HIGHLIGHT: New Update Aug 25 2013 on Update on the Fraciscan Friars of the Immaculate Situation Thanks to Fr. Z

Hello Everyone.

You might have remember the fury and fire that blazed across the blogosphere a couple of weeks ago when "Big Bad" Pope Francis though the head of the order of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, restricted the Latin Mass/EF. There were cries amongst the townspeople to carry their torches and pitchforks and put these men's heads on a platter, There were people writhing in agony, there was ..... none of that, I am just being an exaggerating young man. But you get the drift, there were upset people, especially amongst the "Trads."

I did blog about this, but I took the positive and caution side, even titling my post, "No Francis Does Not Hate the FFI's Virginia``. I did however post much on warnings from Fr. Z, to take a ``Chill Pill`` and not be a ``trad behaving badly``, otherwise we`d lose the EF for good or they will not progress in our (arch)dioceses.

Well .... The Pope STILL DOES NOT HATE THE FFI`s Virginia.

Fr. Z has done some follow up on the situation here: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/08/update-franciscan-friars-of-the-immaculate-and-restrictions-on-the-tlm/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wdtprs%2FDhFa+%28Fr.+Z%27s+Blog+-+What+Does+The+Prayer+Really+Say%3F%29

In a nutshell, Our Holy Father doesn`t want the extreme, radical form of traditionalism to prevail, and he wants to make sure those doing it, aren`t doing it for the wrong reasons, but also to ensure the faithful attached to the EF/Latin Mass are not insulted. He isn't stupid and detests the Trads Behaving Badly and what they do to the TLM, but at the same time, he will not let the Lie-Berals crush that form of the Mass and what his living predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, did with Summorum Pontificum.

More proof, if you read the post in full ..... permissions are being granted to the FFI community to celebrate the EF and continue what they were doing before. It's not being as decimated as you think. Go have a read, and start to put your fears aside.

Pax, Julian.

UPDATE AUGUST 25, 2013

This is NOT from Fr. Z's site, but that right-leaning (not as much in a good way) Trad site, Rorate Caeli, was able somehow to acquire a copy of the questionnaire given to FFI members by the Intervention Commissioner from the Vatican.

http://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2013/08/franciscans-of-immaculate-intervention.html

 Of course, some of the commenters and the title make it look once again like another attack on the EF and takes a "Trad behaving badly" tone.

What I can say looking at this, is, that they did not waste time getting to the heart of the matter that requires analysis in terms of the conflict in the community: The Latin Mass. To me, I will be taking this survey in the best light. The survey clearly looks like it wanted to get to the topic of disagreement in the community. It was also trying to examine the attitudes of the community and verify if there was any improper presence of (a.k.a. Trad Behaving Badly) attitudes not conductive towards the Latin Mass, the order, and the Church.

Clearly, if there was elements of TBB within the community, IT WAS IN EVERY RIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF THE FAITHFUL THAT POPE FRANCIS, BE IT HIMSELF OR THROUGH HIS DELEGATED SUPERIOR, RESTRICT THE LATIN MASS WITH THIS COMMUNITY. Trads behaving badly are the biggest roadblock to the success and growth of the Latin Mass in the Church and do nothing but destroy the New Evangelization. Their actions can even go so far as committing the works of the Devil (e.g. calumny, slander, detraction ... ).

I will say however, that while the survey does get to the thick of it, I would not be surprized if some Lie-berals in the community used it as a sticking point to attack their EF preferring brethren, or to slam the Latin Mass. Unfortunately, like many things in this world, the physical objects are neutral, and in the wrong hands or one whose free will is not choosing God above all things, the tool becomes a weapon. So if there was a group, no matter how big or small, of theological dissenters or EF-haters, then of course they would use the questionnaire as a weapon.

However, despite the website Rorate Caeli, it's spin, and the questionnaire, I do not think we can look at this in the most negative light, unlike some of their commentators. Believe me, if Pope Francis' papacy was in the wrong spiritual direction or totally against the EF, he would or will have quashed Summorum Pontificum with his own Motu Proprio, or a total neglect of the EF, whether Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was living or not.

Pax.

