Prayer for the Hurricane Victims

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. It is a combination of relocation and recently--Hurricane Katrina which has caused me to evacuate and has limited my access to computers and therefore, the internet. I will add to this when I am setteled again (hopefully soon), but I ask you to pray for all of those affected by the hurricane as it appears to have been far worse in some places than first reported.

Thank You EWTN--25th Anniversary

The Eternal Word Television network was founded on August 15, 1981 when Mother Angelica "flipped the switch" to begin transmitting 4 hours a day. At the time, the network was even more modest than it is today--its studio was essentially in a garage (I was told this--I understand it is currently where they build their sets.) EWTN has undoubtedly been a critical tool of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of thousands of souls. There are those who love EWTN and there are those who are resentful of the network. I go to a university in the Birmingham Diocese and I was blessed to have the opportunity to interact with the Friars and the employees of EWTN on a frequent basis. I am eternally indebted to them, as they were the instrument which reopened my eyes to the beauty of my Catholic faith.

I was raised as a Catholic and went to Mass with my family; unfortunately it took my senior year in high school, Alabama, and some inquisitive southern baptists to force me to educate myself about my faith. Amazingly, in about two years studying the materials that EWTN and Catholic Answers make available I have made up for what 18 years of Catechesis should have taught me. EWTN really began to touch my heart when I was in my freshman year of college—I still remember streaming EWTN over the internet and watching a service that I had never really recalled seeing before (Benediction). I was touched by many things-mainly-the Church Architecture, the holy demeanor of the priest, and the love and reverence with which the Blessed Sacrament was treated. The Priest was Father Shannon Collins, who is belongs to the Fathers of Mercy. I made sure that I tuned in to Benediction for a couple more weeks, and after that I started watching the entire programming. I remember being first especially attached to The Journey Home, even though it was primarily about protestants coming into the Church, I felt that I too had been separated from my faith. I learned from Fr. Mitch Pacwa, Mother Angelica, and Fr. Francis Stone. I began to pray with the devotions and I truly felt connected with the network. My sophomore year in college I began discerning a vocation to the priesthood—something that was also sparked by watching the priests on EWTN and seeing that the “touchy feely psychological babble” that I’d heard over and over wasn’t what Priests were. These Priests were MEN! I really fell in love with the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word (MFVA)--the Priests who take care of the spiritual needs of pilgrams and help run the network. Also, during my sophomore year I began making pilgrimages to EWTN—to see Mass at the Chapel—to go to Confession (the MFVA are, in my opinion, have some of the best confessors I’ve ever been to)—then I’d go to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament…first for Benediction and then for Mass. I truly found a place of peace when I was at the shrine. There was beauty, peace, and Jesus—truly present and exposed in a beautiful monstrance.

Today EWTN can reach 895 million people-105 million through TV, 606 million through the internet, and 184 million through radio-it has truly come a long way from the time of Mother Angelica selling fishing lures and printing Mini-Books (links at bottom of page).

EWTN today is one of the most valuable assets of the Catholic Church in this modern age. We should all be thankful that EWTN is being watched over by faithful and fervent religious Priests, Deacon(s), and Nuns who present the teachings of the Church in a fun, easy to understand, deeply spiritual manner and remain extremely faithful to the Magisterium.

Thank you EWTN, continue your mission, and God Bless all of the Priests, Brothers, and Nuns!

P.S. The Diocese of Birmingham, in which EWTN lies, is currently without a Bishop—please pray that Pope Benedict XVI (a big supporter of the network) appoints an orthodox Bishop to guard and Shepard the diocese.

Mother Angelica's Mini-Books:

Spiritual Hangovers
Jesus Needs Me
The Promised Woman
Living the Way of the Cross
My Life in the Rosary
Fruits of His Love
His Pain Like Mine
In His Sandals
Marriage

Guilty Pleasures aka Liturgical Abuses

Have you ever been at Mass, possibly pondering some theological mystery—like the inner-relationship of the Trinity, the Hypostatic Union, or the eternal nature of God, and then you see your priest do something like this:
(Faces cencored out of respect. I have no intention of personally demeaning those depicted in these photos)

Well, if you haven’t then you can count yourself lucky. In the Church there are certain areas where the Sacred Liturgy is faithfully guarded buy the local Bishop. There are other areas where the Sacred Liturgy is frequently mixed with all kinds of “priestly improvisation." Let's evaluate some of the most frequent abuses I've seen/heard of.

