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. 

Traditionis Custodes Part 1: Analysis and commentary of Paragraphs 1-4 Including sub-paragraphs

Hello everyone,

As promised I will comment on the new restrictive Motu Proprio, Traditionis Custodes, issued by Pope Francis regarding the Latin Mass in the Church, immediately acting. 

My first post, part 1. will be a literal dissection, covering simply the act itself of the first half of the document, paragraphs 1 to 4 of the 8 articles and their sub-articles.

There is a lot of ground to cover here, 8 articles in all, but I’ll look at each one and offer general Church commentary at the end.

 

“ Art. 1. The liturgical books promulgated by Saint Paul VI and Saint John Paul II, in conformity with the decrees of Vatican Council II, are the unique expression of the lex orandi of the Roman Rite. “

Pope Francis is reiterating that the current liturgy of the Roman Rite 3rd edition post Vatican II IS the regular form of the Mass for the Roman Rite, the dominant rite in the Church and in the World. This was always so even with Summorum Pontificum. Sadly he has to state this again because some people think that the Novus Ordo/Ordinary Form is a “bastard rite.” Notice he didn’t say that the EF was abrogated and/or are banned. 

“ Art. 2. It belongs to the diocesan bishop, as moderator, promoter, and guardian of the whole liturgical life of the particular Church entrusted to him, [5] to regulate the liturgical celebrations of his diocese. [6] Therefore, it is his exclusive competence to authorize the use of the 1962 Roman Missal in his diocese, according to the guidelines of the Apostolic See.”  

Now here is where the start of the new laws took place. This is NOT out of thin air. The footnotes are key here. However, one who understands hierarchy in the Church, would NOT be surprised. The Pope, as per Pastor Aeternus aka Vatican I, in chapter 3 paragraph 2 states: “ 2. Wherefore we teach and declare that, by divine ordinance, the Roman Church possesses a pre-eminence of ordinary power over every other Church, and that this jurisdictional power of the Roman Pontiff is both episcopal and immediate. Both clergy and faithful, of whatever rite and dignity, both singly and collectively, are bound to submit to this power by the duty of hierarchical subordination and true obedience, and this not only in matters concerning faith and morals, but also in those which regard the discipline and government of the Church throughout the world. “ Discipline clearly extends to the Liturgy of the Mass. He alone is the prime governor of all major matters in the Church. 

Also Pope Pius XII in Mediator Dei says …. “ 44. Since, therefore, it is the priest chiefly who performs the sacred liturgy in the name of the Church, its organization, regulation and details cannot but be subject to Church authority... 57. The Church has further used her right of control over liturgical observance to protect the purity of divine worship against abuse from dangerous and imprudent innovations introduced by private individuals and particular churches... 58. It follows from this that the Sovereign Pontiff alone enjoys the right to recognize and establish any practice touching the worship of God, to introduce and approve new rites, as also to modify those he judges to require modification.[50] Bishops, for their part, have the right and duty carefully to watch over the exact observance of the prescriptions of the sacred canons respecting divine worship.[51] Private individuals, therefore, even though they be clerics, may not be left to decide for themselves in these holy and venerable matters, involving as they do the religious life of Christian society along with the exercise of the priesthood of Jesus Christ and worship of God; ….  no private person has any authority to regulate external practices of this kind, which are intimately bound up with Church discipline and with the order, unity and concord of the Mystical Body and frequently even with the integrity of Catholic faith itself.“

Dare I say it, these prior documents of importance in the Church of the Vatican I council AND prior to Vatican II makes it abundantly clear: the Pope is the final say on matters liturgical and even to protect the liturgy from abuse from ANY and ALL individuals who dare abuse it as a weapon or an instrument of corruption which sadly both priests and laity have done. Whether it’s via the Internet or actual liturgy on the ground, layperson or clergy, it’s clear that what Pope Francis has done IS within his power and acting as Head of the Church on earth as per these pre-Vatican II documents. 

As for the Bishops, they are the ordinary judges, and actors, and even “officers” of a diocese that are responsible not only in upholding the Teachings of the Church but also govern Liturgical matters. As our government cannot uphold civil and criminal laws without judges and ordinary police officers to enforce it, that is an analogue to what the bishops are. They are the Pope’s “middle managers” as it is who are to carry out said instructions in ecclesiastical law, including liturgy. 

But …. This is the start of now granting direct control to the bishops …. which is a “mixed bag” of sorts. On the one hand, lazy bishops MUST now control the distribution of the EF in the diocese. As this is such a divisive issue in the Church it now MUST be addressed. They cannot sit back and let it just happen. In a positive way they can now root/weed out the vile and rebellious clergy and lay leaders who have poisoned the Latin Mass and led to T.C. being promulgated. HOWEVER … not all dioceses are blessed with a laissez-faire bishop. Sadly and truly, especially in the USA, numerous dioceses have now had notices to their priests/parishes and while I am awaiting names, after this past Sunday (cause with COVID parishes are booking mass slots) those EF masses are stopped …. Gone …. hence liberal or EF hating bishops are able to abuse their power to kill the Latin Mass, and are doing so. 

