Philadelphia Chapter

From Rorate:

The Ecclesia Dei Commission has just had an Ordo divini offici recitandi sacrique peragendi published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, whose elaboration was directed by Monsignor Pozzo, Secretary of the Pontifical Commission.

This Ordo, composed entirely in Latin, includes, as all documents of this type, the indication of the Divine Office to be chanted or recited and of the Mass to be celebrated on each day of the year.
…

This Ordo starts on the First Sunday of Advent 2011.* The calendar of the feasts of the Temporal and of the Sanctoral rigorously follows the one in use in 1962 (for example, and contrary to the usage in several traditional places of worship, it forbids the use the organ on the Sundays in Advent, with reference to the Instruction De Musica Sacra, of September 3, 1958). It is obviously a Roman Ordo, that does not indicate the “national” feasts … . On the other hand, it mentions the possibility of the use of the preface of Advent that existed in 1962 in all Dioceses in France, but not [included] in the Roman Missal….

The [Vatican Ordo]** solves the mixed [liturgical-disciplinary] question of the double Communion that may happen on the night and on the day of Christmas and Easter, authorizing it, according to the prescriptions of 1964 (this double communion is, in any event, practiced without any problem in all Traditional chapels).*** Yet in a “rigorist” sense it also solves the question of the Friday abstinence, by following not the legislation in place in 1962 (abstinence on all Fridays, except those that coincide with Feasts of obligation). It follows the discipline of the new Code of Canon Law in its “rigorous” interpretation (abstinence on all Fridays, except those that coincidewith “one of the days marked as solemnity”, that is, the feasts of I Class, such as Friday in the Easter Octave). Taking these exceptions into consideration, on all Fridays the [Vatican Ordo] indicates (in bold, so that it cannot be ignored by anyone): Abstinentia.

…

For which, paradoxically, the [Vatican Ordo] is more rigorous and closer to the traditional discipline than… the Ordo used by the Society of Saint Pius X and edited by the Monastery of Saint-François du Trévoux, which makes mention of the obligation of abstinence only on Fridays in Lent .

Rorate notes:

* Kind of late, they should be releasing the 2012-2013 Ordo – actually they should not only release it, those responsible must stop with this nonsense and always also make available the whole Ordo online, as the monks of Le Barroux and the priests of the Apostolic Administration of Saint John Mary Vianney have already been doing in the past f ewyears (see our sidebar). It is a public service and a work of charity. For those who are interested, it can be bought at Pax Book.

** The original post says “Pozzo Ordo” – a name which displays a servility with which we are sure the Pontifical Commission would not agree.

*** Not at all; double communion on Christmas and Easter is still avoided in numerous places.

From Rorate:

Fr. Niklaus Pfluger, FSSPX, is the First Assistant of the Superior General of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). He was the main speaker at a conference promoted in Hattersheim, Hesse, Germany, this past Sunday, by the Actio Spes Unica association in which he talked about Rome, the Society, and the future. The following is a translation of the official summary of the conference (original, in German): Account of the most recent developments

Nothing new – that is how one could describe the first half hour of the conference given by Fr. Niklaus Pfluger at this year’s Spes-Unica-Sunday: the First Assistant of the Superior General of the SSPX recalled once more how the relationship with Rome has developed in recent years.

But then the conference hall in Hattersheim (Germany) got more and more excited as Fr. Pfluger unexpectedly started to unveil the events of the past years up until now. And he also announced that these events prompted Bishop Fellay to place aside the principle that guided negotiations with Rome.

The Pope’s desire of a solution

“No practical solution without doctrinal agreement” – such was the principle upon which the Society had started the talks with the Holy See. But the negotiations of the past years have revealed that the different positions regarding central questions of doctrine cannot be bridged.

Recent weeks have revealed that the Pope is so much interested in a canonical solution for the Society that he is ready to seal a deal, even if the Society does not recognize the disputed texts of Vatican II and the New Mass. Would the Society, however, refuse an agreement even under these circumstances, then new excommunications are a possible outcome.

The freedom to continue working in freedom

Under these circumstances the Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay, does not consider it possible to reject the Pope’s proposal. It would be tantamount to a lapse into Sedevacantism if one would still isolate oneself from the Pope’s wish, if this wish does not entail acknowledging false doctrine. It also is a matter of prudence/wisdom not to cut all connections with Rome. One should keep at least one door open, even if at this moment there seems to be no proximity in doctrinal matters.