UPDATE: Highlight: No Francis Does Not Hate the FFI's Virginia ... Fr. Z gives some Fraternal Correction and Marching Orders for us Trad Catholics

Hello Everyone,

So, the Trads on the Blogosphere are getting all mad again because 'Big Bad, Novus Ordo loving' (I'm being sarcastic here) Pope Francis has either severely restricted or is eliminating in a certain order of priests called the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (different from the ones we're used to, the OFM, the Order of Francis Minor), the saying of the Extraordinary Form.

Honestly, it's depressing. I'm even seeing calls of thought or discouragement to abandon Holy Mother Church on a specific Radical Traditionalist site, where the commenters are thinking of willfully being schismatic and joining the SSPX, believing the whole "Rome is evil" type of mentality at this event, not to mention thinking that the Pope is the fake humanist not canonically voted in who will poison the seat of the Bishop of Rome. What lies and falsehoods!

Now, I know there had to be more to this. Why would a guy who tells a bunch of Italian bishops, in essence "I am not killing Summorum Pontificum and hurting my predecessor, especially while he's currently alive," and then go and do this?

Fr. Angelo Geiger, of Mary Victrix, one of my featured sites on the left hand side of the blog under Defenders against Radical Traditionalism, chimes in, being a Franciscan Friar of the Immaculate himself. Here's what he has to say here, with I taking the important points in the quotation marks:

".... The restrictions on our community are specific to us and have been put in place for reasons specific to us.  Pope Francis has not contradicted Pope Benedict.  The visitation of our community began under Pope Benedict and the Commission was recommended by Cardinal João Braz de Aviz who was appointed to the Congregation by Pope Benedict.

What is being reported in the press and what has actually transpired within our community over the course of a number of years are two different things ...."

So there you have it. Straight from a horse's mouth, who is parked in the stable, so to speak. This isn't some covert attempt by the modernists or Masons or whatever claptrap the rad/mad trads throw out so say he's the Anti-Christ or whatever else about Pope Francis. Remember Matthew 16:18.

Pax, Julian.

UPDATE 02/08/2013
So I was rechecking posts on Fr. Z and another blog and I happened to find that Fr. Z gave some insightful commentary on the situation, but above all, necessary "marching orders" for us trads, based on the FFI situation. Think of the FFI situation as a warning of what will happen should EF/Traditional Catholic Communities go "Rad-Trad/Mad-Trad". It didn't come from my mouth this time. See here: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/07/card-braz-de-aviz-moves-on-the-franciscan-friars-of-the-immaculate-curtails-use-of-usus-antiquior-fr-z-rants-offers-tough-love/. I have highlighted the warnings from the Holy and Noble Fr. Z:

".... At this point, I remind everyone that the provisions of Summorum Pontificum are still in effect… but they can be lost.

Therefore, I urge all of you who are interested in the older form, who want to obtain celebrations of the older form of Mass in your parishes or communities, to push ahead with energy and a cheerful attitude. Do not relax. Do not slow down. Do not flag in your resolve. Get to work. Now. And be smart about it.  Get whatever chips there may be off your shoulders and get to work.

Traditional, hard-identity Catholics, need to press forward and be prudent.  Leave aside harsh polemics or comments about Vatican II.  Stow them, at least for now. Be smart. There will be time in the future for people to sort what Vatican II means and what it doesn’t mean.  But, mark my words, if you gripe about Vatican II right now, in this present environment, you could lose what you have attained.

I have some suggestions.

Make some holy “lío”, as Francis would call it.  Stir things up in your dioceses.  But make it a smart and a positive ruckus.

First, work to get Masses established and work to get as many young priests and seminarians trained up as quickly as possible and as well as you can. Stick a crowbar in your wallets and spend money if you have to. Set aside the smaller differences you have over certain hotly-debated issues and band together.  Encourage and persuade with good cheer and without sticking your thumb in the eyes of those who can help you.

Second, get involved in your parishes or in the place where you attend the older form of Mass. [Editor's note: I'd also say to do this ESPECIALLY in the NOVUS ORDO PARISHES, particularly ones who have orthodox or good, solid priests and laity working the run of the place. If you do you might be tilling the soil for further "seeds" to be place to grow "Extraordinary" fruit. Get it?] Get involved especially in what the parish might have going in regard to spiritual and corporal works of mercy. If that means getting involved in a less-than-perfect RCIA program as a group leader, do it. If that means volunteering to visit the sick, do it. If that means offering to wash altar linens, do it. If that means helping with a food or clothing drive, or even starting them, do it. Do these things, firstly, because they are the right things to do. Do them also because traditional, hard identity Catholics are treated like second-class citizens in the Church. You need to give the lie to the impression which the controlling liberal class has about you. Don’t just go to your Mass and then go home without thinking about the parish again for another 6 days.

