IMPORTANT!!! Sunday Obligation to go to Mass has returned in Toronto

 Full text posted from https://www.archtoronto.org/en/outreach/news/archdiocesan/sunday-mass-obligation/

(Bold MAJOR emphasis, and Italics minor emphasis is I, JB’s)

“Sunday Mass Obligation

Posted : Jun-01-2022

On March 13, 2020, Cardinal Collins issued a communication to the faithful of this archdiocese indicating that it was necessary to cancel public celebrations of the Eucharist on the coming Sunday, stating: “For this weekend and any other which may be required, I grant the faithful dispensation from their Sunday obligation.”

Given that most of the health and safety restrictions in our parishes are no longer in place and the faithful are able to attend the celebration of the Eucharist once again, the basis for the dispensation from the Sunday obligation has dissipated and is no longer in effect.

The Church does not obligate people to do the impossible. If individuals, based on their conscience, cannot attend Mass for a grave reason, including a great vulnerability to COVID-19 or because they are self-isolating to limit the spread of illness, then they are excused from their Sunday obligation, as the law of the Church allows.

After two years of COVID-19 restrictions, many have been deprived of the opportunity to attend Mass and to receive the most Holy Eucharist and all of us have missed the opportunity to experience community, including members of our parishes. As we come to the celebration of Pentecost this weekend, we invite and encourage the faithful to return to the practice of attending Mass in-person.”

REPOST: The Nine First Fridays of Reparation to Christ’s Sacred Heart

(Originally posted May 28, 2013)

Hello Everyone.

This post is a bit special to me, as I am going to write about a devotion topic that I have participated in and has since held a place in my prayer life: The Sacred Heart of Jesus. More specifically, this post will be devoted to the practice of the First Fridays. This post is even more relevant, as Friday June 7, 2013 is the feast day devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in both the Extraordinary and Ordinary Form liturgical calendars.

I will begin with some introduction and some history behind the devotion, and then will go through what is necessary to do the devotion and the indulgences/promises attached to the devotion.

Introduction: The Sacred Heart of Jesus and History behind the Devotion

What is the Sacred Heart of Jesus? It is commonly depicted as Jesus' literal heart, however it has the addition of two key components: The crown of thorns that is around the top perimeter of his heart, as well as a cross, the one he was crucified on, atop his heart. (This is not to be confused with the Immaculate Heart of Mary which usually has flowers around it and seven swords in it, representing the Seven Sorrows of Mary.)  Flames often surround the cross of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and some depictions also include a diagonal laceration, from being impaled by the spear of the Roman soldier ``Longinus?``, where out came blood and water from the wound. Here's an example:

Source unknown. 

While yes it is depicted as his literal heart of his incarnate body, it has more meaning than being his circulatory organ.

Theological History
Christ himself in the Gospel of John 7:37-39 says this: "And on the last and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If any man thirst, let him come to Me, and let him drink that believeth in Me. As the Scripture saith: Out of his heart there shall flow rivers of living waters.' Now this He said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in Him."(3). This was made all the more prominent and came true literally when the Roman soldier ("Longinus"???) pierced the side of Christ with his spear, and out poured out blood and water from the wound. Whether it pierced Jesus' actual organ of the heart, it is uncertain.

As is commonly used in literature and poetry, the heart is the organ associated with the deepest of emotions, especially that of love. In the pre-Vatican II encyclical, Haurietas Aquas, by Pius XII, which is devoted to the Sacred Heart, he describes to us more deeply what the Sacred Heart of Jesus is about and why veneration and devotion is to be rightly given:

" .... Holy Writ declares that between divine charity, which must burn in the souls of Christians, and the Holy Spirit, Who is certainly Love Itself, there exists the closest bond, which clearly shows all of us, venerable brethren, the intimate nature of that worship which must be paid to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. If we consider its special nature it is beyond question that this devotion is an act of religion of high order; it demands of us a complete and unreserved determination to devote and consecrate ourselves to the love of the divine Redeemer, Whose wounded Heart is its living token and symbol. It is equally clear, but at a higher level, that this same devotion provides us with a most powerful means of repaying the divine Lord by our own. (6, H.A.) ...."

".... The other reason which refers in a particular manner to the Heart of the divine Redeemer, and likewise demands in a special way that the highest form of worship be paid to it, arises from the fact that His Heart, more than all the other members of His body, is the natural sign and symbol of His boundless love for the human race. "There is in the Sacred Heart," as Our predecessor of immortal memory, Leo XIII, pointed out, "the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return ...."(16)"
(22, H.A.)

And so, the Sacred Heart of Jesus ...

" .... 55. is a symbol of that divine love which He shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit but which He, the Word made flesh, alone manifests through a weak and perishable body, since "in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily."(52) 56. It is, besides, the symbol of that burning love which, infused into His soul, enriches the human will of Christ and enlightens and governs its acts by the most perfect knowledge derived both from the beatific vision and that which is directly infused.(53) 57. And finally - and this in a more natural and direct way - it is the symbol also of sensible love, since the body of Jesus Christ, formed by the Holy Spirit, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, possesses full powers of feelings and perception, in fact, more so than any other human body (54) .... " (55-57, H.A.)

Devotional History
The actual devotion of the Sacred heart that is practiced, originates with Saint Mary Margaret Alacoque in the late 1600's. From 1673-1675, the saint received a series of visions of our Lord, revealing to her his Sacred Heart. Jesus asked her in these visions to spread devotion of his Heart throughout the whole church, as reparation for sins and offenses against our Lord. (8, First Fridays and First Saturdays)

At the center of the revelations are twelve promises, made to her by Jesus. For those who consecrate themselves and make reparation to His Sacred Heart:

1. He will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. He will establish peace in their homes.
3. He will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. He will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. He will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in His Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. He will bless every place in which an image of His Heart is exposed and honoured. (I have provided one above, though there are paper, gold-painted cross cards that seem to be popular for this purpose.)
10. He will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in His Heart.
12. In the excessive mercy of His heart, that His all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy communion on the First Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in His disgrace, nor without receiving the sacraments. His divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

Of course, these promises are also bestowed onto the faithful who engage in this practice, not just St. Mary.

The Devotion of the Sacred Heart

1. The actual devotion of the sacred heart consists of going to Mass on the First Friday of the month for nine consecutive months, and receiving the Eucharist in the state of sanctifying grace. You MUST do this consecutively for nine months, without any break in the practice. I have found no document, be it in Church Law, Catechism, Papal/Vatican writings, nor writings from trusted Catholic sources that allow for such an interruption other wise, even for valid and legitimate reasons. Not even a priests' dispensation can allow for a valid break.Communion MUST be received on this particular day of the Month. The practice cannot be delegated to another day.

2. They must be done in honour of His Sacred Heart, and thus one must practice devotion to the Heart and have a great love for Christ.

3. Note: This devotion will not dispense you from obligations or from exercising vigilance necessary for leading a good life and overcoming temptation. You will however be bestowed graced to carry out obligations and persevere to the end.

In addition, associated with the devotion is Eucharistic Adoration before or after the Mass. Unfortunately, when it is done after, those parishes that do this tend to schedule confession then, not before the Mass, which deprives people from the ability to receive the Eucharist in the state of grace and perform the devotion. You absolutely cannot receive the Eucharist in the state of Mortal Sin, so you deprive the faithful of the ability to do this practice. Any clergy reading my blog, PLEASE do confession before the Mass, be it with or without Adoration!

Regardless, the beauty of having Eucharistic Adoration attached to this devotion, is that one can receive additional indulgences, which when obtained, remit the temporal effects of sins. A half hour of Eucharistic Adoration minimum, qualifies for the indulgent act. Better yet if one removes themselves from sin completely, the indulgence is plenary, or full.

Indulgences are obtained when one receives confession and communion within 8 days of the indulgent act, prays for the intentions of the Holy Father (which can be at minimum one of the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be), and removes oneself from attachment to all sin. An analogy I use is that sin is like a sticky snail. When we go to confession, we take the snail from his shell and boot him off your skin. However, that shell is taking up space on you. Think of that shell is the time in purgatory one will need to spend to become purified in such a state to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Indulgences remove the temporal effects of sin, that is, that shell is now removed from your body, and thus the complete effects of sin are removed from you, though how many and how much time is reduced is unknown.

Finally, while this is not a mandatory part of the devotion, there are also associated with the Sacred Heart of Jesus the Acts of Consecration and Reparation to the Sacred Heart. They are as follows:.

Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, to Thee I consecrate and offer up my person and my life, my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being may henceforth only be employed in loving, honoring and glorifying Thee. This is my irrevocable will, to belong entirely to Thee, and to do all for Thy love, renouncing with my whole heart all that can displease Thee.

