Former employee reports: "Catholic bishops complicit in scandalous sabotage of the pro-life cause in Canada!"

A few weeks ago, I posted an article about the Canadian election and the Pro-Life movement. Steve Jalsevac of LifeSiteNews wrote a letter to me challenging my thinking. With Steve's permission, I reprinted that letter.

Steve articulated a history of manipulation by the Bishops' Conference and literal thuggery by politicians on the issue. His letter is must read.

Lea Z. Singh is a freelance writer, activist, lawyer and mother. She was born behind the Iron Curtain in the days of Communism and raised in Edmonton. She is a graduate of the United World College of the Atlantic, Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. Lea blogs at Culture Witness.

She also worked for the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.

In her most recent blog post. Lea writes about the letter which Steve sent to me and that I posted on the blog. She adds to the facts from her own experiences at the CCCB. It is chilling and revealing of a scandal of proportions not seen since the Winnipeg Statement.

This story has legs and it must be told. 

http://www.culturewitness.com/2015/09/catholic-bishops-complicit-in.html#more

Is Jalsevac right? My experience at the CCCB
Jalsevac makes some very serious allegations about the Catholic Church's destructive role in the battle against abortion in Canada. Is he right?
As someone who worked at the CCCB headquarters for five years from 2005-2009, and had an inside view of the CCCB as Assistant Director of the Catholic Organization for Life and Family, I suspect that Jalsevac is shedding light on a real and scandalous problem with the Canadian Catholic Church.
...
The permanent sulk
Most people are not aware that the CCCB holds a petty adolescent grudge against Campaign Life Coalition and its news organization, LifeSiteNews - Steve Jalsevac's employer.
This grudge was one of the first things that I noticed when I first joined COLF in the summer of 2005. For instance, I was (unofficially) discouraged from circulating LifeSiteNews stories by email to the Bishops and Secretariat, or referencing LifeSiteNews as a source in internal documents. LifeSiteNews was considered extreme and lacking in credibility, and there was distrust towards the leadership of Campaign Life.
...
It's all about the money
The Catholic Church in Canada lives in fear. Not of the culture of death, but of Canadian tax laws.
The Canadian Income Tax specifies that charities must cap their involvement in political activity at 10% of their total activity. The Catholic Church is a registered charity, and it makes a lot of money with that status. Many parishioners all across Canada donate to their local parishes each Sunday with the understanding that they will receive tax deductions for their donations. How many people would stop donating, or would donate substantially less, if the Church was no longer able to provide them with tax receipts?

This is a damning condemnation, the second in the last week, of the manipulation, the deceit and the betrayal of Catholics in Canada by their own bishops and the minions that surround them in their Conference.

Nothing less than a complete house-cleaning at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops and a public acknowledgement before God and Canadian Catholics of their failure to teach and sanctify whilst undermining the work of the laity for Life!

Not one penny. Not for CCCB, not for Development & Peace and not for Pastoral Campaigns with flashy names. Give funds to your priest directly or the "building fund" of your parish. The only way to teach these men because "It's all about money" is with money and lack thereof.

Are Canadian Bishops and Development & Peace manipulating Catholics for the Liberal Party and the NDP Socialists?

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has issued its advisory on the Canadian election. As referenced previously, there is a little and not so subtle reminder about voting for a "Just Society" a phrase coined by Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Perhaps it is Canada's bishops desire to see Catholics vote Liberal.

Now, we have Development and Peace (not one penny to them) getting into the subliminal act.

A blatant logo of the Maple Leaf and Parliament in Liberal red and NDP orange and not a hint of Conservative Party blue.

Do you idiots at D&P and the CCCB think we're stupid?

Go ahead, ruin Canada and the lives of your children and your own when you grow old. Go ahead and ruin the best place to live on the face of the earth. Go ahead and vote for pro-baby killing and pro-euthanasia parties. Go ahead and you'll stand in line right behind these trying to explain why you knowingly voted to elect politicians who believe that killing babies in the womb and the elderly and infirm is acceptable.

Good luck to you on that day.

As for D&P, not one penny. Not one!

http://www.devp.org/en/articles/lets-make-sure-international-development-and-climate-change-are-election-issues

Canada's Development & Peace and Canadian Bishops feel "attacked"

It seems that when the going gets tough, hire a consultant. 

That is the case with the social justice arm of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops caught funding groups in other countries who were engaged in abortion. They actually blame bloggers and online journalists (must be LifeSiteNews) for for knocking them off their game. It seems that they are adopting the plan of CRS. Well, birds of a feather flock together. CRS, the social justice arm of the USCCB that was exposed by the Lepanto Insitute for its support of abortion services and other activiies not in conformity with the Church. CRS whose President earns $400,000.00 and whose Vice-President was paid out to leave because he "married" a man.

They'll give Canadians real good advice, I am sure. Good for bloggers and LifeSiteNews, I say. Let them have their protocols. If they think for a moment that we are going to stop fighting for the truth of Christ and His Church and the evil of abortion in all its gore, they are quite wrong.

