Tridentine Community News - Thirteenth Metro Detroit Weekly Sunday Tridentine Mass Site Debuts Today: St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor; Sage Advice from Cleveland; Archdiocese of Portland Liturgical Handbook; First of Two Pittsburgh Episodes of Extraordinary Faith Now Viewable on YouTube and Vimeo; Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (September 13, 2020):

September 13, 2020 – Fifteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Thirteenth Metro Detroit Weekly Sunday Tridentine Mass Site Debuts Today: St. Thomas the Apostle, Ann Arbor

The thirteenth weekly Sunday Tridentine Mass, and the 37th Traditional Mass site in metro Detroit and Windsor, debuts on Sunday, September 13 at 11:00 AM at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Ann Arbor. Fr. Gerald Gawronski, a longtime celebrant of the Traditional Mass in the Diocese of Lansing, will be the celebrant. Professional, paid choir members are being sought.

Since Summórum Pontíficum was published in 2007, there have been repeated attempts to establish a weekly Sunday Mass in Ann Arbor. Until now the best that has been possible was a monthly Mass at Old St. Patrick’s and sporadic special occasion Masses at St. Thomas the Apostle. The debut of this Mass is a testament to the years of patient and persistent work of Juventútem Michigan founder Paul Schultz and Ann Arbor TLM organizer Joe Lipa. St. Thomas offers a central location in downtown Ann Arbor, and 11:00 AM is a surprisingly prime time hour.

Sage Advice from Cleveland

Along similar lines, an August 29, 2020 post on the Cleveland TLM Friends blog (www.clevelandtlmfriends.com) explains how new TLM sites typical start up. Asking the diocese, the bishop, or chancery officials for assistance rarely helps and often introduces unnecessary red tape. New Mass sites are most successfully initiated at the ground level through joint efforts of laypeople and clergy, as the post so eloquently states: “But for those who live on the outermost eastern and western edges, there is still room for growth. Cleveland TLM Friends has been contacted by quite a few Faithful Catholics over the years, asking if there is any known effort to get the Mass started in these outlying areas. My opinion has always been the same: it starts with a stable group and a faithful pastor. Part of the success of the Traditional Catholic Movement in Cleveland has been its grass-roots development, never relying upon diocesan involvement to get the ball rolling. This isn’t to insinuate a separatist attitude. Rather, the Traditional Catholic Movement finds its success in having a pure heart, one based upon love for Tradition and the Mass; its success is not the result of a manufactured accommodation by the less-than-interested.”

Archdiocese of Portland Liturgical Handbook


The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon has issued a 350 page Liturgical Handbook establishing norms for celebration of the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form Mass and Sacraments in their diocese. Impressive in scope and orthodoxy, it devotes special attention to the role of appropriate sacred music. Many problems could be solved if other dioceses followed this lead. For more details, see this story on The New Liturgical Movement blog:
http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/02/liturgical-handbook-published-by.html. The book can be downloaded free here: https://archdpdx.org/divine-worship, or purchased for Amazon Kindle.

First of Two Pittsburgh Episodes of Extraordinary Faith Now Viewable on YouTube and Vimeo



Episode 21 of Extraordinary Faith – Pittsburgh Part 1 of 2 – is now available for viewing on the Extraordinary Faith channel on YouTube and Vimeo. Church Music Association of America General Manager Janet Gorbitz introduces us to the organization and welcomes us to its Sacred Music Colloquium, held at Duquesne University. This annual gathering attracts approximately 250 people of all levels of experience seeking to increase their understanding of Gregorian Chant and Sacred Polyphony, while offering exemplary liturgies. We speak with symposium instructors from Camden, New Jersey; San Diego; and Chattanooga, and learn how they are implementing innovative traditional sacred music programs in their home parishes.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 09/14: No Mass at Holy Family, Detroit
• Tue. 09/15 7:00 PM: High Mass at Holy Name of Mary, Windsor (Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
• Wed. 09/16: No Mass at Holy Family
• Fri. 09/18: No Mass at Holy Family
• Sat. 09/19 8:00 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (St. Januarius, Bishop, & Companions, Martyrs)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for September 13, 2020. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

Tridentine Community News - Extraordinary Form Vespers at St. Peter’s Seminary; The Unfortunate Consequence of Concelebration; Lex Orándi: A Book Comparing the Seven Sacraments in the EF vs. OF; The Order for Blessing Water, EF vs. OF; New Traditional Masses in Rome

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (June 2, 2018):

June 2, 2019 – Sunday After the Ascension

Extraordinary Form Vespers at St. Peter’s Seminary

On Friday, May 24, St. Peter’s Seminary in London, Ontario offered Vespers according to the Extraordinary Form for the first time in almost 50 years. Music was provided by the Canadian Renaissance Music Summer School. It’s always heartening to hear of seminarians being exposed to the liturgical traditions of Holy Mother Church. More information about the event is available at: https://www.crmss.org/course.html?fbclid=IwAR1-xzQgRMV-HVlUMrDyn7WtGjt-hzqRdlqNUGytHaru0PmZqcXx4x4dLVw

The Unfortunate Consequence of Concelebration

The July 26, 2009 edition of this column contained a defense of individual celebration of the Mass. In a nutshell, the post-conciliar development of concelebration deprives the Church of the infinite graces that derive from each individual celebration of Holy Mass. Even when a priest celebrates Mass privately, the Angels attend and adore the Eucharist made present. Whereas prior to Vatican II, churches’ Side Altars would be busy with priests celebrating their daily Masses, nowadays it is all too easy for priests, especially those living in community, to concelebrate Mass rather than to celebrate individual Masses. The world is thereby being deprived of additional graces that those extra Masses would bestow.


The Holy Eucharist—The World’s Salvation: Studies on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, its Celebration, and its Concelebration, by Fr. Joseph de Sainte-Marie, OCD, published in 2015 and with a foreword by Dom Alcuin Reid, is “the definitive study of concelebration”, according to Dr. Peter Kwasniewski. This is the first English translation of a book originally written in 1982. This almost 600 page work is, per Dr. Kwasniewski, “sometimes distressing”, as it provides abundant evidence supporting the assertion above.

Scholarship of this sort is necessary to convey that what may seem aesthetically appealing and convenient on the surface is actually a detriment to mankind’s spiritual welfare.

Lex Orándi:A Book Comparing the Seven Sacraments in the EF vs. OF


Much has been said and written about the differences between the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of the Mass. Many authors, including this writer, have produced side-by-side comparisons of the two (see the Tridentine News archive web page, listed at the bottom of this page). A book entitled Lex Orándi, published in 2015 by Daniel Graham, has taken the concept a step further and presents side-by-side comparisons of all seven Sacraments, including commentary. Studies such as this will help the faithful appreciate just how much has been lost in the new, simplified forms of these Sacraments. Such knowledge can only help promote the restoral of the classic forms.