I take Thee, O Sacred Heart, for the sole object of my love, the protection of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy, the reparation for all the defects of my life, and my secure refuge at the hour of my death. Be Thou, O Most Merciful Heart, my justification before God Thy Father, and screen me from His anger which I have so justly merited. I fear all from my own weakness and malice, but placing my entire confidence in Thee, O Heart of Love, I hope all from Thine infinite Goodness. Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist Thee. Imprint Thy pure love so deeply in my heart that I may never forget Thee or be separated from Thee.
 I beseech Thee, through Thine infinite Goodness, grant that my name be engraved upon Thy Heart, for in this I place all my happiness and all my glory, to live and to die as one of Thy devoted servants.

Amen.

Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart

O sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for me is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Your alter (in Your presence) eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Your loving Heart is everywhere subject.

 Mindful alas! that we ourselves have had a share in such great indignities, which we now deplore from the depths of our hearts, we humbly ask Your pardon and declare our readiness to atone by voluntary expiation not only for our own personal offenses, but also for the sins of those, who, straying for from the path of salvation, refuse in their obstinate infidelity to follow You, their Shepherd and Leader, or, renouncing the vows of their baptism, have cast off the sweet yoke of Your Law. We are now resolved to expiate each and every deplorable outrage committed against You; we are determined to make amends for the manifold offenses against Christian modesty in unbecoming dress and behavior, for all the foul seductions laid to ensnare the feet of the innocent, for the frequent violations of Sundays and holidays, and the shocking blasphemies uttered against You and Your Saints. We wish also to make amends for the insults to which Your Vicar on earth and Your priest are subjected, for the profanation, by conscious neglect or terrible acts of sacrilege, of the very Sacrament of Your Divine Love; and lastly for the public crimes of nations who resist the rights and teaching authority of the Church which You have founded. Would, O divine Jesus, we were able to wash away such abominations with our blood. We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Your divine honor, the satisfaction You once made to Your eternal Father on the cross and which You continue to renews daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Your grace, for all neglect of Your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past. Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent other from offending You and to bring as many as possible to follow You.

 O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowing gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to You, so that we may one day come to that happy home, where You with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, God, world without end. Amen.

Summary:
Therefore, to do this devotion to the Sacred Heart, you must do the following:
1. Be in the state of Sanctifying grace to receive the Eucharist worthily on First Friday. So go to confession, especially if you have one or more Mortal Sins on your soul. Without true repentance and ceasing of the situation, you will obviously not be able to receive the Eucharist in certain situations (e.g. co-habitation, 2nd marriage if 1st was not annulled, masturbation with/without pornography ...)

2. You must attend Mass on First Friday and receive the Eucharist in the state of sanctifying grace, for 9 consecutive months, with no break in between occasions. 

3. For the promises to be fulfilled, you must be promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart, whether it be by taking about the devotion, generally why you love the Sacred Heart of the lord, prayer to the Sacred Heart, etc.

In addition to these conditions,
3. You may also attend , and should, the Eucharistic Adoration that comes before and after the Mass. Under the usual conditions of Confession, Communion, and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father (at minimum 1x Our Father, 1x Hail Mary, and 1x Glory be, or a specific prayer for His intentions), PLUS a minimum of 1/2 hour of adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, you will gain an indulgence aside from the usual benefits and graces.

4. While it is not absolutely necessary according to numerous sources, some recommend the addition of the Act of Reparation and Consecration to the Sacred Heart to be said during those First Friday sessions. I say, do it.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.

Works Cited
Pius XII. Encyclical of Pope Pius XII Haurietas Aquas On the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. May 15, 1956. [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_15051956_haurietis-aquas_en.html]. Retrieved 2013 May 28.

Catholic Truth Society. First Fridays and First Saturdays The Devotions Explained. Catholic Truth Society: London, UK. 2008. 

Traditionis Custodes Part 2: Analysis and commentary of Paragraphs 5-8

Hello everyone, 

This post is the second part of my analysis/commentary of the actual articles in the Motu Proprio Traditionis Custodes. The second half is articles 5 to 8.

“ Art. 5. Priests who already celebrate according to the Missale Romanum of 1962 should request from the diocesan Bishop the authorization to continue to enjoy this faculty.” 

Well at least some hope is contained in the paragraph. I’m of mixed blessings though. The negative is that a cruel and heartless bishop can just suspend any existing EF saying priest’s faculties immediately. Also this is a grandfathering clause so that, in the geriatric minds of Francis and his cohort all the old priests who are saying the Latin Mass will die. 

But … there are positives to this. First, with political forethought, it’s an obvious compromise for the faithful attached to the EF and the priests saying it. 

Second, it holds those priests accountable to the bishop and they know whom they are, also allowing the bishop to make sure that if they are granting faculties they know what they are doing. Finally, should priests be priming their lay faithful towards schism with the Holy Father and the regular Church, or blasting off his mouth on the RMT blogs, he can revoke that faculty at will, combined with the other articles of TC, allowing only those priests faithful to the Church to promote the EF. 

Thirdly, unforeseen, I don’t think that Francis and his cohort of middle of Vatican II heyday ordained bishops thought the following: that a number of the younger priests will outlast not only his lifespan and papacy but also those who succeed him. If the younger crop hold the force and outlast, by the time they are of the old folks near the end of their vocations coming from the John Paul II and Benedict XVI generations of ordained priests, they will lead seminaries and become bishops to the Church. These generations of ordinands will assume power in multiple places in the Church, which could make things more friendly for those in the EF … if Satan or those above them do not corrupt them first. 

Finally, as is being observed immediately on the Internet blogs, both radically misrepresenting Traditionalists and borderline, bishops are already granting faculties to allow the EF to continue in those diocese to priests already holding offerings. 

“Art. 6. Institutes of consecrated life and Societies of apostolic life, erected by the Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei, fall under the competence of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies for Apostolic Life.”

This paragraph is relevant to the EF communities such as FSSP, ICKSP, Canons New Jerusalem, Institute Bon Pasteur (aka Good Shepherd,) etc. Basically their existence and governance falls under a different dicastery of the Vatican so they are not entirely under the same governance of the bishop as diocesan priests are and have some layer of protection against wayward bishops, unlike diocesan priests who have little to no protection against their bishops if they want a place to sleep and eat. 

That being said it does NOT protect them entirely. If said bishop decides to kick them out of a diocese, for whatever reason, that society must go and it will take a lot to fight and bring them back in. But in the short run, as long as these societies are not morphing into the SSPX, the bishop will likely let them stay and will not touch them. Do not worry Virginia, there will likely still be the FSSP in your diocese (that is … if you have them.) 

Even more encouraging, so as not to lose devoted faithful to the SSPX who have a schismatic attitude/mindset despite their eccleastical/legal status, if these canonically legitimate orders/societies exist in a diocese with SSPX, most bishops will keep them to discourage self-schism amongst the faithful. 

“ Art. 7. The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, for matters of their particular competence, exercise the authority of the Holy See with respect to the observance of these provisions.”

This mostly pairs with article 6. It also restates what is known within the Church that Latin Mass related matters became under the CDWDS after the Pope in 20xx declared that the Ecclesia Dei commission was not to stand alone anymore, signifying an end to serious negotiation to bring the SSPX back into the Church. 

“ Art. 8. Previous norms, instructions, permissions, and customs that do not conform to the provisions of the present Motu Proprio are abrogated …. Everything that I have declared in this Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu Proprio, I order to be observed in all its parts, anything else to the contrary notwithstanding, even if worthy of particular mention, and I establish that it be promulgated by way of publication in “L’Osservatore Romano”, entering immediately in force and, subsequently, that it be published in the official Commentary of the Holy See, Acta Apostolicae Sedis.“

 

In short, Summorum Pontificum is now abrogated and TC is in force. Also because Francis knows that the Radicals Misrepresenting Traditionalism will use and abuse Church laws to disobey  Pope Francis, he “crossed the T’s and dotted the I’s” not only in his authoritative language but by promulgating it in the official publications and legal/eccleastical records and/or books. Thus there is no question it is in force and active. 

Overall, it is clear that this document was meant to give bishops more control over the Latin Mass in what is an increasingly out of control situation that threatens the Church and the souls of the faithful. While it is not every soul that attends the Latin Mass, unfortunately there are enough voices, societies etc. That have adopted the RMT element, and attitudes of anti-Church, Anti-Francis, and anti-Novus Ordo mentality, one that is clearly expressed in the Social and Internet media being purported by these voices. Also, especially in the USA as evidenced in former President Trump’s endorsement of disgraced and ever increasingly schismatic Archbishop Vigano leading up to the 2020 election, the Latin Mass and the RMT elements became further entwined with far-right politics, elevating the situation outside the realm of the Catholic Church to one of theo-political importance. 

