Please read notices

Some good comments have been sent to me in the past week but are anonymous. Please find a name. For one thing, I cannot respond, as I am apt to do, to four anonymous names in one post.

Not an official translation of DICI text today online

Déclaration du Chapitre général de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X

As announced in the statement of the General House of the Society of St. Pius X, July 14, 2012, members of the General Chapter in Rome sent a joint statement. It is released today.
During the interview in DICI, July 16, Bishop Bernard Fellay, stated that the document was "an opportunity to clarify the roadmap (the Society of St. Pius X) with emphasis on the conservation of (his) identity, only effective way to help the Church to restore Christendom. " "Because, he added, the doctrinal silence is not the answer to this 'silent apostasy' that even John Paul II noted, in 2003. "
At the end of the General Chapter of the Fraternity of Saint Pius X, together with the venerated tomb of its founder Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and united with its Superior General, we the participants, bishops, superiors and elders of the Brotherhood, would like to up to heaven our thanksgiving for the most vivid forty-two years of divine protection so wonderful about our work in the middle of a church in crisis and a world away from day to day and God its law.
We express our deep gratitude to all members of this fraternity, priests, brothers, sisters, commercial, religious communities and the dear faithful friends for their daily devotion and fervent prayers on the occasion of this Chapter that has seen frank and fruitful work. All the sacrifices, all the sentences accepted generously certainly helped to overcome the difficulties that the Brotherhood has faced lately. We found our deep union in its core mission: keep and defend the Catholic faith, form good priests and work towards the restoration of Christendom. We have defined and approved conditions for a possible canonical normalization. It was established that in this case, an extraordinary chapter is called deliberative before. But never forget that the sanctification of souls always begins within ourselves. It is the work of a faith enlivened by charity and operative in the words of Saint Paul: "For we have no power against the truth, we have for the truth" (II Cor., XIII, 8) and again: "Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her ... so she is holy and immaculate" (cf. Eph. V, 25 sec.).
The Chapter believes that the first duty of the Brotherhood in the service it intends to make the Church is to continue, with God's help, to profess the Catholic faith in its purity and integrity, with a proportionate determination attacks that same faith continues to suffer today.
Therefore it seems appropriate to reaffirm our faith in the Roman Catholic Church, one Church founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ, without which there is no salvation and no possibility of finding the means leading to it, in its monarchical constitution, intended by our Lord, who made the supreme power of government over the whole Church returns to the pope alone, Christ's vicar on earth in the universal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, creator of the natural and supernatural, to which every man and corporation must adhere.
For all the innovations of Vatican II that are flawed and that reforms are coming, the Society can only continue to adhere to the affirmations and constant teaching of the Magisterium of the Church, it is his guide in this continuous Magisterium who, by act of instruction, transmits the deposit revealed in perfect harmony with all that the whole Church has always believed, anywhere.
Also the Brotherhood found his guide in the constant tradition of the Church that transmits and forward until the end of time all the lessons necessary to maintain faith and salvation, until a serious and open debate, a return to the ecclesiastical authorities to Tradition is made possible.
We join with other Christians persecuted in various countries around the world who suffer for the Catholic faith, and very often to martyrdom. Their blood shed in union with the Victim of our altars is the guarantee of renewal of the Church in capite and membris, according to this old adage "martyrum sanguis semen christianorum".
"Finally we turn to the Virgin Mary, also jealous of the privileges of her divine Son, jealous of his glory, his kingdom on earth as in heaven. How many times has intervened to defend, even armed, of Christendom against the enemies of the kingdom of our Lord! We plead to speak today to chase the enemy within who seek to destroy the Church more radically than external enemies. Deign to keep the integrity of faith, love of the Church, in devotion to the Successor of Peter, all members of the Society of St. Pius X and all the priests and faithful who work in same feelings, so it keeps us and preserves us as the schism of heresy.
"May St. Michael the Archangel us his zeal for the glory of God and his strength to fight the demon.
"What St. Pius X could give us his wisdom, his knowledge and holiness to discern right from wrong and good from evil, in these times of confusion and lies. "(Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, Albano, October 19, 1983).
Ecône, July 14, 2012
Dichiarazione del generale della Capitolo Priestly Fraternity San Pio X
Declaración del Capítulo General of the Priestly Fraternity San Pio X
Grundsatzerklärung Generalkapitels der Priesterbruderschaft of St. Pius X
Society of St. Pius X Chapter General Statement
Read also:
Interview with Bishop Fellay after the General Chapter of the Society of St. Pius X (July 16, 2012)

See also Rorate Caeli and Fr. Z for comments.