Lex Orándi may be ordered from Amazon.com.

The Order for Blessing Water, EF vs. OF

In a similar vein, Dr. Daniel Van Slyke has published a comparison and analysis of the Extraordinary and Ordinary Forms of blessing Holy Water. The Traditional Form, used among other occasions before Sunday Mass to bless the water used in the Aspérges, exorcises and blesses salt, exorcises and blesses water, has a prayer over the commingling of the two, and a concluding prayer. The far simpler Ordinary Form blessing lacks the succinct and direct language of the classic formula, making the objective of the blessing less clear.

Dr. Van Slyke’s paper may be read at: https://www.academia.edu/7797797/The_Order_for_Blessing_Water_Past_and_Present

New Traditional Masses in Rome


For many years, there have been only three principal sites for Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form in Rome: 1) Certain early morning Side Altar Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica, 2) The FSSP parish of Santissima Trinità dei Pellegrini, and 3) The ICRSP church of Gesu e Maria al Corso.

Recently another site has debuted: The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum, is now offering the Tridentine Mass every Tuesday at 12:30 PM, and the Traditional Dominican Rite every Thursday at 12:30 PM, both at the Church of Ss. Dominic & Sixtus.

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for June 2, 2018. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

Tridentine Community News - The Principal Liturgical Books of the Church; The Principal Liturgical Books for Individuals; Life in Little Rome in Washington, DC; Flint Tridentine Mass Temporary Relocation; Altar Server Training at Our Lady of the Scapular; Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (September 23, 2018):

September 23, 2018 – Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

The Principal Liturgical Books for a Church

A reader asked for a list of the principal liturgical books for the Extraordinary Form. The answer can be provided from two perspectives, that of a church and that of an individual faithful Catholic. Let’s start with the church first: A priest or church needs to be prepared to celebrate the sacraments and offer blessings, thus the following will be needed:

Altar Missals: The single most important book to have on hand is the missal for use at the altar. Since Rome instructs us to follow the 1962 rubrics, the best options are the Roman Catholic Books, Angelus Press/Benizger, and Vatican Press missals, all three of which are available new. In addition to a regular full-size altar missal, a smaller travel-size missal might be useful. Because Requiem Masses have substantially different texts from regular Masses, a Requiem Missal is also useful to have. Travel and Requiem missals are available from Fraternity Publications.

Roman Ritual: Summórum Pontíficum gave priests permission to use the traditional Roman Ritual, which has far more relevant, concise, and powerfully worded blessings than the Ordinary Form Book of Blessings. A church should have two editions: 1) The three volume Rituále Romanum edited by Weller, for a complete set of Latin prayers, and 2) The New Sanctuary Manual by Roman Catholic Books for liturgically-approved English in Baptism, the Nuptial Rite, and certain other rituals. The English supplied in the Weller books is informally translated and not approved for liturgical use, whereas The New Sanctuary Manual is not as complete as the Weller, thus both editions are necessary.

Breviary: Clerics and religious are obligated to pray at least some of the hours of the Divine Office every day. The best choice nowadays is the 1961 Roman Breviary published by Baronius Press, as it includes liturgically-approved English as well as Latin. Other options are the 1963 bilingual Monastic Diurnal and the 1961 Latin Diurnále Románum. The Principal Liturgical Books for Individuals

A similar list can be provided of the principal liturgical books that an individual Catholic layperson would find useful:

Hand Missal: The pros and cons of various hand missals have been discussed in detail in previous columns: A review of the various missals for adults was published in our April 8, 2012 column. A list of missals for children was in our February 5, 2017 column. Both are available on the web site listed at the bottom of this page.

Prayer Books: The most comprehensive collection of traditionally worded prayers is the Blessed Sacrament Prayerbook, reviewed in our November 6, 2011 column. To assist the souls in Purgatory, Catholics should also have the 2006 English Manual of Indulgences, available from the USCCB, and/or the 2004 Latin Enchirídion Indulgentiárum, available from the Vatican publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

Roman Ritual: If a person is sick or dying, or if a specialized blessing is needed, nowadays the best way of ensuring that a priest will be able to use the Extraordinary Form version of a given formula is to have a copy of the three volume Weller Rituále Románum at your home. Consider how important having access to the texts of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction or the Rite of Holy Communion [for the sick] might be in a time of need. Having a Rituále on hand is arguably cheap insurance to pave the way to heaven.

Life in Little Rome in Washington, DC

Our May 30, 2010 column included a description of the intensely Catholic neighborhood surrounding Wyandotte’s Our Lady of the Scapular Church. Public displays of faith abound, with a “Rosary Walk” of wayside shrines having been built in 2003 near the church, resembling the abundant devotional shrines lining roads in Bavaria.

Aurora Griffin, who came to fame in 2016 via her book, How I Stayed Catholic at Harvard, has since moved on to live in Brookland, the neighborhood of Washington, DC surrounding the Catholic University of America. She, too, has discovered a rich Catholic life in that enclave, which she dubs Little Rome. Several religious communities including the Dominicans have houses in the area, which is dominated by the massive Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Her brief article is an interesting glimpse into the notion of a truly Catholic city: https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2017/12/19/life-in-little-rome-in-the-heart-of-washington-d-c/

Flint Tridentine Mass Temporary Relocation

Starting next Sunday, September 30 and for approximately 6-8 weeks to follow, the Tridentine Mass in Flint, Michigan will be celebrated at St. John Vianney Church, 2415 Bagley St. in Flint. St. Matthew Church, where the Mass is usually held, will be closed during this period while a new tile floor is installed.

