SSPX Response to Bishop Marcello Semeraro

Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior of the Society of St. Pius X, celebrates an early morning Mass at the society's headquarters in Menzingen, Switzerland, May 11, 2012. Source: The Catholic World Report

The Society of St. Pius X has issued a response to the unjust and illegal attempt to prevent Catholics from attending their Masses. 

Press Release of SSPX-Italy

ALBANO, ITALY – 10-31-2013

In a notification dated October 14 of this year, Bishop Marcello Semeraro, Ordinary of the Diocese of Albano Laziale (Italy), made particularly odious statements about the Society of St. Pius X, for the purpose of keeping the faithful away from Masses celebrated by our Society and from the religious instruction given to young people, declaring that the Society was not “an institution of the Catholic Church”.

Bishop Semeraro cannot be unaware of the fact that the Society of St. Pius X was erected with the approval of the Bishop of Fribourg (Switzerland) on November 1, 1970, and that this establishment was ratified by Rome with a decree issued by Cardinal Wright, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy on February 18, 1971. [see the SSPX's founding documents]

The house itself of the Society in Albano, with its semi-public oratory for the administration of the sacraments, was canonically erected by the decree of Bishop Semeraro’s predecessor, Bishop Raffaele Macario on February 22, 1974 (Protocol n. 140/74).

Despite the problems with the ecclesiastical authorities that developed following the deviations in the Faith and the liturgy brought about by the Second Vatican Council, and notwithstanding the illegitimate attempts to suppress our Society because of its fidelity to the Tradition of the Church, the Holy See itself, through the Roman Ecclesia Dei Commission, affirmed that one can perform one’s Sunday duty “by attending a Mass celebrated by a priest of the Society of St. Pius X” (January 18, 2003) and, as everyone knows, it no longer considers the bishops of that same Society to be not in communion with the Catholic Church.

It is very odd that Bishop Semeraro should intervene in this way when he has made himself the champion of ecumenism in his diocese. In 2009 he granted the Church of San Francesco in Genzano, which was built with the labors and sacrifices of our ancestors for Catholic worship, to schismatics and heretics. On January 28 of this year he organized an ecumenical vigil in the cathedral to pray with persons who are certainly not “in communion with the Catholic Church”, such as an Evangelical Lutheran pastor and an Orthodox bishop.

In the month of November alone, three [ecumenical] meetings are scheduled in the diocese, and the bishop will preside at one of them, thus supporting religions that deny truths of the Faith that have been defined by the Church and spreading the false doctrine of indifferentism, which says that every religion is helpful for salvation. He does not seem to care that this openly contradicts the teaching of the perennial Magisterium of the Church, in particular of Pope Pius XI in his encyclical, Mortalium animos.

Moreover from March 26 to 28 of this year the house of the Somaschi Fathers in Albano hosted the First Forum of Christian Homosexuals, at which the practice of sodomy was defended in principle as an act of true love!

All this is possible in the diocese... but not attending the Masses or classes of those who hand down the Church’s Tradition in doctrine and the liturgy!

This blatant inconsistency is an obvious symptom of the terrible crisis that is affecting the whole Church and that was manifested again recently in the last Synod, in which, under the pretext of mercy, there was discussion of the possibility of changing the Sixth Commandment of God and of abandoning the indissolubility of Christian marriage!

The Society of St. Pius X, following the example of its founder, will continue to transmit in its entirety the deposit of the Catholic Faith and morals, openly taking sides against all the errors that try to distort it, without fear of threats or of unjust canonical sanctions, because neither Bishop Semeraro nor any other member of the ecclesiastical hierarchy will ever be able to change this deposit. As St. Peter said, “It is better to obey God rather than men.”

All who wish to receive the sacraments as the Church has always administered them, or to receive authentic catechetical instruction for their children, adult formation, spiritual direction and comfort for the sick will always be welcome in our chapels.

Society of St. Pius X, District of Italy

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Solemn High Mass for Blessed Karl of Austria at Old St. Mary's in Washington, DC

I hope that those of you in the area can attend this Mass.

You may also be interested to learn of the death of Brother Nathan Cochran, OSB, the USA/Canada Delegate to the Blessed Karl League of Prayers.  Here is a link to his obituary:
http://pittsburghlatinmass.org/blog/?p=2167

He was a great promoter of Bl. Karl, and had a great devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass.

Woodlawn Knights of Columbus Council 2161 and the Pittsburgh Latin Mass Community, Inc., will be arranging a Requiem Mass for him at St. Anthony Chapel in Pittsburgh on Saturday, 29 November 2014, at 2pm.

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4 Ways to Help Minorities Become Traditional Catholics

There needs to be an immediate call to action by Traditional Catholics to do more to share the Traditional Faith with minorities.

Kenya, 1937

In my own situation, I frequent a few different chapels/shrines/parishes regularly for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  At each Mass, all of which are Traditional Latin Masses, I am pleased to find a few non-white Catholics in attendance.  These people are extremely intelligent – one of which is very fluent in Latin and an integral part of the schola.  It is rewarding to see the one True Faith bringing in people from all societies, social classes, races, and nationalities.  Our Faith is one.  It is universal – after all, that is what it means to be a Catholic!

As Traditional Catholics, some of us are to be commended for what we do to share the Faith with others – whether digitally (e.g. on our Facebook walls) or in personal discussions with others.  But why do so many of us not reach out to the racial or ethnic minorities in our communities?  Are not these people also called to the one saving Faith that is the Catholic Church, outside of which no one can be saved?  Do we do enough to help their salvation?

It’s unfortunate that there are few Traditional Latin Masses in the Spanish-speaking world, relatively to the number in the English speaking world.  And why is it that when we think of African American Catholic communities we think of “praise and worship” singing and heretical worship rather than people who also need true, valid Sacraments?

It’s a fact that the same Traditional Latin Mass codified by His Holiness Pope St. Pius V was the Mass that converted the inhabitants of the New World when the explorers of Juan Ponce de Leon and Christopher Columbus landed on these shores.  The christianization of the New World consisted of naming many places after the Faith.  Did you realize El Salvador means “The Savior” or that much of Southern California christianized by the Franciscans is named after the saints?  Santa Monica – Saint Monica.  San Diego - Saint Diego de Alcalá.  And there are many other examples.  The point is that these primitive people all became Catholics – Catholics attached solely to the Latin Mass and the Latin Sacraments.  It’s a fallacy to even suggest that these peoples need the Novus Ordo to serve as a bridge between their prior ways and the Solemnity of the Latin Mass.  History is our proof and it is not necessary.

Let's also consider the work of the SSPX in Africa or the ICKSP in Africa today and the many conversions they bring about.  All peoples are called to the beauty of Tradition.

There is a tendency – a subtle one within us – to assume that the extraordinary beauty, awe, history, and ritual of the Traditional Latin Mass is only meant for Europeans and those of European heritage.  We need to completely eradicate this notion out of our minds.  Let’s consider the following:

1. Invite non-Catholic minorities to Mass with you.  It’s a holy act and one that we should all be doing more often.  There are many protestant minorities in our society.  There are too many ex-Catholics in the Hispanic community who are seeking spirituality in the un-holiness of Pentecostalism and the like.  Are we inviting them back to Mass?  Are we bringing them with us to the Solemn High Masses so they can experience the great awe and mystery of the Faith that they may have never truly known?  Do we explain to them why we pray to the Holy Mother of God?

