Motu Proprio to be Issued in May

I'm going to stick my neck out and say the Motu Proprio is definitely to be published in May, the month of Mary the Virgin Mother of God. The blog, Rorate Coeli, has kept everyone abreast of all the promising news on the universal permission for the old Latin Mass.

Here's what Cardinal Bertone, Secretary of State in the Vatican, said in an April 2 interview in Le Figaro--(using a somewhat modified Babelfish translation, not too accurate, but you'll get the drift.)

The value of the conciliar reform is intact [not trying to undo Vatican II and the Novus Ordo]. But the great liturgical inheritance given by saint Pius V [the old Latin Mass] should not be lost, as the faithful want to attend Masses according to this rite, within the framework of the missal published in 1962 by the pope John XXIII. There is no valid reason not to give to the priests of the whole world the right to celebrate according to this form. The new authorization [of the old Latin Mass] by the sovereign pontiff obviously does not invalidate the rite of Paul VI [the Novus Ordo Mass]. The publication of the Motu Proprio specifying this authorization will take place, and it will be the Pope himself who will explain its motivations and the framework of its decision. The sovereign pontiff will personally give his vision of the use of the old missal to the Christian people, and in particular to the bishops.

Then on April 7, a nasty editorial was published in the French national daily, Le Monde, entitled "The Church in Retreat" which lamented the Papal decision to further expand the old Latin Mass. Some of my favorites of the 30 comments on the Rorate Coeli post on the nasty Le Monde editorial included:

"Weeping and gnashing of teeth."
"This is one of the most ludicrous editorials that I have read in some time. Given the howls of indignation the Pope is right on target with the motu proprio."
"More drivel brought to us from the authors of the French Revolution and secular humanism."
" Sore loosers"
" Militants of ancient tradition, unite! Thank you, Le Monde, for reminding us that our instincts are correct."

Finally, the Italian daily Il Tempo published an unsigned article on April 10 claiming in the headline that the Motu Proprio will be issued next Monday, 16 April, after the celebration of the Holy Father’s 80th Birthday. [Thanks to Father Z for this information.]

New Traditional Catholic Bloggers in KC

I've been negligent reading the local Catholic bloggers. Guess what, there's more of them than I thought! Take a look at Christopher's blog, Lost Lambs. Chris identifies himself as a 22-year old "lost lamb" with two children. I highly recommend his personal story where he describes how the death of his grandmother led him to the old Latin Mass.

Kansasopolitanus is another new traditional Catholic blog offered by Daniel, who attends the old Latin Mass in Kansas City, MO. Based on comments from others, he's a doer!

Traditional Catholic Mom is written by Augusta, a 24-year old stay-at-home mother and convert whose husband introduced her to the old Latin Mass. I've got to try her taco soup recipe. Augusta has a brother-in-law who is a novice at St. Benedict's in Atchison.

Indulterer X is a fourth new traditional Catholic blogger from Kansas City. He's a good writer and should compose more posts (but perhaps less about shoes and the mall!).

There's also a new guy who is very excited about being accepted at Conception Abbey. See Pater Noster Benedict.

[I just checked Wolftracker and he already has listed most of them! You're ahead of me, WT!]

John C. Wright, Again....

I am continuing to read John C. Wright' Journal, the atheist writer of science fiction who converted to Christianity a few years ago. Here is a sample of his recent and extended discussion with atheists. Pray for him.

