Put the last year in the trash bin along with Celebrate in Song!

For those of you in liturgical work in the Ordinary Form in many parts of Canada where for the last year you've been saddled with Mass A, Mass B or Mass C in Celibate in Song under pain of disobedience of the High Priests of Liturgy at the CCCB and the perceived,  conflict of interest of two of the composers of the trite banality passed off as sacred music and a Gloria that is not the Roman Missal Gloria, there is great news.

THE YEAR IS OVER!

The feathers of St.Philip Neri

The Chicken and the Feathers

Many years ago, during the time of the Protestant Reformation, there was a great saint living in Italy called Philip Neri. He was a wonderful priest and he helped many people to be good Catholics, during that time, when so many Catholics were losing their faith.

One day a woman came to see St. Philip Neri. She was known for her wicked tongue and she used to gossip about other people, telling all the bad things they had done. This indeed was very wrong because when she talked to someone about the faults and sins of another person, that person would many times be looked upon as a bad person, by other people!

St. Philip gave the woman some money and asked her to go to the market and buy a chicken that had just been killed and to pluck all the feathers off, as she walked home with the chicken.

The woman was proud of the fact that St. Philip had asked her to do something for him. She went to the market, bought the chicken, and on her way home she picked off every single feather and made that chicken as clean as a whistle! Then with a smile she handed the chicken to St. Philip Neri.

He thanked the woman and then said, "Now go back once more, and gather up all the feathers of the chicken you just plucked!"

The poor woman didn't smile anymore. She said, "But that is impossible, Father! The wind has scattered the feathers in every direction!"

Then St. Philip scolded, "Let this be a lesson to you, for it is exactly the same with your wicked words. Just as the chicken feathers have been scattered by the wind in every direction, so have your wicked words been scattered in every direction by other people, repeating your stories!"

So you see, it's very important to say only nice things about other people. When you do this you will be doing what our Lord told us to do in the Bible and you will be practising the beautiful virtue of Charity.

Now if you want to go to Heaven, you must always practise the virtue of Charity! Remember the words of Jesus: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In this way you will make Jesus and Mary very happy and they will bless you always.

Saint Philip Neri, pray for us!

Basta, basta!

Ephesians 4:31-32

Douay-Rheims  

³¹ Let all bitterness, and anger, and indignation, and clamour, and blasphemy, be put away from you, with all malice. ³² And be ye kind one to another; merciful, forgiving one another, even as God hath forgiven you in Christ.

All of us as Catholic will be held to a high-mark upon our judgement. The LORD's prayer is very clear when we ask the Father to "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

By the measure which we forgive, so will we be forgiven; it is just that simple.

It's time friends. 

Life is too short. 

Have you forgiven? 

Have you done it unconditionally?

If you died today and met Christ, is your conscience clear?; because at some point, the only person whom you are hurting is yourself. 

Think about it.

As for me? 

You are forgiven.

No conditions.

Forgive me.

No conditions.

There.

Done.

Be a Christian!

The Capo arrives

The Holy Father has announced the appointment of Abbot Michael Zielinski, OSB OLIV as Capo Ufficio  (Office Head) of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. The Capo is under the Prefect, Secretary and Under-Secretary and the appointment includes histrionics from those who wish to continue under the liturgical rupture which has been existing for over four decades now.

When one reads this quote, can there be any wonder that those who pray and tell are a little upset?

“I believe that the Dogmatic Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium was a response to a widely held conviction that the liturgy needed a reform. The Council Fathers were seeking to bring out the community aspects of the mass, as well as make it more effective in teaching the truths of the Catholic Faith. Unfortunately, the theological necessity for a continuity in the underlying doctrine and structure of the celebration of the Mass in its preconciliar and post conciliar forms had undergone a rupture or break with Tradition. That is what we are dealing with today. The Second Vatican Council clearly called for some modest reforms in the liturgy, but it intended them to be organic and clearly in continuity with the past. The Old Rite becomes a living treasure of the Church and also should provide a standard of worship, of mystery, and of catechesis toward which the celebrations of the Novus Ordo must move. In other words, the Tridentine Mass is the missing link. And unless it be re-discovered in all its faithful truth and beauty, the Novus Ordo will not respond to the organic growth and change that has characterized the liturgy from its beginning. This is what should be prompting many of us to the founding of a new liturgical movement which will be able to give back to the liturgy its sacramental and supernatural character, and awaken in us a faithful understanding of the Catholic Liturgy.”