It is, of course, a pre-condition that an agreement will cover the assurance that the Society will be able to disagree from Rome’s positions in disputed matters and that it will have the freedom to continue her work in her entire apostolate. Part of an autonomous status would also be the right to criticize the Council and Modernism.

The offer to Archbishop Lefebvre and historical parallels

By way of support for Bishop Fellay’s decision Fr. Pfluger recalled the way of action of Archbishop Lefebvre in 1987 and 1988. At that time the Archbishop proposed a far-reaching proposal for an agreement with which he wanted to arrive at a pragmatic interim solution which would have benefited the whole Church. The arrangement that the Archbishop was willing to sign at that time demanded far more concessions from the Society than what Pope Benedict demands at the moment.

Moreover, one has to realize how much false doctrines have spread throughout the Church. Even if a theological conciliation between Rome and the Fraternity would have been achieved, it could not be expected that by a word of command from the Pope all false doctrines would suddenly disappear from the face of the earth. Fr. Pfluger points to parallels in the history of the church: after the condemnation of Arianism, this false doctrine was still spread widely for quite some time, in some regions even for many decades. And even fifty years after the Council of Trent, the Archishop of Milan asks Rome for advice, for almost all of his clergy have wives and children. What is he to do? – The response from Rome shows how the church reacts with wisdom and common sense in such situations: if he cannot replace the clergy, then he simply has to keep it.

The relentless reinforcing of Tradition

The acknowledgement of the Society would, after all, be an official confirmation of the importance of Tradition, something that would be very important and influential throughout the Church. And it would rectify the injustice of her stigmatization. Is there not a danger of hostile local bishops using the arrangement to fight and impede further working of the Fraternity? – Against this foreseeable argument the First Assistant holds the development of recent years: the movement in the direction of Tradition – and mainly the wish of young priests to say the Old Mass – has become unstoppable, despite intimidation and oppression. In fact, this movement is now so strong that the Fraternity will be able to resist such claims from modernist Bishops.

The audio file of this conference is available for download here. (Translator’s note: this text is really not as comprehensive as the speech given by Father Pfluger itself and it lacks the tone of the address. If you understand German, please take two hours to get a good picture of what is going on between Rome and Menzingen.)

Upcoming Events

at the National Center of the Archconfraternity of St. Philomena

41 E. Baltimore Ave.  Lansdowne, Pa.   

610-622-2420

www.stphilomenapa.org [Read more →]

Will:

First Friday TLM at St. Albert The Great Parish, 212 Welsh Road, Huntingdon Valley (Montgomery County) Pa. 19006,

(T) 215-947-3500 will be offered in the Rectory Chapel by Fr. Richard Mc Fadden of St. Charles Borromeo Parish (Bucks County) at 7p.m., preceded by Confessions and Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 6:30 p.m.

First Saturday TLM similarly will be offered by Fr. Dominick Finn, O.S.F.S. at 9:15 a.m., preceded by Confessions and Recitation of the Most Holy Rosary at 8:45 a.m.

It may again be noteworthy to the readers of the Latin Liturgy Association-Philadelphia Chapter website to learn that the First Friday and First Saturday TLM’s at St. Albert The Great Parish, Huntingdon Valley, Pa., are the only continuously scheduled, canonically regular, First Fri. & First Sat. TLM’s offered in the entire Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Our continued prayers and well-wishes for Mater Ecclesiae in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey, and for the SSPX in Eddystone, Delaware County, Pa. during the Society’s continued talks with Rome.

Thank you for publicizing these First Friday and First Saturday TLM’s.

Mark Matthews
2617 Huntingdon Pike
Huntingdon Valley, Pa.
19006-5109
(T) 215-947-6555
(F) 215-947-4949

St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church

National Center of the Archconfraternity of St. Philomena
41 E. Baltimore Ave. Lansdowne, Pa.

will open our

ANNUAL FORTY HOURS
EUCHARISTIC DEVOTIONS

On Sunday, April 15
Divine Mercy Sunday

Latin High Mass
(Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) at 1:30 p.m.
followed by a Eucharistic Procession

All are invited!

Evening Prayer and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament at 7:00 p.m. on    Sun., Mon., and Tues., April 15, 16, 17

The homilist for Evening Prayer will be Rev. Patrick Brannan, S.J.

Reverend Jason V. Kulczynski

from Rorate Caeli

No, it is not a joke appropriate for the date: French public television has indeed released the first minutes of its documentary on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, that will be broadcast tomorrow by the France 3 channel.

