New Politicking About the FFI Situation ... and the Truth from Fr. Geiger of Mary Victrix

Hello Everyone,

I do keep abrest of some particular blogs to keep an eye on Radical Traditionalist elements seeking to further divide Holy Mother Church, and so as to defend True Catholic Traditionalism and Glad Trads whenever necessary.

One of the blogs, the most notorious for Radical Catholic Reactionary behaviour is Rorate Caeli. One of their ongoing campaigns is to produce a distorted version of the truth about the destruction of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate (FFI). Many a time, it has been proven that their reporting on the FFI situation is inaccurate and full of half-lies and even full ones.

A couple of days ago, a "Michael Patrick" released unseen footage of a video that was going to be used for an online advertisement campaign or documentary of a day in the life of the FFI. While I will NOT put a hyperlink in to the Rorate Caeli article, I will link to the YouTube(tm) video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goR7yJMQlQ8. Rorate makes some claims about it, and once again claims an atmosphere of fear and "facts" about the video. A couple of right-wing Catholic blogs have also posted on this matter, some for spreading information, and some ... well, I'll keep it at that.

Now, as a journalist, let's say that you want to do an article on firefighting. Wouldn't you interview an ACTUAL firefighter or a fire chief to get the most accurate information on the topic, by someone who is active in that field of expertise?

This is where once again, Fr. Angelo Geiger of the Mary Victrix blog has heroically and gracefully, once again, made proper analysis on another hit piece of propaganda used by Rorate Caeli for their Radical Catholic Reactionary agenda. Father in his latest blog article, sets the record straight as an ACTUAL FRIAR, still formally affiliated with the FFI, as one who has completed formation. Being a shorter piece, I have decided to paste the full text below.

Post navigation

← Previous

My Reality, Your Reality

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Fr. Angelo M. Geiger

No not relativism.  Just an update 1.) to apprise the reader of my status, namely, that I did not fall off the face of the earth. and 2.) to disabuse whoever has eyes to see of the unreality of the latest “news” or “reporting” on the status of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.  Just because people say things does not make it true.

First, thanks to all those who have been praying for me. I made it to the end of the semester at the Angelicum still standing.  I have one more final, but most of the stress is now behind me.  I hope to blog at least a couple of times during the break.

Second, Rorate Caeli has posted a video by one of our former friars, which by all accounts is a fairly nice vocation video for the Institute as it stands now, but it has been posted with a predictable interpretation and broadcasted further by others.

Several clarifications:

1. At least 90% of the footage was taken by a seminarian who remains in the community and is quite happy to do so. Some of his footage was used for a 2013 vocation video which is was used by the producer of the new video without permission.  The parts of the new video that are not in the 2013 vocation video were shot for the vocation video and archived.  I have checked all my facts here from the seminarian in question, who watched the video in its entirety. RC says that the “footage was then kept in secret, witness of something no longer tolerable to those in power, unseen until now.”  This is simply false, as is evidenced by the video on YouTube.
2. About half of the seminarians who are in the video are no longer in the Institute, but to them others have been added who have passed through the novitiate.  When the seminary closed there were 51 seminarians.  Today there are 28.  The same pattern is true of the schola that sang in the video.  It still exists and the members sing regularly at our liturgy.  We continue, for example, to use the Liber Usualis every day for various parts of the liturgy.  Please keep in mind that for those who have orchestrated the exodus, with outside from help from willing collaborators like those at RC, this is exactly what they wanted.  Seminarians were being contacted clandestinely, and encouraged as well as pressured by both former friars and those still in the Institute to leave.  This planned and well-orchestrated effort, unfortunately, was highly successful (and contrary to the explicit will of Pope Francis, BTW).
3. Everything that is witnessed in the video, with the exception of the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the liturgy—a temporary restriction contingent on the temporary Commission—and the year long night rising for Matins we still do.  The Holy Father told us face to face that his intention was not to permanently forbid its celebration, but solely to see to it that the liturgy was not a source of division within the community.  Furthermore, the horarium has not changed, except for the continuous night rising, which was never part of our legislation anyway, and was only introduced in the seminary in November of 2011.  (We still rise at night for Matins during Lent—a practice mandated by our ecclesiastically approved Constitutions. Prior to the change in 2011, this had been the practice since 1990 and it remains in force.).
4. Thus, the quotations in the video from our legislation are norms still in force which we continue to observe.
5. The statement of RC that there now exists within the Institute “a new atmosphere of doctrinal corruption and moral relaxation, of the disintegration of the religious observance” is gratuitous, offered without evidence because there is none.
6. This is a fine example of a propaganda piece which says little in terms of facts, but effectively conveys an conclusion necessary to a world-view.  It is called: “painting the target around the arrow.”  For example, RC claims that the video was shot on the very day the seminary closed, in order to achieve a maximum sympathetic response.  But in fact, the friar who shot the material, who was able to identify all the various elements, and who was present when the seminary closed, did not see anything that was shot on the day the seminary closed.

