Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Magister: Cold shower for Synod innovators

Italian Vaticanist, Sandro Magister...
Synod. Cold Shower for the Innovators  
The preparatory document for the October session puts the brakes on communion for the divorced and remarried and on homosexual unions. New voices from Africa and Latin America. All in support of perennial doctrine. 

by Sandro Magister 
 ROME, June 30, 2015 - One week from its publication, the “working instrument” for the next session of the synod of bishops on the family is showing itself to be ever more disappointing for the champions of change...

Continue reading Magister on the Synod... 



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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Fr. Perrone: Prayer, penance, and self-imposed controls - we need all three of them

Photo: Fr. Perrone leads the Holy Rosary after the 9:30 a.m. Mass today


In his homily at the 9:30 a.m. Mass today (EF), he spoke about the need for prayer, penance, and self-imposed controls.

Please go to GrottoCast.com and click the embedded player to hear online.  If you have a SoundCloud app and are subscribed to GrottoCast, you should see the latest homily.

Several people have asked me to email them homilies.  There is really no way for me to keep track of who to email every week.  However, in the main side-bar at GrottoCast.com, you will see a field where you can type in your email address.  Once you do that, you will get notification when there is a new post. This way, you are in control.







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For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Fr. Perrone: "Oppose the sinful inclinations that induce you to commit your sins"

Below is Fr. Perrone's column from the Grotto News for June 28th.  I read it on Thursday after receiving it, so this was written earlier in the week, before the Supreme Court ruling, yet it is very apropos.

Later today, God-willing, audio of his homily will be available at GrottoCast.com


A Pastor’s Descant
June 28, 2015

I wonder how cognizant people are about the true state of things at this time. My guess is that they are not much aware, or at least not all that much troubled by them. I’ve avoided apocalyptic warnings to you for the good reason that they would be false. Only God knows for sure when the travail of the final days will be upon us. This does not mean, however, that there cannot be a time great turmoil in the world–a time of disturbances which afflict the entire societal body in the political, moral, and religious areas of life–which is to say, in every aspect.

The near collapse of order in beneficent government, national and worldwide, in societal structures, in education, the military, in law and judiciary, in education and arts, in economy and–hard to admit it–even in the Church, does not seem overmuch to worry many people, because they’ve been lulled into reverie by an enveloping, all-pervading sensuality. The palliative effect of pleasures which distract our minds and cloud our judgment tends to make us oblivious to the disorder all around us: the effect being much like an anaesthetic on a body suffering some pathological condition. Pain is a warning that something’s amiss that needs remedying. Covering over problems with blithe distractions from sensual comforts allows decay unattended to advance, to worsen.

Men’s ambition and pride lead to resentment of authority; their inclination towards evil, and especially towards sexual indulgence, leads them to want to give way to outpourings of their lawless passions (anger, lust and disregard for law and discipline); and these in turn make men turn away from God and prepare them to become practical atheists, which is to say, agnostics. It is only at this last phase that we begin to see clearly that there’s more than human ambition and weakness behind the ensuing general disorder–that it is demonically inspired. In any case, whether we are willing to believe in the Enemy’s hand in this or not, we are all feeling the effects of the advancing chaos in the disharmony in our marriages and families, in our ineffective educational attempts in our schools, in the squeeze that holds our money and property, in the ever-wider encroachment of big government over more and more aspects of our lives, in the disturbances and discomfort we are feeling by being in a Godless public, in the uncertainty and fears we experience as ominous, impending calamity, in the division in the Church, etc.

Much more needs to be said about these things that can’t be aired here. But my reasons for bringing them up are 1) to assure that all this is not right, is not normal, and is decidedly deadly for continuance in an ordered world; 2) to speculate about what the right response should be in the face of this distorted scene. Responses are basically of two kinds: a) offensive action which seeks to rectify the troubles by opposing the many seducing errors and the moral decay; b) prayer and sacrifice, both for restoration of order and for making reparation for damages already done. These two forms are often posed as being in tension with each other: the ‘direct confrontation approach’ or the more ‘indirect’ and (seemingly) ‘passive.’ In truth, I can’t say that there is an alternative: both are needed. We need front-line fighters and we need prayer-warriors (pardon that gooey expression). What we cannot do is to become idle and numb, indifferent and unconcerned, allowing evil to go unopposed, and thus to advance.

