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Thursday, 7 January 2016

"The Pope's agonising dilemma" - all of his own making

This joyful Christmastide now breaks into Epiphanytide until a few short weeks to Purification coming just after the Gesimas begin, - or you can just call it, Ordinary Time.

Without setting all the beauty of this season aside, we cannot forget the horrendous attack on the Catholic Faith from her own hirelings in fine robes last October and the one before, a horror story that began in March of 2013 and ramped up in February of 2014 with the heretical propositions put forward by a heresiarch from Germany named Kasper.

We await the action of Pope Francis and the Apostolic Exhortation arising out of the Synod on the Family. We well remember the manipulations and machinations of Forte, Baldisseri and the gang under the watchful glare of the Bishop of Rome; the inane verbosity of Thomas Rosica, CSB, and the insulting, degrading and puerile stamping of the papal feet at its close.

As we have said before and will say it again, these men are out to change the doctrine of the Catholic Church on marriage, homosexuality and the discipline of the Faith and the Holy Eucharist is the tool they will use. We have only had a short retreat over Advent and Christmas from their insanity except for their heretical statement on the salvation of Jews and Jorge Bergoglio's idea that Jesus was a bad boy and needed scolding and to make reparation.

The Catholic Herald has an important article by Father Mark Drew, a priest in charge of the parish of Hornsea in Middelsborough Diocedse in Engliand, at least for now. Fr. Drew lists the four options that Francis has, as observed by John Allen of Crux. They are worth pondering.  
First, he can postpone the decision, saying that there needs to be more reflection and study on the matter.
 Second, he can give a clear yes. All the signs are that this would be the option he personally favours. Yet this course is fraught with difficulties, being potentially the last straw for conservative critics whose resentment is already simmering dangerously and whose open rebellion he must want to avoid. It would, moreover, be an unprecedented break with former teaching which would essentially redefine the nature of the papal Magisterium by making it clear that what has in the past been presented as binding and irreformable teaching is in reality no more than a potentially shifting policy choice.
 A clear no, the third possibility, would disappoint and perhaps alienate many, such as Cardinal Walter Kasper, whom Francis has encouraged and whose support in return is important to him.
 The fourth and final option is to leave the ambiguity unresolved and, in effect, leave it to local bishops to choose the interpretation which suits them. The huge implications of such regional variation for the unity of the Church hardly need underlining.
Francis has created a disaster for himself and for all of us. If he comes down on the side of the Magisterium then there will be a falling away of many, perhaps even a formal schism. If he goes with the radicals such as Kasper, there won't be a schism because we know better, but there will be all out war on him and those others who undertook such a calamity.If he devolves the power to decide, he will have set in motion a congregationalist church which is not Catholic. 

Praying for the Pope to do the right thing goes without saying. Confronting him directly by Bishops and Cardinals who are prepared to be Shepherds, not hirelings, is paramount as are the voices of the faithful on forums such as blogs.

This is a disaster of his own doing. Jorge Bergoglio is proving to be the "authoritarian" of his Jesuit Superior past. He has really not changed. He is a Peronist, something he learnt in the perpetually failed-state of Argentina - a land blessed by God with Faith and resources and climate and which has been a land of corruption in Church and State.

Read the whole article at:


Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Epiphany - a reflection on the Feast and Star


Today, in both the modernist and traditional rite and calendar of the Church, it is the Feast or Solemnity of the Epiphany or "Manifestation" of the Lord. That is, unless it has been transferred to a Sunday with the absurdity of being as early as January 2 or as late, as it will be next year, as January 7, after the actual date. Talk about an "external solemnity." When Christmas is on a Tuesday, at least we celebrate on the same day/date.

There is so much that can be said about this feast theologically, historically and liturgically. 