Altar Server Training at Our Lady of the Scapular

Next Saturday, September 29 at 9:00 AM at Our Lady of the Scapular Church in Wyandotte, there will a training session for those interested in serving at the altar for the Traditional Mass. The class is open to those from any Latin Mass site.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Tue. 09/25 7:00 PM: Low Requiem Mass at Holy Name of Mary, Windsor (Daily Mass for the Dead)
• Sat. 09/29 8:30 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (Dedication of St. Michael the Archangel)
• Sat. 09/29 5:30 PM: High Mass at Old St. Mary’s (Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost) – Fulfills Sunday obligation. Celebrant: Fr. Cy Whitaker, SJ

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for September 23, 2018. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

What French priests neglected to preach as the church in France collapsed

"A Crisis of the Four Last Things" (New Oxford Notes, July-August 2018)

NOR readers will be familiar with the stark reality that much of Europe is no longer Christian. That goes, too, for the eldest daughter of the Church, France, which boasts hundreds of renowned Gothic churches visited by the thousands each week, most not for purposes of religion. Think Notre Dame in Paris, or the cathedrals in Chartres, Rheims, Amiens, Strasbourg, and Beauvais. The list goes on and on. If only these churches were still honest representatives of a Catholic culture in France. If only that culture were as strong as the flying buttresses of its sacred houses. Alas, each of these cathedrals at this point in its history is little more than a monument to times past, a sepulcher for a once-flourishing religion and way of life. It is instructive to note that only 1.7 percent of Catholics regularly attend Mass in France — and according to Guillaume Cuchet, a professor at the University of Paris-Est Créteil who specializes in contemporary Church history, “regularly” isn’t even defined as meeting the Sunday obligation; it merely means “at least once a month.” Thousands of old French churches are no longer active places of worship; priests often have the care of 20 to 30 parishes and only celebrate regional Masses each week — and even those are attended by few. When Catholics die in France, chances are slim that a priest will be around to bury them.

There is certainly no shortage of hypotheses for the causes of the demise of the Church — the disappearance of Christians and the decline of the traditional Catholic way of life — in France. Popular fingers point to the old French Revolution, the newer sexual revolution, and the increasing influence of scientism, moral relativism, and other personal philosophies of life that have eclipsed the idea that piety, tradition, and doctrine provide a natural compass for faith and morals.

Recently, French Orthodox writer Jean-Claude Larchet reviewed Cuchet’s new book, How Our World Stopped Being Christian: Anatomy of a Collapse (OrthoChristian.com, May 29), a penetrating look at the spectacular decline of Catholicism in France. Some — though likely not most NOR readers — might be surprised at what Cuchet identifies as the root cause of this decline. Catholicism itself, says he, bears the heaviest responsibility in the de-Christianization of France. And yep, he specifically identifies the Second Vatican Council as the primary catalyst of it all. The Council, writes Larchet in his review, “proposed to face the challenges of the modern world,” and yet it “did nothing but adapt itself to the latter; thinking to bring the world to its side, it ended up giving in to the world, and despite wanting to be heard in the secular sphere, Catholicism has instead become secularized.” In other words, the Church in France (and elsewhere, of course) became impotent by its own hand.

Though this assertion is hardly groundbreaking, Cuchet gets into specifics that are worthy of serious consideration. This rupture in the Church, which he traces back to 1965, the year the Council closed, can be identified with the liturgical reforms, yes, but more precisely with the changing attitudes toward sin occasioned by both the Council and its liturgical reforms. In the area of piety, the abandonment of Latin and the change toward the reception of Communion in the hand played an important role, but Cuchet focuses more on the promulgation of a religious relativism that, if not written straight up in the documents of Vatican II, was the result of willful misinterpretation or misapplication of these summary documents. The Council’s documents seem to have been designed to allow for liberal interpretations, the kind that led to the secularization of Catholicism throughout France — a secularization that happened almost overnight. “A whole series of ‘truths’ suddenly fell into oblivion,” writes Larchet, “as if the clergy themselves had ceased to believe in them or did not know what to say about them after having spoken of them for so long as something essential.” More importantly, writes Cuchet in his book, “the Council paved the way for what might be called ‘a collective exit from the obligatory practice on pain of mortal sin.’”

Cuchet traces almost all the official and unofficial conciliar reforms to two fundamental crises: the crisis of the Sacrament of Penance and the crisis of not preaching on the Last Things. According to Cuchet, the massive abandonment in just a few years of the practice of confession had a profound impact on Catholic attitudes toward sin, and toward life in general. In 1952 51 percent of French Catholics went to confession at least the obligatory once per year. By 1983 that was down to just 14 percent. The concept of a personal conscience, misunderstood as it universally was, led to most Catholics rationalizing away the sins they had committed. Not only that, says Cuchet, the French clergy allowed them to do so. They abandoned the practice of confession (that is, hearing confessions frequently) just as had the so-called faithful.

Cuchet, in fact, lays most of the blame at the feet of the French clergy. They failed, he says, in their duty to preach about sin, to preach properly on the work of a well-formed conscience, and to preach about the importance of confession and penance. Thus, the usefulness of confession became less obvious, as did the connection between confession and Holy Communion. In a word, Communion was trivialized and confession nearly non-existent.

Cuchet also claims that the French clergy stopped preaching about the Four Last Things — death, judgment, Heaven, and Hell — “as if they had stopped believing in it themselves.” French priests, he says, in effect “paved the way to Heaven.” They gave the distinct impression that the path was no longer narrow and steep, but was now a wide, well-travelled thoroughfare. In a sense, wonders Cuchet, doesn’t that essentially mean the end of salvation? If one does not believe in sin, why the need for salvation? If there’s no need for salvation, why bother with Jesus Christ? If we needn’t bother with Jesus the Savior, why go to Mass? Why belong to the Church? Why identify as Christian? The rhetorical answer to those questions leads back to the astounding statistic that only 1.7 percent of French Catholics attend Mass even once a month.

Though Cuchet doesn’t provide a way out of the decline explicitly (and that is not his purpose as a historian), one can easily see the implicit solution: a strong Church made up of vibrant, faithful clergy who are not afraid to preach on sin or the effects of sin, and who promote the myriad spiritual, physical, and communal advantages of being a practicing member of the Church.

The foregoing article, "A Crisis of the Four Last Things" was originally published in the July-August 2018 issue of the New Oxford Review and is reproduced here by kind permission of New Oxford Review, 1069 Kains Ave., Berkeley, CA 94706.

Pardon and Peace: The Joy of Confession

Why Pay a Shrink for What the Catholic Church Does for Free?

By Oswald Sobrino, a review of Pardon and Peace: A Sinner's Guide to Confession, by Fr. Francis Randolph (Ignatius, 2001)

On Holy Thursday, 2001, Pope John Paul II wrote to all priests to encourage them to focus on the sacrament of Penance, or Confession. In doing so, the Holy Father referred to the recent “crisis” of this sacrament. Certainly, it is no surprise in Western countries to find that the loss of a sense of sin, and certainly of a sense of grave sin, has had a significant effect on whether Catholics avail themselves of this great sacrament. Yet, as noted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this is the sacrament where continuing Christian conversion takes place. As described by John Paul II, Confession is a dramatic encounter between Christian and Christ, an encounter fraught with the majesty of man’s freedom and Christ’s eager offer of grace.