If I am undecided about which of these to recommend to you the more, I would, as your pastor, say at least this much with utter confidence: you must stop your own slinking into the myriad forms of evil that are rotting souls. You simply cannot give way to your passions – which are the internal originators of all the disorder and chaos in society and in the Church. You, in simple terms, have got to oppose the sinful inclinations that induce you to commit your sins. Never mind the terrible things other people are doing, how bad the world is getting, how dizzying the turmoil in the Church. Be saintly, and do not budge from the way of righteousness. Be tough on yourselves and be holy people. The reform of the world begins with you, in your own soul. Then, and only then, should you proceed with your plan of righting the wrongs of others. This program is a version of what our Lord Himself said: remove the plank in your own eye before removing the splinter in the eyes of others.

Don’t mistake my meaning. I am not suggesting that we should not oppose the tremendous evils that are upsetting the God-willed harmony and order of the world and the Church. We must oppose these. Nor am I saying that we should not be making the much-needed Eucharistic holy hours to appease divine justice and petition divine intervention. We, however, must not be hypocrites, outwardly valiant and righteous but inwardly unconverted. What is inexcusable is indolence and apathy and, of course, complicity in the great movement to overthrow the God-given order of truth, goodness, beauty, and holiness, a movement which is not fundamentally a thing but a destructive and malevolent person who rails against God and seeks to frustrate His plans for the salvation of the human race.

Fr. Perrone


P.S. This will be my last Descant for a while as I take my summertime lease for mental and physical refreshment. Fr. John, to whom I confidently entrust your pastoral care, will no doubt graciously supply in my absence.



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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Friday, June 26, 2015

Michigan Bishops respond to Supreme Court ruling on 'gay marriage'



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 26, 2015
(Lansing, Mich.) — Michigan's Catholic bishops today released a joint statement through the Michigan Catholic Conference responding to the United States Supreme Court decision in the Obergefell v. Hodges case that redefines the institution of marriage in this country.

Statement from Michigan's Catholic Bishops

Today’s decision from the U.S. Supreme Court to redefine marriage represents a profound legal turning point in the contemporary and cultural understanding of spouses and family. We continue to teach that every human person deserves respect and compassion. The experience of same-sex attraction is a reality that calls for attention, sensitivity and pastoral care. While every person is called to love and deserves to be loved, today’s momentous decision will not change the truth of the Church’s teaching on marriage.
The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is and can only be the union of one man and one woman. This union brings two persons together and, because of their natural biological composition, each bring qualities to the marriage that differ from one another. Man and woman complement each other; they then become united as one in marriage and together are unique in their ability to create new life based on sexual and reproductive differences.
Every child has a mother and a father and even though each child deserves to be loved and raised by them together, we are conscious of and loving toward those circumstances in which this arrangement of a married mother and father in the home is not reality. Married couples unable to conceive children or family structures that differ – single parents, widowed parents, adopted children and those being raised by grandparents or other family members – merit compassion and support for their life situations, which at times can be difficult and challenging. The Church and her ministries must remain conscious of and respectful toward these differing dynamics, especially when support, counsel and love is sought.
Going forward, the Supreme Court’s decision to redefine marriage will have a significant ripple effect upon the first amendment right to religious liberty. It sets the Church’s teaching about marriage in opposition to the law and will create inestimable conflicts between the state and religious persons and institutions. As the impact of the decision plays out over the coming weeks and months the Catholic Church will continue to preach the truth about marriage and will promote, in the public square, this truth as what is good for society and our world.
  • Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
    Archbishop of Detroit
  • Most Reverend Earl A Boyea
    Bishop of Lansing
  • Most Reverend Paul J. Bradley
    Bishop of Kalamazoo
  • Most Reverend Joseph R. Cistone
    Bishop of Saginaw
  • Most Reverend John F. Doerfler
    Bishop of Marquette
  • Most Reverend Steven J. Raica
    Bishop of Gaylord
  • Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak
    Bishop of Grand Rapids
  • Most Reverend Michael J. Byrnes
    Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
  • Most Reverend Arturo Cepeda
    Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
  • Most Reverend Donald F. Hanchon
    Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
  • Most Reverend Francis R. Reiss
    Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit
Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.
Source: http://www.micatholic.org/advocacy/news-room/news-releases/2015/bishops-respond-to-decision-to-redefine-marriage/




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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Who needs football when you can watch Italian journalists spar over Medjugorje

Last night, I discussed the bombshell report from Vatican watcher, Gianluca Barile, concerning Medjugorje, and linked to the full translation of his report by Richard Chonak.

This morning, we read that Andrea Tornielli is refuting (Italian) any notion that the case has gone to the Holy Father on the basis that, he says, the CDF's feria quarta did not take place.  That part contradicts what both Barile said, and what was reported in il Giornale, as I discussed in my post.  I don't know if it means anything or not that Cardinal Muller saw the pope this morning. It could have been a regular visit; it could have been regarding other matters, and it could have been regarding Medjugorje. Who knows?

