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Monday, July 21, 2025

IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, BUT I DON’T LIKE IT!

I suspect Pope Leo XIV prefers the crucifix to the side of the altar when he faces the nave for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The thinking is that nothing should block the view of the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord on the altar. 

However, when His Holiness recently celebrated Mass ad orientem, His Holiness’ entire body acted like an iconostasis, blocking the view of the Precious Body and Blood of our crucified, risen and Glorified Lord. He wasn’t concerned about that though, taking that ancient liturgical position!

Please Pope Leo, follow the lead of Pope Benedict, which Pope Francis maintained for most of his papacy, by having the crucifix centrally placed on the altar. God bless you!


With ad orientem altars, symmetry is the law of the day, but not when the priest faces the nave! Why, oh why????


Removing the crucifix from the central position of the altar at papal Masses occurred in the last few months of Pope Francis’ life. His Holiness had maintained the custom of the central crucifix, although at St. Peter’s it was a smaller one. 

Since Pope Leo has become pope, the altar arrangement has been in flux. I think part of it is the current MC. But he’s not around while Pope Leo celebrates Masses in and around Castel Gandolfo. 

The tradition of placing the crucifix on the left side of the altar (from the priest’s perspective) seems to be the one that Pope Leo favors as this is what has happened at Masses while he is on vacation, except for the one Mass he celebrated ad orientem. 

This is an AI summary of what Pope Benedict XVI taught about the central crucifix on the altar even when the priest faces the nave:

Altar crucifix | petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang
Pope Benedict XVI frequently advocated for and implemented the placement of a large crucifix at the center of the altar during Mass, both in his role as pope and previously as a cardinal. This practice, known as the "Benedictine arrangement," is intended to visually emphasize the centrality of Christ and His sacrifice in the Eucharistic celebration. 
Here's a more detailed explanation:
  • Central Placement:
    The crucifix is placed in the middle of the altar, often alongside six or seven candles, to draw attention to the cross as the focal point of the liturgy. 
  • Focus on Christ:
    The crucifix serves as a visual reminder of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary, which is made present in the Mass. 
  • Turning Towards Christ:
    The placement of the crucifix encourages both the priest and the congregation to turn their gaze towards Christ, rather than focusing solely on the priest. 
  • Not an Obstruction:
    Pope Benedict XVI argued that the crucifix is not an obstruction to the view of the priest, but rather an invitation to collectively gaze upon the Lord. 
  • Distinction Between Liturgies:
    The crucifix helps to distinguish between the Liturgy of the Word (proclamation and relationship) and the Liturgy of the Eucharist (adoration). 
  • Symbol of Unity:
    The crucifix is seen as a unifying symbol for all, rather than an impediment to communal worship. 
  • Continues by Pope Francis:
    Pope Francis has continued the practice of placing a crucifix on the altar, demonstrating the importance of this tradition. 

Sunday, July 20, 2025

WHERE-IN POPE LEO IS POPE LEO AND LET US GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR THAT


Mike Lewis of the “Where Peter Is” blog is still trying to make Pope Leo into Pope Francis. If by this he means, like Pope Francis, Pope Leo will make his own way, adjust what his predecessor did that has turned out to be questionable as far as how it is embraced by ideological groups in the Church, yes, Pope Leo will be in continuity with Pope Francis.

However, there are clear signs that Pope Leo is not Pope Francis. The most important is that Pope Leo does not want to create messes nor is he asking anyone, especially the young!, to create messes. 

Pope Leo is quite clear in all of his homilies and speeches. 

He has already indicated that his form of synodality will not lead to the idolatry of a “godless” synodality. It will be Christ centered and always speak of Christ and listening to Him. Nor will Pope Leo claim that the Holy Spirit is the source of every utterance of synodality, an unfortunate kind of manipulation to get people on board. By its fruits and clarity and orthodoxy, will the faithful know the Holy Spirit is at work. 

