Jews are animals, that it was acceptable for a Jew to commit pedophilia and incest and bestiality. The Talmud is full of 'privy talk', dealing in minute and petty matters, even how to urinate in a 'holy way'. No wonder countless popes and state heads ordered copies of the Talmud burned at the stake. No wonder generations of Jews were exiled from various countries at various times, for their Talmudic beliefs were generally found out by the people who were horrified to learn of such unmentionable evil to be found in a book claiming to be of God.

A woman named Elizabeth Dilling wrote a comprehensive expose of Talmudic teachings entitled: The Jewish Religion and Its Influence Today. Read it here.

Below is an excerpt from http://www.revisionisthistory.org/talmudtruth.html

Some Teachings of the Jewish Talmud

Where a Jew Should Do Evil

Moed Kattan 17a: If a Jew is tempted to do evil he should go to a city where he is not known and do the evil there.

Penalty for Disobeying Rabbis

Erubin 21b. Whosoever disobeys the rabbis deserves death and will be punished by being boiled in hot excrement in hell.

Hitting a Jew is the same as hitting God

Sanhedrin 58b. If a heathen (gentile) hits a Jew, the gentile must be killed.

O.K. to Cheat Non-Jews

Sanhedrin 57a . A Jew need not pay a gentile ("Cuthean") the wages owed him for work.

Jews Have Superior Legal Status

Baba Kamma 37b. "If an ox of an Israelite gores an ox of a Canaanite there is no liability; but if an ox of a Canaanite gores an ox of an Israelite...the payment is to be in full."

Jews May Steal from Non-Jews

Baba Mezia 24a . If a Jew finds an object lost by a gentile ("heathen") it does not have to be returned. (Affirmed also in Baba Kamma 113b). Sanhedrin 76a. God will not spare a Jew who "marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son or returns a lost article to a Cuthean..."

Jews May Rob and Kill Non-Jews

Sanhedrin 57a . When a Jew murders a gentile ("Cuthean"), there will be no death penalty. What a Jew steals from a gentile he may keep.

Baba Kamma 37b. The gentiles are outside the protection of the law and God has "exposed their money to Israel."

Jews May Lie to Non-Jews

Baba Kamma 113a. Jews may use lies ("subterfuges") to circumvent a Gentile.

Non-Jewish Children are Sub-Human

Yebamoth 98a. All gentile children are animals.

Abodah Zarah 36b. Gentile girls are in a state of niddah (filth) from birth.

Abodah Zarah 22a-22b . Gentiles prefer sex with cows.

Insults Against Blessed Mary

Sanhedrin 106a . Says Jesus' mother was a whore: "She who was the descendant of princes and governors played the harlot with carpenters." Also in footnote #2 to Shabbath 104b of the Soncino edition, it is stated that in the "uncensored" text of the Talmud it is written that Jesus mother, "Miriam the hairdresser," had sex with many men.

Gloats over Christ Dying Young

A passage from Sanhedrin 106 gloats over the early age at which Jesus died: "Hast thou heard how old Balaam (Jesus) was?--He replied: It is not actually stated but since it is written, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days it follows that he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old."

Jesus in the Talmud:

Horrible Blasphemies Against Jesus Christ

While it is the standard disinformation practice of apologists for the Talmud to deny that it contains any scurrilous references to Jesus Christ, certain Orthodox Jewish organizations are more forthcoming and admit that the Talmud not only mentions Jesus but disparages him (as a sorcerer and a demented sex freak). These orthodox Jewish organizations make this admission perhaps out of the belief that Jewish supremacy is so well-established in the modern world that they need not concern themselves with adverse reactions.

For example, on the website of the Orthodox Jewish Hasidic Lubavitch group--one of the largest in the world--we find the following statement, complete with Talmudic citations:

"The Talmud (Babylonian edition) records other sins of 'Jesus the Nazarene':

1) He and his disciples practiced sorcery and black magic, led Jews astray into idolatry, and were sponsored by foreign, gentile powers for the purpose of subverting Jewish worship (Sanhedrin 43a).

2) He was sexually immoral, worshipped statues of stone (a brick is mentioned), was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness, and refused to repent (Sanhedrin 107b; Sotah 47a).

3) He learned witchcraft in Egypt and, to perform miracles, used procedures that involved cutting his flesh, which is also explicitly banned in the Bible (Shabbos 104b).

End quote from http://www.noahide.com/yeshu.htm (Lubavitch website) June 20, 2000.

[Note: we have printed and preserved in our files a hard copy of this statement from the Lubavitch"Noah's Covenant Website," as it appeared on their website at http://www.noahide.com on June 20, 2000, in the event that denials are later issued and the statement itself suppressed].

Let us examine further some of these anti-Christ Talmud passages:

Gittin 57a. Says Jesus is in hell, being boiled in "hot excrement."

Sanhedrin 43a. Says Jesus ("Yeshu" and in Soncino footnote #6, Yeshu "the Nazarene") was executed because he practiced sorcery: "It is taught that on the eve of Passover Jesus was hung, and forty days before this the proclamation was made: Jesus is to be stoned to death because he has practiced sorcery and has lured the people to idolatry...He was an enticer and of such thou shalt not pity or condone."

Kallah 51a."The elders were once sitting in the gate when two young lads passed by; one covered his head and the other uncovered his head. Of him who uncovered his head Rabbi Eliezer remarked that he is a bastard. Rabbi Joshua remarked that he is the son of a niddah (a child conceived during a woman's menstrual period). Rabbi Akiba said that he is both a bastard and a son of a niddah.

"They said, 'What induced you to contradict the opinion of your colleagues?' He replied, "I will prove it concerning him." He went to the lad's mother and found her sitting in the market selling beans.

"He said to her, 'My daughter, if you will answer the question I will put to you, I will bring you to the world to come.' (eternal life). She said to him, 'Swear it to me.'

"Rabbi Akiba, taking the oath with his lips but annulling it in his heart, said to her, 'What is the status of your son?' She replied, 'When I entered the bridal chamber I was niddah (menstruating) and my husband kept away from me; but my best man had intercourse with me and this son was born to me.' Consequently the child was both a bastard and the son of a niddah.

"It was declared, '..Blessed be the God of Israel Who Revealed His Secret to Rabbi Akiba..."

In addition to the theme that God rewards clever liars, the preceding Talmud discussion is actually about Jesus Christ (the bastard boy who "uncovered his head" and was conceived in the filth of menstruation). The boy's adulterous mother in this Talmud story is the mother of Christ, Blessed Mary (called Miriam and sometimes, Miriam the hairdresser, in the Talmud).

"The Editio Princeps of the complete Code of Talmudic Law, Maimonides' Mishneh Torah -- replete not only with the most offensive precepts against all Gentiles but also with explicit attacks on Christianity and on Jesus (after whose name the author adds piously, 'May the name of the wicked perish')... --Dr. Israel Shahak, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, p. 21.

"The Talmud contains a few explicit references to Jesus...These references are certainly not complimentary...There seems little doubt that the account of the execution of Jesus on the eve of Passover does refer to the Christian Jesus...The passage in which Jesus' punishment in hell is described also seems to refer to the Christian Jesus. It is a piece of anti-Christian polemic dating from the post-70 CE period..." --Hyam Maccoby, Judaism on Trial, pp. 26-27.

"According to the Talmud, Jesus was executed by a proper rabbinical court for idolatry, inciting other Jews to idolatry, and contempt of rabbinical authority. All classical Jewish sources which mention his execution are quite happy to take responsibility for it; in the talmudic account the Romans are not even mentioned.

"The more popular accounts--which were nevertheless taken quite seriously--such as the notorious Toldot Yeshu are even worse, for in addition to the above crimes they accuse him of witchcraft. The very name 'Jesus' was for Jews a symbol of all that is abominable and this popular tradition still persists...

"The Hebrew form of the name Jesus--Yeshu--was interpreted as an acronym for the curse, 'may his name and memory be wiped out,' which is used as an extreme form of abuse. In fact, anti-zionist Orthodox Jews (such as Neturey Qarta) sometimes refer to Herzl as 'Herzl Jesus' and I have found in religious zionist writings expressions such as "Nasser Jesus" and more recently 'Arafat Jesus." --Dr. Israel Shahak, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, pp. 97- 98, 118.

Talmud Attacks Christians and Christian Books

Rosh Hashanah 17a. Christians (minnim) and others who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be punished there for all generations.

Sanhedrin 90a. Those who read the New Testament ("uncanonical books") will have no portion in the world to come.

Shabbath 116a. Jews must destroy the books of the Christians, i.e. the New Testament.

Dr. Israel Shahak of Hebrew University reports that the Israelis burned hundreds of New Testament Bibles in occupied Palestine on March 23, 1980 (cf. Jewish History, Jewish Religion, p. 21).

Sick and Insane Teachings of the Talmud

Gittin 69a . To heal his flesh a Jew should take dust that lies within the shadow of an outdoor toilet, mix with honey and eat it.

Shabbath 41a. The law regulating the rule for how to urinate in a holy way is given.

Yebamoth 63a. States that Adam had sexual intercourse with all the animals in the Garden of Eden.

Yebamoth 63a. Declares that agriculture is the lowest of occupations.

Sanhedrin 55b. A Jew may marry a three year old girl (specifically, three years "and a day" old).

Sanhedrin 54b. A Jew may have sex with a child as long as the child is less than nine years old.

Kethuboth 11b. "When a grown-up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing."

Yebamoth 59b. A woman who had intercourse with a beast is eligible to marry a Jewish priest. A woman who has sex with a demon is also eligible to marry a Jewish priest.

Abodah Zarah 17a. States that there is not a whore in the world that the Talmudic sage Rabbi Eleazar has not had sex with. On one of his whorehouse romps, Rabbi Eleazar leanred that there was one particular prostitute residing in a whorehouse near the sea, who would receive a bag of money for her services. He took a bag of money and went to her, crossing seven rivers to do so. During their intercourse the prostitute farted. After this the whore told Rabbi Eleazar: "Just as this gas will never return to my anus, Rabbi Eleazar will never get to heaven."

Hagigah 27a. States that no rabbi can ever go to hell.

Baba Mezia 59b. A rabbi debates God and defeats Him. God admits the rabbi won the debate.

Gittin 70a. The Rabbis taught: "On coming from a privy (outdoor toilet) a man should not have sexual intercourse till he has waited long enough to walk half a mile, because the demon of the privy is with him for that time; if he does, his children will be epileptic."

Gittin 69b. To heal the disease of pleurisy ("catarrh") a Jew should "take the excrement of a white dog and knead it with balsam, but if he can possibly avoid it he should not eat the dog's excrement as it loosens the limbs."

Pesahim 111a. It is forbidden for dogs, women or palm trees to pass between two men, nor may others walk between dogs, women or palm trees. Special dangers are involved if the women are menstruating or sitting at a crossroads.

Menahoth 43b-44a. A Jewish man is obligated to say the following prayer every day: Thank you God for not making me a gentile, a woman or a slave.

A History of SSPX in Pictures

2008-01-08T18:51:00.000+08:00

Go to http://www.geocities.com/sealtiel_garden/TheSSPXGallery.htm for a visual feast of SSPX priests in their missions.

Tridentine Mass in Kuching, Sarawak

2008-01-04T15:03:00.001+08:00

There will be a Traditional Latin Mass offered in Kuching, Sarawak this 28th of January by Father Emerson Salvador from SSPX Singapore. Details as follows:

Time: 6pm
Date: 28th January, Monday
Address: 288 Lorong B4A, Tmn BDC, Stampin, 93250, Kuching.
Contact : Marie Clement at 019-8597584 or 082-462740.

Depending on the crowd, there might be a conference before and after mass. Rosary and confession to begin half hour before mass.

Around The Year With The Von Trapp Family

2008-01-01T19:26:00.000+08:00

I stumbled upon a book written by the original Maria Von Trapp as portrayed in the hugely popular Sound of Music on the beautiful customs and practices of a Catholic family centered around the Liturgical Year at EWTN. The book itself is out of print and hard to find, but the whole text is online here. It has recipes for Christmas gastronomy, Advent hymns, DIY instructions for Advent calendars, Nativity scenes, Easter customs and other wonderful customs for a Catholic family to grow more in love with Christ. Below are some delightful excerpts. I have added the Table of Contents of the book from VonTrapp.wordpress.com at the bottom for easier reference to a particular Liturgical season.

___________________________________________________

In addition to the large Christmas crib in the living room, we had one
more custom in our family as long as the children were little. We used to
place in the nursery a large wooden crib which could hold an almost
life-size Infant Jesus. On the first Sunday in Advent it would be empty,
but a big bag full of straw would rest beside it. Every evening, after
the family evening prayers, each child could take as many pieces of straw
from the bag as it had performed sacrifices and good deeds during the day
"in order to please the Infant Jesus"--in other words, out of love of
God. This is a precious opportunity for a mother to teach her little ones
the true nature of a sacrifice brought voluntarily for the love of God.
Meal times furnish excellent occasions for self-denial. To take an extra
helping of an unpopular vegetable or to pass up a delicious dessert may
be a real sacrifice for a child. So Hedwig ate a whole plateful of very
healthy but unloved beets, while Martina followed the chocolate cake with
longing eyes, saying, "No, thank you," however. Toys gave another
opportunity for self-denial. I could hardly believe my eyes when I found
Hedwig's favorite doll, "Happy," in Martina's lap, and Martina's little
family of dwarfs--Father Dwarf, Mother Dwarf, and Baby Dwarf--in
Johanna's corner, while Johanna had put her otherwise jealously guarded
doll house into the middle of the room for everybody to use. These may be
acts of heroism; we have only to think of the parable of the widow's
mite--in the eyes of God she had given more than any other, for the
others gave from their abundance, while she had given all she had.

What a race among the youngsters from evening to evening until the crib
was finally filled to the brim! When, on Christmas Eve, little
Martina--for a long time the youngest among the children--was allowed to
put the Holy Child on His bed of straw, the Infant seemed to smile at the
children, grateful for the soft bed prepared with so much love. It is
curious how such a childhood habit stays with you through life. You may
be grown up, even white-haired, but all during Advent you will feel the
same urge to "collect more straws for the crib."

__________________________________________________

After our first gathering around the Advent light, and the singing of the
first Advent hymn, an air of expectancy spreads over the family group;
now comes the moment when the mother goes around with a bowl in which are
the little cards with the names of the new saints. Everybody draws a card
and puts it in his missal. This saint will be invoked every morning after
morning prayer. Everyone is supposed to look up and study the life story
of his new friend, and some time during the coming year he will tell the
family all about it. As there are so many of us, we come to know about
different saints every year. Sometimes this calls for considerable
research on the part of the unfortunate one who has drawn St. Eustachius,
for instance, or St. Bibiana. But the custom has become very dear to us,
and every year it seems as if the family circle were enlarged by all
those new brothers and sisters entering in and becoming known and loved
by all.

__________________________________________________

And then comes another exciting moment. Once more the mother appears with
the bowl, which she passes around. This time the pieces of paper contain
the names of the members of the family and are neatly rolled up, because
the drawing has to be done in great secrecy. The person whose name one
has drawn is now in one's special care. From this day until Christmas,
one has to do as many little favors for him or her as one can. One has to
provide at least one surprise every single day--but without ever being
found out. This creates a wonderful atmosphere of joyful suspense,
kindness, and thoughtfulness. Perhaps you will find that somebody has
made your bed or shined your shoes or has informed you, in a disguised
handwriting on a holy card, that "a rosary has been said for you today"
or a number of sacrifices have been offered up. This new relationship is
called "Christkindl" (Christ Child) in the old country, where children
believe that the Christmas tree and the gifts under it are brought down
by the Christ Child himself.

