OUTDATED 1970’S APOLOGETICS AGAINST KNEELING TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION

If TC remains in place and if I could control just one reform of the Modern Mass, I would state emphatically that that reform should be a return to receiving Holy Communion kneeling at the altar railing or kneeler and receiving on the tongue. Doing this is, in my most humble opinion, more important than ad orientem, although ad orientem would be second. 

The outdated 1960’s apologetics, most of which are not just outdated but wrong, goes like this:

1. We must recover processing to receive Holy Communion as we are a walking, pilgrim people and the Holy Communion procession indicates this!

(WRONG!) Of course we have to process to the altar railing but not necessarily in any regimented, organized way. We all come to Christ in unique ways, but always by the grace of God who calls us! Secondly, the most important procession, the first procession is Christ processing to us! This is most evident in Eucharistic Processions, like the one Pope Leo led for Corpus Christi. It is Christ moving to us, around us and leading us that is important and comes first. The priest distributing Holy Communion to those at a railing makes clear the first and most important Eucharistic Procession! It is our Lord processing to us!!!!

2. Standing to receive Holy Communion recovers an older tradition and represents symbolically being raised up in Christ. 

(RIGHT AND WRONG) Yes, it is an early tradition recovered in the Western Rites, but maintained by the Eastern Rites. However, no matter what position we receive Holy Communion, standing, kneeling, sitting, in bed lying down, we are raised up in Christ. It’s the act of worthily receiving Holy Communion where Christ raises us up to eternal life!

3. Receiving at the altar railing makes receiving Holy Communion a “Jesus and me” act rather than a “we” act. Kneeling is more individualistic rather than communal!

(WRONG AND SILLY AT THE SAME TIME!) Receiving Holy Communion kneeling or standing is always both individual and communal, not either/or, but both/and. In fact receiving Holy Communion as Jesus processes to all who are kneeling together at the altar railing makes receiving even more communal than going up individually to the “minister” of Holy Communion. 

In conclusion, receiving standing, in the hand and on the move contributes to more sacrilege and desecration of the Most Blessed Sacrament than kneeling for Holy Communion and receiving on the tongue. 

Across the theological spectrum priests agree that the modern way to receive Holy Communion has so many abuses, from the silly and unauthorized ways people receive by hand, to people walking off with the Host and people sharing what they have in their hand with young children or people remaining at the pew.

All of us priests, no matter the theological spectrum, report that even when we give a brief catechesis prior to distributing Holy Communion about the proper way to receive Holy Communion by hand or by tongue, people ignore what was just said and do what they want no matter how illicit! Grabbing the Host is the biggest problem along with walking off with the Host.

All priests polled have found Hosts in pews, hymnals and on the floor after Mass over the years. We know too that some take the Host for satanic purposes or for good luck charms or souvenirs.

And studies show that not only do infrequent Modern Mass attendees, but also regular modern Mass attendees, do not believe what the Church teaches to be true about Transubstantiation and the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Nor do they believe that anyone should be excluded nor themselves even if in a state of mortal sin or estrangement from God and the Church. 

JUST STOP IT! LEAVE BISHOP ELECT THOMAS HENNEN ALONE! HE’S NO THREAT TO CATHOLIC SEXUAL MORALITY! AND NEITHER IS POPE LEO XIV!!!!

Bishop Strickland, removed for good cause from his diocese, although not properly canonically done by Pope Francis, needs to leave Bishop-Elect Hennen alone. His work with LGBTQ+ Catholics is no threat to Catholic sexual morality nor are any recommendations he has contributed to forming for the Diocese of Davenport’s LGBTQ+ ministries. 

One wonders what Bishop Strickland would write about a bishop-elect who worked in prison ministry and the horrible crimes they have committed along with all those nasty tattoos, etc. 

Why is Bishop Strickland so concerned about minor pastoral theology recommendations to include same sex attracted Catholics and Catholics with sexual dysfunctions in the Church?

Bishop Strickland offers a clarification and double down on Bishop-Elect Hennen and by way of him denigrating Pope Leo’s choice and raising red flags where there should be none. 

You can read his further comments HERE.

And then the National Catholic Reporter is gushing over Pope Leo’s appointment of Bishop-Elect Hennen to the Diocese of Baker. You can read their mixed review HERE!