........................

You more conservative or traditional Catholics out there and in here. clean up your act and be smarter.

Liberals and progressivists seem to be able to set aside some of their differences to band together to create a larger force and lobby.  Together with the effects of Original Sin and the help of the Devil, their ability to work together is one of the reasons why they usually win.  They still control most of the structures and entities in the Church.  The Biological Solution is working on them, but slowly.  It works on all of us, by the way.

On the other hand, traddies, conservatives, call them what you will – self-righteous debating about these imperfect labels is tedious and you know what I mean by them – seem to want to defend every wrinkle of turf they think they own. They don’t want anyone who doesn’t agree with them perfectly in the sandbox with them.  They bite at those with whom they have far more in common than they have differences.  That has got to stop now.  The terrain is shifting quickly and we need a new approach lest we screw up and lose the good ground we have gained.

Be smart about this.  I’ve watched the combox here and on other more traditional blogs which have some focus on the Extraordinary Form and blogs which would surely identify as being “moderate” but which manifest a kind of no-risk conservatism.  All of us still over here on the ‘C’atholic side of things have to do better.

Nevertheless, I’ve also been watching the growing division between hard-identity Catholics and those who are a little squishy around the edges.  We have to do better!  We can’t afford mud fights with those who are for the most part fellow travelers.

I call on both traddies and – I don’t know what word to use – neo-cons? You probably know the range of people and bloggers, etc., I am talking about – to find more common ground.

To those on the trad side of things, you are going to have to stop biting in such a nasty way at those with whom you mostly agree. Moreover, bitchy moaning about Pope Francis in the comboxs of blogs is going to bring about the realization of your fears.  Cui bono? You are going to spoil everything gained in the last years through your petulance.

............................

So, you hear that Traditional Catholic ladies and gents? You have gotten your marching orders from the superior general of the Traditional Catholic army, the mighty Fr. Z. Go out there and do operation "Glad Trad". MOVE OUT SOLDIERS!!!!!!

Pax, Julian.

Highlight: Fr Z. Highlights Excellent Article About Music and Liturgy, Especially "Guitars" in Liturgy from The American Spectator

Hello Everyone.

I found something really interesting on my blogfeed today, with a Hat Tip to Fr. Zuhlsdorf of WDTPRS.

I usually stay on the serving end of things with regard to the Latin Mass. However, I do know that music in liturgy is always a topic that comes up with Conservative/Traditional Catholics, especially Latin Mass goers.  Whether it comes to preference, rigidity, validity, complaining about the folk choir or other liturgy at St. happy-clappy-elsewhere parish you abandoned, etc. I know this is an issue within traditional Catholicism, even among the laity.

Therefore, I am highlighting an article from a Patrick O`Hannigan of an american magazine/site called The American Spectator. The article is titled "Can we save the Liturgy?" The link for the article is here. Fr Z even musingly has the title of his post: "When ‘Guitar Masses’ became a chew toy between traditionalists and progressives." Ooooh Father, you are quite snippy and curt eh?

Please read the article and do enjoy. Meantime I have wanted to get to a book I got from Shawn Tribe, (formerly Editor) of New Liturgical Movement from one of his sales. It's an ``Àlcuin Club edition`` book called Cross and Crucifix by C.E. Pocknee. It`s got a section on the history of the Crucifix and I`ve been dying to add that to the Crucifer section of my Latin Mass serving posts.

Pax, Julian.

Two Short Notes

Hello Everyone,

Hope you had a blessed and Happy Easter. I didn't make an Easter greetings post, simply because I didn't feel like it between my night shifts and Easter stuff. Too much for one weekend.

Anyways, 2 short notes:

1) So there's still stuff going around the internet by rad trads and conservatives alike how "big bad Pope Francis" violated Church rubics. Look I get the message, but I'm sick of the Rad Trad hate and well it's Easter Monday. It's yesterday's sushi already. So here's the "big one" to summarize it all from well read, versed, educated, and EF lord of all that is Trad, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. Here: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/04/absolutely-licit-my-foot/. Honestly after this post anything after that will just upset me.

