SAVANNAH’S SUNDAY TLM WITH YOURS TRULY…

 

BEAUTIFUL SOLEMN SUNG VESPERS WITH THE POPE IN A BEAUTIFUL CATHEDRAL OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY IN BUENOS AIRES…

 The post Vatican II adjustment to the sanctuary at the Cathedral is beautifully done—kudos. 

CELEBRATION OF VESPERS WITH THE BISHOPS AND SYNODAL TEAMS OF ARGENTINA

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (Buenos Aires)
Monday, 9 November 2026

Although the Vespers was for Bishops and Synodal Teams of Argentina, Pope Leo said very little about synodality. His homily was Christ-centered, Mariological and Soteriological! Thank you Pope Leo!!!

You can press the title above for the pope’s full homily. But what little His Holiness said about synodality was very orthodox!

This is it:

I would like to encourage you, together with your synodal teams, as fellow member’s disciples of the one Teacher, to continue listening to one another and discerning together what the Holy Spirit is asking of you in the light of the word of God and the Magisterium of the Church. In this way, you will be able to serve Argentina today. May he enlighten and strengthen you to translate into concrete decisions respect for the dignity of every person, the commitment to the universal destination of goods, the preferential option for the poor, and care for creation (cf. Magnifica Humanitas, 14).

2 AND 1/2 MILLION ATTEND POPE LEO’S MASS IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA…!

 

BEAUTIFUL PAPAL SOLEMN SUNG VESPERS AND A WONDERFUL HOMILY FOCUSED ON CHRIST AND FAITH NOT ON SYNODALITY! THANK YOU HOLY FATHER!

Press title for full homily:

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Saints Philip and James (Montevideo)
Friday, 6 November 2026

FRANK CARDINAL LEO MAKES SILERI NON POSSUM WITH PRACTICAL, DOABLE AND PROFOUNDLY CATHOLIC VISION FOR HIS EMINENCE’S ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO

The Italian Blog, Sileri non possum, has my bishop at our beatification in a headline photo:

Press title for the good Cardinal’s vision for the Archdiocese of Toronto. It is commonsense, practical, doable and most importantly, CATHOLIC!

 CATHOLIC CHURCH

Cardinal Frank Leo sets out to overhaul parish life in Toronto

Every parish will be required to have a pastoral council and carry out a thorough review of its activities. This is the first step in a seven-year pastoral plan.

HAS THE “WHERE PETER IS” BLOG, AKA, “WHERE POPE FRANCIS WAS” APOLOGIZED TO THE NEW PREFECT FOR THE DICASTERY OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR BEING SO NEGATIVE AND CONTRARY TOWARDS EWTN? LET US PRAY THEY WILL REPENT!

 The Pope also took the opportunity to formally introduce the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, the former EWTN chief executive, Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado, someone “that many of you already know.” She had “joined the Vatican team of the Holy See” on November 1 to take on “this challenging role as Prefect of Communications,” succeeding Paolo Ruffini, “who has completed his term of service.” He praised her “wonderful experience,” “creativity,” “life and liveliness,” saying she would accompany them on the visit and help the Vatican and the Pope “in the very important dimension of communication.”

The Pope formally introduced the new Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication, Maria Montserrat Alvarado   (Vatican Media)

But the Pope Francis era “Where Peter Is” was quite negative about EWTN. I’m glad we have a “Where Peter Is” in Pope Leo that appreciates EWTN and its chief executive officer no the Prefect for the Dicastery of Communication.

An AI summary of Where Peter Is, Aka, Where Pope Francis Was attitude toward Pope Leo’s pick:

The blog Where Peter Is has frequently criticized the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), describing it as a voice of opposition to Pope Francis and accusing it of undermining papal authority. [1, 2]

Key criticisms and themes published on the site regarding EWTN include:

