According to a recent blog post by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf, popularly known as “Fr Z,” his time living in the Diocese of Madison is coming to a close.
This story is about Fr. Z from another blog. Press title to be redirected to that blog:
FATHER Z TO RELOCATE FROM THE DIOCESE OF MADISON TO ANOTHER LOCATION AND WILL REDISCOVER HIS MOJO AND WHAT HE WILL BE LIKE IN TEN YEARS
I have to say that Fr. Z’s blog has evolved into something less than what it originally was.
The decline began to happen with the election of Pope Francis and the new direction for the Church of a new pope. Every pope, no matter how good, bad or indifferent, has a direction in which he will lead the Church. That’s life. I have lived through seven popes and in a time now with two popes, one reigning and one emeritus. How odd, but the new normal.
Fr. Z also strikes me as a free-lancing priest or in private practice. That is odd for a priest who is ordained for the Diocesan Priesthood. His diocese is in Italy but he doesn’t have residence in his home diocese, but rather here in the USA—he needs to remedy that situation either by returning to the diocese of his ordination, seeking membership in a religious order or incardination in a diocese in the USA. He needs to be obedient to his bishop which is what he promised at his ordination. But does he know his bishop and does his bishop know him (the one in Italy)?
He needs to get back to the academic purpose of his blog which I enjoyed. “What Does the Prayer Really Mean?” He did a great job of showing what the horrible English translation of the Latin original prayers of the Mass were compared to a literal English translation of the Latin Prayers and what was the theology or purpose of the prayer.
Of course, with the new and glorious retranslation of the English prayers, that caused him to shift the purpose of his blog and even its name.
But more recently he went off the rails with his political partisanship, believed President Trump that he was a persecuted president who had the election stolen and then performed major exorcisms on the country in order that the election results be overturned to fit President Trump’s meme that he would remain in office this coming Wednesday.
That was dumb! And I think against canon law. Fr. Z says the Bishop of Madison allowed him this privilege of performing major exorcisms and placing videos on them on his blog, but the Bishop of Madison, or his diocesan communications says it isn’t true.
I suspect the later debacle contributed in part to Fr. Z needing a new home “closer to family”. As well, there is a new bishop who is leading in a new direction compared to the former bishop who died in office and unexpectedly.
Fr. Z would do well to devote a good deal of his time in parish ministry wherever a bishop will accept him. He needs to celebrate baptisms, prepare couples for marriage, do annulments, pastoral counseling and regular celebrations of the Mass in one parish.
Maybe an FSSP parish might be good for him. But he was at his best when he was trying to improve the Ordinary Form of the Mass so that there would be more continuity with it and the Extraordinary Form.
And that renewal of the Ordinary Form cannot forsake the various lay ministries, now made official by Pope Francis, for the Ordinary Form. To deny women to be in these formal ministries when they are clearly allowed by canon law for the Ordinary Form comes across as misogynistic. Not good!
The Extraordinary Form by law does not allow female ministries in the sanctuary (lectors or acolytes) although I believe prior to Vatican II, a woman could ring the bells at Mass and respond as an altar boy would but from the nave of the church or chapel. Correct me if I am wrong.
At any rate, Fr. Z is in crisis and upheaval worried about the loss of his mojo and where he will be in 10 years. He makes it sound like he life is ending by being 30 years a priest. No Fr. Z, that’s dumb. I’m 40 years ordained and 67 years old, a pastor and a blogger looking forward to retirement of active ministry in three years to begin a new chapter in my priestly life.
Let us pray for Fr. Z during this time of transition and taking stock of what it means to be a priest today under the pope and a local bishop.
35 comments:
Fr. Z has enjoyed a life of travel and leisure, made possible by what he calls his "benefactors." I wonder what ecclesiastical authority oversees his income and expenses.
He has kept his past, such as why he was ordained by a bishop from a diocese where he does not live for priestly "service" delivered in highly unusual circumstances, secret.
He has become a "prepper," warning us about stocking up food and supplies for the coming battles, telling priests that they need to lay by all the bread and wine they will need to celebrate mass while they are in hiding from the "secularists."
And, of late, he misused his ministry to perform "exorcisms" that he stated were intended to overturn the certified results of the recent presidential election.
Fr. Z needs to grow up. He acts like a petulant pre-teen who doesn't understand that the world was not made to suit his preferences and wants. I hope he figures that out.