1. The "We have Glass Vessels so you can 'see' the Consecration" abuse:

Now there are a few problems if you ever see a situation like this. First, we must understand that this picture is taken after the Concecration...so here are the abuses

A.) Glass is not a sutable material for the Body and Blood of our Lord.

The 2002 GIRM gives the following guidance:
328. Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside.

Redemptionis Sacramentum also states:
Reprobated, therefore, is any practice of using for the celebration of Mass common vessels, or others lacking in quality, or devoid of all artistic merit or which are mere containers, as also other vessels made from glass, earthenware, clay, or other materials that break easily.

B.) Precious blood must be distributed into the chalice before the Concecration

R.S. 106. However, the pouring of the Blood of Christ after the consecration from one vessel to another is completely to be avoided, lest anything should happen that would be to the detriment of so great a mystery. Never to be used for containing the Blood of the Lord are flagons, bowls, or other vessels that are not fully in accord with the established norms.

Same thing happens here:

2.) Then the "Sure, Dance isn't an integral part of worship in the Latin Rite, but so what?." abuse

In 1975, the Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship wrote a document called "Religious Dance, An Expression of Spiritual Joy" (Quotations in this section taken from Catholic Answers: here). It stated:

Dance has never been made an integral part of the official worship of the Latin Church. If local churches have accepted the dance, sometimes even in the church building, that was on the occasion of feasts in order to manifest sentiments of joy and devotion. But that always took place outside of liturgical services. Conciliar decisions have often condemned the religious dance because it conduces little to worship and because it could degenerate into disorder.

And later:

Here dancing is tied with love, with diversion, with profaneness, with unbridling of the senses: such dancing, in general, is not pure."For that reason it cannot be introduced into liturgical celebrations of any kind whatever: that would be to inject into the liturgy one of the most desacralized and desacralizing elements; and so it would be equivalent to creating an atmosphere of profaneness which would easily recall to those present and to the participants in the celebration worldly places and situations.

Let's shy away from a legalistic argument against Liturgical Dance for a moment and just argue common sense Catholicism. How exactly does this:

Enhance this:

Then there is the scary part of it all...what exactly is this "dancer" going to do to the person infront of her? Looks kinda like she's going to eat her:

Catholics in California...You need to watch out because these "dancers":

...may be coming to "enhance your worship experience" at a parish near you ;)

3.) The "Say Hello to my Stole" Abuse

(By the way what liturgical color does that stole go with?)

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal States:

337. The vestment proper to the priest celebrant at Mass and other sacred actions directly connected with Mass is, unless otherwise indicated, the chasuble, worn over the alb and stole.

And Redemptionis Sacramentum adds:

123.“The vestment proper to the Priest celebrant at Mass, and in other sacred actions directly connected with Mass unless otherwise indicated, is the chasuble, worn over the alb and stole.”[213] Likewise the Priest, in putting on the chasuble according to the rubrics, is not to omit the stole. All Ordinaries should be vigilant in order that all usage to the contrary be eradicated.

and connected to that abuse...but with another couple thrown in is this:

Same issues here (found on L.A. Catholic) :

A.) The two priests on the sides have their stoles overlaid on their chasubles.

B.) What liturgical season is it? Look on the calander, it's Green or White--Not Both!

C.) I see only a chaliace--where is the Missal or the Ciboria with the hosts?

I'll make a series of these posts, not because I like to ding our priests (most of whom are absolutly wonderful), but because the average faithful Catholic should be familiar with the rubrics of the Mass and know what should and should not go on. The more everyone knows the more they can be proactive in fixing or preventing the liturgical abuses.

Un-Holy By Design

Church design plays a major role in shaping the tone and mood of worship during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There are some ground rules for Church Design; the Church must not only appeal to the lesser horizontal element of Mass (our union with the faithful) but it must reflect the superior vertical element of Mass (our union with God.) This is why we see spires, domes, and towers as popular elements in Church Design.


In these two examples we see many things reflected. The stone reminds us of the solidity of our faith-unchanged and unchanging. It also reminds us of the permanence of the Church--not just this particular church, but of the Catholic Church as a whole. We see that both Churches have vertical elements which remind us of our unity with God. Let's compare that with some New Age designs.
