The words are in French, but the content is clear enough: the video begins with menacing sounds, here come the dangerous Traditionalists (images of the Chartres Pilgrimage of 2011, an extremely dangerous Mass with a Psycho soundtrack). The Superior of the Institut du Bon Pasteur says what is pretty obvious (“May 1968 is over. Vatican II is over, it’s in the past”). The narrator then describes what the Church was like in the late 1950s before the Council was called (“science has made extraordinary progress, traditional morality is questioned”, “the Church refused to evolve, more and more Christians reject it and leave it in droves”, “the Catholic Church is dying”), but Pope Roncalli arrived in shining armor and opened the gates of the Church.

The battle between “Reformists” and “Traditionalists” ensued, with “the Popes in the middle” (?…). Benedict XVI “seems to favor the Council”, but actually counts on the support of the “obscurantist forces” [sic] – the Traditionalists, of course.

The tone is clear, for the producers of “The Lost War of the Vatican”, the great battle for “reform” has been lost to “the dark side”. Honestly, if the current unending crisis is what the “Progressives”, Modernists and heretics have achieved after they have lost, we cannot even begin to imagine how apocalyptic their “victory” would have looked like…

[Tip: Le Forum Catholique]

from Rorate Caeli

Since the meeting on March 16, 2012, with Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the Society of St. Pius X, has urgently been inviting the faithful to redouble their fervor in prayer and their generosity in making sacrifices during these Holy Days of Lent and in the weeks that will follow the solemnity of Easter, that the Divine Will may be done, and it alone, after the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden of Olives: non mea voluntas, sed tua fiat (Luke 22:42).

The Rosary Crusade that started on Easter 2011 and is scheduled to end on Pentecost 2012 is proving more than ever to be indispensable. This is why the Society of St. Pius X, which wants only the good of the Church and the salvation of souls, turns with confidence to the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that she might obtain from her divine Son the lights necessary to know His will clearly and to carry it out courageously.

May the faithful be so kind as to offer one holy communion for this intention. May they make fully their own, in thought and in deed, the prayer that Our Lord asked us to address to our heavenly Father: Sanctificetur nomen tuum, adveniat regnum tuum, fiat voluntas tua sicut in caelo et in terra; hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Menzingen, March 29, 2012

from CNA

Washington D.C., Mar 27, 2012 / 02:14 am (CNA).- At the March 24 “Reason Rally” in Washington, D.C., an estimated 20,000 atheists and agnostics heard author and activist Richard Dawkins encourage mockery of Catholic beliefs and those of other religions.

“Don’t fall for the convention that we’re all ‘too polite’ to talk about religion,” Dawkins said, before urging rally attendees to ridicule Catholics’ faith in the Eucharist.

“Religion makes specific claims about the universe which need to be substantiated, and need to be challenged – and if necessary, need to be ridiculed with contempt,” he told the cheering crowd on the National Mall.

“For example, if they say they’re Catholic: Do you really believe, that when a priest blesses a wafer, it turns into the body of Christ? Are you seriously telling me you believe that? Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?”

If the answer is yes, Dawkins suggested atheists should show contempt for believers instead of ignoring the issue or feigning respect.

“Mock them,” he told the crowd. “Ridicule them! In public!”

The former Oxford professor and author of “The God Delusion” was among the headliners of Saturday’s rally, which also featured comedian Eddie Izzard, punk rock group Bad Religion, and magician James Randi.

Dawkins called for atheists to identify themselves in public, for the sake of a more openly secular society.

He also claimed that many self-identified Christians are only nominal adherents of their religion, and should be given a chance to disavow beliefs that they may not hold.

“When you meet somebody who claims to be religious, ask them what they really believe,” Dawkins suggested.

“If you meet somebody who says he’s Catholic, for example, say: ‘What do you mean? Do you just mean you were baptized Catholic, because I’m not impressed by that.’”

But those who hold to the doctrines of their faith should be openly ridiculed, Dawkins said.

“I don’t despise religious people; I despise what they stand for,” he explained.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the former professor praised the “truth” and “beauty” of Darwinian evolution, and the ability of the “incredible process” to produce life with the “illusion of design.”

“How is it conceivable,” he wondered, “that the laws of physics should conspire together – without guidance, without direction, without any intelligence – to bring us into the world?”

It was “almost too good to be true,” he rhapsodized, that this “mechanical, automatic, unplanned, unconscious process” should produce human intelligence.

“That’s not just true, it’s beautiful,” he declared to cheers from the crowd of agnostics and atheists.

“It’s beautiful because it’s true,” said Dawkins. “And it’s almost too good to be true.”

Please check Mater Ecclesiae’s site, listed on the right for the schedule of services for the Triduum. These services are very beautiful and devout.