Good riddance.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Always a Franciscan in spirit, but no longer a friar | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)
“A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, 'You are mad; you are not like us.” ― St. Antony the Great
Good riddance.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Always a Franciscan in spirit, but no longer a friar | National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org)
Dear Friends,
As you know, since March 2023, I have been raising money for a friend, Andrew Rivera. The post is above, you can't miss it.
While Andrew has been making some improvement to the damage to his hands and other fine motor issues, he has had a major setback. Andrew is back in intensive care due to collapsing on Sunday with only his young son at home. You can read the details at the above link.
It is just not possible to even know the prognosis at this point or when he will be able to return to work. I ask you to be generous.
God bless you.
David Anthony Domet
This is a post that has been coming for quite a while. I have mulled over it, slowly editing and transcribing and cleaning up for publication what I have found. The events blogged earlier this week have caused me to look again at it. I have made the decision to publish what follows.
It is to document an occurrence forty years ago and to provide a historical record of certain activities at St. Augustine's Seminary in the Archdiocese of Toronto and the corruption of the times, the power and influence from the 1980's that is still felt today. One of the priests named is retired, yet, as recently as a few months ago, remained on the Archdiocesan Priests Council. This is not an accusation of anything untoward on the part of the new Archbishop, Francis Leo, Indeed, this history may be news even to him and if this provides any service to him, then that alone is worth its publication. The Catholic faithful of the Archdiocese of Toronto must be made aware of things that happened forty years ago and that have been long forgotten or covered up and still affect the Church today.
Let me raise some points without names of scandals that happened here.
Anne Roche Muggeridge refers in the page above to a document called, "A Dialogue of Trust." It was written by the then Rector who was fired for it and more, sent away to Washington to study at Catholic University and then returned to the Archdiocese of Toronto and served at a senior level in the chancery structure as the Judicial Vicar. He kept the keys to the vault on matters such as lawsuits, assaults and abuse. As referred to earlier, as of a few months ago, he still remained on the priests' council.
These crimes and abuses happened in the age before the internet and search engines. The money of the Archdiocese silenced who it had to and forced non-disclosure agreements upon them. Stories abound about car accidents and bicycle accident deaths, one in particular of a prominent priest, but none can be proven. Everyone knows something but nobody can link anything. As for the letter referred to by Anne Roche Muggeridge, nobody had a copy. "A Dialogue of Trust" was never written, it didn't exist, nobody had it, and it was not published. Until now.
The Body Politic was a "gay" newspaper published monthly and founded in 1971 until it ceased publication in 1987. It was located on Yonge Street not far from that same St. Charles Tavern. After intensive searching and through nothing that could be described as anything less than serendipity, "A Dialogue of Trust" was found. It had been published in The Body Politic as part of a larger article on the attempt by Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter to "hide his gay purge" of St. Augustine's Seminary. It makes one ask, if not for the intrepid reporters at The Globe and Mail back then, certainly not on the side of the Church or Seminary, what would have happened? Would we have ever known? If all of those events above occurred under the administration of Cardinals Carter and Ambrozic how much worse would it have been without the reporting. It seems that after Cardinal Carter's "purge," only two seminarians left. What of the others? How many went on after 1983 to be ordained and were men who had or may have continued to act out their same-sex desires and attractions ordained and what has it meant for the Church in Toronto?What follows was transcribed from a microfiche copy by the writer. Bear in mind, that it was written for an audience sympathetic to the cause.
Toronto’s archbishop tries to hide his gay purge, but the story gets out
Cardinal slams the closet door
Tensions over the apparent presence of gay students in a seminary in Metropolitan Toronto have escalated, with the help of Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter, into an anti-homosexual witch-hunt which has led to the dismissal of three faculty members and the expulsion of two students.
Some details of the purge at St Augustine's Seminary in Scarborough, the preeminent school for the training of Roman Catholic priests in English-speaking Canada, were made public in two reports published by The Globe and Mail on September 7 and 8. The stories said that the Rev Brian Clough, St Augustine's rector, and the Rev Thomas Dailey, dean of studies, had been dismissed the first week of June and that the Rev John Tulk, a professor of church history, had been fired early in September.