Now, does it give too much power to them? I agree and it’s clear that Francis doesn’t care about wayward bishops abusing their power, because the bigger spiritual threat is Radicals misrepresenting Traditonalism in his mind. There could have been better solutions to the problem or a tweaking of TC could have been the best tool to combat the situation. 

Also, Pope Francis is swatting harmless houseflies of the laity in a way, by targeting mainly the clergy who can celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in that form. Most of the social media that attacks the Novus Ordo, the Holy Father and the Church is being controlled by laity. He should have also added clauses to bring punishment to those organizations and/or individuals guilty of promoting radical Traditonalism and corrupting the younger faithful in their physical presence attending the Mass. I would roughly guess that 2/3 of the Radically Traditonalist social media is laity controlled. Pope Francis took the analogy of a shotgun to the problem scattering bullets all over the target and even missing it altogether. He needed a “sniper rifle” approach to tackle this problem instead of a broad granting of power and restriction. 

If personally, we’re I Pope, in a separate Motu Proprio or as part of TC, I would have established a punitive trial process whereby cases of abusive bishops/chaplains/pastors could be submitted by laity alone or jointly with good priests to curb clericalism and spiritual abuse of TC. 

Regardless, quod scripsi, scripsi. 

Now that I have gone through the actual document, my third and final post is going to be my worst …. As in the bluntest, and most curt I've ever written, regarding my personal experience and thoughts on TC and why it was badly needed, especially in the Archdiocese of Toronto. 

Unfortunately what has happened to both my good friends and I, has exactly been the caricature of the RMT that Francis sees, and thus why such control is needed and exactly what Francis sees. 

Pax, Julian. 

Reply to Kennedy Hall's pro-apologia SSPX Articles on Serviam Ministries Part III

REBUTTAL TO KENNEDY HALL'S PRO-APOLOGIA FOR THE SSPX PART III: MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE MATTER AS A FATHER, ONE INVOLVED IN THE LATIN MASS, AND A SON OF THE CHURCH TRYING TO BE LOYAL TO HIS SPOTLESS BRIDE, ON KENNEDY'S DECISION. 

See Part 1 HERE,  and Part 2, HERE.

I have hoped to elucidate those readers here, of reasoning for NOT involving one's faith life DIRECTLY with the SSPX in this manner, and arguments to point out flaws in material provided by the SSPX, as well as their statements and those stated by pro-apologia materials, such as the articles written by Mr. Kennedy Hall.

To conclude this counter to the articles made by Mr. Kennedy, I will share my perspective on these matters and the making of such a harmful spiritual decision, as a father of a 4 month old boy, an altar server who serves the Lord in organized Latin Masses in my Archdiocese, and one man who strives his best to be loyal to Christ in his Holy Mother Church, without succumbing to radical traditionalism, also known as a heresy.

I will say that in pursuing the vocation of marriage, I took this matter seriously. I purposely enrolled in North America's largest Catholic dating site, Catholic Match, to find a solid young woman near me to seriously marry in the Sacrament of Marriage, and even to start a family with and raise all future children PROPERLY in the faith. I would not accept a woman who didn't take her Sunday Obligation with laxity, or had a past history and/or embraces mental ideologies, contrary to the doctrines of the Catholic Church. Thankfully, with much petition of prayer to St. Joseph and Christ, I was blessed with my wife of today, and now, my 4 month old son, Gianluca. Might I say in irony, she ended up being a teacher in a Catholic School board in my Archdiocese?

Further, through a good friend I met via a young adult ministry in my then local parish some 8.5 years ago, he introduced me to the Latin Mass, and eventually both of us became servers. Through serving the Lord at the altar at Masses, mainly those organized by St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir in Toronto, as well as my own personal Latin Mass serving blog, Servimus Unum Deum, I have come to appreciate and play a direct part in the Traditionalist movement in the Archdiocese. However in doing so, I have encountered the gamut of insanity of both online, and in person, commentary and material that unfortunately promotes radical traditionalism, which has stalled progress of the Latin Mass in some senses in my Archdiocese. Coupled with bullying and harassment of multiple forms (of which I have been personally targeted with,) this has made some former acquaintances of mine in serving either reduce their ministry to their home parishes, abandon traditionalism altogether and retreat to their Novus Ordo parishes, or even worse ... become adherents to the SSPX and attend only their EF masses in Toronto.

In serving the Latin Mass, one is bound to in one form or another, encounter the SSPX and some of their printed materials. I will admit that I do contain a book or two from their Angelus Press at home, and found a great resource online for the Missa Cantata/High Mass level of the Latin Mass. However, their provision and experience of doing the Latin Mass alone, is NOT enough to warrant approval of them. Let me also state that, not just from the SSPX solely, though they do emphasize this more, I became aware of the "crisis of the church." Crisis of vocations? check. Novus Ordo done not as reverently due to temptations that exist for liturgical abuses? check. Culture war? check. Gourmand, internet celebrity priest who is a textbook encyclopedia for all things Latin Mass related and emphasizes all of the above? Check, and Fr. Zuhlsdorf at WDTPRS is one of my favourite internet reads! I am not an ignoramus to all those things emphasized by Latin Mass participants and the SSPX.

Still, would I be so inclined, based on what I know and understand about the Novus Ordo and current institutional (e.g. the people, bricks and mortar and political structures,) and sociological culture of  the Catholic Church, to make the same decision as Kennedy to jump the "ship without a rudder" to  quote one Pontifical Latin Mass loving prelate, and become an SSPX adherent?  

THE ANSWER IS A RESOUNDING, "NO!" "SERVO DEUM!!!!!"

First of all, were I to abandon the Church and bring my current (and future) family outside of the Church into the SSPX, for the sake of a FORM of the Roman Rite and what is being promoted by its clergy as the "TRUE" Church, I would be causing spiritual harm to my family, and eliciting spiritual pride, akin to Satan's "non serviam" of God, in a form of spiritual rebellion. Knowing that the Novus Ordo IS a valid and licit liturgy, promulgated by the Church via Apostolic authority of then Pope Paul VI, and maintained up to current Pope Francis, and even stated explicitly by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who in essence "freed" the Latin Mass in an IMMEDIATE ACTING LAW FOR THE ENTIRE CHURCH, A MOTU PROPRIO, I would be committing a grave violation of Church Law. I would violate a doctrinally, legal document in Summorum Pontificum article 1, and also violate the DOGMATIC constitution of Pastor Aeternus from Vatican I, believing that the Pope has NO authority in discipline and government of the Church in the finite world. I would be encouraging my family and I to become schismatics and separate themselves from the Church, though albeit my wife, my children, and my grandchildren might be less culpable in their actions as they were influenced by my decision and their new SSPX environment. Personally, I do not want to arrive at the court of Christ after death, and be sentenced to Hell because I became schismatic and left Holy Mother Church, and dragged my wife and children with me, doing what Matthew 7:9-10 describes: giving them the opposite of what is supposed to be the nourishment of Christ. I would be judged harshly with our Lord`s Divine Wrath as the spiritual head of my family for this decision upon all our souls.

Second of all, I get that we are facing ever increasing odds and forces that oppose the family and the Catholic Faith, especially the Church's children being brainwashed with anti-Christian ideologies and/or lifestyles, particularly the lifestyle du-jour, that of homosexuality and/or including multi-genderism. Sadly, the Catholic school system IS failing in that regard, even aiding as such with the establishment of Gay-Straight Alliance groups in schools, instead of general anti-bullying or ``respecting differences`` groups. I also understand, having now been a practicing Catholic adult, parish politics, and the problems that priests themselves bring to the liturgy and the ordinary faith life of the faithful, who are used as  pawns in the greater politics that is the bureaucracy of the Church hierarchy. I also am aware of the poor formation that many priests got in seminaries, which according to some sources, includes homosexual shenanigans and purposeful selection of candidates who were effeminate or gay to be ordained, removing conservative/liturgically minded candidates for priesthood. This last note was recently brought to public light, once again, in the Cardinal McCarick scandals, and cowardly via peer pressure, he has turned in his resignation to Pope Francis.

However, this is NO excuse to abandon the barque of Peter for the sake of finding a liturgical 'bomb shelter' to hide out in! There are some teachers willing to actually teach the deficient Catholic curriculum properly in their classes, such as my wife. She actually uses Church documents in her courses, such as VATICAN II documents to introduce the proper Catholic framework of the Grade 11 World Religions course, before she delves into ANY of the world religions in detail. She also attempts her very best to connect things back to the Church, regardless of the religion, and at the end of every Gr. 11 course puts a question on the final exam to purposely tie together the religions the students learnt about and the Catholic Church's teachings on other religions and/or faiths. She does NOT aim in any of her classes to slander the Catholic Faith, or make it simply another choice of faith as options in the course.