From the Office 


The Antiphon to the Benedictus in Morning Prayer, or Lauds, is:

Hódie  cælésti sponso iuncta est Ecclésia, quóniam in Iordáne lavit Christus eius crímina; currunt cum munéribus magi ad regáles núptias; et ex aqua facta vino lætántur convívæ, allelúia.
And at Evening Prayer, or Vespers, the Antiphon to the Magnificat is:
Tribus miráculis ornátum diem sanctum cólimus: hódie stella magos duxit ad præsépium; hódie vinum ex aqua factum est ad núptias; hódie in Iordáne a Ioánne Christus baptizári vóluit, ut salváret nos, allelúia.

As we examine these Antiphons, we note that the Baptism of the Lord at the Jordan River and the changing of water into wine at the Marriage Feast of Cana are mentioned. The Early Church celebrated the Epiphany as a great Feast, second only to Easter, which makes the loss of it today in the nervous and disordered liturgy and calendar when transferred and not a Holy Day of Obligation, an even greater loss to the people and to the Faith. Our forefathers believed that these three epiphanies or manifestations all occurred on the same calendared date the appropriate years apart. This is apocryphal, of course, but it does show how important liturgy and order was and is to the Church and how far we have fallen from it. 

More manifestations

The great hymn written in 1862 by Christopher Wordsworth - Songs of Thankfulness and Praise refers to these manifestations.  

Songs of thankfulness and praise,
Jesus, Lord, to thee we raise,
manifested by the star
to the sages from afar;
branch of royal David's stem
in thy birth at Bethlehem;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest at Jordan's stream,
Prophet, Priest and King supreme;
and at Cana, wedding guest,
in thy Godhead manifest;
manifest in power divine,
changing water into wine;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Manifest in making whole
palsied limbs and fainting soul;
manifest in valiant fight,
quelling all the devil's might;
manifest in gracious will,
ever bringing good from ill;
anthems be to thee addressed,
God in man made manifest.

Sun and moon shall darkened be,
stars shall fall, the heavens shall flee;
Christ will then like lightning shine,
all will see his glorious sign;
all will then the trumpet hear,
all will see the Judge appear;
thou by all wilt be confessed,
God in man made manifest.

Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,
mirrored in thy holy Word;
may we imitate thee now,
and be pure, as pure art thou;
that we like to thee may be
at thy great Epiphany;
and may praise thee, ever blest,
God in man made manifest.

Here it is sung by the Choir of St. John's Episcopal Community in Detroit. Note that notwithstanding their heresy and schism, liturgically they are singing it on the "Second Sunday after Epiphany!" How sad that they get this more than our Catholic priests, musicians and liturgical terrorists. 


Yet, not just the baptism and wedding but also the curing of the lame and the casting out of demons. In the unchanging lectionary of the Roman Missal of 1962, unchanged since the 6th century until the liturgical terrorists of 1970 decided they knew better, these readings followed the immediate Sundays after Epiphany. The First Sunday after Epiphany which became Holy Family Sunday, still did not change the Gospel, the finding of Jesus in the Temple. It was also a "manifestation" in this case of the Lord manifested in the Temple before the Elders. The whole season after Epiphany up to the Gesima Sundays was along this them of manifestation and revealing the Lord through His miracles and his mission to the world. Sadly, it exists only in bits and pieces in the new three-year lectionary. The Second Sunday contains the Gospel of the Wedding Feast at Cana, The Third Sunday is the Curing of the Leper (palsied limbs) and the Centurion's prayer, "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof..." and the curing of his beloved servant. In this Gospel, the Lord also says that the children "of the kingdom" of Israel shall be "cast out into the darkness" -- something to keep in mind regarding the Vatican's ridiculous non-magisterial statement about the Church not having a mission to convert the Jews to Christ! The Fourth Sunday is the manifestation of the Lord's power to calm the seas in the boat with His apostles. As we approach these Sundays, they are often transferred to the end of the year with the advent of the Gesima Sundays which this year begin on January 24 with Easter being very early, on March 24.

Referring again to the belief that these three manifestations occurred on the same date and it was believed to be, our January 6, reveals another little example of how the liturgy is not always reasonably chronological as in an Octave perhaps or Eastertide, but also theological and historical. We have, twelve days after the Nativity, the visit of the Wise Men from the East and the manifestation of Our Lord to the Gentiles. We decorate the crèche. of course with the Magi, as it tells the whole story of Nativity and Manifestation.