Globe reporters Stanley Oziewicz and Peter Moon uncovered the following facts:
• Carter, the archbishop of Toronto, ordered the dismissals after an investigation of the seminary conducted at his request by the Most Rev Marcel Gervais, auxiliary bishop of London, Ontario;
• Carter asked Gervais to investigate after coming into possession of a document about "tensions" between gay and straight seminarians that was distributed to St Augustine's sisters, students and faculty by Clough;
• The tensions had arisen from allegations of homosexual behaviour at a party held in Tulk's rooms at the seminary.
Beyond these few facts, little has been revealed about the origins of the dispute. Although he had reported the June dismissals when they occurred, Oziewicz first learned some of the details several weeks later from an anonymous letter. In their September stories, Oziewicz and Moon wrote: "Sources, including members of the faculty and student body at the seminary, members of religious orders and laymen, agreed to talk for this article provided they were not identified. Many feared for their future careers if their names were used...." TBP's own investigation has encountered similar fears. Most of those interviewed said they feared retaliation by Cardinal Carter. A priest told TBP: "The diocese is actively trying to find out who gave that information to The Globe and Mail." A member of a religious order commented: "He (Carter) doesn't show any sensitivity toward people, so they're afraid to speak out." When told TOP had been able to learn much of the story and would publish it, the member added, "It will do a lot of good because it shows how they really operate."
In addition to those quoted, TBP's account of the tensions leading to the dismissals and expulsions has been gathered from a well-placed source who wishes to remain anonymous, and from documents which have come into our possession. Brian Clough could not be reached for comment. A copy of this article was sent to Margaret Long, Assistant to the Director of Communications of the Archdiocese of Toronto, for comment, but she did not return any of TBP's calls.
Cardinal Carter: a secret operation against creeping Protestantism and homosexuality
The presence of suspected gay students in the seminary apparently first became an issue during the 1982/83 seminary year when some first-year students complained about the campy behaviour of some other students. The issue was taken up by an informal group of about a dozen conservative seminarians who were united by their dissatisfaction with the faculty's generally liberal interpretation of Catholic theology. They came to be known as "the machos." Defenders of those accused were dubbed "the effeminates," the group to which the two students who were expelled belonged. Most students belonged to neither. (According to Oziewicz and Moon, Gervais found that between six and 12 of the approximately 50 students were "homosexually oriented." Our source suggests that even Gervais's upper figure may be much too low.)
Gossip and paranoia flourished. Dennis Hayes, a seminarian who says he belonged to neither group, explained: "When you group a number of people you have a fishbowl type of effect; when people start talking, these things spread.. an innocent comment can turn into a vicious attack."
In March 1983 several students were criticized in their written year-end evaluation by faculty for their "feminine mannerisms."
A month later, the authors of an annual letter from students to faculty complained that the faculty was tolerating a "vigilante group" that was harassing suspected gay students. The letter also said that criticism of some students for their mannerisms had exacerbated the situation.
By September it appeared that the letter had had some effect: at the week-long retreat which starts the school year, most of the faculty who spoke of the matter called for tolerance of differences in the seminary.
But the complaints continued. Charles Lewis, a former RCMP employee said to be in the "macho group" — an allegation which he did not deny — told TBP he himself had lodged a complaint about sexual activity in the seminary: "guys doing things they shouldn't be doing." But he admitted he hadn't witnessed such activity himself. On the other side, rumours flew that "the machos" were searching
Toronto's gay bars for seminarians.
TBP has found no evidence to support this allegation.
Tensions between the two factions became so acute that, in the late fall, Clough held separate meetings with members of the two groups and with unaligned students in an attempt to cool the dispute.
But after a party held in Tulk's rooms following a joint religious service with Anglican seminarians on January 26 of this year, events started to spiral out of control. Although Gervais later was to find that nothing amiss had occurred at the party, rumours circulated of drunkenness and homosexual activity.
In a speech delivered to St Augustine's seminarians at a special house meeting six days later, Clough criticized "the rumour mill" and appealed for an end to gossip about the party. On February 8 he met again with members of the factions and other students, this time in a joint meeting.