In regards to the excorcisms: "be careful what you pray for." God isn't a wish-granting genie who can be manipulated or bossed around. Fr Z was so sure when praying (and asking others to pray) for the election count to be protected from demonic activity that he may have unwittingly helped Biden out since it has always been clear he was the legit winner. Perhaps he even helped protect the capitol from the demonic insurrection too - one of the most photographed people is the horns guy who even looks like a cartoon demon.
If no man or boy was present to serve Mass, a woman could indeed give the responses, kneeling at the rail.
Recently, his blog has ventured down more extreme avenues. I've mostly stopped looking at it beyond a cursory glance.
Gee Father, maybe we should drag Fr. Z in front of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and make him publicly confess before his summary execution.
We sure are a bunch of dummies when we don't tow that party line.
Yes, as someone who found him before Bergoglio, I very much enjoyed his what does this prayer really say teaching moments, and he had indeed gone off the rails after Bergoglio elevated, and also on plain political tangents (ranting as opposed to calmly reasoned argument), and yes, I found the rank commercialization constant sales pitches most distasteful, as I ďo on most religious context people/places/things, to include churches/Vatican.
Also his name dropping such as highlighting a recent trip to the White House, his jet setting (how many of his parishoners can afford even a single trip to Rome and something a LOT more priests should be asking selves when they live better than majority of flocks), and his "only the best will do" lifestyle and even vestments. Clericalism, in short.
He had a lot of good to say, but buried deeper and deeper under all the offal. And it seemed clear from recent posts he had stepped in it with his new bishop with his motormouth and handed his enemies the knife to plant in his back, which is ALWAYS the fate of those who talk too much....keep running your mouth and you are gonna git stoopit, guaranteed.
Forgot to add that despite his foibles, as to your comment that believing Trump to have been persecuted, as if that were an error, the entire Russia thing WAS a conspiracy from top down far outranking any historic abuse of power in the USA, and in that respect Father Z was spot on.....however, is that really a priest's job or Pope's job?....or agitating for social equality?....or anti-nuclear?....or environment?....
I'm in with Anonymous 11:27--so tired of hearing accusations about Trump "complaining of his persecution". The recent declassified documents PROVE he was needlessly, senselessly and relentlessly hounded by false accusations from day ONE, by the party of "tolerance and compassion". There IS no denying it and of course the "respectable" mainstream media remains silent. Crickets.
I can think of no president since Lincoln who faced as much relentless noise to try to keep him from doing his job. If nothing else, the "expert" careerists on government have sent us ALL a message: You'd better not elect any more outsiders. WE run the show and WE do it our way and WE control America's perceptions of reality.
So nice to see that you're on board with them Father...NOT!
Anonymous. 9:54
How do YOU presume to know that Father Z "was so sure" of when praying?
I'm never sure of ANYTHING when I pray, except that God loves me. That doesn't remove my responsibility to pray.
And even if he WAS sure that he would have his prayer answered a certain way--so what? SO WHAT? Does that give YOU the right to mock and condemn him or revel in his setbacks?
It would be wonderful if all the geniuses posting here would park their mind-reading abilities at the door.
I will be sure to include anonymous 11:27 and 11:46 in prayers. I hope they find peace and reality. Anyway after reading some of Father Z’s and these hyper radical traditionalists that keep popping up on my Instagram feed claiming the entire current church hierarchy is made up of sodomites and satanic body doubles, I grow ever more thankful and appreciative of the southern Orders blog. So great to see logic based social and political commentary that still puts forth Christian values. I don’t agree with absolutely everything here but it is not off the rails. Thank the Lord! Refreshing!!!!
I will be sure to include anonymous 11:27 and 11:46 in prayers. I hope they find peace and reality. Anyway after reading some of Father Z’s and these hyper radical traditionalists that keep popping up on my Instagram feed claiming the entire current church hierarchy is made up of sodomites and satanic body doubles, I grow ever more thankful and appreciative of the southern Orders blog. So great to see logic based social and political commentary that still puts forth Christian values. I don’t agree with absolutely everything here but it is not off the rails. Thank the Lord! Refreshing!!!!
"How do YOU presume to know that Father Z "was so sure" of when praying?"
Anon 12:07 - He posted it on this blog
anon207....the conspiracy from top to bottom is a matter of public record in release of declassified documents showing collusion between admin and intelligence services whose only aim was to destroy a candidate before he ever took office, based totally on fabricated charges which they fabricated and advanced. If THAT is not a true conspiracy, then pray tell what IS? This makes Nixon appear a saint.
