PRINCEPS gloriosissime caelestis militiae, sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio et colluctatione, quae nobis adversus principes et potestates, adversus mundi rectores tenebrarum harum, contra spiritualia nequitiae, in caelestibus. Veni in auxilium hominum, quos Deus creavit inexterminabiles, et ad imaginem similitudinis suae fecit, et a tyrannide diaboli emit pretio magno. Proeliare hodie cum beatorum Angelorum exercitu proelia Domini, sicut pugnasti contra ducem superbiae luciferum, et angelos eius apostaticos: et non valuerunt, neque locus inventus est eorum amplius in caelo. Sed proiectus est draco ille magnus, serpens antiquus, qui vocatur diabolus et satanas, qui seducit universum orbem; et proiectus est in terram, et angeli eius cum illo missi sunt.

En antiquus inimicus et homicida vehementer erectus est. Transfiguratus in angelum lucis, cum tota malignorum spirituum caterva late circuit et invadit terram, ut in ea deleat nomen Dei et Christi eius, animasque ad aeternae gloriae coronam destinatas furetur, mactet ac perdat in sempiternum interitum. Virus nequitiae suae, tamquam flumen immundissimum, draco maleficus transfundit in homines depravatos mente et corruptos corde; spiritum mendacii, impietatis et blasphemiae; halitumque mortiferum luxuriae, vitiorum omnium et iniquitatum.

Ecclesiam, Agni immaculati sponsam, vaferrimi hostes repleverunt amaritudinibus, inebriarunt absinthio; ad omnia desiderabilia eius impias miserunt manus. Ubi sedes beatissimi Petri et Cathedra veritatis ad lucem gentium constituta est, ibi thronum posuerunt abominationis et impietatis suae; ut percusso Pastore, et gregem disperdere valeant.

Adesto itaque, Dux invictissime, populo Dei contra irrumpentes spirituales nequitias, et fac victoriam. Te custodem et patronum sancta veneratur Ecclesia; te gloriatur defensore adversus terrestrium et infernorum nefarias potestates; tibi tradidit Dominus animas redemptorum in superna felicitate locandas. Deprecare Deum pacis, ut conterat satanam sub pedibus nostris, ne ultra valeat captivos tenere homines, et Ecclesiae nocere. Offer nostras preces in conspectu Altissimi, ut cito anticipent nos misericordiae Domini, et apprehendas draconem, serpentem antiquum, qui est diabolus et satanas, ac ligatum mittas in abyssum, ut non seducat amplius gentes.

(in lingua vulgata)

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As a convert to the Faith whose few Catholic relatives are also converts, I find myself often at something of a loss when, in the Roman Canon, the priest reaches the words

Memento etiam, Domine, famulorum famularumque tuarum N. et N. qui nos praecesserunt cum signo fidei, et dormiunt in somno pacis.

(Remember, Lord, those who have died and have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, especialy those for whom we now pray, N. et N. May these, and all who sleep in Christ, find in your presence light, happiness, and peace.)