Some hours later Gianluca responded to Tornielli's report (Italian), with a heading that basically says, "It's the denial that denies not much of anything."

So, there are two issues here: 1) Did the meeting happen, and more importantly, the bottom line - does the Holy Father now hold the cards?  2) What is coming down whether it is tomorrow or at the end of the year?

Where Tornielli seems to believe nothing can happen until there is a meeting and a vote within the CDF, if I understand him correctly, Barile reminds readers that the final decision rests with the Holy Father. I don't know if he concedes that the meeting may not have taken place and is saying it is only a formality that may not be necessary, or if he still believes the meeting did take place.

What is more important, and before people get all excited about what Tornielli says about the report going to the Holy Father or not, Andrea does not seem to deny any of the significant seemingly leaked guidelines posted by Barile.   I listed them in my post yesterday.  Whether we hear the decision of the Holy Father tomorrow, or at the end of the year, doesn't really matter. What really matters is the substance.  After 34 years, even a few months seems "imminent"

As Republica also reported (Italian), the biggest clincher in all of this was the money factor and how the alleged visionaries are raking in bucks connected to tourist gigs and hotels.  Along with that are theological inconsistencies and disobedience to the local bishop, to the diocese, and to the Pope himself (when ordered through the commission to disclose the 10 secrets and they did not).

So, everyone can have their fun speculating "when" but the most important part is the "what".  No one seems to be denying some very devastating consequences coming down on the alleged visionaries, and the ripple effect to devotees.

Update: I'd like to remind people to that Tornielli is hardly unbiased in his reporting on anything related to Medjugorje.



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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Full translation of Gianluca Barile's report on CDF and Medjugorje…



Two main sources in Italy dropped bombshells by publishing articles online suggesting they had gotten a scoop on what is soon to happen with Medjugorje. One of those is a report from Vatican watcher Gianluca Barile, writing at Diary of a Vaticanista;  and the other, a report by Serena Sartini of il Giornale .  The accounts differ slightly, and neither mentions where they got the information, so presumably, it was leaked. Therefore, the usual caveats apply.

Both of these sources do agree that a meeting took place yesterday; and, the CDF's findings agreed with that of Cardinal Ruini's commission Medjugorje; and, that the report is now with the Holy Father.  Radio Maria (Italy) several hours later made two Tweets within a few minutes of one another, with one suggesting the meeting of the CDF never happened, so "sleep well", and the other relaying the June 25, 2015 Medjugorje Message by Marija.  Of course, they don't cite a source either for suggesting no meeting took place.  With all the dust stirred up, I'll be surprised if we don't hear from Fr. Lombardi once again.

So as things usually go with Medjugorje, and with two reports slightly varying, everyone gets to pick which source fits their fancy.  Richard Chonak has completed a full translation of one of the reports - the one by Gianluca Barile. You can read the whole thing in his post at Catholic Light: Has CDF Decided?

Barile offered the most stinging details.  A few main points according to his report:

  • The judgment is "absolutely negative" - the "apparitions" are not supernatural
  • The only concession is recognition of Medjugorje as a "place of prayer" because  as Gianluca reports: "Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith" said during the meeting, "God knows how to reap where he does not sow"
  • St. James will not be given shrine status as devotees and "visionaries" had hoped. 
  • The "visionaries" are to be isolated from the people in such a way that forbids pilgrims from any contact with them while in ecstasy; and the "visionaries" forbidden to disclose "messages". 
  • Bishops are forbidden to have the "visionaries" speak in their dioceses as we have seen in the past. 
  • Pilgrims will be allowed to visit the parish for the Sacraments and prayer, and may bring a priest, but on condition that they do nothing, by their presence, to recognize the "apparitions."  
It's hard to believe that pilgrims will visit Medjugorje without rejecting the Holy See's final discernment on authenticity and be their own "magisterium" on the matter.  It makes me wonder if the Church would order the removal of certain reminders of the "apparitions" such as the statue that Bishop Zanic ordered removed in 1985, which read, in part:

In the meantime, matters remain as they were, and a great disgrace is expected to befall the Church. Now, without any delay, after all this, I demand from you that you remove the "visionaries" from public display and put an end to their "visions" in the parish church. They have had "visions" in Mostar, and earlier in Sarajevo, Visoko and Dubrovnik. Let them now have them at their homes: people say that they had them at their homes during 1981. In ten days the new statue of the Gospa in front of the main altar ought to be discreetly removed late one evening and replaced by the old one. You must stop talking about apparitions and also cease publicizing messages. The devotions that grew out of the "apparitions" and their messages must be eliminated, sales of souvenirs and printed material which propagate the "apparitions" must also stop. The faithful can go to the sacrament of reconciliation and attend Mass. I do not allow the other priests, especially Fathers Jozo Zovko, Tomislav Vlasic and Ljudevit Rupcic, to celebrate Mass for the faithful or to preach. (March 25, 1985 - Source)


Perhaps Our Lady of Perpetual Help statue would be more fitting, among many others already approved by the Church.