The beautiful thing about this particular custom is that the relationship
is a reciprocal one. The person whose name I have drawn and who is under
my care becomes for me the helpless little Christ Child in the manger;
and as I am performing these many little acts of love and consideration
for someone in the family I am really doing them for the Infant of
Bethlehem, according to the word, "And he that shall receive one such
little child in my name, receiveth me." That is why this particular
person turns into "my Christkindl." At the same time I am the
"Christkindl" also for the one I am caring for because I want to imitate
the Holy Child and render all those little services in the same spirit as
He did in that small house of Nazareth, when as a child He served His
Mother and His foster father with a similar love and devotion.

Many times throughout these weeks can be heard such exclamations as, "I
have a wonderful Christkindl this year!" or, "Goodness, I forgot to do
something for my Christkindl and it is already suppertime!" It is a
delightful custom, which creates much of the true Christmas spirit and
ought to be spread far and wide.

________________________________________________

Celebrating With the Family In Heaven

Christmas Season

Advent

Christmas (From Christmas Eve to Candlemas Day, February 2)

Carnival

Easter Cycle

Pre-Lent

Lent

Passiontide (Passion Sunday to Holy Saturday)

Paschaltide (Easter Night to Saturday After Pentecost)

The Green Meadow

Corpus Christi
The Feast of the Sacred Heart
The Feast of Christ the King

The Feasts of Mary

Pilgrimages

Pilgrimages

The Angels

The Angels

The Saints

All Souls’ Day

All Souls’ Day

The Land Without a Sunday

Celebrating with the Family on Earth

As the Evenings Grow Longer

Our Life–A Feast

Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (Extreme Unction)

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Other Selections:

Excerpt from The Story of the Trapp Family Singers: Birth in the Family and the Rosary

Pope Benedict XVI vs. Mr S.A.Tan.

2007-12-31T00:48:00.000+08:00

It is reported in the Daily Mail that Pope Benedict has directed all bishops to install a stable team of exorcists in EVERY parish to fight cases of demonic possession. Father Garbriel Amorth, the Vatican's Chief Exorcist, is quoted extensively saying that the pope intends to bring back the pre-Vatican II practice of reciting the St Michael prayers after mass as another means of combating the devil. Pope Benedict's Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum which released the pre-Vatican II sacraments, including the old rite of exorcism also means that exorcists are free to use the old rites, which are more effective in combating the devil. In another article, Father Amorth was quoted saying that the post Conciliar exorcism rites are useless against the devil.

Pope Benedict XVI is showing the world what he's made of!

Go here to read the full article.

The Exorcist is back!

All About My Christmas

2007-12-29T01:11:00.001+08:00

It's been a busy week, and a very Christmassey one. I've been so busy that this is the first chance I had to blog about my Christmas. First on the agenda the week before Christmas was to practice our Christmas carols and to decorate the chapel. Then, Father Emerson Salvador flew in on the evening of Christmas day to give us the third mass of Christmas and stayed till Friday morning. Aside from that, we've been caroling with Father to raise funds for the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Chapel of Kota Kinabalu.

Below, a Christmas evolution in pictures.

Decorating the chapel and being bossy. It only happens once a year, I assure you. And women in skirts can climb ladders too!

A bit of our handiwork for the ceiling.

Being bossy again.

The actual work was done by others. It's great being the boss.

A bit of camouflage for an unsightly window in the sacristy.

Ready for Christmas! Father said to leave the decorations till February 2nd 2008.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

The Last Gospel of Christmas Mass. Mass was beautiful.

Mass on the Feast of St Stephen.

Caroling on the Feast of St Stephen and being the choir conductor. That's being bossy again.

A Christmas fellowship at the house of a faithful after carolling. White blouses, blue denim skirts and veils upon our shoulders were the order of the day-our caroling uniform.

We sang some familiar carols such as Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Adeste Fideles, Come to the Manger, In the Bleak Midwinter etc, and some not so familiar ones such as Noel Nouvelet, Jesu Redemptor Omnium, Lo' How a Rose 'Er Blooming.

It was a beautiful Christmas for me. Was yours?

Some Tips On Homemaking

2007-12-25T02:27:00.000+08:00

Homeliving.blogspot.com is a great blog for homemaking ideas, such as arranging living room furniture and living frugally. Great for old wives, new wives and future wives.

I thought the part about arranging the furniture around what your husband likes to look at or feel comfortable with very useful. : P

The Myth of Adolescence

2007-12-25T01:29:00.000+08:00

Who ever heard that adolescence is a myth? After all, there IS a period where a person is between childhood and adulthood. However, one would be surprised to know that this is a very recent distinction. It didn't exist 100 years ago. There was no such thing as an 'adolescent age' 2-3 generations ago. There were however, men and women who, from an early age, took adult responsibilities upon their shoulders, and performed it as an adult. Our Lady for example, became a mother, the Mother of God no less, at the age of fifteen or sixteen.

In their website, TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris, the younger brothers of Josh Harris, the controversial author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye, talks about adolescence being a myth, a legal category invented by American laws on education. Their article discusses how historical figures provide us with men and women who shouldered adult responsibilities at thirteen onwards. The adolescent teenager is actually an adult who is capable of great things, but who is restrained legally as to responsibilities in trade and property, thereby leaving an angsty teenager who does not know what to do with his energy and passion. There is no room for his development as an adult in the years before he reaches the age of majority, which is why they find a frustrated outlet in music fads, video games, drugs and sexual activities.

I found it an interesting read, as it explains why there is a generation of teenagers involved in gangsterism, teenage pregnancy, drugs and other such modern nonsense. It begs an interesting question - should we abolish adolescence?

Read The Myth of Adolescence Part I and Part II.

*Disclaimer* READER BEWARE
The past 3 recommended articles are from Protestant websites. Please read with caution.

The Marks of Manhood

2007-12-25T00:40:00.001+08:00

When does a boy become a man? When he reaches puberty? When he reaches the age of majority? When he marries?

What are the marks of a man according to the Christian ideal? When is the suitable age to marry?

I have a general idea of what a man is and should be, and have always instinctively detested the sight of 20-something males addicted to video games and playing the fashion mannequin, but have never actually put into words what makes the man. Dr Albert Mohler's article puts it brilliantly and succinctly in The Marks of Manhood: Part I and Part II.

The Beauty Myth Debunked

2007-12-25T00:31:00.000+08:00

This is a Dove Evolution ad exposing the real truth about the beauty industry. Watch it.

Why Women Are Exposing Themselves

2007-12-25T00:11:00.000+08:00

I found a brilliant and insightful article on Feminism and why women feel a need to dress provocatively by a Dennis Prager entitled Why Women Are Exposing Themselves. Read his articles Part I and Part II.

Credit goes to the Sarah Elizabeth Harris of FearlesslyFeminine.blogspot.com.

Pictures of the Confirmations

2007-11-22T10:18:00.001+08:00

His Excellency Bishop de Galaretta giving a sermon before the confirmations.

The laying of hands.

The slap. I was expecting a harder slap for more graces.....

The ladies who were confirmed that day.

Bienvenida, Bishop de Galaretta!

2007-11-21T18:42:00.001+08:00

The traditional Catholic apostolate in Kota Kinabalu spent a privileged 3 days with the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth's Bishop Alphonso de Galaretta, who flew in with Rev. Fr Daniel Couture last Sunday on the 18th November to confer the sacrament of confirmations. His Excellency gave a sermon and confirmed 11 confirmands that evening, after which we had a group dinner. His Excellency does not speak much English, and I was able to learn a smattering of Spanish. Fr Couture acted as a translator, but I was able to figure some Spanish words. "Bienvenida, Excelencia!"

The next day, there were 2 early masses, and we left for the mountains in a rented van. There were a total of 12 of us, including father and His Excellency. It was a two hour plus trip to Kundasang, where the National Park is located. Our chartered driver made a few impromptu stops and bought us bananas and cempedak for the bishop to try. He was a buddhist, and I think he was fascinated by the bishop's cassock, his excellency's language-and nose. But he was great comic relief for the trip. It was fair weather on the way up coupled with beautiful scenery, but we said a rosary for heavenly protection.

Our plan was to visit the Botanical Gardens, and take a walk through the park, but being November, it rained while we were walking. His Excellency is a big man, but he walked like the wind-we ladies couldn't keep up! Father Couture decided that the Botanical Gardens weren't enough of a challenge, and took a energetic hike up to the jungle-but it too was cut short by the rain. We had lunch outside the National Park, and Father became intrigued by the possibility of climbing Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in South East Asia.

At lunch, we had a mini lecture on the meaning of the bishop's ring. We were fascinated by it and took pictures of it. It was of amethyst signifying authority, made of gold for charity and the ring stood for fidelity. Later we also found out that the bishop's pectoral cross, of a simple design with a Chiro in the center, was bestowed upon him by the late Archibishop Lefebrve on that fateful day of the famed consecrations.

Our accomodations were booked at the Mamut Copper Mine quarters, 8 kilometers from an abandoned copper mine. It was supposed to be the site for the men's retreat next week, which was cancelled for a disappointing lack of men in the Kinabalu apostolate. But it is perfect for future retreats. Beautifully cool weather year round, it is isolated and has private rooms with baths surrounded by lush and verdant greenery-perfect for meditation.

We had tea and chatted with His Excellency-if it could be called a chat-more a hit and miss game of guessing and charades without Father present to translate. But we did figure that his lordship was game to try the fried cempedak that we were gobbling down-he asked that we keep some for dinner for his excellency to try. We kept some for dinner, but his excellency was a bit full-somebody put a plate in front of him, so his excellency poked it at first, then sniffed it, and took a bite. He was enchanted enough to eat a few, to my delight. The staff at Mamut also got us two bottles of lehing, the local rice wine, which we were talking about the whole day to Father. It was a bit pink, with red specks, being made with red rice-and Father said it was like a monastic wine-a great compliment. After dinner, there was a short conference with Father on Bishop de Galaretta's sermon last Saturday about the Loss of Vocations and the Crisis in the Church.

Our next stop was the next morning after breakfast was at the Sabah Tea Plantation in Nalapak, one of the few tea plantations in the world certified to produce pesticide-free tea. It was quite educational-we got to see the factory and visit the grounds planted with rows and rows of camelia sinensis, the species of tea leaves grown. Later on the way back to KK, it was to the Kundasang War Memorial, a fort-like structure built in tribute to the memories of Australian and British soldiers who died in war as POWs. It was very beautiful, and Father took many pictures of the flowers and the gardens.

We reached KK late in the evening and had mass within the hour. Dinner was Bishop's treat. Muchos gracias Excelencia!

This morning after mass, we brought Father and His Excellency to the beach, before sending them off at the airport. It was majestically stormy and windy. Then it was time to leave. Alas! Three days flew by in no time at all. We felt so reluctant seeing them off, and I was secretly hoping that the flight might get delayed for bad weather-but it didn't. His Excellency said that we should visit Spain and him and that we would be most welcome to stay at the priory. One day.

It a lovely experience. And it was so nice and edifying to have a priest and a bishop to ourselves for almost three days! Having so many opportunities to gain indulgences in kissing the bishop's ring. I do think Our Lady is looking out for our apostolate. A chapel built and a bishop's visit within a year! We are blessed indeed.

The War That Never Was

2007-10-30T22:03:00.000+08:00

Read about how close the world came to World War III 24 years ago and the man who saved the world. It sent chills up my spine. (Click on the picture to read.)

Hat tip to SacredHeartChoir for this story.

Update On A Bad Day

2007-10-26T00:19:00.000+08:00

Talk about a bad day. First I lost 30 marks on a crucial law paper. Then I leave the exam hall to a clamped car-which I thought was safe to park on a non-student parking spot since it was exam season and nobody was fighting for cars anymore. It cost me RM55 to remove the clamp. And the horrid female guard who came to open the clamp spoke in a disagreeably shrewish tone. It just spoiled my whole day. When I just imagine what I could do with that RM55...

A new Tan Book
A bagful of durians
A full blown Italian or Japanese meal
A laptop skin for my laptop to cover scratches
A new blouse
A new skirt
A new set of colourful yarns for knitting
A down payment on a new phone?
A leather bound diary
A new bag
A new pair of heels
Two weeks worth of contact lenses
A stack of blank DVDs
A new music CD
A DVD movie

......
*sigh*

I have 3 papers more to go. Wish me luck. I think I need to start on my St Thomas Aquinas novena again for some heavenly illumination on how to answer my papers.

Duggar Family Interview in Manhattan

2007-10-18T15:20:00.000+08:00

Another update of the Duggar family. Michelle Duggar has seventeen and she still wants more! What a woman! Enjoy!

Bishop Williamson

2007-10-18T14:16:00.000+08:00

Here is a Tribute by the seminarians of St Thomas Aquinas Seminary to the controversial but lovable bishop. Please register to download the video. I thought his imitation of a modernist rather cute!

I also recently discovered that the His Excellency keeps a blog, jotting short thoughts from his post in Argentina. Go to Dinoscopus to read the posts.

Colleen Hammond of the Dressing With Modesty fame interviewed His Excellency about His Excellency's letter on female doctors of the church. Go here to hear the podcast.

Making Faith-Based Movies

2007-10-18T12:48:00.000+08:00

I'm a movie buff. I love movies. I like watching romantic comedies and big-budget action flicks. But what irritates me is the Hollywood treatment-adding unnecessary bedroom scenes, curse words and blashphemy and other such vulgarly hateful nonsense. Which is why I've fallen in love with BBC's costume drama literary adaptations such as the six-part Pride and Prejudice miniseries, as well as the four-part Wives and Daughters miniseries. These are excellently produced AND decent films. But thats another story for another day.

What I'm happy about is the news there are others who feel the same and want good-old-fashioned, decent entertainment. Advent Film Group was formed with the objectives of making and producing faith-based, big-budget movies with moral integrity, with no hollywoody nonsense about it. Movies are a big part of modern culture, and Advent Film Group seek to change cultures to Christ through movies. And, they are looking to homeschoolers to lead the way in directing and filming.

"If the home schooling community can turn the public school monopoly upside down, home schoolers can do the same for cinema.” -- George D. Escobar

If you are a homeschooler interested in movie production and filming, you can get hands-on experience worth 2 years of film school working on the set. You can learn about it here.

Their upcoming movie is entitled 'Come What May'. You can read about it here.

They are looking for good storylines at the moment. And even though they are protestant, I think that they may be persuaded to make movies of the Lives of the Saints? Anyway, it would be good training ground for a potential movie maker.

Go to AdventFilmGroup.com to learn more.

Way of The Master: Preacher's Techniques

2007-10-18T12:24:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, browsing through Yahoo's Who's Who, I stumbled upon a link to Kirk Cameron. Kirk Cameron was a famous actor on the popular series Growing Pains who later found religion and converted to Christianity to become a preacher. He now has a a protestant-based movement called Way of the Master. While browsing, I came across a link to techniques for preachers on how to convert people on the spot. I thought it interesting and clicked on it. It shows several video interviews with ordinary people on the street, gangsters, and rappers, even a pink-haired girl on the airplane, being asked by a protestant preacher if they thought they were good people.

You can click here to watch.

The interesting thing about watching these videos is the confidence they have that they are going to heaven. Kirk Cameron is gentle in his approach in confronting them about the state of their souls and does not mince words in telling them that according to the bible, they are on the highway to hell. Some of the interviewees ask him what they have to do to change. But some of them, like P Nasty, a rapper know for his nasty lyrics and substance abuse, denies that there is anything wrong with his lifestyle, or that he needs to change. He says he is already saved.

Watch it. I like the one with the bald, middle-aged gangster.

Maybe you can tweak it a little and use it to convert your friends to traditional catholicism.

I don't know if it works on atheists though.

