Death, Where is Thy Sting? Grave, Where is Thy Victory?!

No matter what occurs in these horrid times, our Divine Master has triumphed, and will vindicate His cause and His flock.

Christus surrexit! Marana tha!

Behold and See

All Perfectly Normal*

By this post, Dear Reader, intend no commentary on the identity of the pope. I am firmly convinced that one of these men is the reigning Successor of Peter–the Vicar of Christ on earth. Not a doubt in my mind.

I do not intend to shake your opinion on which one he is. Truly. You do you. Let’s all work out our salvation in fear and trembling, OK?

My point in calling your attention to this little piece by Sandro Magister concerning the notes written by Benedict XVI on the causes of the abuse crisis is to highlight the absolute enormity of this unprecedented, and unprecedentedly horrible, state of affairs.

The Asterisk * Papacy.

These gentlemen are not in lockstep with one agenda. Magister points out the curiosity of the timing of the writing of Benedict’s letter, the timing of its release, and the official handling of it and reaction to it. Excerpts from the full article, which is well worth reading in its entirety:

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In the week that followed the explosive publication of Joseph Ratzinger’s “notes” on the scandal of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, there are at least seven essential elements that have come into the open, which are to be kept in mind in view of future developments.

The first concerns the genesis of the publication of the “notes.” In the introductory paragraphs, Ratzinger says that he wrote them “in the hiatus between the announcement of the meeting of the presidents of the episcopal conferences and its real and proper beginning,” or between September 12 2018, the day of the announcement, and February 21 2019, the opening day of the summit.

But Ratzinger also says that he wrote them to “contribute one or two remarks to assist in this difficult hour.”

From which one deduces that he wrote them in order to offer them, first of all, to the leaders of the Church gathered at the Vatican by Pope Francis to discuss the question.

This was confirmed on April 13 by “Corriere della Sera,” the most widely read secular Italian newspaper, one of the press outlets that two days before had published the full text of the “notes”:

“Benedict sent the eighteen-and-a-half pages on pedophilia ‘to the gracious attention’ of the secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, before the global meeting of the episcopal conferences, to make them known also to Francis.”

What happened however is that none of the participants at the summit received Ratzinger’s text. Francis thought it better to keep it to himself, locked away in a drawer.

And no one would have known anything about it if Ratzinger himself, about forty days later, had not decided to make it public, formally in a little-known Bavarian magazine, “Klerusblatt,” but practically in a dozen major publications, Catholic and not, all over the world and in several languages, after alerting the highest Vatican authorities to this, as he himself has revealed:

“Having contacted the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin and the Holy Father himself, it seemed appropriate to publish this text in the Klerusblatt.”

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It is useful to recall that Bergoglio’s first telephone call after his election as pope, on the very evening of March 13 2013, was to none other than Stefania Falasca. And a good two times, in the days that preceded that conclave, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires had been to dinner at her house, where Tornielli was also present.

So then, with two tweets shortly after the publication of Ratzinger’s “notes” Falasca accused the pope emeritus of having violated two requirements that the 2004 directory “Apostolorum Successores” imposed on all bishops emeritus: “not to interfere in any way” with the reigning bishop, and not to “even hint at some kind of parallel authority.”

The first of the two articles by Agasso on “Vatican Insider” cited above takes its cue from here to maintain that the publication of the “notes” has broken an equilibrium between the two popes, and that this has even come to “a fracture.” And therefore “a ‘constitutional’ question is raised on the role of the pope emeritus.” A role that in effect is an unresolved tangle, but that Bergoglio’s apologists are now taking advantage of to order Ratzinger to remain silent and “hidden from the world.”

And the second article reiterates the same concept, in an interview with Massimo Faggioli, a disciple of what is called the “school of Bologna” and a professor at Villanova University in Philadelphia, he too convinced that “the problem is raised of regulating the figure of the [pope] emeritus for the future” and that in the meantime, at present, it is necessary that Benedict XVI “remain invisible.”

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Finally, the seventh but not last element of the story: Francis’s visit to Benedict, on the afternoon of April 15, for Easter and birthday greetings, as shown in the photo released by the Vatican press office.

During those same hours there came out on the front page of “L’Osservatore Romano” an editorial by Tornielli entitled “That ‘penitential way’ which unites the two pontificates,” which insists on the harmonious appeal of the two popes – in the major documents of the respective pontificates and most recently also in the “notes” – to prayer, penance, and the conversion of hearts as the master path for overcoming the scandal of abuse.

The two things together sound like a signal of truce, at the beginning of Holy Week.

But once again, not a single word from Francis and his spokesman on the contents of Ratzinger’s “notes” concerning the ultimate root of the scandal.

On this the divergence between Francis and Benedict remains intact. And unpredictable in its developments.

Daily Consecration of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest to the Immaculate Conception

In the presence of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and with heaven and earth as our witness, we prostrate ourselves at thy feet, O Mary, Our Lady.