Also, because both my wife and I work, and I am not the heir of a wealthy business or enormous inheritance, I know that I will NOT be able to afford private Catholic education. Therefore, I know intuitively that I will have to FIGHT the system, and I will be ever more attentive to my son's education, both as a parent, but also in teaching him in the home. One strategy: I have amassed a personal library of works and spiritual literature to nourish my child's soul (e.g. Aquinas' Summa Theologica, 1/2 of the Ascetic Volumes of St. Alphonsus Liguori,) While I have not read front to back every book to date, nonetheless I will attempt to educate myself as much as possible, and hopefully my son as well, that he will 'seek the good' in some of what is the best, most Traditional literature I could afford.

As for the liturgical end of things, if one TRULY wants to seek out the Latin Mass, in developed countries should one have access to an automobile or public transit (or truly holy and great allies/friends,) one can seek these the EF actively and access it if they choose, whether for spiritual nourishment or to avoid liturgical abuses at a parish or Fr. Boisterous on the altar. Now, were I to have to make that decision, then NO, I would not be forsaking my family's Sunday obligation as that priest advises in his SSPX videos (10) just because there was not an EF or an SSPX EF Mass available. While the Church does not force you to endure liturgical abuse, it DOES request you, out of honouring the Lord and out of mercy for weak human fault, under obligation of sin, to fulfill your obligation. While yes, the Pontifical Council of Ecclesia Dei has stated you CAN (read, NOT MUST!) fulfill your obligation at an SSPX Mass, that does NOT mean it is your first choice to do so, particularly when there are Novus Ordo, or even parishes of other rites of the Church available to you (e.g. Byzantine/Ukrainian Catholic Rite.) Further, even if I am taking my wife and child to these Masses, such instances would support disobedience to Holy Mother Church, even if I do not sin for attendance SSPX Masses for proper reasons. Finally, as seen in the SSPX FAQ videos, it's clear that being in contact with the SSPX, including clergy who support such ideas in the FAQ videos, who could potentially preach such ideas from the pulpit or in instructional material for my family, HAVE THE POTENTIAL as per the warnings of the Church's communications, to put my family and I in harm's way of adopting a self-schismatic attitude.

Third of all, there ARE more and more ample opportunities in ordinary diocesan parishes, that are  being created and developed each year in developed/"1st world" countries such as ours in Canada, whereby the lay faithful CAN partake in, should they be enamoured with the EF if it spiritually fulfills their needs. With the ever increasing access to the EF in dioceses, the argument of the SSPX that the Church is in a liturgical crisis and that lay faithful must abandon the Church for the EF (offered by the SSPX) has gradually become eroded, especially since Benedict Emeritus XVI released Summorum Pontificum in 2007. Let us not forget also laity-led, or combined laity-clergy led organizations/choirs who are organizing Latin Masses and providing both the sacred music for the Mass as well as the servers for the liturgical portion, in parishes willing to allow a diocesan priest trained in the EF to celebrate that form of the Latin rite and to hold the Masses in their sainctuaries. The most well-known example are chapters under the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce, whom was established after Vatican II by laity, to preserve the liturgical traditions of the Church via the Latin Mass.

As a local example, in my Archdiocese of Toronto alone, there are two major parishes that are public transit accessible, that have not only Sunday obligation Masses, but also weekday Low Masses and  even occasional, solemnity/feast day higher level Masses for the laity that they can attend. One of them, St. Lawrence the Martyr in Scarbourough, is also home to the Chaplain for the EF in our Archdiocese. The other parish, staffed by the Oratorians, is Holy Family/St Vincent de Paul, whose Sunday Obligation Masses are High or Solemn Level masses for the 11am offering.There are also at least 4 other parishes in my Archdiocese offering one of either Sunday obligation Masses (e.g. St. Patrick's in Schomberg, ON,) occasional Latin Masses on another weekday, or once a month. Should one be able to afford driving out occasionally, they can even find the Latin Mass in other (arch)dioceses of my province of Ontario, and these offerings are growing in the “peripheries” of my province of Ontario, or those of my Archdiocese. There are also the lay organizations/choirs of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir and the Toronto Traditional Mass Society (a.k.a. Una Voce Toronto) who organize special offerings of the Latin Mass, particularly Missa Cantata and Solemnis (High and Solemn High) level Masses, in addition to the parishes that offer the Latin Mass in varying frequencies.

Further, I myself am trying to contribute the best I can to support the maintenance and growth of the  Latin Mass, whenever I can, whether this is attending a Mass in the pews, to serving offerings of the  Mass in a liturgical role as a server. I am also attempting to undergo training to become a Master of Ceremonies, so that I can assist my allies in the movement in my Archdiocese, as well as in the long run, possibly be able to assist the Church in some way of hosting another offering of the TLM, or possibly even training clergy/servers in their roles. Instead of throwing my arms up in the air to run with my family to the SSPX, I am playing an active role in the Latin Mass movement in our Archdiocese, the best I can while being a father to my newborn child, and also ensuring that my family fulfills their Sunday obligation via Sunday Mass attendance, which usually is at our local Novus Ordo parish. Occasionally, my wife will even attend the offerings of the EF I serve at, though I have yet to witness her don the mantilla my more Traditionalist friend gave her as a gift, despite my requests. She did though, bring my newborn son to the last EF mass I served in June for the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

Finally, let me end my resolve with an analogy, to understand all of the above. Imagine you are taking your family to a camping destination: A campground with supervision, maintenance staff, amenities such as a lake staffed with lifeguards, etc. You are driving your family along the road to your destination and you child diverts your attention as there is a crystal blue lake near large patches of land that look `pristine` as if man had never touched this part of God`s creation. Why, there`s even a perfectly made dock and crafted fishing boat waiting for you to go out in the deeper parts of the waters where juicy, non-mercury tainted tuna are waiting for you. At the behest of your rambunctious child, you go to investigate and naturally, your wife comes along with you.

Now, problem is that you have heard about this lake from the bait shop cashier you purchased your fresh supplies from, and a forest ranger friend of yours, who works at the campsite you frequent, who say NEVER to go on that lake, as it is not only too deep, but a large, great white shark is at the bottom. Since that lake is outside the county boundaries of the parks and recreation authority, they do not have the means legally to go in and kill the shark. Foolishly, you dismiss the cashier and your friends` warnings and take your family into the convenient fishing boat set aside for you at the dock. You decide to go out just enough that the water is not shallow anymore, and try to fish. You caught a couple of sizable minnows, but you wanted to get the ``big catch`` and go deeper. You then go out deeper and start catching small size tunas, but of course, you want the big tuna fish. Your child and wife, however, see a large shadow passing the side of the boat while you are distracted, and warn you that maybe this is not a good idea. In passing, you ignore the warnings of your family, and move deeper to the center of the lake with those big tunas. You put those small minnows, now bleeding from your fishing hook before, on the tip of your fishing hook into the depths of the water. A large shadow approaches your fishing pole and catches it ... enough to break it ... and that shadow isn`t leaving the side of the boat ... 

This analogy, of the shark in the waters as you go deeper, is exactly what the SSPX is to me. All for the sake of the Latin Mass, one immerses themselves in the ``life`` of their `apostolates` or `chapels` while their priests like the one in the video spout partially or completely false ideas about the Novus Ordo Mass and the Modern Church, all for the sake of taking you away from Holy Mother Church and into a parallel, NON-CANONICALLY VALID `church` of supposed `true Catholicism` that only they can provide, that the Novus Ordo, `modernist` ``Church`` under the modernist Pope Francis, (who IS the Vicar of Christ they claim to honour,) cannot. In a big irony of them all, here is the non-canonical SSPX, telling the lay faithful to abandon Holy Mother Church and it`s major form of the Mass, the Novus Ordo, when Traditionalists strongly believe and adhere to the adage ``Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus`` which translates to ``No Salvation Outside the Church.``
How can a society outside of the Church, canonically speaking then, provide me salvation to my wife and child? As a "T"raditionalist, I would have to thus stick to the old adage, and remain loyal to the Bride of Christ, under the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, warts and Novus Ordo and all. I will do so, as my family`s spiritual authority, so my wife and my son, will be able to obtain the fullest opportunity, of obtaining salvation, as promised through my Lord, Jesus Christ, Sovereign King.

I pray that one day, in my lifetime, Christ's hopes and wishes that we may all be united be granted, and that the Society of St. Pius X is reconciled, and heavily re-vitalized so as not to be an instrument of division, but an instrument of unity serving Holy Mother Church in obedience to the Holy Father, and in revitalization of the sacred liturgy of the Latin Rite. Amen.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin

Reply to Kennedy Hall's pro-apologia SSPX articles on Serviam Ministries Part II

Rebuttal to Kennedy Hall`s pro-Apologia for the SSPX Part II: The Novus Ordo and the ``Crisis of Faith`` and the ``Reply to Comments`` Article

SEE PART 1, HERE. 