Yet, in a few weeks, on February 2, we will have Candlemas, the Presentation of Our Lord, and another manifestation, in the Temple when Blessed Mary underwent her Purification according to the Jewish ritual. We know that immediately after the visit of the Magi, they were warned by an Angel of God to return to their lands through another way due to Herod's rage and plan to kill the Child. We also know that St. Joseph was warned to "Take the Child and His Mother and flee to Egypt." How does this correspond then with the Epiphany coming liturgically before Purification? In fact, it shows us that the celebration of the manifestations may have indeed occurred on the same date but that Magi visited Our Lord when he was a toddler, not an infant. If Our Lord's nativity was indeed on December 25, and there is much evidence that it was, then he was just over a year old. We know that Herod slaughtered all infants under two, after consulting about the time "the Child was born." Logically, they could not have journeyed from their lands to  Bethlehem in twelve days. Further, they visited the Holy Family, in a "house" not the cave and manger. It is likely then that the Holy Family remained in Bethlehem for a period. Joseph probably found work in his useful trade as a carpenter which would have been a builder of many things, not just of wood bus also of metal. He was skilled and an upright man and provider and he would have quickly sought to provide an abode for Mary and the Holy Child to get them out of the cave and manger. We can imagine, for a moment, as a man, a husband and entrusted by God as the earthly father of Jesus, how distressing it must have been for St. Joseph to be in an abode for animals. 

Octave of the Epiphany

Prior to the 1962 Roman Missal, there was an Octave of the Epiphany. It was tragically removed and of course, was not restored in the Novus Ordo which also banished the Octave of Pentecost. Both of these should be returned to both Forms of the Roman Rite. Yet, interestingly, the liturgy this week in the Ordinary Form lectionary Responsorial Psalms and Alleluias where the transfer of Epiphany has been to Sunday, all contain the Epiphany elements - a recognition of the long-lost Octave.

Father Z commented recently on the Star of Bethlehem video by a devout, non-Catholic, Christian, Rick Larsen (may he be brought fully to the faith). Using a computer program called Starry Night, he researches the night sky by going back in time to see how the stars and constellations were lined up at the time of Our Lord's birth. It is fascinating, though discounting of the star being an "angel" or "pillar of fire" or some other miracle. It conflicts with the view of some Church Fathers that the star was within the atmosphere not so much an "astronomical" event because all heavenly bodies, even a comet or a bright planet such as Venus, were referred to as stars. Still, it makes fascinating consideration of this great Feast and Solemnity of the Epiphany, though I would say "potentially scientifically proven."

At the end of the video is something just as profound. The exact, logical calculation of the Crucifixion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. 


Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Celebrate Epiphany as it is meant to be!

It is absurd that in the nervous disorder, this most ancient feast is celebrated as early as January 2 and as late as January 7.

You can do something about it.


Cardinal Burke on Synodal report paragraphs: "deceptive in a very serious way!"

Barona at Witness Blog, in addition to his kind words, has brought this interview to our attention. We have always had confidence that notwithstanding the hirelings, there are shepherds and Raymond Cardinal Burke is one of them.

In this interview, he lays out with clarity the errors in the Synod document and nails squarely, the skulduggery of Anthony Spadaro, S.J., a close confidant of Francis, Bishop of Rome.

The comment "deceptive in a very serious way" justifies all of our previous concern over the machinations and manipulations that this blogger has been warning about for 15 months and for which Thomas J. Rosica, CSB. attempted to sue into silence.


Rosica was outed for his disgusting action. He has brought ill repute upon himself for it for the world to see. It discredited his entire commentary at the Synod and he brought it on himself.

Spadaro is another one. He is a very dangerous man, in terms of the faith. It will take the likes of true shepherds, such as Cardinal Burke to stop him.