But thanks for the prayers.
There is a another "hyperactive traditionalist" who published a prayer against oppression regarding the election, Fr. Chad Ripperger, who is also an experienced exorcist.
While it certainly might make us feel safer to dismiss exorcism and deliverance prayers against an incoming Democratic administration as just "partisan activity", that might not be the case any longer.
It cannot be denied that the incoming leaders have made no attempt to hide their contempt of traditional Christianity. They have made no attempt to hide their plans to open wide the doors of infanticide through "safe, legal abortion". Subsidiarity be damned, they like a strong, all-powerful centralized authority and they have partnered with people like Bill Gates, who favors a society where all are tracked. Every type of "new" sexuality is just wa-wa-wonderful and imposing "marriage" and its recognition will continue and get more radical. And Democrat or Republican, criminalizing and demonizing one's political opponents and weaponizing government as a tool to tell white people who had nothing to do with slavery that they are bad and owe every darker-skinned person some sort of apology and reparation...I could go on and on. Whatever you want to call all that stuff, you cannot call it the Work of God. Is it really so bad to pray against it? Seriously? Or do you think we should pray for the success of all these hellish initiatives?
I once heard a prosecutor say, "Most of the time, when I'm investigating a criminal, I usually uncover evidence that things were a lot worse than I had initially suspected." The truth about all of our government careerists will come out at some point and all the smarter-than-you scoffers...well, they'll have some other explanation, because, of course, they are smarter than the rest of us.
Fr. Z's bishop wrote, "On the other hand, one who combines arguments of faith and morals with photos of birds, Chinese food and aircraft seats, as well as boasting about a firearms license, speaks for itself and I do not see what theological or scientific credibility he can have," he added.
Z is toast.
Father Zuhlsdorf had, years ago, flown off the rails...become unhinged...in many ways.
Via his regular attacks against Pope Francis, Father Zuhlsdorf exposed himself to Satan's deceptions.
Father Zuhlsdorf's embracement of the destructive nonsense and insanity associated with right-wing Catholicism, as well as right-wing secular society, also exposed himself to Satan's deceptions.
His lifestyle — begging endlessly for money and expensive gifts...one vacation after another...documenting, via photographs, his consumption of fine food and drink — was unhealthy spiritually, as well as physically.
Father Zuhlsdorf's destructive behavior guaranteed that things would not end well for him.
That said, were Church authorities unaware as to his blog, as well as Father Zuhlsdorf's lifestyle?
Well, we need to pray for Father Zuhlsdorf.
May Father Zuhlsdorf turn from his Satanic attacks against Pope Francis.
May Father Zuhlsdorf flee the dark, depressing world, within, and without the Church, that constitutes right-wing fanaticism.
May Church officials — should Father Zuhlsdorf cooperate — help to lift Father Zuhlsdorf from the crisis into which he has fallen.
Father Zuhlsdorf has many gifts and talents that, in line with Pope Francis, he (Father Zuhlsdorf) he could employ in healthy fashion to advance the Good News.
Via his blogging skills alone, a renewed Father Zuhlsdorf, via a healthy blog, speaking spiritually, could unleash in positive fashion a tremendous force to Holy Mother Church's benefit.
In that regard, Father Zuhlsdorf should turn to Father McDonald to receive direction and inspiration.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
At least Father Z is a believing Catholic priest unlike some other "priests" we could mention
Mark Thomas, we need to pray for ALL of our priests--so please drop the condescending, "Oh, that poor guy is so lost" stance. It's bull.
I read Fr. Zuhlsdorf's column and I admire his candidness and the fact that any change that is coming is by his own initiative. Nobody is "taking him down", yet to read all of this commentary, you'd think he was about to be sentenced by the Signatura.
Since you are the outspoken disciple of "not judging", I strongly suggest that you reserve your public judgments about his purported "destructive behavior" and "satanic attacks." At least Fr. Zuhlsdorf is faithful to what the Church teaches, which is more than I can say for a lot of other voices on the internet.
Your sanctimonious, self-righteous B.S. speaks for itself.
Anonymous at 11:33 AM,
Bravo!!!
Tired of all this posturing said..."Nobody is "taking him down", yet to read all of this commentary, you'd think he was about to be sentenced by the Signatura."
That is your impression?