SECOND POSTING OF KENNEDY AND THE ``TIME OF CRISIS`` REASON TO ATTEND SSPX (aka FORSAKE THE NOVUS ORDO???)

In his second post, Kennedy chooses to address some of the specific complaints or criticisms against him, and continues to defend the SSPX, now as an adherent as he openly admits, with my emphasis added, "... my family and I have begun to attend an SSPX Chapel, and I cannot see us going back to the Novus Ordo, unless necessity requires for our Sunday Obligation ..." (1) From there Mr. Kennedy responds to two main gripes from his first post and/or the Facebook(TM) comments, but also opens up discussion to some more serious spiritual matter here, particularly the question of crisis in Faith, necessary for him to decide to become fully integrated into the life of the SSPX, and outside of the life of the Church. 

The first gripe that he responds to is that the SSPX are literally schismatic. This Mr. Kennedy is correct on, as the matter is one of specific violations of Canon Law and the actors who participated in the actions, as well as the fact that those who were part of it were validly and licitly ordained as Catholic priests, prior to being made bishops. Can participation in the society lead you to schism? Yes, as I covered this in the section on the status of the Society. 

The second gripe is that one must believe in ALL parts of the Vatican II council as infallible. This is actually incorrect as even Pope John XXIII, regarded Vatican II as a pastoral council. Where tension between the SSPX and the Vatican lies is in this regard, both under Benedict Emeritus XVI and Francis I, whether by formal negotiation or indirectly through a former secretary of the Pope’s respectively. I will say, however, in defending or countering this gripe, Kennedy used poor source material, as his quotes are taken from a site called "One Peter Five," a website with an anti-Francis and anti Novus Ordo agenda/bias in its media. 

Now, while one might think I am allowing the second blog post of Mr. Kennedy to pass, that is wrong, as between the two posts, Mr. Kennedy has brought into the open a deep and concerning issue: Forsaking the Novus Ordo and normal parish life for the SSPX under a spiritual crisis scenario. Kennedy brought this into the open in the following quote: "...  I want nothing more than to be a man of God, a saintly father to my children, and a leader in faith to my wife, and this is why the SSPX exists ...." (1) alongside this in the first post: ".... The strongest argument for the validity of the Society as a legitimate arm of the Church lies in the provisions given in Canon Law that allow for irregular actions during situations of crisis ...  if the Church really has been in crisis for some time now ... then perhaps  ... the SSPX ... were in fact a legitimate response ... to a true crisis of faith and church governance." (2)    

In this article, combined with a point in his last one on "crisis" of the Church, Kennedy uses as defenses a number of points to validate one leaving the `regular` Church for the SSPX. One example is that "... it is clear that the Latin Mass and the surrounding community is truly the breeding ground of Saints." (1) I say to this that, at least at face value (but not perhaps personal intention on Kennedy's part,) the statement displays spiritual arrogance and pride, and "bashes" the Novus Ordo, saying the atmosphere cannot produce saints. What about examples like soon to be martyr Saint, Bishop Oscar Romero, killed during a Novus Mass after preaching the homily on March 23, 1980? What about teenager St. Chiara "Luce" Badano born in 1971 after the complete changes of the Novus Ordo, whom died of cancer on October 7, 1990 at a mere 18 years old? These are but two of the hopefully growing number of saints, that have been immersed and/or had to become part of the Novus Ordo "Church culture," and hopefully the Church will canonize more to come. While I will admit I am no stranger to the weaknesses of the average parish culture of the Novus Ordo Mass, it is NOT deficient of Christ's graces and the Holy Mass. Clearly as with these (soon to be two) Saints, ordinary parish or Novus Ordo culture CAN enable some people to become saintly under the right circumstances, or dare I say, in SPITE of such circumstances.

Another argument Kennedy uses to validate one`s decision to abandon Holy Mother Church for the SSPX, is that the Latin Mass has been the formative Mass in the Roman rite for numerous saints. If the article was a general apologia for the Latin Mass, this IS a vital argument that can be used. However, did said saints decide to act outside the authority of the Church and start their own parallel `society` with a form of the Mass they felt better or more "pure/holier", like say, version 1.0 of the Tridentine Mass when Pope Pius V promulgated it in 1570? Absolutely not! Those saints were loyal sons and daughters of the Church who did not take matters in their own hands to save what they thought is the "true tradition of the Church."

BEYOND THE POSTINGS OF KENNEDY: INSCRIBED MENTALITY OF ANTIPATHY AGAINST THE NOVUS ORDO?

While not deeply touched in these two postings, with possibly obvious reason, Kennedy fails to mention one key teaching that the SSPX continues to hold: A firm antipathy towards the Novus Ordo Mass, one that violates the teachings of the Church and puts those who adhere to the SSPX's teachings in peril of their soul. 

Where is it that Catholics must at the very least acknowledge the validity and licitness of the Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite/Novus Ordo under normal conditions? 

In most recent times, part of that is in the very document that allowed for freer usage of the EF again in modern times, Summorum Pontificum, promulgated as a motu proprio by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI (emphasis added:) "Art 1.  The Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the lex orandi (rule of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite .... These two expressions of the Church’s lex orandi will in no way lead to a division in the Church’s lex credendi (rule of faith); for they are two usages of the one Roman rite." (3) Being motu proprio, this is immediate acting, binding law, upon the entirety of the Church, both for lay faithful and priest. 

Also, besides the Pope having infallibility in faith and morals, he also has full Papal Authority on other matters in the Church including the promulgation of liturgical rites, discipline in the Church and its government. This was promulgated in the Vatican I Dogmatic Constituion of the Church of Christ, Pastor Aeternus, paragraph 3 (also, emphases added here:) 

"Hence we teach and declare that, by the appointment of our Lord, the Roman Church possesses a superiority of ordinary power over all other Churches, and that this power of jurisdiction of the Roman Pontiff, which is truly episcopal, is immediate; to which all, of whatever rite and dignity, both pastors and faithful, both individually and collectively, are bound, by their duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, to submit, not only in matters which belong to faith and morals, but also in those that appertain to the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world, so that the Church of Christ may be one flock under one Supreme Pastor through the preservation of unity both of communion and of profession of the same faith with the Roman Pontiff. This is the teaching of Catholic truth, from which no one can deviate without loss of faith and of salvation." (4) 

Unfortunately, the SSPX do not swear total fealty to the Holy Father, or should I say Fathers since Vatican II, given the above with regards to one key element of our common Catholic Faith: The everyday, Novus Ordo form of the Roman Rite, the Catholic Mass of today, found in most parishes worldwide. It is in their treatment of the Novus Ordo that once again, Mr Kennedy's statement of "total obedience" to the Holy Father is disingenuous and whereby, the SSPX poses great danger to the faith life of the ordinary Catholic, and hence, the possibly of becoming self-schismatic. 

While Kennedy has definitely become familiar with the SSPX website, perhaps he has stumbled upon the YouTube(TM) SSPX FAQ videos, produced likely by the USA district? The channel is "SSPX News - English" and is a series of 16 videos, 15 of them frequently asked questions about elements pertaining to the Society, including their origins, the priest's status of "jurisdiction" in the Church, etc. The host is an un-named priest of the Society, who narrates the text provided in the comments section under each video. Of the series, 3 of them involve dealing with the Novus Ordo/Ordinary Form of the Roman Rite and attendance at this form of the Mass. 

The first FAQ is Episode 7 titled "What is the Novus Ordo Missae?" The priest explains how the New Mass was some concocted scheme of Anibale Bugini, but also states of the Novus Ordo the following: "... Man has become more of the focus, not so much God. The priest and faithful father for a meal to share with one another Christ's loving presence ... vernacular languages, "Mass facing the people," and equating the laity's role with that of the priest ... the Blessed Sacrament ... is reserved away from the main altar ... many abuses have been introduced, such as lay Eucharistic Ministers, Communion in the hand, and altar girls." (5)

I'll address some of these charges briefly. In each case, it was NOT the Novus Ordo Missae itself that allowed these changes, or the charge doesn't stick well. Rather it was politics or flat out abuse by certain prelates that led to the abuses mentioned. 