Slowly, the Holy Father is achieving his goal of correcting the liturgical rupture which manner in which the liturgy after 1969 has been. While one can argue that when the Ordinary Form is celebrated in the manner which was intended, facing east or liturgical east at least, with beauty and Gregorian chant with some vernacular it not a rupture with organic change the facts show otherwise. The abuses are still occurring and this is particularly the case with music which can debase the liturgy no matter how faithful Father is to the rubrics. We can add to this communion in the hand, the overuse and inappropriate use of Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion and more. Fundamentally, there are too many options not mandated by the Council or the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctam Concilium.

It seems clear now that a Fourth Edition of the Roman Missal of 1969 is either being developed or in fact an entirely new Missal which will see the Missal of Paul VI abrogated and along with it, much of that which flowed from it.

Discipline, do you have it?

Have you checked out www.damiangoddard.com yet?

Of acorns and other nuts

In Vaughan, Ontario, the "city above Toronto" catholic anti-nut mom, Donna Giustizia who serves as the Chair of the Allergy Committee at St. Stephen Catholic Elementary School told city council that the tree saplings dropping nuts onto school property pose a threat to young students with anaphylaxis-inducing allergies and are infringing on the right to a nut-free space. Mrs. Giustizia now has her 15 minutes of fame. If she walks by a neighbouring house with a black walnut tree, chestnut or an acorn tree in the front lawn will  she demand it be cut down lest her snowflakes melt? Where are the tree-huggers when we need them? Is this how you raise a self-reliant child to become a strong Catholic man or woman?

Speaking of nuts, is it any wonder that some grow up physically but can never get beyond "mommy" who still needs to fight their battles. Is it soccer-moms such as this one that are responsible for the wimpy men in our society? Is it the estrogen in the water supply from the oral contraceptives, including those taken by "Catholic" women, that has emasculated more than male fish species? What example is being made to little girls when they see mothers like this? Will they grow up to have the courage of real Catholic women? What effect will Mrs. Giustizia have on her children over their lives; will they ever be allowed to scrape a knee or fail at sports or climb a non nut-bearing tree? Will they win a trophy just for participating? Will all soccer games end in a tie? As Catholic parents, what kind of children are we raising? Surely, not children that will stand up and fight for the truth and Holy Mother Church, that's for sure. People like Mrs. Giustizia have raised a generation of weak men in particular who can't make it without mommy, who can't keep a job, can't be a husband and a father and can't cope with the truth. Mrs. Giustizia and others mommies like her and their emasculated husbands are a big part of the problem. Where is the Mister in all of this? Is he still head of the family? Methinks not.

We've become absurd with our litigious attitude and our sense of being wronged. We whine and whimper instead of sucking it up or addressing the problem directly. We "feel" this and we "feel" that because it's all about our "feelings" and our justification. Instead of recognising that we are all human, we make mistakes, we are wronged and we ask for and receive hopefully, an apology or at least an explanation and a polite agreement to disagree we move forward as Catholic gentlemen and ladies should do, we have become a nation, a religion of crybabies and self-righteous and selfish imbeciles. Catholics have allowed the reign of political correctness and liberal fascism to cloud their thinking and their relationships with one another and take offense at everything and anything.  This is not mature. This is not Catholic. This offense taken over every little thing is not normal. This lack of forgiveness and moving on is not from Christ. This generation of children being raised and the last for the most part are unfit for the battle which lies ahead. They have not an ounce of faith or intestinal fortitude that will enable them to survive the evils coming upon us. They will crumble and fail to stand up for the truth and the Church when it matters. They have feminised the culture, they have metro-sexualised the culture and they have ruined the future generation. These are not Catholic women, these are not Catholic mothers. These are not Catholic men, they are not Catholic fathers. They're sure not my mother, God rest her soul. 

If you don't like the above; if you think that I've been un-charitable, that is your right; you can leave a comment, the box is open. If it offends you, I'm sorry that you are offended so easily; and this leads me into something more. There are some who come by here and what they read and what they see, they do not like. They think that I've gone too far with certain titles or comments. I've tried to tell the truth. Nothing here is gossip or calumny or detraction. This is a newspaper, I am a journalist. Now, you can question my credentials but that's your problem. This is the new media; God gave me a mind, he gave me a will and I will use it to tell the truth and fight for and defend the Catholic faith. If some cleric has done something or said something that is a matter of public record that has harmed the faith or scandalised the faithful, then that comment and its impact is fair game to discuss and debate and while that needs to be done with charity, I sometimes fail. That will mean that some will be offended. They may be in a pew, they may wear scarlet; so be it. I can be sarcastic, no doubt; I try to use humour. Some think that this blog hurts certain causes in the Church. That is not true. You give me far too much credit. If people think that this blog is going to hurt tradition that is a fallacy. To be Catholic is to be traditional in its classic sense. To be Catholic is to be conservative in its classic sense. Those who have set at nought  against Catholic tradition are not doing the work of the Church. Those who have and continue to persecute Catholics fighting for tradition are not serving the Church. We are a faith that is based on two things, sacred tradition and sacred scripture, and tradition came before canonised scripture. This blog is not hurting Catholic tradition or the Traditionalist movement; anyone who thinks it is, is wrong.  You give me to much power.