The good folks at D&P seem not to care what happens when their social justice obsession goes awry. Perhaps they should mediate at this picture of a baby torn apart from its mother's womb for a while. Mething that the juxtaposition with the vultures and their carrion is quite apt. Yet, all we hear from Rome is that we speak too much on abortion and we're right-wingers if we don't buy into the unproven science of man-made climate change. The world is burning, babies are murdered, Christians are persecuted and the Bishop of Rome lectures us on science which is beyond his scope of understanding and authority. 

These folks never learn. They keep repeating the same thing and expect a different result. 

The CRS, D&P and the rest need to realise that we're not going away.

Not one penny friend, Not one penny to any of these.

D&P, bishops developing protocol to deal with social media attacks

BY  MICHAEL SWAN, THE CATHOLIC REGISTER

• July 31, 2015

The Canadian Catholic Organizations for Development and Peace will model its statement of principles on the “CRS Guiding Principles” developed by the American Catholic aid agency Catholic Relief Services.

The idea for a Canadian version of the statement of principles came up at a joint meeting of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops standing committee on Development and Peace and Development and Peace’s own standing liaison committee for relations with the bishops.

Like Development and Peace, the CRS has been criticized by online journalists and bloggers accusing it of working with organizations that support abortion and contraception. In 2010 LifeSite News questioned Development and Peace’s funding of a Jesuit-founded human rights organization because the Mexican organization had been cited along with organizations that advocated for legal access to abortion in a joint NGO report to the United Nations. Despite denials of any involvement in pro-abortion activities or any formal relationship with pro-abortion organizations, the accusations spurred a formal investigation by the CCCB and caused a crisis for Development and Peace’s public image and its fundraising efforts.

Read the rest at The Catholic Register. 

No justice for the victim priest and the burning incense at the altar of the insurance gods

A few days ago, I posted some news stories which included the ongoing miscarriage of justice against Father Gordon MacRae - even the Wall Street Journal reports on it. The full details can be found at These Stone Walls. 

The situation regarding Father Gordon MacRae is not lost when we consider a recent essay by Richard P. Fitzgibbons, M.D., a Psychiatrist who has written and spoken much on the subject of homosexuality on EWTN and elsewhere. It is worth reading his expert analysis and opinion on the subject. Of course, connected to the matter are the tragic cases of men who were homosexuals and who came into the Catholic priesthood to prey upon their victims and did enormous damage to the lives and souls of these victims and the Church. 

Dr. Richard P. Fitzgibbons

Yet, as with Father MacRae, not all priests that are accused are guilty and not all are homosexuals. Some are unjustly accused and their lives and service to the Church ruined. The leading Catholic expert on the subject, Dr. Fitzgibbons writes in the January 29, 2015 issue of Homiletic and Pastoral Review on the Accusations against Priests and the need for more justice and psychological science. 

In the February 24, 2015 issue of the same magazine, California attorney David A. Shanefelt who represents policy holders against insurance companies and Joseph P. Maher, president of Opus Bono Sacderdotii, which I have previously supported, have written on the sacrificing of priests to satisfy insurance companies.

The witch-hunt that has been undertaken by some bishops is as reprehensible as their cover-up of the crimes of previous generations of priests. They were cowards then and they are cowards now. They have learnt little.

The failure of the episcopacy to the victim-priest and the victims of some priests has been a failure of responsibility and charity. It is a lack of courage and justice of the first order. One can think here of Raymond Lahey the now laicised and disgraced former Bishop of Antigonish in Canada who whist putting together settlements for victims was engaging in his own fantasies with child pornography on his computer. We are still reminded to this day that "Lahey is known as a kind and gentle pastor, particularly sensitive to the needs of those who have suffered the scourge of sexual abuse." Except of course those who suffered the abuse that occurred during the filming and photography of child pornography on his computer of this kind, gentle and sensitive pastor.

How was this not known by the Canadian episcopacy?

It's time for more Catholics to speak out on this continuing injustice and hypocrisy and I say this as someone with his own personal perspective on the matter that goes beyond the events of the last few weeks.

The False Ecumenism of Salt + Light and the CCCB

On the evening of Sunday, November 10, an ecumenical service was held in Toronto between Roman Catholics and Anglicans at St. James Anglican Cathedral. The service was attended by Thomas Cardinal Collins and the "Right Reverend Bishop" Linda Nicholls who preached a sermon. It was tirelessly promoted by Father Tom Rosica and Salt + Light. This is part of the Anglican/Roman Catholic Dialogue promoted by the CCCB.

To what ends? Visible unity? It is not possible!

Let's get something straight.