To start with the charge of the man-focused liturgy, and that the Mass is a meal to share with one another in Christ's presence, I think that, even my Conference of Canadian Catholic Bishops, (of which bishops' conferences are generally deplored by Catholic faithful in the know,) in the publicly accessible General Instruction of the Roman Missal (G.I.R.M.) for the 2011/3rd edition of the Missal, would beg to differ.  Their second paragraph in the Introduction states the following: "The sacrificial nature of the Mass, solemnly defended by the Council of Trent ... was once more stated by the Second Vatican Council ... What is taught in this way by the Council is consistently expressed in the formulas of the Mass. Moreover, the doctrine which stands out ... is aptly and exactly expounded in the Eucharistic Prayers; for as in these the Priest enacts the anamnesis ..." (6) which is explained in paragraph 78(e) as, "... by which the Church, fulfilling the command that she received from Christ the Lord through the Apostles, celebrated the memorial of Christ, recalling especially his blessed Passion, glorious Resurrection and Ascention into Heaven.``(6) While we cannot control the (willful?) ignorance pf priests for NOT reading the G.I.R.M. and/or the possible brainwashing of their formation for the generations of the late 60`s to 80`s and some of the 90`s, one can certainly conclude that the Mass is NOT intended as a `celebratory meal` for the celebrant in carrying out the sacred liturgy.  

As for the other charges, these were limited or narrowed suggestions/permissions abused by the clergy at the time of the Council, and/or taken in well-meaning intention by ignorant priests from liturgical "experts" who likely themselves did not have the proper interpretation of, or even the actual documents themselves, of Vatican II. As per the abuses mentioned, they were twistings of suggestions from the Vatican II documents, but NOT the original intention for the Novus Ordo, whose true intentions are oriented particularly from Sarcosanctum Concilium. Much of this, don't forget, was in the pre-Internet era, before even laity could enact surveillance on our institutional Church and be able to decry when clerics do not follow rubrics or violate laws. For the sake of length I will not attack each claim by the unnamed priest, rather I refer you to one of Catholic Answer`s priests on retainer for answering questions from the faithful, Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. (Yes, a Jesuit!) in this article at https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-contributions/the-mass-of-vatican-ii.html. The unnamed SSPX priest then describes the Latin Mass as the total opposite of everything about the Novus Ordo at the end of the video. The underlying message he gives is `Novus Ordo bad, Latin Mass and SSPX good.`

In the 2nd video on the Novus Ordo, titled ``Should Catholics Attend the New Mass? - Part I or II`` (7) the unnamed priest, does not necessarily lob any direct attacks on the Novus Ordo but does a good job in explaining the Sunday obligation to attend Mass. The one thing to note though, which he intentionally sets up for part II are the reasons WHY someone would be unable to attend to their Sunday Obligation. As per the text of the video these reasons are: ``• Dangerous travel conditions, an inability to travel, or even great distances.; • Poor health. ;• Preservation of a common good. • A duty of charity or another necessity, such as caring for the sick or employment for one’s livelihood.`` 

Keeping in mind distance and preservation of a common good, the priest then goes into the second part, titled ``Should Catholics Attend the New Mass? - Part II of II.`` Here is where the unnamed priest assaults the Novus Ordo in order to convince the ordinary faithful, to abandon the regular Church life and even NOT attend the Novus Ordo. Using the Ottavani Intervention, a warning from Cardinal Ottavani and other signatories of the errors that would be introduced in the 1970 edition of the Roman Missal (the 2nd edition, as there was a 1965 version of the Missal and the Mass intended by Vatican II documents,) and other statements including the excommunicated and un-reconciled leader of the SSPX, +Lefevbre (of which a quote is purposely abridged,) the priest convinces the viewer to abandon the Novus Ordo. 

What statements does the priest use? Examples are the obscuring or "... even removing from its prayers the Catholic doctrines concerning the propitiatory nature of the Mass, the sacrificial and mediatory character of the priesthood, and the dogma of the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist" (8) and "... the New Mass departs from the Catholic Faith "as a whole and in its details." (8) Already in those statements, the quote I used prior from the G.I.R.M. proves the priest wrong, as the sacrificial and mediatory character IS retained in the Mass (though whether the priest acts as such in an obvious way is not under our complete control.) As for the denial of the Real Presence of the Lord Jesus, setting aside the issue of not having the tabernacle on the altar in visible sight (with exception of specific adoration chapels near the altar) which AGAIN was due to foolish liturgical "experts," all one has to do is examine the climax of the Mass in the Eucharistic Prayers, when the Body and Blood of Christ is consecrated/undergoes transubstantiation from bread and wine into the Sacred Species in the Mass. Yes, even the so called paltry and commonly over-used Eucharistic prayer II, has it mentioned TWICE in specific detail, the Body and Blood of Christ, the second time even using the word "partaking."  

Finally, after some more charges against the Ordinary Form, the un-named priest makes these horrifying statements of the Novus Ordo: ".... In itself the rite of the New Mass does not clearly express the Faith precisely on the points of doctrine denied by the Protestant heresies. In itself therefore this new rite of the Mass constitutes a danger to souls." Hence, what this illicit priest has said, is that the Church's highest form of prayer, in the MAJORITY FORM & RITE OF THE MASS OFFERED TO THE AVERAGE CATHOLIC, is detrimental to their souls, as if it were a mortal sin to go. 

This, is a sickening charge to make against Holy Mother Church, the Church Christ founded that He himself said that the Gates of Hell would never destroy in Matthew 16:18. Further, Our Lord Jesus Christ, said himself in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7: 9-10 (Douay-Reims), "Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? 10 Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?" Why, would the Lord, then, via the Church he instituted for the salvation of souls, with the principal form of prayer and command to honour Him for all eternity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, allow the creation of a Mass diabolical enough to damn the souls of the faithful? Even the un-named priest says himself in the video, "The Church cannot ask her members to endanger their Faith." (8)  

Regardless, the priest continues to tell the faithful, that if you can't get to a traditional Mass (implying, as being the source of this enlightenment in the FAQ videos, that it should be a Latin Mass offered by the SSPX,) or the priest in his preaching and opinions is a detriment to the faith, you should NOT attend, and instead stay at home and " ... sanctify Sunday by dedicating a time for prayer, alone or in the family: one could read the Mass of the day, pray the rosary, and make a spiritual communion." (8) And should one be forced into a situation to attend a Novus Ordo for a sacrament (e.g. wedding, Confirmation, funeral,) you are to attend passively. 

Oddly enough, even those who argue for the Traditional Latin Mass, are actually fighting this charge of passivity in the TLM, saying you actively participate via your "internal disposition" of prayer, uniting those to the priest at the altar involved in the eternal, bloodless re-presenation of the Lord's Sacrifice. While the priest in an odd, anti-culture type way is applying this to the Novus Ordo, he is actually encouraging passive participation in the Mass, which defeats the efforts of Latin Mass apologists, and only supports the stereotype of the passive laity at Mass, a misunderstanding that made its way into the Vatican II Council to encourage "active participation" (albeit the Popes has a different idea of this vs. the Cardinals/bishops who allowed practical mis-applications of this concept.)

NEXT: Part III: My Decision as a Father and Practicing Catholic, Involved in the Latin Mass.

Works Cited:

1. Hall, Kennedy. "Response to Comments - Some Clarity on the Society of St. Pius X" Serviam Ministries, 22 Jun 2018, https://www.serviamministries.com/blog/response-to-comments-some-clarity-on-the-society-of-st-pius-x/. Accessed 23 June 2018. 

2. Hall, Kennedy. "SSPX Sympathizer" Serviam Ministries, 13 Jun 2018,  https://www.serviamministries.com/blog/sspx-sympathizer/. Accessed 23 June 2018.

3. Pope Benedict XVI. ``Apostolic Letter Given Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum on the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970.`` The Vatican, 7 Jul 2007, https://w2.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20070707_summorum-pontificum.html. Accessed 26 June 2018.

4. Pope Blessed Pius IX. "First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ, Pastor Aeternus" Catholic Planet, Translated by Manning, Cardinal Henry E.M., 18 Jul 1870, http://www.catholicplanet.org/councils/20-Pastor-Aeternus.html. Accessed 27 June 2018.

5. Name unknown. "What is the "Novus Ordo Missae"? - Episode 07 - SSPX FAQ Videos." Society of St. Pius X, 1 Apr 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pp1JAk47t0. Accessed 27 June 2018.   

6. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. ``The General Instruction of the Roman Missal.`` Archdiocese of London, 2011, https://dol.ca/documents/2016/11/girm.pdf. Accessed 26 June 2018. 

7. Name unknown. 22 Jul 2015. "Should Catholics Attend the New Mass? - Part I or II - Episode 14 - SSPX FAQ Series" Society of St. Pius X,. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiuXKo0CwoM. Accessed 27 June 2018.

8.  Name unknown. 1 Aug 2015. "Should Catholics Attend the New Mass? - Part I or II - Episode 14 - SSPX FAQ Series" Society of St. Pius X, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hZrRGMs6CY. Accessed 27 June 2018.