RC writes:

But perhaps our Lady, on her feastday, is offering a vision very different to that which seems to dominate presently in the Church — a vision of the consecrated life which is, as Simeon says of Christ, a sign of contradiction.

Indeed, I couldn’t agree more.  May we have the grace to correspond to our vocation.  But I don’t think any of the friars, including most who would like to see things the way RC wants to see them, would presume they are the ideal, or that the Church is without many other fine religious communities and holy religious.

After all is said and done, after everyone has had their say and shouted from the rooftops what they speculate might be reality—though they are convinced that their opinion is more than that—there remains only one thing to do, especially for vowed religious: obey the Church.  Anything else would be a patent absurdity—a contradiction for sure, but not the sign of contradiction.

I kindly ask Rorate Caeli to link to this post, in the interests of truth, and also out of justice, since the footage does not belong to Rorate Caeli, but has its origin in the Institute and was the work of a friar still present in the community.

So there`s the real truth, from an actual priest/friar of the FFI. I hope, readers, that you continue to view his blog, as you will get real insider's info about the FFI order from him. Rorate Caeli unfortunately, does not even reveal their sources by name. It makes you wonder who they are relying on and how trustworthy the sources are.

I will say though. I hope and pray that Pope Francis makes good on his promise to resolve the FFI situation "soon," and prove to his detractors and slanderers that he is not the menace and tyrant that the media, especially the Radicals Misrepresenting Traditionalist kind, make him out to be. If he does have to pose, ``restrictions`` of any kind, I hope they are such that basically say, ``you guys want to be RCRs, then you will not have an active life in the church or your order. You don`t exhibit the behaviour, fine, you get the Latin Mass, but you won`t be given wanton freedom. Think of it like the FSSP's arrangement with Holy Mother Church ...``

May the Lord Bless Fr. Geiger in his works, especially revealing the truth of what is going on with the order.

Pax, Julian.

Highlight: More Breaking News in May! Truth About the FFI Situation From Its Own Friar

Hello Everyone!

Well, I was planning on not doing anything for the rest of the month with exception to that thurifer posting, but it seems things have changed once more. My blogger feed produced something so crucial to Latin Mass culture and Traditional Catholicism!

For those of you who might not remember or haven't read my posts every day, a particularly heated issue for Traditionalist Catholics attuned to the web is the "persecution" of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate in Italy, a new order with sisters attached too, who embraced aspects of Traditional Catholicism, including the Latin Mass in Italy.

Well, according to the Trad Behaving Badly accounts, the Big Bad Vatican sent a meanie elected by someone elected by Pope Francis to investigate the FFI and now the Commissar has torn the order to shreds, with many people wanting to reject their vow of obedience to the Pope, poor "innocent" sisters being harassed by the commissar ..... it's being used as a horror story from Hell to summon the war drums and keep the TBBs fighting against the "novus ordo/post-conciliar Church," and validating their actions online and in person in Latin Mass communities around the world.

I covered this issue somewhat last year, by showing a clarification issued by a blogging friar (fully professed and ordained) from the order, Fr. Angelo Geiger, which was highlighted by Traditionalist Hero, Fr. John Zuhlsdorf. My first "highlight" post on this ongoing issue was here.