We see with the design on top that while it posses vertical elements, it defiantly lacks in indicating the permanence of the Church or the solidity of the Faith. The Cathedral on bottom, is the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, in Los Angeles, California. It lacks in almost every measure of Church design. It lacks indicating marks of a Church. It does not present a solidity or permanence nor does it appeal to the vertical dimension of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. As criticism on Della Chiesa says:

...But how does Our Lady of the Angels measure up as a Roman Catholic cathedral? After all, the 11-story edifice is not a government building, a museum or a bank. It is meant to be a sacred structure charged with transmitting the truths of the Catholic faith to current and future generations. It is meant to evangelize, to inspire and to beckon. It is meant, above all, to be a house of God wrought in the fashion of heavenly things. Unfortunately, Cardinal Roger Mahony's new center of Catholicism for Los Angeles does little of that...

Now let's inspect inside a few Churches.


Can you see the difference? Neither Church or I demand that every Cathedral be built in the traditional Gothic design. It is perfectly fine to use Eastern Catholic architecture; however, it is not ok to use architecture which inhibits the implimentation of Church Policy designed at ensuring a revrent celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. If you aren't Catholic, or if you are a Catholic who would easily dispose with tradition ask yourself...which design is more in line with Catholic Theology? The Mass is a sacred offereing...a Holy Sacrifice. We are not in an auditorium, Mass is not a show--we come primarily to worship God--not each other. Stop anyone who suggests that you "reck-ovating" your Church.

Why Do Catholics Say That? Part 3

So after my Christian Life, I'm still going to suffer for sins in Purgatory?

Maybe, maybe not. Purgatory, however, is not the “Vengeful God” rather Purgatory is a sign of an infinantly merciful God. We know that nothing unclean will enter His Kingdom, Purgatory is a time/place/state of purgation where those who died in a state of Grace are detached from any attachment of sin. If there was no purgatory then the outlook of getting to heaven would be much harder and we’d be called to live even more difficult and suffering-filled lives.

What about Christ where is He in Catholicism?

What about Him, He is King!

I just can't believe that a man is infallible... I just can't accept it. Only God is perfect.

Perfect, yes…use a dictionary and look up perfect and then look up infallible—they are not the same. The Pope is not perfect—he is human—he is sinful—he is a man who is the Vicar of Christ. He can err in his personal life, but when speaking on matters of faith and morals in refrence to the Church, he is protected by the Holy Spirit.

Sure, there are other cities situated on seven hills, but have they "fornicated" with the kings of the Earth? Do they have power over the kings of the Earth, and are "drunk with the blood of martyrs? I don't think so.

Ok, the whole thing is you either have to accept that the Vatican City is not in Rome--as it is on "Vatican Hill"-not one of the seven hills of Rome, thereby excluding it from the “seven hill” rule. Or you have to accept that Rome has 8 hills…excluding the entire city from the seven hill rule. Does the Vatican have power over the “kings” of the Earth. How many monarchies are there anyway? How many are headed by a king? Could this possibly be symbolism? Hmm….Jerusalem comes to mind. Remember also that the Church has been persuceted in Rome so don’t connect the city with the Church. Then there are the other cities built on seven hills.

Hunting the Whore of Babylon

Just put the Concecrated Host under a microscope, and you will see it is normal bread, not Jesus' flesh.

This does not conflict with Catholic Doctrine, after Transubstantiation, the bread and wine cease to be bread and wine and there is an ontological change…they literally become the Blood of Christ but maintain the accidentals of bread and wine.

The Real Presence

Christ in the Eucharist

I just think that the Bible is FULL of symbols and metaphors. Did he even say that the bread and wine are literally him?

Yes, the Bible is full of symbols and metaphors, though you seem to be at a loss for that fact when you are arguing that the Catholic Church is “wrong.” Furthermore, yes, Jesus said we do eat His Flesh and Drink His Blood—those that do will have Everlasting Life. From John 6:53

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the
Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats 19 my flesh and
drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.

I still need to study more. But for now, Catholicism is most likely not the truth for me.

Truth is absolute, don’t sell yourself short.

Why Do Catholics Say That? Part 2

Continued in a series...2 of 3....of basic questions often leveled at Catholics. Based on a real encounter.