Reply to Kennedy Hall's pro-apologia SSPX articles on Serviam Ministries Part I

Rebuttal to Kennedy Hall`s pro-Apologia for the SSPX Part I: Status of the Society and the Article ``SSPX Sympathizer``

Serviam Ministries has been serving the Catholic faithful over the last several years in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Their conferences have catered to all walks of faithful from regular parish-attending Catholics, to Traditionalists, in the choice of keynote speakers in their conferences which are held twice a year. The Serviam conferences` popularity and reputation has grown so highly, they are promoted on parish websites and bulletins.

In addition, the ministry has branched out to the needs of men with the Band of Christian Brothers (herein, BCB,) an arm of Serviam Ministries of which I am part of the Facebook group, and have been privileged to have attended, and volunteered once at, a conference for the Men's group.

Let me also disclose that Serviam's co-founder, Mr. David Gilbert and I, share common interest in the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form (EF) of the Roman Rite, as he is an executive member of Una Voce Hamilton in that diocese, and I have been serving at the altar of the Lord for certain offerings in the Archdiocese of Toronto since October 2011. Mr. Gilbert and Serviam Ministries have also been a great assistance or promoting organized offerings of the Latin Mass, especially of my colleagues of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir in Toronto. Rest assured without them, there would not have been the 800+ bodies in attendance for the October 2016 offering of a Missa Solemnis/SolemnHigh Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael in Toronto, with His Eminence ThomasCardinal Collins present on the altar and as homilist.

Almost one month ago, the Serviam Ministries blog posted two blog post by Mr. Kennedy Hall, one of Serviam`s listed authors of blog articles. Kennedy is a Catholic father and school teacher in a Catholic/Separate school system (he does not identify which region's board, likely to maintain his employment,) who is debating what to do about his son's education in the faith, as he detests the approach the system takes in regard to instructing students in the Catholic faith. In looking at educational options, he has present to him a local academy run by the Society of St. Pius X.

According to his first posting on Serviam Ministries, Kennedy did his own "research" into the SSPX. He wrote an initial post approved by Serviam Ministries on June 13th titled ``SSPX Sympathizer.``  While Mr. Kennedy says in the article: ".... This article is not meant to be a propaganda piece for the SSPX, and in full disclosure, to this day I have still never been to a Mass offered in one of their Chapels ...." (1) he devoted a full posting to making a pro-apologia for the Society, rather than focusing on the differences in education between the SSPX school system and the current Catholic system, and why a father in the Catholic Church would consider the SSPX school as a necessary option, which is why I clicked on the link to this article from the BCB Facebook group in the first place.

Due to commentary on the Facebook postings in Serviam and BCB's Facebook groups, Mr. Hall was then graciously allowed a follow up on June 22, whereby he states, ".... Once again, it is not my intention to be an SSPX apologist on this blog.  That said, it is difficult for me to leave certain untruths unanswered when I am in a position to do so. In full disclosure, my family and I have begun to attend an SSPX Chapel, and I cannot see us going back to the Novus Ordo, unless necessity requires for our Sunday Obligation." (2) Again Mr. Kennedy was given an audience to address some comments from the Facebook group, but now reveals he is becoming what is called an 'adherent' of the Society, which involves being a frequent attendee of SSPX Masses, and also again issues a pro-apologia for the SSPX.

Were Mr. Hall allowed one post, I would have written it off as a gaffe, or a one-time guest post to simply state an alternative viewpoint in the Catholic Church. However, between Mr. Kennedy's spiritually troubling decision to now attend SSPX Masses with his family (and likely, will have his children attend the charter school,) and my aforementioned background, I must now address these postings, as well as the SSPX issue and the decision Kennedy has made.

My motivations are for the sake of defending Traditionalism from critics who use examples like the SSPX, bloggers, Mr. Kennedy`s articles, etc. to shun the Latin Mass and/or Catholic Traditionalism, and attack ALL traditionalists despite a vocal minority being extremists; for fellow Catholics who are part of the Serviam Ministries and BCB Facebook (TM) groups, and/or attend their conferences and can access this website; and finally to defend Holy Mother Church and be subservient to Her. 

While I will address what Mr. Kennedy got correct, other matters will need to be addressed, such as clarifying points about the situation of the SSPX and the statements of Mr Kennedy`s first article. In a follow up posting, I will also address the second of Mr. Kennedy`s postings, but also address the Sunday obligation issue and ``Crisis`` in the Church, specifically addressing the SSPX`s warnings to avoid the Novus Ordo form of the liturgy of the Roman Rite, as well as state my own reasoning also as a Catholic Father of a child (and hopefully more in future) why I would NOT make a decision such as Mr. Kennedy's as spiritual head of my household.

SITUATION OF THE SSPX RE: STATUS WITHIN THE CHURCH AND MASS ATTENDANCE

Mr. Kennedy is correct when he says that the "...  They are not in full communion ... They don’t have jurisdiction to offer mass publicly in a local diocese ... Their Masses are valid, but not necessarily licit, and the Church has said they are not in schism, yet regular attendance at their chapels can lead to a “schismatic” attitude ...." (1) This is because their leader in 1988, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, decided after a stalled period of requesting a bishop for the SSPX from the Vatican under Pope John Paul II, to consecrate more bishops for the Society in a ``crisis`` scenario.  Part of that crisis was Lefebvre’s failing health, with the fear that the Vatican would not be able to deliver to the SSPX a bishop before his death.

This act, Lefebvre did, was a violation of the Church`s governing law, Canon Law. This put the four, now three acting bishops in the Society (as +Williamson was expelled in the last few years for anti-Semitic propaganda,) as well as +Lefevbre in excommunication, and the Society made ``irregular.`` Because those bishops` priesthoods were valid as they were ordained prior to the illicit consecrations, by a bishop who was of the same, any priests they do ordain are valid priests, but since done out of disobedience to Holy Mother Church`s Canon Law, and operating outside of bishops' jurisdiction, the priests` Masses are illicit, though the Eucharist is consecrated, and any sacrament done outside of the permission of the Church is null (e.g. Confirmation.)

As for attendance at their Masses, at least Kennedy was honest enough to say what is correct, in that regular attendance at the Masses of the SSPX can lead to self-schism from Holy Mother Church. The Pontifical Commision of Ecclesia Dei (PCED,) in a formal letter in 1995, seen here (3) states as follows: ".... While it is true that the participation in the Mass and sacraments at the chapels of the Society of St. Pius X does not of itself constitute "formal adherence to the schism", such adherence can come about over a period of time as one slowly imbibes a mentality which separates itself from the magisterium of the Supreme Pontiff ...." While the overall public presentation of the SSPX seems to be improving from a public relations perspective, Rome (the Church) has NOT withdrawn or altered the communication issued in 1995 from the PCED.

As for other sacraments offered by the SSPX, since the 1988 excommunications, the Holy Fathers Emeritus Benedict XVI and Francis I, have granted the following permissions out of mercy for the current bishops and the lay faithful, under the SSPX in this order: The removal of the excommunications of +Fellay, +Galarreta, and +Tissier de Mallerais (+Williamson was included too, but has since consecrated another bishop of his own, outside of the SSPX, becoming excommunicated once again from the Church;) valid faculties to conduct the sacrament of Reconciliation; validity of marriages in the SSPX chapels, provided a) A diocesan priest officiated the marriage vows portion of the liturgy, or b) Bishops of a diocese give ``carte blanche`` permission as the Church`s ordinary judge and officers of its Canon Law, for SSPX priests to officiate the wedding vow portion of the liturgy, or in the case of the EF, the pre-Mass vows. The sacramental permissions Mr. Kennedy got right also. 

However, Kennedy is wrong in regards to something I left out above. Kennedy is wrong in saying the following: ``... they fully accept the Holy Father and his authority." (1) This is incorrect on three different fronts. The first is their general situation, and involves the Mark of the Church being "Apostolic." By being outside the scope of the authority of their local bishops, who are the Church`s ordinary guardians and teachers of doctrine, dogma, and the laws of the Church in matters ecclesiastical, they at least indirectly go against the mark of Apostolic Authority, as it is from the head of the Church in Rome, under the Holy Father, the Supreme Vicar of Christ, where the authority of the Church flows.

The second front, is that currently as of 2018, the SSPX still promotes and has published public statements and/or media, that smacks of Protestantism that defies the Holy Father, particularly Pope Francis. When Francis was brought into the seat of the Pope, the SSPX, on their USA district site (a frequent source of Kennedy's in the first post and his second,) accused Pope Francis in 2013 of heresy in blatant accusations of Modernism. (4) To start, how can they accuse the pope of Heresy when they have NO direct spiritual authority in the Church? Furthermore, to accuse the Pope of heresy violates Scripture in Matthew 16:18, whereby Christ will never allow the gates of Hell to prevail in the Church, and that includes the Dogma of Infallibility in faith and morals, proclaimed in the Vatican I council. The SSPX has NOT repealed their accusations of modernism, including the 2013 article from their website. For Kennedy to say they are in complete obedience to the Holy Father and his authority is disingenuous at best, false at its worst.