Then, on March 19, a three-page letter, "A Dialogue in Trust," apparently written by someone who had been at the February meeting, was distributed on Clough's authority to the seminary's students, faculty and sisters.
Compassion and the Cardinal
The Archbishop of Toronto knows how to pick friends, and if you're not one of them. . . .
"CARDINAL CARTER AIDS DAVIS: No Solidarnosc for T.T.C. Workers" — that was the heading on a leaflet twitting Gerald Emmett Cardinal Carter, archbishop of Toronto, for backing strikes in Poland while opposing a threatened transit strike at home that would have cut into attendance at, and profits from, the recent papal tour.
Carter, a close friend of John Paul II, was a supporter of the Second Vatican Council, which reformed the Catholic Church. Yet, his critics say, Carter is more zealous for the letter of the reforms than for their spirit. Last year, when the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops issued an economic report that blamed the profit motive for widespread poverty and unemployment, Carter disavowed the document, siding with the outraged bankers and industrialists. And early this year he authored a pastoral letter which condemned attempts to elaborate a Catholic theology that would allow birth control, abortion and the ordination of women.
Carter's record on gay issues is not completely black. He once wrote a report on police/minority relations which devoted a few lines of criticism to homophobic verbal abuse. But he has also barred the local chapter of Dignity, the gay Catholic organization, from the use of a church for their meetings and has told homophobic jokes to an audience of police officers. The fear and silence surrounding the purge at St Augustine's Seminary point not just to the man's power, but to the way he exercises it. "Insensitive" is the word which most often comes to the lips of his critics. But Carter may have inadvertently illuminated the issue when he dismissed Thomas Dailey. According to the press reports, he told the priest, "You are much too compassionate." Perhaps it is not others, who are too compassionate, but the Cardinal who is not compassionate enough. Although unsigned, the names of Clough and three students appeared at the bottom of the letter. A notable feature of this letter is its twice-stated concern that news of the tensions within the seminary might get beyond its walls. The fearful reference to "having 'outsiders' resolve those issues for us" appears to have been an allusion to Cardinal Carter.
"A Dialogue in Trust" proved to be the means of betrayal: within a few days, a copy had been conveyed to Carter. And by the second week of April, Gervais had begun his investigation into theological and sexual deviation at St Augustine's.
In the purge of St Augustine's, a harmonious constellation of authoritarianism, sectarianism and homophobia can be seen at work. Since the Second Vatican Council, part of the Catholic clergy and laity have been moving away from both the church's traditional insistence on authority as the source of truth and the concomitant paranoia about Protestant theologies. The council suggested that truth is not absolute, that a changing world can pose new questions and demand new answers.
St Augustine's Seminary has been influenced by this new current in Catholicism and has exposed its students to the interaction of social activism and feminism with traditional teachings. As one of the eight theological colleges that jointly make up the Toronto School of Theology, an ecumenical project, the seminary has encouraged an open-minded comparison of Protestant and Catholic beliefs.
But as the new Catholicism has developed, so has the conviction among some Catholics that the revolt against authority and the flirtation with Protestantism — often the same thing to their eyes — have gone too far. It is common knowledge in the Diocese of Toronto that Cardinal Carter and other conservatives are less than fond of St Augustine's, where the now thin trickle of future priests — the seminary's approximately 50 students rattle about in a building that could hold 200 — are thought to be in danger of contamination by rebellion and creeping Protestantism. Once Carter had indisputable evidence that the place of homosexuals in the priesthood was, however informally and tentatively, being explored at the seminary, he struck.
The purge was carried out in a secrecy induced by fear: everyone who knew, even the victims, was too intimidated to speak out. To this day, Carter refuses to say why the firings occurred. Gervais's report remains a secret.
According to the Globe, although Clough, Tulk and the tenured Dailey were instructors at the Toronto School of Theology, the Cardinal ordered them to resign without any explanation to the school. Carter told TST officials that any protest from them over his neglect of due process could result in the withdrawal of St Augustine's from the joint project.