My Catholic brothers and sisters, do not be lulled into sleep. The wolf is prowling and the hirelings have, for the most part, abandoned the flock.

http://thewandererpress.com/breaking/interview-with-cardinal-burke-insights-on-the-state-of-the-church-in-the-aftermath-of-the-ordinary-synod-on-the-family/


Interview With Cardinal Burke . . . Insights On The State Of The Church In The Aftermath Of The Ordinary Synod On The Family

January 4, 2016
Cburke3
By DON FIER
Part 1
(Editor’s Note: His Eminence Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke, Patron of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, recently traveled from Rome to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wis., a magnificent place of worship which he founded and dedicated.
(His Eminence graciously granted an extensive interview to The Wanderer during which he shared his insights on a variety of topics, including the recently concluded Ordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family and his recommendations for how we should contend with the uncertainty and confusion that is currently prevalent among the clerical and lay faithful.)
+ + +

Monday, 4 January 2016

Archbishop Daniel Bohan of Regina: Just what kind of a Polka Mess of the Mass are you up to out there?

Bishop Bohan (right) praying with schismatic and heretic
A reader in Saskatchewan commented on a post asking that those of us where things are better in the Church, liturgically speaking at least, to keep the poor suffering Catholics of Saskatchewan and in particular, those of the Archdiocese of Regina headed by Daniel Bohan, in prayer. We've reported previously on Bish Bo as did LifeSiteNews. It seems he hosted some homosexualist activists at the Cathedral to help set a "student transgendered policy." So-called "transgenderism" has no basis in biology or science. It is a mental illness and deviant behaviour. To confirm people in this is a disgrace and crime against these persons. To do so as a Catholic prelate, is to commit a grave evil. Bishop Bo is also a great ecumenist signing covenants with Anglicans and other schismatics and heretics. It makes one wonder how the Catholic faith is growing through the "New Evangelisation" and if there are any Traditional Latin Masses in Regina and throughout Saskatchewan.


Fortunately, Toronto was able to ditch this liturgical heresiarch a few years ago as an Auxiliary. Sorry, Regina, if it were up to me, I would sent him to a monastery but you can go on blaming Toronto for this too. We deserve it, we truly do! The good news for the people of Regina is that this hireling will be 75 in November 2016. A priest of poor Moncton, he is. The other part of Canada suffering from these types. Let us hope that Cardinal Ouellet, can sneak a good one in under the nose of you know who.

It seems they suffer from Polka Masses. Yes, authorised and Archdiocesan website promoted, Polka Masses. It was last summer, but it is never too late to spread the news of the Polka Mess in Regina, courtesy of the Archbishop.

Tell me Bish Bo, if you were at Calvary at our Blessed Lord's crucifixion, would you be singing "He's too fat for me?

Bish Bo, where exactly in the GIRM of the Roman Missal or Sacrasanctam Concilium, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, can I find the rubrics for a Polka Mass?

Anyone from Saskatchewan wishing to provide photos, recordings or comments about the mess there under Bishop Bo, please feel free to make use of the combox or send an email to voxcantoris@rogers.com.

Oh, Bish Bo - you've been voxed again; we wouldn't want the new year to start off to peaceful for ya. Oh, and how ya doin' with that "Holy Yoga," eh?


St. Gregory the Great on the shepherd and the hireling


As we continue as Catholics, who do not celebrate Christmas in November but bask in its glow until Epiphany if not until Purification, I give to you today a little present from a priest who sent it along to me thinking that you might also like to read it. I agree and thank him. 

It is from 'Be Friends of God - Spiritual Reading from Gregory the Great'.  The volume is comprised of excerpts of St Gregory the Great's homilies, selected and translated by John Leinenweber.  The original Latin text of the following selection can be found in Migne's PL 14,1-4 abridged: 1127c-29b... we pick it up part way through that section of the homily:

THE GOOD SHEPHERD (John 10.11-16) 

'But the hireling, who is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees.' 