Some are complaining that Pope Leo has chosen bishops who support Fiducia Supplicans which thus indicates His Holiness’ support for blessing individuals in same sex or multi sex or whatever you want to call various groupings of people fornicating. Pope Francis stated in an interview that these blessings were for individuals and in no way implied a blessing of sin. 

We bless sinners every day. Every time a pope, other bishop, priest or deacon offers a public or private blessing, he is offering it to a sinner. All people are blessed no matter their lifestyle, especially at the end of Mass. 

Pope Leo is a pastoral pope thus he hasn’t yet entered into ideological arguments with those who despise only one kind of sinner, active homosexuals, while giving greater sinners, like pathological liars, fomenters of hate and violence a pass in terms of vile condemnation. 

I have insisted that Pope Leo is a “refining” pope, not a canceling pope. He won’t cancel Pope Francis and I suspect Pope Leo wishes that Pope Francis had not canceled Pope Benedict and St. Pope John Paul II. 

As it concerns the canceling of Summorum Pontificum with Traditionis Custodes, I pray that Pope Leo will issue his own document to return liturgical peace to the Church and assure those whose faith is strengthened by the Ancient Liturgy have a place in the Church along with those who are homosexual and want individual blessings. 

At the 16th Sunday of the Year Mass at the Cathedral in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo gave a great homily with much food for thought. It is like a talk given at a spiritual retreat for personal spiritual renewal. 

HOLY MASS

HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV

Cathedral of Albano

XVI Sunday in Ordinary Time, 20 July 2025

________________________________________

Dear brothers and sisters,

I am very happy to be here to celebrate today’s Eucharist in this beautiful Cathedral.  As you know, I was supposed to be here on 12 May, but the Holy Spirit worked in a different way.  But I am truly pleased to be with you and in the spirit of fraternity and Christian joy, I greet all of you here present, His Eminence, as well as the Bishop of the Diocese, and the authorities present.

In this Mass, both the first reading and the Gospel invite us to reflect on hospitality, service and listening (cf. Gen18:1-10; Lk 10:38-42).

First, God visits Abraham in the figure of “three men” who arrive at his tent “in the heat of the day” (cf. Gen 18:1-2). The scene is easy to imagine: the blazing sun, the stillness of the desert, the intense heat, and the three strangers seeking shelter. Abraham is seated “at the entrance of his tent,” the position of the master of the house, and it is moving to see how he exercises this role. Recognizing the presence of God in the visitors, he gets up, runs to greet them, and prostrates himself on the ground imploring them to stay. Thus the whole scene comes to life. The afternoon’s stillness is filled with gestures of love which involve not only the Patriarch, but also his wife Sarah and the servants. Abraham is no longer seated, but stands “by them under the tree” (Gen 18:8), and it is there that God gives him the best news he could have hoped for: “your wife Sarah shall have a son” (Gen 18:10).

The dynamics of this encounter lead us to reflect on how God chooses the path of hospitality in order to enter into the lives of Sarah and Abraham and announce that they would have a child, which they had long desired but had given up hope of receiving. Having visited them before in many moments of grace, God returns to knock on their door, asking for hospitality and trust. The elderly couple respond positively, despite not yet understanding what will happen. They recognize God’s blessing and his presence in the mysterious visitors, and offer them what they have: food, company, service and the shade of a tree. In return, they receive the promise of new life and descendants.

While the circumstances are different, the Gospel also teaches us about God’s way of acting. Here too, Jesus appears as a guest at the house of Martha and Mary. This time, however, he is not a stranger: he comes to his friends’ house in the midst of a festive atmosphere. One of the sisters welcomes him by serving him, while the other sits at his feet, listening as a disciple would her teacher. As we know, Jesus responds to the first sister’s complaints that she would like some help with the tasks at hand by inviting her to recognize the value of listening (cf. Lk 10:41-42).