Some of the homophobia was blatant. Gervais is reported to have asked students about homosexual activity, but not about heterosexual activity. And he told faculty they should not admit gay students to the seminary. When the teachers protested that there is nothing in the rules about the sexual orientation of priests, he backed off slightly but still insisted that a gay seminarian would have to have been chaste for five years before admission. Apparently, he made no such stipulation for heterosexual applicants.
But to speak of discrimination is merely to scratch the surface; the homophobia here is deeper and subtler than that.
A trust betrayed The confidential dialogue that didn’t stay confidential
What follows is the complete, unedited text of ' 'A Dialogue in Trust, ' ' the letter circulated by St . Augustine's Seminary Rector Brian Clough to students and faculty on March 19, of this year. (1983)
The following are reflections on discussions that occurred during the past year in regard to issues and tensions that were present in the house. These discussions were alluded to in Fr. Clough's address to the house in February. Initially, Fr. Clough met with three distinct groups composed of second, third, and fourth-year students. These groups represented different viewpoints on tensions that were growing within the first few months of the seminary year. The three distinct meetings allowed students to articulate their perceptions of what was occurring within and between emerging factions. These meetings were completed by the end of the first term. A collective meeting of the three groups took place a week after Fr. Clough's February address.
The purpose of the collective meeting was to provide a forum for dialogue and for the definition of issues that each group perceived. A second issue was to receive feedback on Fr. Cough's February intervention in regard to the house social with Trinity College. It was hoped that the meeting would be an initial step toward resolution of various problems. The meeting began with an attempt to identify what the problems were. The general consensus was that there was misunderstanding of viewpoints, attitudes, and behaviors. This was characteristic of all, not of a certain few. It was recognised that many of us did not know each other well enough and were unsure about positions held, which generated unease and, perhaps, a little suspicion. Within an institution there will be a broad range of personalities and attitudes. Such a situation can all too easily lead to conflict, which itself produces intolerance and insensitivity. It was felt that we were categorizing each other as to lifestyle and orientation. It should be noted that in Fr. Clough's February address there was mention made of a general nosiness of other's business and a consequent breakdown in trust. The problem, then, was one of misunderstanding and unfamiliarity that led to insensitivity and intolerance. Discussion ensued with each group expressing its feelings on the problem. It was felt that each group was given a free and equal opportunity to express their views. As the discussion progressed, it became evident that group boundaries were breaking down and that each was expressing his views as an individual, rather than as a representative of a group.
It became clear that the issue would be lost if the discussion were limited to the surface problem: that is, a tension between those perceived to be "macho" and those perceived to be "effeminate". It was agreed that such exclusive terms are damaging and denigrating. It is all too easy to categorize someone because he acts differently. The issue was then not how to limit those who act differently, but how to come to know the other with greater appreciation and understanding of his uniqueness.
Five main points were made during the discussion:
1: to equate homosexuality with effeminate behavior is false. A person's sexual orientation should not become a preoccupation for others. The issue is not one of homosexuality or heterosexuality within or outside the seminary, but one of sensitivity to others who may be different than ourselves.
2: it is important to be sensitive to the effect that our behavior has on others and the possible effects or perceptions that can result from the cumulative effect of group behavior in a particular situation.
3: it should be recognized that feelings of being threatened by another's uniqueness have their source within ourselves and must be resolved within ourselves. The problem should not be 'how can I change the other', but 'how can I come to terms with myself so that I can appreciate the other more'.
4: out of an ignorance of another's pain can come a desire to avoid that individual because he is different. Thus the challenge must be recognized: to confront someone with a problem is harder than not dealing with him.
5: the seminary community has a right to resolve its own issues without having them communicated outside the house or having "outsiders" resolve those issues for us.
The immediate results of the meeting were generally positive. It was felt that dialogue which occurred within the context of the meeting could be transferred to a less formal setting. Much misunderstanding was identified and corrected. It may be correct to say that tolerance was learned and that out of that learning came a greater appreciation and comfort with others who were different than ourselves: that is, a tolerance that was embedded in charity and mutual respect. With the reduction of tension through the expression of difficulties came a more relaxed atmosphere in the house. An important result was that the "silent majority" spoke-up and took an active part in the discussions. It was agreed that the meeting was an initial step to the resolution of the issue. Though the issue was not totally resolved, the meeting provided an opportunity to dialogue in trust.