2. Invite Catholic minorities to Mass.  With this group, unlike the aforementioned one, they can and should receive the Sacraments.  Help them follow along in the Missal.  Help explain to them the rituals (e.g. the Signs of the Cross, the many genuflections, the symbolism, etc).  Help them feel the awe and mystery.  Invite them to go to Confession.  Introduce them to the priest afterwards.  Invite them to the monthly social hours or some devotions (e.g. Sunday Vespers, Benediction, Rosary, etc).  These people, just like their Caucasian counterparts in non-Traditional Catholic Churches, yearn for what is True, Good, and Beautiful.  This is especially worthwhile to do by bringing to Mass those with inadequate transportation or health issues who may be completely unable to attend any Mass at all on a given Sunday.

3. Advertise in parishes with high minority concentrations.  Put some handouts in the various literature racks of these parishes with information on the Latin Mass and the local times – or even just some beautiful holy cards of St. Pius X or Pope Pius XII or a holy card on why pray the Rosary.  It’s no secret that many parishes with a large minority makeup suffer from poor catechesis, downright scandalous liturgies, and infrequent Confession times.  These people could really benefit from our missionary work.

4. Invite the homeless and the poor to Mass.  Consider giving them a few dollars when you see them and, at the same time, handing them a holy card or a Rosary.  Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that cometh forth from the mouth of God.

So please, join me in helping to evangelize to all members of our society – regardless of their race or nationality.  Let’s help spread the Traditional Mass to everyone.

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Solemn High Mass for Blessed Karl of Austria in Roslyn, NY

Join us in celebrating the exemplary life of Blessed Karl, Emperor and King.

Reception after Holy Mass

Sponsored by the Saint Agnes Institute

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Photo: First Mass in Versailles Since the French Revolution

Cardinal Spellman, celebrated Mass for the U.S. military in the Royal Chapel of the Palace of Versailles on September 10, 1944. The Mass was the first Mass to be celebrated in the chapel since the French Revolution. Thanks to Archives of the Archdiocese of New York for this photo.

Let us pray for a restoration of the Traditional Mass and an end to the erroneous ideas of the French Revolution, which still plague us.

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363 Cardinals and Bishops Who’ve Said the Latin Mass Since Summorum Pontificum

His Excellency, the Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago says the Traditional Mass, the Mass of the Ages
NOTE: THIS IS AN UPDATE TO MY PRIOR POST FROM 2012.

CLARIFICATION: THIS LIST CONTAINS BISHOPS WHO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT THE TRADITIONAL MASS, PRESIDED AT THE THRONE, ADMINISTERED SACRAMENTS (E.G. CONFIRMATION) IN THE TRADITIONAL RITE, ETC.  IT DOES NOT MEAN EVERYONE OF THESE BISHOPS HAS SAID THE TRADITIONAL MASS.

Since the Motu Proprio, Summorum Pontificum of Pope Benedict XVI was put into effect in 2007 the following Bishops and Cardinals have celebrated the Immemorial Mass of All Ages. The Spanish blog Acción Litúrgica has compiled the following list.  H/T to The Eponymous Flower.

Some past articles of this blog covered the celebration of these Masses.  In those instances, I have linked the item below to the post with news, photos, and/or video of that Mass.

GERMANY: Cardinal Brandmüller (President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Historical Sciences).  Bishop Ackermann  (Bishop of Trier), Bishop Dick (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Cologne), Bishop Hanke (Bishop of Eichsttät), König (Auxiliary Bishop of Paderborn), Bishop Mixa (Bishop of Augsburg),  Ostermann (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Münster), Overbeck (Bishop of Essen), Zdarsa (Bishop of Augsburg), and Ziegelbauer (Auxiliary Bishop of Augsburg) .

ARGENTINA: Baseotto  (Bishop Emeritus Military of Argentina), Fenoy (Bishop of San Miguel), Laise (Bishop Emeritus of San Luis) and Sánchez Sorondo (Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences).

AUSTRALIA: Cardinal Pell (Archbishop of Sydney). Archbishops Coleridge (Archbishop of Brisbane), Hart (Archbishop of Melbourne), Hickey (Archbishop of Perth) and Wilson (Archbishop of Adelaide). Bishops Elliot (Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne), Grech (Bishop of Sandhurst, +2010), Jarrett (Bishop of Lismore), Long (Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne), Mathys (Bishop of Armidale), Porteus (Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney), Prowse (Bishop of Sale) and Tomlinson (Bishop of Sandhurst).

AUSTRIA: Cardinal Stickler (Archivist Emeritus of the Vatican, +2007). Bishop Laun (Auxiliary Bishop of Salzburg).

BELGIUM: Archbishop Leonard (Archbishop of Brussels and Primate of Belgium). Bishop Harpigny (Bishop of Tournai).

BENIN: Bishop N'Koue (Bishop of NATITINGOU).

BRAZIL: Archbishops Pena (Archbishop of Niterói, Emeritus in 2011), Rezende Dias (Archbishop of Niterói), Taveira Correa (Archbishop of Belem do Pará) and Tempesta (Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, created cardinal in 2014). Areas raffle Bishops (Bishop Apostolic Administration of St. John Vianney Marían), Bergamin (Bishop of Nova Iguaçu), Canindé Palhano (Bishop of Senhor do Bomfim), Costa Souza (Auxiliary Bishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro), Da Silva ( Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Fortaleza), Da Silva Brito (Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro) Forge Peace (Bishop of Campos dos Goytacazes), Homem De Castro (Auxiliary Bishop of Rio de Janeiro), Fontes de Matos (Bishop of Palmira dos Indios ) Guimarâes Gomez (Bishop Emeritus of Campos dos Goytacazes) Gouvêa Matosso (Bishop of Nova Friburgo), Marchiori (Bishop of Apucarana), Monteiro Guimarães (Bishop of Garanhuns), Lopes de Faria (Bishop Emeritus of Diamantina, +2009) Paixao (Auxiliary Bishop of Salvador-Bahía), Pestana Filho (Bishop Emeritus of Annapolis, +2011), Romer (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Rio de Janeiro), Silva Matthes (Bishop Emeritus of Franca), Sivieri (Bishop of Propriá-Sergipe) Soares da Costa (Auxiliary Bishop of Aracaju) Stringhini (Bishop of Franca, now Bishop of Mogi das Cruzes), Ubiratan Lopez (Bishop of Itaguaí).

CANADA: Cardinals Collins (Archbishop of Toronto) and Lacroix (Archbishop of Quebec and Primate of Canada). Archbishops Roussin (Archbishop of Vancouver, Emeritus in 2009), Miller (Archbishop of Vancouver), Prendergast (Archbishop of Ottawa). Bishops Blais (Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec), Daniels (Bishop of Grand Falls), Fabbro (Bishop of London, Ontario), LaRocque (Bishop Emeritus of Alexandria-Cornwall, Ontario),   Lemay (Auxiliary Bishop of Quebec [Now Bishop of Amos]).