Some would like me to put the Vox in a box. Well friends, I have news for you; it's not going to happen. Deal with it. If you don't like what I write, click on. Do you want to know something? I'm not offended that you're offended. Deal with it.

The last few months have been extremely busy and intense. My professional work is still going at a pace unexpected this late in the season. I hope to take a vacation in a few weeks and if all works out my last Friday will be just before Advent I and I will go back to work the day after Epiphany. The liturgical work has not only been Saturday for the OF and Sunday for the EF but also additional work to serve Christ, His Church and His people. 

There are some people whom I feel very sorry for I truly do. Motivated by hatred and disdain for me they are doing something that is seriously more harmful to them more than it is to me or to anyone else. They've chosen a path that is objectively sinful and given the extent of it and its continuance, it  may be mortal; Character assassination is an ugly business and there will be justice. The spirit of their complaint is not of the Holy Spirit. Some people of power and prestige who should know better have succumbed to calumny, detraction and gossip to lash out irrationally and without due process. They choose not to move on. They choose not to follow the charitable way. They choose not to follow the truth.

St. Matthew teaches us this:

¹⁵ But if thy brother shall offend against thee, go, and rebuke him between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou shalt gain thy brother. ¹⁶ And if he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two more: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. ¹⁷ And if he will not hear them: tell the church. And if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican.

Rather than follow the teaching of Jesus, Our blessed Lord and Saviour, they have instead followed a different mistress and master; Oprah and Jerry have more influence on them in this regard.

Friends, this blog is not going anywhere. Nor is the liturgical work which I do in my other life. I won't be knocked off my game from anyone on either side of the pond. What I, as Vox, write on this blog is the truth and I will always defend Holy Mother Church and the day I stop defending Her here, then I shall have failed and this blog will disappear. I am a faithful son of the Church. I assent to all of the teachings of the Magisterium, even those which I find difficult. I hope and pray that my last words will be "Jesus, mercy." I pray to have the courage that, if necessary, my last words will be "Viva Cristo Rey!" and that the bullet is accurate and the guillotine sharp.

You may not like my tone; sorry for that, I write in the manner God gave me the ability and talent and mind to do.  What I write on this blog is my opinion. It has nothing to do with any specific work I do beyond this blog. Any attempt to suggest that or hold my work against the good work of others is simply unjust at best and an attempt to find in me a scapegoat for troubles caused by someone or something else. Deal with it.

For everyone that dismisses this blog, there is someone out there who appreciates it. 

If I've offended you, I'm sorry that you are offended. I'm not sorry for telling the truth.

If I haven't offended you, I might. 

I cannot control how you react to what I write. If the truth offends you so be it. Deal with it.

If the fact that I won't be knocked down offends you, so be it. Deal with it.

If standing up for the truth of the Catholic Church from those who would defile her whether from without or particularly within offends you, be they media savvy priests or bishops who publicly proclaim that which is against the Holy Father and the Magisterium, then join the church of nice; but you won't find me there.

As for my own sins, they are scarlet, truly I know them, they are always before me as the Psalmist sings.  I've even once or twice said fuddle-duddle.1

For sharing my sins publicly with the world, I thank you. There is great grace in humiliation as a good priest friend wrote to me the other day and I have taken all of these little sufferings, these humiliations and I have offered them up to the LORD that He may choose to relieve the sufferings of another priest with whom I have great respect and fraternal affection for (and for him I would ask that you say a Pater, an Ave and a Gloria and offer up your own little sufferings today for him, the LORD will know who he is). There is no wasted suffering.

Recently I saw a picture on Facebook under the WWJD moniker. The answer was "taking a whip and overturning tables is an option."

May God grant us pardon and peace.

Vox Cantoris
Overturning tables since 2005

1, 

Pierre Trudeau: Well what are they, lip readers or something?

Press: Did you…?

Pierre Trudeau: Of course I didn't say anything. I mean that's a…

Press: Did you mouth anything?