And unfortunately Francis’ mindset is geared on only the few bad apples spoiling the bunch while the regular good souls are to suffer and clericalist bishops are allowed to be cruel to those good souls attach to the EF. This is the expression “using a sledgehammer to swat a fly” when a fly swatter would have been reasonable. 

“ Art. 3. The bishop of the diocese in which until now there exist one or more groups that celebrate according to the Missal antecedent to the reform of 1970:

§ 1. is to determine that these groups do not deny the validity and the legitimacy of the liturgical reform, dictated by Vatican Council II and the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs;”

Now this is where I say good show Francis! Too many clergy and lay leaders exist, despite being more of a minority, who are poisoning from other laity and clergy, especially youth under 40, with radical Traditonalist garbage! Even Pope Benedict Emeritus XVI made it clear to respect both the EF and OF in Article 1 of SP. If these groups or at the very least the leaders (both clergy and laymen down to little Timmy the torchbearer, though little Timmy is just parroting what his parents, friends, older adults and priests are teaching him,) are becoming weapons of schism, that Latin Mass is truly a weapon against the Church, the Holy Father, and the eternal salvation of the souls within. 

Even sadder, this has morphed into a hideous monster with former President Donald Trump applauding now disgraced (in terms of credibility) Archbishop Vigano in the USA, prior to the 2020 election, adding right wing political extremism to the radical Traditonalism of Latin Massers who idolized Vigano. 

In short thank God the Church via Francis has given bishops greater ability to protect younger lay faithful from these evil leaders. 

However …. That being said, what if a bishop’s outlook is liberal to the extreme? Will he not allow even the modest “The Latin mass draws me closer with tradition, symbolism …” etc should he be conducting a witch-hunt in his eccleastical “kangaroo court,” looking for any reason to cancel a Latin Mass or a priest? Abuse of power and clericalism, the very things Francis abhors, now can be used against honest lay faithful and priests attached or doing the EF.

“ § 2. is to designate one or more locations where the faithful adherents of these groups may gather for the eucharistic celebration (not however in the parochial churches and without the erection of new personal parishes);”

Now this is where I find His Holiness’ restriction to be somewhat cruel to the faithful and good priests who do/attend the Latin Mass. Mr Liberal bishop will see  this and say, YES! Now i can kick those scumbags out of my diocesan parishes and give them nothing! No altar, no liturgical items or vestments, no mass. Sadly there will be bishops who will take this to the extreme and force the faithful out of ANY place with an altar. And in more rural dioceses, there may be no legitimate Catholic chapels OR monasteries/Nun’s convents to have the EF. So where does Fr Latin Mass do the Mass? Someone’s kitchen table? A Garage? A log in a forest (Ironically speaking this HAS been done before in Canada with the Novus Ordo by Jesuits associated with the centre in Guelph, ON. See here.) Actually it could be said reverently outdoors, see here at The New Liturgical Movement website [personal edit: in an ironic silver lining looks like he will be increasing business and the demand for personal/portable carry altars like these ones!]

Not only does this denigrate the faithful attending the mass, but this is only possible IF the group/priest has their/his own liturgicals and/or vestments. Further this will drive these faithful underground and separate them from the regular Church which is the OPPOSITE of what T.C. and it’s accompanying letter implies. And where else will they go?The SSPX! This will further make the faithful hate the Church, Francis, and the ordinary Form Mass/liturgy and oh yeah, likely damn them to self-schism and eternal hellfire, taking their families too if they have kids and raise them in that environment. Not to mention these Good traditionalists (and bad ones too) will not be giving their hard-earned coin back into the coffers of the Catholic Church and the poor. 

Is there any good here in this subsection? Yes. Reasonable bishops who take the time to evaluate this situation, and/or do not have a plethora of groups can control the dispersion of the Latin Mass, and/or, if said infrastructure (with or without EF specific chaplain) is in place, they can simply let what is established remain, and improve or create the infrastructure to what was once loosely based single offerings/groups here and there …. While adhering to subsection 1. 

“ § 3. to establish at the designated locations the days on which eucharistic celebrations are permitted using the Roman Missal promulgated by Saint John XXIII in 1962. [7] In these celebrations the readings are proclaimed in the vernacular language, using translations of the Sacred Scripture approved for liturgical use by the respective Episcopal Conferences;”

OK …. This is a little much to peer at for this layman. Now, likely by “Eucharistic celebrations” this refers to the Mass (re: EF liturgy.) My guess of the basic interpretation, is that the bishop controls which feast days in the Latin Mass Calendar the said designated locations/sites/ offerings can have the Latin Mass. Unfortunately it seems that the bishop interpreting the clause will determine how often the Latin Mass gets said in a particular diocese. This could be anything from only 1st class feast days at the least, to daily and Sunday obligation Masses including Christmas and the Triduum if the Bishop is lenient or sympathetic to an already established community. 