Linda Nicholls can call herself a "Right Reverend Bishop" but she is nothing more than a lay woman masquerading as a bishop. Women cannot receive Holy Orders of priest or bishop, there is a little problem of "matter." Anglicans possess no Holy Orders at all and have no apostolic succession because they do not have the "intent" to do or to believe what the Church believes and this was definitively taught by Pope Leo XIII, long forgotten in the modernist era of canonsiations of Vatican II papacies, (though don't ever expect one for hte martyred John Paul I or for ever for Benedict XVI) There are some within the broader Anglican Communion who do possess valid orders through the Old Catholic line or Orthodox. 

This service perpetuates the syncreticism of the false ecumenism of the distortion and hermeneutic of rupture by those who still flog the dead and diabolical "spirit of Vatican II."

Father Tom Rosica has long been an ecumenist and a promoter of this charade as is clear from this interview whist he was still a Deacon, he even called for Holy Communion for everyone, defying even the Bishop of London! He perpetuates this lie as do the Canadian Bishops with this false ecumenical outreach. 

If our bishops appear in the same sanctuary as the "Right Reverend Bishop" Linda Nicholls do they believe that she is actually a bishop?

If our bishops work towards this so-called "ecumenism" do they believe that women can be ordained to the priesthood or that the existing Anglican orders generally speaking, are valid?


Do our bishops ever say with clarity and charity, "you must come home to the Roman Catholic Church for your own salvation and you must stop pretending that you are a bishop or priest as it will lead to your condemnation?

Barona at Toronto Catholic Witness dealt with this head-on earlier this week.

He has also features another post of a comment left there. It seems from this commentator, and my own sources, that it was sparsely attended and mostly grey-haired.  

The most shocking part in all of this is the absolute snubbing and insulting of the actual fruit of true ecumenism, thanks to the Pope of Christian unity, Benedict XVI and Anglicanorum Coetibus. The two Ordinariate quasi-parishes in the Toronto area, Good Shepherd in Oshawa and St. Thomas More in Toronto were not invited and were it seems, mocked afterwards. 

True ecumenism is speaking the truth and calling the lost sheep back home, not letting them perpetuate in their schism and heresy. This goes for all in the Church, no exceptions. To do otherwise is to not do the will of Christ.

CCCB or Papa Ratzinger; Whom do you believe?

With a hat-tip to Kitchener-Waterloo Traditional Catholic for the good work on Jadot's boys, comes this story which I've long forgotten about:

"On January 18, 1991, Bishop Joseph Ferrario, the local Ordinary of Honolulu (now deceased), served them [six SSPX priests] a Formal Canonical Warning, threatening them with excommunication.  On May 1, 1991, they were formally declared to be excommunicated

In a letter dated June 28, 1993, the USA's Apostolic Pro-Nunico, Archbishop Cacciavillan, declared on Cardinal Ratzinger's behalf:

From the examination of the case, conducted on the basis of the Law of the Church, it did not result that the facts referred to in the above-mentioned decree are formal schismatic acts in the strict sense, as they do not constitute the offense of schism; and therefore the Congregation holds that the Decree of May 1, 1991 lacks foundation and hence validity.

This is a declaration that the automatic (ipso facto) excommunication claimed by Bishop Ferrario for the followers of Archbishop Lefebvre is in fact totally non-existent."

On January 17, commenting on the inappropriate comments by Bishop Fellay, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops the Society of Saint Pius X, to be a schismatic group not in communion with the Catholic Church.

So which is it? 

Who are we to believe?

Is the SSPX schismatic as the CCCB states or is it not as then Cardinal Ratzinger declared in 1991?

For more on Bishop Ferrario, how about this little gem from Randy Engel's, The Rite of Sodomy:

Meanwhile, Ferrario was moving up the ecclesiastical ladder. In 1978, Pope Paul VI appointed him an Auxiliary Bishop of Honolulu, and in 1982, Pope John Paul II elevated Ferrario to Bishop of Honolulu. This despite the fact that Ferrario was engaged in sexual solicitation of seminarians at St. Stephen's and had carried on a homosexual liaison with another island priest. Word spread that the Diocese of Honolulu was now overtly "gay friendly."

KWTC refers in the same editorial to Raymond Leahy and Barry Glendinning, two homosexual pederasts, bishop and priest, who were known as expert "liturgists." How often has this been revealed; that those who those who persecute and denigrate the traditional liturgy and those who even take it upon themselves to put their personal mark on the new liturgy are themselves, homosexuals or sympathizers.

It is the height of narcissism and deceit and betrayal and disgust.

Oh, in case my enemies are reading, I'm not blogging from work - taking a vacation day.

CCCB declares its authority over the Pope!

With a hat-tip to Barona at Toronto Catholic Witness (a blog that should be referenced regularly), we find that the Canadian Confrence of Catholic Bishops has declared the Priestly Society of St. Pius X as "a schismatic group not in communion with the Catholic Church."

Really? 

When did the Pope make such a declaration? Has Benedict XVI ever, ever said such a thing? The nuanced "schismatic act" in Eccelsia Dei adflicta is not such a declaration. As Barona states, "The CCCB may be eager to create a schism, the Holy Father is not. At such times of crisis in the Church, it would be best for the CCCB to refrain from inflammatory language, and to correct the terrible abuses that exist within the various dioceses across Canada; rather then fling unhelpful accusations at the SSPX."