I presume that most Catholics, striving to pray the Mass with the priest, will at this time remember their Catholic ancestors among the dead who died “marked with the sign of faith.” I, however, know no one particular for whom to pray who I can reliably presume died with the Faith! I can scarcely presume to call my freemason (I think), Episcopalian grandfather, who died well before I was born, “marked with the sign of faith,” for instance. Now, naturally, there are plenty of Catholics dying in the world whom I can pray for, yet it is hard to form much of an intention with such a vague object. Besides, filial piety and duty (in the sense that Dr. A could tell you more about) makes me long for family and friends for whom I could offer my humble prayers. Turning this over in my mind, it occurred to me that a natural object for such intentions could actually be found among my ancestors: the last Catholics who died with the Faith among my forefathers. For descendents of European Christendom can feel quite assured that, even if their family has been beset by heresy since Luther’s day or before, some pious great great grandfather was laid to rest by his parish priest with the eternal Sacraments of the Church. And for this man we can safely pray; and wisely, for if he truly was the last of his family to hold the Faith until our time, he was not prayed for properly by his children and descendents. Or indeed, one could devote these prayers to the faithful among your ancestry who entered religion, or died childless. But for me, seeking a definite mental image for the aid of my weak will in forming an intention for prayer, nothing answers so well as to think of some neglected gravestones laid, perhaps, in the mid-sixteenth century, upon concecrated ground near a collapsed, or vanished, or disused country Church that marked the resting-place of the mortal remains of a man who might recognize me as kin if he saw me now; and who will certainly know me as such in Heaven, if God’s mercy and grace can save my own poor soul from damnation; who died trusting in God and with the Faith that came to him from the Apostles.
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I thought our readers would enjoy reading this casuitical (I hope I’m coining a new word there) exploration from the St. Philipine Duschene Latin Mass Community’s bulletin. It considers the question of restitution at a depth which I did not know it had.

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Last night, Catharina Senensis and I heard Mass at a local Toronto parish under the patronage of St. Vincent de Paul, whose feast day it was yesterday (in the new calendar, at least). This happy occasion, of course, conferred the posibility of us gaining a plenary indulgence, which quickened our feet towards the Mass and our thoughts towards devotion. The parish also, in a worthy practice of which I heartily approved, had a small social after the evening Mass, serving punch for children, sherry and port for adults, and cake for all. At this gathering Catharina S. and I had the good fortune of meeting the founding blogress of the League of Evil Traditionalists, membership in which Iosephus has been known to crave, and to enjoy her lively conversation over several glasses of the parish’s port.

Delightful as all of this was, my point in writing this is not merely to rejoice in a parish that honors its patron in so worthy a manner.But what actually occasioned this brief burst of prose was the homily preached at the Mass of St. Vincent de Paul, wherein the priest, among other worthy topics, gave an overview of St. Vincent’s biography. My purpose is not to reiterate that biography, but to say that it was clear that the priest took some care in giving a picture of St. Vincent as, not only the saint he was when he went to God, but also the sinner he was before God’s grace made him a saint. Not that St. Vincent was ever a very bad man, but he (for instance) in his seminary days forced a poor uncle of his to visit him through the back door of his residence, an act which subsequently haunted him. Learning this of St. Vincent, though, reminded me of the importance of presentation and balance in writing and telling hagiography, if it is to be of spiritual benefit to its readers. For though some saints’ lives are simply incomprehensible to us and worthy of wonder, but are too foreign to occasion real imitation, many are the saints whose lives are stories of God’s grace overcoming a nature as sinful and common as any of has. And whilee a desire to pull down the saints to our own sinfulness is really only a result of our pride, their victories over sin can best give us aid in our own battles with Satan if we can be shown the reality of the temptation and not just the glory of God’s grace well received. In this vein, I was listening to an old recording of Mother Angelica’s television show in the car a few days ago, wherein Mother made much the same point: that some lives of saints paint such a fixed and shiny picture of the saintly life that the sinful soul is driven down into despair; for indeed, her comments were occasioned by a caller who expressed just such a sentiment.

So let us always remember, as the holy ones themselves were ever wont to tell us: the sanctity of the saints proceeded from God alone; the work of their holiness was in permitting Him to work in their lives. So can it be for each of us, in our station in life. God alone can make our soul beautiful and pleasing; we must not judge His working, but trust in the majesty of His grace, turning ever to Him in trust and love, with a firm Faith that our sins have been washed in the blood of the cross and a sure Hope that we too can be saints if we but permit God to transform our lives.
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Although we rarely have anything interesting to report from the home front in our unceasing war on the Cornell Catholic Community, I thought our readers might be amused by the response to the Pope’s big speech that ran in today’s bulletin (Warning Word Document). The crucial part:

He quoted a documented conversation which took place in the late 14th century. The quote was outrageous in its limited characterization of Mohammed. (The entire paper is available at http://www.vatican.va.)

