There’s a reason I’ve not been posting. I’ll tell you about it later.

What possible purpose did that serve besides smacking conservatives and Traditionalists? San Miguel is where the conservative refugees in Santa Fe attend Mass, and San Ignacio is the parish where the Archdiocese holds the indult (someone mentioned to me once, “Did you know San Ignacio is the smallest parish in the Archdiocese?” Of course it is, why do you think they sent us here?)

I guess this is why the Archdiocese has had two priests leave, one to join the FSSP and one to join the “schismatics” (I can only assume that means the SSPX). I guess that’s why the SSPX has enough people supporting them in Albuquerque to build an impressive new church for their Masses.

Like his predecessor, it seems the current Archbishop needs to realize that while some of us are former altar boys, we’re not going to keep bending over without protest.

The monument is sponsored by Les Jésuites de Sudbury.

‘’ No service of faith without promotion of justice. No promotion of justice without dialogue with other traditions.'’ (34th General Congregation 1995, Society of Jesus)

Ok, so McGyver or Jack T. Burton is supposed to walk through that thing and get transported to ancient Egypt or something, right? And Ra gets his hands on a nuke but James Spader saves the day, isn’t that how it goes? I totally saw this thing on Showtime.

Presbyterians ‘Receive’ Policy on Worship

The divine Trinity _ “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” _ could also be known as “Mother, Child and Womb” or “Rock, Redeemer, Friend” at some Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) services under an action Monday by the church’s national assembly.

Delegates to the meeting voted to “receive” a policy paper on gender- inclusive language for the Trinity, a step short of approving it. That means church officials can propose experimental liturgies with alternative phrasings for the Trinity, but congregations won’t be required to use them.

*snip*

Besides “Mother, Child and Womb” and “Rock, Redeemer, Friend,” proposed Trinity options drawn from biblical material include:

_ “Lover, Beloved, Love”

_ “Creator, Savior, Sanctifier”

_ “King of Glory, Prince of Peace, Spirit of Love.”

From the Presbyterian website:

Moderator of the 216th General Assembly, Rick Ufford-Chase

Send email to Rick Ufford-Chase

Subject:

Inclusive language for the Trinity

Message:

Dear Mr. Chase:

It is with great interest that I read the news of your Assembly’s decision about additional versions of the invocation of the Trinity.

I’d like to take this time to congratulate the Presbyterian Church (USA) for this bold move. After all, the letter of the law is death, but it is the spirit that brings life. Or something.

In any event, I wanted to take this opportunity to be of assistance as your denomination explores its faith journey as a community of hope.

As part of your outreach to contemporary people, may I suggest using “Paper, Scissor, Rock” as a valid invocation of the Trinity? After all, Christ does cover us in a new garment when we experience him in our hearts, much like paper. And of course, the Holy Spirit cuts through us to our deepest being.

Oh, oops. My bad. I see you’re not running this Assembly. Could you please pass this on to Ms. Joan S. Gray? I can’t seem to find her email address on your site.

God bless,

Tom

Your message to Rick Ufford-Chase has been sent.

On a side note, you people need to read Jimmy the Hand more. This is not a suggestion.

Earlier, I wrote about an piece written by some Canadian woman. Her name, for the record, is Lydia Lovric. Jimmy actually got her to reply in an online forum. TSucht is the power of Jimmy the Hand, folks.

Jth: Lydia, just for the record, you’re an idiot. Five minutes of research would have shown you that you are raising a heathen, not a heretic. YOU, dear lady, are the heretic (and an apostate, for that matter). Having been baptized, you are dissenting from the Church on a matter of faith and morals. Your statement is a textbook example of heresy.

Lydia: Sorry to disappoint you J, but I did not use the term “heretic” incorrectly. The Oxford English Dictionary describes heresy as the following:

• noun (pl. heresies) 1 belief or opinion contrary to orthodox religious (especially Christian) doctrine. 2 opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted.

So, we are indeed raising or planning to raise a heretic.

That’s nice, but The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition is a bit more detailed in its definition:

Heresy:

#1. An opinion or a doctrine at variance with established religious beliefs, especially dissension from or denial of Roman Catholic dogma by a professed believer or baptized church member.

So why should someone go with the “American” Dictionary over the “English” Dictionary?

How about because we rule the world. As a matter of fact, you people are lucky we even let you still call the language “English” and not “American”. You’re about ten minutes away from us doing just that too, if y’all don’t get in line and stop ticking us off.

Or we can go with the less interesting reason that the second definition provides more context than the first. What that means is simple, no sane person would call a Jew a heretic (you can make the case for Muslims being heretics, according to one famous historian). Neither would you call a Buddhist or a Hindu a heretic. The reasoning for this is obvious, you have to be a member of a group to reject that group’s doctrines. After all, what would I care about Muslim dietary laws?

As we can see, membership is required to be what can be called a heretic. How does one enter the Church? Through baptism.