Bishop Fellay's recent trip to Toronto and New Hamburg have been noted worldwide. His comments and disclosure about the talks between the Society and the Holy See were, in my opinion, imprudent. Worse, his continuous deleterious remarks towards our Jewish brethren  as "enemies of the Church" is not acceptable, notwithstanding the explanation that all who oppose Christ are enemies. 

The issue here is not the SSPX it is the CCCB.

As Barona continues, "The CCCB has no canonical authority over the lay faithful." This is the fundamental issue, the ongoing exertion of authority which it does not possess over the faithful and the acquiescence of the diocesan bishop permitting this usurpation of their own authority to continue. Let us be abundantly clear, the CCCB has no right to make such a declaration  that the Holy Father himself, has not.

La Cage aux CCCB

In 2005, whilst he was still Cardinal, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI was given the honour by Blessed John Paul II of writing the Way of the Cross meditations and prayers at the Coliseum for Good Friday. Let us reflect for a moment on the IX station of the Way of the Cross:

"Should we not also think of how much Christ suffers in his own Church? How often is the holy sacrament of His Presence abused, how often must he enter empty and evil hearts! How often do we celebrate only ourselves, without even realizing that he is there! How often is his Word twisted and misused! What little faith is present behind so many theories, so many empty words! 

How much filth there is in the Church, and even among those who, in the Priesthood, ought to belong entirely to him! How much pride, how much self-complacency!" 

"Lord, your Church often seems like a boat about to sink, a boat taking in water on every side. In your field we see more weeds than wheat. The soiled garments and face of your Church throw us into confusion. Yet it is we ourselves who have soiled them! It is we who betray you time and time again, after all our lofty words and grand gestures. Have mercy on your Church...You stood up, you arose and you can also raise us up. Save and sanctify your Church. Save and sanctify us all."

In this joyous Christmastide we have been reminded yet again of the evil which man is capable of and the “filth” that exists within the Catholic Church in Canada. Each of us is a sinner, all of us are capable of committing evil; but when the sin is against children and is committed by priests or deacons or even bishops, it is especially heinous and repugnant.

In a place where children are to feel safe and secure and loved, they are instead preyed upon by men who have no faith, no moral compass and who are full of “pride” and avarice and greed. As our fellow blogger SoCon repeats, the roots of this problem are in the Winnipeg Statement and the general dissent from Catholic teaching since then. To be sure, this is not just a Canadian problem, but; when sex becomes detached from its purpose in marriage and procreation and becomes recreational, anything goes. When that is accompanied by a lack of faith or by a diabolical infiltration of the priesthood, then hell will break loose. The Catholic Church is the spotless Bride of Christ but the men within her are capable of great evil. That they would use their position and their power in this regard will render unto them a severe judgement.

WYD2002 clown vestments

We have seen the former disgraced Bishop of Antigonish, Mr. Raymond Lahey convicted of possessing child pornography on his computer. Instead of retiring to a life of prayer and penance he instead opines about renewing his 10-year long relationship with his male lover. Ten years! So, whilst this man was bishop, while he was celebrating the Holy Sacrifice and the Sacraments, whilst he was foisting on Canadians the wretched CBWIII he was engaging in his own little game of cat and mouse and exploring his masturbatory fantasies on his laptop. Despite this, he is still referred to as a “a kind and gentle pastor, particularly sensitive to the needs of those who have suffered the scourge of sexual abuse” by Father  Thomas Rosica on the Pepper and Darkness blog. Really Father, isn’t it time to purge this sycophantic pandering from the web page? 

On the other hand, leaving it there proves how irrelevant and out of touch the network and its leadership has become.



Child Pornographer William Kokesch

Now we read of a Permanent Deacon in Montreal, William Kokesch, a married man with five grown children, has been charged with the production and distribution of child pornography. Kokesch was a Deacon at St. Edmund of Canterbury in Beaconsfield, Quebec. His name is well-known as the former Director of Communication at the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Prior to his life as a Deacon, to be a Servant of the Church and people, he was a journalist in Montreal. Let us acknowledge this; our justice system requires that the Crown must prove that one is guilty; we are presumed by the courts to be innocent until proven guilty; but as with Mr. Lahey, unless someone planted this bile on Kokesch's computer (I won't dignify him with Reverend Mister),  the very fact that over 2000 images were found on his computer is a crime to say nothing of the evil sin.

Birds of a feather, these two pathetic vile creatures. 

How did this happen and how did the likes of Lahey and Kokesch become ordained?

Who knew of the disgusting actions of both of these men and who covered it up for so long?