But the poor Bishop-Elect gets clobbered by more radical Catholics in this NCR article, in particular LGBTQ+ ideological groups, identifying as Catholic, like New Ways Ministry and Dignity, two groups that Jesuitical Father James Martin supports as these groups want to overturn Catholic sexual morality teachings. Courage, though, supports all Catholic moral teachings and the Church’s teachings on chastity within the context of one’s state in life. Bishop-Elect Hennen supports the work of Courage.

Just leave Bishop-Elect Hennen alone! He’s orthodox! He’s moral! and he’s pastoral! Thanks be to God. 

GIVEN ALL OF THE SKULLDUGGERY AND SUBSEQUENT SCANDALS OF TRADITIONIS CUSTODES, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? OH, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN????

 I found the odd article I post below from Vatican News, by accident. It seems to be a new news feed on the Vatican News website, where you can scroll for various Vatican news articles. In the photo above, this feed is on the right in red: VATICAN NEWS SERVICE.

As I scrolled I found an odd article posted on Friday, July 11. It really isn’t an article but a description of the responsibilities of the Dicastery for Divine Worship as revised by Praedicte Evangelium.

Here it is. Why print this now? Does it have anything to do with all the liturgical skullduggery concerning the groundwork that led to Traditionis Custodes and the slight of hand to place blame on bishops for the implementation of TC even though the bishops didn’t want Summorum Pontificum canceled saying doing that would lead to liturgical wars, which it has and has also undermined the papacy. 

What do you think about this odd article?

Here it is:

Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments

The Apostolic Constitution ‘Praedicate Evangelium: On the Roman Curia and Its Service to the Church in the World’, promulgated by Pope Francis in 2022, outlines the mission and the duties of each Dicastery.

By Vatican News

The functions and duties of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments according to Praedicate Evangelium: On the Roman Curia and Its Service to the Church in the World, promulgated 19 March 2022.

Art. 88

The Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments promotes the sacred liturgy in accordance with the renewal undertaken by the Second Vatican Council. Its areas of competence include all matters that pertain by law to the Apostolic See concerning the regulation and promotion of the sacred liturgy and vigilance in ensuring that the laws of the Church and the liturgical norms are faithfully observed in every place.

Art. 89

§ 1. It is the task of the Dicastery to provide for the redaction or the revision and updating of the typical editions of liturgical books.

§ 2. The Dicastery confirms the translations of liturgical books in current languages and grants the recognitio to the fitting adaptations of these to local cultures, as legitimately approved by the Episcopal Conferences. It also grants the recognitio to particular calendars and to the Propers of Masses and the Liturgy of the Hours of particular Churches and Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, following their approval by the relative competent authority.

§ 3.  The Dicastery assists diocesan Bishops and Episcopal Conferences in promoting, by effective and suitable measures, the liturgical apostolate, especially with regard to the celebration of the Eucharist, the other sacraments and liturgical acts, for the sake of an ever more active participation on the part of the faithful. With the Episcopal Conferences, the Dicastery encourages reflection on possible forms of inculturation of the liturgy and accompanies their contextualization.

Art. 90

§ 1. The Dicastery oversees the discipline of the sacraments and juridical issues involving their valid and licit celebration, as well as the discipline of sacramentals, without prejudice to the competence of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

§ 2. It examines and grants requests for indults and dispensations concerning matters that exceed the competencies of diocesan Bishops.

Art. 91

The Dicastery promotes and organizes the periodic celebration of International Eucharistic Congresses and is available to cooperate in the celebration of National Eucharistic Congresses.

Art. 92

The Dicastery is responsible for matters concerning liturgical life:

1. by promoting liturgical formation at various levels, also through multi-regional meetings;

2. by supporting commissions or institutes created for promoting the liturgical apostolate, music, chant and sacred art;

3. by erecting international associations for these purposes or by approving their statutes.

Art. 93

The Dicastery is responsible for the regulation and discipline of the sacred liturgy with regard to the use – permitted according to the established norms – of liturgical books in use prior to the reform of the Second Vatican Council.

Art. 94

The Dicastery is responsible for preserving the veneration of sacred relics, the confirmation of patron saints and the granting of the title of minor basilica.

Art. 95

The Dicastery assists diocesan Bishops in ensuring that the forms of popular devotion increasingly conform to the Church’s norms and are in harmony with the sacred liturgy, by affirming its principles and providing guidance for their fruitful implementation in the particular Churches.

Art. 96

The Dicastery assists Bishops in carrying out their proper office as moderators, promoters and guardians of the entire liturgical life of the particular Church entrusted to their care, by offering guidelines and suggestions for promoting a correct liturgical formation, in order to prevent and eliminate possible abuses.