“Why do you have confession and the Eucharist? Where in the Bible are seven sacrements?”

Here’s a nice list from Dave Sloan…but the bigger question is why are you approaching this from flawed theology. Not everything has to be “in the Bible” to be a Truth. Actually, you’ll look through the Bible and never find it to claim that it contains ALL of the truths of Christianity, actually, quite the opposite, we are told to rely on the Sacred Tradition handed down to us. If we were always to only rely on what is in the Bible then are we to believe that either, there was no Church until the Bible was codified (more than 300 years after Christ)? (this is historically untrue) Or are we to believe that Jesus was half-way done with ascending and then came back down and gave a bunch of Bibles to everyone around (not in the Bible, so that would defeat the main point of everything being “in” the Bible)

“Catholic’s do lots of unessacry things. Rosary isn't necessary.”

No, it’s not necessary. Catholics are free to pray to the Saints as much or as little as they wish. However, to truly understand the mysteries of the Rosary is to understand that it is a beautiful meditation…actually on the important events in the life of Christ. More on the Rosary!

“Another thing about the Rosary…you could just say the prayers with ugly rocks. We use the rosary because it looks "pretty."

I suppose you could, there are internet rosaries--which obviously aren't the traditional rosary. I know some people who use their fingers, but there’s nothing wrong with having a rosary that’s “pretty.” The beauty of sacramentles remind us of the beauty of the kingdom of God. The problem comes in when you have a pretty rosary just to have a pretty rosary and not to say the beautiful prayers that are attached to it.

”And about the bread and wine literally turning in Jesus... that is just plain stupid.”

Unfortunantly, you’ll have to convince every Catholic theologin and some of the most important philosophers in the western world that they are crazy for this to be true. Furthermore, saying this is a blatent slap in the face for Catholics. Denying the Real Presence is A.) Denying that with God all things are possible B.) Directly in conflict with both Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition and C.) Not in keeping with the message of the New Testament…Jesus was the Pascal Lamb…in the old testament the Jews slaughtered lambs for the attonment of sin and ate it at Passover…in the New Testament Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world and we participate in his eternal life by partaking of the Lamb in consuming the actual Body and Blood of Christ.
Reccomended Further Reading: The Real Presence and Christ in the Eucharist

“Catholics try and earn their salvation by works and they do things that Jesus didn’t say to do.”

For salvation we faithfully fufill all of Jesus’ commands to the Church, respond and live in his grace, and trust in His Infinante Mercy. For more information on how to understand/explain salvation go here.

“Is going to a priest any better than asking Christ for forgiveness?”

Here is what we call a false dichotomy. Again you misunderstand what the Church teaches. We “go” to a priest for absolution because Jesus left that power to the Church, the power to bind and loose and to forgive sin. By accepting the authority Jesus left in the Church you are seeking absolution that Jesus gives through His legitimate authority on Earth…the guardian of Truth…His Church.
This is the prayer that the Priest says in confession…really ponder the words:

God, the Father of mercies, through the death and resurrection of his Son, has
reconciled the world to Himself, and sent the Holy Spirit among us for the
forgiveness of sins. Through the ministry of the Church, may God give you pardon
and peace. And I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father, and of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

“Is Mary really necessary for eternal salvation?”

Historically speaking, yes. No Mary, No Jesus; Know Mary, Know Jesus. It is through Mary’s fiat, her yes, her total surrender to God that we are able to experience Jesus as we know him. What if she said no? Many think God would have had another route of salvation planned but it was through her being full of grace, her free will, and the astounding work of the Holy Spirit that God dwelt among us.
Mary:
Immaculate Conception and the Assumption
Mary: Ever Virgin
Mary: "Full of Grace"
Mary, the Mother of God

“How much exactly does it cost according to Catholics to get into Heaven?”

Nothing. Though be prepared to suffer along the way.

Why Do Catholics Say That? Part 1

Common Hang-Ups With the Catholic Faith…below is a possible exchange based on a real exchange I’ve had. This will cover just a fraction of the misconceptions about the Catholic Faith and provide some answers and give some examples of responses to the inquiries.

“I am a searcher of the truth and I am looking for the right religion. I think it is Christianity, but it’s not Catholicism.”

I most definitely disagree with you…and so did the entire Christian world for about 1500 years.