Now, the sentence about the readings in the vernacular? This was not thought out well. You ABSOLUTELY cannot perform ANY liturgy of any rite in the Church without reading the prescribed parts. Now if an option is permitted in any liturgy by the Church (e.g. the utterly lazy options in Scripture in the Novus Ordo to shorten them, choice of Eucharistic Prayers, choice of response to “the mystery of Faith” …) that’s fine, but in the Latin Mass there is NO option. The readings MUST be read in Latin. Not only would it be a distraction to have English readings of Scripture ONLY vs the Latin of the rest of the Mass, how would one apply the tones of chanting to reading English Scripture in the Missa Cantata and Higher? Obviously what must be done NOT to invalidate the Liturgy is to say the reading in Latin first as prescribed and then say the English translation after the Gospel (and Incensing post-Gospel in higher levels). 

Sadly this could lead to liturgical policemen for dioceses reporting to their liberal bishops and allow them to wield TC as a weapon to shut it down, lacking any common sense. Stupidity at its finest and somehow I doubt Pope Francis would be that stupid to make something like this. I smell another member of the Curia in this with no understanding of the Latin Mass. 

“ § 4. to appoint a priest who, as delegate of the bishop, is entrusted with these celebrations and with the pastoral care of these groups of the faithful. This priest should be suited for this responsibility, skilled in the use of the Missale Romanum antecedent to the reform of 1970, possess a knowledge of the Latin language sufficient for a thorough comprehension of the rubrics and liturgical texts, and be animated by a lively pastoral charity and by a sense of ecclesial communion. This priest should have at heart not only the correct celebration of the liturgy, but also the pastoral and spiritual care of the faithful;”

Ok right here there is a error, but its an understandable gaffe. There WAS an intermittent revision to the Missale Romanum from 1965-1969. It was close to what the Anglican Ordinate have for their liturgy with Latin and some shortening of prayers (eg Prayers at the foot of the altar reduced,) so this is factually incorrect. However, Francis and the Curia members involved in TC either forgot this or dismiss the MR 1.0 Novus Ordo liturgy as a forgotten footnote because for the majority of their lifespan they dealt with the MR 2.0 revision from 1970-2011. 

Now this chunk in terms of the law should be divided into two parts, the first part being about competency of the priest. YES, exactly a priest should be competent in carrying out the Tridentine Liturgy/Latin Mass. Between many additional/different actions the priest does vs Novus Ordo Mass, how to properly say the Latin, understanding the old rite calendar and differences (eg liturgical colours, levels of feasts, periods of calendar …) they can’t just wing this form of the Mass or gasp! Ad lib it as has been sadly done on many occasions in the Novus Ordo by Fr Prideful and Pompous. I have no question here. Of course HOW to become competent in the Latin Mass …. That’s up to the priest himself. My recommendation would be to take formal courses held by the FSSP/ICKSP etc. As there would be written records, receipts/payments, maybe a nice certificate etc. to have evidence of competency and training. 

However said training will likely be out of the priests’ pockets or donations as after this anti-Traditonalist document, there is NO damn way most bishops will support the training of a priest in the EF financially or spiritually, unless that bishops hand is forced by Rome to make even one paltry offering for a presence of faithful who want it in their diocese (though likely the case would be more to NOT lose the faithful to the SSPX.) 

Now the second part, is highly prevalent. It’s not just correct liturgy, but it’s about the right ATTITUDE and INTENTION as well as proper care of the faithful. I am in full support of this. Should one read the accompanying letter to TC it’s clear that priests and others in their communities were leading the faithful to attack the Church, Pope Francis, the Novus Ordo/Vernacular liturgy etc. If the priest is schismatic in mind and heart and corrupting mentally and spiritually the “sheep” he must “shepherd” he is doing Satan’s work and turning people against the Communal Body of Christ! Also from a Mass perspective a priest to offer the Mass validly must use proper matter, conduct proper form (according to the liturgical books,) AND have proper INTENTION for the Mass. If HE is in a schismatic, anti-Francis/Pope or Anti-Vatican II mindset, he has made the Mass invalid and Null. And sadly THIS sickness and poisoning of the laity and clergy, manifested in vile outward behaviour amongst Trads themselves, one’s Catholic neighbours and non-Catholics (eg extreme insistence on EENS/No salvation outside the Church) is exactly why this paragraph is needed. 

On a small practical note, it seems that an EF chaplain setup is being promoted via this paragraph and it does usually work well. It also parallels other special minority provisions in the Church (eg Charismatic groups, Anglican Ordinate, …) that KEEP people attached while nourishing them spiritually in a specific way or accustomed to their culture/past spiritual background/unique way to speak to their souls.

§ 5. to proceed suitably to verify that the parishes canonically erected for the benefit of these faithful are effective for their spiritual growth, and to determine whether or not to retain them;

This I say is simple prudence. An analogy would be a company or business. The goal of the company or business is to make profit via conducting business which includes the sale of goods. If a company is costing more to run and/or using more money than it is making on its service/products it must either stop its wastage, cut its costs, or fire employees to continue to remain aloft. It’s budget it entirely dependent on the product it sells or the business it conducts, and the old economic principle of supply and demand. 