As Catholics, this pains us greatly. This sin and evil acted against children is intolerable and yet, we tolerate it. We have no defense to the secularist anti-Catholic haters now having a field day, yet once again, in the com-boxes of the national press. It is not good enough for us to compare the levels of sexual abuse and pornography by school teachers or sports officials or any other sector. Yes, perverts, pederasts, ebophiles and paedophiles are attracted to those professions, vocations and volunteer positions to put them in contact with their victims. Yes, celibacy has nothing to do with it—and that is proven in this case since Koesch was a married man with children. It is not acceptable to us. It can never be acceptable and we as Catholics must never say, "well, over there." No! One victim is too many. One priest or deacon or bishop doing this is one too many. 

This must be rooted it. This filth must be exposed with light. If we are too unprepared to do it and the secular press does it for us, so be it. 

This is a cleansing which must happen.

I ask Archbishop Smith, President and Msgr. Patrick Powers, General Secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops—what are you doing about finding these hidden perverts? How many more homosexual pederasts are hiding; how many more abusers of little girls, how many more purveyors of pornography? What is your responsibility in all of this? What are you doing to cleanse the Church of this evil? What are you doing to purche your webpage of their work?

Now, let me address the bishop, priest, deacon or any other church official out there engaging in this.

Get out now!

Get out of the Church in your official capacity. Turn yourself over to the justice system. Get spiritual help and psychiatric help. Repent of your sins. Seek the mercy of God. Ensure that there is justice for your victims.

Get out you filthy bastards.

Get out now.

CCCB Press Release featuring both porn purveyors

Celebrate in Song: Two critiques of the new CCCB booklet

Here is my article from the December 2011 edition of Catholic Insight. Permission has been granted for a reprint at http://www.canticanova.com/.

You can read it all, here:

Celebrate in Song: Two critiques of the new CCCB booklet
By Raymond Lévesque and David Domet
Issue: December 2011

Attending one of the workshops in Toronto at Annunciation parish on the music for the new Missal I was amused to find that one of the presenters, a "professional liturgist" in front of over 400 people would say; "they (ICEL) have even set the Nicene Creed to music; why anyone would want to sing the Creed is beyond me."

Indeed.

When questioned as to the Propers, she responded, "What are they?"

This from one of Canada's professional liturgists does not speak well for the rest of Celebrate in Song.

The three settings composed by Canadian composers are no closer to the ideal of what the Church expects and calls Sacred Music than that which is mostly now tolerated.

Fighting Back With Truth and Clarity

How amazing is the internet for our ability to communicate and cooperate and spread the truth. No wonder they have closed the CCCB Plenary to everyone but Salt + Light and Father Rosica's media interpretation. Why is LifeSiteNews banned from the plenary? 

What is it that they are afraid of?

Have they not yet figured it out that they cannot stop people from communicating or spreading the truth?

Didn't they want an educated laity. Is there arrogance not the height of the clericalism that they profess to detest?

In a post below, I point out two letters about regimented standing orders in conjunction with the new GIRM. This is occurring in two separate dioceses 2,000kms apart. Antigonish and Sault Ste. Marie. There is a common denominator though, the current Bishop of Antigonish is the former Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie.

Before you go any further, take a few moments and watch this video of the former Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Francis Cardinal Arinze. Watch all of it, but particularly the points referred to about standing whilst everyone is receiving communion in a regimented fashios is addresesd at 3:00

Now, back to the Internet and communications.

Gaby, a regular reader left a note in the combox of We've Got Mail. In it, she left a dubium, a doubt or question, asked by none other than the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal George and it is posted at Adoremus. The dubium was answered in what is a called a Responsum by Cardinal Arinze on this very topic. 

Here is the main point:

At the time Cardinal Francis George, of Chicago, was Chairman of the Bishops' Committee of the Liturgy, and the question was raised due to this habit by liturgists developing in the United States forcing the people into this regimented posture. The new GIRM was issued and the Cardinal asks if the "long-standing practices of individuals kneeling upon returning to their places after having received Holy Communion is somehow prohbitited. It was noted that there is  "controversy ... over the proper posture of the faithful at Mass after receiving Holy Communion. In several dioceses people have been instructed that they must stand until the last person has received Communion, despite the long-standing custom that people knelt during the distribution of Communion"
 

Dubium: In many places, the faithful are accustomed to kneeling or sitting in personal prayer upon returning to their places after having individually received Holy Communion during Mass. Is it the intention of the Missale Romanum, editio typica tertia, to forbid this practice?

Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect of the CDW, responded to the question on June 5, 2003 (Prot. N. 855/03/L):

Responsum: Negative, et ad mensum [No, for this reason]. The mens [reasoning] is that the prescription of the Institutio Generalis Missalis Romani, no. 43, is intended, on the one hand, to ensure within broad limits a certain uniformity of posture within the congregation for the various parts of the celebration of Holy Mass, and on the other, to not regulate posture rigidly in such a way that those who wish to kneel or sit would no longer be free.

Isn't the Internet wonderful?

Not one penny!

With a "hat tip" to Mike for finding the post below -- More Idiocy from a Canadian Bishop -- on a reader or something, I have reposted it below. I had deleted it without intending to do so when cleaning up a few drafts.