Well, today, Fr. Geiger on his blog, Mary Victrix, once again strikes back at the heart of this issue, because some unnamed, bitter member of his order (who could be priest, deposed seminarian, a sister, or a novitiate), released a scathing document on the internet. Anonymous of course, as is the true style of the Tradtionalist Behaving Badly.

Fr. Geiger replies to the accusations, detractions, and calumnies of this document in full, complicit, fraternal charity, because this issue has mistakenly been dragged out into the open in Machivellian fashion, where it should have remained internal. For the sake of Holy Mother Church, the FFI, and all those within it, Fr. Geiger reveals some startling information.

I could summarize it or reprint the whole text, but I think that it's best that you read the whole post with your own eyes. This was an eye opener to me. I wish I had known this sooner, because in my "Au Revoir" post, I said that not all was well worldwide with the general status of Traditional Catholicism in the Church, with the FFI situation being an example. With this new information having come to light, I will need to update the posting, though I am NOT going to delete what I said at the time [in true, NON-Trad Behaving Badly fashion!]

[update 2 min after releasing this post: It was not the FFI situation I used in Au Revoir. It was Una Voce Costa Rica. That one's still out to the jury, so to speak.]

So here it is. The counter reply by Fr. Geiger to the document. Read it fully. It will definitely change your opinions and views on the matter .... and please!!! Post this link to the posting and spread word! Counter the radical traditionalists.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian.

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.

Reflection and a Highlight: Current Online Activity on Catholic "Trad" Blogosphere as of 19/07/2013

Hello Everyone,

There has been much activity going on in the "Trad" blogosphere as of late, and much commentary has been flying around with regards to a number of issues, all with a common thread. The issues are:

1) Criticism of a lay professor, Dr. Tracey Rowland from Australia, after she gave a speech on what from the perspective of the layperson, prevents others from attending the Latin Mass and why the Latin Mass should be valued. I currently posted a highlight from another blog who put the main points of her Sacra Liturgia 2013 lecture online, here.

2) Catholic Answers recently hosted a show called ``Radical Traditionalists``, which receive very heated action, likely from the very people the show was trying to address. They have since posted a reflection piece AND will be revisiting this topic in future on their ITunes Podcast radio show to give those people a chance to rebuttal or speak out on them.

3) I have noticed in and around my diocese, as of late, a lot of postings on the issue of sanctuaries and desecration thanks to concerts in the church body (including sanctuaries), coupled with modesty. Unfortunately, not all has been positive surrounding this discussion and the amount of posts are increasing in number as the days go by from the initial event that sparked all this.

4) That with (1) - (3), the central link binding all of these posts, seems to be, once again, the radical or reactionary replies by certain members of the traditionalist communities to all these events, and the refusal to stop giving stereotypical examples of what the church views Traditional Catholics as, via their actions.

I was going to go through these issues step by step, and really lay on things in a two-part post I initially created. However upon reflection, I have decided that it is better to be shorter about everything with some reflection and shorter commentary, and to pour my feelings/heart out a little.

On the first issue, the professor, whose main points from Sacra Liturgia Rome 2013, I highlighted here, states some barriers from the perspective of the average lay-person that are preventing them or intimidating them with regards to the Latin Mass. Some blogs have taken issue with what she said because it was perceived another attack on trads everywhere, or dismiss her concerns as hogwash. However, not all traditional blogs are agreeing with the attacking parties. Some are viewing the speech for what it's worth, such as this highlight I have indicated in the left side of my blog as a "Defender against Rad Trads", Mary Victrix. Please see this Holy Priest's commentary on the issue here.