Having used such a volatile quote the Holy Father could have immediately conveyed his (and the Church’s) own disgust at such a polarizing comment. Perhaps it would have been more prudent had he used an example from our own Catholic history: perhaps an episode from the Crusades, or the events of the Inquisition, or our early missionary efforts in the Americas. To say that he was sorry for the reaction his comments seemed self-serving at best. As a man whose office carries the title Vicar of Christ – Christ who was the embodiment of forgiveness and reconciliation – the Pope not only missed an opportunity but, I feel, diminished his own (and our) credibility.

The official statement of the Church concerning Islam is expressed by the conciliar document Nostra Aetate (Declaration on the Relations of the Church to non-Christian Religions, 28 October 1965): ‘The Church has also a high regard for the Muslims. They worship God, who is one, living and subsistent, merciful and almighty, the Creator of heaven and earth, who has also spoken to men (sic). They strive to submit themselves without reserve to the hidden decrees of God, just as Abraham submitted himself to God’s plan, to whose faith Muslims eagerly link their own. Although not acknowledging him as God, they venerate Jesus as a prophet, his virgin Mother they also honor, and even at times devoutly invoke. Further, they await the day of judgment and the reward of God following the resurrection of the dead. For this reason they highly esteem an upright life and worship God, especially by way of prayer, alms-giving and fasting.’ The document goes on to acknowledge the “quarrels and dissension” that have arisen between Christians and Muslims and “urges a sincere effort be made to achieve mutual understanding. For the benefit of all, let (us) together preserve and promote peace, liberty, social justice and moral values.”

One would assume that the Pope was aware of this document since he attended the Council and was one of the signatories of the conciliar document.

Now this really is too much. Could the man be much more submissive if he were officially a dhimmi already? It really does beggar the imagination that anyone could have such a pig-ignorant view of the history of Islam and of his own Catholic Church! Does the dear Father imagine that the sack, rape, and pillage of the great city of Constantinople were accomplished at the “hidden decree of God”? Or is he simply so afraid that the muslims will come after him, since he is a priest of the Catholic Church? If that is his concern, he need not be anxious: the only external sign that he is a priest is his slightly effeminate air; though if and when the muslims are in charge they’d be as happy to kill him for that as for his position in the Church.

And I know is scarcely needs to be said, but to say approvingly that Musliims honor our Lord “as a prophet” is really to have lost the Faith: for Father McMullin should know that Muslims accept Him in that role only by ignoring completely the testimony of the Gospels, which indeed they must, for to be held hostage by the satanic strains of muzzein’s call the Muslim must ignore the saving Faith which came from Christ and which this Priest has here implicitly rejected. If he will not, or can no longer, insist upon Christ’s true mission and divinity, then Father McMullin has abandoned what he was ordained to preach and is endangering his own soul, and all those souls in his care, thereby.

And, by the way, Fr. Ratzinger, Peritus to Josef Cardinal Frings, was not a signatory to that sad document.

Appalling.
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Back at Cornell, we always used to joke about the pink triangular stickers proclaiming “Safe Space” on the chaplains’ doors. Today, I came across what is officially the most terrifying Catholic Gay emblem I have ever seen.

This pteradactyl monstrosity can be found on the official website for the Diocese of Cleveland, here. From His Excellency The Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, founder of this legendary ministry, and former President of the USCCB:

Dear Friends,

Through the waters of Baptism God called each of us to be disciples of the Lord. We not only have a place in the Body of Christ, the Church, but all of us share in the mission of building up the Church and witnessing to God’s reign in our joys, struggles, and journey of life.

I have established the Gay and Lesbian Family Ministry to provide pastoral care for our homosexual brothers and sisters and their families in fidelity to the teachings of the Church.

It is my hope that this ministry can be an opportunity for healing and reconciliation.