The good Father in New Brunswick does not deserve this treatment at the hands of the Bishop of Bathurst.

...and speaking of bishops.

Today, at your church, there will be a second collection for the "Bishops of Canada." This collection goes to your diocese to offset the "tax" which the diocese (you) pays to the CCCB. If there is a shortage the diocese pays the total anyway.

So, why should we pay anything for the CCCB? They have set up another "hierarchy" between the Ordinary and the Pope and we have seen the results. No, not one penny for the CCCB and their Development and Peace or their not "too hard" Gloria.

Not one penny.

More idiocy from a Canadian Bishop!

by Vox Cantoris

For once, I am speechless.

BATHURST, New Brunswick, September 22, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, New Brunswick has removed an elderly priest from active ministry after he caused a storm of controversy by denouncing homosexuality, cohabitation, and abortion in an August homily.

85-year-old Fr. Donat Gionet had retired to his home town of Caraquet in June to serve palliative care patients, and now laments that in his declining years he is being forced to celebrate Mass “in secret.”

Fr. Wesley Wade, the diocese’s vicar general, told Radio-Canada that Fr. Gionet’s comments were consistent with Church teaching, but lacked the proper “pastoral” sensitivity.

Read it all, here.

Here is the bishop's contact information:

Most Rev. (not in my mind!) Valéry Vienneau, Bishop of Bathurst
645, avenue Murray
C.P. 460
Bathurst, NB E2A 3Z4
Tel: (506) 546-1420
Fax: (506) 548-5565
E-mail: valeryv@nb.aibn.com

CCCB FAQ's -- More Drivel!

Alerted by an erudite reader we find these interesting FAQ's from the CCCB.

Let's have a look and a comment or two, shall we?

What is the date of implementation for the new edition of the Roman Missal?

The date of implementation of the new Missal will be the first Sunday of Advent 2011. The publications team here at the CCCB have done some remarkable work these past few months to make this possible. (Yes, only after they were told in February by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments that they had no choice. They were trying to wait until a new "French" Roman Missal was complete as that was considered more important than our unity in the ROC (Rest of Canada) with the English-speaking world.)

Will the responses be the same as in the United States?

The responses at the Eucharist (Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,) will be the same for the entire English-speaking world, although we will have the proper Canadian spelling of some of the words. We are happy to report that you will be able to have your own copy of them by March - they will be published as part of Celebrate in Song, our new music and liturgy resource which is designed to supplement CBW III (Which we are still stuck with inclusive  language and all forced upon the unsuspecting Church in Canada by Raymond Lahey whose name is enshrined in every book, in every parish, in every pew as to a joyous reminder of the contribution of this "kind and gentle pastor.") in the era of the new Missal. Not only will we have the new responses, we will have three musical settings of the responses which we have commissioned by us for use in Canada. They are by Canadian composers (Which are the most detestable example of church music I've ever heard.) and it is my hope that they will become fairly standard in parishes (I doubt it, not even my Praise and Worship friends are that stupid--go ahead, ask as church musician what he or she really thinks of the garbage parishes are forced to pay for.) across the country. This way we will be able to feel at home in each others' churches. The chant setting from ICEL is also included for the same reason. (Well this is simply not true, they have not used the Gloria from the chant setting by ICEL which is to appear in ALL hymnbooks because Father Bill Burke deemed it "too hard" in a letter to me.)

What should parishes do to prepare for the new edition of the Roman Missal?

Fr. Burke of the National Liturgy Office (NLO) has been working tirelessly to prepare the clergy of the country for the new edition of the Roman Missal. He has done workshops from coast to coast to coast. It is our hope that the local clergy and diocesan offices will take a prominent role in the implementation process in our churches and schools, and so this training has been a huge part of the NLO strategy around the Missal. For your parish, consider the following:

A DVD with a teaching Mass has been approved for publication and should be available by the Fall. This could form part of an information evening held by parishes or deaneries

Fr. Bill’s workshop will form part of one of the catechetical resource DVD’s that we are preparing, and can be used in the same way

Music ministers: (There is no such thing as a "Music Minister" and this term needs to stop being used -- we are Directors of Music, Choir Directors or Schola Masters) cantors, organists, instrumentalists of all kinds, choirs, should start learning our new Canadian Mass settings in Celebrate in Song

In addition there are several other resources:

NLO has entered into an agreement with Novalis to prepare a Missal resource for youth which will be a unique resource for young people to learn about the Mass. ('cause they need to be patronised and talked down to, right?)

For all Catholics the Publications Service has published the ICEL resource, Become One Body One Spirit in Christ, which will help everyone better understand the new edition. (Yes, the Brits did this and they are so far ahead of us it is embarrassing to say nothing about the Americans.)

For priests, the Publications Service has made an agreement with World Library Publications to distribute a CD recording of the new translations of Eucharistic Prayers I-IV

All of these can help us to prepare for the new edition of the Roman Missal in our own communities.

