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Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

Laudetur Iesus Christus! Sunday is the 20th Sunday after Pentecost, and as custom we provide a reflection on today’s collect by Dr. Mike Foley: https://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/10/a-worthy-location-postcommunion-prayer.html#.YWJckxwpCHs

We thank everyone who attended the Solemn High Mass on Thursday – it was a beautiful gift to be present at this Mass of Our Lady.  In thanksgiving, please offer a decade of your Rosary, for the priests, especially Frs. Kauth and Buettner.  Speaking of Our Lady, tomorrow Monday October 11 is the traditional feast of the maternity of Mary, Mother of God (Mater Dei). We share Dom Prosper Gueranger’s entry for this feast day: https://sensusfidelium.us/the-liturgical-year-dom-prosper-gueranger/october/october-11-the-motherhood-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

SPECIAL EVENT: Dr. Peter Kwasniewski Coming to Charlotte – Saturday November 6

As noted last week, we are pleased to announce that the CLMC and St. Thomas Aquinas parish will be hosting Dr. Peter Kwasniewski for a special dinner lecture on Saturday evening November 6 at 7pm in Aquinas Hall (1400 Suther Road, Charlotte).  Dr. Kwasniewski is noted author, lecturer, and composer, who will be speaking on the topic, “Given a Choice, Why Should I Consistently Attend the Traditional Latin Mass?” A pizza dinner and refreshments will be offered. There is no cost but a free will offering will be taken. An RSVP is appreciated for headcount purposes. To RSVP please e-mail us at: info(at)charlottelatinmass.org A flyer is linked.

TAN Books Begins New Online Journal: TAN Direction

Last week we mentioned local Catholic publisher TAN Books, has just announced a new online journal that will help the faithful grow in holiness according the traditions of the Church. Contributors will not only include TAN staff (several attend St. Ann and the TLM) but also traditionalists including Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God, and Fr. Zachary Akers, FSSP (the latter visited us at St. Ann in August 2017). We are pleased to share Fr. Ackers first post:

http://tandirection.tanbooks.com/enemies-of-salvation/st-michaels-help-is-urgent-and-for-today/

Latin Mass & Traditional News

  • Creation and the Weekly Liturgy: Fr. William Rock, FSSP provides a helpful piece on why the preface of the Holy Trinity is used for most of the Sundays after Pentecost and its connection to the 6 day creation in Genesis: https://fssp.com/creation-and-the-weekly-liturgy/
  • St Pius V and the Mass: Voice of the Family also published Dr. Joseph Shaw’s (head of the UK’s Latin Mass Society), article on clearing up some of the myths some modernists use to claim the Novus Ordo Mass was simply the same as what Pope St. Pius V did when he codified the Traditional Latin Mass at Trent. As you can suspect, this was not the same situation and the introduction of the Novus Ordo was an entirely new missal, unheard of in Church history: https://voiceofthefamily.com/st-pius-v-and-the-mass/
  • The Rosary Sounds the Trumpet of the New Israel:  As we gear up for Dr. Kwasniewski’s visit next month, he writes an excellent piece tying the Rosary to the fulfillment of the trumpets the Israelites used for various special occasions including to prepare for the coming of the Lord and for battle: https://onepeterfive.com/the-rosary-sounds-the-trumpet-of-the-new-israel/

Traditionalism vs. Modernism: Sounding the Trumpets of Tradition

As one of the prior articles above notes, the Israelites used trumpets to announce events such as the new moon, the day of atonement, or to prepare for battle and sieges (like Jericho).  That symbolism is helpful as there were three important articles that came out last week which may be calling us traditionalists to begin to sounding the spiritual trumpets – the Rosary – to prepare for a more fervent defense of tradition, and the liturgy which embodies it: The Traditional Latin Mass.  We share these three articles along with some excerpts:

Article 1: Traditionis Custodes: Separating Fact from Fiction: Rome Journalist, Diane Montagna has released a bombshell report which indicated that the bishops’ survey used to influence the motu proprio (Traditionis Custodes) was actually sidelined, and possibly replaced with a second manipulated survey with an outcome that was predetermined long before survey was even mailed to bishops.  The first survey results (main report) contained most of the bishops replies (which were mostly favorable to the Latin Mass).  However, some in the Vatican drafted a second “parallel” report which was crafted with a desired outcome (e.g. Latin Mass is harmful to the Church).  It was this second report, which did not fully reflect the bishops opinions, that was used to justify the restrictions on the Latin Mass set forth in the new motu proprio:

“Reliable sources have confirmed that while the main report was being prepared, CDF superiors commissioned a second report in order to be sure that the main report reflected the feedback of the bishops. The Congregation allegedly had to be sure that the main report didn’t just come to the usual conclusions, e.g. that the traditional Mass is a positive element in the life of the Church, etc., etc., etc. The second report was therefore billed as a sort of second opinion, a check on the main report.

What would a reasonable person have taken away from the main report? That a reasonable majority of bishops, using different words and in different ways, basically were sending the message: ‘Summorum Pontificum is fine. Don’t touch it.’”