It is the failure of modern systems, after Kant, to explain synthetic a priori reasoning which has led to the foolishness (e.g. Marx) and triviality (e.g. Wittgenstein) and wickedness (e.g. Nietzsche) of modern philosophers. The moderns no longer believe the mind of man can deduce truths about the universe and know right from wrong. Without an assumption that reason tells us real things about the real universe, we are left with three possibilities: philosophy is an intellectual superstructure or rationalization imprinted on our false consciousness by the mechanics of the inanimate forces of history around us (Marx); or philosophy is just a word-game (Wittgenstein); or philosophy, especially moral philosophy, is an arbitrary convention of the small minded that the great should shrug aside during their triumphant march into the superhuman (Nietzsche)

At no point did I say that a man could reason himself to a belief in God. At most, philosophy can argue that the Unmoved Mover of Aristotle or the Absolute of Hegel exists: but this God of the Philosophers does not have the character and personality of the God in the Bible (even though the God in the Bible, oddly enough, does have the character of the God of the Philosophers). I do not think anyone can believe in God unless he is inspired or suffers a revelation, or accepts the testimony of someone else who is or has. Theology, reasoning about God, is defensive, not persuasive. I cannot possibly talk you into belief in God: all I can do is show you why, once I have accepted such a belief, my ideas are rational and cohere each with their axioms and conclusions.
........................

Christianity is the default position for several reasons: its age proves it has stood the test of time; it is a mature and a beautiful view of the world; it has a salutary effect; it has no serious rivals.

Keep in mind that during its 2000 year history, Christianity has been opposed by many rivals. Only Islam has any staying power, and, frankly, Islam copies many of the best features of the Judo-Christian tradition, but leave out some specific humanizing elements and beatitudes that gives this sad copycat religion the barbaric backwardness so much on display today.

Everything else has flourished and faded. Is communism still a viable rival for the affection of the intellectuals and common man? What about Logical Positivism? Deism? Theosophy? Albigensianism? Donatism? Montanism? Gnosticism? Right now, the only contender on the field is a type of naïve materialism that can't even explain itself, much less the universe, and offers no reason or meaning to life.

The historical dominance of the belief does not necessarily show that it is right; but it does show that every generation was sufficiently convinced of its verity to pass it along to the next, and each new generation was sufficiently impressed to accept the learning and add to it. The jury has been sitting for two thousand years, and a single nay vote of one generation would kill it as dead as Thor-worship.

Small Dollars to Change the World

Have you ever thought about starting your own very small charitable foundation? I have because then I could decide exactly what my money would be used for. I've found that the most effective charity starts at home and in our church and local communities. If you look, you can find all kinds of ways to work privately for good. You won't be able to take a tax deduction, but you will do your small part to change the world.

Most of the time, only a few dollars are needed to make a huge difference in what happens to people in their future lives. Here are some gifts people have given me or that I have learned about from others:

1. Buy a subscription to a good Catholic magazine or newspaper for someone special. It really can be a lifelong gift.
   
2. Volunteer to take someone's little kids so the couple can see a movie like "Into Great Silence." Pay their way.
3. Give the altar boy who won't get a nice present for Confirmation (because his family can't afford it) a special gift.
4. Pay for a small ad in a local paper (either Catholic or secular), volunteering to send a person a free small catechism of the Catholic Church.
   
5. Design a contest to draw out the best in Catholic students. Mail an announcement to schools, or ask a Catholic newspaper or church bulletin for free publicity. Give small money prizes.
6. Pay for a Catholic Information booth at the county fair. Ask the Legion of Mary or another parish organization to staff it with materials and people.
   
7. Invite a person to go with you to a Catholic movie, conference, monastery, or shrine and treat them to lunch or dinner. You'll enjoy it more than they will!
   
8. Keep your eyes open to help someone with a special need; often it won't cost much.

Now, it's your turn to suggest ideas of where to spend "Small Dollars to Change the World."

Should I Reconsider?

I've heard from several people who believe that dusty's reviews of Catholic churches in the Greater KC area should not have stopped--(see sidebar for relevant posts on different churches). Our oldest daughter gave me a 'hard' time on Easter Sunday because she believed the series is a good historical record of rapidly changing conditions in Novus Ordo parishes. She believes, as do I, that the imminent future in Catholic parishes will be like the late '60s when the Mass and other aspects of Catholic practice changed dramatically in a short time. Yet there is little documention of what actually happened in individual Catholic churches during that very important time period.