For The Grace Of The Mass To Be Known To All

2007-10-18T12:17:00.000+08:00

The Sacred Heart Chapel of Sungai Buloh, Malaysia, is offering to help local parishes implement the Holy Father's Summorum Pontificum by training servers, choirs and the sourcing of materials needed for the saying of the Traditional Latin Mass.

Please go to Sacred Heart Choir for more details.

A Hiatus, Exams, Food Blogs and Bentos

2007-10-16T13:49:00.000+08:00

Dear readers,

My long hiatus has been due to my upcoming exams, of which two out of five papers are killers-people get kicked out of the Law course for failing them, so I'm not taking any chances. Also, I haven't been keeping up with Catholic blogs and news, which would explain my lack of posts lately- I haven't anything to blog about! However, there are one or two books and movies that I will review here when I have the time. So be patient. In the meantime, maybe I'll introduce you to some fantastic food photoblogs that I go to regularly to feast my eyes on. My favourite has got to be The Pioneer Woman Cooks, who also has a personal blog about her life as a ranch housewife who homeschools her four children. Also, visit RasaMalaysia, a food blog by a Malaysian girl living in California.

Lately, I've also caught the Bento madness-bento being a Japanese term for putting a variety of colourful foods in bento containers with compartments. I love reading about the different bentos that wives pack for their husbands and children everyday to bring to school and work. It's so inspiring! Here are some of my favourites - BentoYum, Adventures in Bento Making and Lunch in a Box. So, send me a bento when you feel like it!

Vatican exorcist Amorth speaks on Satan's smoke

2007-09-30T23:51:00.000+08:00

By Stefano Maria Paci

Spero News publishes "The Smoke of Satan in the House of the Lord...and deliver us from the evil one," an interview with the Vatican's chief excorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth by Stefano Maria Paci

Father Gabriele Amorth. Photo: 30Giorni

Twenty-nine years have passed since that day, June 29 1972. It was the Feast of Saint Peter, Prince of the Apostles. It was the Feast of Saint Paul who brought the Gospel of Christ to the extreme corners of the West. On that day, June 29, Feast of the Patron Saints of Rome, Peter’s successor who had taken the name of Paul issued a dramatic warning. Paul VI spoke of God’s enemy supreme, that enemy of man called Satan, enemy of the Church. “The smoke of Satan”, warned Paul VI, “has found its way into the Church through the fissures”. It was an anguished warning that caused great shock and scandal, even within the Catholic world.

And what of today, 29 years later? Has that smoke been dispersed or has it continued to drift?

30DAYS went to see the man who has to do with Satan and his cunning every day. It’s his job, almost. He is the world’s most famous exorcist – Father Gabriele Amorth, founder and honorary president of the International Association of Exorcists.

We also went to him because a few weeks ago, on May 15, the Italian Episcopal Conference approved the Italian translation of the new Rite of Exorcism. All it needs now for it to be used is the placet of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Is this a new weapon in the Church’s battle with the Enemy? Will it dispel, if it still hasn’t been dispelled, that smoke which has drifted into the temple of the Lord? Nothing of the kind, according to Father Amorth. He will tell us that the war being waged for millennia rages on more angrily than ever. That the battlefront has now moved inside the house of the Lord. That the smoke … the smoke has drifted in the most unsuspected directions.

At long last, the Italian translation of the new Rite of Exorcism is ready …

GABRIELE AMORTH: Yes, it is. Last year, the Italian Episcopal Conference could not approve it because there were errors in the translation from the Latin. We exorcists who would have to use it took advantage of this to point out yet again that we were not in agreement with the new Rite on many points. The original Latin text is unchanged in this translation. A Rite so long-awaited has turned out to be a joke, an incredible cord that is tying us in knots in our work against the Devil.

That’s a serious allegation. What, exactly, are you referring to?

AMORTH: I can give you two examples, two blatant examples. At Point 15, it talks of evil in the sense of the ‘evil eye’ and how we should conduct ourselves. The ‘evil eye’ is an evil directed at a person through the Devil. This can be done in various ways, in the form of spells, curses, by voodoo and macumba. The Roman Rite explained how this had to be addressed. The new Rite, by contrast, categorically states that it is prohibited to perform exorcisms in these cases. That is just absurd. This evildoing is by far the most frequent cause of demonic possession and other evils procured by the Devil – no fewer than 90 per cent. It’s like telling exorcists to retire. Then, Point 16 solemnly states that exorcisms must not be carried out unless the presence of the Devil is ascertained. This is a masterpiece of incompetence because we can only ascertain if the Devil is possessing a person by performing an exorcism. Moreover, the editors did not realize that, on both points, they were contradicting the Catechism of the Catholic Church which advises exorcism both in the case of demonic possession and of evils caused by the Devil. It also says this should be done in regard both to people and things. The Devil is never present in things, just his influence. The statements contained in the new Rite are very grave indeed and very harmful. They are the fruit of ignorance and inexperience.

But wasn’t it compiled by experts?

AMORTH: By no means, no. In these past ten years, two commissions have worked on the Rite – the Commission of Cardinals who edited the Prenotanda, or the initial dispositions, and the Commission in charge of the prayers. I can say with certainty that no member of either commission has ever performed an exorcism or witnessed one. No member has even the faintest idea of what an exorcism is. There lies the error, the original sin of this Rite. No one who assisted with it was an expert on exorcism.

How can that be?

AMORTH: Don’t ask me. During the Second Ecumenical Vatican Council, every commission was assisted by a group of experts who worked alongside the bishops. This custom continued even after the Council every time parts of the Rite were reworked. But not in this case. And if ever there was an area where experts were needed it was this one.

So what happened then?

AMORTH: What happened was that we exorcists were never consulted. Furthermore, the suggestions we gave were received with a certain irritation on the part of the commissions. The whole thing really was paradoxical. Would you like me to tell you about it?

Certainly …

AMORTH: As the various parts of the Roman Rite were gradually being reviewed in keeping with the requests of the Second Vatican Council, we exorcists waited for Title XII to come up, the Rite of Exorcism. But it was evidently not considered a thing of relevance because years passed and nothing happened. Then suddenly, on June 4 1990, the ad interim Rite appeared to be tried out. It was a real surprise to us that we had not been consulted beforehand even though we had our requests all prepared well in advance of the revision of the Rite. We asked, for example, that the prayers be reviewed to include invocations to Our Lady that were completely lacking, and we asked for more specific prayers for exorcism. But we had been completely cut out. We were given no possibility of making any kind of contribution. But we were not discouraged. After all, the text had been produced for us. And we got down to work; this also considering that in his letter of presentation the then Pre- fect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, Cardinal Eduardo Martínez Somalo, asked Episcopal Conferences to let him have, within two years, their ‘advice and suggestions from the priests who will be using the Rite’. I convened 18 exorcists from among the world’s most expert. We scrupulously examined the text and used it. We immediately praised the first part reassuming the Gospel foundations for exorcism. That was the biblicaltheological area certainly not lacking in experts. It was a new addition to the 1614 Rite, which had been composed under Pope Paul V. At that time, after all, it was not necessary to remind people of these principles. Everyone was familiar with them and accepted them. Today, this addition is vital. But when we got to the practical part in our scrutiny, the part that requires specific expertise, it was blatantly obvious that the editors had no experience at all. We made copious observations, article by article, and we submitted them to all parties concerned – the Congregation for Divine Worship, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Episcopal Conferences, A copy was also delivered directly into the hands of the Pope.

How were your observations received?

AMORTH: The reception was very cool indeed, and their effect null. We had drawn our inspiration from the Lumen gentium, which describes the Church as ‘People of God’. At Number 28, it speaks of the collaboration between priests and bishops and, at Number 37, it explicitly says – in relation to the laity, moreover – that ‘by reason of the knowledge, competence or pre-eminence which they have, the laity are empowered – indeed sometimes obliged – to manifest their opinion on those things which pertain to the good of the Church’. That was our case exactly. But we had been ingenuously laboring under the illusion that the dispositions of Vatican II had reached the Roman Congregations. Instead, we found ourselves in front of a brick wall of rejection and scorn. The secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship said in a report to the Commission of Cardinals that their only interlocutors had been bishops, not priests or exorcists. And he added in reference to our humble attempt to help as experts expressing their opinion: ‘We had to take account of the phenomenon of a group of exorcists and so-called demonologists who subsequently formed an international association and who orchestrated a campaign against the Rite’. This was an indecent accusation. We have never orchestrated any campaign. The Rite was designed for us and yet no competent person had been invited to join the commissions. Surely it was logical that we would have had a contribution to make.

Are you saying that the new Rite is useless in the struggle against the Devil?

AMORTH: Yes. Their intention was to arm us with a blunt sword. Some effective prayers were cancelled, prayers with 12 centuries of history. New ineffective prayers were written in. But, luckily at the last minute, they threw us a lifeline.

What was that?

AMORTH: Cardinal Jorge Medina, the new Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship, accompanied the Rite with a Notification. It states that exorcists are obliged to use this Rite but may still use the old one if they wish, on lodging a prior request with the bishop. Bishops must then ask the Congregation for authorization, which the Congregation will ‘gladly provide’, the Cardinal writes. Gladly provide? That’s a rather strange concession …

AMORTH: Want to know how that came about? From an attempt by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and again by Cardinal Medina to introduce an article to the Rite – Number 38 at the time – authorizing exorcists to use the previous Rite. This was an undoubted maneuver in extremis to insure us against the great errors contained in this definitive Rite. But this attempt by the two cardinals was thrown out. At that point Cardinal Medina, who had grasped what was at stake, decided to give us this lifeline in any event in the form of a separate notification.

What consideration does the Church have of you exorcists?

AMORTH: We are very badly treated. Our fellow priests who are given this highly problematical task are seen as crazed fanatics. In general, they are only just tolerated by the very bishops who appointed them.

What has been the most blatant manifestation of this hostility?

AMORTH: We held an international convention of exorcists near Rome and we asked to be received by the Pope. In order not to add yet another audience to his already long list, we asked if we might simply be received in the public audience on the Wednesday in Saint Peter’s Square. We did not even ask to be mentioned in his special greetings. We made our request in the regular way, as Monsignor Paolo De Nicolò of the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household will well remember. He welcomed our request with open arms. But the day before the audience, the same Mon- signor De Nicolò told us – and I have to say with such embarrassment that it was obviously not his decision – that we could not go, that we had not been admitted. It was incredibile. Here were 150 exorcists from the five continents, all priests appointed by their bishops in conformity with the norms of Canon Law which state that these priests must be prayerful, knowledgeable and of good reputation, the cream of the clergy, in short … here they were asking to take part in a public Papal Audience and being thrown out. Monsignor De Nicolò told me that he would ‘of course’ explain the reasons in a letter to me. That was five years ago and I’m still waiting for the letter. It was certainly not John Paul II who excluded us. But, that 150 priests are barred from taking part in a public Papal Audience in Saint Peter’s Square says much of how the exorcists of their Church are obstructed in their ministry, how much they are frowned upon by so many of the ecclesiastical authorities.

You are locked in daily battle with the Devil. What do you see as Satan’s greatest success?

AMORTH: The fact that he has managed to convince people that he does not exist. He has almost managed it, even within the Church. We have a clergy and an Episcopate who no longer believe in the Devil, in exorcism, in the exceptional evil the Devil can instill, or even in the power that Jesus bestowed to cast out demons. For three centuries the Latin Church – in contrast to the Orthodox Church and the various Protestant professions – has almost totally abandoned the ministry of exorcism. So because they no longer perform exorcisms, or study them, and never having seen them, the clergy no longer believe in them. And they no longer believe in the Devil. We have entire Episcopates trying to counter exorcism. We have countries completely devoid of exorcists, such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain and Portugal. This is a shameful shortfall.

You haven’t mentioned France so is the situation there any different?

AMORTH: The most famous French exorcist, Isidore Froc, wrote a book entitled ‘Exorcists. Who they are and what they do’. It was translated into Italian by the Piemme publishing house and had been commissioned by the French Episcopal Conference. This book never once says that exorcisms are performed in certain cases and the author has said on French television on several occasions that he has never performed an exorcism and never will. Out of about 100 French exorcists, only five of them believe in the Devil and perform exorcisms. All the others send people who come to them to psychiatrists. The bishops are the first victims of this situation in the Catholic Church, whose belief that the Devil exists is fading. Before this new Rite came out, the German Episcopate wrote in a letter to Cardinal Ratzinger that there was no point in a new Rite in that exorcisms should no longer be performed.

So, it’s up to bishops to appoint exorcists?

AMORTH: Yes, when a priest is named a bishop, he finds that an article of the Code of Canon Law gives him authority absolute in the appointment of exorcists. The minimum one can ask of any bishop is that he at least witness an exorcism, given that he has to make such an important decision. Unfortunately, this is almost never the case. But if a bishop finds himself having to address a serious request for exorcism – one, that is, that does not involve a mental case – and he does not provide for it, he is committing a mortal sin. And he is responsible for all the terrible suffering that the person endures, suffering that sometimes lasts for years or all his or her life and which the bishop could have prevented.

Are you saying that most of the bishops of the Catholic Church are in a state of mortal sin?

AMORTH: When I was a child, my old parish priest taught me that there were eight Sacraments, the eighth being ignorance. And the eighth sacrament saves more people than the other seven put together. To commit mortal sin implies grave matter but also full and deliberate consent. This failure by many bishops to help is grave matter. However, the bishops are ignorant of this so there is no full and deliberate consent.

But is a person’s faith still intact, which is to say, is a person’s faith still Catholic even if he or she does not believe that the Devil exists?

AMORTH: No. Let me tell you a story. The first time I met Father Pellegrino Ernetti, a famous exorcist who served for 40 years in Venice, I said to him: ‘If I could meet the Pope, I would tell him that I encounter too many bishops who do not believe in the Devil’. The next afternoon, Father Ernetti came back to me to tell me that, that morning, he had been received by John Paul II. ‘Your Holiness’, he said, ‘there is an exorcist here in Rome, Father Amorth, who would tell you if he met you that he knows too many bishops who do not believe in the Devil’. The Pope replied bluntly: ‘Anyone who does not believe in the Devil does not believe in the Gospel’. That was what the Pope said and I say it again.

Again, are you saying that many bishops and priests are not, consequently, Catholic?

AMORTH: Let us just say that they do not believe a Gospel truth. So, if anything, I would stop them propagating a heresy. But, to be clear about this, a person is officially a heretic if he or she is accused of something and persists in the error. No one today, given the situation in the Church, is accusing a bishop of not believing in the Devil, or in demonic possession or of failing to appoint exorcists because he does not believe. And yet I could give you the names of so many bishops and cardinals who, on their appointment to a diocese, stripped exorcists of their faculty to perform the rite. Or there are bishops who openly say they don’t believe, that these are things of the past. Why is that? Unfortunately, we have had the insidious influence of certain biblists and I could mention some illustrious names. We who are in daily physical contact with the ‘other world’ know that this influence is evident in numerous liturgical reforms.

For example?

AMORTH: The Second Vatican Council asked that some texts be revised. Disobeying this command, they set about re-writing them completely with no thought for the danger of making things worse instead of better. So many rites came off badly from this mania to throw out the old and start from scratch, as if the Church to date had always conned us and as if only now the time had at last come of the great geniuses, the supertheologians, the super-biblists and the super-liturgists who know what the right thing is for the Church. This is a lie: the last Council simply asked that the texts be revised, not destroyed. The Rite of Exorcism, for example, should have been corrected, not re-written. It contained prayers born of 12 centuries of experience. Before cancelling prayers which are so old and which proved for centuries to be so effective, we should think long and hard. But they did not. All of us exorcists in trying out the prayers of the new ad interim Rite have proved that they are totally ineffective. But then again, the Rite of Baptism of children came off worse, too. It was totally re-worked so that exorcism against Satan has been all but eliminated. Yet, this always had such great importance for the Church that it was called the exorcism minor. Paul VI also publicly protested against this new Rite. The new Rite of Benediction is not as good now. I read every line of it, all of its 1,200 pages and every reference has been removed to the fact that the Lord must protect us from Satan and the angels must protect us from attack by the Devil. They removed all the prayers for the benediction of homes and schools. Everything used to be blessed and protected but, today, we have no further protection from the Devil. We no longer have any defences or even prayers against him. Jesus himself taught us a prayer of deliverance in the Our Father: ‘Deliver us from the Evil One’, ‘Deliver us from Satan’. This has been erroneously translated so that we pray: ‘Deliver us from evil’. The inference is generic evil whose origin we know nothing about. Yet, the evil we were taught how to fight by Our Lord Jesus Christ is a real person – Satan.