Most Rev. Anthony M. Pilla
Bishop of Cleveland

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In other Oratorian news (sort of), Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, who now has a blog, was recently in the Chiesa Nuova at Rome, saying Mass with his assistant. Having spent a little time in the church myself, and especially before the tomb of St. Philip, this great picture from the Cardinal’s blog caught my eye:

I wonder how many hits his blog is getting?

Still in Oxford at the moment, I thought I’d call your attention to these observations by Brian Mershon writing for the Wanderer about the recent CIEL liturgical conference:

Indeed, in these hallowed halls of Oxford, the spirit of John Cardinal Henry Newman was noticeably present. The reverberating echoes of the living but ancient liturgical music and language, lived out, taught, and inculcated in the midst of Oxford, would have brought a broad smile to the face of this giant figure who once walked these very halls. No fewer than 84 churches, chapels, oratories, and other related once-Catholic monuments and buildings dot the grounds of this one-time bastion of Catholicism.

The Catholic priest from the Oratory who took us on our tour of the Oxford College grounds, Fr. Jerome Bertram, speculated that during this recent conference at the Oratory, where the 25 or so priest attendees offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in its ancient Roman form, there may have been more Catholic Masses offered daily [in Oxford] since the Protestant Revolt . . .

I pointed to the happy omen that I think this Catholic takeover may be in comments under my post about the solemn high Mass which concluded CIEL 2006.

This is a few days now since the notice came to me, but I wanted to call it to the attention of those in Michigan who might be interested. I’ve written several posts about beautiful, old churches in Detroit, and about the Tridentine community there. In an happy change of heart at the Chancery, St. Josaphat’s has again received permission to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass according to the Missal of St. Pius V on holy days (in addition to Sundays). The Feast of All Saints is the first feast on which the extension of this indult will take effect. Our thanks to Cardinal Maida.

I also want to call your attention to these Masses, to be offered in the month of October. This from Alex B at the Catholic Answers Forum Tridentine Mass page:

On Sunday, October 22 at 2:00 PM, the FSSP co-founder, Fr. Josef Bisig, will celebrate a Solemn High Mass at St. Michael’s Church for the 15th Anniversary of the Windsor Tridentine Mass Indult. A special choir will sing a polyphonic Mass. A reception for Fr. Bisig will follow in the Parish Hall. This is a rare opportunity to meet the man who collaborated with then-Cardinal Ratzinger to draft the founding documents of the FSSP. Directions are at www.windsorlatinmass.org.

On Sunday, October 29 at 9:30 AM, Fr. Mark Borkowski will celebrate a Solemn High Mass at St. Josaphat Church, commemorating the second Anniversary of the Detroit Tridentine Mass Indult. A special choir, including soprano Melinda Enns, will sing a polyphonic Mass. A fundraising brunch will follow in the Parish Hall. Directions are at www.stjosaphatchurch.org.

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Now that the 11th Annual Auriesville Pilgrimage for Restoration is less than a week away, I will echo Iosephus’ call to join the Cornell Society for a Good Time at the Saturday portion of this wonderful event. Iosephus, Iacobus, Clara, Franciscus, Catharina Senensis, and our most benevolent President, Ambrosius, as well as a further contingent of unnamed but prayerful Cornellians will be in attendance. There is even talk that this group will raise, for the first time in our history, an official Society for a Good Time banner.

Of course, good traditionalist company is not really reason enough to drive many hours to beautiful Fonda, NY. Although the last day of the pilgrimage is scarcely an overly trying penance, the last seven miles of the seventy-two mile journey, accompanied as it is by jubilant song and prayer, is offered to God, for improvement in our own Spiritual Lives, and for the Restoration of True Devotion to Mary, Mother of Divine Love. On the very grounds where the North American Martyrs gave up their lives for God, torn to pieces by the savages they desired to save, a Solemn High Mass will be said by priests of the Traditional institutes.