2) I'm still working on the serving posts. I contacted one of my Latin Mass contacts and he gave gave me some people to get in touch with/books to read, so eventually, I will hopefully find my answers to the symbolism of the Boat Bearer and Cross Bearer positions.

Pax, Julian.

The Rad Trads Just Cannot be Silent: Travesty at Rorate Caeli, Even During the Triduum

Hello Everyone.

Man I am really getting sick to my stomach with regards to what I'm witnessing on the blogosphere, especially with regard to Pope Francis and the criticism with regard to his Holy Thursday Mass, and his papacy in general.

When you read something like this at Rorate Caeli with regard to Pope Francis, it really makes you want to hate Traditional Catholicism of the Catholic Church. That kind of sentiment is flat out wrong. But it's posts like that one, which really test your devotion to the Catholic Church and the Faith.

The gist of the posting was to cover the Holy Thursday Mass he did at that prison for the youth. When I heard that he was going to do the optional foot washing rite, or the Mandatum, with 10 boys and 2 girls, and one or both who was a Muslim according to some accounts, I knew right away, and even told my best friend in faith to watch the blogosphere/web as I was sure the Rad Trads would come out swinging. And boy they can be cruel and heartless, not willing to listen to reason.

Personally, I don't think that it is right for our Holy Father, to violate the liturgy and its laws governing it, for the sake of humility and to "set an example", even if you are the Vicar of Christ on Earth. I am not the only one to comment and that is probably the only valid statement in that whole post. Fr Zuhlsdorf of WDTPRS once again breaks down what the black and red is with regards to doing it properly here (as well as that he doesn't support the actions he did in the liturgy). In addition, popular online Canon Lawyer, Ed Peters, also disagrees with the Pope's actions and even gives us the Canon Law on the issue in one of his archived posts here. However, supposedly, according to Canon Law, 85-93, as one poster on Fr. Z commented, he does have the power to do this, and Ed Peters has not explored those laws in connection to Pope Francis' actions.

Back to that Rorate Caeli post, I saw horrible things mostly, with a little common sense thrown in, but mostly vitriol and doom and gloom prophecies. My "favourite" was that Pope Francis is here to intentionally cause a schism in the Catholic Church. Uh, really? Last time I checked, the Matt 16:18 rule was in place. No way Jesus would allow someone to purposely cause a schism or big tear in the wedding dress of his Holy Bride. Further, you see, the Church is like those famous Russian word-reversal jokes (in faux-Russian accent): "Pope cause schism to people. In Catholic Church, people cause schism to Pope." What do I mean? It is never the Holy Father or the institutional Catholic Church itself that causes schisms from within. No matter how hard any bad Pope tried through their foolishness or intentionally (if they ever had bad human intentions), the Church has withstood even the "worst" of Popes for 2000+ years and counting. EVERY TIME in history, it's always the people who cause their own schismatic breaks and form groups/sects/"fraternities" not in communion with the Church. So logically and by history, it is a stupid claim. The Anti-Christ will NOT be a Pope. Get over it.

Any traditional Catholic should know that despair is also a sin, and a deadly one too, though not of the traditional 7. The way it was explained to me, back at the ol' SMCS in my Gr. 12 Moral Theology Class, is that despair is a sister sin to Sloth. Where sloth is spiritual apathy, despair is abandoning all hope in God and those things supernatural (which includes his Catholic Church and the Catholic Faith), which plummets us to deeper sin, and even depression. So what these "traditional Catholics" don't realize is they are driving people like myself to despair and flee the Church for "facsimiles" not in Communion with empty sacraments, like the SSPX, or to believe the lies of the world and not even enter the Church at all, or to stay "fallen away" or "ex-Catholic." Not that I will do that. Not when I've come so far. Linkin Park's In The End will NOT be the  song of my life.