Pierre Trudeau: I moved my lips and I used my hands in a gesture of derision, yes. But I didn't say anything. If these guys want to read lips and they want to see something into it, you know that's their problem. I think they're very sensitive. They come in the House and they make all kinds of accusations, and because I smile at them in derision they come stomping out and what, go crying to momma or to television that they've been insulted or something?

[later in the press conference]

Pierre Trudeau: Well, it's a lie, because I didn't say anything.

Press: Sir, did you mouth it?

Pierre Trudeau: [visibly annoyed] What does “mouth” mean?

Press: Move your lips.

Pierre Trudeau: Move your lips? Yes I moved my lips!

Press: In the words you've been quoted as saying?

Pierre Trudeau: [half smile] No.

Press: (After murmurs by other press) What were you thinking… when you moved your lips?

Pierre Trudeau: What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say “fuddle duddle” or something like that? Gosh, you guys…! 

Alinsky in Antigonish

A post below garnered this comment about a meeting at "Bethany" in Antigonish. "The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the structures of the church. This group at Bethany led by Sister Donna Brady, CSM, called the "Gathering of the Wisdom" clearly made it known their desire to take over the Church, rewrite Canon Law and even rewrite the Bible. When other members of the group found out who I was and what I was doing there, they spoke up and said to the group that they "have a mole in the group" in front of everyone. They were not very nice about either! The Pope needs to do something. Long live the Pope and God bless the Roman Catholic church."

A little web search reveals a dormant blog with a few posts.

Oh Martha, Martha as Jesus would say. We can ask, "what happened to the Sisters of St. Martha?

The tactics these Sisters used against the good man at this meeting were right out of Alinsky.

The good news is that biology will fix this; the bad news is there may not be many Catholics left in Antigonish to pick up the pieces.

Is this what they want?

My Catholic brothers and sisters of Antigonish; how much more will you take?

Is there more than a handful there who actually have the faith?

Asperges me; as long as it's not from plastic

On many occasions, this writer takes a pretty critical view of the actions or lack thereof of some of our bishops and priests in Canada, the posts most previous to this are an example. The "outing" of these errors and the damage they do to the Catholic Church in Canada has never been more necessary and for that no apologies are given. The title references the Archbishop of Winnipeg's disdain for water sold in plastic bottles. But, it behooves me then to ensure that when a bishop does something notable and positive and hopeful that it is also expressed and to his credit, the Archbishop has fulfilled his obligations under Summorum Pontificum and there is now, one Sunday Mass in Winnipeg in the Extraordinary Form. More will come in time, there is no stopping it.

There is a picture at the bottom of this post of a web page article by Father Jeff Burwell, S.J., the Parochial Vicor at St. Paul the Apostle--St. Ann's Parishes. Father Burwell is the priest who now celebrates the Extraordinary Form of the  Roman Rite for the people of Winnipeg. He is also a Faculty Member at the  Jesuit Centre for Catholic Studies at. St. Paul's College at the University of Manitoba.



St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parish

While this is good news itself, the real good news, thankful news, hopeful news is that this article appears on the web page of the St. Catharine's Diocese and it is on the section under vocations.

Anne Roche Muggeridge

The Diocese of St. Catharine's is blest to have the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter which now, thanks to Bishop Bergie, has an erected "Personal Parish" at St. Aloysius Gonzaga Catholic Church. This community grew directly out of the work of the late Anne Roche Muggeridge author of The Gates of Hell and The Desolate City. Those books stimulated this writer 25 years ago. When her husband John Muggeridge, son of Malcolm Muggeridge passed away, the Cardinal in Toronto had to be "asked" for an indult to have Solemn Requiem in the Ancient Rite, which held at the Oratory. He "agreed" then to allowing the same for Anne when the time came. Thanks to the power of God and the law of Pope Benedict XVI, Anne lived long enough to not need an "indult" and her funeral was celebrated as well, at the Toronto Oratory. I recall a story she told as told to me by her first cousin, a priest; Anne was praying her heart out before the Blessed Sacrament about all the liturgical abuses and horrors that she was witnessing, she said, "Lord, how am I to stand it" and the answer was, "If I have to put up with it, so do you!"

Bishop Bergie of St. Catharine's

When the history of the restoration of the Catholic faith in Canada is written, the name Anne Roche Muggeridge will be a the very top. I had the opportunity to meet her about a dozen times and a few socially as I sang for a few years at the "indult" Mass in Hamilton over twenty years ago and met her there.

 The bishops of St. Catharine's were never left alone by this courageous woman. She did not let them push her around or the faithful. Now, Bishop Bergie, who came after her passing to eternity, has provided even more for the needs of his people. A "personal parish'' for the Fraternity where he, himself, has been to celebrate the Old Rite.