“The Catholic Church has made lots of wrong decisions. It has forced so many false truths on people.”

Please…cite them…Historically and theologically it seems that the Church has made SO many right choices and defended the Truth in spite of unworthy and in some cases down-right corrupt men.

“Rome is a city built on seven hills, much like city that Revelation describes where the whore of Babylon will be."

You’re RIGHT! Rome does lie on seven hills—their names are:
Palatine
Capitoline
Quirinal
Viminal
Esquiline
Caelian
Aventine

The Vatican City, the Holy See, lies across the Tiber River—on Vatican Hill. The problem with the argument that Rome must be the city in Revelation is that, there are 100’s of other cities in the world which are built on seven hills—some notable (Jerusalem) and some not.

“How can anyone defend the Inquisition and the actions connected with that?Would Christ have allowed such a thing?”

Well…actually He did…since it happened, but this gets into the question of whether every thing that happens is God’s active will and that’s a whole other topic…I think you were trying to ask would Christ have done such a thing. Anyway, the Inquisition is shrouded in mystery and emotions run high any time you talk about it. Did bad things happen-yes—because of bad PEOPLE, not a bad Church. The church is a hospital for sinners not a museum for Saints.

The Inquisition

“How can Catholics claim to be Christian when Popes claim to be Christ on Earth?”

That is a blatant misrepresentation of the function Popes play…they are the Vicar of Christ-they are not Christ. The Papacy

“Why would anyone even TRY to defend Catholics' WORSHIP of Mary and Saints?”

This is patent old line anti-Catholicism. Every Catholic and any Protestant or non-catholic with a good handle of the English language knows that Catholic’s don’t worship the Saints.

Look up these words: latria, dulia, and hyperdulia

Then read this: Saint Worship?

“Catholic’s say they venerate the saints. Venerate means the same thing as
worship”

Get a dictionary…a good dictionary—actually look it up in Latin too. Find the three different types of worship…then figure out which one belongs only to God and which type of worship correlates to the word venerate. This will permanently end all debate over this issue. Those who can not differentiate between the two have a problem with the English language, not Catholicism.

“Aren’t Christians supposed to be humble? Have you seen how much gold and jewels the Catholic Church has?!”

Besides stuff in museums not much at all…that is a joke right?!? Dioceses throughout the world are usually financially autonomous. In many cases bordering on bankruptcy, some are doing financially alright though.

“I heard the whore of Babylon would come ‘In purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication (Revelation 17:4)’ That sounds a lot like Catholic Priests ”

Hmm…you’re right, I must be living a giant lie…oh wait, is there a possibility there may just be a wee bit of symbolism in there? BTW if we’re being strictly literal the liturgical colors are Red (note-not Scarlet), Green (most of the year), Violet and White…sometimes Rose maybe used.

From Catholic.org

“Note: Violet, literally "amaranth red," is the color of Bishops', Archbishops',
and Patriarchs' non-liturgical dress”

“We shouldn't call our leaders "father" either. Sure, Peter may have said that he has become a "father" to the people, but that doesn't mean we should call them "fathers," especially when GOD told us not to!”

This is patent-old style anti-Catholicism…there have been books written on this subject….maybe this will help:
Call No Man Father?

“I liked the decorated Cathedrals, I liked the jewels on my Rosary, I liked the words, the clothes, the pomp, the rituals, the artwork, the gold, the history, the order, the everything, except one thing: Jesus Christ.”

That indicates poor catechesis and misplaced trust. That is not the fault of the Church. I love the Cathedrals, I love my rosary—though both are plain-I love the “pomp” (as you put it) because I understand the tradition behind it. Catholic artists are-in my opinion—the best in the world. I haven’t seen much gold to be honest. The history is amazing-I suggest you truly look into it. But most of all I love Jesus Christ…I love all the other’s because I can see His work in it all.

It’s a shame that you’ve been driven away from the Church, but as you’ve shown you don’t appear to really understand the Church. Pity. You should truly read the Bible, the Catechism, the Early Church Fathers, and all notable theologians with an open heart…it can lead nowhere else but the Catholic Church. God Bless you and I will pray for you. PM me if you like.