While an imperfect analogy it’s basic concepts ALSO apply to worship in the church. It’s main goal is to SERVE people. Now, while there is much that can be argued about the poor implementation of the Novus Ordo Mass, especially after the 1970/MR 2nd revision combined with post-conciliar liturgy documents, regardless bishop MUST be prudent (not just as a personal virtue) in how they are to serve the faithful best and WITNESS to those outside the Church, with the liturgy/worship as a primary means. So at its base level, a bishop has to determine whether it should use its limited resources (eg its parishes and priests) to hold Latin Mass, based on the demand in their diocese. 

More so, one of the very reasons Francis did this was because of the Anti-Church, Anti-Novus Ordo, Anti-Papal attacks and attitudes of a number of these wayward movements. Is everyone like this in the TLM? NO! However a sizeable number of clergy and even lay people (with or without accompanying tabloid blogs and websites eg RorHATE Caeli) clearly presented enough of a concern to Francis that this clause got inserted. It’s good that this coincides with Sub-clause 4 as those “renegade” environments and priests who have made the Latin Mass a weapon and corrupted the lay faithful (especially the youth!) deserve to be shut down. 

However my caveat, is again, Liberal or EF hating bishops abusing their power to wipe it out completely with little to no recourse or appeal to counter the bishops’ clericalism and abuse of power. 

§ 6. to take care not to authorize the establishment of new groups.

The bad: It’s plain as day. Pope Francis does NOT want the Latin Mass to grow exponentially. 

The good: This does NOT 100% ban new groups or communities from forming, or the bishops to bring in the FSSP/ICKSP/Institute Bon Pasteur (or of the Good Shepherd)/Canons of New Jerusalem into an existing diocese if they have a parish for them to inhabit. 

Stay tuned for part two of my analysis of the paragraphs of Traditionis Custodes, and then, my personal opinions and advice about the need for TC related to the Archdiocese of Toronto and my experience dealing with the Latin Mass in this diocese. 

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin. 

Thoughts on the Supposed (Dreaded?) Document (Possibly) Restricting Summorum Pontificum

"OH NO, THE SKY IS FALLING!" 

 (From the 2005 Disney Movie, Chicken Little, Source:https://biggerpieforum.org/health-care/chicken-little-is-wrong-again/ )

Hello Everyone, 

Just a quick post asking for prayers and to let you all know I’m alive and doing ok, working full time and raising now TWO kids with my wife. Just had her in January this year and she’s blessed and happy. 

So, there are somewhat plausible rumours going around on the Radical Traditionalist (and borderline) websites that apparently, Pope Francis or the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) under which Latin Mass matters got moved to, with His Holiness’ approval, will be replacing Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s Summorum Pontificum with a document that will restrict the Latin Mass/Extraordinary Form to some degree.

It appears that this is the result of a questionnaire sent to dioceses back in 2020 regarding the Latin Mass. Other blogs go into speculation and try to make the codex of things prelates and Pope Francis has said fit their narrative too, but can't be relied upon. I tried to fill out the 2020 survey myself but it was a heavy endeavour, needing at least an hour to complete and I couldn’t afford that on my 45 minute lunch break, where I had to respect my colleagues coverage to allow my meal. 

Sadly, the radical Traditionalist sites are predicting that these restrictions are negative. However we cannot trust these sites blindly as (1) they do NOT cite their sources as to where they are getting their information from, (2) those sites are often anti-Francis and anti-Novus Ordo/regular Church culture (to the point of hatred and the spiritually deadly sin of Pride) and (3) other more reputable or trustworthy information sites including the Vatican’s own news.va are NOT corroborating with said reports, leaving the information of doubt and highly biased. 

Now, the sites are predicting this Friday, July 16, 2021 is when said restrictive document will be publicly released. And what if it is true? Well, one must first read the document in whole to see what the restrictions are. Also, perhaps it is just a foolish rumour based on a statement of one Curia member taken too far and NO such document exists. Guess one will have to wait and see that day, possibly late Thursday night as Rome is many times zones ahead of E.S.T. here in Toronto. 

One thing we can be sure of, it will NOT be a total ban on the EF. One thing Pope Francis is NOT, is stupid politically speaking. As a Jesuit he is particularly capable of being a politician in the Church (institutionally speaking) and he wouldn’t be so stupid as to kill the Latin Mass sparking a war amongst the faithful and his priests. This is especially so pertaining to the United States; Francis would be cognoscente of the wealth of the USA, and also the sizeable, gradually growing dissent on the right tied to Trump/right-wing politics. The Church would be sufficiently damaged in terms of charitable funds coming from the USA as the EF ban in full would be the fire to light the powder keg of these spiritually corrupting forces. 

What if it was strictly controlled by the bishops again? Well, that depends on the diocese. This might be the case of what the document would do, knocking it back to 1988 indult status. I personally wouldn’t agree with this as some dioceses have good level headed bishops, others would abuse this law to punish the good Trads with the bad. 