If I don’t stop banging my head against the wall, I’m going to take out a good corner of my house.

Some op-ed thing from some paper most likely housed in an igloo. H/T The Curt Jester:

Our baby is full of original sin. That’s right. Not yet eight months old, our daughter has yet to be baptized and will therefore never grace the gates of heaven. Some will no doubt rebuke our decision to turn away from the Catholic church. That’s fine. But reading the latest edict issued by the Vatican, my husband and I feel further justified in our resolve to raise a heretic.

The 1983 CIC (Code of Canon Law):

Canon 751: “Heresy is the obstinate denial or obstinate doubt after the reception of baptism of some truth which is to be believed by divine and Catholic faith; apostasy is the total repudiation of the Christian faith; schism is the refusal of submission to the Supreme Pontiff or of communion with the members of the Church subject to him.”

Winnipeg writer person, step away from the dog sled and parse that sentence with me, will you? Do you see the part that says, “after the reception of baptism?” That means by your denying your child baptism, the one thing you can absolutely guarantee is that that child will NOT be a heretic. On the bright side, you are well on your way to raising your child to be stupid, since you’re proving to be a sterling role-model for idiocy in action. I mean, if you’re going to make some big and splashy declaration shouldn’t you at least take a few minutes to make sure you’re nailing your ten cent terms?

I will say it again. It’s ok to be stupid; it is something else entirely to be painfully stupid.

UPDATE: A ten cent term, isn’t that like $25 Canadian?

The relics of six Knights of Columbus canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 have begun a tour of the United States.

The 1920s brought a revolution to Mexico, along with the widespread persecution of Catholics.

Missionaries were expelled from the country, Catholic seminaries and schools were closed, and the Church was forbidden to own property. Priests and laymen were told to denounce Jesus and their faith in public; if they refused, they faced not just punishment but torture and death.

During this time of oppression and cruelty, the Knights of Columbus did not retreat in Mexico but grew dramatically, from 400 members in 1918 to 43 councils and 6,000 members just five years later. In the United States at the time, the Knights handed out five million pamphlets that described the brutality of the Mexican government toward Catholics. As a result, the Mexican government greatly feared and eventually outlawed the Order.

Read more them here.

They’ll be at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi tomorrow. Mass will be at 5:30pm, followed by veneration of the relics. Come over, I’ll see you there.

This, from just recently:

If she puts the smackdown on protestants, then the Society of Silly Protestant eXtremists (SSPX) should be afraid.

Comment by Mario Mirarchi — May 4, 2006

Well, I was checking my email the other day when lo and behold:

Dear Tommissar,
Please accept my apology for my snide comment I posted about the SSPX. An incident happened at Mass yesterday which made appreciate your position. The responsorial psalm was “The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone”, which was sung by a “contemporary” ensemble. They did a bluegrass version of it, and all they needed was a braying jackass and one would have been forgiven for thinking that it was an episode of “Hee-Haw” instead of Sunday Mass.
God is indeed creative in how he displays his mercy.
Again please accept my sincere apologizes. Hang tough, and keep the faith.
Best Regards,
Mario Mirarchi
PS: If you like, you may publish this in its entirety.

For the record, I’m not an “SSPXer”. At times I may attend Mass at a Society chapel from necessity (and when you come to New Mexico, you too can see there is such a thing), but I am in no way affiliated with them. In fact, most times you will find me at San Ignacio church in Albuquerque.

Also, I have always said about this blog:

It takes a big man to start to make that admission, Mario. It’s a long road, but I have faith in you.

Finally, if you seriously have only just now started to see the craziness, I want to know where you go to church. Send me an address because I want to visit.

This past weekend Primus was awarded his Light of Christ emblem.

Now if there’s something we should all know about the Light of Christ emblem, it’s this:

The purpose is to help the Cub develop a personal relationship with Jesus. With the parents’ active assistance and participation in this program, it is hoped that the Cub will come to see Jesus as a real person and his friend.

Well you know, mission accomplished. That “dying on the cross” thing was kinda his first clue that Jesus cares about him. We were really interested in the section on Eucharist, but I think our book was defective and didn’t have it. We did have something about a favorite meal, and sharing the types of food you like to eat though. Maybe there was some mixup at the printer’s and we got some chapter from a children’s cookbook or something.

In any event, the archdiocese held a special (Novus Ordo) Mass for all the Scouts in the state who earned their religious emblems. Before Mass I gave Primus a rosary with instructions to pray it if the other Scouts started talking and being distracting during Mass. Four minutes after the procession, I saw the rosary come out of his pocket.

Why yes, I did time it.

Mass was said by his Excellency, Archbishop Michael Sheehan. My favorite part of the Mass was the recessional hymn, that traditional tune, “Praise Him”

Praise Him, praise Him
Praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the noontime
Praise Him, praise Him
Praise Him when the sun goes down

Jesus, Jesus
Jesus in the morning, Jesus in the noontime
Jesus, Jesus
Jesus when the sun goes down

Now I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure this was a Jimmy Dean smoked sausage jingle. The only difference is that the Jimmy Dean people threw in the phrase “supper time” somewhere. Both the hymn and the jingle pronounced “morning” as “moe-nin”.