We can never really know whether someone is a shepherd or a hireling until they are tested.  During times of peace even hirelings frequently stand up and protect the flock like true shepherds.  But when the wolf comes, they then reveal what their intentions were while they were standing as protectors of the flock.  Any rapacious intruder preying upon you, God's people of faith, is a wolf coming upon the sheep.  Those who appeared to be shepherds, but were not, leave the sheep and flee.  While they are afraid of the danger to themselves they don't venture to resist the wrong the intruder is doing.  Their flight isn't physical, but a withholding of help; it is to see the wrong the intruder is doing and to remain silent; it is to hide under the cover of silence.  Addressing people like this, the prophet said:  You have not offered any opposition, nor have you fortified the house of Israel, to hold fast in battle on the day of the Lord.  To offer opposition means to openly denounce any wrongdoing; we hold fast in battle for the house of Israel on the day of the Lord, and fortify it, if we defend innocent believers against the wrongdoing of the wicked with the authority of righteousness.  Since hirelings do none of this, we can say that they flee when they see the wolf coming.   

'And the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep.'  

The wolf comes, and the hireling flees.  The evil spirit tears apart the hearts of believers by tempting them and those holding the place of the shepherd take no responsibility.  Souls perish while they enjoy the prerogatives of their office.  The wolf snatches and scatters the sheep when it carries one off in the dissipation, another in greed and another in pride; it destroys one by anger, stirs up another by envy and trips up another by deceit.  When the devil kills off believers through temptation, he is like a wolf dispersing the flock.  No zeal rouses hirelings against these temptations, no love excites them.  They seek only outward advantages, carelessly allowing internal injury to their flocks.

Sunday, 3 January 2016

The Holy Name of Jesus - Blasphemed by the world, disregarded by the Modernist Church

According to the wreckers and the Pope who aided and abetted these criminals - Paul VI, today is either the Second Sunday after Christmas or where the Bishops think you're too lazy to go to Mass on the actual Epiphany, the Twelfth Day of Christmas on January 6, it is the transferred Epiphany. The joke of this is that it can be as early as January 2 and, as it will be in 2017, on January 7, actually the day after the actual date of Epiphany.

Confused yet?

Well, it is also January 3, which means that in the Ordinary Form of the Mass according to the same wrecked Missal of Paul VI, it is the Holy Name of Jesus but it is an Optional Memorial, if January 3 was to fall on a day other than Sunday. Now, some more confusion? It was actually not part of the Missal of Paul VI, he did not seem to care enough about this Feast and approved the Bugnini calendar that displaced it all together. When Pope St. John Paul II issued the revised Roman Missal requiring the proper translation, he restored this Feast to the appointed day of January 3 as the "Optional Memorial." Imagine that, an Optional Memorial on the Holy Name of Jesus! Well, at least it is in the Missal in two languages at least, Latin and English. Friends, the rest of the world has still not implemented the Roman Missal 2002 of John Paul II which restored this and other Feasts and was required to be properly translated under his authority as expressed in Liturgiam Authenticum. Imagine, in Italian, Spanish, French, German and so on, this Feast to the Holy Name does not exist in their calendar or Missal!

Now, if you have escaped all of the liturgical insanity described above and you follow according to the Roman Missal of 1962, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the Sunday after the Octave and before Epiphany, is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, which coincidentally, is January 3 this year and is the same in the OF, except it is displaced by either the Second Sunday after Christmas or Epiphany of the Lord.

On the Octave Day of Christmas - the Circumcision of the Lord in the EF and Mary, Mother of God in the OF, the Gospel was about Our Blessed Lord being taken to the Temple on the 8th day for his naming and circumcision. Therefore, it was natural that the Church would take this "empty" Sunday and use it to exalt His Most Holy Name.

Some day, this will all get fixed. One calendar, one Lectionary and a reformed Ordinary Form Missal which would be essentially what the Ordinariate now has - the "Tridentine Mass" in English with a restoration of these great Feasts and end to the transfer to Sunday of at least Epiphany and Ascension, a return to the Pentecost Octave (OF) and the lost Epiphany Octave (EF and OF) and a restoration of the Gesima Sundays, Rogations and Embers.

Let us pray that it be sooner rather than later. In the meantime, read and listen below what they Paul VI stole from you.