I also wonder, again, if Gianluca's report is accurate, whether the Church will address those who are promoting Medjugorje through websites, books, magazines, and various pieces of merchandise from medals and special rosaries to medals, handbags, and other items.

Gianluca gives several reasons as to why the Holy See is supposedly coming down so hard.  Here is an excerpt from Richard's translation:
But why so much severity on the Vatican’s part? First of all, due to the theological inconsistency of the messages, then because of the economic interest of the “seers” who have invested in inns and travel agencies, and hence due to the rivalry which has divided some of them, and for the disobedience shown both toward the bishop of Mostar, their Diocese, and toward the Pope who, by means of the “Ruini Commission”, ordered them in vain to present the ten secrets which they allegedly received from the “Gospa”. One of the key aspects which impelled the Vatican to use the iron fist, is precisely that of money: true seers have never been seen making money from their own apparitions. On this point, it’s only right to ask: do the six “seers” of Medjugorje maintain that they see and speak with our Lady because the alleged apparitions are real, or only to attract a greater number of pilgrims to travel with their agencies and make reservations in their inns?

Now, I said there was a second report - the one in il Giornale.  I provided the link in the beginning.  The best I can offer is to suggest you put it into an auto translator if you don't know Italian.

Soon, all of this time spent discussing it will simply be time we can't get back.

When it comes to the Church discerning Medjugorje, I'm not interested in who's right and who's wrong; I'm interested in truth.  Charity, justice, and mercy subsist in truth.  Without truth, we engage in false charity. Injustice is the fruit of "justice" without truth. And, cruelty is the end result of "mercy" that is devoid of truth.  

Jimmy Akin has some good points about the things we've seen floating around the cyber-diocese in recent days.



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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

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Monday, June 22, 2015

Pope Francis revealed blunt thoughts on Medjugorje in interview in Brazilian book




A pro-Medjugorje website in Brazil is reporting that Pope Francis, while in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day, made some rather blunt comments concerning Medjugorje, and about activities of the alleged visionaries.  The title of the post says a lot:  "Pope Francis says those who say they see Our ​​Lady have psychological problems and that the seers of Medjugorje lie to the people."  

Now, we are at the mercy of the website which is supplying this information and I'm merely passing along what they report.

The website discusses information revealed in a book by Father Alexander Awi Mello, who interviewed the Holy Father during his trip to Brazil.  The book, "She's my Mother: Encounters of Pope Francis with Mary" is published by Edições Loyola.  I'm told it is in several languages: Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and German (sorry, I don't have all of the links). From what I understand, Father Mello inquired about having it translated into English, but for whatever reason, the publisher has not done this.

Medjugorje is discussed on pages 235 and 236 in the Portuguese edition, but we get just a few excerpts, so I don't know if Pope Francis really said, "the seers of Medjugorje lie to the people," or if that was just their chosen headline.  

Around the time of the 2013 Conclave, alleged visionary, Ivan Dragicevic, was booked in some venues in South America, including Buenos Aires. Organizers attempted to book him at a local church or the cathedral.  This was widely exploited later by pro-Medjugorje sites as, "Pope Francis approved" Ivan's activities.  But, as we will soon see, things are not as they have reported. 

Now, what I'm about to quote is mainly taken from an auto-translate, which was not too bad, but I did run it past a friend who reads Portuguese.  If anyone out there with expertise in Portuguese wants to offer corrections, use my profile email to send me notes and I'll consider updates. 

Let's dig into that post.  Near the beginning it says the Pope, thinking back, stated:


"In relation to Medjugorje, I forbid a meeting to take place while we were here at the Conclave, so they knew I did not agree."  

He explains why he opposed the meeting, without directly answering any question of authenticity:


"I did this because one of the visionaries would speak and give some explanations and then at four-thirty Our Lady would appear! That is, he holds the agenda of Our Lady! So, I told them, no; look, that kind of thing I do not want here. I said no. Not in the Church." 
We recently heard Pope Francis say something similar in a homily, no? 