You speak from a vantage point. Do you feel that Satanism is on the rise?

AMORTH: Yes, very much so. When faith falls away, superstition increases. To use biblical language, I would say that one abandons God and turns to idolatry. In modern terms I would say that one abandons God and turns to the occult. The fearsome decline of the faith throughout Catholic Europe implies that the people turn to occultists and clairvoyants and, meanwhile, the Satanic sects prosper. The cult of the Devil is proclaimed to entire peoples through the Satanic rock music of individuals like Marilyn Manson. Even children are not immune from this assault – their comics teach them magic and Satanism. Seances are very common, in which the dead are summoned in search of answers. Today, people can hold seances by computer, telephone, television and recorders. Spiritist writing is popular. They don’t even need mediums any more. This is ‘do-it-yourself’ spiritism. Surveys have found that 37 per cent of students have played with a ouija board at least once. This is a seance proper. At a school where I was invited to speak, the pupils told me that they even did this during their religious instruction period with the teacher’s encouragement.

Do these things work?

AMORTH: There is no distinction between white and black magic. When magic works, it is al- ways the work of the Devil. All the forms of occultism, such as mass recourse to Eastern religious with all their esoteric connotations, are an open door for the Devil. And so he comes in. Immediately. I had no hesitation in saying that there was direct intervention by the Devil in the case of the nun murdered in Chiavenna (for which three teenage girls have been charged) and in the case of Erika and Omar, the teenagers of Novi Ligure, North Italy (Erika, 16, is currently being held in a Milan detention center on suspicion of murdering her mother and 10-year-old brother, with the complicity of her boyfriend, Omar, 17). Those kids were devoted to Satanism. Police in their enquiries found that, in both these cases, these youngsters were followers of Satan. They had Satanic books.

How does the Devil go about seducing men and women?

AMORTH: His strategy is monotonous. I have told him so and he admits it … He convinces people that there is no hell, that there is no sin, just one more experience to live. Lust, success and power are the three great passions on which the Devil insists.

How many cases of demonic possession have you come across?

AMORTH: After the first hundred, I stopped counting them.

A hundred? But that’s a lot. In your books you say that cases of possession are rare …

AMORTH: And they are. Many exorcists have come across cases of diabolical evil only. I, however, inherited the ‘clientele’ of the famous exorcist, Father Candido, the cases he had not yet resolved. Moreover, the other exorcists send the most resistant cases to me.

And the most difficult case you have come across?

AMORTH: I’m dealing with it now and have been for two years. It is the case of that girl who was blessed – though it was not a proper exorcism – by the Pope last October in the Vatican and which made headlines. She is under attack around-the-clock. Her torments are indescribable. Doctors and psychiatrists are baffled by this case. The girl herself is completely lucid and very intelligent. It is a very difficult case.

How does one fall victim to the Devil?

AMORTH: We can fall foul of the exceptional evils sent by the Devil for four reasons: if it works to the good of the person (in the case of many saints); persisting irreversibly in sin; because of a curse via the Devil; or by practising occultism.

What kind of phenomena are manifest during exorcisms?

AMORTH: I remember one illiterate farmer who spoke to me only in English. I had to have an interpreter. Some manifest superhuman strength. Some elevate so that even several people cannot hold them down on a chair. But we refer to demonic presence only in certain contexts.

Has the Devil ever hurt you?

AMORTH: When Cardinal Poletti asked me to become an exorcist I prayed to Our Lady: ‘Wrap me in your mantel and I will be safe’. I have had numerous threats from the Devil but he has never done me any harm.

Are you ever afraid of the Devil?

AMORTH: Afraid of that beast? He’s the one who should be afraid of me because I work in the name of the Lord of the world. He is only an ape of God.

Satanism is spreading more and more. The new Rite makes it difficult to perform an exorcism. Exorcists are prohibited from participating in a Papal Audience in Saint Peter’s Square. What exactly is happening here?

AMORTH: The smoke of Satan gets in everywhere, everywhere. Perhaps we were kept out of the Papal audience because they were afraid that all those exorcists might have cast out the legions of demons that have installed themselves in the Vatican.

You’re joking, aren’t you?

AMORTH: It might sound like it but I don’t think it is a joke. I have no doubt whatever that the Devil is tempting the upper levels of the Church, above all, just as he tempts every upper level – political and industrial.

Are you saying that here, too, as in every war, Satan’s aim is to capture the enemy leaders?

AMORTH: That’s the best strategy. It has always been so and especially when the defences of the enemy are down. Satan tries to apply this, too. But thank heaven the Church is upheld by the Holy Spirit: ‘The gates of hell will not stand’; this, despite the defections and despite the betrayals which should come as no surprise to us. The first traitor was one of the apostles closest to Jesus – Judas Iscariot. In spite of it all, the Church presses along its path. It is upheld by the Holy Spirit and so all of the battles Satan wages can only bring partial results. The Devil may, of course, win the battles, even important battles, but he will never win the war.

Originally published June 2001 30DAYS, No. 6 - 2001.

Background and further information:

Spero News published "The Smoke of Satan in the House of the Lord" interview with Rome's chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth written by Stefano Maria Paci for 30Giorni, since there are various English translations of the article floating on the internet -- and the majority of them are unapproved.

The Spero News article is an official translation of that interview as provided by 30Giorni.

Described as the Vatican's chief exorcist, Father Amorth has said that he has held over 50,000 exorcisms - some of those cases, he says, took only minutes, others much longer.

Despite Father Amorth's high number of excorcisms, most readers may be more familier with his name in conjunction to past criticisms of Pottermania.

"Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil," Father Amorth has been quoted as saying. According to Father Amorth, J.K. Rowling's books make a false distinction between black and white magic. Amorth says that distinction "does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil."

Father Amorth has written two books: An Exorcist Tells His Story, and An Exorcist: More Stories.

Some readers may remember reports of Pope John Paul II in the autumn of 2000 holding an impromptu exorcism upon a 19-year old Italian woman who had flown into a rage after an audience in St Peter's. At the time, Father Amorth explained to the press that the young woman - who has been possessed since she was 12 years old - had been in the front row. At the close of the act she had begun to shout in a "cavernous" voice. Pope John Paul II, who performed three exorcims while Pope, prayed over the woman for a half hour, and ordered the demon to leave.

Father Amorth, the president of the International Association of Exorcists, said the demon refused.

Incidentally, while Father Amorth was not present at the papal exorcism, he too had failed to cast out the demon on the previous day with the very same girl.

According to a Beliefnet article, Pope John Paul II was alerted to the situation as "security personnel struggled to restrain her 'superhuman' efforts to break free." Father Amorth is quoted in that same article as explaining that Pope John Paul "hugged this poor little girl, tried to console her, and promised that the next day, Thursday morning, he would celebrate his Mass for her," Father Amorth said. Father Amorth said that after the girl met with the pope, Bishop Danzi and he performed another exorcism that lasted for two hours," the article noted, adding that Father Amorth said that during that exocism the demon mocked the pope, saying, "Not even your [church] head can send me away."

What some people may not know, however, is that young woman continued to be seen afterward by Father Amorth.

When asked what was the most difficult case that he had ever come across in the 2001 interview by Stefano Maria Paci, Father Amorth answered: "I’m dealing with it now and have been for two years. It is the case of that girl who was blessed – though it was not a proper exorcism – by the Pope last October in the Vatican and which made headlines. She is under attack around-the-clock. Her torments are indescribable. Doctors and psychiatrists are baffled by this case. The girl herself is completely lucid and very intelligent. It is a very difficult case."

Some readers may not be aware that following World War II, Amorth was a member of the new Christian Democrat party. In fact, he was a a deputy in that party, with Giulo Andreotti its leader. Andreotti went on to become seven times prime minister of Italy, while Father Amorth turned to the church.

In an interview Gyles Brandreth of The Sunday Telegraph, Amorth said that from the age of 15 he had known that the Church was his true vocation. "My speciality was the Madonna. For many years I edited the magazine Madre di Deo (Mother of God). When I hear people say, 'You Catholics honour Mary too much,' I reply, 'We are never able to honour her enough,'" Amorth says in that interview, before explaining how he became the Vatican's lead exorcist.

"I knew nothing of exorcism - I had given it no thought - until June 6, 1986 when Cardinal Poletti, the then Vicar of Rome, asked to see me. There was a famous exorcist in Rome then, the only one, Father Candido, but he was not well, and Cardinal Poletti told me I was to be his assistant. I learnt everything from Father Candido. He was my great master. Quickly I realised how much work there was to be done and how few exorcists there were to do it. From that day, I dropped everything and dedicated myself entirely to exorcism."

Interestingly, Father Amorth says it is possible to sort out fakes and neurotics, from real cases of possession.

"By their aversion to the sacrament and all things sacred. If blessed they become furious. If confronted with the crucifix, they are subdued." "But couldn't an hysteric imitate the symptoms?," says in the Telegraph interview. "We can sort out the phoney ones. We look into their eyes. As part of the exorcism, at specific times during the prayers, holding two fingers on the patient's eyes we raise the eyelids. Almost always, in cases of evil presence, the eyes look completely white. Even with the help of both hands, we can barely discern whether the pupils are towards the top or the bottom of the eye. If the pupils are looking up, the demons in possession are scorpions. If looking down, they are serpents."

"Demons are wary of talking and must be forced to speak. When demons are voluntarily chatty it's a trick to distract the exorcist. We must never ask useless questions out of curiosity. We but must interrogate with care. We always begin by asking for the demon's name."

"And does he answer?" I ask. Father Amorth nods. "Yes, through the patient, but in a strange, unnatural voice. If it is the Devil himself, he says 'I am Satan, or Lucifer, or Beelzebub. We ask if he is alone or if there are others with him. Usually there are two or five, 20 or 30. We must quantify the number. We ask when and how they entered that particular body. We find out whether their presence is due to a spell and the specifics of that spell.

"During the exorcism the evil may emerge in slow stages or with sudden explosions. He does not want show himself. He will be angry and he is strong. During one exorcism I saw a child of 11 held down by four strong men. The child threw the men aside with ease. I was there when a boy of 10 lifted a huge, heavy table.

"Afterwards I felt the muscles in the boy's arms. He could not have done it on his own. He had the strength of the Devil inside him.

This article was orginally published at 30Days.

Do You Remember?

2007-09-26T01:37:00.000+08:00

A Poem by Joyce D. Gimfil

Do you remember when the world was fairness and light,
When wrong was wrong and right was right?
Do you remember a time long ago
When people were just, fair and upright?

Do you remember when life was not weary
And bread not earned by toil?
Do you remember when angels walked the earth
And men feared not the serpent’s coil?

Do you remember when virgins weren’t rare
And the virtues practiced praised?
Do you remember when chastity was prized
And brotherly love by slander unfazed?

Do you remember when all men were wise,
Loved their wives, suffered not foolishness?
Do you remember when children would care for the old
And old age did not fear a sudden childlessness?

Do you remember when youth burned not with rash desires
But to give up life and glory to God?
Do you remember when virgins to a bloody end,
Neither feared and from death shrank not?

Do you remember when all men seeked God
Feared His vengeance and lived by his conscience?
Do you remember when all men minded
From dawn till dusk the Great Judge’s balance?

Too many have forgotten
Too many will regret
Too many will lament
At a time too late.

A time will come when all will be weighed
A time will come when all will be fair
A time will come when the Judge will send
The good to his reward, the bad to be condemned.

___________________________________________

A literary effort by yours truly. Go to
http://shadowsinmymind.blogspot.com/ to enjoy more.

The Museum of Saint Pius X

2007-09-01T11:33:00.000+08:00

The Italian website of the Museum of Saint Pius the X has been translated into English. Below are some translated documents for your reading pleasure.

Life of St. Pius X
- Life of St. Pius X Part 1: The Sartos from 1400 to 1800 - Giuseppe Sarto's childhood and adolescence - In the Seminary of Padova
- Life of St. Pius X Part 2: The Chaplain of Tombolo
- Life of St. Pius X Part 3: Priest of Salzano
- Life of St. Pius X Part 4: Canon in Treviso
- Life of St. Pius X Part 5: The Bishop of Mantova
- Life of St. Pius X Part 6: Cardinal Patriarch in Venice
- Life of St. Pius X Part 7: Pope Pius X
- Life of St. Pius X Part 8: The Canon Process
- Life of St. Pius X Part 9: Essential Bibliography
Chronology of St. Pius X
Bibliography of St. Pius X (Italian books)
Enciclicas
Motu Proprio
Apostolic Exhortation
The Catechism of St. Pius X

Museum of St. Pius X

A brief guide to San Pio X Museum

Adoramus Te

2007-09-01T10:37:00.000+08:00

This was sung by our very own choir for the 13th Sunday of Pentecost at the SSPX Sacred Heart Chapel of Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.

At mass, I'd just close my eyes and let the choir transport me to heaven. Brilliant aren't they?!

For Priests Who Want To Learn The Old Mass

2007-09-01T10:20:00.000+08:00

I stumbled on the SanctaMissa.org website created by the Society of St John Cantus from browsing Colleen Hammond's blog at ColleenHammond.blogspot.com. This is an absolutely brilliant site for priests who want to learn how to say the old mass correctly. It has video and pictures for every step in the mass, with an extended explanation of rubrics for the mass of 1962. I love the medieval look of the whole site.

Brilliant!

Peru To Be Consecrated To The Immaculate Heart Tomorrow!

2007-08-30T14:37:00.000+08:00

Oh hail a blessed day! In the wake of earthquakes, Peruvians have decided to consecrated their country to the Blessed Virgin for Her Maternal protection. Go to the Catholic News Agency for the newspiece.

Pray for the Consecration of Russia.

Today Peru, tomorrow Russia!

Duggar Fans Forever!

2007-08-06T18:13:00.000+08:00

Remember the post I did on the 16-member Duggar family some time ago? Another Duggar fan sent me a site she made on them after visiting them at their 7000-sqr ft home. Go to the Duggar Fan website here.

The Duggars have a new family addition! Say hello to baby no.17 Jennifer Danielle here!

Need I say it again? I LOVE the Duggars! I hope to have a family like that someday!

Within Carmelite Walls

2007-07-23T21:15:00.001+08:00

An inspiring news piece on a glimpse into the Carmelite monastic life in Wyoming.

Go to the Salt Lake Tribune for the whole article.

SSPX Sabah Update

2007-07-18T00:11:00.000+08:00

The newly finished altar commissioned for the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Chapel in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. I'm so excited!

SSPX faithful of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

DICI on the Motu Propio

2007-07-15T09:07:00.000+08:00

Editorial: The Obedience of Archbishop Lefebvre

Now that the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum has acknowledged that the Missal of Saint Pius V was never abrogated, it is only right and just to recall to mind what Archbishop Lefebvre used to say, he whose fidelity to the Mass of all times was dismissed as disobedience.