In the future I suggest you bring up specific points of disagreement instead of lumping 1,000 half-truths in one post…if you have a question about liturgical colors, start a thread about that, if you have a question about indulgences, start a thread about that. It makes it much easier for readers to follow along.

A Few Good Men

In these times the Catholic Church is in dire need of a “Few Good Men.” The Church needs men who are bold and courageous; who will project the full truth of the Gospel. As the Church is hurting for men to dedicate their lives to the service of the Church; the dioceses actually needs to become more discriminating in who they accept into seminary. No longer can mediocre candidates for the priesthood simply be allowed to wade into the background of the pool of priests because there is no more background to fade into. Now we know that we need Priests to celebrate for us the most holy of sacraments, the Eucharist. Priests baptize us, hear our confessions, marry us, and at the end of our lives-they anoint us.

Priests

Why Women Can't Be Priests

Now there are many theories as to recover the priest shortage; however, there are two theories which need to be forcefully rebuked. The first theory, which is theologically possible, is to end the discipline of priestly celibacy. Now, the church does have married priests in the Eastern Rites; however we are talking about the Latin Rite. Now celibacy is a long and venerable discipline of the Latin Rite which owes its florescence to the monastic traditions of the west. Celibacy affords a priest the ability to fully devote himself to the service of the Church and his sheep. Celibacy also forces a candidate for the priesthood to contemplate the severity of the life decision they are about to make. For more on celibacy and the priesthood, go here.

The second theory to fix the priest shortage is to allow women “priests.”
Why Women Can't Be Priests
The sad thing about this suggestion is that it indicates a total failure of Catholic education. Most Catholics know in their heart that it just “wouldn’t be right” to have a woman behind the altar, but don’t know why and they are easily swayed when those supporting women’s “ordination” say that women would fix the priest shortage. Now first we must address why it is impossible to have women priests.

We know that Jesus is the Son of God and that when we are at Mass, the Priest acts in persona Christi. Christ was the Son of God (keyword=Son) and we then use His son’s to act in persona Christi. Furthermore, a priest (male) is “married to the Church.” The Church is referred to as a female entity (Holy Mother Church). There then exists a major theological problem in saying that a female can “marry” Holy Mother Church and act in persona Christi—God’s Son. (Though this is another problem our society is currently struggling with.) To quote from the earlier linked article:

If Jesus had wanted women as priestesses, he would have had the ideal candidate
in Mary. Here was a woman who could have spoken the words of consecration
literally: "This is my body. This is my blood.”

Then we need not even ask whether women would help the priest shortage because it would be theologically impossible to “ordain” a woman—if a “pioneering” bishop ever laid his hands on the head of a woman with the intention of ordaining her-no matter how “pretty” the ceremony was-absolutely nothing would come out of it. Pope John Paul II settled this matter in his Apostolic Letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis:

Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful.

Finally we must ask whether there really and truly is a shortage of priests. It is clear that in the United States and Western Europe there has been a declining percentage of Priests/Faithful; however, in total the number of Priests and Seminarians has continued to increase on all continents and the percentage of Priests/Faithful has exploded in Africa, Asia, and other parts in the “Third World.”

"In 1978 there were 63,882 seminarians; at present there are 108,517, an increase of 69.87 percent. The increase in Africa and Asia, in fact, is incredible. Over the last twenty years, these two continents have seen an increase of 238.50 percent and 124.01 percent, respectively."

--Why Women Can't Be Priests

Upon This Rock

In my spare time I wander about the Christian and Catholic forums on the internet. The following is an exchange which I hope will provide useful information for those seeking the truth about the Catholic Faith. The exchange is with a non-Catholic Christian.



From the Questioner:

The word pope does not appear in the Holy Bible.

Actually, a form of it does...Pope=Papa=Father

However, this is not important...the important thing is it wouldn't matter if it did or didn't appear in the Bible in any form because that excludes Sacred Tradition from faith. The word "Holy Bible" doesn’t appear in the Holy Bible...except on the cover and on the table of contents--hmm--where did the table of contents come from?

From the Questioner:

The Roman Catholic Church did not exist when Jesus told Peter he was the Rock
upon which he built His Church.