May God give eternal rest to Anne Roche Muggeridge and may he abundantly bless Bishop Bergie and Archbishop Weisgerber.

The Sour Cream of Antigonish

Brian Dunn, Bishop of Antigonish

Bishop Brian Dunn of the Diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia has made the news in the secular media. Under the headline, "Catholic Bishop urges Vatican to allow women to take on a greater role" CTV Atlantic reports that His Excellency believes that women should be "officially recognized as lay ministers in the church,” says Dunn. “As soon as you have official recognition, that would be a major acknowledgement of the role of women in the church.” What we don't know is what does the bishop mean in these comments. Is it administration within a diocese? May the best person be hired. Is it something more? Does it mean an "Installed Lector" or perhaps an "Installed Acolyte" the former "minor orders."

Well, maybe we known this because according to one diocesan pastoral expert, "one of the subjects at the moment is the appointment of deacons within the church,” says Pat Bates.

One wonders where Miss Bates has her sources that indicate how this is high on the Holy Father's agenda?  

“Women have sustained their church in many capacities and I certainly don’t see any reason in the world why they can’t take more of a leadership role than they have been allowed, to date,” says women’s rights advocate Louise MacDonald. Yes, Louise, because it is all about you and "women's rights."

Louise is correct, women have sustained the Church. I can think here in this country of our own two St. Marguerite's; Bourgeoys and D'Youville or how about St. Joan of Arc or St. Hildegaard of Bingen? St. Elizabeth Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Katherine Drecker or Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, St. Catharine of Sienna or St. Brigit of Sweden; were these not great women who sustained the Church! How about St. Teresa of Avila or St. Edith Stein, St. Theresa of Liseux or our own Lily of the Mohawks, St. Kateri Tekakwitha or is calling her a "lily" somehow insulting to women? I could go on, and on, and on, and on...to say nothing of the real nuns who built the health care and education systems in this country before they were corrupted by the likes of Remi the Polkaroo. They seemed to do quite a bit Louise and Pat, they were holy, strong-willed, successful and sacrificing women; women whom you and all Catholic women should emulate.

Abuse Crisis

Bishop Dunn was quoted in Reuters as saying that church leaders must "consider the reasons why this crisis (sex abuse) happened" and "put into place measures which will create safe environments for children and all who are vulnerable in the faith community."

Now laicised,  Sodomite Raymond Lahey

On the latter, no argument; on the former, it happened because homosexual men with a predilection for ebophilia (sex with boys) were admitted to the Catholic priesthood and when the problem was discovered they were shuffled around. Period! Let us consider briefly the last bishop of this long-suffering diocese in Nova Scotia; a not so in the closet homosexual who had a predilection for pornography involving sex acts with young boys to fuel his own masturbatory fantasies and who enjoyed his travels to Thailand a little too much? To the right we see the now Mr. Lahey in the clown vestments of the 2002 Toronto World Youth Day. Here's hoping that Mr. Lahey had less than a "good-time" in Hogtown!  Of course the question has never been answered, did nobody in Antigonish know what was going on? Did anyone ask the then bishop, "Excellency, what liturgical conference is taking place in Bangkok?"

Lakeland

Two years ago, Bishop Dunn sanctioned a conference lead by dissident theologian and former Jesuit Priest, Dr. Paul Lakeland of Fairfield University in Connecticut, who openly holds views on abortion, homosexuality, contraception and women priests that go against Catholic teaching. That's right, Paul Lakeland was invited, but when another man was invited by the laity the welcome mat was not only not put out but some associated with it were interrogated as if in a communist country. Perhaps one of the organisers, Anna Vautour said it best when she opined emotionally, that she felt this clandestine conference (with Mr. Voris) was "a huge comfort because so often we feel like we are fighting this battle for our children's innocence, their purity and their faith life and not supported within the Church and not within the clergy." 

How's that for a condemnation of the whole clerical establishment of Antigonish!

Kneeling Catholics Arrested

Then of course, there is the infamous scandal a few decades ago of having people arrested because they desired to kneel for Holy Communion? This fiasco directly lead to the law now in place in Redemptionis Sacramentum. Who do these bishops think they are?

Well, the "Cream of Antigonish" as the whole of the university faculty was referred to by a bishop to generations ago is nothing but a sour stench that didn't even get to become yogourt. The cream is supposed to rise to the top except in Antigonish.

What did the poor Catholics of Antigonish do to deserve this and lack of care spoken of so eloquently by Mrs. Vautour?  

Rosica and Gregory Baum - salt is pepper and light is darkness

November 2, 2012