“This Mass is not forbidden and cannot be forbidden. (…) If a priest were censured or even excommunicated on this ground (i.e. for saying the Mass of St. Pius V, Ed.), the sentence would be absolutely invalid. (…) We can celebrate it and the faithful can attend it with complete peace of mind, knowing furthermore it is the best way of maintaining their faith.” (Open Letter to Confused Catholics, ch. 20)

“I would say that we have to choose between an appearance of obedience – for the Holy Father cannot ask us to abandon our faith – and the preservation of our faith. Well, we choose not to abandon our faith.” (Ibid., ch. 18)

“We do not want to break away from the Church; on the contrary, we want the Church to continue. A Church which breaks away from her past is no longer the Catholic Church. (…) We are certain that the truth will come back. It cannot be otherwise. The Good God does not abandon His Church.” (Homily, Geneva, May 15, 1978)

Fr. Alain Lorans

Special Dossier: Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum

Reactions and comments of bishops around the world
The Motu Proprio and the traditionalist
Explanatory note on the Motu Proprio
Some hostile reactions to the Motu Proprio
Information and deformation

Download the pdf file of DICI 158

Brian Mershon Interviews Bishop Fellay on Summorum Pontificum

2007-07-14T00:13:00.000+08:00

An excerpt from an exclusive Remnant interview with Bishop Fellay by Brian Mershon.

..........................................................

Q: Your Excellency. What is your personal reaction to the long-awaited and much anticipated motu proprio Summorum Pontificum? What is the general reaction you have heard from other Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) bishops and priests?

A: Since I have just returned from a trip, I haven’t heard much of anything. So I don’t have many reactions [from priests] yet.

However, I know that at least three of the four bishops are satisfied with the motu proprio. The other probably also, but I don’t know because I haven’t gotten his impression yet.

I would insist on two things. The first is the motu proprio itself. It is very clear that the motu proprio does open—much more than any expectation—the celebration of the Tridentine Mass and all of the previous liturgies. That is, not only the Mass, but the Breviary and the Rituale.

I think we have to salute and to greet this date and this motu proprio as a very significant historical event in the history of the Church and in post-Vatican II history. This has to be noted. I think it is very important.

Nevertheless, this does not mean it is perfect—especially when we link the motu proprio with the letter [to the bishops]. The letter is, if I may say it, the usual Vatican language. It is very unfortunate.

There are some interesting things in this letter like the quote where the Pope says the reason for his action is for an internal reconciliation within the Church; which means that we are not outside of the Church. That is very interesting.

But nevertheless, this letter has to be understood as a political letter which most surely does represent his personal thinking. Nevertheless, it is more than unfortunate in many ways, especially where he insists upon the necessity to recognize the value and the holiness of the New Mass. He plays both sides against each other. And the modern bishops that are progressive—they will jump on that point immediately trying to dismantle the motu proprio.

Q: With this first precondition met for the good of the Church overall—the freeing of the Traditional Mass—what is your outlook on the possible lifting of the decrees of excommunication against the SSPX bishops? Have you had any correspondence with the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei since January 2007?

A: I have had no conversations, no discussions and no relations. That is the first point.

The second point on the Roman side: as far as I know, they consider the [lifting of the decrees] of excommunication less difficult than the motu proprio. That’s the only answer I can give you.

Q: Your Excellency. This is quite surprising. What indication do you have from the Holy See that this is the case?

A: It is the word of Cardinal Castrillón [in the letter] when he sent me the motu proprio [the week before Summorum Pontificum was issued]. That is the first contact of the Cardinal with me since the 15^th of November 2005.

Q: Do you believe the Holy See might possibly be awaiting a private letter or move by you on behalf of the SSPX requesting the lifting of the decrees of excommunication before they consider possible action?

A: I have no idea (chuckling). I don’t care about public or not public. Certainly, after this [freeing of the extraordinary Roman rite], there will certainly be an expectation of some contacts—definitely. But our line is very clear, so I don’t think there is much to expect new or surprising.

Q: Your Excellency, just to clarify: Based upon the letter you received last week from Cardinal Castrillón along with the motu proprio, was there any indication from the good Cardinal that he expected any follow-up action on the part of the Society?

A: No. It was just a very broad expectation that this would open the way to reconciliation, which can be understood in many ways.

Q: Just this morning, July 10, 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) issued a document defining the meaning of subsistit in and the doctrinal development on the ecclesiology of the Church. The document is entitled, “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church.”

The secular media is reacting like two nuclear bombs have gone off around the world within three days with the freeing of the Traditional Mass on Saturday, July 7, and today with the reaffirmation on the Catholic Church being the one, true Church, and the defects in the Orthodox Churches and Protestant ecclesial communities. This document seems to be geared specifically toward attempting to clarify some theological concerns with certain passages of the Second Vatican Council’s key documents. What is your initial reaction?

A: My reaction? In the declaration about the motu proprio, we insisted in saying that the confused excerpts of places in the letter show that the need to enter into theological discussions was reinforced very, very strongly by this document which is telling us that a circle is a quadrangle.

You have a perfect illustration of what we have said for 6 years. That is that Rome is continuing in a confusing way because they don’t seem to give much care to contradiction and non-contradiction.

This document seems to be a clarification of nothing but assuring once again that “Yes” means “No.”

Q: Your Excellency. Can you give us an example?

A: Sure. One example is precisely the question about subsistit. [The question is] “Why use the expression “subsistit in” and not “est”? You read the answer and you conclude nothing.

They say it is “est”and that there is an identity with the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church; and there is no change of doctrine. And then the next phrase is precisely a change in doctrine. So… It is a contradiction.

In his sermon in Ecône, Bishop Williamson said that in Rome they say something like two plus two makes four, but maybe it also makes five. And here you have a perfect illustration of that.

The only positive thing [in the document] is about the Protestants which are now barred from the title of Church. Great! [Ed. Note: This doctrine on Protestant “ecclesial communities” has already been outlined previously by Dominus Jesus and other authoritative Church doctrinal clarifications.]

Besides that, it is a confirmation of what we say. This text tries to tell us that there is no contradiction between the doctrine of the Church of the past and of Vatican II. And we insist by saying that Vatican II is in disharmony—is in contradiction—is even teaching error opposed to the traditional teaching, especially on ecumenism. And here [in this new document on ecclesiology] you have both sides put together; that is, the past and Vatican II.

Q: Two traditionalist priestly societies—most recently with the Institute of the Good Shepherd in France—and the apostolic administration of the priests of St. John Marie Vianney led by Bishop Fernando Rifan, have reconciled with the Holy See. The Holy See has allowed these traditionalist groups to continue to hold fast to the expressions of the Catholic Faith used prior to Vatican II, while accepting that Vatican II was a real and valid Ecumenical Council, while allowing constructive theological study on possible ambiguities in the documents. What keeps the SSPX from doing the same?

A: This text is a confirmation of all of our reproaches against the ambiguities of Vatican II and the post-Vatican II [documents]. It is a superb example of ambiguity and maybe it has never gone so far by trying to put together what cannot be put together; by pretending that there is no position which is a clear position.

So the question of the necessity of having doctrinal discussions prior to coming to any sort of practical agreement is very well documented in this new document [as an example]. It is a beautiful expression of the necessity, of the need and the importance of dealing with these matters before going any further.

Q: Archbishop Lefebvre signed all 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council. After the Council, he was very critical of the documents and even sent a dubia to the Holy See requesting clarification on religious liberty. However, Archbishop Lefebvre never rejected all the documents of the Second Vatican Council in totality.

A: And we don’t do so either. It is not a matter of rejecting or accepting.

The questions are, “Are these documents good? Are these documents nurturing the Faith? Are they good for the survival of the Church or not?”

And the more we go on, the more we see the ambiguities in the Council—which at a certain time seemed to be reconcilable to be correctly interpreted with Tradition, not including the very obvious errors—the further we go on, and the more we see that this is an impossible job.

Q: Your Excellency. Do you believe the destruction in the Church has been caused by not following the letter of the documents or by possible errors or ambiguities in the documents themselves?

A: I would say that not all of the documents, but most of them, are full of ambiguities. The more we study them, the more we see that according to the letter, you have these ambiguities.

Ambiguities mean that you have at least two ways to understand them or to interpret them. This is terribly damaging for a document that is supposed to be from the highest solemnity in the Church—a document which comes from an Ecumenical Council. It is a great tragedy.

These ambiguities, I must say, you find them almost everywhere. In addition to these three major errors of ecumenism, religious liberty and collegiality, you have all these ambiguities everywhere.

It is not in the Catholic spirit. It is this modern, progressive spirit which has partly been condemned by Pope Benedict XVI, but which also basically and fundamentally has been approved by him. We’re going around in circles there.

And I must say once again, this document [“Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church.”] is a perfect illustration of this ambiguity and of contradictory statements.

Q: Cardinal Castrillón’s Sunday, July 8, Il Giornale interview spoke specifically about the SSPX, saying the following: “With this motu proprio, the door is widely opened [si spalanca la porta] for a return of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X to full communion. If, after this act, the return does not take place, I truly will not be able to comprehend. I wish to clarify, though, that the papal document has not been made for the Lefebvrists, but because the Pope is convinced of the need to underline that there is a continuity in the Tradition, and that in the Church one does not move forward by way of fractures. The ancient Mass has never been abolished nor forbidden.”[2] What is your reaction?

A: Certainly, this motu proprio is a step in our direction. It is most probably the will of Rome to answer to our first precondition. It is nice.

Is it enough to say, “We can now just go ahead?” Well, we can just look at this text published today [on the nature of the Church from the CDF] and you have the answer.

Look. It is a good step forward, but that does not mean that everything is solved. Absolutely not.

Q: In numerous public interviews over the past 2 years with both the secular and Catholic media, Cardinal Castrillón continues to repeat that the SSPX is not in formal schism, but that has unfortunately often fallen upon deaf ears with many Catholics within the Church. What do you think motivates this new attitude?

A: It shows that Rome wants to end this apparent split in the Church. It is a thorn in their side because on the one side, they want to have unity.

They want to work all this ecumenism toward unity, but there is an apparent division within at the closest level. So how can you pretend to make unity with people who are outside when you are not capable of doing it with those who are inside?

It’s a contradiction. And so as they try to do this ecumenism; it is a duty for them to stop this interior division. Now the problem is that the means they use are much too superficial. It’s fine if they want to use these means, but it will not end the cause of it [the division].

Q: Your Excellency. What do you mean by “superficial”?

A: If you say, “Let’s sign a paper [a practical agreement],” that is superficial. Merely signing a paper is superficial.

If you say, “Let’s agree on a formula that is acceptable to both parties, but both continue to think their own ways, that is superficial.”

The real thing is when you agree on truth. That is not superficial.

Q: Some within the Church continue to state the SSPX is in schism; how do you answer to the following question? When was the last time 6,000 schismatics prayed in Rome during the Year of the Jubilee in 2000? When was the last time schismatics sent a spiritual bouquet of 2.5 million rosaries to the Holy Father?

A: And we have an even better argument in the [Pope’s] letter that accompanies the motu proprio on the Mass where the Holy Father says it is an internal matter within the Catholic Church—in the Church.[3]

It clearly states that it is not about a schism. It is about an interior dispute which requires an interior reconciliation within the Church.

So we have it from the word of the boss. Our Pope says it is not a schism.

Q: Many Catholics who are enamored with solely using the newer ecclesiology of “partial” and “full” communion (and call Protestants our “separated brethren” and would never dare call them “schismatics” or “heretics”) are the same people who are the first to continue to call the SSPX “schismatics” and claim they are outside the Church.[4] But they use the pre-Conciliar juridical ecclesiology of “outside” and “inside” the Church while describing the SSPX, thus showing a notable inconsistency. Is there an irony here? Your thoughts on this, Your Excellency?

A: Exactly. For us, we still use the old weapons.

Q: In the CDF document clarifying the nature of the Church, in answer to a question about the use of the proper use of the term “Church” for the Eastern Orthodox, using the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism as a reference,[5] the following answer is provided: “It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature.”

Taking into account how explicitly positive and encouraging this text is for the celebration of the Eucharist (and by extension, the other sacraments) for the Eastern Church, which is not in full communion with the Holy See, nor believes all the dogma or morals of the Catholic Faith, isn’t it ironic that so many Catholic bishops, priests and laymen will not extend this same positive and charitable attitude to “the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord” when offered by priests who are within the Church and believe all its Faith and morals? Can you imagine the majority of Catholics dutifully adhering to the following? “It is through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these SSPX chapels that the Church of God is built up and grows in stature.” Is this but another irony?

A: Sure. You could say this is an ad hominem argument. I want to state that very precisely. We could very easily say that in the Society, we have the celebration of the Eucharist. We have apostolic succession. So definitely, according to that statement, we contribute to the edification and glorification of God. Definitely.

We are in the Catholic Church—period. We have never pretended to be an independent body [in other words, a separate “Church” in the sense used with the Eastern Orthodox].

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Please go to the Remnant website to read the article in its entirety.

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart

2007-07-10T10:40:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday night after the 4pm mass, the Knights of Our Lady of Malaysia organized a talk on the importance of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in commemoration of centenary of the devotion founded in the August of 1907 by Father Mateo Crawley Boevey ss.cc. Rev. Fr. Daniel Couture was invited to give the history and explanation of the devotion to a group of about 40 people, most of whom gave a very positive response. The recording of the talk can be downloaded here.

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THE CEREMONY

1. All gather around the image of the Sacred Heart; father, mother and children nearest to the priest.

2. Priest, in surplice and white stole, blesses the image.
[If no priest is present; have the image blessed beforehand.]

The Blessing of the Picture or Statue

V. Adjutorium nostrum in nomine Domini.
R. Qui fecit coelum et terram.

V. Dominus vobiscum.
Et cum spiritu tuo.

Oremus. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui sanctorum tuorum imagines pingi non reprobas, ut quoties illas oculis corporia intuemur, toties eorum actus et sanctitatern ad imitandum memoriae oculis meditemur, hanc quaesumus, imaginem in honorem et memoriam Sacratissimi Cordis Unigeniti Filii tui Domini Nostri J esu Christi adaptatam bene + dicere et sancti + ficare digneris; et praesta ut quicumque coram ilIa, Cor Sacratissimum Unigeniti FilIi tui suppliciter colere et honorare studuerit, illius meritis et obtentu a te gratiam in praesenti, et aeternam gloriam obtineat in futurum. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

V. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made Heaven and earth.

V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who dost approve the painting and sculpturing of the images of Thy Saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded to imitate their deeds and sanctity; vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to bless and sanctify this image made in honor and in memory of the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant, that whosoever in its presence, will suppliantly worrship and honor the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us pray. Almighty and everlasting God, who dost approve the painting and sculpturing of the images of Thy Saints, so that as often as we gaze upon them we are reminded to imitate their deeds and sanctity; vouchsafe, we implore Thee, to bless and sanctify this image' made in honor and in memory of the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; and grant, that whosoever in its presence, will suppliantly worship and honor the Most Sacred Heart of Thy only begotten Son, may obtain through His merits and intercession grace in this life and everlasting glory in the world to come. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
[The priest here sprinkles the image with holy water.]

3. Then the father [or in his absence, the mother or some other member of the family] enthrones the image in the place of honor prepared for it. This is the symbolic act of Enthronement.

4. All stand while the Apostle's Creed is recited as an act of faith on the part of the family.
5. Everyone is seated while the priest addresses a few words to those present, reminding the members of the family of what the Sacred Heart expects from families which have acknowledged Him as King;
recalling the magnificent promises of the Sacred Heart; urging the family to live its Enthronement and frequently to renew the act of consecration which they are about to make.

6. All kneel, while the priest and the father [or father alone, or his representative] recite the official Act of Consecration.