Opposition to the Pope: Contributors have characterized EWTN as "the voice of opposition to the pope," arguing that the network and programs like The World Over (hosted by Raymond Arroyo) regularly align with right-wing political causes and Republican party positions over teachings or guidance from the Church and Pope Francis. [1]
Ignoring or "Screening Out" Papal Teachings: The blog has accused EWTN of "screening out the papacy" when papal statements or initiatives challenge the network's preferred political or ideological narratives—such as ignoring or giving minimal coverage to major papal documents and books like Let Us Dream. [1]
Fostering Division and "Post-Truth" Media: Articles on the site have accused EWTN of engaging in "media pathologies," twisting facts to suit ideological prejudices, enabling anti-Francis campaigns (such as Archbishop Viganò's 2018 allegations), and poisoning dialogue and communication within the Catholic Church. [1]
Stewardship of Catholic Media: While commenting on broader Catholic media responsibilities, the blog maintains its stance of defending the integrity of Church tradition and critiquing what its writers view as disloyalty or defamation from platforms operating under the Catholic umbrella. [1]

You can read more directly on the Where Peter Is EWTN Archive. [1]

THE POPE LEO PONTIFICATE AND CONTINUING TO READ THE TEA LEAFS AND LISTENING TO VATICAN GOSSIP

 I noticed Pope Leo’s replacement of Sister Natalie Becquart and wondered what it meant, but I felt it was significant. Until now it was under reported or went unnoticed. 

But it tells us something about Pope Leo’s understanding of synodality which differs from Cardinal Grech and His Eminence’s right hand woman, Sister Natalie. She’s gone now and unceremoniously.

I used to complain about anything and any document coming the the Synodal way. Usually no mention of God, Father, Son or Holy Spirit was made; nothing about salvation, sin and redemption; nothing about the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Communion of Saints and Angels—nothing!

And what Sister Natalie wrote was often a word salad that would make Kamala Harris proud. 

Serre Verweij writes this about Sister Natalie:

Pope Leo unexpectedly ended Sister Nathalie Becquart’s tenure undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops and appointed both a replacement for her and for Marín de San Martín, who had been given a different position on 12 March with his position vacant since. Jesuit Father Giacomo Costa and Salesian Sister Elena Massimi were appointed as the new undersecretaries. This preserves the current status quo of one female religious and one male religious priest as undersecretaries. 

Nathalie Becquart was an openly activist progressive and an important ally of Cardinal Grech. Her removal is the first real strike taken at the core liberal block. At the same time Father Costa is about as liberal as Becquart. He has been involved in several synods since 2017 as a Special Secretary, steering so called experts and topics dealt with and was officially made Consultor in 2019. Through these roles he inserted a powerful behind the scenes influence promoting LGBT talking points amongst other things. His new role ironically forces him more into the open and requires accountability, and decreases his influence on the experts and content of synodal assemblies themselves. Whether this is a case of being kicked upstairs remains to be seen.


Sister Massimi appears to be a generic centrist outsider concerned with church music. She has rejected relativism in music and quoted Cardinal Ratzinger, yet paid very basic lip service to Traditionis Custodes when meeting with Francis. She has praised lay ministries involving women as well as synodality, but spoke of healthy progress within tradition.

Overall these appointments fit a pattern of Pope Leo only removing very select liberal figures from the Vatican institutions they dominate, internally promoting some others but refusing to bring fresh progressives into Rome. Yet, the new figures he does appoint to these institutions for now appear to be harmless centrists. 

Serre Verweij has a long, but very interesting gossip piece which I copy from Rorate Caeli. Press the title for the full commentary—very interesting:

The Latin Mass and the Struggle for Power in the Vatican

by Serre Verweij

When Pope Leo was elected, many traditionalists were initially cautious or did not know what to expect. Then, in his first real interview (with Crux), Pope Leo declined to stand behind Traditionis Custodes; next, his nuncio in the United Kingdom told bishops that they could request exemptions from Traditionis Custodes and that these would be granted automatically, while the persecution of traditionalist religious communities and of bishops who refused to enforce Custodes fizzled out.

Read more »

REQUIEM MASS FROM SAINT PETER’S—MARVELOUS AND SO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT MOST CATHOLICS EXPERIENCE AND WANT—WHY OH LORD, WHY?????

I am happy to see, too, that the central crucifix is on the Altar of the Chair, rather than to its side. I am wondering if Archbishop Viola desires this compared to all the dang experimentations we have see with the placement of the crucifix at papal Masses--ugh!

And of course the Bishop of Knoxville “ville” condemn the post Mass Marian Prayer. He will tell the pope that extra prayers at the end of Mass are verboten!