The following thoughts on Confession arise from considering two books with the same title Pardon and Peace, but published over 50 years apart. The first Pardon and Peace, written by Fr. Alfred Wilson, C.P., appeared in 1948 and has been reprinted by Roman Catholic Books. The current Pardon and Peace was published in 2001 and was written by Fr. Francis Randolph, an English priest. In spite of a half century of tumultuous change in the Catholic Church, the fundamental thrust of the books is the same: Take advantage of this astonishingly approachable but powerful sacrament and its richness. While the books understandably differ in their emphasis on certain issues, both authors end up in the same place: A buoyant and cheerful Catholic will find his sustenance in Confession.

Freaking out Darwin

Tom Wolfe, "Freaking out Darwin" (World, September 9, 2017):

In The Kingdom of Speech—a runner-up for WORLD’s 2016 Book of the Year in the Science, Math, and Worldviews category—Tom Wolfe has fun with Darwinism and then linguistic theory. Wolfe sees Charles Darwin as an ambitious but fearful upper-class Brit beaten to the punch on natural selection by the lowly Alfred Russel Wallace, and evolution as a fable for atheists, about as reliable as the Apache belief that the universe began with a ball of dirt from which a scorpion pulled strands that became earth, sun, moon, and stars. (Wolfe calls that “the original version of the current solemnly accepted—i.e., ‘scientific’—big bang theory, which with a straight face tells us how something, i.e., the whole world, was created out of nothing.”) In the excerpt below, courtesy of Little, Brown and Company, Wolfe recounts how Wallace undermined his and Darwin’s “child.” —Marvin Olasky

Read more >>

The comment by Guy Noir - Private Eye: "Tom Wolfe, eviscerated by reviewers but caring less! If I have to pray for the souls of vocal and opinionated non-believers, I'll choose his, even while celebrated Jesuits may cringe!" Amen, brother!

Book: The Political Pope, by George Heumayr

This is more about the politics of the Holy Father than his theology, though some might beg to differ; but it's a book that's catching quite a bit of attention. It's by George Neumayr, who is contributing editor to and former executive editor of the conservative American Spectator.

Maike Hickson recently published "An Interview with George Neumayr, Author of The Political Pope" (OnePeterFive, May 6, 2017).

Book review: Pierre Manent's Beyond Radical Secularism

Fr. John McCloskey, Review of Beyond Radical Secularism, by Pierre Manent (St. Augustine's Press, 2016) 

Beyond Radical Secularism was originally published in Europe in the fall of 2015, when it caused quite a ruckus, and became even more relevant with the Nov. 13, 2015, incident of terrorism in Paris. The author, Pierre Manent, is a Frenchman who wrote the book after the earlier terrorist attack in France the previous January.

Manent's main thesis is that radical secularism does not have the capacity to counter the challenge presented in our era by Islam.

Although he believes that the threat posed by Islamist fanatics requires a resolute response, security measures alone are insufficient to protect the French (and European) way of life and to assimilate the large numbers of Muslim immigrants in their midst.

Manent believes that the several-centuries-old Western tradition of the secular state should be maintained and cherished. However, he argues that trying to "solve" the problem of Muslim assimilation in France by attempting to turn them into model French secularists as adrift morally and religiously as many of those they find themselves among will fail. Instead, France must recognize and accept its Christian heritage and culture, as well as its small-but-significant Jewish presence, as foundational to its national identity.

So what is the solution?

Manent reaches for a way of recognizing and defending European roots while retaining religious tolerance.

In Manent's view, Muslim immigrants seeking to make a home in Europe must make their peace with having moved beyond the borders of sharia (Islamic law) and to a certain extent be willing to shift mindsets. However, the established French customs, mores and traditions that make up the structure of a healthy culture have already been rejected by the radical secularist. That's why Manent insists that France must rediscover her national form, which at some point will require secession from the European Union. Meanwhile, he recommends forbidding Muslims in France from taking money from foreign powers, whether governments or religious organizations. This would better establish their identity as French Muslims.

His second major recommendation is to invite Muslim immigrants to enter into French common life. After all, in order to enter into the fullness of French citizenship or identity, they need to contribute to the country's well-being in ways that go beyond the economic benefits of a young labor pool.

Manent's many specific observations and proposed solutions can be debated without affecting the force of his central insight.

"Without vision, the people perish," says one of those outmoded Judeo-Christian books that the French secularists — and radical secularists elsewhere — have tossed into the rubbish heap of history.

Whether the Western people perish in the near or intermediate future will likely depend a lot on what identity they embrace.

First appeared on National Catholic Register in October 2016.

[Hat tip to Sir A. S.]

Tridentine Community News - Christmas week bus tour of historic churches in Chicago; Devotional books for the souls in Purgatory; TLM Mass schedule

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (November 13, 2016):

November 13, 2016 – Resumed Sixth Sunday After Epiphany

Christmas Week Bus Tour of Historic Churches in Chicago

One of the highlights of the year for church architecture buffs is Prayer Pilgrimages’ annual bus tour of historic churches in Chicago. This year’s expedition will be three days instead of the usual two, to allow for more time to explore the architectural riches of that city. The tour takes place Wednesday-Friday, December 28-30. Pilgrims will stay in downtown Chicago and will have time to explore the secular sights of the city as well.

High Masses in the Extraordinary Form will be offered at three of Chicago’s most beautiful houses of worship, Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica, St. Mary of the Angels Church, and St. John Cantius Church.


After a false start in 2013, when plans had to be changed at the last minute, history will be made on this trip: The Tridentine Mass to be offered at Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica will be the first to be celebrated there in at least 46 years. Known for its arcade of twelve Side Altars and massive, barrel-vaulted nave, the basilica has two principal Side Altars which are larger than most churches’ High Altars. Our Lady of Sorrows was the site of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen’s famous black-and-white video, “The Immemorial Tridentine Mass”. Filmed in 1941 and viewable on YouTube, this video features Archbishop Sheen narrating an Easter Sunday Solemn High Mass. [Above photo © 2009, Jeremy Atherton]


Mentioned many times before in this column, St. Mary of the Angels is arguably the most impeccably restored church in North America, reflecting an investment of approximately $20 million in the building over the past two decades. Every detail of the church is perfect, as can be seen in the above photo of the left Side Altars. St. John Cantius Church needs little introduction, as it is one of North America’s premier sites for traditional liturgy.

Fr. Louis Madey will be the celebrant of the Tridentine Masses on this tour. For further information or to register, visit www.prayerpilgrimages.com or call (248) 250-6005.

Devotional Books for the Souls in Purgatory


In this month of November which is devoted to the Holy Souls in Purgatory, it is worth mentioning a few resources which can assist your devotion to relieving the Poor Souls of their suffering. One of the most comprehensive prayer books on the subject is the Purgatorian Manual, originally published in 1946 and reprinted by the Daughters of Mary Press. (http://www.daughtersofmarypress.com/store/item_view.php?id=1000151&item=purgatorian-manual-~~~1softcover). While the prayers in it are lovely, the indulgences described as being associated with them are no longer in force.