CHILE: Cardinal Medina Estévez (Prefect Emeritus of Worship). Archbishop Piñera Carvallo (Archbishop Emeritus of La Serena). Duarte Garcia de Cortazar Bishops (Bishop of Valparaíso), Gleisner Wobbe (Auxiliary Bishop of La Serena), and González Errazuriz (Bishop of San Bernardo).

CHINA: Cardinal Tong Hon (Bishop of Hong Kong), Cardinal Zen (Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong).

COLOMBIA: Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos (em. President of the Ecclesia Dei Commission) Bishops Hurtado López (Bishop of Girardot) and Ramírez Gómez (Bishop Emeritus of Garzón, President of the Ecclesiastical Court).

CROATIA: Bishop Pozaic (Auxiliary Bishop of Zagreb).

DENMARK: Bishop Kozon (Bishop of Copenhagen).

ECUADOR : Bishop Pine Castle (Auxiliary Bishop of Portoviejo).

SLOVAKIA: Bezák Archbishop (Archbishop of Trnava).

SLOVENIA: Cardinal Rode (Prefect for Consecrated Life).

SPAIN: Cardinal Cañizares Llovera (Prefect for Divine Worship), Martínez Sistach (Archbishop of Barcelona), Herranz Casado (President Emeritus of the Council for Legislative Texts), and Navarrete Cortés (Rector Emeritus of the Pontifical Gregorian University, +2010). Archbishops Rodríguez Plaza (Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain), and Ureña Pastor (Archbishop of Zaragoza). Bishops: Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru (Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts) Cases Andreu (Bishop of Canarias), Fernández González (Bishop of Córdoba), Iceta Gavicagogeascoa (Bishop of Bilbao), Martínez Camino (Auxiliary Bishop of Madrid and Secretary the Spanish Episcopal) Conference and Yanguas Sanz (Bishop of Cuenca).

UNITED STATES: Cardinals Baum (Major Penitentiary Emeritus), Burke (Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura), DiNardo (Archbishop of Galveston-Houston), Egan (em. Archbishop of New York), Foley (Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, + 2011), George (Archbishop of Chicago), Levada (Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Emeritus in 2012), O 'Malley (Archbishop of Boston) and Wuerl (Archbishop of Washington). Archbishops Apuron (Archbishop of Agana), Aquila (Archbishop of Denver), Brown (Titular Archbishop of Aquileia and Papal Nuncio in Ireland), Brunett (Archbishop of Seattle, Emeritus in 2010), Carlson (Archbishop of Saint Louis), Coakley (Archbishop of Oklahoma), Di Noia (Vice President of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei), Hugues (Archbishop Emeritus of New Orleans), Kurtz (Archbishop of Louisville), Lucas (Archbishop of Omaha), Myers (Archbishop of Newark), Nienstedt ( Archbishop of Sain Paul and Minneapolis), Pilarczyk (Archbishop Emeritus of Cicinnati), Sartain (Archbishop of Seattle), Vigneron (Archbishop of Detroit) and Wenski (Archbishop of Miami). Bishops Backer (Bishop of Birmingham), Bambera (Bishop of Scranton), Barber (Bishop of Oakland), Barres (Bishop of Allentown) , Bevard (Bishop of Saint Thomas), Blair (Bishop of Toledo, Ohio), B oyea (Bishop Lansing), Bruskewitz (Bishop of Lincoln, now emeritus), Burbidge (Bishop of Raleigh), Caggiano (Bishop of Bridgeport), Callahan (Bishop of LaCrosse), Conley (Auxiliary Bishop of Denver, now Bishop of Lincoln), Conlon ( Bishop of Jolliet) Cordileone (Bishop of Oakland, appointed Archbishop of San Francisco in 2012), Cotta (Auxiliary Bishop of Sacramento), Cummins (Bishop Emeritus of Oakland), D'Arcy (Bishop of Fort Wayne-South Bend), Dewane (Bishop of Venice), Di Lorenzo (Bishop of Richmond), DiMarzio (Bishop of Brooklynn), Doran (Bishop of Rockford, Emeritus in 2012), Elizondo (Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle), Etienne (Bishop of Cheyenne), Farrell (Bishop Dallas), Finn (Bishop of Kansas City), Foley (Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham), Foys (Bishop of Covington) Gainer (Bishop of Lexington, appointed Bishop of Harrisburg in 2014), García (Bishop of Monterey), Gelineau ( Bishop Emeritus of Providence), Hanchon (Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit), Hermann (Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis), Hying (Auxiliary Bishop of Milwaukee), Hurley (Bishop of Grand Rapids), Jugis (Bishop of Charlotte), Keleher (Bishop Emeritus Kansas City), Kicanas (Bishop of Tucson), Libasci (Bishop of Manchester), Loverde (Arlington Bishop), Madera Uribe (Bishop Emeritus of Fresno), Matano (Bishop of Burlington, in 2014 Bishop of Rochester), McFadden ( Bishop of Harrisburg, +2013), McManus (Bishop of Worcester), Morlino (Bishop of Madison), Mulvee (Bishop Emeritus of Providence), Murphy (Bishop of Rockville Centre), Nevares (Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix), O'Connell ( Bishop of Trenton), Olmsted (Bishop of Phoenix), Paprocki (Bishop of Springfield, Illinois), Parkes (Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee), Perry (Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago), Provost (Bishop of Lake Charles), Reiss (Auxiliary Bishop Detroit), Rhoades (Bishop of Harrisburg, now Fort Wayne-South Bend), Rice (Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis), Ricken (Bishop of Green Bay), Sample (Bishop of Marquette, now Bishop of Portland), Serratelli ( Bishop of Paterson), Silva (Bishop of Honolulu), Slattery (Bishop of Tulsa), Timlin (Bishop Emeritus of Scranton), Tobin (Bishop of Providence), Waltersheid (Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh), and Van Johnston (Bishop of Springfield, Missouri).

PHILIPPINES: Archbishops Argüelles (Archbishop of Lipa), Lagdameo (Archbishop of Jaro), and Palma (Archbishop of Cebu). Escaler Bishops (Bishop Emeritus of Ipil), De Gregorio (Administrator of the Prelature of Batanes) Hobayan (Bishop Emeritus of Cazarman), Tobias (Bishop of Novaliches) and Vergara (Bishop of Pasig).