Nine post day for me to date. Pray for my computer situation.
 

Déclaration du Chapitre général de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X

Comme l’annonçait le communiqué de la Maison générale de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X, du 14 juillet 2012, les membres du Chapitre général ont adressé à Rome une déclaration commune. Elle est rendue publique aujourd’hui.
Lors de l’entretien paru dans DICI, le 16 juillet, Mgr Bernard Fellay, indiquait que ce document était « l’occasion de préciser la feuille de route (de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X) en insistant sur la conservation de (son) identité, seul moyen efficace pour aider l’Eglise à restaurer la Chrétienté ». « Car, ajoutait-il, le mutisme doctrinal n’est pas la réponse à cette ‘apostasie silencieuse’ que même Jean-Paul II constatait, en 2003. »

A la fin du Chapitre général de la Fraternité Sacerdotale Saint-Pie X, réunis auprès du tombeau de son fondateur vénéré Mgr Marcel Lefebvre, et unis à son Supérieur général, nous les participants, évêques, supérieurs et anciens de cette Fraternité, tenons à faire monter vers le ciel nos actions de grâce les plus vives pour les quarante-deux ans de protection divine si merveilleuse sur notre œuvre au milieu d’une Eglise en pleine crise et d’un monde qui s’éloigne de jour en jour de Dieu et de sa loi.

Nous exprimons notre profonde gratitude à tous les membres de cette Fraternité, prêtres, frères, sœurs, tertiaires, aux communautés religieuses amies ainsi qu’aux chers fidèles pour leur dévouement quotidien et leurs ferventes prières à l’occasion de ce Chapitre qui a connu des échanges francs et un travail très fructueux. Tous les sacrifices, toutes les peines acceptées avec générosité ont certainement contribué à surmonter les difficultés que la Fraternité a rencontrées ces derniers temps. Nous avons retrouvé notre union profonde en sa mission essentielle : garder et défendre la foi catholique, former de bons prêtres et œuvrer à la restauration de la chrétienté. Nous avons défini et approuvé des conditions nécessaires pour une éventuelle normalisation canonique. Il a été établi que, dans ce cas, un chapitre extraordinaire délibératif serait convoqué auparavant. Mais n’oublions jamais que la sanctification des âmes commence toujours en nous-mêmes. Elle est l’œuvre d’une foi vivifiée et opérante par la charité selon la parole de Saint Paul : « Car nous n’avons pas de puissance contre la vérité ; nous n’en avons que pour la vérité » (II Cor., XIII, 8) et encore : « Le Christ a aimé l’Eglise et s’est livré lui-même pour elle… afin qu’elle soit sainte et immaculée » (cf. Eph. V, 25 s.).

Le Chapitre estime que le premier devoir de la Fraternité dans le service qu’elle entend rendre à l’Eglise est celui de continuer, avec l’aide de Dieu, à professer la foi catholique dans toute sa pureté et intégrité, avec une détermination proportionnée aux attaques que cette même foi ne cesse de subir aujourd’hui.

C’est pourquoi il nous semble opportun de réaffirmer notre foi dans l’Eglise catholique et romaine, seule Eglise fondée par Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, en dehors de laquelle il n’y a pas de salut ni de possibilité de trouver les moyens qui y mènent ; dans sa constitution monarchique, voulue par Notre Seigneur, qui fait que le pouvoir suprême de gouvernement sur toute l’Eglise revient au pape seul, vicaire du Christ sur terre ; dans la royauté universelle de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ, créateur de l’ordre naturel et surnaturel, auquel tout homme et toute société doit se soumettre.

Pour toutes les nouveautés du Concile Vatican II qui restent entachées d’erreurs et pour les réformes qui en sont issues, la Fraternité ne peut que continuer à s’en tenir aux affirmations et enseignements du Magistère constant de l’Eglise ; elle trouve son guide dans ce Magistère ininterrompu qui, par son acte d’enseignement, transmet le dépôt révélé en parfaite harmonie avec tout ce que l’Eglise entière a toujours cru, en tout lieu.

Egalement la Fraternité trouve son guide dans la Tradition constante de l’Eglise qui transmet et transmettra jusqu’à la fin des temps l’ensemble des enseignements nécessaires au maintien de la foi et au salut, en attendant qu’un débat ouvert et sérieux, visant à un retour des autorités ecclésiastiques à la Tradition, soit rendu possible.