The less immediate results were just as important. The meetings that occurred this year served as a first step to dialogue that can and will hopefully occur in years to come. It was recognized that there will always be problems in institutional living and that these problems should be addressed. Thus, the path was opened to future dialogue. It was suggested that the services of professionals, such as Sister Dickson, be employed in addressing issues such as sexuality, spirituality, tolerance, etc. It has been suggested that an opportunity be provided for year groups to reflect on the year with their representatives to the extended faculty meetings. It was also suggested that new students precede returning students at the start of the year by a day or two in order to better prepare them for seminary life and to ease the process of assimilation. In all, these discussions came out of an experience of grace; an experience that was felt by the whole seminary community. The meeting of the collective closed with the hope and the positive anticipation of greater interpersonal communication and friendship
19 MARCH 1984
M. CENERINI
FR. B. CLOUGH
J. MURPHY
D. REILANDER
This document has been distributed to the sisters, faculty, and students of St. Augustine's Seminary. Its purpose is specifically for the members of the house, i.e. the document is confidential to members of the house. This is why the document has not been posted on the bulletin board.
END
Single-sex institutions in the world.
Homosexual activity is inevitable; that a certain fraction of its members will be gay is inevitable. Yet it remains a great unspoken concern. Mary Malone, a St Augustine's faculty member, says: "The presence of gay students among seminarians is not new. Until recently, we pretended it wasn't there."
The St Augustine's purge was directed not so much against gay seminarians as against those, gay or straight, students or faculty, who dared to break the silence — to push or pull open the closet doors just a crack. The purge would be a warning to those still in the closet to stay there. That's perhaps why only two students were asked to leave the seminary, although Gervais estimated that there were as many as 12 "homosexually inclined" students there. That could be the meaning of Carter's explanation to reporters of Clough's dismissal: "To talk about it is one thing, but to put it in print (in "A Dialogue of Trust") is a problem."
Malone describes Clough and Tulk as "honest, compassionate men." "Their integrity," she says, "helped something come into the open that others would have preferred to keep secret." Clough, Dailey and Tulk are gone from St Augustine's, but those responsible failed in their goal. The secret is now out in the open.
The Rector referred to above, Father Brian Clough, after being fired for the scandal went on to become the Judicial Vicar for the Archdiocese of Toronto. This article is from the Globe and Mail on May 8, 1976. As of a few months ago, Clough was still on the Priest's Council.
Yours truly quoted:
To the priests of the Archdiocese of Toronto,
I know some of you, some better than others, and some of you are personal friends with my wife and me. We have written, spoken, and dined in restaurants or in our home. We share much and we share the sorrow for the state of the Church here in Toronto and universally.
To the rest of you, I have something to say.
How was it, even after the plagiarism scandal, that you invited Thomas J. Rosica to speak in your parish? How was it that you gave him a voice in rehabilitation? Don't talk to me about "mercy." Where was the mercy for those who were subjected to his errors? You knew of all of this and you stayed silent. You knew what he was doing and others of this ilk.
Why are you so fearful? What does he have on you? What does the system have on you?
Where is your courage to out this filth?
I have known about this current matter since 2015. I have known more in the last few months. Have you seen it posted here? Have you seen me betray the confidence?
You know what to do.
voxcantoris@rogers.com
On June 29, I wrote a short blog post that a certain Toronto priest which multiple sources confirmed had his faculties removed. I can report now, that priest was Thomas J. Rosica, CSB. I was unable to report what I also knew at the time, that a Toronto priest working under Rosica on World Youth Day, 2002 was sexually assaulted by the Basilian priest. The assaults began in the late 1990's. The suit filed in the Ontario court and which is now public information states that the relationship. “allowed Rosica an opportunity to be alone with the Plaintiff and to exert total control over him, prey upon him and sexually abuse him." further, it states that Rosica repeatedly "groped and fondled" the sexual organs of the young priest. This was known to the writer nearly a decade ago after the attempted frivolous and vexatious lawsuit against me. However, at the time, I was sworn to secrecy and unable to report it or reveal my source.
The lawsuit also goes after the Congregation of St.