FRANCE: Cardinal Barbarin (Archbishop of Lyon), Ricard (Archbishop of Bordeaux) and Ving-Trois (Archbishop of Paris and President of the French Episcopal Conference). Archbishops Aubertin (Archbishop of Tours), Bacque (Nuncio in Holland), Carré (Archbishop of Montpellier), Cattenoz (Archbishop of Avignon), D'Ornellas (Archbishop of Rennes), Le Gall (Archbishop of Toulouse), Madec (Archbishop Emeritus Toulon), Maillard (Archbishop of Bourges), Thomazeau (Archbishop of Montpellier, retired in 2011) and Wintzer (Archbishop of Poitiers). Aillet Bishops (Bishop of Bayonne), Aumonier (Bishop of Versailles), Bagnard (Bishop of Belley-Ars), Batut (Auxiliary Bishop of Lyon), Beau (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris), Benoît Gonnin (Bishop of Beavois, Noyon and Senlis), Boivineau (Bishop of Annecy), Bonfils (Bishop Emeritus of Apostolic Administrator of Nice and Ajaccio), Brouwet (Auxiliary Bishop of Nanterre, appointed Bishop of Tarbes-Lourdes in 2012), Castet (Bishop of Luçon), Centene (Bishop Vannes), De Dinechin (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris), De Germay (Bishop of Ajaccio), De Kerimel (Bishop of Grenoble), Delmas (Bishop of Angers), Dubost (Bishop of Evry), Dufour (Bishop of Limoges) Fikart (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Paris), Fort (Bishop of Orleans), Gaschignard (Bishop of Aire and Dax), Ginoux (Bishop of Montauban), Fréchard (Bishop Emeritus of Auch), Gaidon (Bishop Emeritus of Cahors, +2011) Guillaume (Bishop Emeritus of Saint-Dié), Herbreteau (Bishop of Agen), Kalist (Bishop of Limoges), Kratz (Auxiliary Bishop of Strasbourg), Le Bègue Germiny (Bishop of Blois), Lebrun (Bishop of Saint-Etienne ), Mathieu (Bishop of Saint-Dié), Nahmias (Auxiliary Bishop of Paris, now Bishop of Meaux), Pansard (Bishop of Chartres), King (Bishop of Frejus-Toulon), Riocreux (Bishop of Pontoise), Scherrer (Bishop Laval) and Séguy (Bishop Emeritus of Autun).

GABON: Mvé Engone Archbishop (Archbishop of Libreville). Bishop Madega Lebouankenham (Bishop of Mouila).

EQUATORIAL GUINEA: Bishop Nsué Edjang (Bishop of Ebebiyin).

HAITI: Gayot Archbishop (Archbishop Emeritus of Cap-Haitien, +2010).

HUNGARY: Bishops Farhat (Nuncio to Austria) and Lajos Varga (Auxiliary Bishop of Vác).

ITALY: Cardinal Antonelli (Archbishop of Florence, retired in 2008), Bagnasco (Archbishop of Genoa), Bartolucci (Choirmaster Emeritus of the Sistine Chapel), Caffarra (Archbishop of Bologna), De Paolis (Prefect of Economic Affairs), Piovanelli (Archbishop Emeritus of Florence), Poggi (Librarian Emeritus of the Holy See, +2010), Scola (Archbishop of Venice). Archbishops Accerbi (Prelate of the Order of Malta), Appignanesi (Archbishop Emeritus of Potenza), Bassetti (Archbishop of Perugia, created cardinal in 2014), Berloco (Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium), Betori (Archbishop of Florence), Boccardo (Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia), Brugnaro (Archbishop of Camerino-San Severino), Crepaldi (Archbishop of Trieste), De Magistris (Major Penitentiary Emeritus), Fisichella (Titular Archbishop of Vicohabentia and President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization ), Molinari (Archbishop of L'Aquila), Negri (Archbishop of Ferrara) and Pozzo (Secretary of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei and Titular Archbishop of Bagnoregio). Bishops Ambrose (Bishop of Piacenza), Cancian (Bishop of Città di Castello), Cerrato (Bishop of Ivrea), Fisichella (President of the Pontifical Academy for Life), Giovanetti (Bishop of Fiesole, retired in 2010), Giusti (Bishop Livorno), Lambiasi (Bishop of Rimini), Miglio (Bishop of Ivrea, now Archbishop of Cagliari), Mistrorigo (Bishop emeritus of Treviso), Oliveri (Bishop of Albenga-Imperia), Rabitti (Bishop of Ferrara), Raspanti (Bishop Acireale), Ravignani (Bishop Emeritus of Trieste), Reali (Bishop of Porto-Santa Rufina), Scanavino (Bishop of Orvieto), Sciacca (Secretary to the Government of the Vatican State, now Deputy Secretary of the Apostolic Signatura), Sigismondi (Bishop Foligno), Tardelli (Bishop of San Miniato), Zenti (Bishop of Verona) and Zuppi (Auxiliary Bishop of Rome).

IRELAND: Martin (Archbishop of Dublin). Bishop Magee (Bishop of Cobh) and Moriarty (Bishop Emeritus of Kildare and Leighlin).

KAZAKHSTAN: Bishop Schneider (Auxiliary Bishop of Astana).

LIECHTENSTEIN: Haas Archbishop (Archbishop of Vaduz).

LITHUANIA: Bishop Bartulis (Bishop of Siauliai).

MEXICO: Cardinal Sandoval Iñiguez (Archbishop Emeritus of Guadalajara). Archbishop Suárez Inda (Archbishop of Morelia). Bishops González González (Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara) and Gutiérrez Valencia (Auxiliary Bishop of Guadalajara).

MONACO: Archbishop Barsi (Archbishop of Monaco).

NIGERIA: Cardinal Arinze (Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship). Ochiagha Bishops (Bishop Emeritus of Orlu), and Tochukwu Ukwuoma (Bishop of Orlu).

NEW ZEALAND: Bishop Basil Meeking (Bishop Emeritus of Christchurch).

NETHERLANDS: Bishop Punt (Bishop of Haarlem-Amsterdam), and Van Burgsteden (Bishop Emeritus of Haarlem-Amsterdam).

PARAGUAY: Bishop Livieres (Bishop of Ciudad del Este).

POLAND: Cardinal Dziwisz (Archbishop of Krakow) and Nycz (Archbishop of Warsaw). Archbishops Golebiewski (Archbishop of Wroclaw, Emeritus in 2013), and Zycinski (Archbishop of Lublin, + 2011). Bishops Balcerek (Auxiliary Bishop of Poznań), Cieslik (Auxiliary Bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg), Czaja (Bishop of Opole), Depo (Bishop of Zamosc-Lubaczow, since 2012 Archbishop of Czestochowa ), Dziuba (Bishop of Lowicz) Gorny ( Bishop of Rzeszów, Emeritus in 2013), Malysiak (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Krakow), Mizinski (Auxiliary Bishop of Lublin), Pieronek (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sosnowieck), Rys (Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow), Stobrawa (Auxiliary Bishop of Opole) , Szkodon (Auxiliary Bishop of Krakow) and Watroba (Bishop of Rzeszów) .

PORTUGAL: Faria Bishop (Bishop Emeritus of Funchal).

PUERTO RICO: Bishops Corrada del Rio (Bishop of Mayagüez), and Torres Oliveira (Bishop Emeritus of Ponce, +2012).

UK: Cardinal O'Brien (Edinburgh Archbishop and Primate of Scotland, retired in 2013). Archbishops Conti (Archbishop of Glasgow), Longley (Archbishop of Birmingham), McDonald (Archbishop Emeritus of Southwark) and Stack (Archbishop of Cardiff). Bishops Arnold (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), Brain (Bishop of Salford), Brainey (Bishop of Middlesbrough), Campbell (Bishop of Lancaster), Cunnigham (Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle), Davies (Bishop of Shewsbury), Doyle (Bishop of Northampton), Drainey (Bishop of Middlesbrough), Egan (Bishop of Portsmouth), Gilbert (Bishop of Aberdeen), Hopes (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), Kenney (Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham), McGough (Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham), McMahon (Bishop of Nottingham), Moran (Bishop of Aberdeen), Pargeter (Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Birmingham), Sherrington (Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, London), and Williams (Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool).