More so, it's quite shameful that during the most important time of the year liturgically, the pinnacle of the Faith life for us Catholics, the Holy Triduum, they cannot shut their mouths, and be humble and contemplate the Lord's Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

I think what is best is that we should take the best out of the situation, and try to understand the why's behind it all, instead of spewing hot-lava vitriol. Fr. Z actually does this best, here: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/03/what-is-pope-francis-really-saying/

Better yet, if you are so inclined to read the blog of a Novus Ordo, Benedictine tertiary who`s a woman, the ever lovely Anchoress, Elizabeth Scalia, you`ll love her anaysis on Pope Francis`message, particularly there`s a grey-box quote near the bottom. You`ll love that. Here: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/theanchoress/2013/03/27/the-quiet-menace-fixating-on-francis-missing-the-point/

So this Triduum, focus not on what the Pope is not doing, reflect on his homilies, and divert the rest of your prayers and attention to the real number one in your life: Christ, who was crucified, died, buried, descended from the dead, and on the third day he rose again, in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.

P.S. As a nice ending note, even in the Novus Ordo liturgy, parishes can ``Say the Black and Do the Red.`` My Novus Ordo parish did the following, awesome, "traditional Catholic" practices tonight with regard to the Liturgy:

• Had a full complement of servers as if it was a High/Solemn Mass: A thurifer and a boat bearer, crucifer, two acolytes, one other server (don't know his role), and two senior servers (over 18+) who are equivalent by age and experience to parish "Masters of Ceremonies"
• Had the bells ringing throughout the Gloria. This was the last time it was rung, and will be, until Easter
• Had our parish deacon, read the Gospel, as they do in the EF. 
• Did the Mandatum Properly! It involved 12 males only, of varying ages in the parish (even two young children), and it was done by the celebrant, washing their actual feet.
• During the transfer to the altar of repose, the choir sang the whole Pange Lingua in LATIN in the traditional music! Unlike my former parish who just did the English version, not even ".... tantum ergo sacramentum ... "
• This one really knocked me for a whirly ...... THEY USED A CROTALUS IN PLACE OF THE BELLS DURING THE LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST!!!! I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT! Wow .... More and more I am loving my new spiritual home for the Novus Ordo (1 year and going on!)

I'll probably post something small tomorrow without analysis or commentary, and won't post until after Easter. 

Highlight: Cardinal Arinze from the CDF on Mortal Sin with a Question for Parents

Wow.

So I was checking out my blogger feed, and found this from Fr. Z:

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/03/dont-believe-in-mortal-sin-card-arinze-explains-the-situation-to-you/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wdtprs%2FDhFa+%28Fr.+Z%27s+Blog+-+What+Does+The+Prayer+Really+Say%3F%29

In that link, he features a high-ranking Cardinal, who while he can't vote in the conclave due to being 80 or over, could just be our next pope. That Cardinal, is Cardinal Arinze, of the CDF. He is simply awesome and KNOWS the true teachings of the Catholic faith, and has done his best in a number of videos and conferences to dispel confusion and improper teaching of the truths (or intentional lies from false teachers, or mis-education) of the Catholic Faith.

This is a biggie that he covers: Mortal Sin. He covers it with reasoning, as well as one's Sunday Obligation, which IS under pang of Mortal Sin, should you not have important reason for absence (e.g. vital work such as taking a 24-hour on call shift as a Doctor/Resident in a hospital) and could absolutely not attend at any other time from Saturday evening to Sunday night.  No that teaching was not dropped from the Church. Ever.

Before the video, I must comment on something that is covered. Fr. Z says this about the content that Cardinal Arinze answers in the video:

``Card. Arinze (Cardinal Bishop of Velletri-Segni! HURRAY!) dismantles the notion that people can’t really commit a mortal sin unless they do something over and over again with the intent to separate from the God blah blah blah… the so-called “fundamental option” approach to sin.``

The ``fundamental option`` teaching on sin is NOT A JOKE. This is actually being taught to young people, including myself, still in the modern day and age, despite it being 2013 and having gone through the Papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Thankfully, I know my Catechism on Mortal Sin and what the true teachings are on the matter. For those who have never opened a YouCat, a Catechism of either Baltimore, Pius X, or the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (including on-line), they are truly being left to their own devices in a harmful way with this fundamental option teaching, and deserve better through their schooling on ALL levels (including post-secondary) and youth minsitry.


In fact, if you are a parent sending your child to an ordinary catholic/separate secondary school , you should ask them yourself what, if anything, their teachers and youth ministers/counsellors are teaching them about sin. Do you know also about the teachings on mortal and venial sin? If you, or your kids don't know, Please do watch this video together, and even look up Sin, both venial and mortal in your Catechism, which you can easily access at the Vatican's website www.vatican.va/

The Video:

Pax Tibi Christ, Julian Barkin.