Basil for not properly supervising Rosica. As someone who himself was
physically abused and battered by Basilian priests at the age of 13 and took it
to the Congregation directly 40 years later, and as someone unjustly sued by
Rosica, I can assure you that the Basilian Congregation is as much at fault and
derelict in their duty to God and to His faithful. The suit further states
that “The Basilians knew or ought to have
known that Rosica had engaged in deviant behaviour and failed to investigate
such. In failing to investigate and identify any past failings of Rosica, they
also failed to identify any victims who may have been in need of counseling,
assistance and support because of the actions of Rosica." Yes, the
Basilians knew, they all knew and they all covered it up!
Rosica, of course, denies the allegations just as
he denied he was a serial plagiarist which this writer first exposed in 2015.
In response to the Court, Rosica claims that he “infrequent
ministerial contact with the Plaintiff between 1996 and 2002, but denies
sexually abusing or sexually assaulting or making unwanted physical contact or
engaging in any improper conduct with the Plaintiff.”
Rosica asked the Court to dismiss the lawsuit claiming that the process is governed by Canon Law. Rosica did not choose the path of the Church or Scripture in his desire to sue this writer but rather chose Ontario's court system. The hypocrisy is there for all to see.
In June 2024, Tom Rosica was witnessed coming out of a Toronto gay bathhouse.
Justice comes. One just needs to be patient. All things come to those that wait.
We mark the passing of Father Leo Rampsperger, peacefully, at Humber River Hospital, Toronto, on Friday, August 2, 2024, at the age of 100 - an ordained priest for 70 years. His funeral was held yesterday in Toronto in the church of his baptism, St. Vincent de Paul. The parish is administered by the Toronto Oratory of St. Philip Neri and was a solemn Requiem according to the traditional rite, at his request. Every year, Father would send a donation to the parish of his baptism. May he rest in peace.
Have any of you made any public comments about the blasphemy at the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics?
I'd be happy to post them.
Sincerely,
Vox Cantoris
Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has been excommunicated due to the crime of schism. It is a sad day for him and the Church. Others who abuse women and boys and steal and defraud and bless the sin of sodomy and teach heresy are only "sinners" and are excused.
Viganò is wrong. Bergoglio is the Pope. The priests of the Diocese of Rome recognize Bergoglio as their bishop, therefore, he is the Bishop of Rome, and thus, the Pope of the Catholic Church. That's it, friends. Simple as that.
If he is a heretic he cannot be judged in any process that would remove him. That's the Law. If he is a heretic, he has lost the grace of office, but that doesn't mean he does not have the power and there is no mechanism to remove him.
"The boss is not always right, but he's always the boss." Ergo, the problem.
Sedevacantists, pope-splainers and ultra-montanists have caused this. All of them have elevated the pope to a god and believe that he farts frankincense, it smells nice and we are to enjoy it and that kissing his feet is some kind of reverence to God.
The First and Second Vatican Councils have done this. In the case of the First, it has been abused against what was actually intended, to tie the hands of a pope and infallibility to faith and morals; and, in the case of the Second, abused because of a vague thing called the "spirit" that refuses to be slain.
A future Pope and Council must fix all of this. It may very well make a declaration on Jorge Mario Bergoglio and his actions and they may, including the excommunication of Viganò, be declared anathema.
Until then, friends, we are stuck with the boss who is not always right but remains the boss for good or ill.
Multiple sources, I repeat, multiple, indicate a certain priest in Toronto has had his faculties removed.
With a tip of the hat to Barona!
Rosica is a sad tragic figure. Rosica has some serious questions to answer before God one day. He sold himself for a big income at Pepper + Darkness which nobody watches, not then or now, and notoriety with all the wrong people like Carlo Martini, James Martin, Steven Colbert, Katie Curic and more. I had direct dealings with him and his blatant dishonesty in 2015. The former papal advisor is a tragic figure as are those who assisted him in trying to destroy a Catholic family man and blogger for outing him for his statements and plagiarism.
Nota Bene: Not plagiarised but paraphrased from Thomas J. Rosica.
From Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò to LifeSiteNews -- "'I, therefore, wish to make it clear that I did not go to the Vatican yesterday, and that I have no intention of going to the Holy Office on June 28, and that I have not delivered any statement or document in my defence to the Dicastery, whose authority I do not recognize,"
Quaeritur:
What if he is right?
The air in the Church is oppressive as this current heat wave (called weather) throughout eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Here in Toronto, we have the recent rather uncomfortable situation for Thomas Rosica, allegedly being found in a homosexual bathhouse with its special activities from dark rooms to sl--p ramps and more. Fitting that this should allegedly occur in June with its upside-down proclamations.
It has been a while since I've blogged to any extent. Life is busy and I think most of us are weary. I don't earn an income from this and the time it takes to write daily is outside my current power. Comments are down and I write that not to bemoan that nobody is commenting but as an observation because comments are down everywhere on Catholic blogs. I remember when Father Z's blog would have 30, 50 or more comments but even there, they are few. People are tired, worn and weary of all the bad news. We seem to be hunkering down waiting for the next evil act to fall upon us.
It is important at this time to "Keep Calm and Carry On!" as the meme goes. At the link below to Father Z he has a clip from Bridge of Spies. "The Boss is not always right, but he's always the Boss!" After being questioned about never worrying, he asks, "Would it help?" On my own part, I've said to people over the last few days, "I am trying to keep my peace." It is not always easy. Of course, you know that to which I refer.
My wife and I drive two hours each Sunday to Mass, I've done this since 2011 and she shortly after that and since our marriage in 2013. After the church's reopened after the demonic lockdowns we were down to 40 people or so from about 80. On Corpus Christi Sunday we had 231, and choir directors always count from above. It was our largest congregation to date and wonderful. I am blessed that there are now 12 in our choir. This Sunday we will sing Palestrina's Sicut Cervus and Sitivit Anima Mea in honour of baptism and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and the wonderful Ut Queant Laxis office hymn.
I've read much of what is out there. I am aghast that a heretical professor of liturgy should be so ignorant, so wrong and so valued to affect how my family chooses to worship God. It is a scandal. I refer you to a response to that diatribe by Dom Alcuin Reid.
I also refer you to this advice by Father John Zuhlsdorf.
ASK FATHER: Attacks on the Vetus Ordo… “Aren’t you worried?” | Fr. Z's Blog (wdtprs.com)
Then, of course, we have the summoning of Archbishop Vigano to Rome to a trial. He may have gone too far but he is not totally wrong and Rome is clearly not in the right. Where is mercy? As a good friend of mine often reminds me, "They apply the law to their enemies and interpret it for their friends." Remember, nearly two months ago, Archbishop Vigano made statements that he has witnesses that state that Bergoglio did things in Argentina comparable to those of Mr. McCarrick, the aging pervert in America.
As for me, I will try to keep my peace. I will continue on safe in the knowledge that whatever is coming is temporary. The psalmist says, "May his days be shortened and another is bishopric take." No matter what these Roman rats think, they will be confounded. When people fear Francis II, I ask rhetorically, "How did a College of Cardinals appointed by John Paul II give us Benedict XVI and added to by Benedict XVI give us Francis?" One would assume we would have had a different Pope, one closer to the previous two. Yet, we did not. It was clear that they did not head the Holy Spirit. I remember Mahoney bragging on Twittter about "no more red shoes." and that the "pen was moving on its own." That should tell us all what motivated Mahoney. When Francis came out on the loggia, I had chills, I had the urge to vomit. Except for the help of St. Anthony in finding my palm pilot, wallet and wedding ring, someday I should write those stories, I've never been sensitive or given to spiritual premonitions or such. It was clear to me that this was a warning of what was to come. I write this to make it clear that we don't know who the next pope will be. I pray he comes soon and that he will lead the Church through those two pillars of St. John Bosco. Even though the majority of the College of Cardinals has been appointed by Pope Bergoglio there is no certainty that they will elect another like him. Africa will not follow, in fact, it will lead. When you wonder why certain Cardinals remain quiet or measured, it is because they will be stripped of their red hats and not be at the next Conclave. They must be there. Patience. Many Cardinals will have had enough. Not the Tagle's or Cardinal Kiss my Face or the Marxist Americans but they are not all of them. It will be a donnybrook and I expect they will bring forth a healer. I do not discount that many of them may not even be there. I think of the Fatima prophecy and the possibility that a terrorist strike at St. Peter's will wipe out many of them. We are in perilous times. God will fix this, but it won't be pretty.