Art. 97

To carry out its responsibilities more effectively, the Dicastery can, in addition to its members and consultors, seek cooperation and periodic exchanges with the liturgical commissions of the various Episcopal Conferences and with the international committees for the translation of liturgical books into the major languages; it also follows with interest the contributions made in the area of liturgy by institutions of higher ecclesiastical studies.

BRICKS 🧱 BY BRICKS 🧱

Pope Leo continues to reverse the poor judgments about so many things, of Pope Francis. In doing so, Pope Leo is in continuity with the tradition of Pope Francis to reverse the papacies of his immediate predecessors, one still living for most of Pope Francis pontificate.

Read the full article from The National Catholic Register HERE.

Moneybyte:

“The prefect of the Papal Household, therefore, plays an important role: He guides the pope’s “family,” sitting at the pope’s right during state visits, and manages all formalities. He serves as a sort of “bridge” between the pope and his guests.

Pope Francis did not formally have a prefect, even though the regent ultimately managed everything. This reflected Pope Francis’ intention to place less importance on matters of ceremony, focusing more on the personal nature of meetings.

Pope Leo XIV, however, has taken a different approach from the very beginning. 

Unlike Pope Francis, Pope Leo always wears papal choir attire on official occasions — including the red mozzetta (the short, mid-shoulder cape) and stole. Following tradition, he omits the stole when the visiting head of state is not Catholic, as was the case during his meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei on June 7.

This attention to symbols suggests that the Pope aims to restore the entire structure of the Prefecture of the Papal Household, beginning with the appointment of a new prefect.”

A MUST WATCH VIDEO ON TRADITIONIS CUSTODESGATE???

I am posting this video from Silere non Possum without having watched it. It is in Italian, but there is a voice “AI” generated translation into English. 

Here’s their teaser:

In the last few hours, several documents have emerged that discuss the process that led to the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes. In this video, we discuss why this document was produced and why the liturgy has once again become a battleground in the Church.

We reveal the background to a silent but relentless strategy.

And above all, we ask ourselves: why so much ferocity against the timeless rite?

Did Pope Francis really hate the ancient rite? Or did he have a different view? Here's what he told an abbot in a private audience, and here's who was beside the Pope when he celebrated.

While many choose to turn the Holy Mass into propaganda, we look at the heart of the problem. Without reticence, without fear, without discounts.

THE HUBRIS OF ANDREA GRILLO AND MAKING CLEAR, UNWITTINGLY, WHY POPE BENEDICT XVI WANTED INNER HEALING IN THE CHURCH AND RENEWAL IN CONTINUITY NOT IN RUPTURE WITH WHAT PRECEDED VATICAN II AND SUBSEQUENT REFORMS…

This is what Andrea Grillo despises in a horrific way about Pope Benedict XVI and His Holiness’ papal magisterium:

A huge part of Pope Benedict’s papal magisterium stems from his 2005 elocution to the cardinals of the Curia at Christmas. 

In that elocution, a prescient teaching, he requested that Vatican II be interpreted within continuity of what preceded not in rupture. 

As a part of his magisterial teaching in this Christmas elocution, two years later on July 7, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI issued the centerpiece of his papacy, Summorum Pontificum and an accompanying letter. With both forms of the Mass coexisting, the rupture theology of the early post-Vatican II period could come to an end and  be healed and the Church could go forward praising her past while updating or refining various aspects of the Church as highlighted by Vatican II.

A horrific injustice has been done to Pope Benedict XVI and his papal legacy. A horrific injustice has been done to those bishops, priests, religious and laity who happily took up the permission Pope Benedict XVI gave them to celebrate the TLM freely and without harassment and denigration. 

Andrea Grillo, a member of the school of rupture and demanding  that the pre-Vatican II Church and her liturgy remain in the dust bin of trash, acknowledges his theology of rupture and praises Pope Francis for placing Summorum Pontificum into the dust bin of history, trash as he implies it is. 

This is what he writes as he tries to defend himself from the leaked truth about the survey of world bishops about Sumorum Pontificum.

What Grillo writes is exactly what Pope Benedict XVI wanted to overcome and Summorum Pontificum was doing that. But Grillo wants the rupture to promote the new and relegate to the trash bin of history all that preceded Vatican II.

POPE BENEDICT WAS PROPHETIC! ANDREA GRILLO HAS A HORRIFIC GRUDGE AGAINST THIS SAINTLY POPE, VICIOUS IN FACT!

