We might  also reflect on the importance of the priesthood, since today is traditionally “ordination day” for so many new priests. Quite shockingly, this week’s Tablet includes a leaflet promoting women’s ordination. To think that this will be read by Catholics up and down the land, some of whom will be tempted to tick the boxes to sign up for more information and even send financial donations to bankroll this heresy. Remember, because it is sold in Catholic churches and bookshops, the majority of laity will think this is OK – we’re all entitled to our opinions, aren’t we?  So, talk about the fact that women’s ordination is never going to happen. The Church’s teaching is final on that matter.

And discuss, too, the nature and extent of papal authority – something about which most Catholics are in the dark.

However, really, since we’re closing down at midnight – 30 June – feel free to post more or less anything!  Especially, something to make us smile!

“[T]he faithful would conclude that ‘the Pope has changed the Rosary,’ and the psychological effect would be disastrous.

Any change in it cannot but lessen the confidence of the simple and the poor.”…Pope Paul VI

Posted 6/23/10 www.RemnantNewspaper.com) In the May 15th issue of The Remnant I noticed an advertisement placed by the Canons Regular of Saint John Cantius promoting “The Traditional Rosary” and recommending that one pray “the Psaltery of Our Lady—150 Hail Mary’s.” The reference to the Psaltery is telling, for the traditional Rosary is modeled on the ancient Psalter of 150 Psalms: 150 songs to Mary; fifty Aves for each of the triad of mysteries—the Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Glorious; a triune prayer addressed to the Mother of the triune God.

The reference to the Psaltery is telling for another reason: It is indirectly an unfavorable comment on the “new” Rosary of John Paul II, which added five “luminous” mysteries, and thus 50 more Aves, to the traditional Rosary. That makes a total of 200 Aves, which would destroy the Rosary’s ancient correspondence to the 150 Psalms of the Psalter; the Rosary would no longer be “the Psaltery of Our Lady.” Then, of course, the “new” Rosary would no be longer triune, but rather would have four parts involving 50 Aves each: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and “Luminous.”

That the “new” Rosary was an improvident innovation is demonstrated by the approval it received from the New York Times, that relentless foe of traditional Roman Catholicism: “Time and again,” wrote Frank Bruni, “Pope John Paul II has boldly gone where other popes had not: a synagogue, a ski slope, distant countries with tiny populations. On Wednesday, he will apparently cross another frontier, making a significant change in the Rosary, a signature method of Catholic prayer for centuries now.” The article quotes a “senior Vatican official” to the effect that this change in the Rosary was in keeping with “his [the Pope’s] creativity and his courage.” (“Pope is Adding New Mysteries to the Rosary,” Frank Bruni, The New York Times, October 14, 2002) Click here to read more

Well, I don’t know any Catholics who accept the “Luminous” mysteries – I’ve made a point of not even finding out what they are.  Haven’t a clue.  It is so incredible that any pope would take it upon himself to change the rosary – what a nerve!  Especially when you remember that the very same modernists who attacked the rosary as “boring, repetitive and too lengthy” are now singing the praises of this newer, longer rosary and attending retreats on the subject delivered by priests who very likely haven’t said a rosary in years.

So, what do you think - is it time to say goodbye to the  new “mysteries of light” as Christopher Ferrara suggests?   Or what?

But, really, this is one of those “miscellaneous” threads – partly for fun, to give us a bit of light-hearted relief in the midst of a terrible Church crisis.

Enjoy! 

In fact the Philippine ambassador to the Vatican, in 1998 spoke to Cardinal Ratzinger about Akita and the Cardinal: “personally confirmed to me that these two messages of Fatima and Akita are essentially the same”. Hence in Akita we are dealing with a Church approved intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary as sure in this respect as Lourdes, La Salette, or Fatima.   Click here to read more

The two faiths, historically divided along sectarian lines, have taken what the Kirk has described as “a monumental step in inter-church links” by creating a “joint-liturgy” for the reaffirmation of baptismal vows. As a result, Scotland has the first Protestant church in the world to form such a bond with the Catholic Church. The two churches will also join together to mark the 450th anniversary of the Reformation later this year.

…Mr Kearney said that, while there were differences between the two churches, worshippers from both denominations were “part of the body of Christ”. He added, in an increasingly secular world, Catholics and Protestants had more in common than what divides them.   Click here to read more

A gentleman emailed me this story, which I’d missed since I’ve been travelling the length and breadth of Scotland these past few days, and he concluded his email by asking if we had any plans to protest this outrage.  What do you think?  What, if anything, can we do about this most recent assault on the Faith by the very shepherds charged with guarding and protecting it?  We’ve already reported plans to celebrate the Reformation anniversary, and managed to scupper at least one (the litany prayer to Protestant “saints”) but is there anything else that we can do – that YOU can do – to protest this public scandal?

This thread has been slow to take off so check out the posts – some very interesting material for discussion here.

However, in case you  are anxious to talk about the forthcoming UK Elections, here’s a link to our previous politics thread.  Feel free to add your comments there.

E C U M E N I S  M . . .

The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland looks set to defy calls to oppose the Pope’s visit later this year after claiming it intends to avoid controversial opposition to the event.

In his first public statement on September’s visit by Pope Benedict XVI, the organisation’s leader in Scotland, Ian Wilson, said that while the Orange Order did not welcome the visit it had a “civic duty to be respectful of the sincerely held views of others”.

However, the Grand Master said the fact that the scandal currently engulfing the Catholic Church coincided with the Pope’s visit provided an unwitting boost to the Grand Orange Lodge’s plans for a celebration of the 450th anniversary of the Scottish Reformation.   Click here to read more

Since it is always beneficial to meditate on Our Lord’s suffering and death, we recommend you click here to read some quotations from saints and popes on the subject of Our Lord’s Passion.

The blog will re-open on Easter Sunday.

In particular, it would be interesting to find sermons, especially sermons from the saints and famous preachers, on the subject of the Annunciation and what this feast teaches us about Our Lady, about women, about virtue and about anything else that you care to mention.  So, get Googling!

While wishing everyone a very happy Feast  Day, I would ask you all to remember, in prayer, my friend Louise, whose Requiem Mass and burial take place today.   Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord, and let perpetual light, shine upon her, may she rest in peace.

Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican’s chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences of satanic infiltration included power struggles at the Vatican as well as “cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon”. Click here to read more

Surprised anyone? 

The hysteria provoked by the killers of James Bulger is thus all the more extreme because their crimes have held up a terrible mirror to society. Click here to read more

Tell us what you think. Is it right to protect the  Bulger killers? Does Jon Venables deserve another new identity?  Is it a case of piling on the Christian compassion or should there be a bit more  ”eye for an eye”  in society’s treatment of Jon Venables, second time around?