I heard that there is a new translation of the Mass that is coming out. Is that true?

Yes, it is indeed true. Even though we often look to the Church for stability in this rapidly changing world, and although it’s not always easy to accept, the Church’s prayer and worship have also changed over time.

Following many years of work and consultations (see the following question for details), changes have been made to the Mass and its translation. As we are now at the point where we need to get ready to receive this new translation, a series of questions and answers will be presented in the next few months to offer a better understanding of the changes and to prepare for them.

Change is rarely easy (Well, ya sure didn't care about the change our parents and grandparents had to endure which they didn't ask for) and it doesn’t happen automatically. You might find the upcoming changes challenging. However, we invite everyone to accompany us in this series of articles with an open mind and an open heart. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and . . . together, let us enter into the dance! (Dance? Let us enter the dance? Who actually writes this stuff?)

Why are we getting a new translation?

In the 1960's, as the bishops of the world met for the Second Vatican Council, they called for a major revision of the rites of the Mass and opened the door to the celebration of Mass in the many languages used around the world. (Actually, in Sacrosanctam Concilium they said that no changes could be made unless it was for the good of the faithful; there were eleven requests made and all of these except one, the new Lectionary with its three year-cycle, were implemented by 1965. (Google Vox Cantoris 1965 Missal). The Novus Ordo Missae was never, ever imagined or contemplated by the Father of the Council. They asked for a minor "simplification of the rubrics" already underway by 1962 and an end to "repetitions" mostly in place by 1965. They never asked for a chopping or re-writing of Collects and Postcommunions or a virtual elimination of Propers or multiple options of Pentitential Rites or Canons (Eucharistic Prayers), these were all "manufactured" as affirmed by Pope Benedict XVI in The Spirit of the Liturgy. As for the vernacular languages, this was for those parts concerning the people, the Collects and Readings. Go ahead...look it up.)

In the years that followed, much work went into those revisions. The translation of Mass texts from Latin to all those languages proved to be a major task. (Again, this is not true and it is simplistic and grossly misleading. We always had a translation in our Missals. In 1965 we had a complete and approved English translation faithful to the Latin.) As time was pressing and it was important to make those translations available as soon as possible, a first translation was prepared, which did not pretend to be either perfect or permanent. (We already had a translation in 1965 of the 1570/1962 Roman Missal. They sure pretended that it was perfect and they used a method called "dynamic equivalence" to do it and they convinced a battered Pope to agree with it.) In February 1974 the first English translation for use in Canada was approved. (Yes, finally there was an approved "Sacramentary" in 1974 and from 1969 until then they used binders on the Altar and made it up as they went along).

Eventually, work began on a number of additions to the Mass and revisions to the translations. In 2001 new directions in the translation of texts from Latin were established by the Church and in March 2002, a new edition of the Order of Mass in Latin was published. (Yes, and ordered by Blessed John Paul II!)

Since then, great strides have been made to prepare faithful translations, to get the proper approvals and to make them available to all English speaking people in a timely fashion. (Eleven years is timely) Therefore, in the near future those changes will be implemented.

How will the new translation affect me?

When the new translation of the Mass comes about, it will affect all of us, although in different ways. Priests and deacons will need to adapt to the revised texts - some texts contain very subtle differences while others have been modified considerably. Therefore, everyone will need to listen so much more carefully and to hear differently. (And it will help you pray better and understand the Mass better and receive more grace because of it and therefore be a better Catholic, a better person and you will have a stronger family and build a better world; as Father Z says, "liturgy is the tip of the spear.")

Members of the assembly (Congregation!) will need to learn new or modified responses. This requires practice and patience. Music used during Mass (i.e.: “Glory to God”, “Holy, Holy”, etc.) will need to be adapted to the new texts, requiring that we learn new music. (And the Memorial Acclamation, so why force new Lamb of God and Kyrie's on people and frankly, the Somerville, Togni and Proulx Masses were all written for 1965 "hosts" and had to be adapted for 1970, so we can go back to the originals.)

Moreover, changes being brought to the Mass are not limited to spoken or sung texts. They also touch some actions and postures during the Mass. Therefore, we will need to learn them and the times during the Mass where they occur. (Yes, we will stand as soon as the priest says; "Pray brethern (brothers and sisters)" but the CCCB still wants to amend the kneeling posture and make it different from the U.S., Britain, Ontario, B.C. and the most traditional form but since they have not yet released the GIRM, we don't know what Rome has or has not approved.)

Where does the new translation come from?

Official texts of the Mass are promulgated by the “Holy See” (the official authority of the Roman Catholic Church). (Damn near spilt my coffee on that one.) A Latin edition (editio typica) is prepared and published under the title Missale Romanum (Sacramentary or Roman Missal in English). (No! Missale Romanum means Roman Missal, not Sacramentary--sorry, you'll have to have ROMAN on the cover this time girls.)