This is the most important thing Grillo writes, which actually convicts him and justifies Pope Benedict’s genius in interpreting Vatican II and allowing both forms of the Mass to be celebrated!

Andrea Grillo written words responding to the leaks of recents days concerning the fraudulent basis of Traditionis Custodes:

“That the presence of the “extraordinary form” guarantees “liturgical peace” is false: only a curial ideology can write continuous lies with the arrogance of those who can separate themselves from reality and reconstruct it at whim. Rather, the opposite is true. Two parallel and contradictory forms of the Roman rite fuel the clash, the division, the mutual denial.”

THE HORRIFIC ANIMUS OF ANDREA GRILLO , GHOST WRITTER FOR TRADIONIS CUSTODES, HAD AGAINT POPE BENEDICT XVI AND GRILLO’S HORRIFIC INFLUENCE ON POPE FRANCIS!

 

This is horrific in the true sense of the word. Lies, deceit and horrific hatred toward Pope Benedict XVI.

One only wonders how Pope Leo can bring peace out of this horrific and deplorable situation!

READ THE UGLY WORDS OF GRILLO AND SANDRO MAGISTERS ASSESSMENT OF THIS TRULY HORRIFIC EPISODE HERE!

FALLING ON HER KNEES, OUT THE MOUTH OF BABES, NO WORDS JUST A PROFOUND GESTURE OF REVERENCE FOR CHRIST IN THE MOST HOLY EUCHARIST! IT’S WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS FROM THAT BABE’S MOUTH!

 This is my Bishop of the Diocese of Savannah, Bishop Stephen Parkes, giving Holy Communion to a young child. This photo was taken recently at the parish of my first priestly assignment, St. Teresa of Avila in Albany, Georgia. I was assigned there as Assistant Pastor in August of 1980. That’s 45 years ago. I was there until July of 1985.

In my time there, we removed the altar railing and did a radical renovation of the 1950’s A-Frame Church. There was one parishioner who knelt at the altar railing when it was still there, even though everyone else received in the hip-post Vatican II way. I think I might have not given him Holy Communion once or twice because of his kneeling behind me. I think I went to Confession later about that. I suspect he’s long dead now. God rest his soul.

POPE LEO XIV APPOINTS A NEW BISHOP OF BAKER, OREGON. HE HAS BEEN ACTIVE WITH “COURAGE” AN EXTREMELY ORTHODOX OUTREACH TO THE LGBTQ+ INDIVIDUALS

 Oregon is a very progressive/liberal state. I am sure Pope Leo XIV knows this. Thus it is fascinating that he has appointed a priest from Davenport, Iowa, Msgr. Thomas Hennen to be the new Bishop of Baker. He has been active in the “Courage” ministry and you can hear his position in the video I link below. His appointment in one of the most progressive states in the USA is indeed good news. 

WASHINGTON – Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Liam Cary, 77, from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Baker, Oregon and has appointed Reverend Thomas Hennen, as Bishop-elect of Baker. Father Hennen is a priest of the Diocese of Davenport and currently serves as the diocese’s vicar general and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport, Iowa. The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington, D.C. on July 10, 2025, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

The following biographical information for Bishop-elect Hennen was drawn from preliminary materials provided to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops:

Father Hennen was born July 4, 1978, in Ottumwa, Iowa. Bishop-elect Hennen pursued studies at Saint Ambrose University in Davenport. He also studied at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, and the Pontifical Gregorian University, earning a bachelor’s in sacred theology (2003). He received a licentiate of sacred theology (2005) from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome. Father Hennen was ordained to the priesthood on July 10, 2004.

Bishop-elect Hennen’s assignments after ordination include: parochial vicar, Prince of Peace parish in Clinton (2005-2010); campus minister and parochial vicar, Newman Center and Saint Mary in Iowa City (2010-2011); chaplain and theology teacher at Assumption High School in Davenport (2014-2017). He also served at Sacred Heart parish in Oxford Junction, Saint James parish in Toronto, Sacred Heart parish in Lost Nation and Saints Philip and James parish in Ground Mound (2015); chaplain and director of campus ministry at Saint Ambrose University in Davenport (2017-2021); parochial vicar at Saint Anthony parish in Davenport (2017-2018). Since 2021, he has served as priest moderator of Saint Andrew parish in Blue Grass and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.