Here’s that prayer:

This Requiem Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV is the template of what Requiem Masses should be but aren’t and not by a long shot! 

My final wishes include that my Requiem Mass, while primarily in English will have the Proper Latin Chants for the Introit, Offertory and Communion antiphons. As I don’t expect a lot of people at my Requiem, if there is time during Communion, I’d like to hear Panis Angelicus and at the Offertory, Ave Maria. The recessional will be “In Paradisuum” and nothing else.

The Mass parts will be the Jubilatio Deo Mass.

I have instructed my bishop not to preach about me but about Jesus Christ and how He redeems us. Preach the Gospel, dagnabit !

The rest of the Mass will be in English—no second reading after the Responsorial Psalm and please God, I’ll die during Lent thus there won’t be an Alleluia sung—but one of the Lenten Acclamations. 

If I were to reform the so-called reformed Bugnini Requiem, I would recover no Alleluias for the Requiem and the Requeim Agnus Dei, with its Requiem endings. And when incense is used, it is only used at the offertory and the Final Commendation, not at the beginning or the Gospel. 

After watching the Papal Requiem, why, oh why, in the Name of God and all that is Holy, would anyone want those godawful “You-Who Song”, Be Not Afraid and the Protestant How Great Thou Art”? Songs?Why Oh Lord, why?

A RORATE CAELI COMMENTARY POINTS OUT THE FACT THAT I WAS RIGHT WHEN I SAID WEEKS AGO, THAT BISHOP SCHNEIDER’S SELECTION AS THE CELEBRANT FOR THE TLM AT THE SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM PILGRIMAGE MORE THAN LIKILY LED TO THAT MASS’S CANCELATION AT ST. PETERS AS WELL AS THEIR HOPED-FOR PROCESSION INTO SAINT PETER’S! VINDICATION IS MINE!

 I wrote HERE that the major reason this year’s Summorum Pontificum Pilgrimage was sidelined by the Vatican, i.e. Pope Leo, was because of Bishop Schneider who has aligned himself too closely with the schismatic FSSPX.

He seems to like those who tend towards schism. Unfortunately, Bishop Schneider has personally touched my former parish in the Diocese of Savannah, as well as my diocese there and also a diocese in Florida. Bishop Schneider added fuel to the small, very small fire of schism tending ideologies. 

If a Vatican department, like Ecclesia Dei, were in charge of TLMer’s as they once were, this debacle would not have happened. A Cardinal in good standing would have been chosen by that department to be the celebrant and leader of events that traditionalists might have in Rome and at Saint Peters!

Press title for Rorate Caeli commentary:

Considerations on the Traditional Pilgrimage to Rome -- by Roberto de Mattei

Considerations Sine Ira et Studio on the Ad Petri Sedem Pilgrimage

Roberto de Mattei

Now that the polemics that arose in the heat of the moment have settled, let us attempt to offer some dispassionate considerations, sine ira et studio, as the Romans used to say, on the fifteenth Peregrinatio ad Petri Sedem, held in Rome from October 23 to 25, 2026.

Read more »

Money byte from commentary:

On the other hand, the centrality which the Coetus Internationalis attributed to Bishop Athanasius Schneider, confirmed as the principal celebrant of the pilgrimage, surely offered the Secretariat of State an argument for stiffening its position. The public statements of the Auxiliary Bishop of Astana in favor of the Society of Saint Pius X in fact gave his presence a prominence that went beyond the liturgical function. Bishop Schneider spoke out on the Écône consecrations on March 9 and June 4, 2026 and, after the event, again on August 17. In the three interventions he maintained a consistent position, always supporting the reasons of the Society and the wrongs of the Vatican. On March 9, he asked the Pope to authorize the consecrations even before the resolution of the doctrinal controversies, asserting that the lack of a mandate would not make them schismatic. On June 4, he presented the Society as a providential help for the Church and a possible excommunication as a grave pastoral error. On August 17, he sought to offer a theological and moral justification for the act performed, appealing to the primacy of divine law over ecclesiastical norms. In a subsequent interview on October 13, ten days before the pilgrimage, the bishop reiterated that "with the passing of history, the contribution of Archbishop Lefebvre and the Society of Saint Pius X will later be regarded as beneficial for the whole Church." His position leaves no room for misunderstanding.