On the second issue, while highlighting the radical traditionalist groups who express a willful disobedience from the Holy Mother Church a.k.a. "Rome", a number of people took to the caller lines and e-mails and fired off again, perceiving another "attack on the trads." Because of this, Catholic Answers now has identified another group amongst them, one who I have reflected upon here on occasion under different descriptors: The "Mad Trads" as they now call them. These Mad Trads are inside the canonical laws and legalities of the Church, as in they aren`t adherents of the radical societies e.g. SSPX, attending valid and licit diocesan Latin masses, and are defined by the following, anti-Catholic behaviours:
" ... if you accept the norms of the Second Vatican Council, to a Mad-Trad you’re a "Neo-Catholic," a misguided liberal; you know, like Mother Angelica and Blessed John Paul II. The main Mad-Trad hobbyhorse is strident resistance to the Second Vatican Council and all its pomps and all its works. The Catholic charismatic renewal is frequently singled out for tarring and feathering, despite (or because of?) strong papal support of that movement since the late '60s. Further, in addition to a strange attraction to conspiracy theories involving Jews and Masons, Mad-Trads tend invariably to reject the position of the Catholic Church regarding the 1984 consecration to Russia by Blessed Pope John Paul II as requested in 1917 by our Lady of Fatima. In the face of repeated affirmations by the Holy See to the contrary, Mad-Trads say that consecration didn’t “take” because her request was not fulfilled...."

Catholic Answers` reflection on the bombardment of hate mail and commentary is here. By the way, they are giving another chance for people to vent their criticisms in a second upcoming Catholic Answers Live radio broadcast, so they aren't being close minded.

Sadly, the third issue just won`t die. Not to mention I found another traditionalist blog, in another diocese outside but neighbouring Toronto`s, that has joined the fray on this issue. While I get the whole issue of sacredness of the Church, the loss of the concept from the public, and proper dress and decorum, the ``dead horse keeps getting kicked``, along with cries of non-repentance and continual persistence, even on events that have happened more than a year or so ago. The one that keeps getting touted was the cabaret concert in St. Michael`s cathedral with an ``Angelica.`` Worse, additional negative mention of the Archdiocese of Toronto and it`s office, and my Eminence, ++Collins, are also featured in one entry, because ++Collins mentioned to the youth at a pub night I attended at the Duke of York in Toronto, what exactly destroys Catholic discipleship: elitist, close minded communities who `take it upon themselves as their own magisteriums` [my words], and act as if they are more ``C``atholic than others. The link is further below in this posting.

This leads me to reflect and comment on the final tie in issue: More criticism, reluctance to accept feedback, and un-charity that has been expressed online from SOME elements of the ``Mad Trad``/radicals/whatever-you-want-to-call-them, etc.

What really sickens me, spiritually and to my heart, as someone who altar serves within the EF of the Roman Rite and is a part of these communities, is the sheer reluctance of these bloggers and other members of such communities, to truly listen to valid arguments and criticism, and to keep on mis-representing those who attend the EF or are "Traditionally Catholic". I am not the only one saying this. Fr Angelo at Mary Victrix, says this with regard to Prof. Rowland's video, but also encompasses what I've witnessed flying around the blogosphere in the past few weeks:

".... I would have suggested a fourth reason why there are people who might otherwise attend the EF who don not: 4) that the EF movement shows a habitual resistance to the most respectfully delivered critique, even when it comes from a sympathetic source. It seems to go largely unnoticed that Dr. Rowland is simply pointing out a fact that any fair-minded person with experience in the matter can verify.  There are a significant number of people who stay away from the EF, not because they have an aversion to the liturgical form of 1962, but for the reasons which Dr. Rowland mentions...."

For that matter, it seems that you cannot critique, or even say anything out of Catholic fraternal love at all to these types. All you seem to get at the end is more defiance, bitterness, and sharp and bitter rebuttals, laced with anger, with possible harassing phone calls, e-mails, even threats. Such reactionas are ironic. Often a time, the Conservative/Trad Catholics online, and in person, criticize liberals for having that same reaction when anything pre-Vatican II, proper theology, catechesis, etc. is presented to them. Yet, these online examples, show these Mad Trads as C.A. calls them, that they are over-reacting in destructive ways, no different from their `peers` on the left.

Worse, one post I read, even addressed issue 1) above, and in reply, it's the CATHOLIC LAITY who are to blame for not coming to the Latin Mass! Yes, it's their fault ENTIRELY for being resilient to the Latin Mass! Wow, that is just disappointing, and quite hurtful at first glance. I am sure that kind of deduction and mention will encourage many of the Novus Ordo people to come and explore such beautiful worship.