You seem insistent on using "Roman Catholic Church" as if to differentiate between two Churches...there only the Catholic Church, that is, the Rites/Churches in communion with the Bishop of Rome--the Successor of St. Peter. Furthermore, Peter did become the first leader of the Catholic Church when Christ gave him the keys to Heaven, the power to bind and loose, then later on breathed on them to receive the Holy Spirit, and commanded Peter to feed His flock and tend His sheep. The traditional "birthday of the Church" is Pentecost. Though I usually don't usually like to link tracts ad nauseam, it appears you have some major misconception about the origins of the Catholic Faith unfortunately I can't write as much as I'd like so if you would like some personal reading for edification...

Peter's Papacy
Peter, The Rock
Authority of the Pope, Part 1
Authority of the Pope, Part 2


From the Questioner:

There is no proof but do we really need any? We know that Peter was the first
leader of the Christian/Catholic Church. Why do we concern ourselves in proving
or disproving that Peter was the first pope or that the Roman Catholic Church
is the only correct church.

1. There is proof--it is found through the Sacred Tradition of the Church and the clear succession and lineage of the Successors of St. Peter...
List of Popes

From CNN:

But the 264th occupant of the throne of St. Peter was no more silenced by their
misgivings than by the assassin's bullet he survived in 1981 or the progressive
ailments, including Parkinson's disease, that he withstood for at least a
decade.

It's amazing when even CNN acknowledges a truth of the Church

2. Yes we do need it--we know Christ's (one universal Church) will not be overcome by the powers of Hell and that Church has both the teaching authority of Christ and the power to bind and loose.
3. Why do we concern ourselves with "proving Peter was the first Pope?" well because it is A.) Easy and B.) An essential part of the Catholic faith.
4. We also seek to defend the objective truth of Catholicism because we know that the fullness of Truth can be found in the Catholic Church and it is our duty, rather, our command to take that message to all nations.


From Questioner:

We should celebrate our faith together instead of bickering over differences
that cannot be proven or disproven.

We should celebrate our similarities...and I look forward to the day that we can all celebrate our Faith (singular). Bickering is not Christian, but apathy about the Truth isn't either. As a Catholic I am called to charitably called to share my faith with others. I try to walk a fine line between not being rude, but also being completely honest and open.

From the Questioner:

Our entire Christianity and salvation is based upon our faith.

That's not what the Catholic Church says...ergo it goes back to the point that every challenge of Catholicism is, at it's heart, a challenge of the Church's authority...making it essential to share the Truth of Catholicism.

Grace, What Does it Do?
Is Salvation Assured?
Necessity of Baptism
By What Authority?

From the Questioner:

We cannot prove our faith, the existence of God of the fact that Jesus was the
Son of God who died and was resurrected for the New Covenant.

The Catholic Faith can be adequately explained using reason but to believe it takes motivation from the Holy Spirit and your cooperation. As far as proving Jesus existed, died, and was resurrected--we have to rely on the same things we rely on to prove other historical events happened...written and unwritten history--but as Christians we hold that those are both sacred and inspired/protected.

Reccomended Reading:

Upon This Rock

Name That Tune

Music at mass is intended, as all Church art is, to lift our hearts and minds to God. The Catholic Church has produced some of the world’s most famous musicians and music styles. One then must ask, why at mass are we singing flakey pop-rock written in the last 5 years by people who don’t share our faith?

I find it extremely distracting after receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord to return to my pew and hear a song written with lyrics supporting a symbolic “communion.” Now I can understand that there are a wide variety of musical tastes and that not everyone likes the same songs; however, the massive variety of exceptionally well written songs throughout Church history providing a more than ample cache to choose from.

Now we have to ask ourselves why? Why, when we have songs like Mozart’s Ave Verum, Panis Angelicus, Holy God We Praise thy Name, Salve Regina, and Faith of our Fathers (just to name a few)….why are we singing dry vapid songs with little to no theological or aesthetic value i.e. (You are Mine, On Eagle’s Wings, Amazing Grace)?

The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is more than a showcase for the latest flashing fad in popular music. Since Mass is a solemn offering flashy music is truly totally out of place, we must remember that the focus should be God, not the music. If the music isn’t conducive to the quiet contemplation of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ then it has no place at Mass.

Honestly, which genre is more appropriate for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?

This? The Soul Fire for Jesus Band.

Or this? The Vienna Boys Choir.