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Tired of all this posturing said...'Since you are the outspoken disciple of "not judging", I strongly suggest that you reserve your public judgments about his purported "destructive behavior" and "satanic attacks."
Father Zuhlsdorf has, for exampled, trafficked in calumny against the Vicar of Christ. Do you view that as holy or Satanic?
Father Zuhlsdorf charged Pope Francis with having committed the grave sin of having participated in an "obvious pagan rite."
Do you consider Father Zuhlsdorf's declaration in question as holy or Satanic?
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Tired of all this posturing said..."At least Fr. Zuhlsdorf is faithful to what the Church teaches, which is more than I can say for a lot of other voices on the internet.'
Father Zuhlsdorf, has, unfortunately, trampled Church teaching in regard to his having engaged in calumny against the Vicar of Christ, as well as additional folks.
Father Zuhlsdorf has also trampled Church teaching related to certain areas of Catholic Social Teaching.
I hope that Father Zuhlsdorf is lifted from the crisis into which he has fallen.
He has made it clear that there is a serious sense of emptiness within him.
So much for his worldly lifestyle, as well as plunge into right-wing Catholic, and secular, nonsense and insanity.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
MT,
Get a grip on reality. How many vocations have you nurtured compared to Father Z? I bet Father Z has a better record than PF, under whom the Church continues to decline. Your very words condemn you but you are good for some laughs! Thanks
Oh leave the Holy Mark alone. He and he alone gets to proclaim what is "Satanic" and what is not.
Father McDonald has two skunks on his website: MT and “Father” K. If they keep stinking up the place, great contributors like Bee and John Nolan will probably walk away. We have already lost Gene and Henry Thomas
Squisheefan said..."Oh leave the Holy Mark alone. He and he alone gets to proclaim what is "Satanic" and what is not."
I am joined in that regard by Father Zuhlsdorf.
Father Zuhlsdorf proclaimed that Pope Francis unleashed demons via his (Pope Francis') supposed participation in a Satanic rite at the Vatican Gardens.
Father Zuhlsdorf proclaimed that Satanic activity resulted in the Democrats having "stolen" the 2020 A.D. presidential election from President Trump.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
MT,
Well the Dem Party lives and breathes and supports Satanic activity like Abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism. So what’s your point?
Oh, poor little Marky...
You're still under the delusion that that ugly, naked "P" idol somehow represents the Blessed Mother and have bought the BIG lie that it is not a pagan idol.
Fr. Z IS right on that account. Yeah, even popes make mistakes and calling them out on it is not Satanic.
I suppose you will deny that God allows man to be punished sometimes--of course that would mean denying the inerrancy of scripture, which truly IS Satanic...but not our Holy Marky!
Maybe, just maybe, Fr. Z was right. If you think what the Democrats are about to unleash on us is good and holy, well--just keep reading your anime bible.
Squisheefan said..."You're still under the delusion that that ugly, naked "P" idol somehow represents the Blessed Mother and have bought the BIG lie that it is not a pagan idol.
Fr. Z IS right on that account. Yeah, even popes make mistakes and calling them out on it is not Satanic."
Father Zuhlsdorf is wrong on that account.
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-- REPAM helped to organize the Vatican Gardens event.
1. In December 2018 A.D., ten months prior to the Vatican Gardens "Satanic" event, REPAM posted to Youtube the following video of the statue in question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUjZ18gRMco&feature=emb_title
The video, in particular, at the :22 mark, identified the statue as that of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
That is undeniable...a fact.
2. As the audio of the event proves, the lady who presided over the Vatican Gardens event identified the statue as that of "Our Lady of the Amazon."
3. One organizer/participant after another in the Vatican Gardens event identified the statue as Our Lady of the Amazon.
4. Here is a television interview with Father Roberto Carrasco Rojas, who served as an Amazonian Snyod Father, as well as Vatican Gardens Event organizer:
https://www.romereports.com/en/2019/10/11/indigenous-missionary-defines-controversial-figure-of-pregnant-our-lady-of-the-amazon/
At 1:04 of the interview, Father Rojas declared that the statue is that of "Our Lady of the Amazon."
5. Pope Francis rejected the claim that the statue was "Pachamama"...and that the event was pagan.
The facts are undeniable. The statue is that of Our Lady of the Amazon. The statue represents the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The December 2018 A.D. video — 10 months prior to the Vatican Gardens Event — alone proves that.