We include a few of the survey results from a few U.S. bishops provided by Montagna:

“I would see it as a benefit to the whole Church if the Holy See continued to support faithful Catholics who are attached to the EF of the Roman Rite. Even in general terms, fostering genuine differences in thought and expression is a benefit to the universal Church. Having a section devoted to it in the CDF is helpful, when liturgical developments or clarifications are needed. In keeping with universal norms, our Archdiocese has also undertaken to establish a dialogue with local and national leaders of the FSSPX. I believe this positive step was facilitated by the existence of Summorum Pontificum and the communities it fostered (A Bishop of the United States, response to question 9).

We have observed that these families attend many of the diocesan youth and vocational events in a far greater proportion than any other group (A Bishop of the United States, response to question 9).

It would not be difficult to say that if they were polled, nearly 100% of those who attend EF believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, while drastically lower numbers have been shown for Catholics who go predominantly to OF (A Bishop of the United States, response to question 3).”

I fear that without the EF, many souls would leave the Church (A Bishop of the United States, response to question 3).“

Montagna concludes by asking clergy and laity to NOT correspond with the Vatican on Traditionis Custodes – as Fr. Chad Ripperger noted recently (see last week’s CLMC e-mail), this is a bad idea involving people with a hatred of the Latin Mass. She also invites laity to pray for the clergy and to pray the Rosary.  CLMC note: Let us also consider praying for the priests, bishops, and especially the Holy Father – including having Masses offered for them.

You can read her full report here: https://remnantnewspaper.com/web/index.php/articles/item/5633-traditionis-custodes-separating-fact-from-fiction/

Article 2: Pope Francis’ plans will ‘destroy’ contemplative life: Franciscan friar: This is a sobering and concerning interview by a traditional Carmelite chaplain, Fr. Maximilian Mary in Pennsylvania who was serving as chaplain to the traditional Carmelite sisters there. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, the sisters, who follow the Latin Mass exclusively, received an apostolic visitation from Rome.  Since that time, Fr. Maximilian has gone public with the dangers these apostolic visitations pose to traditional communities – including to his own life. As he notes from his own experience:

“Father Maximilian makes it clear that any announcement of an Apostolic Visitation in our days means that the Vatican desires to take over and reform a monastery or order. He speaks here based on his own earlier experience, since he is a former member of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI), whose original charism was destroyed under the pontificate of Pope Francis, also with the help of an assigned Apostolic Commissioner. 

Father Maximilian now recounts these stories for us so that we may be alerted and warned, able to understand what some Carmelite nuns may decide to do in the very near future. But he also does so in order to warn other orders and religious communities about the looming dangers.”

Full article here: https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/pope-francis-has-agenda-to-overhaul-cloistered-womens-communities-franciscan-friar/

CLMC note: From the interview, Fr. Maximilian notes other nuns may take the unprecedented step and opt to refuse an apostolic visitation in order to save their charism. Based on these turbulent times, one can only wonder if learning from the example of Holy Lot could be the unusual but prudent course of action when malefactors knock on the cloister, monastery or seminary door: Keep the door shut (and call for help) – Genesis 19:6-10. St. Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, pray for us!

Article 3: ‘Legitimate illegality’: Famed Catholic author on how to defend tradition: Noted traditional author Martin Mosebach comments on the need to refuse apostolic visitations, and to be prepared to lose buildings and incur penalties if necessary to defend the Traditional Latin Mass. 

“According to my conviction, these nuns have the full moral right to show the visitators the door and to return to sender, unopened, the Roman correspondences that are expected to be sent subsequently. They should only take care of one thing: to keep their property safe so that it cannot be confiscated in case of a possible Roman dissolution of the Order, suspension of the Mother Superior, etc. Then they must hold out for a few years in a legitimate illegality, but certainly not as long as the SSPX has held out.

Canon law does not know positivism in essential questions — no “Hoc volo, sic iubeo!” Only whoever resists [Traditionis Custodes] must expect that the church building will be taken away from the parish and that the priests will be suspended…Whoever wants to resist must be prepared to pay a price for it. In my estimation, the price will not be too high — the left wing of the Church has long since stopped following instructions from Rome without having to fear even the slightest sanction. This does not apply to Tradition, however, but the weapons have become blunt — who takes the Church’s penal code seriously anymore?”

Mosebach’s interview: https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/legitimate-illegality-catholic-author-martin-mosebach-on-how-to-defend-tradition/

Last week was the 450th anniversary of the battle of Lepanto, where Catholics, led by Pope Pius V and Don Juan of Austria, completely outnumbered and out gunned, sought recourse in Our Lady and the Rosary, who delivered a historic victory that saved Christendom and protected Catholicism (and its Traditional Latin Mass) from being suppressed by invading Islamists. Is today not a similar time to seek recourse in the Rosary?

What Mass are you attending Sunday?

Pope St. Pius V and Our Lady Queen of the Rosary, pray for us!