Bishop-elect Hennen’s additional responsibilities for the Diocese of Davenport have included: director of vocations (2011-2018); associate director of vocations (2018-2021); consultor and vicar general (2020-present). Bishop-elect Hennen speaks English, Spanish, and Italian. 

The Diocese of Baker is comprised of 66,826 square miles in the State of Oregon and has a total population of 532,734 of which 33,356 are Catholic.

IT’S REALLY A MATTER OF JUSTICE NOW THAT POPE LEO XIV MAKE THINGS RIGHT AND RETURN TO THE LITURGICAL PEACE OF SUMMORUM PONTIFUM AND RENEWAL OF THE MODERN MASS IN CONTINUITY WITH THE ANCIENT FORM

This is all the Catholic Church needs, yet another scandal based upon a spiritual and power abuse at the highest level of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. 

To restore trust in the papacy and papal magisteriums, one can only pray that Pope Leo XIV will strive to heal this breach of trust and injustice. The injustice is to a previous pope while still living as an emeritus next door to the reigning pope and to the bishops, priests and laity who gratefully followed what Pope Benedict XIV allowed in Summorum Pontificum and in a faithful way.

More evidence that Traditionis Custodes is based upon damn lies, so to speak:

DIANE MONTAGNA'S SUBSTACK

New Evidence Confirms CDF Report, Erodes Vatican Narrative on Traditional Latin Mass Restrictions 

A response to the Vatican’s July 3 statement on the newly released documentation concerning Traditionis Custodes

DIANE MONTAGNA

JUL 10, 2025

ANOTHER EXAMPLE, AND DONE VERY QUICKLY, OF POPE LEO REVERSING POPE FRANCIS’ LITURGICAL MANDATE!

This just happened on July 7th, the anniversary of Summorum Pontificum.

I write more about this below this new and somewhat redundant post. But Pope Leo has acted and quickly so to restore unity to the Syro-Malabar Eastern Rite Church.

Is this the blueprint to placate traditionalists upset with Pope Francis’ harsh and rigid Traditionis Custodes? And also with bishops who are harsh and rigid with Novus Ordo celebrations ad orientem and kneeling for Holy Communion at the altar railing? 

This sounds good to me:

Under the terms of the new agreement, (approved by Pope Leo XIV) priests will be permitted to celebrate a Sunday liturgy facing the people as long as they also offer a Sunday liturgy ad orientem. In addition, newly ordained priests will be permitted to offer the liturgy facing the people; recently, they have been required to pledge, as a condition for ordination. not to offer the liturgy facing the people. Finally, several officials of the archeparchy will be replaced.

GOOD ADVICE TO SAN ANTONIO, CHARLOTTE AND DETROIT: IT’S NOT EITHER/OR BUT BOTH/AND WHEN IT COMES TO AD ORIENTEM AND FACING THE CONGREGATION, NOT TO MENTION KNEELING AT THE ALTAR RAILING OR STANDING AT IT TO RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION!

 

I have often commented on the Syro-Malabar fiasco concerning how they are to celebrate their Divine Liturgy.

For decades, many priests and parishes followed the Latin Rite’s abandonment of the Latin Rite’s historic posture at Mass, ad orientem, in favor of facing the nave. 

Facing the nave is not the East’s or the West’s tradition as facing the nave was a novelty that gained traction in the mid 1960’s and was blamed on Vatican II. But Vatican II never mandated such a position as it isn’t the Church tradition in the east or the west. 

Thus, to recover their tradition of ad orientem (also the Latin Rite’s tradition) the Syro-Malabar bishops demanded and made exclusive that the Liturgy of the Eucharist had to be celebrated in a uniform way, that is facing the east, or ad orientem. 

This created push-back and ugliness from the Liturgical progressives of the Syro-Malabar rite. They did not want to go ad orientem and there was even liturgical violence and sacrilege as is the case with the heterodox left when they don’t get what they want.

Even Pope Francis, not a friend of traditional backwardness, supported the uniform posture of ad orientem for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. 

Nothing seemed to work to calm the hatred and violence of the heterodox left though. They demanded and I mean demanded their Divine Liturgy facing the nave! 

THAT IS UNTIL POPE LEO XIV!

Basically, His Holiness has ditched the uniformity of ad orientem and is allowing by way of exception the Liturgy of the Eucharist facing the nave. 

Read all about Pope Leo XIV’s genius in this regard from Catholic World News! Can the Holy Father concoct such a comprise for His Holiness’ Latin Rite brothers and sisters in a greater allowance the Summorum Pontificum and ad orientem for the Novus Ordo? After all the Catholic way isn’t either/or but both/and! 