The final front is by going against the Church’s/Pope’s jurisdiction over governance of liturgical matters, particularly in the debasement of the Novus Ordo Mass as an occasion of sin. This topic will be explored in my second posting to come, alongside other matter.  

NEXT: Part II: The Novus Ordo and the``Crisis of Faith`` and the ``Reply to Comments`` Article

Works Cited:

1. Hall, Kennedy. "SSPX Sympathizer" Serviam Ministries, 13 Jun 2018,  https://www.serviamministries.com/blog/sspx-sympathizer/. Accessed 23 June 2018.

2. Hall, Kennedy. "Response to Comments - Some Clarity on the Society of St. Pius X" Serviam Ministries, 22 Jun 2018, https://www.serviamministries.com/blog/response-to-comments-some-clarity-on-the-society-of-st-pius-x/. Accessed 23 June 2018.

3. "Status of Society of St. Pius X Masses" EWTN. 29 Sept 1995, http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/cedsspx.htm. Accessed 25 June 2018.

4. District of the Unites States of America. "Pope Francis and Modernism." Society of St. Pius X, 1 November 2013, https://sspx.org/en/news-events/news/pope-francis-and-modernism-2729. Accessed  25 June 2018.

REPOST: Information for the Feast of the Epiphany Jan 6 in the EF Calendar (2nd Sunday after New Years in O.F.)

REPOSTED FROM Jan 6, 2013 (http://torontotlmserving.blogspot.ca/2013/01/blessed-chalk-facts-about-feast-of.html) with slight changes for this year of 2017:

FYI .... Missa Canata/Sung High Mass for Epiphany @ 0930h/am tomorrow, Jan 6, 2017, with blessing of Epiphany Holy Water in the EF at 0915h/am in Mississauga (Toronto proper), at Carmel Heights Retirement Home chapel. Celebrant is veteran priest to the EF Mass in Toronto, Fr. Russell Asch. 

Hello Everyone,

I decided for this Sunday's liturgical feast, that of the Epiphany, because both the Ordinary and the Extraordiary Forms' calendars are in rare sync, and there are some fun and family-freindy Traditional Catholic practices associated with this feast day (that in my opinion SHOULD be resurrected by Catholic families everywhere), I bring to you some information on this feast day, including the traditions herein in the Church.

The information I bring to you, comes from a word document I created for myself that is for my info, but also for my future children someday to teach them about major liturgical calendar days of the year. Here I share with you one portion: That of the Feast of the Epiphany:

Feast of the Epiphany

When? – Usually January 6 in both forms, however in the Novus Ordo it is usually moved to the Sunday near it after Christmas.

What? – From Crossroads Initiative of Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio: “The Solemn feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, traditionally occurs on January 6 following the twelve days of Christmas.  Epiphany commemorates three scriptural events: the visit of the Magi to the stable of Bethlehem following the nativity of Jesus, Christ's Baptism in the Jordan, and his first miracle at the wedding feast at Cana.  This Epiphany article focuses on the significance of the Magi or three wise men who follow the star in search of the King of kings.”

Also from Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of the Diocese of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: “The Epiphany celebrates the peoples of the world coming to know God's Son as their Saviour. In the words of Ephesians concerning Jesus' death and resurrection, thereby 'the Gentiles have become fellow heirs [with believing Jews], members of the same body [the Church, Christ's Body], and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel'.”

From the 1962 Baronius Press Missal:

“The word “epiphany” means “manifestation.” The Church in the Mass, commemorates a triple manifestation of Christ: to the Magi, that is, to the Gentiles; in His Baptism, when the Voice from "Heaven declared: “This is My Beloved Son”; and in the miracle of changing the water into wine at Cana.”

Source: January 6, The Epiphany of Our Lord. The Daily Missal and Liturgical Missal with Vespers For Sundays and Feasts From the Editio Typica of the Roman Missal and Breviary, 1962 With Supplements Containing The Additional Masses for Englang and Wales, Scotland, United States and Australasia. Summorum Pontificum Edition. Baronius Press: London. 2009. p.237.

Notes:

1. It is this part of the season of Advent liturgically where we are introduced to the “Wise Men/Kings” in the readings. People think the wise men are associated with Christmas. They are in the SEASON of Advent or more traditionally known as the Octave of Christmas, but not Christmas (the Feast of the Nativity) itself.

2. This is a HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION according to the Catechism. In other parts of the world this feast day might be transferred to the previous Sunday before the 6^th. Regardless, the Catholic obligation to Mass must be obeyed, Sunday or not:

The Sunday Eucharist

2177 The Sunday celebration of the Lord’s Day and his Eucharist is at the heart of the Church’s life. “Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church.”¹¹⁰

“Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension of Christ, the feast of the Body and Blood of Christi, the feast of Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, the feast of Saint Joseph, the feast of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and the feast of All Saints.”¹¹¹

Sources:

SCRIPTURAL PASSAGES:

Extraordinary Form

Isaiah 60:1-6 and Matthew 2:1-12

Novus Ordo

Also Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 and Matthew 2:1-12. No change from the EF except for the addition of a 2^nd reading for the NO liturgy.

Benedict XVI, Pope. Homily of His Holiness Benedict XVI Vatican Basilica Thursday Jan 6, 2010. Online. Available: [http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20110106_epifania_en.html]. 14 Jan 2010.

http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/371/Feast_of_Epiphany.html 

http://archbishopterry.blogspot.com/2011/01/manifestation-of-lord-to-nations.html

TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC EPIPHANY TRADITION FOR FAMILY

Blessed Chalk Writing with Epiphany Holy Water blessing - http://www.churchyear.net/epiphany.html -  

"Various customs have developed around Epiphany. In the East, there is a solemn blessing of water. In the West, in the Middle Ages, houses were blessed on Epiphany. Holy water was sprinkled in each room. The whole family was involved. The father led the procession with a shovel of charcoal on which he burned incense and the oldest son had the bowl of holy water. The rest of the family followed along saying the rosary and/or singing hymns. While the father and oldest son were incensing and blessing the house, the youngest child carried a plate of chalk. The chalk had been blessed with a special blessing after morning Mass. The father took the blessed chalk and wrote over every room that led outside: 20 + C + M + B + 08 which stands for "Anno Domini 2008 -- Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar" and means "The three Holy Kings, Caspar, Melchior, Balthasar, in the year of Our Lord, 2008" or whatever the year may be. The letters C, M, and B are also thought to stand for Christus mansionem benedicat, meaning "Christ bless this home." This tradition of blessing the doorways symbolizes the family's commitment to welcome Christ into their homes on a daily basis through the year."

So guess what? It's not just a "Middle Ages" tradition to be left back in the 1400's, you can do this beautiful family tradition as well! My [former] serving ally Robin provided this photo on our Latin Mass associated facebook group so I hope he does not mind me posting this here. Here is the picture with instructions as to what the priest or the head of the household (Father usually speaking) is to do with the blessed chalk and Epiphany holy water, though note one correction: The number at the end should be 13 17 to mark the year as 2013 2017:

Now you may be asking what to do about how to get that chalk blessed? Well, Domincan Priest Dom Mark Kirby  at Vultus Christi - http://vultus.stblogs.org/2013/01/epiphany-blessing-of-chalk-and.html - Provides us with the appropriate prayer in English that a priest should use to bless the chalk:

Blessing of Chalk
V. Our help is the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Bless, O Lord God, this creature chalk
to render it helpful to Thy people.
Grant that they who use it in faith
and with it inscribe upon the doors of their homes
the names of Thy saints, Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar,
may through their merits and intercession
enjoy health of body and protection of soul.
Through Christ our Lord.
And the chalk is sprinkled with Holy Water.

Do note there are the special prayers/blessings in Latin that your EF priest/parish will use from the Rituale Romanum 1962 (see the link below), and for sure you can count on those blessings! So do to try to go to an EF priest/parish for those items (Epiphany Holy Water and the Chalk) if possible. However, do not hesitate if all you can get is Novus Ordo chalk/holy water and blessings from Novus Ordo priests.

By the way, a note on the Epiphany Holy Water. This is likely difficult to obtain and you may have to settle for regular holy water. This special type of Holy Water needs to be blessed the eve before the Epiphany and has its own special blessing/prayers. See here - http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/resources/books-1962/rituale-romanum/48-blessings-for-special-days-and-feasts.html

Regardless, have fun and make this a Catholic Tradition your family will uphold every year. If Christ blesses me with marriage and a family, I will certainly want to do this. Pax, Julian.