CZECH REPUBLIC: Bishop Baxant (Bishop of Litomerice).

RUSSIA: Archbishop Pezzi (Archbishop of the Diocese of Mary Mother of God).

SINGAPORE: Archbishop Goh Seng Chye (Archbishop of Singapore).

SRI LANKA: Cardinal Ranjith (Archbishop of Colombo).

SWITZERLAND: Bishops Farine (Auxiliary Bishop of Lausanne), Genoud (Bishop of Lausanne and Fribourg, +2010), Huonder (Bishop of Chur) and Perisset (Nuncio in Germany).

Bishops of the Society of St. Pius X: Fellay, De Galarreta, Tissier de Mallerais and Williamson.

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Fr. Goffine in "The Church's Year" for the 15th Sunday after Pentecost

See the Mass readings for this Sunday by clicking here.

The Introit of the Mass is a fervent prayer; which may be said in every necessity and adversity:

INTROIT Bow down thine ear, O Lord; to me, and hear me: save thy servant, O my God, that hopeth in thee: have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to thee all the day. Give joy to the soul of thy servant: for to thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul. (Ps. 85) Glory, etc.

COLLECT Let Thy continued pity, O Lord, cleanse and defend Thy Church: and because without Thee it cannot abide in safety, govern it ever by Thy gift. Through, etc.

EPISTLE (Gal. 5:25, 26; 6:1-10) Brethren, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, and if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ. For if any man think himself to be something, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let everyone prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. For every one shall bear his own burden. And let him that is instructed in the word, communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things.

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption: but he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting. And in doing good, let us not fail: for in due time we shall reap, not failing. Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

EXPLANATION This epistle is taken, like that of the Sunday before last, from the epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians, in which St. Paul shows them the insufficiency of the Jewish law, and that they can only be saved by a lively faith in Christ, but now he admonishes them to the performance of good works. You now live, he tells them, in the Spirit, that is, the Holy Ghost animates your heart by His grace, enlightens, confirms, and inflames you, admonishes and teaches you, impels your heart to do good; you must, therefore, also regulate your external conduct accordingly, and in particular devote yourself to the practice of humility and charity, as the foundations of a truly spiritual life. Humility must teach and move you to think little of yourself, to avoid vain glory, and not to confide in your own strength.

But charity should impel you to be meek and compassionate to all, even sinners, to correct them charitably, and lead them back to the path of virtue; since he who is harsh to the erring, despises and treats them roughly, is often permitted by God to fall into the same, nay, even into greater sins. Particularly you must show your charity one for another, that one bears the burdens of the other: that you bear the faults and imperfections of others just as patiently as you wish others to bear with your own imperfections; thus you will fulfil the law of Christ, which commands us to love our neighbor; you will prevent many sins which are occasioned by considering yourself perfect, raising yourself above others, criticizing their failings, and causing disturbance. True glory consists in knowing ourselves, our faults and evil inclinations, and in eradicating them.

Be grateful to those who instruct you in the word of God, and give to them willingly of your earthly possessions. What you sow, you shall reap; if you only follow the dictates of the flesh, do not mortify yourself, do not correct your failings, and indulge your sinful appetites, you will one day reap death, destruction and damnation, whereas, on the contrary, if you follow the dictates of the Holy Ghost, you will reap of the Spirit of life.

Let us obey this doctrine, for it is of interest to us, and impress deeply on our heart that without mortification of body and soul we cannot be saved.

ASPIRATION O, St. Paul! beg of God the grace for me, that I may always walk in humility, and the love of my neighbor, particularly in bearing with his imperfections and failings, and thus fulfil the law of Christ in this as in all things.

GOSPEL (Luke 7:11-16) At that time, Jesus went into a city called Naim: and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude. And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only, son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a great, multitude of the city was with her. Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, said to her: Weep not. And he came near, and touched the bier. And they that carried it stood still. And he said: Young man, I say to thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on them all; and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up amongst us, and God hath visited his people.

Why did Christ show compassion to this widow?

To convince us that God takes sorrowful and destitute widows under His protection; and is to them a consoler and helper; and to teach us to do the same. Woe, therefore, to those who oppress them and cause them to weep. The tears and cries of widows will ascend to God, who will terribly punish the injuries inflicted upon them. (Exod 22:22, 23)

Christ had still other reasons for compassion, for He saw in this deceased youth the death of sinners, and in the afflicted mother the pain which the Church experiences at the spiritual loss of so many of her children. Should this not also awaken our sympathy since it was the principal cause which moved our Savior to compassion. If we are faithful children of our mother, the Church, it is impossible for us not to share her sorrow, and we would surely not be her children, if we could contemplate without sorrow the multitude who daily die the death of sin, and thus separated from the living body of Christ, hasten to eternal destruction. O let us with the Church unceasingly, ask Jesus, that He raise sinners from their spiritual death, enlighten those in error so that all recognize the truth, find, and walk the path Which leads to life !

Why did Christ say to the widow: Weep not?

He wished to moderate her excessive sorrow, and to teach us that we should not mourn for the loss of our relatives, like the heathens who have no hope of resurrection to eternal life. (Thess. 4:16) Resignation to the will of God, with prayer and good works, will be of more use to the dead than many tears.

What else do we learn from this gospel?

That no one, however young and healthy, will escape death, wherefore we should always be prepared to die.

Instruction concerning death

IF there were locked up in prison several hundred persons, on whom sentence of death had irrevocably been pronounced, yet who knew not the day or hour of their execution; if one after the other, and often he who least expected it, were taken out to be executed; would not each one's heart tremble, whenever the prison door opened? Now the irrevocable sentence of death is pronounced on us all; we are all locked up in our bodies, as in a prison; (Ps. 114:8) one after the other is called hence, yet we do not regard it. We live as though we could live forever; we think only of the body, but for the soul nothing is done, except that we load it with sins and vices.

Is this rational? The body will be food for worms, but the soul (without knowing when) will travel into the house of eternity, to which place she must bring treasures of good works, in order to live happy for ever. Who would, therefore, be so foolish as to care only for the body during life, and neglect the salvation of the soul?

O man, says St. Francis of Sales, (Phil. part 1, chap. 13.) represent to yourself in lively colors, that at your death the world will cease to exist with respect to you. In that last hour the pleasures, the vanities, the riches, the honors, the friendships, and all that was dear to you, will disappear before your eyes as so many shadows. O fool that I am! you will then say, for what trifles and fooleries have I lost all! On the contrary, piety, good works, penance, etc., will appear pleasant to you, and you will exclaim: O, why did I not travel on this blessed road! Then the sins which you now consider as mere trifles, will seem to you like mountains, and all that you thought you had accomplished as, great things, with regard to piety, will seem to you very little.

What terrible fear will then seize your soul, when she must travel alone into the bottomless abyss of eternity which, as St. Bernard says, devours all possible, imaginable ages, and of which St. Gregory says, that we can easier say what it is not than what it is. What terrors will befall her, when she must appear before the tribunal of that God whom she never really loved and honored in her life-time and before whom she must now give the strictest account, and hear an irrevocable and just sentence!