From Catholic World News:

July 08, 2025

The Dicastery for the Eastern Churches announced on July 7 that Pope Leo XIV has ended the mandate of Archbishop Cyril Vasil’, SJ, as pontifical delegate in liturgical matters for the Syro-Malabar Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India.

In doing so, the Pontiff expressed his “deep gratitude to the prelate for the work carried out” and signaled the end of the at-times violent dispute over the sacred liturgy that has roiled the archeparchy (archdiocese) over the past four years. The archeparchy’s head is the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (CNEWA profile), an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See.

Led by the Major Archbishop, the Syro-Malabar Church’s hierarchy sought to implement a uniform method of celebrating the sacred liturgy. The uniform method envisions the celebrant turning towards the faithful in the initial rites but then turning towards the altar (ad orientem) during the Eucharistic sacrifice. In some eparchies, however, including the Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly, the entire liturgy has been offered facing the people in recent decades.

With near unanimity, the archeparchy’s priests protested the decision of the Major Archbishop and other bishops, and the priests continued to celebrate the sacred liturgy facing the people. Pope Francis exhorted the faithful to obey the hierarchy’s decision, entrusted day-to-day governance of the archeparchy to a series of apostolic administrators (2022-2025), and appointed Archbishop Vasil’ in 2023 as his pontifical delegate in liturgical matters. Archbishop Vasil’, like the administrators, insisted on obedience to the Syro-Malabar hierarchy’s decision on the uniform method.

(AND THIS IS THE BOMBSHELL!!! WHY YOU ASK? BECAUSE THIS COULD WELL BE THE MODEL FOR POPE LEO XIV TO RESTORE LITURGICAL PEACE TO THE LATIN RITE BY ALLOWING THE TLM AND AD ORIENTEM FOR THE NOVUS ORDO AS WELL AS KNEELING FOR HOLY COMMUNIOIN AT AN ALTAR RAILING AND ALSO STANDIING AT IT TOO! AND WHICH OFFICIALS COULD POPE LEO XIV ELIMINATE OR REPLACE FROM THE VATICAN’S DYCASTERY FOR DIVINE WORSHIP???):

Under the terms of the new agreement, priests will be permitted to celebrate a Sunday liturgy facing the people as long as they also offer a Sunday liturgy ad orientem. In addition, newly ordained priests will be permitted to offer the liturgy facing the people; recently, they have been required to pledge, as a condition for ordination. not to offer the liturgy facing the people. Finally, several officials of the archeparchy will be replaced.

A WONDERFUL PAPAL COMMENT AND GESTURE: A POPE WHO IS A CHRISTO-CENTRIC PONTIFF (BRIDGE-BUILDER)…

 Pope Leo XIV has congratulated Cardinal Burke on his Golden Jubilee of his Ordination, writing: 

'He has preached the precepts of the Gospel according to the Heart of Christ and has recounted His treasures, diligently offering his devoted service to the Church universal'

HOW NOT TO PROMOTE SYNODALITY UNLESS ONE HAS A DEATH WISH FOR IT!

This interview with Sister Nathalie is inane! It’s a long interview with some good questions but the answers are incredibly inane, boring and off-putting.

Why?

First of all, in all the verbosity of her answers, nothing is really said. It’s a word salad a la Kamala Harris! Incredible!

Second and most importantly, she says nothing, and I mean nothing, about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. She says nothing about Jesus Christ as the exclusive means to eternal life in heaven through His passion, death and resurrection. She says nothing about our Blessed Mother or the Communion of Saints. 

She says nothing about the Sacraments of the Church, the Church’s spirituality and long prayer traditions and moral life. Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!

And as it concerns synodality, she really says nothing. I am not better off reading this interview and trying to wrap my head around it than I was before I read her word-salad interview!

Perhaps she should have listened to Pope Leo XIV’s Sunday Angelus. He’s now on a well deserved vacation at Castel Gandolfo. Interesting that all this about a new document to explain synodality, which it does not, but muddies the waters even more, comes out when the pope is on vacation and not at the Vatican. It’s almost as though these people are living once again the Pope Francis papacy, that is, living in the past.

This is what Pope Leo XIV said, in part, at his Sunday Angelus. Sr. Nathalie would do well to heed His Holiness’ words. Is it to much to ask those controlling the synodality word salads to include some of this in their statements and interviews????