Now were that scenario of bishop-controlled Latin Masses or approval required to be here in Toronto, I foresee that at least with the contacts I am with, there would be reasonable ability to continue with the EF as long as ++Collins is in charge. Other parties, I cannot speak for. Mind you we have a chaplain for the Latin Mass in our Archdiocese so it might be just left as it is, with no interference from the chancery office. 

And what if the EF is abolished and I cannot serve another Latin Mass until someone overturns Francis? Well, I might pursue other opportunity at my local parish in the Novus Ordo, in discussion with my pastor, but that would be as my children become older and not need as much of my help. If the extreme scenario occurs, what I will NOT do, and I implore you NOT to do, is go the way of Satan and rebel against God, by fleeing to the SSPX who are anti-Novus Ordo, Anti-Francis, rife with the potential for yourself and your family to become schismatic in attitude, and thus separated from Holy Mother Church. They also have not been immune to sexual abuse scandals and cover-ups, as Michael Voris of ChurchMilitantTV (TM) has done his own investigation work and found numerous cases, including lay members, guilty of such charges. 

In the meantime let us pray earnestly and honestly that this is either false, or the restrictions have been carefully thought out that they will not infringe on the charity of the lay faithful seeking out the Latin Mass, nor the ability of priests to be trained in the EF, nor the ability to hold offerings in diocesan parishes and chapels in its boundaries.

Sancte Michele, Ora Pro Nobis! Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin. 

When Radicals Misrepresenting Traditionalism (RMTs) Lose Their Minds: COVID-19 Edition

Hello Everyone,

I’m taking time out of my busy schedule (including being an essential Full Time worker!) to have to call out some unfortunate idiocy which is being peddled out by Radicals Misrepresenting Traditonalists (RMTs,) and insults that have been (maybe) indirectly, but more likely directly, via commentary, launched on another blog I won’t name, against my friends in the Latin Mass and I. I refuse to name the blog as it is still a platform featuring Radical Traditonalist authors, and/or are friends/allies to those RMTs that bitterly hate us so.

Lauding a bishop that opened his churches in his diocese to public Mass? Now? When COVID-19 has NOT DECLINED WORLDWIDE!

My first, partial disappointment is due to a Facebook post on my feed from an acquaintance, whom is cheering on a bishop in the United States in the diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Bishop Baldacchino, (not a Catholic liturgy joke!) who is allowing the Mass to be held once again and opening his parishes' doors. My acquaintance, is showering this bishop with much praise for his actions. This person is not one of my close friends, however they are heavily involved in the Latin Mass community close to where they live. The very fact they are promoting this shows a lemming-like following to the RMT party line, where spiritual selfishness and Novus Ordo Church bashing (via its hierarchy) is de rigeur.

Now before you accuse me of not thinking it through, I get that in the States (and also in Canada) there is SOME variance, to approaches to the tackling of the COVID-19, as in Canada, health falls under provincial governance, but at least here most provinces are taking cues from the Federal government and its health experts. These experts are monitoring the situation and communicate with each provincial premier. In addition the Federal officer of Health, Dr. Theresa Tam, has become the literal "face" of this crisis in Canada, doing media briefings and public service announcements in various forms of media. In the States, there is even MORE variability in terms of governance as States in general have even more authority/power to act independently of the Federal government under Trump, which may be a good thing as he has been flippantly ignorant and bullying as a world leader in this crisis.

In my province of Ontario, the issuance is that now, no more than 5 people (excluding large families in a single residence) can be present together, to limit the spread of the virus. Break such rules and the law can mettle out stiff penalties to individuals or businesses/owners of properties who defy medical orders or emergency laws. This is virtually zero-tolerance, even going as low as fining a father $880 CDN who let his kids rollerblade in a public park. Now in the States, it is highly possible individual states are varied as to the numerical limit of people that can congregate together. This also makes sense geographically as more rural areas have a decreased chance of spreading the virus, vs densely populated states/cities. Also some states depending on politics and the size or presence of police forces, may be regulating heavily, or willfully ignoring those who defy such laws.

In terms of New Mexico, I found the following briefings and legal orders on the state government's website as follows: 1) As of Mar 16, 2020, (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031620-DOH-PHO-r.pdf) it did limit gatherings to under 100 people. 2) HOWEVER, as of March 24, 2020, this was issued and additional restrictions were imposed (https://cv.nmhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SignedPHO03-24-2019.pdf) INCLUDING the closing of non-essential businesses, workplaces, etc. Guess what? Religious places of worship DO NOT QUALIFY as an essential service under current civil laws. Now, yes the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 2210 does merit civil disobedience when authorities are truly unjust, but, are we in extreme times of persecution as I will give examples further on? NO! If the virus declines in future will our worship spaces open again? Yes. Finally, the Church ALWAYS has Her mind in interpretation of things and approaches to things of finite nature with the most mercy, including human affairs, and when action must be taken, it is only in extreme circumstances were no other moral/ethical possibility exists.