NOTE: This is the official text composed by Father Ladislaus, SS.CC., and approved by St. Pius X, at the request of the Procurator General of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts by Rescript of May 19, 1908. It was made obligatory to gain the indulgences of the Enthronement by a decision of the Sacred Penitentiary on March 1, 1918. [A.A.8. April 1, 1918, II. 154.] The New Regulations on Indulgences do not grant specifically an indulgence for the Ceremony, but on the Feast of the Sacred Heart, which is the Friday of the Octave Day of Corpus Christi [the Sunday of the Octave occurs after the Second Sunday of Pentecost, which places the Feast after the Third Sunday of Pentecost; for instance, in 1996 this fell on June 15.] a plenary indulgence is granted for reciting on the Feast the Litany of the Sacred Heart, which can be included in the Ceremony. A plenary indulgence is also granted for reciting the following Consecration on the Feast, which is different than the official Act of Consecration given in the Ceremony booklet, but both are suitable:

Act of Consecration of the Human Race: Traditional

Most sweet Jesus, Redeemer of the human race, look down upon us humbly prostrate before Thy altar. We are Thine, and Thine we wish to be; but to be more surely united with Thee, behold each one of us freely consecrates himself today to Thy most Sacred Heart. Many indeed have never known Thee; many too, despising Thy precepts, have rejected Thee. Have mercy on them all, most merciful Jesus, and draw them to Thy Sacred Heart. Be Thou King, O Lord, not only of the faithful who have never forsaken Thee, but also of the prodigal children who have abandoned Thee; grant that they may quickly return to their Father's house lest they die of wretchedness and hunger. Be Thou King of those who are deceived by erroneous opinions, or whom discord keeps aloof, and call them back to the harbor of truth and unity of faith, so that soon there may be but one flock and one Shepherd. Be Thou King of all those who are still involved in the darkness of idolatry or of Islamism, and refuse not to to draw them all into the light and kingdom of God. Turn Thine eyes of mercy towards the children of that race, once Thy chosen people: of old they called down upon themselves the Blood of the Savior; may It now descend upon them, a laver of redemption and of life. Grant, O Lord, to Thy Church assurance of freedom and immunity from harm; give peace and order to all nations, and make the earth resound from pole to pole with one cry: "Praise be to the divine Heart that wrought our salvation; to It be glory and honor for ever." Amen.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart

[Recited by the priest and the father together, or father alone, or representative, if no priest is present. At the time that this ceremony was approved by the Holy See, this Act was mandatory for the indulgence, but this indulgence has not been granted for this formula with the New Regulations.]

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, * who didst make known to St. Margaret Mary Thine ardent desire to reign over Christian families, * behold us assembled here today * to proclaim Thine absolute dominion over our home.

Henceforth we purpose to lead a life like unto Thine, * so that amongst us may flourish the virtues * for which Thou didst promise peace on earth, * and for this end * we will banish from our midst * the spirit of the world which Thou dost abhor so much.

Thou wilt reign over our understanding * by the simplicity of our faith. Thou wilt reign over our hearts * by an ardent love for Thee; * and may the flame of this love * be kept burning in our hearts * by the frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist.

Deign, O Divine Heart, * to preside over our meetings, * to bless our undertakings, both spiritual and temporal, * to banish all worry and care, * to sanctify our joys * and soothe our sorrows. * If any of us * should ever have the misfortune to grieve Thy Sacred Heart, * remind him of Thy goodness and mercy * toward the repentant sinner.

Lastly * when the hour of separation will sound * and death will plunge our home into mourning, * then shall we all and everyone of us * be resigned to Thy eternal decrees, * and seek consolation in the thought * that we shall one day be reunited in Heaven, * where we shall sing the praises and blessings of Thy Sacred Heart * for all eternity.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary * and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph * offer Thee this our Consecration, * and remind us of the same * all the days of our life.

Glory to the Divine Heart of Jesus, * our King and our Father!

7. The priest here asks those present to say with him ONE Our Father and Hail Mary for all the absent members, both living and dead, so that all may share in the graces of the Enthronement.

8. All recite with the priest [or head of the family] the following:

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Glory be to Thee, * O Sacred Heart of Jesus, * for the infinite mercy Thou hast bestowed * upon the privileged members of this family. * Thou hast chosen it from thousands of others, * as a recipient of Thy love * and a sanctuary of reparation * wherein Thy most loving Heart shall find consolation * for the ingratitude of men. * How great, O Lord Jesus, * is the confusion of this portion of Thy faithful flock * as we accept the unmerited honor * of seeing Thee preside over our family! * Silently we adore Thee, * overjoyed to see Thee sharing * under the same roof * the toils, cares and joys of Thy children! * It is true, we are not worthy * that Thou shouldst enter our humble abode, * but Thou hast already reassured us, * when Thou didst reveal Thy Sacred Heart to us, * teaching us to find in the wound of Thy Sacred Side * the source of grace and life everlasting. * In this loving and trusting spirit * we give ourselves to Thee, * Thou who art unchanging Life. * Remain with us, Most Sacred Heart, * for we feel an irresistible desire * to love Thee and make Thee loved.

May our home be for Thee * a haven as sweet as that of Bethany, * where Thou canst find rest * in the midst of loving friends, * who like Mary * have chosen the better part * in the loving intimacy of Thy Heart! * May this home be for Thee, * O be. loved Savior, * a humble but hospitable refuge * during the exile imposed on Thee by Thine enemies.

Come, then, Lord Jesus, come, * for here as at Nazareth, * we have a tender love for the Virgin Mary, Thy sweet Mother * whom Thou hast given us to be our Mother. * Come, * to fill with Thy sweet presence the vacancies * which misfortune and death have wrought in our midst.

O most faithful Friend, * hadst Thou been here * in the midst of sorrow, * our tears would have been less bitter; * the comforting balm of peace * would then have soothed these hidden wounds, * which are known to Thee alone. * Come, for even now perhaps, * there is drawing near for us * the twilight of tribulation, * and the decline of the passing days * of our youth and our illusions. * Stay with us, * for already it is late, * and a perverted world seeks to envelop us * in the darkness of its denials * while we wish to adhere to Thee * who alone art the Way * the Truth * and the Life. * Repeat for us those words * Thou didst utter of old: * "This day I must abide in this home."

Yes, dear Lord, * take up Thy abode with us, * so that we may live in Thy love * and in Thy presence, * we who proclaim Thee as our King * and wish no other! * May Thy triumphant Heart, O Jesus, * be forever loved, * blessed, * and glorified * in this home! * Thy Kingdom Come! Amen!

9. [All stand] To thank the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the grace of the Enthronement, and to proclaim this loving Mother as the Queen of the home, all recite the Hail Holy Queen. [If so desired, an Act of Consecration to the Heart of Mary may be added, and her image installed near the Sacred Heart.]

10. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: Have mercy on us! [3 times]
Immaculate Heart of Mary: Pray for us.
St. Joseph: Pray for U.S'.
St. Margaret Mary: Pray for us.
[ALL] Glory to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus forever and ever! Amen.

11. The priest gives his blessing: May the blessing of Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, descend upon you and remain forever. Amen.

12. Then the members of the family and the priest sign the Certificate of the Enthronement, which should be framed and hung near the image of the Sacred Heart or kept in the family vault.

After the ceremony, send in name and address of family to a Local Center or to the National Center. Give date of ceremony, name of officiating priest, if any, and parish. The last known address for the national center as printed on an older booklet is:

National Enthronement Center
3 Adams Street
Fairhaven, MA 02719
TEL: (508) 999-2680

Hail, Holy Queen [Salve, Regina]

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy; hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us. And after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Partial Indulgence.
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More on the origin and history of the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart in the links below.

Founder of the Enthronement
Pontifical Approval
Object and Spirit of the Enthronement
Enthronement and Our Times
The Enthronement Ceremony
Junior Apostles of the Sacred Heart
Suggested Practices and Prayers
Night Adoration

Letter of the Superior General of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

2007-07-08T22:38:00.000+08:00

Dear faithful,

The Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum of July 7, 2007 reinstates the Tridentine Mass in its right. In the text it is clearly acknowledged that it had never been abrogated. Thus fidelity to this Mass – for the sake of which many priests and lay people have been persecuted or even penalized for almost forty years – this fidelity never was a disobedience. Today it is merely a matter of justice to thank Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre for having maintained us in this fidelity to the Mass of all times in the name of true obedience, and against all the abuses of power. There is also no doubt that this recognition of the right of the traditional Mass is the fruit of the very many rosaries addressed to Our Lady during our Rosary Crusade last October; we must now know how to tell her our gratitude.

Beyond the re-establishment of the Mass of Saint Pius V in its legitimate right, it is important to study the concrete measures issued by the Motu Proprio and the justification given by Benedict XVI in the letter accompanying the text:

- By right, the practical dispositions taken by the pope must enable the traditional liturgy – not only the Mass, but also the sacraments – to be celebrated normally. This is an immense spiritual benefit for the whole Church, for the priests and faithful who were up to now paralyzed by the unjust authority of the bishops. However, in the coming months it will be good to observe how these measures are applied in fact by the bishops and parish priests. For this reason, we will continue to pray for the pope so that he may remain steadfast after the courageous act he has
done.
- The letter accompanying the Motu Proprio gives the pope’s reasons. The affirmation of the existence of one single rite under two forms – the ordinary and the extraordinary forms --, of equal rights and especially the rejection of the exclusive celebration of the traditional liturgy, may, it is true, be interpreted as the expression of a political desire not to confront the Bishops’ Conferences which are openly opposed to any liberalization of the Tridentine Mass. But we may also see in this an expression of the "reform of the reform" desired by the pope himself, and in which, as he himself writes in this letter, the Mass of Saint Pius V and of Paul VI would fecundate each other.

In any case, there is with Benedict XVI the clear desire to re-affirm the continuity of Vatican II and the Mass issued from it, with the bimillenary Tradition. This denial of a rupture caused by the last council – already made manifest in his address to the Curia on December 22, 2005 – shows that what is at stakes in the debate between Rome and the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X is essentially doctrinal. For this reason, the undeniable step forward made by the Motu Proprio in the liturgical domain must be followed – after the withdrawal of the decree of excommunication – by theological discussions.

The reference to Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society of Saint Pius X made in the accompanying letter, as well as the acknowledgment of the testimony given by the young generations which take up the torch of Tradition, clearly point out that our constancy to defend the lex orandi has been taken into account. With God’s help, we must continue the combat for the lex credendi, the combat for the faith, with the same firmness.

Menzingen, July 7, 2007
+ Bernard Fellay

The Exile Ends

2007-07-08T22:17:00.000+08:00

The 7th July of 2007 will go down in Catholic history as the greatest day in the 21st century-the day the Tridentine mass was liberalized for universal use again. Forty years in the desert. Forty years hungering. Forty years exiled from the beauty and majesty of the old mass. The end of the forty-year exile has come today. God bless Pope Benedict XVI! Our Lady has come to the rescue again. The two-million spiritual bouquet of roses were not given in vain-the Queen has pleaded to the Sovereign King for us and her intercession has borne fruit not a year after our collective bouquet of prayers. Long live Pope Benedict!

The Sacred Heart Chapel Choir of Sungai Buloh sang a Te Deum in thanksgiving after mass today. If I am not mistaken, all the SSPX parishes were instructed to sing the Te Deum today in thanksgiving for this greatest grace of the century. Deo Gratias!

Press Release from the General Superior of the Priestly Society of Saint Pius X

By the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum, Pope Benedict XVI has reinstated the Tridentine Mass in its rights, and clearly affirmed that the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint Pius V had never been abrogated. The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X rejoices to see the Church thus regain her liturgical Tradition, and give the possibility of a free access to the treasure of the Traditional Mass for the glory of God, the good of the Church and the salvation of souls, to the priests and faithful who had so far been deprived of it. The Priestly Society of Saint Pius X extends its deep gratitude to the Sovereign Pontiff for this great spiritual benefit.
The letter which accompanies the Motu Proprio does not hide however the difficulties that still remain. The Society of Saint Pius X wishes that the favorable climate established by the new dispositions of the Holy See will make it possible – after the decree of excommunication which still affects its bishops has been withdrawn – to consider more serenely the disputed doctrinal issues.
Lex orandi, lex credendi, the law of the liturgy is that of the faith. In the fidelity to the spirit of our founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, the attachment of the Society of Saint Pius X to the traditional liturgy is inseparably united to the faith which has been professed "always, everywhere and by all."

Menzingen, July 7, 2007
Bishop Bernard Fellay

Make Fire from Ice

2007-06-27T11:50:00.000+08:00

Impossible you say? Not. Check this site out for some cool tips on how to make fire from ice or water.

SSPX Ordinations at Winona

2007-06-26T01:55:00.000+08:00

Fr Ricomini was recently ordained in the Winona, Minnesota SSPX Seminary. Go here for some more photos of the edifying event.

Oh Lord grant us priests!
Oh Lord grant us holy priests!
Oh Lord grant us many holy priests!
Oh Lord grant us many holy and religious vocations!
St Pius X, pray for us!

Miss Potter

2007-06-25T15:45:00.000+08:00

I watched the movie Miss Potter last night and I am blown away. An utterly charming period movie starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor, it gets five stars out of five! It has beautiful landscapes, a love story, heartbreak and tragedy, hope and faith, and a stubborn determination. It made me cry in places, and smile in others. Not generally a fan of Zellweger's, I thought she WAS Beatrix Potter in this film. It relates the story of Miss Potter, the famed authoress of the Peter Rabbit and other beloved children's stories such as Jemima the Puddle Duck. I was fascinated with her illustrations, which were painstakingly hand drawn and painted with watercolours, some of which I have pasted below.

Aren't they the loveliest things?

Her story was fascinating. A young girl stifled in Victorian society, she struggled to be free, refusing the suitors her mother paraded before her, although secretly yearning for a marriage of love, rather than connection and convenience. In an age where females was not seen as authors or artists, she suffered repeated rejection in the publication of her book. When it was eventually published, it was as a pet project for the Warne and Co's youngest brother, Norman Warne, to whom she subsequently fell in love with and was secretly engaged to. This was a romance not to be, ending in heartbreak, but through no fault of both parties. She eventually became rich enough to move out of her family home, where her strained relationship with her mother stifled her creative ambitions. Later on in her life, she became a philanthropist, donating almost 4000 acres of land to the British Reservation Society.

This is the trailer of Miss Potter.

This is a story for the family, for lovers, for children, for teens. Watch the movie. I promise you'll fall in love with it.

Make Your Own Book of Kells

2007-06-25T15:37:00.000+08:00

If you are fascinated by medieval books, here's a pdf file on how to make your own. Have fun.

Some ideas to inspire.

Pascal Against the Atheists

2007-06-22T16:19:00.000+08:00

I read about Pascal's wager a long time ago, but did not realise that the author was the famous mathematician. I came across it again today, and thought I'd share it.

"God either exists or He doesn't. Based on the testimony, both general revelation (nature) and special revelation (Scriptures/Bible), it is safe to assume that God does in fact exist. It is abundantly fair to conceive, that there is at least 50% chance that the Christian Creator God does in fact exist. Therefore, since we stand to gain eternity, and thus infinity, the wise and safe choice is to live as though God does exist. If we are right, we gain everything, and lose nothing. If we are wrong, we lose nothing and gain nothing. Therefore, based on simple mathematics, only the fool would choose to live a Godless life. Let us see. Since you must choose, let us see which interests you least. You have nothing to lose. Let us estimate these two chances. If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation that He is."

There are two possibilies:

You live as though God exists.
- If God exists, you go to heaven: you gain everything, and lose nothing.
- If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

You live as though God does not exist.
- If God exists, you go to hell: you gain nothing and lose everything.
- If God does not exist, you gain nothing & lose nothing.

So why don't more people believe and live as if there is a God?