Pope Leo XIV:

Dear brothers and sisters, the Church and the world do not need people who fulfill their religious duties as if the faith were merely an external label. We need laborers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places. Perhaps there is no shortage of “intermittent Christians” who occasionally act upon some religious feeling or participate in sporadic events. But there are few who are ready, on a daily basis, to labor in God’s harvest, cultivating the seed of the Gospel in their own hearts in order then to share it in their families, places of work or study, their social contexts and with those in need.

To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom.

Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, who generously gave her “yes” to participating in the work of salvation, to intercede for us and accompany us on the path of following the Lord, so that we too may become joyful laborers in God’s Kingdom.

Press title for word salad interview, a la Kamala Harris: Sr. Becquart: New Synod document to foster exchange of gifts among local Churches

Sister Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, speaks to Vatican News about the new document "Pathways for the Implementation Phase of the Synod," highlighting the realization of synodality within the local Churches, as well as the exchange of gifts among them.

A MUST READ ARTICLE BY ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE CORDILEONE!

 The good Archbishop wrote this prior to the bombshell news about Pope Francis Traditionis Custodes and the election of Pope Leo. One can only imagine what he thinks about that! Press title for full First Things article.

Here’s a Moneybyte:

Pope Francis’s purpose in issuing Traditionis Custodes was to unite the Church in one form of worship. It has to be admitted that having two forms of the Mass for the universal Church is anomalous in the history of the Church. In reality, though, there are not simply two “forms” of the Mass, but a whole variety of forms due to priests taking liberties to do things their own way in violation of the liturgical norms—a clear vulnerability of the ordering of the Mass currently in force, and one that risks bringing great harm to souls. 

Now we have extremely divergent forms of the Roman Rite. A video of a German priest rapping at the Mass recently went viral. On the other hand, for example, there’s the Mass of the Americas, which I celebrated as a Solemn High Pontifical Latin Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., in November 2019.

Putting an End to the Liturgy Wars

SALVATORE J. CORDILEONE MAY 5, 2025

HMM! 🤔 🧐 50,000 VIEWS OF MY MOST HUMBLE BLOG IN THE LAST TWO DAYS!

 I continue to be baffled by the various countries that view my most humble blog and the number of views in those countries, far and wide!

POPE LEO AT HIS SUNDAY ANGELUS SEEMS TO BE SAYING NO TO YACKATY, YACKATY, YACKATY…

 

Pope Leo nails it. Our Catholic Faith must lead to good works and not just external religious practices although, that is not eliminated. Pope Leo also says that the endgame is our salvation, eternal life in heaven. Thank you Pope Leo for being coherent and pointing out the obvious in terms of what embracing God’s grace and plan for us accomplishes, especially eternal life based on the truth!

You can read the full brief Angelus here, but this is the moneybyte:

Dear brothers and sisters, the Church and the world do not need people who fulfill their religious duties as if the faith were merely an external label. We need laborers who are eager to work in the mission field, loving disciples who bear witness to the Kingdom of God in all places. Perhaps there is no shortage of “intermittent Christians” who occasionally act upon some religious feeling or participate in sporadic events. But there are few who are ready, on a daily basis, to labor in God’s harvest, cultivating the seed of the Gospel in their own hearts in order then to share it in their families, places of work or study, their social contexts and with those in need.

To do this, we do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom.

Let us ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, who generously gave her “yes” to participating in the work of salvation, to intercede for us and accompany us on the path of following the Lord, so that we too may become joyful laborers in God’s Kingdom.

On Saturday Pope Leo also pointed out the obvious in a very cogent way, which clarifies so much reigning confusion in the Church today, especially elitists involved in the synod who want a different Church not the Catholic Church of the ages. 

This is in part what he said to the Augustinian Sisters:

A culture without truth becomes a tool of the powerful". Pope Leo XIV gave this consideration during a meeting with the Augustinian Sisters Servants of Jesus and Mary in the Apostolic Palace on Saturday, July 5. He explained that "instead of freeing consciences, it confuses and distracts them according to the interests of the market, trends or worldly success".

And then Crux made this observation about synodality, which is interesting:

Shortly before the death of Pope Francis, it was announced a new 3-year process will be held on Synodality. This is to implement the results of the 3-year Synod on Synodality which concluded in 2024. “Synodality” had been a driving issue of the late pontiff, even though what he meant by the word was never really defined, and adding three years to the process seems to be exhausting the Church with committee meetings and endless documents.

