Safeguarding the Sacred Deposit of the Faith
"This work is remarkable at once for the richness and exactness of its doctrine, and for the elegance of its style: it is a precious summary of all theology, both dogmatic and moral."
Pope Leo XIII
on the Catechism of Trent<
WHAT YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS PAST WEEK:
Echoes of True Catholicism
Yesterday Dr. Marian Horvat tackled the thorny issue of the ecumenical charade whereby Rome is holding the prized Icon of Our Lady of Kazan as a carrot for the Russian patriarch in cowtowing to the Schismatic Church of Russia. Cardinal Walter Kasper just returned from a meeting with authorities in Russia as a precursor for the Pope's eventual visit. Few realize the Vatican's actions are a betrayal of the very thing they have been promoting with the fabricated content of the Third Secret of Fatima as she explained in her column Handing over the symbolic Icon of Our Lady of Kazan: A Confirmation of a Great Crisis in the Church
Precious Gift of our Faith
In Thursday's issue we continued a beautiful catechetical apologetic series taken from The Glories and Triumphs of the Catholic Church on the true meaning of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The 261st installment continued an enthralling, truly inspiring and enlightening understanding of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass like you never realized before. After you read this, you will clamor for the return of the Mass of All Ages for only in the Tridentine Rite is its fullness realized. You will see the Mass as it was always intended and why the Council of Trent and the First Vatican Council in their infallible wisdom settled on this most perfect propitiatory sacrifice to uniquely and purposely represent every aspect of Christ as we presented part four of The Perfect Plan of the Mass
The Great Sacrilege
Father James F. Wathen, O.S.J. has granted permission to publish his entire work which was first published by Tan Books in 1972, and which we urge you to read for everything he wrote back then is backed by the solid depositum fidei - the Sacred Deposit of the Faith and still holds true. It takes up where the Ottaviani Intervention left off as you would have seen in yesterday's issue as Father continued to get down to the serious violations perpetrated on the faithful, explaining in Part Ten of Chapter Four the first part over the issue of Validity and Liceity
"Feed My sheep"
In Wednesday's issue we gave equal time to young men in the same manner as addressed to young women in the Letter to Alison a few weeks ago. We imparted the same sage wisdom in entreating all young Catholic men to preserve their virtue and chastity. Be proud to be a virgin for God is proud of them, and, basically, that's all that counts as is explained in a loving, common sense letter to young men: Be Emulators of Saint Joseph
Pro Life Prescriptions
Wednesday Dr. Frank Joseph took Secretary of State Colin Powell to task for his irresponsible remarks to impressionable youth in response to a question from a young Catholic woman on MTV last week when he blatantly promoted promiscuity by advocating condoms as a way of stopping disease instead of the proven method for both body and soul - abstinence. He, and those who believe this false pied piper, failed to realize Our Lord's resounding warning "fear not them that kill the body, and cannot kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell" Because the vast majority of today's society profess their gospel as the way of the flesh, countless souls are plunged into the abyss of relativism thinking they can have their condoms and salvation too. With friends like Powell, satan doesn't need any more help as Dr. Frank pointed out in his column Powell's Pugnacity for Promoting Promiscuity
Exspectans exspectavimus Ecclesia Dei
Chris Ferrara pointed out in Wednesday's issue the ridiculousness of the charges against Traditionalists who seek to uphold the Truths and Traditions of Holy Mother Church and recognize the Pope as the successor of Peter, while the accusers ignore the aberrations and outright rebellion of a schismatic group in China. Thanks to Michael J. Matt of The Remnant we shared Chris Ferrara's excellent syllogisms which first appeared in a recent edition of The Remnant as we presented part two of his article A Tale of Two Schisms
Simply Sheen
For Lent Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen talked about suffering and the reasons why God allows it. He pointed out in Wednesday's issue that our threshold of pain increases as we are given the resolve to persist, but that pleasures wane the more they are abused, as he illustrated, "our souls were made to hold the ocean of perfection, so they quickly become weary when we settle only for a cupful of the ocean of life" Those who understand that and accept suffering in the context God allows will also find graces as the great prelate explained in God intended that all pain have its completion on earth.
Traditional Thoughts
In Tuesday's issue we brought you an excellent article by Peter Miller, editor of www.Seattle Catholic.com on the Church Militant and our role in recognizing the intensive spiritual warfare our enemy is waging on all sides. He pointed out that if we follow the example of Christ and His saints, we will not flinch. He shared how we must be courageous in the face of tremendous odds against us. It isn't easy, the rewards in this world none, but the prize of a Heavenly victory serves to overshadow any temporal deficiencies we might have for we know we are on the winning side. Let's roll! Peter explained in True Soldiers in the Church Militant .