The classic explanatory work on Purgatory is Fr. F.X. Schouppe’s Purgatory: Explained by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, first published in 1893 and reprinted by TAN Books: https://www.tanbooks.com/index.php/purgatory-explained-explained-by-the-lives-and-legends-of-the-saints-2362.html

Susan Tassone is our modern era’s most prolific author and speaker on the subject of Purgatory, having written more books than can be listed here. Go to amazon.com and search for Tassone Purgatory to see her numerous titles, which offer a more contemporary though still orthodox treatment of the topic.

The Manual of Indulgences and its Latin edition, the Enchirídion Indulgentiárum, are the definitive sources of the currently-in-force prayers and acts by which one can gain Partial and Plenary Indulgences on behalf of the Suffering Souls.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 11/14 7:00 PM: High Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr)
• Tue. 11/15 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary, Windsor (St. Albert the Great, Bishop, Confessor, & Doctor)
• Sat. 11/19 8:30 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Widow)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for November 13, 2016. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

Brave New World: Fr. Perrone on the present and future of life in the western world

Eduard Perrone, "A Pastor's Descant" (Assumption Grotto News, October 23, 2016):

"I am a man, and nothing human is alien to me."

These well-known words of the Roman playwright Terence are often quoted. I'm sorry to say that I feel a lot less secure about them now than I once did. Things human are becoming far too bizarre for me, and I, like the aging man that I am, reflecting on the disparity of things now from way-back-when, feel estranged from some of the weird goings on in the contemporary world.

I have at times ruminated on some of these things which -- pace Terence -- make me feel much alienated. I have written on occasion about the allowance accorded to college students to choose their sexual identity from among over fifty options which, in the event, turned out to be too restrictive (!) In the same vein, students at a local Catholic high school expressed no surprise when one of their number declared his alternative gender preference. It was discovered that many of the students there are now undecided as to what sexual identity they will adopt. I have also written in some past pastor's column about the transhumanism which aims to so augment the existing limits of bodily and mental capacities so that the new product will transcend homo sapiens, leaving it behind as a mere passing phase in the evolutionary process. We have already recovered (I think) from the shock of tansplants of major bodily organs, of genetic engineering, and of human cloning. Now comes an article given to me by a thoughtful member of my Tuesday night adult catechism class which tells of serious research being done in head transplants. Not to be outdone by the egregious moral transgressions of a decade ago, some bold and bright scientists are working towards the day when one's head can be affixed to someone else's body. The metaphysical and moral questions have not even been completely thought at this point. For example, whose identity will the composite man take on: the identity of the head transplantee or of the corpus? Children engendered by such: whose parents are they? And so on. The incongruity of such a hybrid man reminds me of a fable I once read by Thomas Mann titled The Transposed Heads (the author claims it to be a tale of India) in which a skinny intellectual man and a muscular airhead exchange heads. (Those interested can read the story for outcome of the tale.) Never once did I imagine that such a thing would be written up as a possibility. And yet here I am, reading a mag article on the very topic.

Nothing alien to me? I suppose, to give Terence his due, his saying still holds good for reason that none of these freakish transformations are truly exemplars of human nature as it was intended and created by God. We are living in a brave new world, as someone famously predicted, and it seems that it will only become more and more strange and morally undetermined so that we who have known and wanted to live by the dictates of our rational human nature will find ourselves very much outside, that is to say, alienated. There doesn't seem to be a way to halt the regress of morals unto the point where total chaos reigns, what is likened by some to a Dionysian frenzy, to where -- to phrase it somewhat obliquely -- all Hades will break out in public. This would be, should it ever come to pass, a far worse punishment on the human race than an act of God. We would have, in that case, a hell of our own making, rather than a punishment imposed.

When we add to the specter of this scary future the possibilities of the political disorder that may well befall us following the November election, we get a whole lot more to be worried about. That said, we must be convinced about the one thing I have over and over asserted in preaching, namely, that we must hang on mightily to our Catholic faith -- never apostatize! -- pray, and do penance in reparation for all the crimes being committed -- and those further contemplated -- in this increasingly godless world.

Lest I give the wrong idea about my intentions here, let me add that a Christian always lives in hope, never in despair. The final outcome of all things is a given of our faith. Moreover, grace will not be lacking to all who seek it. In my current reading, a biography of Solzhenitsyn by Joseph Pierce (the same who lectured here a few weeks ago), I take inspiration from a man of incredible courage and indomitable faith, having once himself been an atheist and a Communist who then became a Christian and an outspoken critic of all totalitarianism and idealist systems and of the corrupted leanings of the western world. His is the story of good winning out over tremendous political evils and personal suffering. Hope, courage, tenacity, prayer: these are the themes of his life which encourage me.

I want you, my parishioners, to be strong in faith, constant in prayer, and unflappable in spirit.

Related: Joseph Pearce, "An Interview with Alexander Solzhenitsyn" (Catholic Education Research Center, St. Austin Review, 2003).

Tolkien: England's Anglo-Saxon Catholic Oracle

Joseph Pearce, who spoke recently at Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit on the subject of Tolkien's novels, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, argues compellingly that Tolkien's works and the characters in them represent a sort of parallel history of redemption, although he didn't use the word, a parallel 'Gospel,' as it were. He has two books that elaborate this thesis, one on Frodo, the other on Bilbo. Very interesting. I'm struck by how so much in his work reads, in places, like a commentary on our own times:

'What about Rivendell and the Elves? Is Rivendell safe?'

'Yes, at present, until all else is conquered. The Elves may fear the Dark Lord, and they may fly before him, but never again will they listen to him or serve him....

'Indeed there is power in Rivendell to withstand the might of Mordor, for a while: and elsewhere other powers still dwell. There is power, too, of another kind in the Shire. But all such places will soon become islands under siege, if things go on as they are going. The Dark Lord is putting forth all his strength.'

In many ways, Tolkien created the classic Anglo-Saxon Catholic myth, a myth for the English-speaking people, a Catholic myth that has its own truth by representing a parallel to another great 'myth,' the greatest 'myth' of all, the 'myth' which turns out to be true; that is, true history from God's point of view: the Bible.

The world we live in is falling into darkness; and the darkness cannot be understood spiritually without penetrating behind the scrim that divides us from the unseen world of principalities and powers at war in the spiritual world. Tolkien takes us there if we have eyes to see. What he shows us is that there is always hope; but our true hope does not always lie in the world around us and the temporal means at hand. There are powers we haven't the means to resist within ourselves. But there are powers greater than those of Mordor for those with the spiritual discernment to understand this truth.