One of Leo’s first acts was to reinstate the practice of the pope putting the Pallium on new archbishops, an act that was ended by Francis as part of his “synodal process.” Observers noted the new pope’s meeting with the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod on June 26 did not even mention the upcoming 3-year process and was very short, especially given the more lengthy meetings with other Vatican offices.

MY EXPERIENCE OF SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM AS A PASTOR

When Pope Benedict XVI through his liturgical and pastoral solicitude and genius, allowed for the freer celebration of the 1962 Roman Missal, my bishop at the time, asked priests who were inclined to take up that permission to first poll the parish about their interest in having the 1962 Missal Mass.

I did so at St. Joseph Church in Macon, Georgia. I received 300 positive responses and no negative. 

My bishop then said to move forward and I did. First. I held an educational session on a Wednesday evening on the differences between the two Masses, differences in participation and spirituality. Over 100 attended that catechesis. 

We scheduled the first EF Mass, as a Low Mass, on the first day that SP went into effect, which was the Solemnity of the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14, 2007. It was a stormy night in Macon, with tornado watches, thunder, lightening and heavy rain. The church was almost filled to capacity.

I was a nervous wreck as I had only vague memories of the older Mass, had not attended a pure 1962 Missal Mass since about 1966 as a 12 year old. But it made an impression on me. I felt more “priestly” in the function of what I was doing during the whole Mass compared to the Modern Mass, which I love and love to have it celebrated properly. 

After that, we began a monthly Sunday EF Mass at 2 PM. And one weekly Low Mass on Tuesdays at 5 PM. We formed a schola to chant the Mass and that grew and developed over the years.

There were no problems with division in the parish and the EF people easily floated between the two forms and were fully engaged in the parish.

By 2015, we began celebrating one of our five weekend Masses in the Ordinary Form ad orientem for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. We restored the historic altar railing and Communion was offered to the faithful either standing or kneeling. But the altar railing at its full length was used at the Sunday ad orientem Mass.

During that year, we shifted the monthly EF Mass to the 12:10 PM Sunday ad orientem Mass, but once a month. No one complained to me but it was well known that the last Sunday of the Month Mass would be the 1962 Missal and thus in Latin not English. Most people thought the only difference was that the Mass was in Latin and with major moments of ritual silence. 

We offered a vigil Mass for Holy Days of Obligation in the 1962 form. 

Let us pray that Pope Leo XIV will return sanity to the Church and integrate the 1962 Roman Missal back into normal parish life and ask bishops to be more engaged with their priests about how to do it and priests to be more engaged with their laity about their hopes and concerns about how the Mass is celebrated. 

MODERN LITURGY, BUT OF BOMBSHELL IMPORTANCE GIVEN THE CRACKDOWN ON THIS IN SOME DIOCESES!

 

A COMMENT ON ANOTHER THREAD TOO GOOD NOT TO BE ITS OWN POST!

 THIS WAS ANTHONY’S RESPONSE TO MT’S COMMENT ON:

 "PAPAL HIJINKS: A FAIR AND BALANCED EVALUATION"

MT:

I find it a little strange that you would use a Vatican II denier to discredit the views of traditionalists who accept Vatican II. This is especially true since Louie of akaCatholic is being disingenuous about Pope Francis' remarks. He says that Pope Francis was not lying when he said he "considered the wishes expressed by the episcopate and having heard the opinion of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith." The impression that is given, as it was intended to do, was that the collective opinion of the episcopate, not that of a minority with it, and that of the Congregation was negative, and that is what impelled Pope Francis to act. But this was false, and deliberately so.

He is also being disingenuous, along with Pope Francis, in equating the Council's desire to reform the Roman rite with its wholesale replacement. Rather, what the Council called for was a modification of the existing rite "where necessary." This was adequately addressed with the reform of 1965. There was no need for a completely new rite, nor is that what the Council called for.

What happened after the Council, however, was that the liturgical revolutionaries instrumentalized the Council to advance an agenda which they could not get approved in the Council hall. They have ever since then accused anyone who has taken reservations with this more radical reform of rejecting the Council. In truth, it is those who have gone beyond the limited reform envisioned by the Council who have actually rejected it. Indeed, they have even rejected the Novus Ordo itself by restricting those legitimate options that would allow for a traditional form of its celebration. The irony of this is that by equating objections to the new Mass with rejecting Vatican II, its is they who have created that rejection by the small number of radical traditionalists who do.