This is not to exclude any new music from Mass; after all, even the oldest works of music were-at some point-new. After all, there are several contemporary Catholic Artists who continue to produce music conducive to Catholic Worship. The intention is to exclude music from Mass which is either blatantly not Catholic (Wesley, Luther, and the others) and “less than Catholic” music-which I define as contemporary music which has lyrics which are in theological error and also are not conducive to Catholic Worship.

An interesting resource can be found here:

Confessions of a Recovering Choir Director

Where has all the Latin Gone?

Unfortunately, in some parts of the US, if you hear a word of Latin in a Mass it means that you MUST be at an indult Mass celebrated according to the 1962 missal. Now, I think that the Tridentine Mass is absolutely beautiful and if I could, I'd attend an indult mass rather than going to a Novus Ordo; however, since the Novus Ordo is what I was raised on, I am rightfully concerned about its health. Now I must confess that I didn't know a word of Latin until about two years ago; but since I've been exposed to the beauty of Latin in the Liturgy I have been amazed. At First I couldn't believe why the Church would have forbidden Latin in the Liturgy...then I found out that she didn't... The Following is from the:

Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy

36. § 1. Particular law remaining in force, the use of the Latin
language is to be preserved in the Latin rites.
54. § 2. Steps should be taken so that the
faithful may also be
able to say or to sing together in Latin those parts of the Ordinary of the
Mass

Upon finding this out I realized that I was being deprived of what was truly Catholic my whole life. In my youth I had no idea that there was even an option to celebrate the Holy Mass in Latin, let alone celebrate the Novus Ordo Ad Orientem. The first time I saw Mass celebrated Ad Orientem and chanted in Latin I was absolutely blown away.

I kneeled in the pew and it felt like I had just become Catholic...I realized there was much more to this Catholic World than what I was thought in my Confirmation Class (that will have to be another post on the failings of Catholic Instruction). This is what is important though: Both the Tridentine Mass and the Novus Ordo are beautiful Masses...the problem with the Novus Ordo often arises when it is not celebrated reverently. I and many of my other young Catholic friends have a renewed interest in the Tridentine Mass because we are realizing as we mature that we were not shown all of the "bells and whistles" of our faith when we were children. Our desire is one to reconnect with the generations and great saints of the past--not to have "inventive impromptu liturgical changes" to "enhance participation" we want Catholicism! It is a shame that I, and many of my peers, are just discovering the wonders of their faith...never again will I be bored at Mass--no, not after seeing Mass celebrated with true reverence and piety.

So, I wish to see a wider use of the Ecclesia Dei indult, and I will encourage people to seek out and attend a Tridentine Mass...while I will also fight at my local parish for the restoration of the Sacred Liturgy through insisting on "Catholic" hymns and asking for increased use of Latin.

A Pope of Action

Now that much of the noise has died down over the election of our new Pope, H.H. Pope Benedict XVI, I am anxious to see how Pope Benedict will function.

He will have many issues to confront, both conflicts he has previously written on and those which are unique to his situation...these are all but not limited to...

Women's Ordination and Secularism

In his calling for the full implimentation of Vatican II in light of the Church's history as a whole, I am extreamly heartened. This shows that A.) His Holiness recognizes problems with the rampant decline and decay of the Sacred Liturgy, and B.) That he will also use Sacred Tradition and Church History to illuminate and interpet Vatican II, rather than (as some "progressives" would have it--throwing out the baby with the bath water). Pope Benedict has many challenges facing him--but through our prayers, the Guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the protection of the Blessed Virgin he shall prevail!

Viva il Papa!!!

Welcome

Welcome,

This is obviously my first post here my blog and I'm attempting to set the tone for this blog. I intend to chronicle what I see as the need for--and the actual--"restoration of the sacred." I will entertain all issues from the current state of the Church, the need for fervent and orthodox Bishops, the Vatican, sacred music, and the liturgy. I hope you will enjoy.

Now to give you some background information about your humble blogger: I am a young man in my twenties who sees great promise in the Church. I hold that the Catholic Church, with her millennia-long traditions, unsurpassed beauty, and by her foundation by Jesus Christ is the pillar of truth in the world. I, like many others, see that there is a great need for that truth to be spread to all peoples. I am particularly interested in the restoration of the sacred liturgy, restoring the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to reflect the millennia-long history of the Church while remaining faithful to the Magisterium and the successor of St. Peter.