Do readers have comments on whether to proceed with the series? And if so, how, and under what conditions?

Divine Mercy Sunday and Catholic Printing Houses

Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday with its great opportunity for a plenary indulgence. I've ordered some holy cards with this icon image because my Mother is particularly attached to the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Icons are a wonderful substitution for the poor religious art of the past 40+ years!

When Mother and I are driving together, we try to say the full rosary or the chaplet together. More information on the Divine Mercy devotion and this icon image are available at the Printery House of Conception Abbey in northwestern Missouri. I won't vouch for all their products, but the selection has improved over the past several years. [I still like the Angelus Press the best however, because their books feed the soul.]

For a long time, I would not touch anything from Conception Abbey (and its associated printing house) in the Kansas City diocese because they appeared to have lost their faith. A friend of mine liked to visit seminaries and he told me about ten years ago, that his new visit to Conception showed the seminarians had changed from being primarily effeminate to now being mostly true men. [I'm only repeating what a good man with a lot of experience visiting religious houses around the world told me.] With Bishop Robert Finn now in charge, I have ever higher hopes that Conception's destiny is full of hope and promise.

Catholic Schooldays--1950

What was Catholic gradeschool like back in the late 40's and early 50's? Here are some memories.

1. Tuition at the Catholic grade school was $1 per month, with a lower cost for families with 3 or more children. One family in our school had 18 children.
   
2. Only sisters in full habit taught in the school, and most seemed quite young.
   
3. The sisters lived in a convent house owned by the parish and they cooked their own meals, often with food donated by parishioners. Finally, they needed another house because so many nuns came, and they rented one across the street. One or two nuns had to crawl up the ladder and sleep on mattresses in the attic because no other sleeping space was available.
   
4. The sisters had no car and they did not drive, so they relied on a volunteer woman driver (one of my aunts) to take two of them to the grocery store and the department store once a week. I got to go along at least once and it was lots of fun being with the sisters in the crowded car.
   
5. A lot of the sisters were good artists in that they painted holy cards, signs for the classroom with wonderful script, and made decorations with Easter palms. [Later, I once borrowed some of their handmade script patterns to make pro-life signs.]
   
6. We girls were especially interested in whether the nuns had blonde, brown, or black hair. Only rarely did a wisp of hair peeking out from under her headpiece reveal the actual color. One day we were astonished to learn that our teacher had a sunburn on her arms because she rolled up her sleeves to to wash her clothes.
   
7. Handwriting was a very important skill to practice and learn.
8. The English textbooks with stories and associated artwork had already changed from the Misericordia readers series by the Sisters of Mercy to English readers that were not nearly as good. [Perhaps the influence of John Dewey and his friends.]
   
9. Occasionally, we were allowed to buy candy and gum during school from a Sister who made money for the nuns by selling a candy bar or a pack of gum for 5 cents each.
10. We had three recesses each day, 15-min ones during the morning and afternoons and an hour-long recess at noon. We ate our lunch rapidly so we could go outside and play. Softball, tag, volleyball, and other games were typically non-structured.
    
11. School started only after Labor Day and we were finished by about May 20.
    
12. Organ music was played in church--only from the balcony to the rear.
13. The kneelers in church had no padding and we knelt on wood. Our church, like almost all, had no air conditioning during the summer, so early Sunday Masses at 6:00 am or 8:00 a.m. were best. No microphone either, the priest was expected to preach loud enough to hear.
14. On First Fridays, the mothers fixed us hot chocolate and doughnuts after Mass. That morning, the school water faucets were covered with brown paper bags because we were not allowed to drink water after midnight if we wanted to receive communion.
    
15. Father X always passed out the report cards--looking carefully at each one and making us very nervous because he saw our grades first.
16. The Baltimore Catechism and a small gray Bible history were our religion textbooks. And we memorized the answers.
    