In actuality, I shouldn’t be so tough on “Praise Him”. Unlike nearly every other contemporary Catholic hymn, it actually recommends that we . . . praise God. This does stand in stark contrast to just about the rest of the contemporary hymnal, where we are told all the awesome things God will do for us, since we are so awesome ourselves. Good job, “Praise Him”!

For proof of this, read the lyrics of “Eagles Wings”, “Be Not Afraid”, or most of the other stuff in your average pew today. In most other hymns, the message conveyed is, “That’s mighty white of you, God, to look out for me like that. If there’s anything I can do for you (except reform my life and try to live it in a way so as to be pleasing to You) just give me a ring, ok?”

Since my wife always flinches when I say, “That’s mighty white of you” someone please remind me to tell her not to read this post.

Yes, I know he should have taken off his Tiger Cub Paw. And no, the other Cub Scouts are not in the Witness Protection Program. The wife pointed out that there were other children in the picture. And yes, if you download the picture and zoom in, you will notice the name tags have been blurred as well.

The Chaser
Sea Scout Ship 90
Napa, California

Ora Pro Nobis!

Today is Constitution Day.

More importantly, it’s the Feast of Our Lady, Queen of Poland; she who puts the smack down on Protestants:

The chronicles of Czestochowa contain many testimonials from the Swedes of visions of Our Lady, which terrified them:—”What witch is this in your cloister of Czestochowa, who, covered with a blue mantle, sallies from the cloister and walks along the walls, resting from time to time on the bastions, and whose sight makes our people drop with terror, so much so, that when she appears, we have to turn our faces to the ground and protect our eyes?

and Communists:

In the wake of World War I Poland had just emerged free of her three neighboring oppressors and was terribly devastated. Boys of fifteen went to swell the ranks of fighting men. The situation was critical. A counterattack from the Vistula River was successful, by the grace of God, and quickly panic set in among the Russian hordes, which hugely outnumbered the Poles. The extent of the panic can be judged by enemy losses which amounted to one hundred and fifty thousand. The Poles lost fifty thousand men, while taking sixty-six thousand prisoners. The Russian soldiers reported that they saw a woman clad in white and blue in the sky above the Polish lines, that they were terrified by the apparition and that panic set in among them. Three days later the Russians were retreating on all fronts. The Battle of the Vistula (or the Miracle of the Vistula, as it is known in Poland), is called one of the eighteen decisive battles in the history of the world by military experts.

Cat provided by our friends at Fish Eaters.

Some people say I only belittle and humiliate my posters. I disagree (circle gets the square). I only do that to the ones that annoy me. In fact, it’s quite possible to disagree with me and not be annoying. For example: Clara took exception with my characterization of “Phatmass” and asked me to reconsider. So, being the decent guy that I am, I go back to Phatmass with an open mind.

Of course, it didn’t take long to find the hate for Tradition.

When has the Church ever acted that way? When has the Church ever moved backward? Quo Primum did the very same thing as Missale Romanum, except it was 399 years earlier.

That is naive and that is incorrect disciplinary theology. The Church has never moved backward in order to promote Tradition. Not once. Why now? I disagree. Why don’t we simply push for proper implementation of the Missa Normativa? When done correctly it is as beautiful and theologically correct as the so called Tridentine.

Actually, I’m not sure if the Church every moved backward in order to promote Tradition. Why don’t you ask the Pope in Avignon?

So what you’re saying is, no one ever reauthorized Communion in the hand? Well, that’s a load off my mind! I mean, the big argument of the time was “the early Christians received Communion by hand”. If we go that route, the whole Novus Ordo was supposed to return the liturgy to some idyllic “pure and primitive” form. That means, the Mass you’re championing is an example of something you claim never happened. Somebody call that Alanis Morissette chick.

Quo Primum did the very same thing as Missale Romanum, except it was 399 years earlier.

That’s a bold and intriguing statement there. It also happens to be entirely wrong.

Missalae Romanum created an entirely new liturgy whole cloth. The Missal of Pius V was a codification of existing practices. Pius V alsoretained any rite with more than 200 years of continual use. Oh, and Pius V didn’t have Protestants help design the liturgy. Other than that, it was the very same thing as Missale Romanum.

If you think the current Mass is as theologically correct as the Traditional Mass, you are sadly, sadly mistaken. The New Mass was designed with the aid of Protestants who were able to make informal “suggestions” about the reform of the Mass. What, do you think those guys were saying, “You know, you really need to stress Transubstantiation and the Sacrificial nature of the Mass more”?

My man, I wouldn’t go throwing around words like “incorrect” and “naive”. I’m just saying.