It is the Second Sunday of Advent and the Introit is Populus Sion.
PEOPLE of Sion, behold the Lord shall come to save the nations: and the Lord shall make the glory of His voice to be heard, in the joy of your heart. Ps. Give ear, O Thou that rulest Israel: Thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep. ℣. Glory be to the Father.
But you won't here it because Cardinal Thomas Collins has decreed that there will be:
Please enjoy this setting of the Introit by Heinrich Isaac, 1450-1517.
Feel free to go to the video of the Cardinal's meeting with priests from two weeks ago. You'll want to listen starting around 40 minutes for His Excellency, Mr. MacCarthy reminding the priests to get their technology in tip-top shape and get the robo calls ready for pre-authorised giving.
https://rumble.com/embed/v8u2f7/?pub=4
Premier Douglas Ford, in moving Toronto and Peel Regions into the grey lockdown category and perhaps soon York Region, has arbitrarily reduced church capacity to ten, even if the church holds a thousand. It is ludicrous and idiotic and without a basis in science. As you know, Cardinal Collins then one upped him and reduced it to zero for Mass, only allowing ten in to pray privately.
I wrote a few days ago, "No Mass for you, it's just not worth it." Vox Cantoris: NO MASS FOR YOU! - IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT. Some criticised this writer for thinking so poorly of His Eminence. "Do you really think he believes the Mass is not worth it?"
Well, I will let you be the judge.
In a memorandum to all parishes today issued by the Cardinal through the communications office to all parishes for dissemination which was made available to this writer, I am proved correct.
“Offering public Masses when the civil authorities set a limit of only 10 people (in practice, that would mean 8 or 9 parishioners) creates numerous challenges to do so in a fair manner.”
I agree, it does present numerous challenges.
Others that think it presents challenges are the good priests at the Church of the Transfiguration under the jurisdiction of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X. They agree with the Cardinal and Mr. MacCarthy, it does present numerous challenges. They have told me so.
There is, however, one big difference.
To them, it is worth it.
From: Office of Public Relations & Communications
Sent: December 4, 2020 1:32 PM
To: Office of Public
Relations & Communications
Subject: Memo from Neil MacCarthy - Question & Answer Document re
Archdiocese of Toronto & Covid-19 Restrictions
To: All Priests, Parishes, Catholic Pastoral Centre & Satellite Office Staff
From: Neil
MacCarthy, Director, Public Relations & Communications
Date:
December 4, 2020
Re:
Q & A document regarding Archdiocese of Toronto & Covid-19 restrictions
I am attaching a document that you are welcome to share or utilize as appropriate with answers to frequently asked questions we have been receiving in recent days. I am including two versions – both the Microsoft Word and PDF versions in the event you wish to cut and paste responses for a bulletin or other communication tool.
I hope this is helpful in providing accurate information regarding the approach of the archdiocese during this period of pandemic. We are also monitoring announcements this afternoon from the Province of Ontario and will share additional information, if necessary.
Thank you for
your tireless efforts during these challenging days.
Are you there my friends? Are you ready to fight? Have you girded your loins for battle? Are you a Miles Christi or are you so numbed by all of this that you have nothing to say, believe that there is nothing you can do? Have you been so deprived of the Holy Mass and Holy Eucharist so long now that you have been weakened, lost hope, given up? Are you giving in to despair? Have you forgotten your rosary? The Divine Office tab above?
Which is it, because I am confused?
I know you're there. This is you, can you find yourself? This is you as of 07:45 A.M. this morning from midnight.
Just over a week ago, this blog broke through 8,000,000 page views and is now up nearly 42,000 since. I know you're there, I know you're reading. I don't write this to praise myself or seek acknowledgement, I am truly wondering what you are doing? You are reading, this I know, but you are not commenting - are you acting? Have you used the email addresses? Have you reached out to your parish priest?
Have you been so beaten up, so betrayed, so disappointed in those who govern you in Church and State that you have just accepted it, you've just given up? I hate to draw the comparison but am I just "a voice crying in the wilderness."