17. We students especially looked forward to the color comic book that came once a month, Treasure Chest.
    
18. I was confronted during a visit to the Blessed Sacrament during recess by the pastor who asked why I wasn't wearing something on my head. I responded it was recess and the visit was unplanned. I remember asking the priest whether it was better not to make a visit if I didn't have a head covering. He responded by leaving me to pray alone in the silent church.
    
19. I knew only one child of divorced parents during my entire time in grade school.
    

Complaining About a Complaint Free World

I've been noticing signs advertising the "complaint free world," a program developed by Christ Church Unity in Kansas City that believes in "celebrate[ing] the divinity and God's diversity in all." The minister says he initiated the program because people whined about his choice of worship music. He then asked people to stop complaining and criticizing for three weeks, using purple rubber bracelets that are switched to alternate wrists every time a person complains.

What's right with complaining? When is it a virtue? A person forcefully COMPLAINING about injustice seems to reflect the beatitude, "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill." Frankly, unless my neighbors had not loudly complained about a 2+ year old problem in our neighborhood, the city would never have fixed it.

Jesus' parable about the complaining widow reflects the occasional necessity of complaining to a superior who can make things right:

Luke 18:1 And he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint, 2 Saying: There was a judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man. 3 And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary. 4 And he would not for a long time. But afterwards he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man, 5 Yet because this widow is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she weary me.

Complaining about little things distracts from real problems, but not complaining when vital things are clearly wrong is a vice. A good Christian cannot ignore evil. If he ignores evil, he is compliant with evil. When no one complains about abortion, or an unjust war, or divorce, or any of a host of evil situations, then I know the people have lost their soul. If nothing is worth complaining about, then nothing is worth fighting for, and people have lost their capacity for righteous indignation.

St. Lawrence Center at KU

A Catholic friend is very enthusiastic about the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas. She described the recent surge in the numbers of potential vocations to the religious life, stating that the increase is approximately 400 percent over the past five years--from about 15 students to about 60 who are considering a religious vocation. I don't know if the numbers are valid, but if so the figures likely represent a real revival for the Catholic Church among young adults.

Tom Burke, Knight of Life

The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) law makes it a federal crime to block access to abortion clinics to save babies. If a FACE-type law had been in place 40+ years ago, it would have strangled the Civil Rights movement. The Operation Save America website compares the two movements quite clearly.

Tom Burke of Kansas City, KS is a Catholic man who has been arrested (40+ times) for attempting to save babies from being killed in abortion clinics by "blocking access." This time it appears the government will sentence Tom to federal prison for a year and a half for his trying to save babies. Tom's recent pro-life work is described in the last paragraph of Congressman Jerry's Moran's report.

I spoke with Tom a few months ago and he said, "If people understood the great happiness that comes with doing this work, there would be many others who would join me in getting arrested." Tom was joyous when he said this, as he knows he has chosen a very special and rewarding way to serve God.

Tom's thoughts about the special vocation of non-violent resistance to abortion are described in his published letter to Joe Scheidler, founder of the Pro-Life Action League and another long-time whipping boy of pro-abortionists. [Joe will be speaking in Kansas City this fall.]

Dear Joe,

May the Lord give you peace. Thank you for being a committed and faithful pro-life activist. Please extend my thanks to your wife, Ann, your son Eric, and your daughter, Annie, too. I am very grateful for the love and concern your family shows for all children who are or were in danger of abortion and for their mothers.

Thank you for praying for the conversion of your enemies each day. God hears your prayers, especially when they are presented before the throne by the Blessed Virgin Mary.

God bless you all. Love and prayers,

Brother Tom Burke, Kansas City, KS

Please pray for Tom Burke as he sacrifices himself again for his smallest brothers and sisters.

How to Please God?

It may be as simple as praying more, and keeping promises. I've certainly made promises when I've asked God for special favors in my life. He always fulfilled His part of my self-initiated bargain. Now it's time for me to fulfill my end of the contract.

How about you? What promises to God have you made to solicit His gifts?