It would be incorrect, however, to see these two attitudes as mutually exclusive, or to compare the merits of the two women. Service and listening are, in fact, twin dimensions of hospitality.

Our relationship with God comes first. Although it is true that we must live out our faith through concrete actions, faithfully carrying out our duties according to our state of life and vocation, it is essential that we do so only after meditating on the Word of God and listening to what the Holy Spirit is saying to our hearts. To this end, we should set aside moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, quieting noise and distractions, we recollect ourselves before God in simplicity of heart. This is a dimension of the Christian life that we particularly need to recover today, both as a value for individuals and communities, and as a prophetic sign for our times. We must make room for silence, for listening to the Father who speaks and “sees in secret” (Mt 6:6). Summer can be a providential time to experience the beauty and importance of our relationship with God, and how much it can help us to be more open, more welcoming to others.

During the summer, we have more free time in which to gather our thoughts and reflect, and also to travel and spend time with each other. Let us make good use of this, by leaving behind the whirlwind of commitments and worries in order to savour a few moments of peace, of reflection, taking time as well to visit other places and share in the joy of seeing others — as I am doing here today. Let us make summer an opportunity to care for others, to get to know each other and to offer advice and a listening ear, for these are expressions of love, and that is something we all need. Let us do so with courage. In this way, through solidarity, in the sharing of faith and life, we will help to promote a culture of peace, helping those around us to overcome divisions and hostility and to build communion between individuals, peoples and religions.

Pope Francis said that “If we want to savour life with joy, we must associate these two approaches: on the one hand, ‘being at the feet’ of Jesus, in order to listen to him as he reveals to us the secret of everything; on the other, being attentive and ready in hospitality, when he passes and knocks at our door, with the face of a friend who needs a moment of rest and fraternity” (Angelus, 21 July 2019). These words were pronounced just a few months before the pandemic broke out; that long and difficult experience, which we still remember, taught us much about their truth.

Certainly all of this requires effort. Serving and listening do not always come easily; they require hard work and the ability to make sacrifices. For instance, it takes an effort in listening and serving in order to be faithful and loving mothers and fathers raising their family, just as it requires effort for children to respond to their parents’ hard work at home and at school. It also requires effort in order to understand each other when there are disagreements, to forgive when mistakes are made, to help when someone is sick, and to comfort one another in times of sadness. But it is precisely by making an effort that something worthwhile can be built in life; it is the only way to form and nurture strong and genuine relationships between people. Thus, with the foundations of everyday life, the Kingdom of God grows and manifests its presence (cf. Lk 7:18-22).

Saint Augustine, reflecting on the story of Martha and Mary in one of his homilies, said: “These two women symbolize two lives: the present and the future; a life lived in toil and a life of rest; one troubled and the other blessed; one temporary, the other eternal” (Serm. 104, 4). And considering Martha’s work, Augustine said: “Who is exempt from the duty of caring for others? Who can rest from these tasks? Let us try to carry them out with charity and in such a way that none will be able to find fault with us... The weariness will pass and rest will come, but rest will only come through the effort made. The ship will sail and reach its homeland; but the homeland will not be reached except by means of the ship” (ibid., 6-7).

Today, Abraham, Martha and Mary remind us that listening and service are two complementary attitudes that enable us to open ourselves and our lives to the blessings of the Lord. Their example invites us to reconcile contemplation and action, rest and hard work, silence and the bustle of our daily lives with wisdom and balance, always taking Jesus’ charity as our measure, his Word as our light, and his grace as our source of strength, which sustains us beyond our own capacity (cf. Phil 4:13).

Saturday, July 19, 2025

HOPEFULLY, THIS IS A BRICKS 🧱 BY BRICKS 🧱 BABY BRICKLAYING 🧱 BY POPE LEO TO REVERSE THAT MOST DREADFUL TC!