I know that if this one abolishes that which we hold dear, a power he really does not possess to do, he will be confounded for it. Judged. Sentenced. Imagine the harm and hurt and pain done to me, my wife, you, all those home-schooled children in my community and yours who desire nothing except to worship God as our ancestors did. Who are these Roman rats to prevent that? Who do they think they are? Papal primacy and infallibility (yes, we know its' limits) ultramontanism are all great when we have a good pope, not so much when we have one such as this.
As much as sedevacantism is a heresy. so is hyperpapalism. Francis is pope because the priests of the Diocese of Rome accept him as bishop and the Bishop of Rome is the Pope of the Catholic Church. See how simple that is? He has not lost the papacy, he may have lost the grace of office. He is Pope but that does not mean he is the "Holy" Father. I actually detest that phrase. There is no "holy" pope, there are no "holy" priests. The story below declares that. Only God is holy, only His Saints in Heaven are Holy. We Catholics are guilty of papolatry, we prove Jack Chick right, frequently. It needs to change. The Pope is the Servant of the Servants of God, not the dictator. I will not kiss his feet. The only feet I kiss belong to my wife. The Orthodox, the first and most important ecumenical need, want nothing to do with us. They understand really "synodality" and it is not Rome's.
This was longer than I intended. May God protect us. May he preserve us. May he keep us faithful to Him and guard our worship. May he confound our enemies and may their days all be shortened and others, their bishoprics take.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy upon us.
Look at that punchable face. I remember it. Rostand was a priest at Transfiguration of Our Lord SSPX chapel in Toronto sometime before 2010. I attended there for a few months assisting in the choir between appointments. He was a creep. Aloof. Arrogant. Immature. I had no idea he was a pervert but it all fits.
One year is hardly enough for this filthy degenerate. The scandal on the children and youths, the Society, the Church and the priesthood is scarcely satisfied.
Europe's courts are no better than our own.
Enjoy the millstone you stinking cesspool!
"The former U.S. district superior for the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) was sentenced to one year in a French jail after admitting in April to having molested seven underage boys between 2002 and 2018 in France, Spain and Switzerland.
French outlets reported that a criminal court in Gap sentenced Father Arnaud Rostand, 58, to 12 months in prison with deferred incarceration. He is also required to undergo four years of “socio-juridical” monitoring and psychiatric treatment, as well as provide compensation for his victims."
The "last post" if you will.
Fr Hunwicke's Mutual Enrichment: Was Gueranger a Great Liturgist? (liturgicalnotes.blogspot.com)
May he rest in peace.
Fr. John Hunwicke - Medieval Liturgy and Society (youtube.com)
Hi Tom,
I know you still read this in between cleaning bedpans at Presentation House. Gosh, it was 600,000 after ten years. You did this. Thanks so much.
Have a nice day.
And to all of you who visit, thank you.
In honour of the great work of Tommy Rosica in promoting this blog, please give to Andrew at GiveSendGo, above.
The annual priest transfer is underway for the Archdiocese of Toronto. It is larger than it has been in several years, certainly since the No Mass For You period of Tom Collins.
In early 2021, the Catholic Register, owned by the Archdiocese of Toronto, featured the pastor of St. Ambrose in south Etobicoke who declared that our God is a vegan god Animal welfare and the Church (catholicregister.org):
“I remember in the beginning I was a little bit more urgent (with preaching about transitioning to plant-based living) because I was kind of going through it,” he said. “I understand it kind of takes (small) steps with certain people and obviously people have been open to it as well. If you’re always talking about it, I think there are people that don’t want to hear it all the time unfortunately. It’s a delicate matter at times because you are dealing with people’s palette.”
How much did this priest preach of Jesus Christ?
Good luck to him as he takes up his new role at Guardian Angels in Brampton, a parish where Filipinos and Africans dominate. I am sure they will welcome him with a parking lot pig roast.