Is it me, or is it getting cold in here ...

Thus spake a reader who emailed me this: Michael J. Kruger, "How my books are being banned at the Society of Biblical Literature" (Cannon Fodder, October 19, 2016). Excerpts:

... Dr. John Kutsko, executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature, has just proposed that InterVarsity Press–one of the largest evangelical presses in the country– be suspended from having a book stall at the annual SBL meeting (starting in 2017).

The reason for this ban is the recent decision by InterVarsity to uphold the biblical view of marriage and to ask their employees to do the same (see IVP clarification on their policy here).

Since I have a current book with IVP Academic, The Question of Canon, and a forthcoming book with them on Christianity in the second century, SBL would effectively be banning my books from the annual meeting. And that would be true for hundreds and hundreds of other IVP authors.

Read more >>

[Hat tip to JM]

Attention Catholic teachers and home schoolers: announcing new ancient history textbook

The eminently capable Phillip Campbell, who teaches history at St. Augustine's in Ann Arbor, with its highly-regarded classical curriculim, has just published the first volume in a series of 5th-7th grade-level history textbooks (publisher: TAN Books). The First volume is entitled The Ancient World: The Story of Civilization. Available with the textbook is a Test Book, Teacher's Manual, Activity Book, Timeline, Drama CDs, and Streaming Lecture Series.

If anyone is looking for a 5th-7th grade-level ancient history text written from a faithful and richly-informed Catholic perspective, look no further. This is what you want.

Guy Noir's 'Great' books for disturbed Catholics

... to see the day First Things would be plugging Michael Davies

Our underground correspondent in an Atlantic seaboard city that knows how to keep its secrets, Guy Noir - Private Eye, just sent me an email (yes, he's no longer using carrier pigeons for the time being), commenting on a First Things article entitled "What We've Been Reading," by the Editors (First Things, May 27, 2016). Noir comments: "You know the now passé slang "It's all good!"? I think it actually applies here: all these sound very good, and who thought we'd live to see the day 'First Things' would be plugging Michael Davies ..."

Excerpt from Elliot Milco's contribution:

In light of the recent (and increasing) rumors of Pope Francis's inclination to grant canonical recognition to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Pius X, I've been reading up on that group. Currently I'm working through the first volume of Michael Davies's trilogy Apologia Pro Marcel Lefebvre, which is a collection of documents relating to the FSSPX, paired with contemporary news items and interspersed commentary. The books favor a certain side of the FSSPX question, but they offer an unparalleled level of detail regarding the formation, investigation, and suppression of the religious order, as well as Marcel Lefebvre's relationship with Pope Paul VI and the Vatican.

What strikes me so far in reading the book (and I should note that this is not my first foray into the history of the post-Conciliar fallout) is how right Lefebvre was in the early 1970s about most of the things going on in the Church. (I recommend his 1983 Open Letter to Confused Catholics to anyone who has been dismayed by dissolution of Catholicism in Catholic institutions.) Today if one wants to know about the fruits of disciplinary relaxation and innovation in seminaries in the 1960s and 70s, one need only read the USCCB's report on the origins of the clerical abuse crisis. Very sad that the FSSPX was treated with such hostility by the curia under Paul VI, and unfortunate that Lefebvre disregarded the authority of John Paul II. Wouldn't it have been better to allow him to continue with his “experiment of tradition”? And now, over the past ten years, aren't we all inching our way toward the realization that that “experiment” is the one that needs to be undertaken?

... and there's much, much more. Read more >>

Tridentine Community News - The Doctors of the Church; Book review: The Wonders of the Mass; Miles Christi Mass format; TLM Mass schedule

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (May 8, 2016):

May 8, 2016 – Sunday After the Ascension

The Doctors of the Church

Have you ever wondered just who are the “Doctors of the Church”? We’re not talking about the Vatican Physician Corps here. The term may be casually used, but it actually refers to a very specific set of individuals, known for the depth of their grasp of the faith and the orthodoxy of their teaching. Interestingly, there are some relatively recent additions to the list. The below table, taken from catholic.org, provides the complete list, showing name, lifespan, and the date of designation by a Pope.

• St. Athanasius, 296 – 373, 1568 by Pius V
• St. Ephraem the Syrian, 306 – 373, October 5, 1920 by Benedict XV
• St. Hilary of Poitiers, 315 – 367, May 13, 1851 by Pius IX
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem, 315 – 386, July 28, 1882 by Leo XIII
• St. Gregory of Nazianzus, 325 – 389, 1568 by Pius V
• St. Basil the Great, 329 – 379, 1568 by Pius V
• St. Ambrose, 339 – 397, September 20, 1295 by Boniface VIII
• St. John Chrysostom, 347 – 407, 1568 by Pius V
• St. Jerome, 347 – 419, September 20, 1295 by Boniface XIII
• St. Augustine, 354 – 430, September 20, 1295 by Boniface XIII
• St. Cyril of Alexandria, 376 – 444, July 28, 1882 by Leo XIII
• St. Peter Chrysologous, 400 – 450, February 10, 1729 by Benedict XIII
• St. Leo the Great, 400 – 461, October 15, 1754 by Benedict XIV
• St. Gregory the Great, 540 – 604, September 20, 1295 by Boniface XIII
• St. Isidore of Seville, 560 – 636, April 25, 1722 by Innocent XIII
• St. John of Damascus, 645 – 749, August 19, 1890 by Leo XIII
• St. Bede the Venerable, 672 – 735, November 13, 1899 by Leo XIII
• St. Gregory of Narek, 951 – 1003, February 21, 2015 by Francis
• St. Peter Damian, 1007 – 1072, September 27, 1828 by Leo XII
• St. Anselm, 1033 – 1109, February 3, 1720 by Clement XI
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux, 1090 – 1153, August 20, 1830 by Pius VIII
• St. Hildegard of Bingen, 1098 – 1179, October 7, 2012 by Benedict XVI
• St. Anthony of Padua, 1195 – 1231, January 16, 1946 by Pius XII
• St. Albert the Great, 1206 – 1280, December 16, 1931 by Pius XI
• St. Bonaventure, 1221 – 1274, March 14, 1588 by Sixtus V
• St. Thomas Aquinas, 1226 – 1274, April 11, 1567 by Pius V
• St. Catherine of Siena, 1347 – 1380, October 4, 1970 by Paul VI
• St. John of Avila, 1500 – 1569, October 7, 2012 by Benedict XVI
• St. Teresa of Avila, 1515 – 1582, September 27, 1970 by Paul VI
• St. Peter Canisius, 1521 – 1597, May 21, 1925 by Pius XI
• St. John of the Cross, 1542 – 1591, August 24, 1926 by Pius XI
• St. Robert Bellarmine, 1542 – 1621, September 17, 1931 by Pius XI
• St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1559 – 1619, March 19, 1959 by John XXIII
• St. Francis de Sales, 1567 – 1622, November 16, 1871 by Pius IX
• St. Alphonsus Ligouri, 1696 – 1787, July 7, 1871 by Pius IX
• St. Therese of Lisieux, 1873 – 1897, October 19, 1997 by John Paul II