Nous nous unissons aux autres chrétiens persécutés dans les différents pays du monde qui souffrent pour la foi catholique, et très souvent jusqu’au martyre. Leur sang versé en union avec la Victime de nos autels est le gage du renouveau de l’Eglise in capite et membris, selon ce vieil adage « sanguis martyrum semen christianorum ».

« Enfin nous nous tournons vers la Vierge Marie, elle aussi jalouse des privilèges de son divin Fils, jalouse de sa gloire, de son Règne sur la terre comme au Ciel. Combien de fois elle est intervenue pour la défense, même armée, de la Chrétienté contre les ennemis du règne de Notre Seigneur ! Nous la supplions d’intervenir aujourd’hui pour chasser les ennemis de l’intérieur qui tentent de détruire l’Eglise plus radicalement que les ennemis de l’extérieur. Qu’elle daigne garder dans l’intégrité de la foi, dans l’amour de l’Eglise, dans la dévotion au successeur de Pierre, tous les membres de la Fraternité Saint-Pie X et tous les prêtres et fidèles qui œuvrent dans les mêmes sentiments, afin qu’elle nous garde et nous préserve tant du schisme que de l’hérésie.

« Que saint Michel archange nous communique son zèle pour la gloire de Dieu et sa force pour combattre le démon.

« Que saint Pie X nous fasse part de sa sagesse, de sa science et de sa sainteté pour discerner le vrai du faux et le bien du mal, dans ces temps de confusion et de mensonge. » (Mgr Marcel Lefebvre, Albano, 19 octobre 1983).

Ecône, le 14 juillet 2012

From the Vatican: apologies, as my computer is now not working

Vatican City,  (VIS) – Early this afternoon, the Holy See Press Office released the following English-language communique concerning the declaration which emerged from the General Chapter of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X.

“The recently concluded General Chapter of the Priestly Society of St. Pius X has addressed a declaration regarding the possibility of a canonical normalisation in the relationship of the Society and the Holy See. While it has been made public, the declaration remains primarily an internal document for study and discussion among the members of the Society.
“The Holy See has taken note of this declaration, but awaits the forthcoming official communication of the Priestly Society as their dialogue with the Pontifical Commission ‘Ecclesia Dei’ continues”.-here  is the link.

Just go to the Vatican Website and click on VIS-there--for news daily.

VIS

If you do not know about this, you should.

Vatican Information Service

Vatican Information Service is currently available in four languages.

CASTELLANO

ENGLISH

FRANÇAIS

ITALIAN

USA; the weak link in foreign diplomacy

The spokesperson for the United States government has not condemned the suicide attack in Syria. Since when does America support suicide attacks?  Someone has lost perspective here. Obama and Putin had discussions which ended up in non-agreement. This administration is an embarrassment on the world stage. And, because of a bland president in foreign policy, we may lose a vote for restrictions of violence in Syria in the UN. The problem is that there is no policy which is consistent. Look at Egypt, Libya, Pakistan...Note:

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, speaking earlier, said Syria was lurching into dangerous territory and emphasized that Assad's government would be held responsible if it failed to safeguard its chemical weapons sites - a major concern for U.S. and regional security planners.

"This is a situation that is rapidly spinning out of control," Panetta told a Pentagon news conference.

One European national security official, reflecting the intelligence estimate of Washington and its allies, said that while the deadly bomb blast that wiped out key Syrian security officials was a huge setback for Assad, it was not necessarily a death blow.

U.S. officials said they were still assessing reports of the Damascus attack - but did not condemn it outright.

"The United States does not welcome further bloodshed in Syria. We note, however, that these men were key architects of the Assad regime's assault on the Syrian people," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.

U.S. officials said they did not have any information on Assad's whereabouts, and declined to speculate on who might have been behind the attack.

"I have seen nothing yet that would lead me to believe we have a clear determination of who was behind it. It certainly has all the elements of an al Qaeda-type attack, knowing that al Qaeda has a significant presence there," Rep. Mike Rogers, the Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives intelligence committee, told Reuters.

"When there is confusion in the capital city all of these groups are going to try to take advantage of it."