May Father Zuhlsdorf apologize for his horrific, utterly false claim that the Our Lady of the Amazon statue, as well as event, were/are Satanic.
Pax.
Mark Thomas
MT,
When are you going to apologize for the Dem Party's Satanic activities such as abortion, gay marriage, and transgenderism?
Then Mark Thomas, you have blindly chosen to believe lies.
That is not our Blessed Mother. IT is not "Our Lady of the Amazon". It is a slap in the face to the ineffable beauty, purity and virginity of Our Most Blessed Mother.
Mary never appears naked. She never appears ugly.
https://www.joshuatcharles.com/blog/2020/4/24/pachamama-is-a-demon-testimony-from-missionaries
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/amazonian-bishop-slams-demonic-sacrilege-at-vatican
https://dwightlongenecker.com/the-pachamama-problem/
https://catholicismpure.wordpress.com/2019/11/14/the-demonic-pachamama-idol-mess-isnt-going-to-go-away/
https://www.pop.org/not-even-pope-francis-can-deny-the-pachamama-is-a-pagan-idol/
Mark Thomas, you can keep posting your drivel here until your thumbs fall off--most of the readers here know you're a joke anyway and ANYONE with a 25% understanding of the Catholic faith knows that that ugly, disgusting, stench-filling, sickening idol of fertility has NOTHING to do with our faith. May God have mercy on your sanctimonious, pabulum-pushing, deceived and deluded soul. We ARE being punished for this pope's horrible actions. I am not condemning the pope, so my words are NOT Satanic. Your foolish idolatry of one man IS. And part of that punishment is having people like YOU in our midst, claiming to be Catholic.
Isaiah 5:20, 21 "Woe to you that call evil good, and good evil: that put darkness for light, and light for darkness: that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, and prudent in your own conceits."
"Pax" from the likes of Mark Thomas is utterly meaningless. He'd better slip off the diapers, put on his pants and realize we are in deadly, decisive Spiritual Warfare like no time previously in our history.
Bellum,
M.P.
After reading up on the situation elsewhere than on his own blog, I signed up for a donation to Fr Z. I have met him multiple times, and I think he has considerable talents. He deserves some criticism and I have no objection to what Bishop Hying, a genuinely excellent bishop, has decided. I am also hopeful that Fr Z has a great deal of good to offer for building up the Church. Fr Z can do better and I want to see that.
To those who think pachamama = Mary, that is entirely absurd. literally at that Vatican gardens ceremony there was also pachamama's prominently "excited looking" male consort figurine. These really come from Andean tradition and have been apparently promoted by leftist eco activists working in the Amazon. The debate was not really whether it was Mary but whether the same image could be repurposed as an innocent "mother nature" symbol without reference to a pagan false deity (or demon) which is the uncontestable origin of the iconography.
The Amazon image is certainly not an image of the Blessed Mother. I think it could be Christianized for the part of the world, but it has to be purified of its pagan or occult purposes. The Church did that with All Hallow's Eve, while still allowing Catholics to participate in the secular/pagan aspects of the day.
My only concern with the money that Fr. Z makes from items sold on his blog and benefactors that give to him personally, is accountability. It strikes me as untoward for the priest to seek donations for himself without accountability with his bishop.
I would be suspended if I asked parishioners to support me directly, above and beyond my salary, benefits and Mass stipends/honorariums.
Of course priests receive gifts for birthdays, Christmas and other occasions. This no longer happens, but in previous parishes when a priest when on vacation, parishioners often gave gifts to help him out.
I am a bit conflicted that he asks those who read his blog to be his personal benefactor. I am not sure if there is a canon law on this or not.
I am "anonymous" of 2:19 pm. I could (but do not think I ought to) make a less anonymous reply that would better explain things I somewhat itch to explain. I'll restrain myself to saying his blog has been legitimately educational and encouraged me to do multiple constructive things in regards to my own parish, but also I have been a beneficiary of Fr Z's live and in person priestly ministry and humanly care about him. I am aware enough of what his situation has been the last several years that I do not see him as lacking oversight. At this moment I am putting whatever critiques of Fr Z aside to support, with good will moreso than money, his new direction.
Father Z has benefitted more Catholics than many priests and bishops who are critical of him. There are a lot of frauds in the clergy and Father Z is not one of them.
I love fr Z. You and your commenters seem a little "judgy" in the parlance of the day, but its still a sin.
Peace be with you.
Jen
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