In spite of that, I would say that this bishop is acting imprudent and anyone championing his actions is to the spiritual and medical detriment of others! Further this bishop is encouraging his priests to defy the medical/civil orders of the state of New Mexico. Does he want the Church to be fined further, and possibly, his priests jailed!!!??? Even in a crisis these whitewashed sepulchres of Pharisees can only think about their spiritual needs and their interpretation of the laws! People who are doing such measures without OBJECTIVE, FACT/MEDICAL based evidence or permission, AND its ardent supporters, are ill in spirit, and need serious examination of Conscience (and a confession, for blatant disregard of life, when we can meet in person w/priests in the confessional again!)

Firstly, what kind of message are you sending to the holy Priests in service the Church by lauding this bishop’s actions? You basically are asking priests to risk their lives needlessly to give us the Sacraments/give into YOUR selfish-spiritual needs. Are we in any kind of crisis scenario or persecution akin to Japan in the latter half of the 2nd millennium, for 200+ years having no priests? Or the Christeros war in the early 1900’s in Mexico were all Catholics were under threat of execution? NO! These are not scenarios where martyrdom is a necessity or a calling for the Church. We still have the freedom to practice religion in most countries in the world. What is happening is a necessary, social/medical practice to STOP needless, unnecessary deaths from happening in the community and the Church at large. Now, you will probably accuse me of being spiritually stupid or not taking the spiritual crisis in the Church with seriousness.

Do you think I would be having a blog devoted to the Latin Mass and/or serving in some capacity (and now, thanks to virtual practice, learning how to sing/read Gregorian chant from my good friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir) if I didn't care? Absolutely not! Yes there is a lot going on spiritually and morally that is sick within Her bosom, but not is not the time to act stupidly and put others at risk!

Secondly, do you think that even if a priest limited his house of worship to a handful of people, he and everyone wore at least surgical masks (newsflash: they are not highly effective for AIRBORNE contaminants. "Gold standard" protection belongs to N95 masks which protects against 95% of airborne particles/contaminants 300 microns and under with Coronavirus being 170 nm (0.17 micrometers,)) and stood the required 6 ft/ 2m apart from each other there is NOT the possibility of still getting infected with COVID-19? Your thinking is wrong. The virus is contact/droplet spreadable. All it takes, potentially, is for one to be in the same airspace close to a person who sneezes or coughs, even talks as spit particles a.k.a “droplets” not visible to the naked eye, and you can get the virus via contact, or the droplets going into your un-protected eyes. I can tell you that the Church is NOT supplying N95s and/or face-shields to all its clergy. Single-person doorways, hallways, bathrooms, and small narthexes also come to mind here. Let it be also stated, not everyone is masking themselves, or has access/capability to make homemade masks. Also, humans are prone to touching themselves, even subconsciously. All it takes is father to have touched his contaminated mask surface (or yourself) before taking it off, then touch his/your naked skin or rub your eyes and voila! ILLNESS!

While we are at it, what if a homeless person wanders off the street and in their stupor (because in Ontario, government foolishly let LCBO stores still run for the alcohol addicts,) or disregard, parks himself on one of the pews or goes to other areas of the parish with NO protection, and is ASYMPTOMATIC but carrying COVID-19, yet to break out into fever, sweats, etc.? Unless Fr and his custodial staff disinfect EVERY public area after each Mass thoroughly after all people leave, you are creating a potential ground of illness for Father and his parishioners! Speaking of that homeless person, or asymptomatic carriers, if they touch a surface and leave the virus on them, according to this screen graphic, the virus can still linger on certain surfaces, up to 3 days! (source: https://www.fox17online.com/news/coronavirus/how-long-does-a-coronavirus-live-on-common-surfaces)

Most of our parishes, sadly, aren't decorated anymore with materials such as high quality metals, including brass, which is the most viral-repulsive material giving the virus a mere 4 hrs to live before it is inactive or molecularly deteriorates. Common materials persist (with credit to the false "spirit" of Vatican II liturgical "wreck-o-vation"), such as wood, drywall/plaster, concrete, etc, ALL having longer lifespans for the virus over brass. If you look at this chart, the worst offenders are, GASP! PAPER AND WOOD AT 4-5 days! Even if many pews are lacquered, many churches' pews are worn down or NOT lacquered at all. All it takes is for poor Father to run his hands along that surface, itch his nose or breath near his contaminated hand, and potentially that's another one of Christ's Alter Christi DEAD! One less person who can administer the Sacraments.