Book Review: The Wonders of the Mass

Reader James Murphy follows up on our April 17 book reviews with a recommendation of a third book by Fr. Paul O’Sullivan, OP: The Wonders of the Mass. While most of us are familiar with the great benefits of attending Holy Mass, this brief 42-page book enumerates the graces that come from the Mass in great detail. One excerpt:

By the Mass we offer to God the greatest praise, the greatest glory He could possibly desire. We give Him most perfect thanks for all the benefits He has bestowed on us. We make more reparation for our faults than by the severest penances.

As with Fr. O’Sullivan’s other books, this one is filled with anecdotes of how Saints and ordinary people alike have benefitted from devotion to the Mass. He also points out that reverently celebrated Masses will attract more converts to the Faith. The book concludes with a list of practical recommendations in a chapter entitled, “How to Hear Mass with Profit”.

Fair warning: You will want to go to Mass more often after reading this book.

Miles Christi Mass Format

We have received many expressions of concern about the format of Mass being employed at the Miles Christi Family Center on Saturdays. They have chosen a format which is not supported by mainstream liturgical authorities, that of a Low Mass with sung Introit and Mass Ordinary, in essence a hybrid between a Low Mass and High Mass. This is an innovation this author has not seen in 30+ years of visiting Tridentine Mass sites across the globe, and is most definitely odd. Occasionally one sees practices in the Extraordinary Form that are out of the norm, but which circumstances make necessary, for example a priest with mobility problems omitting genuflections. However, this particular innovation has thin justification. Several people including this writer have explained to the regional superior that official references do not permit this particular format, but so far he has been unwilling to make a change.

Let us be grateful that the majority of local Extraordinary Form Mass sites faithfully follow the rubrics.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 05/09 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (St. Gregory Nazianzen, Bishop, Confessor, & Doctor)
• Tue. 05/10 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary (St. Antoninus, Bishop & Confessor)
• Sat. 05/14 8:30 AM: Low Mass at Miles Christi (Vigil of Pentecost)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for May 8, 2016. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

Tridentine Community News - Books: How to Avoid Purgatory; All About the Angels; 1st Communions at OCLMA; TLM Masses this week,

"I will go in unto the Altar of God
To God, Who giveth joy to my youth"
Tridentine Community News by Alex Begin (April 17, 2016):

April 17, 2016 – Third Sunday After Easter

Book Review: How to Avoid Purgatory

Altar server about town James Murphy brought to our attention two books written by the same author, Fr. Paul Sullivan, OP, and republished by TAN Books.


The first, How to Avoid Purgatory, is a small and brief book (39 pages), which first explains the reasons why souls are sent to Purgatory, then provides several means to escape being sent there. In addition to the usual methods one hears, namely regular Confession, Holy Communion, seeking to gain Indulgences, and offering up penances and suffering, Fr. Sullivan recommends explicitly asking God for the grace to avoid Purgatory. Being a Dominican, he also suggests joining the Third Order of St. Dominic, today commonly called the Lay Dominicans, because of the order’s history of devotion to the Holy Souls. He also argues that those who have a devotion to helping the Souls in Purgatory during their lifetime are likely to be shown mercy by God with regards to their own obligations after death.

This reviewer struggles with one aspect of the book: How many of us can honestly say that we don’t deserve at least some time in Purgatory? It’s fine to say that we want to avoid it, but are our souls truly pure enough to merit immediate admission to heaven? The Church gives us the means to do so, even via some exceptional privileges, such as the Apostolic Pardon which can be given by a priest to a person near death, so perhaps it’s not so presumptuous a grace to desire after all.

Book Review: All About the Angels


The second book, All About the Angels, is a lengthier work at 131 pages. It is a fascinating introduction to the work of the Angels among mankind. Fr. Sullivan’s stated objective in writing the book was to foster Catholics’ love for and devotion to their “best friends”, the Angels who defend and support us. Though the book was originally published in 1945, even then the author felt the Church was not doing a satisfactory job of informing the faithful about the presence and actions of the Angels.

He expounds upon the ubiquity and supreme intelligence of the Angels:

Millions and millions of angels fill the Heavens, ministering unto God, but millions and millions of angels are also here on earth, ministering unto us. They are in our midst, around us, about us, everywhere….Were it not for their ever-vigilant protection, the history of the world would be far different, far more calamitous than it has been.

Much of the book is taken up with documenting apparitions of Angels to Saints, kings, and others, in the Bible and throughout history. The author makes the point that Angels are enormously grateful for any appreciation we show them in return, presumably because they are accustomed to being ignored. They welcome prayers and petitions for help, especially our Guardian Angels. Fr. Sullivan proposes the following brief prayer as a sign of gratitude:

Dearest Angels here present, I honor and love you and give thanks to God for all the glory He has given you.

The author recommends that we periodically offer Masses, Rosaries, and Communions to thank and console the Angels. God permitted St. Gertrude to see how grateful the Angels were after she once offered her Holy Communion in honor of the nine choirs of Angels. Fr. Sullivan cautions the reader, however, that Angels cannot help people who are in a state of mortal sin.

Fr. Sullivan maintains that Angels are the ones responsible for the seemingly miraculously saves we occasionally experience from disasters large and small. Angels are also the ones who help Martyrs suffer torture with acceptance, even joy. The Angels provide the supernatural strength the Martyrs require to resist the extreme pain they might otherwise experience.

The fascinating anecdotes and logically deduced advice given in this book make it a highly recommended read. One wonders why the Angels, who are such key intercessors for us, are not mentioned more frequently in homilies, articles, and other educational materials.

First Communions at OCLMA

First Holy Communions will be held for the Oakland County Latin Mass Association at the 9:45 AM Mass on Sunday, May 1 at the Academy of the Sacred Heart Chapel in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The faithful may gain a Plenary Indulgence by being present for a First Communion ceremony, under the usual conditions of Confession within 20 days, reception of Holy Communion, prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions, and freedom from attachment to sin. A reception will follow the Mass.