It's not quite what you find on pro-Medjugorje sites which say that the then Cardinal Bergoglio approved of Ivan's activities there in Argentina. And, here is another.  This is what you hear from devotees of the lady of Medjugorje because someone, somewhere, is playing loose with the facts on websites which they read.  If you try to raise questions or point out conflicts, you get accused of attacking Our Lady herself!

Pope Francis explained further: 


"But we must distinguish that in Medjugorje, God makes miracles, you know? So, in the midst of human follies, God continues working miracles, is that not so?" 


That goes right to Romans 5:20, which basically means, where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.  Some will also explain the passage by saying, "God can make even bad things serve our good, or the good of others;" or "God can draw straight with crooked lines."  More to the point, and something I've written on before when acknowledging the conversions, vocations, and some extraordinary stories of recovery: The Blessed Virgin Mary is going to hear those who approach her with pure intentions, whether she is appearing to anyone from Medjugorje or not.  And, if she is not appearing to any of these alleged visionaries, she is not going to fault those who go to her looking for a closer relationship and the graces that come from that.  Likewise, God is going to give graces to people who make use of the Sacraments, even if Mary is not appearing to anyone.  That's pure superstition to think the apparition itself is needed for graces. He then says:


"Maybe there are more personal phenomena. Some letters have reached me, but you see that there are more psychological issues… We have to distinguish good things…"



Now, for the last part, I'm going to leave you with a slightly enhanced Google translate. 

At another time, when we were already walking about the Apostolic Palace Francisco returned to the subject, as if the question were working inside him: "The theme of the apparitions, to be clear. Try to see the side of the locution. So, as I said, it will be from one extreme to another. Sometimes this phrase almost physically embodies a vision and sometimes it can be a mere inspiration , "says the Pope seeking concepts to express what he thinks about these phenomena. " For example ," he continues, "those people who feel that Our Lady tells them something have a voiceover in prayer and then say: Our Lady told me that ... Of course. They express it in a way that it seems that she appeared to them … But that the seers are protagonists and organize scheduled appearances … that is a sin that may accompany a great grace. "




Wow!   My comments  


My understanding of that last sentence is that Pope Francis is drawing a comparison between the person who comes to understand something during prayer or meditation and says, "Our Lady told me…," without intending to suggest she actually heard or saw Mary.  She is merely conveying an inspiration.  He then distinguishes others from these  - those who actually claim to see or hear Mary, who act as protagonists (a word Pope Francis used), and who organize scheduled appearances.  That he refers to such activity as a sin, if I understood him correctly, tells us that kind of behavior leans left on the discernment meter.

What the Holy Father said there should send a chill down the spine of anyone claiming to have heavenly visions or locutions, if not authentic.  I'll wait for the Church to speak on Medjugorje itself, but in general, to claim heavenly visions if they aren't there, and if full consent of the will is involved in a lie - this would be gravely sinful.  Such persons do not have fear of God, and blind themselves to the possibility of eternal damnation if they die without repenting of such sin. There is no charity towards anyone involved for a priest in a parish, a bishop in a diocese, or the Church in a case with wide reach, to allow an untruth continue, on the basis that good comes from the thing.  This is nothing more than using evil for good, which is never right (Veritatis Splendor 75).  People involved in sinful acts should never be enabled by Holy Mother Church, but given every opportunity to convert before they meet their Maker.  That is true mercy.  Mercy, justice, and charity - all of these subsist in truth.

Perhaps the words of Pope Francis here give us a glimpse into which way he is leaning: Will he maintain the status of the 1991 Zadar Declaration, which says these phenomena "cannot be affirmed as supernatural"; or, will he change the status altogether to "it can be affirmed as not supernatural."  One thing is for certain: Alleged apparitions cannot be approved while ongoing because of what could happen should the entity begin speaking about the fourth person of the Trinity the next day. But, false apparitions can be, and have been, condemned as not supernatural, while ongoing, many times.

I keep going back to the fact that an international commission was formed to study the case and give those findings to the CDF, and ultimately to the Holy Father.  I'm wondering if a commission was really necessary if Pope Benedict XVI had simply foresaw issuing more specific guidelines. Or, was the commission necessary in order to vacate the Zadar Declaration and ultimately to change the status?

My personal belief: This one got away from the Church decades ago.   It's time to give truth pride of place and trust God to guide the innocent souls caught in the mix.

Image at top: By Benhur Arcayan/Malatinszky (cropping) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons


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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Audio: Fr. Perrone's homily from this weekend now available.


Please go to GrottoCast.com for the latest audio homily by Fr. Perrone, from this weekend.




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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Even before Encyclical, "Laudato Si" was released, some Catholics be like…



In the last day or two it seemed like some Catholics be like the emu's and ostrich dealing with the weasel ball in this video.