Should not these thoughts make an impression upon you? How can you escape this terrible future? By living now, as you would wish to have lived at the hour of death. Die daily with St. Paul by crucifying the flesh and its lusts and by voluntarily withdrawing your heart from the world, its pomps and vanities, before death will do this by violence.

RESOLUTION O world! because I cannot know the hour, in which I must leave you, I will not be attached to you. O you dear friends and relatives, you, too, I will in future love only with a holy inclination, directed to God, which will not cease with death, but remain forever. O Lord! help me, that I may die totally to myself and the world, and live only for Thee, and partake of eternal happiness.

Instruction on the ceremonies used at funerals

"Behold, a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother, and a great multitude of the city was with her." (Luke 7:12)

Of these people who accompanied the funeral of the youth, we should learn to pay the last honors to the dead, and follow their bodies to the grave. This is a meritorious work, one pleasing to God, if it be not performed from vanity and self-interest, but for love of God and the deceased, with the charitable intention of assisting him by prayers. Therefore those do very wrong, who from worldly motives either omit this good work entirely, or during the funeral procession indulge in idle talk and deny the deceased even a short prayer.

Why is a cross carried before the corpse?

By this is indicated that the deceased during life professed Christ, died believing in Him, and hoping for resurrection through Him.

Why are lighted candles carried before the bier?

To represent the desire of the Church that the deceased through the grace of God may be received into eternal light. This custom is very ancient; wax-candles and torches, together with prayer and great solemnity were made use of at the burial of St. Cyprian who was beheaded for Christ's sake, in the year 258 after Christ. (P. Theodorici Ruinart, Acta Martyrum: Acta SS. Firmi et Rustici)

Why are the coffin and the grave sprinkled with holy water?

In order, as St. Thomas of Aquinas (Lib. iii. art. 21.) remarks, to implore God, on account of the prayers which the Church says when she blesses the water, that the souls of the faithful may be cleansed from all stains, and may receive consolation and refreshment in the tortures which they may still have to suffer.

Why are the body and the grave incensed?

By this the Church indicates that the deceased by his Christian vocation was a good odor of Christ (II Cor. 2:14, 15), and admonishes the faithful that their prayers should ascend like incense to heaven for the deceased.

Why are psalms and other sacred canticles sung?

This is done to remind us of the teaching of St. Paul, (I Thess. 4:12) not to be excessively sorrowful for the loss of the deceased, like the heathens who have no hope of eternal life. We also signify, thereby, that we congratulate the dead for the peace which they now enjoy. (Apoc. 14:13) This custom, as St. Jerome shows, (Ep. 53) is derived from the apostles, who interred St. Stephen, singing psalms and hymns of praise.

Why are the bells rung?

To invite the faithful to the funeral and to pray for the dead who, during lifetime, was called very often by the same bells, prayed with and for us during religious worship, and who is not separated from us by death.

Why are the bodies of the faithful buried with the head towards the East, and those of the priests towards the West?

The faithful are buried towards the East, whence the sun rises, to indicate, that they are waiting for Christ who is called the Orient from on High, (Luke 1:78) and whose voice they will hear at the end of the world, when He calls them to the resurrection; the priests towards the West, as a sign that on the day of judgment they will be placed opposite to the souls confided to them, to give an account of their charge and to bear judgment for or against them.

Why is a cross or monument erected aver the grave?
To show that the deceased was a follower of Christ, the Crucified, to admonish the passers-by to pray for him, and to remind us of the solemn moment of death.

Why is the body laid in consecrated ground?

This is done through reverence for the bodies of the dead which are, by baptism, temples of the Holy Ghost; to show that, even in death, they still belong to the communion of that holy Church, in which they were embodied during life by baptism, and to which they clung in faith even until death; to inspire the surviving with a holy fear lest they profane graves.

Why is the solemn funeral service of the Church denied to heretics?

Because they would not belong to the Church during life, and despised the holy customs and prayers of the Church for the dead. How should the blessing and prayer of the Church be useful in death to one who despised them during life.

Why does not the Church permit criminals and suicides to be buried on consecrated ground?

In order to express her horror for the crimes perpetrated by them, and to deter the faithful from committing similar actions.

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7th Anniversary of Summorum Pontificum

Today the Church observes the anniversary of the implementation of Summorum Pontificum, the long-awaited motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI replacing all former "indults" and freeing the Mass of All Times, the Traditional Latin Mass. No longer would a priest have to ask permission of his bishop to say the Mass as the Mass is to be readily offered and available to all of the Faithful.

The Saintly Example of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is at this time that I wish to especially remember Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who resisted the Second Vatican Council's false propositions of ecumenism, religious liberty, and the altering of the Mass of All Times. It is through his witness and the formation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX) that the Mass of All Times has spread. And, I will venture to say that without Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's role, the Traditional Latin Mass would have been at last forgotten and no organized resistance to the change would have existed.

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is Archbishop Lefebvre who has been slandered in recent years. The cause of canonization of his saintly mother has long been forgotten. Instead, in the words of Bishop Bernard Fellay during a sermon in Paris following Archbishop Lefebvre's death said, "Archbishop Lefebvre has gone, but the Mass is saved, the Catholic priesthood is saved..." Because of his resistance to all of changes affecting all of the Sacraments, the Society of St. Pius X is largely responsible for Pope Benedict XVI's issuance of the motu proprio and then the clear declaration that the Bishops of the Society of St. Pius X consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre are not excommunicated.

In the words of Father Franz Schmidberger at the Requiem Mass of Archbishop Lefebvre, "The work of the Archbishop on this earth is accomplished. Now begins his ministry as intercessor in eternity. He has given everything he could give...the miracle of a new generation of priests."

Archbishop Lefebvre only wished to teach that which he himself was taught in seminary. He wished to hand on the Catholic faith as taught and celebrated for the past centuries. And his resistance has directly led to the establishment of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. I highly encourage the reading of Apologia Pro Marcel by Michael Davies as well as Open Letter to Confused Catholics and The Mass of All Times.

Mortal Remains of Archbishop Lefebvre

"I will finish with my testament. I would like that it be an echo of the testament of Our Lord: a New and Eternal Testament...the heritage that Jesus Christ gave us, His Sacrifice, His Blood, His Cross. I will say the same for you: for the glory of the Holy Trinity, for love of the Church, for the salvation of the world: keep the Holy Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Keep the Mass forever!" (Archbishop Lefebvre, 23rd September 1979)

"Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20)

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Growth of the Traditional Latin Mass in the Diocese of El Paso

I received this following email update and wish to pass it along.  Praying for this group is a good intention:

 After 1045 days of consecutive prayers, including many rosaries, novenas, penances, sacrifices, letters, tears and petitions to numerous ecclesial authorities (up to and including the Apostolic Signatura), the Diocese of El Paso finally established a Traditional Latin Mass parish in the City of El Paso. The previous bishop had abruptly destroyed our parish life back on September 20, 2011 when he transferred Fr. Michael Rodriguez to the furthest extremity of the diocese, about 250 miles away. On 1 Aug 2014 our current bishop entrusted Immaculate Conception parish downtown to the the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter. This is one of the oldest parishes in the city and for a time actually served as the 'cathedral' before St. Patrick was built. It still has its original high altar and a communion rail. It is quite a beautiful with a choir loft, saint statues, and one row of stained glass windows. It seats approximately 275 people. If you wish to see what the Church looks like, you can actually watch the video of a Solemn High Nuptial Mass which Fr. Rodriguez offered there back in Dec 2013 (Video Link Here). The FSSP has since sent two priests, Fr. John Shannon and Fr. Kevin O'Neill, who are offering the TLM daily (twice on most days). The parish is still in its very initial stages of growth. The parish still lacks a lot of the basic liturgical resources to carry out normal parish life (e.g. vestments, monstrance, thurible, processional candles, crucifix, etc...), but over the weeks and months to come this place will surely flourish (with many prayers and sacrifices of course). Nevertheless, the 10AM Sunday Mass has been quite full the past three Sundays, even standing room only on the first Sunday Mass. The priests then added a second to take on some of the overflow.