 


BREAKING: Pope Leo XIV issues exemption to San Angelo Diocese for parish

LIKE POPE LEO, LIFESITE SEEMS TO BE INTO REVERSING THINGS TOO!

 In my most humble opinion, Lifesite is a mixed bag. I have found some very useful news stories there. But they seem to encourage a pseudo-traditionalism rooted not in fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, meaning the pope and bishops in union with him, but more in a Protestant or Eastern Orthodox schismatic way. 

And they seem to attract readers who think, wrongly of course, that the papacy is empty since Vatican II, such silliness really. But there’s a lot of silliness in the Church of the East, the Church of the West and in Protestantism. 

Some of the Catholic wing-nuts are converts from Protestantism. They remind me of the Christian dentist on Seinfeld who converted to Judaism and tried to be more Jewish than real Jews, like Seinfeld. That episode where Seinfeld is so upset about his dentist’s conversion to Judaism leads Seinfeld to go to a priest in a confessional. Seinfeld sits on the kneeler instead of kneeling—hilarious and the conversation about the situation with the priest is hilarious too. 

At any rate, I am not sure what Lifesite was trying to do. I think maybe they want to be more in line with Pope Leo and not as anti-Pope Leo and they were anti-Pope Francis. 

Does anyone have any insights into the firing Westen only to reinstate him today?



POPE LEO, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, REENCHANT YOUR PAPAL SASH AND SHOES

 This is all you need to do:


On another note, though, the bishop on the left looks like the same bishop in the same position to Pope Benedict XVI, when Benedict shocked him and the world reading his renunciation of the papacy speech in Latin. In fact, that bishop’s eyes began to bulge out of his head as he heard the unbearable in Latin from Pope Benedict!

And on the right seems to be Pope Leo’s new Gainswain, meaning personal secretary. I don’t think Pope Francis had a consistent Gainswain as Benedict did. This seems to be another reversal of Pope Francis by Pope Leo. But who is the new Gainswain? 

POPE LEO XIV POINTS THE WAY OF FULL COMMUNION FOR THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCHES BUT ALSO POINTS THE WAY FOR LITURGICAL RENEWAL, TRUE RENEWAL, FOR THE CHURCH OF THE WEST AND ALSO TRUE SYNODALITY ROOTED IN FIDELITY TO THE CHURCH’S HERITAGE…


This brief message by our Holy Father, Pope Leo, is packed with meaning for both the Church of the East, even the schismatics, but also the Church of the West.

The Byzantine Churches of the East in full communion with the Patriarch of the West, the Bishop of Rome, the Vicar of Christ, the pope, maintain the patrimony of the East. The East’s form of the Divine Liturgy is a heritage to be preserved, not Latinized (or Westernized) and not tinkered with in an absurd, causal, priests’ personality sort of way as happens, without authorization, but developed in a deformed organic way, in so many Latin Rite Modern Masses. 

And finally, as it concerns synodality, Pope Leo says that the Byzantine Church (in their synodal way) renews their pastoral ministry ROOTED in FIDELITY to their heritage! 

So there are three points in what I take away in Pope Leo’s brief message to the Byzantine Church in the USA. 

1. You give a way to full communion with the Church to our separated Eastern Orthodox brothers and sisters, to include their bishops and lower clergy. 

2. Your liturgical heritage is to be preserved as a rich heritage not to be squandered (as in the Western Rite’s current state of liturgical affairs).

3. Pastoral (synodal) renewal (missionary thrust) is accomplished by remaining rooted in their rich heritage (of faith and morals as well as liturgy, unlike the current Western’s development of synodality which seeks to abandon the West’s patrimony of faith, morals and liturgy).

Message of the Holy Father for the Metropolitan Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, 19.07.2025

The following is the Message sent by the Holy Father Leo XIV to the participants in the Third Metropolitan Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh:

Message of the Holy Father

To the Participants

in the Third Metropolitan Assembly

of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh

I extend heartfelt greetings to all of you gathered for the Third Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic Church of Pittsburgh, convoked by Metropolitan Archbishop William Skurla and the Council of Hierarchs, taking place at the Church of Saint Mary in Whiting, Indiana.