Graces of the Veil

2007-06-22T01:02:00.000+08:00

This is a lovely article on the graces of wearing the veil written by a Geoffrey F. Miller. Enjoy.
________________________________________________________

The Veil: Sign of Sanctification

By Geoffrey F. Miller

It is true that the practice of women veiling themselves in church has widely fallen into disuse. The rejection of this venerable and meaningful tradition is due to grave misunderstandings. Indeed, some have even denounced the veil as a symbol of oppression. Regrettably, many men, even saints, were confused about the nature of veils and saw them just as a means for controlling or concealing the beauty of women. However, such claims could not be further from the truth. In fact, veils are beautiful signs of sanctification representing eternal truths about the very nature of creation. Wearing them also expresses devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Veils are an integral part of Christianity’s Jewish heritage. The ancient Hebrews would cover their heads whenever they prayed or read the Holy Scriptures. They also veiled sacred objects and places, such as the Holy of Holies in Solomon’s temple. These acts showed respect for the beauty of God.

The veil was a reminder to the people that the Lord’s glory cannot be seen by human eyes, but is necessarily hidden. When God’s presence passed by Moses, the Lord warned him to look away because no one can gaze directly upon the uncreated splendor and power of God without being destroyed. Think of it this way. If a created being experienced the pure essence of God, a massive surge of unoriginate energies would instantly annihilate it. Furthermore, imagine if a painting tried to comprehend its artist by jumping into a pail of paint he’s holding. The painting would be ruined! This is why we will never be able to comprehend God in His nature, even in heaven. This is also why Jesus comes to us under the veils of bread and wine in the Eucharist. If Christ were to fully reveal the reality of His presence in the Eucharist, we would surely die.

Veils, besides indicating the Lord’s presence and protecting us from His power, also teach us a lesson about the created world and salvation. St. Paul the Apostle wrote about this in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. Here is what he said:

“Any man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled dishonors her head - it is the same as if her head were shaven. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her wear a veil. For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. (For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.) "The woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:4-10).

Understanding St. Paul’s words can be difficult without living in the culture he did, and some of his words appear quite cryptic at first glance. Misunderstandings abound as a result, and there is great confusion. A common myth is that the “sign of authority” the Apostle writes about is none other than the woman’s hair itself. From this, some conclude that women should not have short hair. Luckily, we as Catholics have access to the writings of the Church Fathers. St. Irenaeus, a Christian living almost immediately after the close of the apostolic age, clarifies matters:

“Again, the coming of the Saviour with His attendants to Achamoth is declared in like manner by him in the same Epistle, when he says, "A woman ought to have a veil upon her head, because of the angels." Now, that Achamoth, when the Saviour came to her, drew a veil over herself through modesty, Moses rendered manifest when he put a veil upon his face” (Against Heresies, Book I, Cap. 8, 2).

We learn from this that a veil is an article of clothing that expressed modesty, in addition to communicating the sacredness of holy objects and places. St. Irenaeus was not alone in writing about veils. Tertullian, another famous Church Father, wrote a treatise entitled On the Veiling of Virgins. Some people in his day thought that only married women should veil themselves in Church. Back then, virgins veiled themselves in the streets to show purity, but many had begun to falsely associate veils in Church as a mere symbol of earthly marriage, forgetting the more important spiritual significance of veils as signs of heavenly betrothal to Christ Jesus. Tertullian argued that since the Eucharist is a mystical wedding feast in which faithful find divine union with God, all men and women ought to dress as they would for an earthly wedding.

In today’s terms, this means that ideally men should wear dress pants and a formal shirt, avoiding clothes with logos, symbols, or words on them. Women should wear a skirt or dress pants, a formal shirt or top with minimal or preferably no cleavage, and a mantilla (veil or headcovering). Often we hear about “dressing for success.” This is “dressing for sanctity.” By dressing in this manner, we remind ourselves of the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ’s real presence in Holy Communion and the fact that we are already attending the heavenly wedding banquet at ever Eucharist. Additionally, by dressing well for Church, we refuse to let the modern world make us into mere sexual objects, but instead we reveal the truth about

ourselves: that we are living and divine temples of the Holy Spirit.

But what about St. Paul’s cryptic verse, “The woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head, because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:10)? St. Thomas Aquinas, drawing upon his research to culture, theology, and the essence of the Divine Liturgy, explains it this way:

“This can be understood...in one way about the heavenly angels who are believed to visit congregations of the faithful, especially when the sacred mysteries are celebrated. And therefore at that time women as well as men ought to present themselves honorably and ordinately as reverence to them according to Ps 138 (v. 1): "Before the angels I sing thy praise" (St. Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on First Corinthians, 613).”

Women have a special authority over the angels because of the Virgin Mary. By veiling themselves during prayer, women are in fact acknowledging that God honored Mary by accomplishing the Incarnation through her. Remember, sacred objects were veiled by the ancient Hebrews. With this in mind, what is more sacred than Mary, the Arc of the New Covenant? Just as sin and death came into the world through Eve, eternal salvation and glory comes into the world through Mary. All women are honored because God chose a holy virgin

from among their ranks to bear God the Word. In Mary, woman finds her perfect dignity. Consequently, it is my pious opinion that the angels pay special attention to the prayers of veiled women out of respect to Mary, ensuring that all their petitions reach the altar of the Lord speedily. Moreover, I am convinced that Mary gives special graces for the angels to take to women who wear veils at prayer. When a woman wears a veil, she professes that she has a share in Mary’s sanctification. Therefore, it is a very good idea for ladies to wear veils to Church.

Not only is it a good idea, it is the law. The Codes of Canon Law state:

“Men, in a church or outside a church, while they are assisting at sacred rites, shall be bare-headed, unless the approved mores of the people or peculiar circumstances of things determine otherwise; women, however, shall have a covered head and be modestly dressed, especially when they approach the table of the Lord” (Canon 1262.2).

Contrary to popular opinion, the obligation of wearing a veil to church has never been changed. Not only is a woman who refuses to wear a veil in church denying herself special graces from Mary, she is breaking a universal and binding church precept. So, why is it that no one wears

veils anymore? Not surprisingly, the reason is that the secular media misrepresented information, as usual.

During the second Vatican Council, some reporters asked Mgsr. Annibale Bugnini if women were still required to wear headcoverings in church. His response was that the bishops were considering other issues, and that women’s veils were not on the agenda. Naturally, the next day the international press announced that women did not have to wear the veil anymore. Mgsr. Bugnini almost immediately told the press that he had been misquoted and women must still wear veils in church. But the Press, satisfied by boosted ratings, did not retract the error. As a result, many women stopped wearing the veil out of confusion. Others abandoned the practice because of pressure from certain feminist groups who misunderstood the real purposes of the veil.

It is time that women once again renew the devotion of wearing veils during prayer, not merely because canon law says to do it, but rather because of the rich symbolism of veils and the abundant graces received by wearing them as a sign of steadfast devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

_________________________________________________________________

I love wearing my chapel veil. Somehow, I feel so much more womanly in one than without. What do you think of me in mine?

I do not at all feel oppressed by wearing one. Rather, it makes me feel wonderfully feminine.

I am reminded of what Muhammed Ali said to his daughter:

"Where do you find diamonds? Deep down in the ground, covered and protected. Where do you find pearls? Deep down at the bottom of the ocean, covered up and protected in a beautiful shell. Where do you find gold?Way down in the mine, covered over with layers and layers of rock. You've got to work hard to get to them...Your body is sacred. You're far more precious than diamonds or pearls, and you should be covered too."

I hope this article inspires more women to wear a veil in church.

The Legacy of Bugnini

2007-06-19T19:04:00.000+08:00

The following excerpt is from a conference given by Archbishop Lefebvre at Montreal, Canada in 1982. It demonstrates by personal experience the tragic corruption of modernism right from the time of Pope Pius XI. The Archbishop describes the extraordinary influence of Monsignor Annibale Bugnini in the framing of the New Mass and how his unprecedented daring brought about the "approval" of this protestantized liturgy. This account of his personal experiences is the very clear demonstration of why Archbishop Lefebvre had to disobey so as to not participate in the self-destruction of the Church.

.....................

THE LITURGICAL REFORM

The most serious of the consequences was the liturgical reform. It was accomplished, as everybody knows, by a well-known priest, Bugnini, who had prepared it long in advance. Already in 1955 Fr. Bugnini had asked Msgr. Pintonello, general Chaplain of the Italian army, who had spent much time in Germany during the occupation, to translate Protestant liturgical texts. For Fr. Bugnini did not know German.

It was Msgr. Pintonello himself who told me that he had translated the Protestant liturgical books for Fr. Bugnini, who at that time was but an insignificant member of a liturgical commission. He was nothing. Afterwards he became professor of liturgy at the Lateran. Pope John XXIII made him leave on account of his modernism and his progressivism. Hence surprise, surprise, and he is found again as President of the Commission for, Liturgical Reform. This is all the same, unbelievable.

I had the occasion to see for myself what influence Fr. Bugnini had. One wonders how such a thing as this could have happened at Rome. At that time immediately after the Council, I was Superior General of the Congregation of the Fathers of the Holy Ghost and we had a meeting of the Superiors General at Rome. We had asked Fr. Bugnini explain to us what his New Mass was, for this was not at all a small event. Immediately after the Council was heard of the Normative Mass, the New Mass, the Novus Ordo. What did all this mean?

It had not been spoken of at the Council. What had happened? And so we asked Fr. Bugnini to come and explain himself to the 84 Superiors General who were united together, amongst whom I consequently was.

Fr. Bugnini, with much confidence, explained what the Normative Mass would be; this will be changed, that will be changed and we will put in place another Offertory. We will be able to reduce the communion prayers. We will be able to have several different formats for the beginning of Mass. We will be able to say the Mass in the vernacular tongue. We looked at one another saying to ourselves: “But it's not possible!"

He spoke absolutely, as if there had never been a Mass in the Church before him. He spoke of his Normative Mass as of a new invention.

Personally I was myself so stunned that I remained mute, although I generally speak freely when it is a question of opposing those with whom I am not in agreement. I could not utter a word. How could it be possible for this man before me to be entrusted with the entire reform of the Catholic Liturgy, the entire reform of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, of the sacraments, of the Breviary, and of all our prayers? Where are we going? Where is the Church going?

Two Superiors General had the courage to speak out. One of them asked Fr. Bugnini: “Is this an active participation, that is a bodily participation, that is to say with vocal prayers, or is it a spiritual participation? In any case you have so much spoken of the participation of the faithful that it seems you can no longer justify Mass celebrated without the faithful. Your entire Mass has been fabricated around the participation of the faithful. We Benedictines celebrate our Masses without the assistance of the faithful. Does this mean that we must discontinue our private Masses, since we do not have faithful to participate in them?"

I repeat to you exactly that which Fr. Bugnini said. I have it still in my ears, so much did it strike me: “To speak truthfully we didn't think of that," he said!

Afterwards another arose and said: "Reverend Father, you have said that we will suppress this and we will suppress that, that we will replace this thing by that and always by shorter prayers. I have the impression that your new Mass could be said in ten or twelve minutes or at the most a quarter of an hour. This is not reasonable. This is not respectful towards such an act of the Church." Well, this is what he replied: "We can always add something." Is this for real? I heard it myself. If somebody had told me the story I would perhaps have doubted it, but I heard it myself.

Afterwards, at the time at which this Normative Mass began to be put into practice, I was so disgusted that we met with some priests and theologians in a small meeting. From it came the “Brief Critical Study,” which was taken to Cardinal Ottaviani. I presided that small meeting. We said to ourselves: “We must go and find the Cardinals. We cannot allow this to happen without reacting."

So I myself went to find the Secretary of State, Cardinal Cicognani, and I said to him: “Your Eminence, you are not going to allow this to get through, are you? It's not possible. What is this New Mass? It is a revolution in the Church, a revolution in the Liturgy."

Cardinal Cicognani, who was the Secretary of State of Pope Paul VI, placed his head between his hands and said to me: "Oh Monseigneur, I know well. I am in full agreement with you; but what can I do? Fr. Bugnini goes in to the office of the Holy Father and makes him sign what he wants." It was the Cardinal Secretary of State who told me this! Therefore the Secretary of State, the number two person in the Church after the Pope himself, was placed in a position of inferiority with respect to Fr. Bugnini. He could enter into the Pope's office when he wanted and make him sign what he wanted.

This can explain why Pope Paul VI signed texts that he had not read. He told Cardinal Journet that he had done this. Cardinal Journet was a deep thinker, Professor at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and a great theologian. When Cardinal Journet saw the definition of the Mass in the instruction, which precedes the Novus Ordo, he said: ”This definition of the Mass is unacceptable; I must go to Rome to see the Pope." He went and he said: “Holy Father you cannot allow this definition. It is heretical. You cannot leave your signature on a document like this." The Holy Father replied to him (Cardinal Journet did not tell me himself but he told ”Well, to speak truthfully I did not read it. I signed it without reading it." Evidently, if Fr. Bugnini had such an influence on him it's quite possible. He must have said to the Holy Father: ”You can sign it". "But did you look it over carefully". ”Yes, you can go ahead and sign it." And he signed.

But this document did not go through the Holy Office. I know this because Cardinal Seper himself told me that he was absent when the Novus Ordo was edited and that it did not pass by the Holy Office. Hence it is indeed Fr. Bugnini who obtained the Pope's signature and who perhaps constrained him. We do not know, but he had without a doubt an extraordinary influence over the Holy Father.

A third fact, of which I was myself the witness, with respect to Fr. Bugnini is also astonishing. When permission was about to be give for Communion in the hand (what a horrible thing!), I said to myself that I could not sit by without saying anything. I must go and see Cardinal Gut -a Swiss -who was Prefect of the Congregation for Worship. I therefore went to Rome, where Cardinal Gut received me in a very friendly way and immediately said to me: "I'm going to make my second-in- charge, Archbishop Antonini, come that he also might hear what you have to say."

As we spoke I said: "Listen, you who are responsible for the Congregation for Worship, are you going to approve this decree which authorizes Communion in the hand? Just think of all the sacrileges, which it is going to cause. Just think of the lack of respect for the Holy Eucharist, which is going to spread throughout the entire Church. You cannot possibly allow such a thing to happen. Already priests are beginning to give Communion in this manner. It must be stopped immediately. And with this New Mass they always take the shortest canon, that is the second one, which is very brief"

At this, Cardinal Gut said to Archbishop Antonini, "See, I told you this would happen and that priests would take the shortest canon so as to go more quickly and finish the Mass more quickly."

Afterwards Cardinal Gut said to me: "Monseigneur, if one were to ask my opinion (when he said "one" he was speaking of the Pope, since nobody was over him except the Pope), but I'm not certain it is asked of me (don't forget that he was Prefect for the Congregation for Worship and was responsible for everything which was related to Worship and to the Liturgy!), but if the Pope were to ask for it, I would place myself on my knees, Monseigneur, before the Pope and I would say to him: 'Holy Father do not do this; do not sign this decree.' I would cast myself on my knees, Monseigneur. But I do not know that I will be asked. For it is not I who command here."

This I heard with my own ears. He was making allusion to Bugnini, who was the third in the Congregation for Worship. There was first of all Cardinal Gut, then Archbishop Antonini and then Fr. Bugnini, President of the Liturgical Commission. You ought to have heard that! Alas, you can now understand my attitude when I am told; you are a dissident and disobedient rebel.

..............................

You can read the rest of the article here.

O Mary of Graces

2007-06-12T23:04:00.000+08:00

Here is a beautiful but rarely heard Marian hymn I accidentally found
which I enjoyed, but whose lyrics are hard to find on the net.

1.   O Mary of graces
And Mother of God,
May I tread in the paths
That the righteous have trod.
And mayest thou save me
from Evil's control,
And mayest thou save me
In body and soul.