To my knowledge, Immaculate Conception is the only such diocesan parish in a very large geographical area: from Phoenix to the West, to Albuquerque in the North, and Dallas in the East. On the Feast of the Assumption, I told myself: "Wow, today there will be five Traditional Latin Masses in the City of El Paso, and six within the geographical area of the El Paso Diocese." Then I thought to myself, when is the last time that has happened? Well, I certainly don't know the answer for certain, but I am quite sure that it has never before happened in my lifetime. Thinking in those terms helped me reflect upon how much has been granted by God through many prayers and sacrifices towards the restoration of our Faith. And I was so very grateful to God for it all. I certainly consider this a miracle only possible through great supernatural aid. So I once again profoundly thank all of you who have helped in this effort. Of course, there is still so much work to be done in this recovery and restoration of our Faith in this Diocese and all over the world!

UPDATE REGARDING FR. RODRIGUEZ

Back on 20 Sept 2011, Fr. Rodríguez was assigned as parochial vicar of Santa Teresa in Presidio (El Paso Diocese). This parish also serves three outlying missions: Shafter, Candelaria, and Redford. Sadly, in May 2013, the pastor (administrator) of Santa Teresa announced to his parishioners that he was leaving the priesthood. This left Fr. Rodríguez as the only priest in the area, the closest being about 90 miles away in Alpine, TX. As of 11 July 2014, the bishop assigned another priest as pastor of Santa Teresa and gave Fr. Rodríguez the assignment of Administrator for Sacred Heart Mission in Shafter. Shafter is a "ghost town." It had actually thrived earlier this century when the largest silver mine in Texas was discovered and the town was built to serve the mine. The mine was shut down in 1942 though and now the town has a population of maybe 40 souls. There is no stop sign in the town, no gas station or store of any kind, or any public government building. The Church and cemetery are by far the most notable sites, and there are some old Spanish explorers buried there from the 1600s. Perhaps the most notable historical fact about Shafter is that Venerable Maria de Agreda, a Spanish Conceptionist cloistered nun living in the 17th century, bi-located there and preached the Catholic Faith to the natives before the Spanish missionaries arrived.

Fr. Rodríguez continues to exercise his priestly ministry there and offers the Traditional Latin Mass daily. The nature and circumstances of this mission have thrust him into a quasi-hermetic life, but he enjoys it very much and is very grateful to God and our Blessed Lady for all the graces he has received there over the past three years. He has had more time to study, pray and do penance. Nevertheless, he still finds himself in a difficult situation, since it seems unlikely to me that the bishop will leave him there in that situation for long. In my opinion, the primary source of tension is Father Rodríguez's efforts and commitment to remain fully faithful to our Catholic Tradition in liturgy, doctrine, morals, preaching, and all other aspects of Catholic life. Moreover, the lawsuit filed against him by the previous bishop (very unjustly, even deceitfully, in my view) remains unresolved. Thus, please do keep him very much in your prayers. 

NOVENA UPDATE

Once Immaculate Conception was established as a traditional parish, our continuous novena was concluded (Jul 31) and we also brought to end our praying of the Rosary outside the diocesan chancery (we had done that 3 times a week for the past 1045 days). However, many of the faithful have expressed the desire to continue praying novenas, as this is a very good spiritual practice to develop as a habit. Acknowledging the need for greater flexibility in schedules and prayers, I will only suggest two novenas a month. As part of the spiritual efforts of the St Vincent Ferrer apostolate, we do encourage every one to pray the monthly novena to St. Vincent Ferrer. (The start of the month seems an appropriate enough time to do so, days 1-9 of the month, although any other time is also viable). Please pray it for your particular intentions as well as for the recovery and restoration of the Faith in your diocese and all over the world (as this is the purpose and goal of the St Vincent Ferrer Foundation). 


In the following nine day gap, those who wish to pray another novena on their own may do so easily in that time frame. We have many novenas at our website that you can choose from (http://svfonline.org/archived-novenas/) or from any other good traditional Catholic source.

Each month I will then only suggest one  novena with a particular intention (usually from the 19th through the 27th of the month). Please feel free to add your own intentions as you pray these novenas. These will also be found at the St. Vincent Ferrer website under the main tab PRAYER, and then CURRENT NOVENA.  For this month, I am suggesting a Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help beginning tomorrow (Aug 23-Aug 31).

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Summorum Pontificum: 7 Year Anniversary Celebration

Today the Church observes the seventh anniversary of the publishing of Summorum Pontificum, the long-awaited motu proprio of Pope Benedict XVI replacing all former "indults" and freeing the Mass of All Times, the Traditional Latin Mass. No longer would a priest have to ask permission of his bishop to say the Mass as the Mass is to be readily offered and available to all of the Faithful.

The Saintly Example of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is at this time that I wish to especially remember Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, who resisted the Second Vatican Council's false propositions of ecumenism, religious liberty, and the altering of the Mass of All Times. It is through his witness and the formation of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X (SSPX) that the Mass of All Times has spread. And, I will venture to say that without Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's role, the Traditional Latin Mass would have been at last forgotten and no organized resistance to the change would have existed.

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre

It is Archbishop Lefebvre who has been slandered in recent years. The cause of canonization of his saintly mother has long been forgotten. Instead, in the words of Bishop Bernard Fellay during a sermon in Paris following Archbishop Lefebvre's death said, "Archbishop Lefebvre has gone, but the Mass is saved, the Catholic priesthood is saved..." Because of his resistance to all of changes affecting all of the Sacraments, the Society of St. Pius X is largely responsible for Pope Benedict XVI's issuance of the motu proprio and then the clear declaration that the Bishops of the Society of St. Pius X consecrated by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre are not excommunicated.

In the words of Father Franz Schmidberger at the Requiem Mass of Archbishop Lefebvre, "The work of the Archbishop on this earth is accomplished. Now begins his ministry as intercessor in eternity. He has given everything he could give...the miracle of a new generation of priests."

Archbishop Lefebvre only wished to teach that which he himself was taught in seminary. He wished to hand on the Catholic faith as taught and celebrated for the past centuries. And his resistance has directly led to the establishment of the Ecclesia Dei Commission and the motu proprio, Summorum Pontificum. I highly encourage the reading of Apologia Pro Marcel by Michael Davies as well as Open Letter to Confused Catholics and The Mass of All Times.