Your Assembly, held under the theme Come, let us worship and bow before Christ, offers a precious opportunity to grow in unity and to reaffirm your commitment to the Lord. Through your liturgical celebrations, prayerful reflection and fraternal dialogue, you will surely renew your faithful witness to Christ and deepen your proclamation of the Gospel in the rich tradition of the Byzantine Catholic Churches.

The participation of clergy, religious, and lay faithful, along with representatives from the Exarchate of Toronto and the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, offers a visible sign of communion in the Church.

I give thanks for the witness of your forebears, who built vibrant Byzantine communities in North America amidst various challenges and uncertainty. Their legacy continues in your courageous embrace of pastoral renewal, which is rooted in fidelity to your heritage.

I assure you of my spiritual closeness and entrust your gathering to the intercession of Mary the Mother of God. To all participating in the Assembly, I gladly impart my Apostolic Blessing, which I extend to all in the Archeparchy as a pledge of wisdom, joy and peace in the Lord.

From the Vatican, 12 July 2025


Friday, July 18, 2025

FATHER NICOLO BUX HITS THE BALL OUT OF THE PARK! WE WANT A REFINED LITURGY BASED ON WHAT SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM REQUESTED!


Edward Pentin reprinted Fr. Bux’s interview on the Modern Mass after it was removed by Blogspot when they took down the entire “Mass in Latin” blog based in Italy. 

Here it is, which I copy and paste from Edward Pentin:

 In his interview with Messa in Latino, whose Italian text is now accessible on Fede e Cultura’s website, Father Bux shares his reaction to the revelations of the survey results, discusses his appeal, made in his book, to Pope Leo XIV to lift restrictions on the TLM, and shares his ideas on how liturgical peace can be restored to the Church.

***

MiL: Father Bux, you describe the post-conciliar liturgical reform as a clear deviation from the genuine intentions of Vatican II and Sacrosanctum Concilium. In your opinion, what was the gravest mistake in implementing the reform?

FR BUX: Placing the participation of the faithful—now seen as a “right”—above the rights of God, who by His Presence makes it possible for us to enter into relationship with Him. This is divine worship, cultivating our relationship with the Lord. The liturgy is “sacred” for this reason; otherwise it becomes mere public ceremony, subject to display, spectacle, or entertainment—what in America is called “litur-tainment.”


MiL: You say that the liturgy has become a “battlefield.” Do you think this conflict will persist, or do you foresee possible peace in the Church’s liturgical life?

FR BUX: Article 22c of Vatican II’s Liturgical Constitution warns that absolutely no one, not even a priest, may add, remove, or change anything. We must abandon the idea that the sacred liturgy is at our disposal; it comes from above and is to be served, not “animated”—the Holy Spirit animates it, not us. There must be a “liturgical code,” already foreseen in the pre-conciliar reform, with precise penalties for infractions. The scholar Daniele Nigro wrote about this in I diritti di Dio “The Rights of God” (Sugarco 2012, with a preface by Cardinal Burke). Those who advocate deformations in the Novus Ordo are not without sin, but neither are those of the Vetus Ordo proponents who do not adhere to the latest edition of the Roman Missal of 1962, as prescribed by Benedict XVI’s motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. Only by observing order can peace come, also liturgical peace.


MiL: In your book, you speak of the Real Presence of Christ in traditional dogmatic terms: “true, real, substantial”. What do you see as the greatest threat today to the faithful’s belief in this central mystery?

FR BUX: It’s not just a threat but a widespread reality: the reduction of the Sacrament—Most Holy—to a convivial symbol or common food. He, the Lord, is “the medicine of immortality” and must be adored before being consumed. The delicate medicines are not taken but received with the utmost care. This is essential to faith in the Eucharist, more important than catechesis on Communion.