Have you written the Cardinal? Publish it in the combox? Have not but wish to tell him something? Write it in the comments and I will turn it into a post.
Tell us your parish where the priest is not opening the church for private prayer up to a maximum of ten. Where are you not able to have a priest hear your confession, provide you Holy Communion?
Where?
Where is the priest hiding with his video games or whatever else he does when he should be wearing the small of the sheep? We will out them, we will make the Cardinal aware of their negligence.
Trust me, the Cardinal has read these posts, the public letter. I know if for a fact. So have those around him. He will not be moved, at least, not yet. But we can continue to hold him accountable in this life for taking away from you, the Holy Mass and Holy Communion. We will publicly make it clear how you have been abandoned. And yet; not one of you has written.
So, what one must conclude is that it is not happening, that our priests are meeting all your needs, all your spiritual care. Or they are not and you just don't believe that there is anything you can do. Or you just don't care anymore. Is that the case? Is that what you want Cardinal Collins to know - that you don't care, that this is just okay?
Which is it Toronto Catholics? Are you ready to have the Cardinal shutter your churches for Christ's Mass? It is about to happen, you know, you can count on it. York Region is next and you will have no Mass on Christmas. It does not need to be this way, we know what to do.
Can you believe it? Do you get it now? He took Lent, Holy Week, the Triduum, Easter Sunday, Eastertide, Ascension, Pentecost, Corpus Christi. You missed all of it. Now they've taken Advent, you don't think that the Apostle of Christ, the "Pope in Toronto" as he has referred to himself is about to demolish Christmas Mass? He has already declared Mary, Mother of God - Feast of the Circumcision/Octave on January 1, not obligatory. Did you know that?
How much more are you prepared to take?
You have a combox. Out the priest right there, out the parish. You can remain anonymous.
Don't let them grind you down. It is what they want.
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| Ontario Premier Douglas Ford attends the Cardinal's Dinner in November 2018 |
It is not hard to understand them both. They obviously don't want to see people die unnecessarily, neither does this writer. I am sure that Mr. Ford cares about Ontarians. The first duty of the government we consent to, we elect, is the protection of the country or province from those who would do us harm, be it foreign invasion or local criminals. The Cardinal no doubt wants to keep people safe, he does not want us die, but that is not his job. His job is to ensure that we die well!
I do not doubt the sincerity of either of them but it is not their job to keep me safe from this virus. It is my job to keep me safe. It is my wife's job. It is your job. Their job is to establish certain regulations and guidelines and to facilitate them to ensure that those suffering are supported and business can carry on and medications are made available and personal protective equipment by stimulating the market to create it or getting the hell out of the way to let it act. The current uptick in parts of Ontario is not the fault of people going to Mass - there were simply too few going and those that were going were following all protocols because that is what we do. We are Catholics, we follow legitimate authority. It is when this authority becomes illegitimate that those in authority must be opposed and that includes the Collins.
Ford has quickly lost his base, his conservative backers are abandoning him and lashing out at him. One must never betray the base.
The Cardinal's last year, presumably, will be to hand off a local church to his successor in full collapse. Just how many Catholics have found something better to do on Sunday, if you'll pardon the expression, or find spiritual needs elsewhere at the SSPX or think one can now always watch Mass at home, or are so angry over the abandonment that they will simply not return. The price to be paid by the Church in Toronto and elsewhere is going to be staggering.
The reality is this. Most deaths here and elsewhere is falling upon those over seventy and in care facilities. In November, sixty-percent of deaths were in long-term care. Sandy Rinaldo in some disputed CTV numbers reported that in the early autumn, only 166 people outside of long-term care died across Canada. For those under sixty the survival rate for those who catch the China Virus is over 99.97%. The vulnerable have been left exposed. Doug Ford's "iron ring around our seniors" is rusty chicken-wire. In order to cover up their own failures and incompetence, they are killing others through depression and suicide, increased alcoholism and drug use and bankruptcies. They know this. both of them do. In the webinar, the Cardinal eludes to this directly and his response is to shut down the one thing the people need - the worship of God and the reception of the Holy Eucharist.
Cardinal Collins - restore the public Mass now!