2.   And mayest thou save me
By land and by sea,
And mayest thou save me
from tortures to be.
May the guard of the Angels
above me abide,
May God be before me
and God at my side.

3.  May a smile of thy mercy
From heaven come down,
When  my heart would leave thee
and cleave to the ground.
And when this poor body returns to its sod,
May thy loving arms bear
My soul to its God.

Download the MP3 of the song here. You'll have to register before
downloading.

*Update: Surprise, surprise, it's not a rare hymn after all. I checked
my Angelus Blue Hymnal and it's on page 240, hymn # 176!

The Miracle of St Nicolas du Chardonnet

2007-06-07T18:58:00.000+08:00

I was reading the Second Volume of the late Michael Davies' Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre and came across the story of St Nicolas du Chardonnet, the de facto headquarters of the SSPX in France. St Nicolas du Chardonnet has been occupied by the SSPX since 1977, when the traditionalists took over the state-owned church, armed with nothing but rosaries, cassocks and the crucifix. The following account of how the traditionalist lay siege of the church is given by Michael Davies in the second chapter of the second volume of Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre.

During the final Mass of the morning on the First Sunday of Lent the miracle began. The handful of worshippers started to grow. Slowly but surely the church began to fill. Before long it was full. The faithful were standing in the aisles. One of the parish clergy could not restrain his astonishment.

"Who are you? Why are you here? We're overcome with delight."

"Let's hope you're still delighted in a few minutes' time," answered a layman.

“Why, what do you mean?" asked the cleric.

He soon found out.

Through the main door of the church a triumphal procession entered. Preceded by a cross came a long line of the faithful headed by a good number of priests, three of whom were vested ready for Mass-let their names be known and venerated. M. l'Abbé Juan, sub-deacon; M. l'Abbé de Fommevault, deacon; Monsignor Ducaud-Bourget, celebrant-a priest of more than eighty years of age, a patriarchal figure with long white hair , a priest who appeared to be a reincarnation of the Curé d'Ars. Among the other priests was M. l'Abbé Coache, hounded from his parish for the crime of organizing a procession in honor of the Blessed Sacrament.¹

For years now these holy priests had been celebrating a series of Masses each Sunday in the Salle Wagram, a rather dilapidated hall near the Arc de Triomphe. They had begged and pleaded, used every possible approach to the civil and ecclesiastical authorities to be allowed the use of a church to celebrate their Mass-but to no avail. The Mass which they wished to celebrate was the Mass codified by Pope St. Pius V –and the celebration of this form of Mass is the one and only form of activity which is totally and absolutely verboten in the French Church. The present situation was perfectly expressed by Fr. Henri Bruckberger, Chaplain-General to the French Resistance. “Today a priest is permitted to lend his church for use by Moslems or Buddhists, Tibetans or Patagonians, hippies, Papuans, non-Papuans, boys, girls, by the ambiguous, the ambivalent, the ambidexterous, amphibians or nomads-but if a poor priest wishes to celebrate the Mass for which the very Church was built (and not by the hierarchy but by the people themselves), and if the French people wish to go there to assist at the same Mass that has been said in the place for centuries, then the full fury of the French episcopate falls upon them.”

But by the First Sunday of Lent 1977 the faithful had had enough-more than enough. Attendance at the Salle Wagram -8,000 each Sunday-more than surpassed any other place of worship in Paris, not excepting the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Why, they asked themselves, priests and people alike, why should they have to worship in a public hall for the sole crime of remaining true to the faith of their fathers?

"By what right do you come here?" asked one of the parish clergy.

"We come ," replied Mgr. Ducaud-Bourget (and is it unreasonable to claim that he was inspired?) "in Nomine Domini."

The apostles of progress are temporarily nonplussed; before they realize what is happening their podium and table have been relegated to a transept, and a Solemn High Mass is being celebrated on the altar. But the apostles of progress do not remain nonplussed for long. Militant campaigners against oppressive social structures, advocates of lay participation- what can they do? The answer is simple. Call the police. They do so without hesitation. The police arrive. "Expel those people from the church."

"But they're saying Mass and praying. That's what a church is for! " Exit the police. The apostles of progress are nonplussed once more.

And that was that.

The traditionalists came; they prayed; they stayed. And they are there still.

This is stuff for Sun Tzu's Art of War.

Today the traditionalists are still there and on Sundays there are six sung masses sung back to back with almost no interruption. I realise that it is not very Catholic in normal circumstances to say that a separation of the church and state is desirable, but God has a sense of humour. It is precisely because of the separation of the state and the church that it came to be that the SSPX was able to take over St Nicolas du Chardonnet without the archdiocese being able to do anything about it, since all churches in France are state property. When the traditionalists took over the church, the state refused to interfere because they regarded it as an internal church matter. When the judgement for eviction was given, the local police refused to enforce it. When the local priest went to the police station to fetch the person in charge of the eviction, he was told the very person was assisting at St Nicolas du Chardonnet! I delight in the irony. So nothing was done till today. And the very mass that the St Nicolas du Chardonnet was built for is still said today, Deo Gratias!

What We Have Lost Video

2007-06-04T01:59:00.000+08:00

What We have Lost
...and the Road to Restoration
A critical look at the changes in the Catholic Church

This video gives you an intimate, up-close look at the destructive and wide-spread changes that have taken place in the two-thousand-year-old Catholic Church since the close of the Second Vatican Council in 1965.

Much of what you see will surprise you, maybe even shock you, and -- unfortunately -- will sadden you. "What We Have Lost" not ony exposes the external damage that has been done to the Universal Church, but goes deep behind the scenes to reveal the hidden changes; how and when they were made; and who made them.

This video asks the hard questions: Is the Church still Catholic? Has She lost the true faith? Does the clergy still truly "believe?" Can we count on today's Church to lead us to salvation? The answers found in "What We Have Lost" may bring you to anger -- or to tears. But after you see it, you will never look at the "modern" Church in the same way again.

And "What We Have Lost" is about hope. Hope in Jesus Christ and His one true Church on earth. Plus it's about the restoration of the traditional Latin Mass and the "Faith of our Fathers;" and it documents the groundswell of traditionalism within the Church, and how you can be a part of it...on the "Road to Restoration."

View the video here.

Here's the link to download the entire video through Emule, the peer-to-peer filesharing network. You must have the Emule software for the link to work. If you have downloaded the Emule software, just click on the link below to activate the download.

Download:What we have lost.avi

Please spread the link and the video, that many more Catholics may know the truth.

The Saint of Econe?

2007-06-02T17:19:00.000+08:00

This is the story of how Providence found a seminary at Econe for the fledgling SSPX when it first begun. I read this story of our little-known benefactor in the second volume of the Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre by Michael Davies and felt that it is a story that every SSPXer should know.

Volume 2, Chapter XXVIII

1 November 1978

A sermon preached by Father L. M. Barrielle,
Published in The Angelus, November 1979.

On All Saints' Day, Wednesday, 1 November 1978, the soul of M. Alphonse Pedroni left us for the land of the blest – the meeting place of all who on earth have believed in Christ and led their lives in accord with His divine teaching.

Every day Holy Church invites us to honor certain men who, during their lives, have been examples of heroic sanctity. To encourage us here below and to give us an example, the Church inscribes them in the catalogue of saints. But many saints – even those heroic in all Christian virtues – are not known on earth. The Church includes them in the wonderful Feast of All Saints.

In this numberless procession it is pleasing to imagine this Saint - M. Alphonse Pedroni – who will probably pass unknown to many, but will surely find a high place among the souls who have done much to establish the reign of the Immaculate Heart, which will triumph in the end. On Saturday, 4 November 1978, the first Saturday of the month, so dear to his heart, in the crowded chapel of Econe, his mortal remains received funeral honors according to the traditional rite which was his last wish.

Mgr. Lefebvre insisted upon singing a Pontifical Requiem Mass to show the gratitude of the Society of St. Pius X and the Seminary of Ecône towards this humble Christian, an industrialist from Saxon, who was at the very root of our International Seminary at Ecône.

It was in 1968 that the Vice President of the little commune of Saxon (we should say in France, the deputy mayor) a former Retreatant of the work founded by Father Vallet at Chabeuil, heard one evening a group of men engaged in a pretty sharp discussion in a cafe: the old house of the Canons of St. Bernard – over 600 years old – was apparently for sale; they were discussing buying it and turning it into a casino. Of course, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Fields would be demolished. The business could not but be a success, etc., etc. The tall, silent Alphonse, sitting at the next table, took no part in the conversation but he heard everything.¹

He was thunderstruck by the thought that this religious house, sanctified by so many holy religious, was to become a house of sin! …the Chapel of Our Lady of the Fields, dear to every native of the Valais, was to be demolished to make way for a center of iniquity. No! Never while he lived could a Retreatant tolerate such a sacrilege! Back home, he telephoned his brother, Marcel, with whom he had made his first retreat at Chabeuil: "We cannot allow this profanation!”

From the other end of the wire came the response: “What sort of business are you rushing into? I've heard that the Canons need the money and will really call the tune. Keep out of it! The price would be prohibitive!"

"We have no right to stand for this! The problem is not insoluble. Let them demolish that Chapel where the holy Canon Gabioud said his First Mass in our presence? Unity is strength. We are a group of determined Retreatants. All it needs is for a few determined Retreatants to unite!"

Accustomed to business affairs, Alphonse did not shrink from the difficulties. Without trouble he found a few friends able to put up the money: a notary in Fully, an insurance agent in Sion, a friend in Orsiéres who was to become a councillor of the Canton, some others in Martigny, the young curé of Riddes, the two Pedronis. They would use the land for growing apricots, vines, etc.

Alphonse boldly telephoned the Provost of St. Bernard: "We are willing to buy at the highest price to be offered by any bidder. Give us priority. We cannot allow such a profanation."

The word is given, the deed of purchase is signed (note the date) on 31 May, 1968 – the Feast of Mary, Queen of the World.

The deal is complete, the House is bought. How to use it? There is a God! Alphonse believed in Providence. A Carmelite community comes to see it…no good, there are no walls. The Sisters of Chabeuil come, too. Hummm! At this, the beloved and revered Abbé Bonvin, Curé of Fully, who has in his parish the strongest parochial section of Retreatants in the Valais, in Switzerland, in the world – invites one of his old friends from the French Seminary in Rome to come and preach a week’s mission to the men. It is His Excellency Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, former Archbishop of Dakar, former Apostolic Delegate for all French-speaking Africa, former Superior General of the Holy Ghost Fathers, former Archbishop of Tulle, etc. In the course of the mission, Monseigneur asked his friend:

"I suppose you couldn't find me a house large enough for a seminary? Several seminarians, ill-pleased with the distortions of the Faith which are served up to them in various seminaries, have sought me out. I have agreed; I have bought a small villa at Fribourg but it is too small…"

The curé was only too happy to be able to reply, "I have exactly what you want, and it will be given to you for nothing, and ready at once. The notary of my parish, a former Retreatant, is the secretary of a society which has just what you want."

A dinner was organized in Monseigneur's honor. This group of Retreatants had refused to change their Missals. The conversation was lively. Everyone had a firm faith which rejected the intrusions of the modernist Mafia who want to force the church into Modernist Protestism. However, one of the gentleman had not yet said a word: it was the very one who had begun the whole business.

Then Monseigneur invited him gently thus: “We should very much like to know what M. Pedroni thinks of all this.”

The silent one answered, concise and prophetic: “Monseigneur, if you establish your seminary at Ecône, before long Ecône will be known throughout the world!”

“There’s a prophecy!” – which was followed by general laughter.

And at the committee meeting every year on the arrival of Alphonse, his colleagues would tease him: "Here's the prophet!" Because, in truth, people were soon speaking of Ecône in every country of the world.

Is it necessary to say that, on that autumn morning in 1978 when the entire seminary of Ecône sang the Requiem Mass for a friend universally regretted, the seminarians surrounded the coffin of Alphonse Pedroni represented not only most of the countries of Europe, but Canada, the Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and even the very antipodes of Switzerland: Australia and New Zealand.

Yes, after ten years, not only was Econe known throughout the world but the whole world was there around him. And Mgr. 'Lefebvre, during that Requiem Mass could not subdue his emotion.

On this first Saturday of November, sacred to the Immaculate Heart of Mary , dear Alphonse, that Queen to whom you had consecrated your whole life, whom you loved so much and so greatly caused to be loved by others, came herself to fetch you.

All we who knew you intimately believes, as Monseigneur said in his address: “On high you will continue your work of defending the Roman Catholic Faith, defending the True Mass, the priesthood and Ecône, which reminds the whole of the anti-modernist oath of Saint Pius X.”

1 . See Vol. I, pp. 13-14.

Seeking The Beatific Vision

The Decree of Excommunication has been lifted!

The Power of the Rosary

I'm Getting Married!

St Benedict Cross

Special Edition Rosary Booklet

SSPX Newsletter

Tepidity, A Debate, Purgatory and Extreme Unction

To Say Yes or No: That Is The Question.

Hamas Cleric Predicts 'Rome Will Be Conquered by Islam'

10 Things You Didn't Know About Pope Benedict XVI

By Bobbie Kyle Sauer

Prayers for SSPX Priest and Faithful in Zimbabwe

A Study Into The Legal Aspects of Homeschooling In Malaysia

The Baking Duchess

The Saddest and Sweetest Poem

You'll Find Someone Else

The Worth of a Human Soul

Latest News On SSPX and Rome

The Suppressed interview with Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

Your independence has been attributed by several observers to a tradition of Gallicanism.2

When did this happen?

Why do you think there will be no more priests?

What is being taught in the seminaries today?

Are these statements documented and on record?

Have they been brought to the attention of the hierarchy?

Has the hierarchy made any attempt to stop such similar teachings?

Do you ever feel alone and isolated?

Why do they not come out publicly and support you?

Does your stand separate you further from other Christian denominations?

Why should they express support when in fact you say that you are right and they are in error?

Would not Christian charity try to avoid solidifying differences and divisions that could be healed?

What makes you believe that significant numbers of Orthodox, Protestants or Moslems support you?

Has not the pope invited you to be reconciled? Have you accepted this invitation?

How can you be loyal to the church and disobedient to the pope?

Holy Week Schedule

Indie Songs...

Mother of God vs Creator of God

Judaism And The Talmud

Some Teachings of the Jewish Talmud

A History of SSPX in Pictures

Tridentine Mass in Kuching, Sarawak

Around The Year With The Von Trapp Family

Table of Contents:

Celebrating With the Family In Heaven

Christmas Season

Easter Cycle

The Green Meadow

Celebrating with the Family on Earth

Other Selections:

Pope Benedict XVI vs. Mr S.A.Tan.

All About My Christmas

Some Tips On Homemaking

The Myth of Adolescence

The Marks of Manhood

The Beauty Myth Debunked

Why Women Are Exposing Themselves

Pictures of the Confirmations

Bienvenida, Bishop de Galaretta!

The War That Never Was

Update On A Bad Day

Duggar Family Interview in Manhattan

Bishop Williamson

Making Faith-Based Movies

Way of The Master: Preacher's Techniques

For The Grace Of The Mass To Be Known To All

A Hiatus, Exams, Food Blogs and Bentos

Vatican exorcist Amorth speaks on Satan's smoke

Spero News publishes "The Smoke of Satan in the House of the Lord...and deliver us from the evil one," an interview with the Vatican's chief excorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth by Stefano Maria Paci

Do You Remember?

The Museum of Saint Pius X

Adoramus Te

For Priests Who Want To Learn The Old Mass

Peru To Be Consecrated To The Immaculate Heart Tomorrow!

Duggar Fans Forever!

Within Carmelite Walls

SSPX Sabah Update

DICI on the Motu Propio

Special Dossier: Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum

Brian Mershon Interviews Bishop Fellay on Summorum Pontificum

Your independence has been attributed by several observers to a tradition of Gallicanism.²