Check out this article on the problem of chemical weapons falling into the hands of Al Qaeda--http://ca.news.yahoo.com/syria-brink-civil-war-jordanian-king-213636899.html

On Getting Past the Past

In the long discussions on the blog on the single life, I have had several comments from people who had to leave religious communities for one reason or another. I must honestly say the pain and suffering of these people moves me and calls for prayer. However, what is clear is that emotional suffering and psychological suffering interfere with our ability to see God clearly and to see what He is doing in our lives clearly. To be able to love demands that we accept Love. We can only love through Christ, in the Trinity, not of ourselves. But, sometimes, this process takes years. We also have to forgive ourselves for mistakes, failures, sin.

For the child who has never known the love of parents, especially a father, this would take Divine Intervention and grace to overcome.

For an abused person, of any age, forgiveness is necessary for healing.

For a person who has been betrayed and abandoned in marriage, the same--forgiveness and healing.

We see through a glass darkly, states St. Paul, not only because of our own sin, but the sin we endure from others. Some of us have experienced great hurt. Some of us forgave and still forgive, as we are forgiven.

As to having bad experiences in religious communities, I can personally state I understand, having been in a lay community for seven years as a young person, and having experienced rejection and selfishness by authorities in my life at the time.And yet, I regret none of my good decisions, which were made for God and did not involve sin.  Forgiveness is the key to healing. God wastes nothing we have experienced.

If one has tried a vocation and for whatever reason this path has ended up in failure, that is a real cross, again, as I know personally. However, those of us who did that made choices and tried to follow a vocation. We are not in the indecisive, non-committing group, which the statistics in several posts of the past week show, and as we see daily in the lives of lost youth. Being open, following a vocation, having that interrupted, is just plain suffering. That, too, can be a sign of dysfunction in our society. God has a plan.

God bless you all.

But, the Cross of Christ always leads to life, always. Golgotha was not the last word. The Resurrection is.

I repeat the rule that no anonymous commenting will be published, and I also do not publish references to the Church or the Pope which I consider rude or blasphemous. If I feel others would not accept or be able to read a comment calmly, or with love, I do not publish those either. I pray for my readers and commentators. God has a plan for all of us. Be hopeful, have courage.

Whose says martyrs can't be feisty?

Sts. Justa and Rufina Feast Day — July 19

Justa and Rufina were sisters who lived in Seville, Spain about two hundred years after Jesus’ life, death, Resurrection and Ascension into heaven. We believe that they became Christians after hearing missionaries preach about Christ. They were devout members of the Church and tried to live as faithful disciples of Jesus.

The sisters supported themselves by making and selling beautiful clay pots. They always gave some of their earnings to people in need. Like many other merchants, they sold their pottery from booths set up out of doors in the village where people could see them.

People who were celebrating a pagan festival honoring the Roman gods came to the sisters’ booth. They wanted to buy pots to use in their worship services. Justa and Rufina refused, explaining that they were followers of Christ and did not believe in false gods.  The worshippers became angry. They broke all of the Justa’s and Rufina’s pottery, smashing everything to the ground. The sisters responded to this by breaking an image of Venus, one of the pagan gods. They were arrested immediately.

The sisters were brought before the governor. He demanded that they give up their faith. They refused. He ordered the women to be jailed. The governor gave Justa and Rufina one last chance to speak out against Christ . They refused again.

Justa and Rufina died as martyrs for our faith. Their lives teach us what it means to follow the First Commandment: I am the Lord your God. You shall not have other gods besides me.

all from http://rclweb.com/resources/2009/07/19/sts-justa-and-rufina-feast-day-%E2%80%94-july-19/

Olympic disgust three

If you never have lived in a city where there has been an Olympics. count yourself lucky. Londoners are not happy. It is as if one was having a party for mature friends, and then discovered your teen-aged daughter and son invited all their friends to your nice, organized soiree. All of a sudden, there are 300 kids on the patio asking where the pop and computer games are...Also, the rules are getting more and more odd.


Really, can you imagine these early set of games? Here is my take--τὰ Ὀλύμπια 


(Panning out from the Acropolis, an aerial view -heck, this is pretend, right-of a bunch of guys in loin-clothes or nothing on )


(A media girl from the local news center at the well is interviewing the athletes)


(This journalist is named Athena.)


Athena: Here we are in the center of the training grounds for this Olympiad. Let's find out where this young man is from and what his sport is...Hi, what is your name, sir?


Young man: Pericles, but I am not related, you know...


Athena: Sure, what will you be doing here this week?


Pericles: I am not an athlete. You can talk to those guys there, Plato and Ephorus, they will run in the foot race.