Highlight: CDF Mueller Plays Hardball Against "bad trads" as a Relevant Follow up to my SSPX/CCCB Post

Hello Everyone,

I was surveying my Blogger feed today, and came across this interesting article. A hat tip goes out to Fr. John Zuhlsdorf of What Does the Prayer Really Say, who caught onto this early:

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2013/02/archbp-muller-prefect-of-the-cdf-anti-catholicism-in-usa-time-running-out-for-sspx/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wdtprs%2FDhFa+%28Fr.+Z%27s+Blog+-+What+Does+The+Prayer+Really+Say%3F%29

The Prefect (a.k.a. the head honcho) of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, who deals with  essential matters to our Catholic Faith as a Papal Congregation that directly answers to our Holy Father, had been asked questions on some matters and covered them in an article given to a German Daily newspaper that covers Catholic issues. The original coverage article, featured in the Vatican Insider (a.k.a. LaStampa.it.) is found here: http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/inquiries-and-interviews/detail/articolo/germania-germany-alemania-21893/

The reply highlights a few important points. Cardinal Mueller reveals to us, the reader:

- That generally there is an anti-Catholic attitude similar to the negative propaganda or hatred expressed towards Jews in Europe (did he mean World War II? because it is certainly feeling like we will soon become like them the way North America and Europe are going downhill.) He called the hate campaigns pogroms.

- That basically the people of Germany are very liberal and not-Catholic in their dialogue with bishops, wanting to dissent from Catholic Church teachings and want things like womynpriests, gay marriages, and married priests (though that one is a disciplinary issue in the Latin Church, which can be discussed and eradicated with a Papal pen stroke. It's not dogma/docrtine and happened in early Church history!). In essence they are not dialoging, they are selfish and want the Church to become like secular society.

- This big snippet is also mentioned at the end of the article: "Finally, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith sent a clear message to the Lefebvrians: we presented them with a proposed doctrinal preamble but “we have received no response so far and we will not wait forever.”

In addition, I followed a rabbit hole through another link on my blog feed and came to a blog dealing with the Anglican Ordinate (which I do not cover on this blog). In this link here, it seems Muller is really hitting the Catholic specch/talk circuit as he gave an opening speech for the US Anglican Ordinate's symposium in Houston, Texas, USA. Looking through this, some interesting points caught my eye from this blogger:

- Communion with the Bishops’ Conference, with the local bishop and with the Holy See are “specifically enshrined” in the Apostolic Constitution. [This to me says: You guys cannot act outside the Magisterium and not under the local ordinary. You are not some independent Catholic group. This is in contrast to what the SSPX are doing.]
- Similarly the clergy themselves are “called to maintain fraternal bonds” with other Catholic clergy. 
- It is natural for the Ordinariates to focus first and foremost on “unity on the macro level”, i.e. communion with the chair of Saint Peter.

These three are my particular favourites to highlight:
- The Archbishop particularly took blogs to task, stating that they are a way of promoting what he called “unbridled, unreflected” comment and dissent. He stated that love must be the foundation of our work as bloggers.
- The witness of men and women “joyfully living their faith” is so important.. [!!!!!!!]
- He stressed again the importance of “winning the trust and confidence of the local Catholic community”.

When taken all together, once can see clearly the kind of role that Muller is taking has head of the CDF. He is carrying out the Pope's mandate as the "pope of Christian Unity" as Fr. Z dubs our Holy Father Benedict XVI. 

Furthermore, it is a good reflection/reverberation of the points I was making in my post about the SSPX and the CCCB response to the anti-Semitic comments from other voices of the EF community in Canada. While yes, our bishops certainly as a whole need to stand courageous as the Holy Father is against the wolves of our society and not back down and cave into Church-haters, we must not be so vicious as to tear them apart as "angry trads". 