Here is the text of "Laudato Si", the Pope's widely anticipated Encyclical.  Don't let others tell you what's in it; use your God-given faculties to find out yourself.

Last night, I had to stop reading certain sites and threads because the nit-picking rate made it seem like the Internet was having a grand mal seizure.  I'll discuss thoughts after I've read the document myself, rather than rely on excerpts that could be missing a key piece of context.  I would encourage you to do the same.  If you have time to watch TV, be on the internet, or time to comment on lots of other people's excerpts, just read the thing yourself.  If you read 20 pages per day, you will be done with it in 10.  If you read 10 pages every day, you'll be done in 20.  This way, when you see commentaries, you can be well informed.

Try this: Don't make a public opinion one way or the other until YOU have read it YOURSELF. That's my plan, so you won't be hearing from me until I'm done with it, and I'm a slow reader. I will time myself though just out of curiosity.






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Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Photo post: Mass of Thanksgiving - Fr. Douglas Braun.

Last Saturday, Fr. Douglas Braun was ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.  He returned to Assumption Grotto today to celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving.  He chose to do this Mass in Extraordinary Form (1962 Missal) and it was a Solemn High Mass.

Fr. Braun was known to many of us at Grotto and he was a member of my Carmelite community there. We can only hope his schedule will permit him to visit us on a First Saturday some time.

Before we get into the photos, be sure to visit GrottoCast for Fr. Perrone's homily on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was uploaded a short time ago.  There are some images in that post from that 9:30 A.M. Mass, as well.



This was the Prayers at the Foot of the Altar.


The start of the Gloria



This was in the middle of the Gloria, as the Assumption Grotto Choir sang (it's not uncommon for the priests and people to sit, especially during longer versions).  We see here, Fr. John Bustamante, associate pastor at Assumption Grotto to Fr. Braun's right as the deacon of the Mass; and, to his left is Br. Esteban Ybarra, FMCD serving as subdeacon of the Mass.


The First Lesson on the Third Sunday after Pentecost being read from the Missa 'Respice in Me' (within the octave of the Sacred Heart of Jesus). 


The Gospel here is about to be read after incensing.


Fr. John Bustamante delivers a homily on the Sacred Heart




Fr. Braun is incensing the altar as we enter the Offertory. Someone asked me what the subdeacon of the Mass, over to the left, was holding under the humeral veil. It is the Paten. This one-pager explains.


Lots of incense in the 1962 Missal for Solemn High Masses.


Fr. Braun elevates the Body of Christ just consecrated at his freshly ordained hands.



Elevation of the Chalice with the Blood of Christ


This is one of the most beautiful moments after the Consecration and Elevation - when the celebrant consumes the Body of Christ, the deacon and subdeacon will stand in either corner on the top step and bow. This photo was taken just before that bow.  When I noticed this the first time back in 2007, it struck me. The profound sense of reverence shown impacted my level of interior reverence.




The priest turns and says, "Ecce Angus Dei…" (This is the Lamb of God…)



A kneeler was brought out for the altar boys as they were given Communion



The final blessing


After Mass, a marriage was blessed by Fr. Braun



After that, Father did "First Blessings" along the altar rail


A small child looks up at the figure towering over her as a blessing is given.



You can view all 54 pictures taken in the Smugmug gallery for this event.  I ask that links be provided to this post rather than direct to the gallery, since there is some useful info here and background.

Here is a link again to Fr. Perrone's homily on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was delivered at the 9:30 a.m. Mass, is now available at GrottoCast.

If you click on the title of this post, it will be easy to share it in social media and email.  Ditto for any post at GrottoCast.  If you did not see the Corpus Christi Procession video, you might want to check that out, as well.




Visit GrottoCast.com for audio homilies from Assumption Grotto and more.


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Saturday, June 13, 2015

Cardin Sarah, CDW Prefect, commenting on ad orientem posture, and active participation

This was really refreshing to read at Catholic Culture today.


Paying tribute to the Second Vatican Council’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy as a liturgical “Magna Carta,” Cardinal Robert Sarah called for a more faithful implementation of its text, lamented misin
terpretations of its teaching on “active participation,” and suggested an appendix to the Roman Missal that might better manifest the continuity of the extraordinary and ordinary forms of the celebration of the Mass. 
“The liturgy is essentially the action of Christ,” the prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship wrote in the June 12 edition of L’Osservatore Romano. “If this vital principle is not received in faith, it is likely to make the liturgy a human work, a self-celebration of the community.” He continued: To speak of a ‘celebrating community’ is not without ambiguity and requires real caution. The participatio actuosa [active participation] should not therefore be understood as the need to do something. On this point the teaching of the Council has often been distorted. It is instead to let Christ take us and associate us with his sacrifice. Citing the teaching of Pope Francis, Cardinal Sarah criticized the attitude of priests who make themselves the focal point of the liturgy. 
“It is entirely consistent with the conciliar constitution, it is indeed opportune that, during the rite of penance, the singing of the Gloria, the orations, and the Eucharistic prayer, everyone, priest and faithful, should turn together towards the East, to express their will to participate in the work of worship and of redemption accomplished by Christ,” he continued. “This manner of doing things could opportunely be put into place in cathedrals, where liturgical life must be exemplary.”