Tridentine Masses This Coming Week

• Mon. 04/18 7:00 PM: Low Mass at St. Josaphat (Feria)
• Tue. 04/19 7:00 PM: Low Mass at Holy Name of Mary (Votive Mass for the Unity of the Church)

[Comments? Please e-mail tridnews@detroitlatinmass.org. Previous columns are available at http://www.detroitlatinmass.org. This edition of Tridentine Community News, with minor editions, is from the St. Albertus (Detroit), Academy of the Sacred Heart (Bloomfield Hills), and St. Alphonsus and Holy Name of Mary Churches (Windsor) bulletin inserts for April 17, 2016. Hat tip to Alex Begin, author of the column.]

Benedict's Compendium, the CCC, and YouCat compared

An erudite reader sent me this yesterday:

In my usual scavenging I came up with a copy of YouCat. It is truly awful. When I compared it with Benedict's 2006 Compendium of the Catechism, I immediately recognized how good Benedict's work is. It is theological throughout and hangs together as an integrated text. Its language is clearer than YouCat. When you compare "transubstantiation" or "passions" Benedict wins.

Recently Robert Hickson released a damning indictment of the CCC which Fr. John Hardon did not want published while he was still alive. Hardon claimed that the final text was not Catholic. The French firebrand Abbe Georges de Nantes published a book damning the 1992 catechism listing 12 heresies he found therein. When Benedict's Compendium appeared in 2006, his newsletter the Catholic Counter Reform declared that Benedict's work corrected all of the errors in the 1992 catechism.

There is an excellent doctrinal critique of YouCat at Faithful Answers website. It is regrettabble that the Compendium was published by the USCCB as an official document and has never received the circulation it deserves. Ignatius Press should publish it in a more popular format and remove YouCat from circulation. YouCat panders to youth trying to be hip and dumbs down its theology. It is a true horror.

[Hat tip to Sir A.S.]

Antonio Socci: La Profezia Finale

This is something of a bombshell, just as when the late Mario Palmaro co-authored a searing critique of the Franciscan pontificate bluntly entitled "We Do Not Like This Pope." And just as Palmaro received a phone call from Pope Francis thanking him for his criticism, so the Pope sent a handwritten letter to Socci, after his publication of this critical book, telling him he appreciated his criticism.

So what is Socci's criticism of Francis? That he is promoting the error of a 'pure' Christianity (quoting Andreas Hoffer), "a sort of 'superchristianity'" that purports to be "more good than even Jesus Christ himself" because "it is no longer enough to love the sinner... It is necessary even to love the sin." Christopher A. Ferrara, in "A Historic Indictment" (Catholic Family News, March 21, 2016), offers a substantial review of Socci's book for non-readers of Italian. The subheadings of his review signal the outlines of the argument:

• Bergoglian Confusion [on the assumptions underlying the "Jubilee of Mercy"]
• Synod of Subversion [on the promotion of communion for those in irregular marriages and homosexuals at the October Synod]
• A Meteorological Pope? [on the Pope wading into the debated issues of climate science]
• Lions and Tigers and Bears [on the disturbing ecological light show projected onto St. Peter's on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception]
• A Pope Who Doesn't Like Catholics? [on the Pope's denouncement of those concerned with doctrinal clarity as "rigid," "rigorists," "fundamentalists," "doctors of the law," "Scribes and Pharisees]
• Catholic Divorce? [on the effects Francis' 'streamlining' of the annulment process]
• Consequences of Liberalization [on the 'Francis effect' of accommodating the Gospel to worldly concerns]
• The Franciscan Friars Affair [on Francis' approval of the destruction of a once-thriving religious order]
• A Love Affair with Lutherans [on the Pope's solicitude towards a tradition stemming from Luther's venomous hatred of the Mass]
• An Unconscious Joachimist? [on parallels to Joachim of Fiore, the deluded 12th century 'visionary' who imagined a coming new age of the Holy spirit that would supersede even the New Testament]
• Another Honorius? [on parallels to Pope Honorius' neglect to extinguish the flame of heresy in his day]
• Paying Homage to Dictators [on Francis' uncritical visit with the tyrannical regime of Cuba
• The Folly of "Open Borders" [on Francis' idea of removing 'walls', despite the threat of Islam and cautions of Catholic tradition]
• The Summation [on Francis concept of 'the Poor' tending toward a politicized ideological concept]
• Francis Applies the Butter [on the Pope's moves to overcome critics by friendliness]

[Hat tip to L.S.]

The endlessly insightful Newman - and Jaki on Newman

A well-read polyglot and good friend writes (and I publish his words with his permission):

I discovered Fr. Jaki on Newman in my favorite magazine, Christian Order, in 2002. I immediately ordered a copy of Newman to Converts. When I asked Fr. Ian Ker about it he wrote: "While Fr. Jaki is an expert on science and religion, he knows nothing about Newman". With that endorsement, I never looked back and ordered all five of Fr. Jaki's books on Newman one by one: Apologetics, Church of England, Neo Arianism, Justification and Challenge.

No books in my long life as a Catholic (nurtured on Ronnie Knox and Christopher Dawson) have given me such pleasure. Fr. Jaki notes that Newman believed that only in his letters does a man reveal himself. Newman is combative. His Anglican Difficulties is a satire on the Church of England. His book on the Arians is the only place you will learn why the Arians were such a threat and not dialogue partners as Rowan Williams would have it.

It is a scandal that these books have never been reviewed in the principal theology journals. The carefully constructed portrait of Newman the Anglican is blown sky high by the reality of Newman the Catholic. The fact that Fr. Jaki's books on Newman were self published is no excuse. They are the best books on theology to be published in my lifetime and all appeared in the new century.

I [must also] mention that you would probably find Fr. Jaki's Apologetics as Meant by Newman the most interesting as it deals with the Grammar of Assent, the marks of the Church, and the idea of a university.

I discovered today a really interesting article [by Deborah Ostrovsky], "The Freudian Became a Catholic" at the Tablet, a Jewish journal published in London. I've always felt a kinship with Karl Stern, who was welcomed into the Church by the same Montreal Franciscan priest who married my grandparents.

Where you can order the late Fr. Stanley L. Jaki's books on Newman (and a whole lot more!): Real View Books.

Stanley Ladislas Jaki (1924-2009), a Hungarian-born Catholic priest of the Benedictine Order, was Distinguished University Professor at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey. With doctorates in theology and physics, for over forty years he specialized in the history and philosophy of science. The author of over fifty books and over three hundred and fifty articles, he served as Gifford Lecturer at the University of Edinburgh and as Fremantle Lecturer at Balliol College, Oxford. He lectured at major universities in the United States, Europe, and Australia. He was an honorary member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, membre correspondant of the Académie Nationale des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts of Bordeaux, and the recipient of the Lecomte du Noüy Prize for 1970 and of the Templeton Prize for 1987.