The organizers were careful to specify that the faithful gathered in Rome are not "Lefebvrians." But the episcopal face of the pilgrimage was that of a bishop favorable to the Society of Saint Pius X in its conflict with Rome.

It is true that Bishop Schneider had been designated as celebrant many months before the episcopal consecrations of 2026. His subsequent statements should, however, have prompted the organizers to reflect on whether it was advisable to confirm that assignment. Bishop Schneider himself could have considered stepping back, leaving to another bishop the leadership of the pilgrimage, rather than playing the role of guide of the Populus Summorum Pontificum during the three Roman days.

The prevailing chaos does not annul the principle of causality, according to which every act has consequences. Bishop Schneider certainly has the right to set forth his own judgments. The organizers, however, bear in turn the responsibility to ask themselves whether those judgments are compatible with the representative function he is called to fulfill.

WHILE I AM NORMALLY PUT OFF BY LIFESITE NEWS AND ITS RIGHTWING CATHOLIC HETERODOXY, THIS BRIEF COMMENTARY SURPRISINGLY HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD

Press Lifesite title for full commentary:

Worst GOP election since 1974: what you need to know

Democrats will enter office next year with at least 54 U.S. Senate seats and a 241-seat majority in the U.S. House of Representatives.

MY CATHOLIC, NON POLITICAL, TAKE ON ALL OF THIS: 

 There is one person and one group to blame for the blue tsunami the USA just experienced. Let me start with the one person responsible. That is the president. He comes across as mean-spirited. When a reporter asked him a question outside of Air Force One over the weekend, a question the president didn’t like, President Trump made an ad holmium attack on the reporter, resorted to his typical and sophomoric name calling which included calling him fat.

It went viral.  It was a horrible thing that anyone would do, let alone the president of the United States. But we have become accustomed to it, or maybe not! I think the election results indicate that the majority of democrats, republicans and independents want statesmanship from their elected figures, and the president of the USA should be leading the way. 

 Another recent event, gone viral, has to do with immigration and the tactics of ICE. While I don’t encourage or support anyone blocking law enforcement with their autos or bodies, there are better ways to deal with this problem than law enforcement using brut force. The most recent brut force tactic by ICE occurred this week, when a woman used her body to stop a law enforcement vehicle from leaving. An ICE agent, a large man, went up to her, shoved her out of the way causing her to fall forcefully to the ground. 

 I was taught that men don’t treat women that way. And in that situation, a more gentle removal of the woman could have occured. The optics did not work in Republicanss’ favor, to say the least.

 Senator Elect Talirico in an interview given today, November 4, to Fox News, says he wants to work with President Trump on immigration. He praised him for closing the country to illegal immigration. And even made a distinction between what Trump has accomplished in this regard, compared to Biden. He praised Trump. But then he added one more thing that I have been saying and praying for, that we need to make a way to citizenship for all those illegals various administrations have allowed to enter this country and for decades, many, if not most, having made something of themselves in this country, work hard and are law abiding, apart from illegally entering. Many of them have been here for years and decades and making life in the USA better for everyone. Now they live in fear that they can be deported in the most cruel way possible. 

What Senator Elect Talirico proposed is commonsense and goodwill that most Americans would like to see. 

 My final comment has to do with those who support President Trump, not having the ability or desire to call him out on his worse traits, especially his verbal assaults on those he perceives as opposed to him. They are spineless sycophants. And when President Trump disrespected Pope Leo XIV there were few Republican Catholics calling that out! Disgraceful. 

And what the Lifesite commentary says in its last paragraph sums it up: 

 While various factions have already started advancing dueling explanations and excuses, exit polls confirm longstanding expectations that Republicans would be rebuked for President Donald Trump’s overall disapproved job performance, which exacerbated the public’s affordability frustrations between his tariff policies and the spike in oil prices stemming from the Iran War, drove widespread perceptions he was more fixated on enriching himself and allies and personal projects such as the White House ballroom, and even turned the public against him on his most durable issue, immigration, with controversial deportation tactics.

LITURGICAL EYE CANDY…

 Nice, no?