MiL: You quote the words of Benedict XVI: “What was sacred to previous generations remains sacred and great for us too”. How do you respond to those who see the traditional liturgy as a symbol of ideological opposition to the Pope and Council?

FR BUX: Instrumentalization by individuals or groups exists but is not prevalent. Instead, there is a renewal of the Sacred—the Lord’s Presence—in people’s hearts (adoration, Communion on the tongue, silence, vocations...). Visit countries where Benedict XVI’s motu proprio was prudently implemented and you’ll see this. The patience of charity in obedience to the Church has prevailed.


MiL: You speak in your book of the “Messa spezzatino” (the “stewed Mass”), the result of the linguistic and symbolic fragmentation of the current liturgy. What practical measures would restore coherence and a sense of the sacred to the Mass?

FR BUX: Above all we must focus on Christ, which in the Eastern Liturgies is achieved by turning to the East, from where He came, comes, and will come. This cosmic and eschatological dimension is key to divine worship. The orientation of the priest ad Deum (towards God), towards the Cross, especially from the Offertory to Communion, is crucial in restoring the lost vertical dimension. Orientation matters more than Latin, though Latin remains vital for perception of the “sacred” in worship, especially in the Eucharistic Prayer and other priestly prayers.


MiL: What, in your view, was the mentality behind Pope Francis’s Motu Proprio?

FR BUX: A contradiction: he praised the mystery in Eastern liturgies but refused to see that the ancient Roman rite, the greatest of Western rites, parallels the Byzantine in the East and responds to faith crises in the West—sparking evangelization, resisting sects in Latin America, encouraging conversions, adult baptisms, family life, religious life, and vocations. Pope Francis fell victim to his own “anti-clericalism.”


MiL: Why, in your view, did Francis provide false reasons for issuing Traditionis Custodes?

FR BUX: Ideological prejudice, a psychiatric problem? In Buenos Aires they know. His will was law. Courtiers are always to be found, collaborators less so.


MiL: In your appeal [to Pope Leo XIV], you ask for a return to the celebration of the Traditional Mass without restrictions, as essentially provided for in the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum. How do you address concerns that returning to an unrestricted traditional Mass would undermine papal authority or create division in the Church?

FR BUX: The Church is circumdata varietate (surrounded by variety): thanks to the Holy Spirit, many rites exist, so what’s there to fear? It seems Pope Leo holds this vision. The authority of the Pope and Bishop lies in promoting and synthesizing charisms for the Church’s mission, does it not?


MiL: You write that “the Catholic Church is not an absolute monarchy”.

How does your proposal harmonize with the principle of hierarchical obedience that characterizes the Church?

FR BUX: For sixty years, the ancient Roman rite has survived every attempt at suppression: we should apply Gamaliel’s principle [as presented in the New Testament (Acts 5:38-39), the principle suggests that if a movement or idea is of human origin, it will eventually fail, but if it is of divine origin, it cannot be stopped, and attempting to do so would be fighting against God.] If it were merely the work of man, wouldn’t it have already vanished? What if the Lord is using it as an instrument for the reform of His Church?


MiL: You refer to synodality as a principle that is invoked but not respected. In what sense do you believe that transparency and collegiality have been betrayed in the current liturgical and doctrinal management?

FR BUX: Synodality is a style of collegiality—it sets in motion the Church’s four marks: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, and is subject to them. Authority is exercised in various ways: ultimately, the priest in the community, the bishop in the diocese, and the pope in the universal Church—otherwise, the Church becomes a parliamentary assembly. Those who conceived Traditionis Custodes and its annexes didn’t practice synodality. Not only that, they also falsified the synodality manifested by the bishops in their responses to the questionnaire. Regarding “sins against synodality,” a mea culpa is needed and a gradual return to the previous state. The whole Church would benefit from it.