We acknowledge Thee as our Mother, as the Immaculate Conception, living tabernacle of the Divinity, as Queen of angels and of men, as Mother of the Church and of the Catholic priesthood, and as refuge of the afflicted. That is why, small and weak that we are, we wish to consecrate to Thee our Institute, our families, our persons, our works, our future, all that pertains to us and is in us, and which God, in His immeasurable goodness, has entrusted to us for our good use.

We also consecrate to Thee the value of our good actions, past, present, and future, leaving to Thee the entire and full right of disposing of us and all that belongs to us. Mary, be our Mother; sanctify us, purify us, correct us, guide us, pray for us and protect us.

Help us to perfectly fulfill the duties of our state of life. Extinguish in us all self-love, which prevents Thy Divine Son, King and Sovereign Priest, from reigning in and around us.

Cover abundantly with thy maternal protection all the parishes, chapels, schools, works and missions entrusted to the Institute, and mayest Thou forever impede the devil from reigning, in any manner, in this Institute which desires to be entirely Thine for the greater glory of God, the exaltation of our Mother the Holy Catholic Church, and for the conversion of sinners. Amen.

When Will Catholics Defend Themselves?

As I write this, Notre Dame is burning, and will almost certainly be totally destroyed. As I write this, there is no definitive cause of the blaze. It is of course best to wait until the cause is established. I merely note the speed with which the government-beholden media pointed to the possibility that it “could” be linked to the ongoing restoration work. I also note that Paul Joseph Watson ran a story that a worker at the Cathedral claims it was intentionally set. You have to consider the sources for both versions, and wait and see. One thing is certain: should this be an intentional act, by a Muslim especially, the media will not be quick to acknowledge it, and will likely blame Catholics for inciting it by their “hate”.

I am not the only one who sees a metaphor in the loss of this magnificent church in honor of the Mediatrix of All Graces. It may or may not be a direct product of the death of Western Civilization– in other words, Catholic Civilization. But at least it is a symptom of it.

We have a Church that has been taken over by either a) the most anti-Catholic pope in history; or, b) the most anti-Catholic antipope in history. The hierarchy has totally sold out to the world, most of them exuberantly, most of the rest cowardly, and a very few “good” ones meekly. The wolves are among the sheep and NOBODY will do anything about it.

We are left to shift for ourselves.

The UK is long gone. France, like most Western European nations, is under seige. The U.S. is just a few years behind. Nobody does anything. Donald Trump campaigned, in his inimitable way, on the promise of doing something, ANYTHING, about it. We elected him. The results have been mixed at best. But still.

Who will do anything to protect Catholics from the satanic mob that howls for our blood? Bergoglio? Please. Benedict? Obviously not. The good bishops? No, but they will write a cogent obituary explaining how we were right and probably should not have been killed.

Where is our hope? Of course, our hope is in the Lord, and victory is certain. Of course, our hope is in Our Lady, her triumph, predicted at Fatima, is certain.

But is that it? Pray your Rosaries and wait for death? That’s it? Let Mary sort it out?

How far we are from the Crusades, Lepanto, Vienna and the victory in Spain.

Our Lady of Fatima, how long? And what can we do until you act?

Missouri Homeschoolers: HSLDA Asks for Your Help on Pending Legislation

HB 1139, pending in committee, would improve the Missouri homeschooling laws. Missouri is a reasonably good state for homeschooling, but this bill would make it better still. For information, check out the HSLDA alert here.

We All Wear the Same Thorny Crown

Mesonestios

Keep up the fight! Today is the midpoint of Lent.

From the Mozarabic missal, via The Liturgical Year:

Looking forward, dearly beloved brethren, to the hope of the Passion and Resurrection of the Son of God, as also to the manifestation of the glory of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : resume your strength and courage. Be not daunted by the labour you have to go through, but remember the solemnity of the holy Pasch, for which you are so ardently longing. One half of holy Lent is over: you have gone through the difficulties of the past, why should you not be courageous about the future fast? Jesus, who deigned to suffer fatigue for our sake, will give strength to them that are fatigued. He that granted us to begin the past, will enable us to complete the future. Children! He will be with us to assist us, who wishes us to hope for the glory of his Passion. Amen.

Lenten Prayer

My God, I love Thee; not because
I hope for heav’n thereby,
nor yet for fear that loving not
I might forever die;
but for that Thou didst all mankind
upon the cross embrace;
for us didst bear the nails and spear,
and manifold disgrace;

And griefs and torments numberless,
and sweat of agony;
e’en death itself, and all for man,
who was Thine enemy.
Then why, most loving Jesus Christ,
should I not love Thee well?
Not for the sake of winning heav’n,
nor any fear of hell;

Not with the hope of gaining aught,
nor seeking a reward,
but as Thyself hast loved me,
O ever-loving Lord!
E’en so I love Thee, and will love,
and in Thy praise will sing,
solely because Thou art my God
and my eternal King!

–St. Francis Xavier

It’s a Jaguar

Get it?

In fact, it is a Katherine Bernhardt original. Just parked in a drive in the STL.