Athena: Well, I can't interview them because well, I have an artist here drawing pictures, and you are dressed...you know.


Pericles: Actually, I am a caterer. I set up stalls and sell olives, figs, dried fish, honey cakes, wine, flat breads, cheese, and other things. I even have fresh water in little clay jars with little clay lids-look-for taking into the stadium. They are recyclable. When the water is gone, you just throw them on the ground and stamp on them. 


Athena: But, Pericles, this year no one can take water into the stadium. Security rules. We are expecting troubles from the Goths, I think. 


Pericles: No water jars? Oh, no and I invested so much in these. Well, I still have giant leaves with ice and snow from the mountains here in this special hide carrier so that people can stay cool.


Athena: Pericles, no one can take ice or snow into the arena either. 


Pericles: What about the aulos and specialty Egyptian sistrum types of instruments for making noise to encourage your athletes? I have bags of them made for the tourists to cheer on the home teams. I even went to Egypt and picked some up, but they each have a strange word I can't read on the side.


Athena: I think these characters say "China". No, all those musical instruments will not be allowed, either. Oh dear, you must have missed the announcements posted up on the pillars of the Parthenon.


Pericles: I haven't had time...shucks, I might as well pack all this up and go home.


Athena: I am sorry. Where is home? 


Pericles: Well, I guess I might as well tell you the truth. My real name is Varazdat and I am a boxer. I was intending to make some money on the side before the games started.


Athena: You mean you are the future King of Armenia? Wow! What a scoop for me.


Varazdat: Well, sure. Go ahead and tell people. I am just a little concerned as I hear there may be more wars involving the Romans and the Goths-- and some of my cousins have been banished to a place called Britannia already by the Emperor.  I really do not want to go there.


Athena: Why?


Varazdat: I hear it is called the Nanny State of the North and it rains all the time.


Athens: Well, that is all now from Athens. Maybe I'll just go speak with that guy over there. By the way, good luck with your fisticuffs. 


Varazdat: Ah, thanks. I have a good feel about this competition. I am in great shape and I am the greatest...

Athena: Sure, right, bye.

On the Order of Widows

Anna, the Widow and Prophetess

In Old and New Testament studies among both Catholic and Protestant scholars, a resurgence in the interest of the history of widows has happened. Now, some of the Protestant interpretations, usually, of course, based entirely on Scripture, reveal, as do the Catholic studies, the plight of the widow in the time of Christ. This post is not a history of the widow either in the Old or New Testament, but a discussion of what is sometimes called The Order of Widows.

Starting in the years following the World Wars, there emerged an interest in Europe to acknowledge the needs of widow both physically and spiritually. France seems to be the earliest example of the post-war re-institution of an Order of Widows. According to Elizabeth Rees, in the most complete article I have seen on this, the French Bishop of Paris had a blessing for widows approved by the CDW for a specific group attached to an order of nuns.

There are several groups in America, none of which have the approval of the Vatican at this time. Some live in communities, and some have non-communal affiliations. I do not mention them by name, as these are not approved, and in some cases, somewhat liberal. I would only recommend approved orders at this time.

However, in some European countries, but not in America, a few individual consecrated widows have made private vows to their bishops. These widows do not live in communities.

In the early Church, the Order of Widows may be connected to what is written in 1 Timothy 1-16. The criteria are that the widow must be truly one, of one husband; that she is over 60, (nice, assuming a woman younger may get married again), not gossipy or taken to wine, with an excellent reputation in helping the poor and other members of the Church.

One of the interesting notes is that it is the family who is to take care of the widow if she has one and not the Church. This is specifically stated. Those poor widows without families, of whom we can assume there were many, needed Church protection and funds.

Let a widow be chosen of no less than threescore years of age, who hath been the wife of one husband  Douay Rheims 1 Timothy 5:9

The Widow's Mite

Now, St. Paul uses the word "enrolled" or "chosen", and with the above list of set and clear criteria, the Church has concluded that this was some sort of "Order" with a rule.

That the Vatican has taken such a long time on revising this means that the CDW wants to get it right, clear, and in accordance with Scripture and Tradition.

At this time, for those women who are interested, I suggest you talk first with your spiritual director, then your bishop, and then, possibly write to Rome. If Rome had many letters requesting a renewal of this group, it may happen faster. In the meantime, a widow could make private vows, as least in Europe.

By the way, a widow is not a divorcee and an annulled woman. I did check that out with a priest who is involved with such a group. God bless all widows.