Mother's Count vs. Dad's Count

A family email from a daughter alerts everyone to the Homeschooling Conference to be held in Kansas City late this spring:

"I did not know if anyone would be interested in this conference....most topics could be applied whether you homeschool or not. This will be held the same time the National Right to Life Convention is in Kansas City."

[Attachment] I thought I would share with you information about our Kansas City Conference for Catholic Homeschoolers, June 15th and 16th. Our main speakers are Mary Ann Budnick, Cay Gibson, Maureen Wittman, and Kelly and Bob Roper.

The registration fee is $20.00 for an individual or $25 for a couple postmarked by May 15th. After May 15th registration will only be taken at the door and the costs are $30/$35.

Our oldest son, a numbers person, decided to check out the Homeschooling Conference agenda and speakers, and noted this humorous incongruity:

I looked at the profiles of the speakers.....

"Kelly Roper serves as a consultant ... Kelly shares nine children with her husband, Bob. Bob Roper is a member of .... Bob and his wife, Kelly, share eight children,..."

Maybe it IS possible to lose count....

Humorously, [Our Son]

My own thought is, "Is Kelly trying to tell Bob something?"

Wanted: Student Priests

An interesting collaboration has developed between Una Voce America (UVA) and the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP). They are co-sponsoring three weeks of training in the offering of the old Latin Mass to take place near Lincoln, Nebraska during June 2007. See complete information at Rorate Caeli.

China--Hope and Frustration

The Chinese government says it needs more Catholic priests because "Catholicism encourages love and tolerance for others, which can help promote the building of a harmonious society in the country." The China Daily article can be read from the perspective of Hope and the perspective of Frustration.

Hope:

1. New Chinese priests likely will learn Catholic doctrine, even in state-controlled seminaries, to pass on to new converts
   
2. New converts to Catholicism will likely increase because of more priests and churches
3. A respect for Catholic principles, even though adulterated, may favorably influence some Chinese leaders
   
4. Catholics will become more active and respected in Chinese society, sponsoring schools, orphanages, and medical clinics
   

Frustration:

1. Chinese patriotic priests may never be able to preach their faith without communist adulteration--such as compromising with abortion-- which means they can never be reconciled with Rome
2. "Catholic" medical clinics and schools will justify moral evils--including the "end justifies the means"--resulting in a caricature of the Catholic religion
   
3. New converts are likely not to acknowledge the Pope's leadership of the Church or Christian principles that conflict with Chinese government policy
4. The schismatic Patriotic Church will continue to be given favors by China, which seem to be tied to the increasing suppression of the underground church loyal to the Pope.

Deleted Post--"Way of Life"

When I started writing this blog at the beginning of last summer, I chose a pen name that was intended to remind me of what I am - dust. Several comments on "Way of Life" have caused me to regret writing that post describing a Saturday evening Mass at an unnamed church in Kansas City and it has been deleted. The critical comments were well-deserved. Even though my post is deleted, I am attaching the reader comments to the "Way of Life."

Readers noted that I misinterpreted "way of life" in the Eucharistic Prayer to include a homosexual way of life. I also typed "Latin" instead of "Greek" in reference to Kyrie Eleison. I focused on people's dress (jeans, in particular) that seemed to indicate a lack of reverence in church, and I admit this judgment does not consider what is in a person's heart and intention before God. My post did refer to administering the Sacrament of the Sick to most of the people in the church, including those not yet 40 years old, and I am still concerned about that. The almost exclusive white race in churches that I visited is also still a concern to me.

Some of the reviewer comments also apply to my other posts on churches that I have visited in the past month. I will leave these posts up, and welcome any other criticisms. For the deleted post that aroused righteous indignation, I admit my faults and sins.

C.S. Lewis on the Web

The most interesting and profitable moral and historical discussions on the web are found at John C. Wright's Live Journal. I keep thinking I'm reading and hearing another C.S. Lewis! However, I have scanned his Orphans of Chaos and cannot recommend it. It was written before his conversion.