I know, when I first encountered it on May 15, 2005 at Assumption Grotto, my first reaction was, "Oh, No! The priest has his back to us."   All through Mass I found myself shifting around in my pew, as if to try to find his face.  On the way home it hit me like a ton of bricks.  I was seeking the face of the priest in the Mass when it is the Face of God I should be seeking in my worship.  Worship has a contemplative dimension. I'll share, in a moment something beautiful that Pope John Paul II said about that, but first more of what Cardinal Sarah said.

Continuing his discussion of “active participation,” Cardinal Sarah criticized the “contemporary Western mentality” in which the faithful are to be “constantly busy” and in which the Mass is to be rendered “convivial.” On the contrary, “sacred awe” and “joyful fear require our silence in the presence of the divine majesty. It is often forgotten that sacred silence is one of the means set forth by the Council to encourage participation.”
Read the rest at Catholic Culture.

Now, on active participation, Saint John Paul II had this to say in an ad limina address to US bishops the late 1990's.  Here is the first part of section 3, using the text at the Adoremus site (emphasis mine in bold):


3. Only by being radically faithful to this doctrinal foundation can we avoid one-dimensional and unilateral interpretations of the Council's teaching. The sharing of all the baptized in the one priesthood of Jesus Christ is the key to understanding the Council's call for full, conscious and active participation in the liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium, 14). Full participation certainly means that every member of the community has a part to play in the liturgy; and in this respect a great deal has been achieved in parishes and communities across your land. But full participation does not mean that everyone does everything, since this would lead to a clericalizing of the laity and a laicizing of the priesthood; and this was not what the Council had in mind. The liturgy, like the Church, is intended to be hierarchical and polyphonic, respecting the different roles assigned by Christ and allowing all the different voices to blend in one great hymn of praise.

Active participation certainly means that, in gesture, word, song and service, all the members of the community take part in an act of worship, which is anything but inert or passive. Yet active participation does not preclude the active passivity of silence, stillness and listening: indeed, it demands it. Worshippers are not passive, for instance, when listening to the readings or the homily, or following the prayers of the celebrant, and the chants and music of the liturgy. These are experiences of silence and stillness, but they are in their own way profoundly active. In a culture which neither favors nor fosters meditative quiet, the art of interior listening is learned only with difficulty. Here we see how the liturgy, though it must always be properly inculturated, must also be counter-cultural.

Photo Attributions

Cardinal Sarah: By François-Régis Salefran (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Pope John Paul II: By Hernan Valencias (Colombian journalist) (flickr.com) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons


Visit GrottoCast.com for audio homilies from Assumption Grotto and more.


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Some noteworthy events coming up



Most of these events are at Assumption Grotto, but there are some other things coming up that would be of interest to Grotto-goers and others.  I have been asked about the Helper's of God's Precious Infants summer vigil and at this time, I do not have a flyer for anything.  I may have missed it.  If anyone is aware of a vigil coming up, please contact me: TeDeumBlog (at) gmail (dot) com. 

June 11: Passio Domini

Every Thursday after the evening Mass at 7:00, the Passio Domini continues until about 9:00 p.m.  It is a Holy Hour with Exposition for the sanctification of the priesthood.  All evening Masses now use the 1962 Missal, with some rare exceptions, as are the 7:30 a.m. Masses which run from Monday through Saturday.  

June 12: Holy Hour on Friday at Assumption Grotto  


From AssumptionGrotto.com:

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule this month on whether same-sex “marriages” are a constitutional right. Because this momentous decision could redefine marriage and affect our religious freedom, our parish will have a special Holy Hour for Marriage this Friday at 8 pm following the Mass of the Sacred Heart at 7 pm. Please join us as we pray that the Supreme Court will uphold traditional marriage


June 13: Fatima Devotions

From 10-11 a.m. there will be Fatima Devotions.  I do not know at this time if there is a special Mass involved, or if you would want to go to the 7:30 a.m. for that.  There is coffee in the gift shop starting at around 8:30 most mornings.  