As it concerns the second photo, this is my preference for the marvelous and traditional Benedictine Altar arrangement when the celebrant is facing the nave. I prefer the candlesticks to be upon a reredos behind the altar and not on the altar itself and the crucifix above the altar, preferably hanging. 

As it concerns both photos above, did your celebrant at the All Souls Day Mass wear black?

I did at Hilton Head Island’s Holy Family Church’s 8 AM All Souls’ Day Mass. Nice, no?

THE DEBATE ABOUT CONVERTING PEOPLE TO THE CATHOLIC FAITH, GOOD WORKS AND THE CHURCH JESUS FOUNDED—IS IT A MATTER OF SEMANTICS?

If Bishop Vesco is opposed to the OCIA and making converts because he is opposed to evangelization, then he should be condemned not only by Bishop Barron, but all bishops and the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo.

But I will give Cardinal Vesco the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he is opposed to proselytizing rather than to evangelization which all Catholic Bishops should be to include Bishop Barron. 

This is AI’s description of the difference between the two:

Evangelization is the respectful sharing of the Christian Gospel that invites a free, personal response to faith, whereas proselytizing uses pressure, manipulation, or coercion to recruit members.

Evangelization

• Core Focus: Proclaiming the "good news" of Jesus Christ, salvation, and God's love.

• Method: Relies on witness, testimony, charity, dialogue, and respect for human freedom and conscience.

• Goal: To introduce people to a genuine relationship with God, allowing faith to grow by attraction rather than force.

• View of Conversion: True faith must be chosen freely; conversion is seen as the work of God/the Holy Spirit, not human salesmanship.

Proselytizing

• Core Focus: Increasing numbers, filling church pews, or meeting organizational quotas.

• Method: Often uses fear, guilt, unfair attacks on other faiths, or attaching strings (like financial aid or material benefits) to conversion.

• Goal: To pressure or convince someone to switch their religious label or join a specific group.

• View of Conversion: Treated like a transaction or a forced argument where compliance matters more than free will.

Pope Leo is not opposed to Evangelization but is opposed to proselytizing. If he were opposed to evangelization, he would not have authorized the beatification of the five Georgia Martyrs and he would have condemned every missionary the Church has sent to the new worldin North, Central and South America!

He would not have been a Bishop in Peru! He would not be pope!

If Cardinal Vesco is opposed to evangelization, he should be removed as the bishop of his diocese, no? And if Bishop Barron is in favor of proselytizing, he should be too, no?

At Sunday’s Angelus at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo said this:

After the Angelus

Dear brothers and sisters,

Yesterday, in Savannah, Georgia, in the United States of America, Pedro de Corpa and four companions, religious of the Order of Friars Minor, who were killed in odium fidei in 1597, were beatified. Originally from Spain, they responded generously to the Lord's call to evangelize the peoples of the Americas, even to the point of giving their lives. Let us invoke the intercession of these martyrs for all missionaries of the Gospel.

MY FORMER PARISH OF SAINT ANNE CHURCH IN RICHMOND HILL (SAVANNAH IS ITS SUBURB) HAD ITS CANDLESTICKS BEATIFIED BY FRANK CARDINAL LEO OF TORONTO!

 A glorious and historic day for the Diocese of Savannah! Five Franciscan Georgia Martyrs were beatified at Savannah’s gargantuan Convention Center. 10,000 or so of the faithful came to celebrate. Yours truly led the priests and bishops down the aisle! 

I was able to distribute Holy Communion too! God is Good!

They had an altar railing installed to the delight of the Bishop of Charlotte who joined many other bishops and archbishops for the Beatification.

Cardinal Leo of Toronto has a very nice ars celebrandi and read the black and did the red and seem to me, this most humble reform of the reform in continuity priest that he incorporated certain aspects of the TLM in to how His Eminence consecrated the Bread and Wine. 

His homily was very good too. He spoke of not becoming worldly when it comes to Marriage (which got the five martyrs martyred in the first place). We are to conform to Christ, not the world. Hopefully I can post his homily on line when I find it.

The last two photos are of St. Anne’s candlesticks at St. Anne and then at the Beatification—are these now relics? 

Saint Catherine Island where the Franciscans were martyred is a barrier island off of Richmond Hill.