God and God-Like

An old friend, Mrs. V and I had lunch together recently and we've decided to keep in contact more regularly. We discussed the 'every-man-is-God' heresy that seems to tempt so many Christians today. The error has many variations.

1. A person believes he can make his own ethical and moral rules by which to live--according to his own viewpoint and needs
   
2. A person does not commit grave (mortal) sins and thus does not need Christ's redemption
   
3. The Divine nature of Jesus Christ is confused with God's power keeping human beings in existence
   
4. The nature of Godhood (e.g., omniscient, timeless, unchanging) is distorted
5. A person believing he is God has a difficult time practicing humility
   
6. A person denies he is sinful and makes excuses for sins

The natural outcome of "every-man-is God" tends to cultism, such as the Mormon belief in 'As man is, God once was; as God is, man may be.' [The Mormon God can change because he exists within time--thus He cannot be God who created time.]

A good alternative to "every-man-is-God" is to unite our will completely with God's will. As Jesus recommended, strive to be perfect like His heavenly Father (Matt. 5:48). The Imitation of Christ is a traditional Catholic work advising a Christian how to pursue holiness and communion with God.

Quote - by John C. Wright

Everything in paganism from which the civilized mind recoils, as slavery, infanticide, polygamy, sodomy, had been defeated by Christianity, and made a recurrence only when and where Christianity retreats. [From his conversion story. I was fascinated.]

The Traditional Latin Mass in Pittsburgh --Fr. Kenneth Myers

The March 2007 issue of Homiletic & Pastoral Review, the oldest Catholic priests' magazine in the U.S., has an article on the traditional Latin Mass by a diocesan priest who celebrates regularly both the Old Latin Mass and the New English Mass. Fr. Kenneth E. Myers describes why the beauty, sacredness and solemnity of the traditional Latin Mass helps people pray and worship God. Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. concurs in his magazine editorial, "Reflections on the traditional Latin Mass."

One of the frank quotes of Fr. Kenneth E. Myers who was ordained in 1980:

Some people reading this article may make the accusation that traditional-minded Catholics are attacking the new rite of Mass. I tried for the longest time never to say anything negative about the Mass of Pope Paul VI. In fact, I offer it almost every day because I cannot offer the traditional Mass. I never doubt its validity and I always offer it with as much devotion as I can muster. However, I am not blind. I can make comparisons between the new and the old, and I can see the theological and spiritual shortcomings of the new rite: its failure to express the fullness of Catholic Faith about the Eucharist and the priesthood, its inability to raise up heart and mind from the profane to the supernatural, its confusion on the role of the priest, and its unfaithful and banal translations of the original Latin text. How do we hold on to what we believe in without making these negative comparisons? It is a difficult task.

Fr. Myers is described in the HPR article as a "parish priest permitted by my bishop to offer this rite of Mass and serve a community of over 800 people who are devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass. [He is] chaplain of the Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community, the largest diocesan Latin Mass community in the United States."

Pornography and the Archbishop

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, KS has initiated an important program aimed at fostering the virtue of chastity and building awareness of the evil effects of pornography, including suggesting ways Catholics can protect their families from its influence and counseling persons caught in this sin. [Although, the best help I personally can think of is to make a good confession that will supply God's grace to avoid the near occasions of sins.]

Every parish was required to show a movie of the Archbishop announcing As for Me and My House at all weekend Masses. As people left the churches they were handed material to take home, including a good checklist for a spiritually healthy family. The Archbishop's newspaper, The Leaven, also provided an important article on pornography. [I can vouch for the problem of pornography within the workplace--several years ago we had to discharge a good employee. He was warned, but continued his pornographic viewing anyway.]

What is missing from As for Me and My House? I don't see a recommendation that parents install and use filters on their internet and cable service. One internet filter that can be highly recommended is found here. Other filters are described and rated here.