Then, the Conference of Bishops of each country (or group of countries) in the world is responsible to prepare proper translations in the language(s) used in its country and to get them approved by the Holy See. Usually, a team of experts and bishops from various countries using the same language work together on such an enormous task. The International Committee on English in the Liturgy (usually referred to as ICEL) is responsible for the English translations. (And they did a fine job) All the bishops of participating countries then get to critique, modify and approve that work. (And they've delayed and delayed and delayed it and some, such as Bishop Trautman of Erie, have fought it.) Each Conference of Bishops also prepares a certain number of local adaptations as required by the Holy See or as requested by the bishops. Then, each Conference of Bishops must approve the translations and adaptations for use in its country/region, and present them to the Holy See for final approval. (There are certain Saints for example, not on the Universal Calendar but who pertain to a country or region.)

These steps led to the new Mass translation that we will be getting.

Do we have to use the new translations?

This kind of question is always hard to answer! A hard-line answer would simply be: “Of course we have to!” (DUH, YES, THAT IS THE ANSWER!) However, we are invited to enter into the spirit of the law and not only its letter. (AND WHAT SPIRIT MIGHT THAT BE?)

The changes being brought to the Mass apply to Roman Catholics around the world. Although the number and the nature of the changes will differ from one language to another, (No this is not true. All national conferences through their ICEL equivalents must conform to the THIRD TYPICAL EDITION and be translated in accordance with LITURGIAM AUTHENTICUM. Because English is the new "LINGUA FRANCA" and it is from English that many other translations are made the English must be particularly correct and accurate. This was mandated by the "OFFICIAL AUTHORITY..") in all of this we need to be aware that the intention stems from a constant concern to maintain the unity of our faith and worship within the whole Church. Yet, there remains a provision for creativity and adaptations which require a spirit that respects the whole celebration and the universality of the Church. Unity doesn’t always involve uniformity, but does require concerted effort and a common heart.

Are we going back to Latin?

The vernacular will most certainly continue to be used as the language of worship as established by the Second Vatican Council (No; Wrong again! Latin is and remains the first language of choice for the Mass. The Novus Ordo Missae of 1970 can always be celebrated in Latin. The Mass, celebrated in the vernacular can always have Latin Gregorian music or polyphonic motets or hymns in Latin -- why do they continue to mislead?) and reaffirmed by the NEW General Instruction of the Roman Missal. The Preamble to GIRM (2008) states in paragraph 12: “The eagerness with which this measure (use of the vernacular) was everywhere received has certainly been so great that it has led under the guidance of the Bishops and the Apostolic See itself, to permission for all liturgical celebrations in which the people participate to be in the vernacular, so that the people may more fully participate. SACROSANCTAM CONCILIUM, THE CONSTITUTION ON THE SACRED LITURGY AT THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL STATED THAT "LATIN IS TO BE PRESERVED" THAT THE "VERNACULAR, MAY BE USED "AND THAT "GREGORIAN CHANT HAS PRIDE OF PLACE."

Who initiated the change of translation?

In response to concerns expressed by local Bishops’ Conferences, the Congregation for Divine Worship initiated a period of study and reflection upon the current translations being used throughout the universal church. (Again, this is not true. ICEL was instructed by its members, the English speaking Bishops' Conferences, to prepare a new translation because they fundamentally new of the problems. This was completed in 1988 and rejected by the  "OFFICIAL AUTHORITY." It was rejected for two reasons; First, it was still not an adequate translation; and second, the Holy Father knew he was going to promulgate a new Edition and instruct then on how it was to be translated.) This period resulted in the document entitled Liturgiam Authenticum (2001) in which specific guidelines were established for all future translations from Latin to the vernacular.

The International Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL) in collaboration with the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, following a long period of intense study and reflection, established a General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) and the resulting new translation of the Ordo Missae (Order of Mass) for the Canadian Church. (There is no "Canadian Church" there is the Church in Canada!) These documents were then submitted to the Congregation of Divine Worship for approval.

I thought they were done with changes!!! Why more changes now?

In the years following the Second Vatican Council, the urgency with which texts had to be translated from Latin to the vernacular languages resulted in new texts that did not always convey the full meaning of the original Latin text and omitted some very rich scriptural and patristic images.(Yes, this is true but it had nothing to do with "urgency." (This is grossly misleading and I'm tired of hearing it, it was a conspiracy to change the meaning...why else would you translate "pro multis" which means "for many" as "for all" when the Latin expression "for all" exists and it is "pro omnibus!" It was a zeitgeist that harmed our belief and the truth of Our LORD's words in scripture.) Consequently, certain key responses and prayers have now been re-translated to better express a clearer understanding of the original text. This has resulted in a new Roman Missal (Ordo Missae) (Ordo Missae means Order of Mass.-- who wrote this??? ) which is to be used during all liturgical celebrations in the Roman Rite.

The changes initiated by the Second Vatican Council are on-going. Therefore, in a Church that is alive with the Holy Spirit, we can expect that the process of change will always be present.

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