The Office Hymn for today is Jesu Dulcis Memoria dating from the 12th century and ascribed to the prolific hymn writer, St. Bernard of Clariveaux.

IESU, dulcis memoria,
Jesu the very thought of  Thee,
dans vera cordis gaudia,
with sweetness fills my breast,
sed super mel et omnia,        
but sweeter far Thy face to see,
eius dulcis praesentia. 
and in Thy presence rest.

Nil canitur suavius, 
Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
nil auditur iucundius, 
nor can the memory find
nil cogitatur dulcius,   
a sweeter sound than Thy blest Name,
quam Iesus Dei Filius. 
O Saviour of mankind!

Iesu, spes paenitentibus,
O hope of every contrite heart
quam pius es petentibus!
O joy of all the meek,
quam bonus te quaerentibus!
to those who fall, how kind Thou art!
sed quid invenientibus?
how good to those who seek!

Nec lingua valet dicere, 
But what to those who find? 
nec littera exprimere: 
Ah this nor tongue nor pen can show:
expertus potest credere,
the love of Jesus, what it is
quid sit Iesum diligere.  
none but His loved ones know.

Sis, Iesu, nostrum gaudium,
Jesu, our only joy be Thou,
qui es futurus praemium:
As Thou our prize wilt be:
sit nostra in te gloria,
Jesu, be Thou our glory now,
per cuncta semper saecula.
Forever through eternity.
Amen.    
                         

Saturday, 2 January 2016

Traditional Latin Masses in Toronto, this Epiphany and beyond

A regular commenter in a post two below left the following:
"But are all these blog visits changing anything for the better? There is no increase in the number of TLM's in Toronto and beyond." 
The writer of this comment, "Karl Rahner, Jr." and I welcome his input, has previously opined that my style and the content of this blog detracts from any work that I engage in for the purposes of spreading interest in the Extraordinary  Form of the Roman Rite. Further, there are a few others out there who with ignorance, arrogance and puerile petulant pride use phrases such as "radical traditionalists" and "trads-behaving badly" and other such silliness and opine that those terrible people, whomever they might be, actually hurt he cause of promoting the traditional Mass. Some of these, try to link Vox personally to a problem that does not exist because in my other life, I am President of the Toronto Traditional Mass Society-Una Voce Toronto.

Anyone who believes that this writer, or any blogger for that matter, has that much power ascribes something which does not exist. More importantly, it is an insult to the Holy Spirit who has through the work of many hands beginning in Econe, preserved the Holy Mass in the traditional form, to this day where others have been able to take up the cause. To state that this blog hurts the cause because someone might be offended, is simply poppycock. If anyone hurts the cause, it is those who throw around such language as "radical traditionalists" and "trads behaving badly" and other such puerile silliness. Good grief, to be Catholic is to be traditional!

Now, let us look at Toronto, since that was the matter raised.

On Epiphany upcoming, there will be two Read (Low) Masses and one Sung and one Solemn in the Archdiocese of Toronto celebrated in diocesan churches by diocesan priests. This does not include the Society of St. Pius X which has recently had to add a third Mass to its Toronto Chapel Sunday schedule.

On Immaculate Conception last there were five and two of them were Solemn and one was Sung and in 2014 there were actually six with three being Solemn.

I can also report that there is another parish in the east of the Archdiocese that has implemented a Latin Mass very Friday evening with three out of four Ordinary Form celebrated "ad orientem" and one, Extraordinary showing the "two forms of one Roman Rite" as Pope Benedict XVI so desired in parishes and another in the east on the First Saturday.

Not only that, but one of Toronto's oldest personal ethnic parishes has a traditional Mass every Saturday morning except on the First Saturday when it is in the Ordinary Form.