This above is not the proper approach to take to attract more Catholic to the Latin Mass. What we should be doing instead, is educating the people, and encourage them (and even go with them) to attend the Mass. That is why, at the very start of this blog, I created a Q and A posting, which you can find under my Latin Mass serving stuff at the right side page link of this blog. It's the Part 1 of the Q and A, but for your convenience, I've linked it here. Further, what ever happened to realizing that our fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ are sinners, and weak as humans? We need to assist them in their spiritual journey, and help them come to the Lord. Even our own Lord told those who were seeking the Truth to simply, "Come and See," amongst other things in the Gospel.

And this brings me to the reflection portion of this post. Once again, my heart dips with sorrow and doubt at being part of the EF/Traditional Catholic community.

As a young Catholic, practicing male, I hate to wake up in the morning, encountering anywhere from every week to even daily, another EF blog criticizing another Catholic or wrong practice, without solid argumentation, reasoning, etc. because they do not fit the "profile" or desires of these Mad Trads. I hate to see yet more calls of defiance, stating I/we will continue to blog about this till kingdom come. How prideful!

I hate to continue to witness my archbishop, being criticized and assaulted when clearly he is better than most bishops that are in their positions in the Catholic Church, all because he rightly called out what he knows to be divisive elements in our Church working against the Body of Christ [See from 13:20 onward] and the Works of the Lord. And these elements do not just stay in the EF realm or the OF realm, but attack both areas of the Roman Rite. In fact, my bishop should NOT have to warn the young people to avoid these types. There should not be 'elitists' in the Catholic Church at all, even within our archdiocese. Sadly, he must .... he clearly knows about these bloggers' actions online and these groups, and the damage they do to the faithful.

++Collins also mentioned that he personally detests being an authoritarian, and only when needed, to bring his crosier down. He has only done it once. I shudder to think one day he might have to swing his "crosier down." I hope to God this does not happen because of the actions of a few. It would be a depressing blow for the Church and a great treasure would be lost to the archdiocese if the Latin Mass was banned from Toronto, or at least from its properties they take place in (a.k.a. the actual Churches, shrines, chapels, etc), and the Latin Mass is forced back to hotel conference rooms in secret, despite Summorum Pontificum and Ecclesiae Unitatem. By the time the letters would be written to Ecclesia Dei in Rome, it would be too late.

Personally, it saddens me to think what other young people are possibly thinking about the Latin Mass when they go exploring on the Internet in our diocese. We are the "wired" generations who use the "Google(TM) machine" as our first source of searchable info. When the main "spokespeople" for the EF with their blogs or their societies like the SSPX, outnumber voices like mine, what will they conclude? Will they want to explore the Latin Mass, or will they find those extremist voices and groups? Further, I hate doing this, but I now confess I have to tell my fellow friends, and warn them about, the said groups Collins refers to. I have to tell them to avoid certain EF offerings/ groups, or if they do go to them, only to go for the Latin Mass and to worship our Lord, but not get heavily involved to avoid all the politics and darkness. This sadly includes altar serving in those areas. I hate doing this, and harming the Latin Mass in any way, but I must protect those I care about and who care about me. I cannot in good conscience, allow for the loss of any more friends or allies to these elements in the Church, and possibly to the Devil's darkest sin of pride mixed with religious scrupulosity.

I tell you. One of these days, I would like to wake up to a day, even a week, where I see all the Latin Mass blogs talk about positive growth. I would love to see them not dishing it out on the latest target, what liturgical law or code they have broken (save those of the UTTER MOST NECESSITY e.g. pedophile priests, attacks on our Holy Father ...), and should commentary be done, that it is done in a firm, yet Charity-filled matter. I would love to see instead of Latin Mass groups, societies, bloggers, etc. attacking someone who discussed problems with the rite, suggesting solutions to the problems mentioned by those such as Prof. Rowland.

But for now, I guess like Christ, I will have to suffer more a the moment as one who partakes in the EF of the Roman Rite. Perhaps, everyone, would you say some extra prayers for the Latin Mass communities, for those who need to become more skilled at the ability of proper, Catholic, fraternal correction, and for those who are wrongly at the receiving end of such actions? Finally, also for our Holy Mother Church. It would be appreciated.

Sadly, but Pax tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.