Transalpine Redemptorists - Canonically Regularized

Deo gratias! This is fantastic news flying through cyberspace...

From the blog of the Transalpine Redemptorists, they have received word that they are in good standing, canonically (emphasis mine):

1 July, 2008
Feast of the Precious Blood

My dear friends,

I am happy to inform you that last June 18th, before Cardinal Castrillon and the members of the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei in Rome, I humbly petitioned the Holy See on my own behalf and on behalf of the monastery council for our priestly suspensions to be lifted.

On June 26th I received word that the Holy See had granted our petition. All canonical censures have been lifted.

Our community now truly rejoices in undisputed and peaceful posession of Communion with the Holy See because our priests are now in canonical good standing.

We are very grateful to our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI for issuing, last July, the Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum which called us to come into undisputed and peaceful Communion with him.

Now we have that undisputed communion! It is a pearl of great price; a treasure hidden in the field; a sweetness that cannot be imagined by those who have not tasted it or who have not known it, now for many years. Its value cannot be fully expressed in earthly language and therefore we hope that all traditional priests who have not yet done so, will answer Pope Benedict's call to enjoy the grace of peaceful and undisputed communion with him. Believe us, the price to pay is nothing; even all the angry voices that have shouted against us and calumniated us are as nothing when weighed in the scales against undisputed communion with the Vicar of Christ; others have died for it; what are raucous voices?

We publicly thank all those souls who have prayed for us over the last months; some of you have truly stormed heaven for us. You have kept us afloat. We are deeply grateful. Especially we thank that priest who was unknown to us, until June 16th when he wrote in fraternal support. Where did he come from? Why us? But he told us of the number of Masses, Offices, prayers and sacrifices he had personally said for us; he had also enlisted the prayers of contemplatives and Third Order societies and had a great number of people fervently praying for us with an abundance of prayers. We were amazed! Thank you Father! Thank you also to that brave person who, so kindly wrote to us to say that if he said any more prayers for us he would be floating! What wonderful people! Thank you!

Looking to the future, the next stage will be to have our community canonically erected. So please, dear friends, keep praying for us, there will be many crosses to bear; but they will be yokes sweetened by the grace of these last days.

We assure you all of our very best wishes.
Your devoted servant,

Fr. Michael Mary, C.SS.R.
Vicar General

And we must continue to pray for all of those who have found themselves in schism, or an irregular status of some kind, that they too will have undisputed communion with the Vicar of Christ.

More on this from around the net (to be updated so check back!!):

CWNews: Transalpine Redemptorists reconciled with the Holy See

Fr. Z: Transalpine Redemptorists REGULARIZED!

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

Spokane Diocese welcomes back formerly Schismatic Nuns

Sisters of the schismatic, sedevacantist order,

The Sisters of the Congregation ofMary Immaculate Queen

More to rejoice over today. Welcome home sisters!

From Catholic News Service:

Spokane Diocese welcomes formerly schismatic nuns back into church

By Deacon Eric Meisfjord
Catholic News Service

SPOKANE, Wash. (CNS) -- There are several paths within the journey that has brought 15 women religious into communion with the Catholic Church: care, compassion, interaction and, most certainly, prayer. Even technology played a part.

But one of the key turning points in the journey was watching the moving funeral liturgy for Pope John Paul II.

Two former members of the schismatic community at Mount St. Michael in north Spokane discussed their return to the Catholic Church in an interview with Inland Register, Spokane diocesan newspaper, at their new home at Immaculate Heart Retreat Center in Spokane.

The Mount St. Michael community believes in a theological position of "sedevacantism," which, expressed simply, means that because of heresy, the chair of Peter has been vacant since Pope Pius XII, who died in 1958.

Individually, some members of the Religious Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen at Mount St. Michael found themselves beginning to question that position.

"It wasn't like we planned anything, or the sisters came together to this conclusion," said Mother Marie de Lourdes, moderator of the community. Rather, individuals began to reconsider the position, "and discovered others on a similar journey," she said.

Sister Francis Marie said a key point for herself and others was watching the "very moving and rich" funeral liturgy for Pope John Paul. The sisters then began to follow the story of his successor, Pope Benedict XVI, on the Internet.

"I noticed the good that he was doing," she said. "I sat up and paid attention: We had a good man, a good pope." That idea was almost impossible, according to the strictures of the sedevacantist position, she said. "But he seemed to be doing what a good pope would do."

...continue reading about nun's return at CNS

Pray fervently for the return of others and ultimately, the full order.

Catholics who have an affinity for the traditional form of the Mass and for traditional communities, need to be very careful. Schismatics believe they are the Catholic church and therefore, will use the title accordingly. When in doubt, check with the diocese where a parish or religious order resides to find out if it is in communion with the Catholic church. In general, it can be difficult to discern through a website. It's easier to tell by what is lacking - that is any link to the Vatican, or any Church document from Vatican II forward. However, this is not something that can be used exclusively as not every legitimate Catholic site has links to the Vatican. Once again, check with the respective diocese.

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