Now, I can remember as recently as 2007 prior to Summorum Pontificum except for two crumbs under the "generosity" of Cardinal Ambrozic there were two Sunday indult Masses in diocesan churches On Feast days other than the two Holy Days of Obligation, there were none. Zero, Nada, Zilch! In fact, Ambrozic refused anything further lest he give be seen to give support to something which he did not. Yes, that letter is on file with Una Voce Toronto.
Image result for msgr vincent foy mass
Mass in the Presence of a Greater Prelate (Thomas Card. Collins)

Under Cardinal Collins, the facts are the total opposite and for that, he is to be thanked and commended as is the current Chancellor, Father Ivan Camillieri. Both have been supportive. In fact, your writer had the distinct opportunity and grace to have been the prime organiser under Una Voce Toronto and the Schola Director for the Music for the Mass pictured at the right and below. In those pictures are the Cardinal, a Latin Mass Chaplain-Associate Pastor, a Pastor or two, a Priest of Opus Dei, other Associate Pastors, a newly ordained diocesan priest and Seminarians of Toronto and thirty priests and monsignors in choir.


If the question is of Sunday, there are four every Sunday, not including the SSPX. One Sung, one Solemn and two Read. It would be wonderful to have more but let us look at some issues that impede the growth that have nothing to do with this blog or my writing - truly, some give too me too much power, 

The Archdiocese of Toronto has a policy of no changes to a Sunday schedule without episcopal permission. No additions of Masses, particularly in other languages, no reduction, no supplanting of one language or rite over another. There is no problem in this; changing languages and mass times can have a deleterious affect on parishes without proper consultation. As for schedule an Extraordinary Form Mass, to remove an OF for an EF would be upsetting and controversial. We don't need to see what happened to our parents and grandparents repeated. Further, in many parishes where there have  been EF Masses, the Sunday schedule is already jammed with five or six Masses. This has not affected the growth of the traditional rite because there is no demand at this time for more, nor the people who could sustain it. Everyone who truly desires the Mass on Sundays in the Archdiocese of Toronto can get to it within 45 minutes and that includes the outer reaches of the Archdiocese. Is this great? No, but so it is better than it has been and as younger priests come along, it will continue to grow. 

Further, we have organised a Triduum the last two years and there will be one in 2015 in Toronto in a Diocesan Chapel with the blessing of the Chancellor and Seminary! The fact is, while the loss of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter was regrettable, the diocesan priests have filled the gap, the Cardinal Archbishop and his Chancellor have been supportive and it is my belief that we are in fact, better off notwithstanding the current lack of a "personal parish." The fact is, if we look at where the FSSP exists in Canada, - St. Catharines, Ottawa, Calgary, Quebec City, with the exception of Vancouver, these are the only places where the traditional Latin Mass is offered. It has become a ghetto. The loss of the FSSP in Toronto is proving to be a blessing in disguise as priest and laity have stepped up and pushed ahead. 

The situation in Toronto is actually better than most places in Canada, and is not dissimilar to that elsewhere. The growth of the traditional movement is happening and it is sustainable and it is not going to be stopped. To suggest that this blogger or any other hurts this growth is preposterous and I won't stand for it when the growth is there for all to see.

Fundamentally, the growth must be organic for it to take root in people's hearts and minds. We don't need 1950's Catholicism a mile wide and an inch deep.


Sunday Masses in the Extraordinary Form in Toronto

St. Patrick's Schomberg, Sung Mass at 9:00AM
St. Vincent de Paul Toronto, Read Mass at 9:30AM
Holy Family Toronto, Solemn Mass at 11:00AM
St. Lawrence the Martyr Scarborough, Low Mass with organ and hymns at 1:00PM

Other days and Feast Days

Immaculate Conception Port Perry, 7:00 PM Last Friday of the month
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Toronto, 9:00AM Saturday except First Saturday
St. Isaac Jogues Pickering, 11:00AM First Saturday
St. Patrick's Phelpston 7:20 PM on Feast Days
St. Joseph's Mississauga 7;30P M on Feast Days


Friday, 1 January 2016

Father Joice of the Society of St. Thomas the Apostle - Ordination

Dear Friends,

You remember our friend, Deacon Joice and his parents. He is now a priest of the Society of St. Thomas the Apostle in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

He has sent me some photos to share with you.

God bless you Father Joice and thank you for giving your life to Our Lord Jesus Christ and thank you to your parents for their sacrifice!