Finally, do you think that you are safer in the community, or a hospital with a COVID-19 test center? If you guessed the community, you are WRONG! I can vouch for this personally as I work in a health care career. While I will NOT disclose my workplace as I have in past been harassed and/or threatened with lawsuit by one of my enemies (through my then, pastor of my parish at the time,) I will say that I am more safer than the general population. See here, for example, of a grocery store chain where a particular store was hit TWICE with COVID-19 positive workers, resulting in shutdown of the store, and the 2nd time two stores had to be shut down in the area. As for my workplace, we screen everyone, employee or patient, at both entrances, and send them to the COVID-19 assessment centre or nearby emergency room (ER) for ANY noted symptom to get swabs of their sinuses for PCR testing of COVID-19.  Other clinics/areas are pre-screening patients and any symptom means self-isolation/re-booking appointments at least 2 weeks later. Also we have access to a supply of at least one mask per employee per day, hand sanitizer, medical gloves, and anti-virus/virucidal sanitization wipes of MEDICAL GRADE. Considering even one of those items is hard to access as the general population and of short supply, how safe do you think you are outside of essential service or medical workplaces?

So, after all that, if one has ANY rational or logical ability to think, is it at all sane or reasonable for a bishop such as +Baldacchino to open their parishes and allow gatherings of even a few select people, and create a potential scenario for disaster, such as our nursing homes? What if in your diocese, your bishop opened the churches before COVID-19 was declared reduced or null, and your self and/or your young childen, and/or your grandparents got sick because they went to Mass, even with the utmost precaution? Any usual person save those with a euthanasia mindset would likely EXPLODE at the bishop and the Catholic Church for allowing your kid/your relative to die and expose them to the Virus. Anyone up for a damages lawsuit akin to those for sexual abuse scandals that would close parishes/dioceses due to financial bankruptcy? Do YOU even care if others die from the Virus?

Oh, and for you young RMTs of 20-40 years old, don't think the virus can NOT kill you at your age. IT CAN! If you are lucky enough to have a pre-disposition in your immune system you don't know about, or it compounds onto a medical condition you didn't know, or you just get "overwhelmed" due to its symptoms and your body shuts down, IT CAN KILL YOU! Youth is NOT a guarantee of survival. This virus discriminates against no-one and doesn't care if you can chant the Dies Irae in perfect tone at Solemn requiem Latin Masses, or blog on the Internet.

Also, should you be fortunate enough to be in "good health," this virus can still place you in an intensive care/inpatient ward in a hospital for MORE THAN 14 DAYS! Here is a young 28 year old male athlete, who was training for the 2020 Olympics as a martial artist in Karate. This 4 minute video gives you just some snapshots what his daily life was like in the hospital after contracting COVID-19. Yes you can say, "He is doing strenuous exercise in the video" but that's not the point! The point is even healthy members of the population can end up in a hospital, and this young man is BLESSED because he is in peak condition physically as an athlete, which helped him not be in worse shape health wise, even allowing him to do some exercise physically. Most men and women are NOT professional athletes in the Church. Should a regular member like yourself of the population get sick, I can say with confidence you would likely NOT be doing any physical activity on the floor of your patient room. You'd likely be a lot worse off than him.

Detraction/Slander of My friends of St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir and likely, I again ....

As for my second point of contention, it is truly sad that even in this time of crisis, armchair theologians/RMTs with keyboards seem to still want to personally attack, or detract from the characters of my allies and I in the Latin Mass community, with smug superiority in their hearts. Those people should follow the maxim, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say it at all."
Personally I do keep a watch on those who attack us, and/or my allies, for the sake of monitoring behavior, as well as documentation should things come down to ecclesial/legal matters. Also, their behaviors are the very reason that the Latin Mass has reached stalling points in our Archdiocese of Toronto to grow and proliferate beyond its initial flourish post-Summorum Pontificum in the last decade.

On a local blog, where the main bloggers are involved partially, or are, allies/friends to those who hate and revile St. Patrick's Gregorian Choir (SPGC) and I, one of them decided to dig deep into their spiritual hate bin and pull out old gripes about certain behaviours. What did one blogger decide to take a stab at us with? First the listing of clericals and/or main persons in the liturgy including name of the choir in promotional posters or the liturgical booklets printed for Masses. Second, to take a stab at altar servers who pose in front of altars. Not only did they do so, they did it as a comment, not naming any party in particular. Talk about cowardice. They even had the gall to name it part of "liturgical tourism."

Regardless of not naming parties, the Internet IS a public forum in Canada. I have freedom of speech to offer criticism, and so I choose, and to defend my friends and I whose names and character are still attacked by these misguided souls to this day.

On the naming of ministers and the choir, first of all, it is appropriate to indicate whether a Mass is being held by the parish itself/organized by the parish and/or pastor itself, or being done by outside parties. It is only right to credit the right people for organizing these liturgies and all the hard work placed into it. It would be foolish to lead on innocent laity into a false assumption that parish x or Father Y is "Traditional" and responsible for the Mass, only for said Traditionalist to be mistaken and shocked when said parish and choir are regular Novus Ordo. It is appropriate to let people know who is doing what so they know where to go/which Father to go to for their spiritual Latin Mass needs.

