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November 14: 6th Resumed Sunday After Epiphany

Laudetur Iesus Christus! As we wind down the liturgical year, Sunday is the 6th Sunday after Epiphany (resumed), which, as we noted last week, is one of the unused or preempted Sundays from last winter that is placed at the end of the liturgical year. For this week’s commentary, we share Fr. John Zhulsdorf’s reflection in OnePeterFive: https://onepeterfive.com/tribulation-be-of-good-cheer/    

This week should be a normal schedule for the Latin Mass:  

  • Sunday: 11:30am (St. Thomas), 12:30pm (St. Ann)
  • Weekday: 6pm Wednesday (St. Ann); 7pm Thursday (St. Thomas Aquinas); 7am Friday (St. Ann) and 12:30pm (St. Mark)

Dr. Kwasniewski Presentation Video

In case you missed it, we are pleased to share with our readers a video and talk of Dr. Peter Kwasniewski’s presentation last Saturday.

REMINDER – Vaccine Mandates Petition:

If you haven’t seen the petition encouraging Bishop Jugis to speak out against vaccine mandates, you can view/sign it here: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bishop-jugis-condemn-forced-vaccinations

Religious Exemptions for Vaccines:

As a reminder, the Carolina Family Coalition (CFC), a non-profit founded by Catholic pro-life leaders in Charlotte to defend the family against the secular culture, has published some helpful information on how to obtain a religious exemption (see link below). They can also help refer people to an attorney if need be. Link: https://www.prolifecharlotte.org/obtaining-a-religious-exemption/

All Souls Novena November 1 – 30 (now extended until November 30th!):Monday November 1 (All Saints day) begins the annual All Souls novena where you can obtain a plenary indulgence for a poor soul in purgatory each day from November 1- 30 by visiting a cemetery, praying for the dead, attending Mass, and receiving Holy Communion.  The Vatican has now extended this all the way through November 30. You can also obtain a separate plenary indulgence on All Souls Day November 2nd by offering prayers in a Church (Our Father & Creed).  See details on our website: https://charlottelatinmass.org/events/all-souls-novena/

Latin Mass & Traditional News

  • Bread – A Mirrored Curse: Fr. William Rock, FSSP, who offers the Latin Mass exclusively at the FSSP parish in Houston, Texas, writes a helpful article providing the traditional understanding of bread which became punishment for original sin (through the labor it required), became part of his sanctification in the Eucharist: https://fssp.com/bread-a-mirrored-curse/
  • Agatha Christie Latin Mass Indult Turns 50: A few years after Vatican II, when the transitional and/or Novus Ordo Mass was being mandated, several requests were sent to the Vatican asking for an indult or permission to continue offering the Traditional Latin Mass. It’s been reported by pious custom (though perhaps not formally confirmed) that both St. Padre Pio and St. Josemaría Escrivá (the founder of Opus Dei), requested permission from Rome to continue offering the Traditional Latin Mass for the rest of their priesthood. These requests were not limited to priests however. Around this same time, a group of layman in the United Kingdom organized a petition to the Pope defending the Latin Mass’ importance and asking permission that it continue to be offered in the UK. Among the signers of this petition were a few non-Catholic signers, most notably, author Agatha Christie, from which this indult receives its name.  The petition was approved by Rome in November 1971, and led to more petitions for allowing the Traditional Latin Mass usage later paved the way for two Papal Motu Proprios (Ecclesia Dei in 1988 and Summorum Pontificum in 2007) which granted the laity greater access to the Traditional Latin Mass. We mention this as this month celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Agatha Christie Indult. To learn more visit: https://onepeterfive.com/non-catholics-petition-pope-latin-mass/

Archbishop Viganò’s Landmark Address to the Swiss People

Lastly, in these times of “brazen impiety”, it often easy for faithful Catholics to be tempted to fall into a depression (hopefully not despair!) over the actions of Church leaders who often speak, take positions or act contrary to the traditional deposit of faith. Yet juxtaposed such clergy is someone like Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, whose courageous words should fill Catholics with hope that not all is lost and Christ still reigns over His Church. Earlier this month, Archbishop Viganò, (the former Papal Nuncio to the U.S.) wrote a letter to Swiss citizens protesting against their country’s COVID-19 measures which include vaccine mandates. Most of these people, it can be presumed, are non-Catholics or non-practicing Catholics, and are likely just modern pagans.  Yet, the Archbishop recognizes the goodwill found in their cry for freedom against the “health dictatorship”; and like a tender father beautifully calls them to fight for the highest and true freedom found in virtue, the natural law and in following the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Simply put, Archbishop Viganò cares about the souls of these people and is calling them back to God. Furthermore, he invites them to recognize that the culture of death and the COVID-19 health dictatorship are one in the same. 

At a time when many Church leaders are letting their dioceses bleed parishioners through bad liturgies, watered down homilies, tolerance of pro-abortion politicians or adulterers receiving Holy Communion, sodomy promotion, and by pursuing strange issues such as climate change, Archbishop Viganò, like St. Paul speaking at the Areopagus (Acts 17:18-34), is actively trying to convert lost souls to Christ and grow the Catholic Church. Here are a few excerpts:

“Have you decided to protest because the freedom to not be subjected to health control is the same freedom in whose name you believe you have the right to kill children in the mother’s womb, the elderly, and those who are sick in their hospital beds? Is this the same freedom that would legitimize homosexual unions and gender theory? Is this the freedom to which you appeal? The freedom to offend the Law of God, to blaspheme His Name, to violate the natural law that he has written on the heart of every human being?

Because if what you want is only to be free to do what you want, your demonstration makes no sense. It is precisely those who speak to you about gender equality, the right to “reproductive health,” to euthanasia, to surrogate motherhood and sexual liberty who today hold you all in their grip, deciding what is right for you in the name of “your good,” public health, or the protection of the planet. It is they who before too long will unite the green pass with your digital ID, with your bank account, with your tax, salary, social security and health status, and in doing so — for “your good” — they will be able to decide if you can work, travel, go to a restaurant, and buy a steak or rather some insects.

…I am talking about the freedom to say no to those who, by envisaging progress in the world of work and enthusiastically showing you the free time, you will be able to enjoy with reduced work hours, are reducing your salary, eliminating your union protections, depriving you of the means of subsistence for supporting a family, forcing you to live in ever-smaller and more anonymous apartments that are always further in the outskirts of town. To say no to those who first deprive you of the autonomy of a job by creating unemployment and eliminating professional specializations, and then offer you the citizenship income by which to make you slaves, blackmailed by a State that decides on what conditions you can work.”

We also note that as a faithful traditionalist, in the spirit of Leo XIII, the good Archbishop also speaks out against the degradation of worker rights by the hands of the corporate culture of death and “servile state” and alternatively presents the traditional social doctrines of the Church – something nearly forgotten in this age. We may indeed be watching Church history unfold in a magnificent way in these words of His Excellency Carlo Viganò. Let us consider praying for the clergy of the Church that more will follow Archbishop Viganò’s lead (and for the conversion of the Swiss back to the faith).

Archbishop Viganò, who is heroically trying to bring lost souls back to God, also offers the Traditional Latin Mass regularly. What Mass are you attending on Sunday?