FOCUS
Tuesday we focused on part one of a two-part interview with the Church's chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth who did not mince words in describing the situation today in the Church, especially in the Vatican itself for he acknowledges that satan has indeed penetrated the hallowed halls and infected countless souls by his insidious campaign to corrupt Holy Mother Church. Though Fr. Amorth pointed out in a candid conversation first published in 30 Days last June that Christ has assured us"the gates of hell shall not prevail against it", the devil is trying and for Fr. Amorth and others conferred with the very grave responsibility of performing exorcism often times their own hands are being tied as you could see in a very candid and revealing interview conducted by Stefano Maria Paci in part one of The smoke of satan in the house of the Lord
White Smoke, Black Fire!
In episode one of Chapter Seven in Part II - "The Smoldering" - Swiss Guard Riage Benziger tends to the stricken Roman Pontiff stowed away in the ancient fortress of Castel Sant'Angelo overlooking the Tiber while Cardinal Macelli gathers the Vatican staff to announce the approximate time of arrival for the coffins and then bluntly declares the end of a long tradition in not sealing the Papal chambers after the death of a Pope. Much to Sister Bridie and Msgr Navarro's chagrin, they can see the deviousness at work and take steps to counter it.
First Vatican Council
Many consider the First Vatican Council as the longest ever because, in truth, it has never been closed. Convened by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1869 with 803 of the hierarchy present from the universal Church, it only had four sessions, all reaffirming the course of Trent. In the Fourth Session on July 18, 1870 the Council affirmed the dogma of infallibility of the Sovereign Pontiff: "we teach and define as a divinely revealed dogma that when the Roman pontiff speaks EX CATHEDRA, that is, when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians,
in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church, he possesses, by the divine assistance promised to him in blessed Peter, that infallibility which the divine Redeemer willed his church to enjoy in defining doctrine concerning faith or morals. Therefore, such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves, and not by the consent of the church, irreformable." For the full, simple, concise documents of the twentieth Ecumenical Council, [only 21 printed pages], see FIRST VATICAN COUNCIL
Catholic PewPOINT
Monday editor Michael Cain continued his series on the analogy of the Mystical Body of Christ with the sorrowful mysteries, focusing on the third sorrowful mystery - the Crowning of Thorns. He equated this ignominous humiliation of the Body of Christ with the establishment of the New Mass by Paul VI as a further humiliation of the Mystical Body, mocking the propitiatory sacrifice the Holy Mass was created for, boldly straying from the mandate of Trent and the holy Pontiff St. Pius V. For over thirty years the thorns have dug deep into the skull of the Mystical Body, weakening her resolve because of the repeated mocking of the King as the people gather around Him and celebrate themselves in buildings that have been morphed into more of resemblance of a Masonic temple than the House of God; because they have ignored Who truly is the King worthy of all respect and reverence; and because they focus on man, emphasizing humanistic social action and communitarianism as Cain explained in part four of the Sorrowful Mysteries: Introibo ad altare Dei; non ad altare hominis! I will go in unto the altar of God; not to the altar of man!
Standing with the Church Militant On the BattleLine
In Monday's issue Atila Sinke Guimarães offered several examples of how the post-conciliar church keeps kicking around progressive, experimental and outlandish ecumenical ideas, which are in no way Catholic, like a soccer ball despite the fact so many bishops - particularly Cardinal Bernard Law - continue to hang on by a thread - the thread of more liberal laws in the United States which, in truth, allow the abuses to continue regardless of media-spin assurances that measures are being taken to correct things. Atila gave a "Bird's Eye View" in his column Abuse on the loose!
Liturgy of the Saints
MONDAY, February 25:
Holy Season of Lent. Historical feast of Saint Walburga, Abbess who died in 779 and Saint Tarasius, Bishop who died in 806.
TUESDAY, February 26:
Historical feast of Saint Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria who died in 326, and Saint Porphyrius, Bishop who died in 420.
WEDNESDAY, February 27:
Traditional Feast of Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, Cleric and Patron Saint of Clerics who died in 1862. Historical feast of Saint Leander, Bishop who died in 600.
THURSDAY, February 28:
Historical feasts of Saint Romanus, Abbot who died in 460 and Pope Saint Hilary, the 46th successor of Peter elected in 461 and died in 468.
FRIDAY, March 1:
Day of Abstinence. First Friday - Historical feasts of Saint Albinus, Bishop who died in 549, and Saint David, King of Wales who died in 601. He is the Patron Saint of Wales and of Newborns.
SATURDAY, March 2:
First Saturday - Historical feast of Blessed Charles the Good, Patron of Crusaders who was martyred in 1124 during the Crusades.
SUNDAY, March 3:
THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT. In the new the feast of Saint Katherine Drexel, Virgin and Foundress from Philadelphia who died in 1955. Historical feast of Saint Cunegunda, Empress and Patroness of Lithuania who died in 1040. For reflections on the Third Sunday of Lent, see Fr. Cusick's reflections
|