June 14: EF Mass Moves to Noon this Sunday again

This Sunday, the EF Mass (aka, "Tridentine") will move to the Noon time slot along with the Assumption Grotto Choir for a Mass of Thanksgiving by a Grotto-goer recently ordained. Read about it in Fr. Perrone's column in the June 7, 2015 Grotto News.  This means the 9:30 a.m. Mass will be in Ordinary Form (aka "new Mass") and whether it is mostly in Latin, or all in English, is at the discretion of the celebrating priest.  Most often it's mostly Latin.   It is rare that the EF Mass moves from 9:30 - usually only on the first Sunday in January - Epiphany (N)/Holy Name (T); Divine Mercy Sunday; and Corpus Christi.  Sometimes it happens with, the Sunday involved with 40 Hours in November.  It's good to check the Grotto News or Assumption Grotto website by Friday of any given week for what is coming up on the weekends.

June 18: Memorial Mass for Servant of God Fr. Hardon


This Mass is taking place at Assumption Grotto at 7:00 p.m. (and likely an OF Mass).  The celebrant is Fr. Ben Ludtke.  There will be a reception in the school lounge from 7:45 - 9:00 p.m. It is requested you bring a snack to pass around.  There will be information there about becoming a Marian Catechist, as well.


June 21: OA Day of Recollection at Assumption Grotto


Fr. Matthew Hincks, ORC, returns to Assumption Grotto for a Day of Recollection.  It begins at 2:00.




June 23: Bid for Life Auction Dinner

The 23rd annual "Bid for Life" dinner will be at the Vintage House in Fraser. Proceeds benefit Right to Life of Michigan - Macomb Educational Resource Center. 


August 29-30, 2015: We Humble Ourselves 


This event is something to know about for this fall in the Dearborn area. You'll see me bringing it up several more times until then.  Visit WeHumbleOurselves.com and click around the site for more info about this exciting event.





Image source at top: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/449515606533967169/


Visit GrottoCast.com for audio homilies and more from Assumption Grotto


For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

ICYMI - Corpus Christi Procession video at Grotto


The GrottoCast site is still new, with far less traffic than this blog gets, and this video was posted there. I provided link in my last post, but felt it was worth a stand alone post..  If you didn't see it yet, check it out.  See notes about this video in the original post at GrottoCast.  Toggle the quality over to 720 for HD (look for a gear sign on computers and an "HD" on mobile).







For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Video, photos, audio from Corpus Christi at Assumption Grotto



Go to GrottoCast.com for the latest media:



Side note: If you use the option for email, in the sidebar at GrottoCast, you will get an email when there are new posts.  If you are on Facebook check the wall of Assumption Grotto Church periodically.  Also check the GrottoCast Twitter Feed.  You likely will not see something in your respective feeds unless it was posted within the hour, or someone has interacted with it.  So, one way around that is to simply check the feeds actively, rather than rely on passive means. 

Here are some images from among those the GoPro Hero 4 was capturing every 5 seconds.  It takes, 12 megapixel photos, but I find it cumbersome to operate as it is so slow to respond.  I've been unable to keep the connection to my smart phone, as well, so I had to choose settings through the camera.




There are actually several hundred people in attendance, but they were spread out considerably, and behind me in many shots. The GoPro really doesn't do good with distance shots and detail, so I had to get closer.





Even here, there are scores of people behind me and to the sides.



Benediction at the third altar


On the way to the fourth altar.



At the fourth altar. Here again, there are so many people out of view of the camera.


Benediction at the fourth altar.


On the way back into the church.


These are some still shots from before the Noon Mass of the altars.  Some were incomplete.  I think all families setting these up had problems with the wind which was a huge factor. On one altar close to Gratiot, vases and small statues kept blowing over, so they could not fully prepare it as they wanted. 

There are four altars representing the four corners of the earth, as Fr. John Hardon explains.  Families take each of these on.  Here are the four.  This first one features a mini-altar made by a parishioner, Walt. 


Here, you see the grotto built in the 1800's, after which the parish gets it's nickname, in the background.


Altar three near Monsignor Sawher's grave.


The final altar is near Gratiot.


Go back to the top of this post and follow the links for video taken with the GoPro and more.  Be sure to follow GrottoCast, or click the link below the line here and navigate to June of 2015, if it is not at the top of the post feed.




For interesting news items I don't have time to blog on, check out my Twitter Feed: @TeDeumBlog

Te Deum Laudamus! Home

The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church;
it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!

- Diane M. Korzeniewski

Note: The recommended links below are automatically generated by the tool, so they are not necessarily related content.