Mortal Remains of Archbishop Lefebvre

"I will finish with my testament. I would like that it be an echo of the testament of Our Lord: a New and Eternal Testament...the heritage that Jesus Christ gave us, His Sacrifice, His Blood, His Cross. I will say the same for you: for the glory of the Holy Trinity, for love of the Church, for the salvation of the world: keep the Holy Sacrifice of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Keep the Mass forever!" (Archbishop Lefebvre, 23rd September 1979)

"Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John 16:20)

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Latin Names for Sundays in the Roman Rite

Unfortunately in the past fifty years Catholics have all but forgotten that each Sunday of the Liturgical Year has a special name, taken from the first words of the Introit from the Proper Prayers for the Mass that day.

For your edification, I present the Latin names for these Sundays.  Some of these names (e.g. Laetare Sunday) are more common than others.  You may find the proper prayers on my separate page dedicated to the Traditional Mass Propers by clicking here.

Note: The Class distinction listed below is from the 1962 Rubrics.

Advent
First Sunday of Advent
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Ad Te Levave'
Second Sunday of Advent
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Populus Sion'
Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
1 Cl.	Rose	Missa 'Gaudete'
Wednesday/Friday/Saturday of Advent Embertide (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the Third Sunday -- Gaudete Sunday -- of Advent)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Rorate Coeli'/Missa 'Prope es Tu'/Missa 'Veni'
Fourth Sunday of Advent
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Rorate Coeli'
Christmastide
Vigil of Christmas
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Hodie Scietis'
Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)
1 Cl. with Octave	White	First Mass at Midnight: Missa 'Dominus Dixit' Second Mass at Dawn: Missa 'Lux Fulgebit' Third Mass During the Daytime: Missa 'Puer Natus Est'
Sunday within the Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Dum Medium'
Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (the Sunday after Jan. 1, or Sunday after the Octave Day of the Nativity, or Jan. 2, or the Sunday between the Octave Day of the Nativity and the Epiphany)
2 Cl.	White	Missa 'In Nomine Jesu'
The Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Ecce Advenit'
First Sunday after Epiphany (Feast of the Holy Family)
2 Cl.	White	Missa 'Exsultat Gaudio'
Time after Epiphany
Second Sunday after Epiphany
2 Cl..	Green	Missa 'Omnis Terra'
Third Sunday after Epiphany
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Adorate Deum'
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Adorate Deum'
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Adorate Deum'
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Adorate Deum'
Septuagesima
First Sunday of Septuagesima (Septuagesima Sunday)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Circumdederunt Me'
Second Sunday of Septuagesima (Sexagesima Sunday)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Exsurge'
Third Sunday of Septuagesima (Quinquagesima Sunday)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Esto Mihi'
Lent
Ash Wednesday
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Misereris Omnium'
First Sunday of Lent (Quadragesima Sunday)
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Invocabit Me'
Wednesday/Friday/Saturday of Lenten Embertide (Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the First Sunday of Lent)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Reminiscere Miserationum Tuarum'/Missa 'De Necessitatibus'/Missa 'Intret Oratio'
Second Sunday of Lent
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Reminiscere Miserationum'
Third Sunday of Lent
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Oculi Mei'
Fourth Sunday of Lent ("Laetare Sunday" or "Rose Sunday")
1 Cl.	Rose	Missa 'Laetare'
Fifth Sunday of Lent (Passion Sunday, which begins the two weeks of Passiontide)
1 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Judica Me Deus'
Friday after Passion Sunday (Feast of the Seven Sorrows)
Com.	White	Missa 'Sabant Juxta'
Sixth Sunday of Lent and Second Sunday of Passiontide (Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week)
1 Cl.	Red	Missa 'Domine Ne Longe'
Spy Wednesday (the Wednesday of Holy Week)
	Purple	Missa 'In Nomine Jesu'
Maundy Thursday (the Thursday of Holy Week. The three days called the "Sacred Triduum" begin now)
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Nos Autem'
Good Friday (the Friday of Holy Week)
1 Cl.	Black	Mass of the Presanctified (not a true Mass, but a Communion Service using pre-sanctified Hosts)
Paschaltide
Holy Saturday (Eastertide begins with the Vigil Mass)
1 Cl.	Purple	No Mass, but an Easter Vigil Service which begins the Easter Season
Easter Sunday
1 Cl. with Octave	White	Missa 'Resurrexi'
Monday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Introduxit'
Tuesday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Aqua Sapientiae'
Wednesday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Venite'
Thursday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Victricem Manum Tuum'
Friday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Eduxit Eos Dominus'
Saturday in Easter Week
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Eduxit Dominus'
First Sunday after Easter ("Low Sunday" or "Quasimodo Sunday" or "Divine Mercy Sunday")
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Quasi Modo'
Second Sunday after Easter
	White	Missa 'Misericordia Domini'
Third Sunday after Easter
	White	Missa 'Jubilate Deo'
Fourth Sunday after Easter
	White	Missa 'Cantate Domino'
Fifth Sunday after Easter
	White	Missa 'Vocem Jucunditatis' Outside of Eastertide: Missa "Protexisti'
Ascension Thursday
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Viri Galilaei'
Vigil of the Pentecost
1 Cl.	Red	Missa 'Cum Sanctificatus'
Pentecost Sunday (Whitsunday)
1 Cl. with Octave	Red	Missa 'Spiritus Domini'
Wednesday/Friday/Saturday of Whit Embertide (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Pentecost)
1 Cl./1 Cl./1 Cl.	Red/Red/Red	Missa 'Deus Dum Egredereris'/Missa 'Repleatur Os Meum'/Missa 'Caritas Dei'
Time after Pentecost
First Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday)
1 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Benedicta Sit'
Thursday after Trinity Sunday (Feast of Corpus Christi)
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Cibavit Eos' and Procession
Second Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	White	Missa 'Factus Est Dominus'
Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost (Feast of the Sacred Heart)
1 Cl.	White	Missa 'Cogitationes Cordis'
Third Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	White	Missa 'Respice In Me'
Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dominus Illuminatio Mea'
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Exaudi Domine'
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dominus Fortitudo'
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Omnes Gentes'
Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Suscepimus Deus'
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Ecce Deus Adjuvat'
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Cum Clamarem'
Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Deus In Loco'
Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Deus in Adjutorum'
Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Respice Domine'
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Protector Noster'
Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Inclina Domine'
Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Miserere Mihi Domine'
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Justus Es Domine'
Wednesday/Friday/Saturday of Michaelmas Embertide (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after September 14)
2 Cl.	Purple	Missa 'Exsultate Deo'/Missa 'Laetetur Cor'/Missa 'Venite Adoremus Deum'
Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Da Pacem Domine'
Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Salus Populi'
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Omnia Quae Fecisti'
Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'In Voluntate Tua'
Twenty-second Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Si Iniquitates Observaveris'
Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'
Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'
Twenty-sixth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'
Twenty-seventh Sunday after Pentecost
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'
Last Sunday of Pentecost (no matter how many Sundays in Pentecost there are)
2 Cl.	Green	Missa 'Dicit Dominus'

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