Why does what Muller is saying have pertinence and connect to my prior post? 
1) They, as well as the CDF under Muller, are not stupid. They realize the stubborness and the spiritual damage that the SSPX and their adherents/supporters (who aren't innocently naieve victims) are doing to the Catholic faithful. They must WORK within the boundaries of the Magisterum and the Church, despite how wicked and cowardly or lukewarm the servants in the positions of power in the Church are acting, or perceived to be acting. The Vatican's patience is wearing this with regards to the SSPX, and soon, should they go down the road they are now, the Society may be deemed outside the Church and once that pronouncement is made, who knows what is going to happen to all those souls, especially those who get suckered into the Society based on aesthetics and a "pretty picture of what Catholicism should look like," who received TRUE, VALID, and LICIT Sacraments, of which those fake ones in the SSPX are unrepeatable or NULL AND VOID. 

The Anglican Ordinate is no different. They cannot, like the SSPX, act as a special interest group that can do whatever willy nilly and attack the Pope and the Church and those things which the faithful must adhere to. Considering it was set up by the Pope and is closely working with the Vatican, I doubt that there will be any problems for the most part from the general progress I am seeing on the blogosphere. 

2) Muller is clearly no stranger to the dark side of Traditional Catholicism in the form of the "angry trads", having been dealing with the SSPX. He clearly is aware of these bloggers that are practising Catholics spewing out vitrol in the Church, without solid research or basis (e.g. reading up on church teachings, canon law, etc. or just taking a real piss-pott attitude if they don't fit a "certain mold" of the blogger's liking). He clearly means those on the extreme, though sadly these tend to be the loudest mouthpieces on the Catholic Blogosphere (e.g. Michael Voris and his ChurchMilitantTV), drowning out the good voices who are solid/orthodox/EF/Traditional Catholics (e.g. Robert Barron's Word on Fire Ministry). 

Sadly these bloggers are the ones who are not reflecting the truths of Catholicism in its most beautiful forms, especially those of the Latin Mass. Like he says, we who partake in the Latin Mass, Ordinate, etc. should be blogging joyfully and full of charity. If those choose not to heed the Prefect`s words, and continue in that dark Trad mode,  (and there are examples all over the place on the net/blogosphere) it is these examples that will pose a negative attitude and an apathy/hatred to the emerging Ordinates or EF parishes/communities, and will be shunned by the majority of Catholics and clergy, who would otherwise be open, or at least willing to dialogue with the faithful/members of these communities. It`s bad enough at the moment that there still exists the old insults and a lingering ``Spirit of Vatican II`` mentality due to poor catechesis or liberal interests that attack the EF, but what these bloggers do will only further harden the hearts of these enemies and allow them to say ``Aha! I was right. You traddies are bad news!!!`` And young people like me DO NOT want to make those bloggers our best friends, be it on-line or in person, regardless of age or gender or status in the Church!

If only more of us took the road Muller is suggesting, then perhaps over time, there will be greater reception of the Angilcan Rite AND Latin Mass in the general Church, and while some people will still like the ol' Novus Ordo, those who would have been otherwise apathetic just might give the Angilcan Rite and Latin Mass a chance, and there you have it! The New Evangelization at work!!! Sometimes, it can even be as simple as 1 Latin Mass/Anglican Rite Mass to move the soul of an otherwise lukewarm Catholic back to true, active practice and love of their Faith, or perhaps a visiting pastor of a parish/bishop, and they might incorporate it into their parish/diocese, all because they experienced the Mass at is should be: Redeeming, Passionate, Sorrowful (in a proper way), and joyful! Not cold and Jansenistic. That includes their experience before and after attending the actual Mass.   

Therefore, I do hope that all of you who read this blog, and those involved in the EF via simple participation or Latin Mass serving, will realize that the Church IS getting it. However, those in certain positions of power are getting upset and losing patience with those who are "representing" the EF/Traditional Catholicism and this will only serve to stifle its growth and possibly even cause a backlash against us by those in higher power in the Church. In other words, we gotta show a ton more love folks. 

Muller ..... he's actually got it right. Fellow Catholic youth, let us be the light of the world, the salt of the earth, and show the rest of the world, especially those other Catholics among us, what being solidly Catholic is truly like, without the angry traddie-ness.  

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian. 

P.S. I see people are still checking out my Starter Points posts as the most popular item. I do have drafts in progress. I hope to work again on some posts in a couple of days, and once they're done, release concurrently Part 4 of the part-by-part analysis of the Latin Mass, and also Starter Points III: Responses by an Altar Server at Mass (with before Mass and during Mass parts). It's slow, but don't worry! More altar serving stuff is on the way! Be patient.