Further, do not the clergy, choirs, and even altar servers, who bravely allow the EF to happen in this spiritual climate of anti-Traditonalism/anti-Latin Mass deserve respect and even, gasp, WANT people to come to the EF offerings? It also works both ways. If we cannot name ourselves or our clergy, neither can this blogger's allies/friends whom they support. If we cannot make ourselves known, neither can they. Also, when the Latin Mass loses avenues of promotion, all parties in the Church loses people who would have otherwise grown deeper in their Catholic Faith and maybe been SAVED via the Latin Mass. Funny, I thought Trads, even RMTs, wanted souls to become full blown Traddies attending the EF? Guess I was wrong. While the naming of parties is a small nit picky detail, it does go in-part in promoting the EF.

Oh, and SPGC only stopped because one or more of the blogger's friends/allies/fanboys and/or fangirls harassed the choirmaster by email about it. The blogger might have not "entered the scene" at that time, but regardless SPGC knows who the main culprits are. That means bullying forced them into it, and BULLYING IS A SIN! Do you think they honestly stopped that for anyone’s good or by someone’s logic and reason, secular or spiritually? NO! It was a silencing tactic.

Further, the blogger's logic is faulty, because SPGC does these Masses in diocesan parishes, with the approval of, and in some cases such as St. Mary's Polish Church (Davenport,) the actual participation of, its clergy who DO the Latin Masses, in order to do said offerings of the Mass. While not all these Masses are at their usual time slots, these have been according to the EF calendar of the Latin Rite. They are not "Extra." Further, is it not a general principle that is touted in "Trad-land," that the exemplar of the Latin Mass is the Pontifical Latin Mass, and that whenever possible for MAJOR EF feasts, the highest level of feast is done so as to follow said example?

As a final kicker, this critic is guilty of violating his own words. There is actual photographic evidence on the Internet that they HAVE participated in "Liturgical tourism" at the same parish mentioned above in an "extra" offering. See below:

(Taken from the twitter account of his own blog which I will not name, posted from a Mass for the Ascension done May 10, 2018. Face blackened out, as well as the RMT blog, out of charity)

This offering was a Missa Canata, and did gain the assistance of, and internet promotion by, a lay-led organization, or at least it's president and choirmaster, in order to hold the level of the Missa Cantata. To go to extremes of his logic of avoiding "liturgical tourism," it should have not been held because it wasn't at a normal Mass time, or made at the level of a Missa Lecta. Should music have been done, someone from the parish should have been cantor and organist. There is NOT a soul to the best of my knowledge at that parish who CAN do the EF for such a Mass. I guess the Mass shouldn't have been anything more than a music-less Missa Lecta then or not held at all ... too much grand-standing and liturgical pomp then. Maybe we should just settle for the Novus Ordo too while we are at it ...

Based on my arguments above, I dare the blogger to call his close friends' efforts and those priests who have been assisting SPGC and other efforts and parishes, MUTUALLY, be it in past or in present, guilty of such sins of “liturgical tourism” and let me know their replies in writing.

Now to address their second insult. As for the altar servers posing in front of altars for a photo? That hasn’t happened in years! Long before this critic discovered the Latin Mass, I recall when +Boissineau was homilist at a Solemn Mass of approx 500 People was held on Canada Day 2011, organized by SPGC, a picture was taken of the choir and other servers who have been in the “scene” longer than I, (back before when everyone helped each other in the Archdiocese no matter who organized the EF,) who are likely some of this blogger’s current allies/friends, or were at this time, and did so. Despite that a number of the servers from that Mass have reduced or no no longer serve the EF, a picture was taken of the combined clergy, choir members, and servers for that Mass.

However, it is also possible this blogger is more likely pointing the finger at me, or including me anyways. My profile pic on Google+/Blogger is me in front of the altar at St Patrick’s Toronto in 2011, after my first EF Mass, when I was a torchbearer and the servers were plentiful. It was a memory for myself and I did it alone outside of anyone else involved in that Mass:

Yep, that's me, the "Liturgical tourist" ha ha ha!

I haven’t taken a photo in front of a parish altar in years to my best recollection. In addition, the critic has a personal beef with me, since I criticized them a few years ago in a reflection piece on my blog, as symptomatic of a new threat to the EF: Young people with a Radical Traditionalist (read: anti-Novus ordo Church and anti-Francis) mentality, who were NOT the ages of their friends/allies who experienced spiritual/liturgical wreck-o-vation or a truly harmful experience at the hand of a leader in the institutional church, laity or clergy.

So I am not surprised I am being at least indirectly insulted with “word daggers” despite my name not mentioned but lumped with SPGC, or at its worst being directly stabbed with a “literary broadsword” over a simple picture. A truly sad use of one's time in this social/spiritual isolation.

Summary

What both examples of behaviour demonstrates is the following:

- these RMTs have blatant disregard for your physical well-being to the extent of their OWN personal spiritual “well-being” (if it can be said to be such, in the most “charitable” terms,) as well as that of our clergy, most of whom are the primary targets by age and overall health for the COVID-19 virus. They abandon all forethought, logic, and scientific/biological evidence or downplay it cause they want their Masses and Sacraments now!

- In RMT world, no one is immune from the least senior altar server to clergy for perceived spiritual/liturgical violations. If you aren’t doing the EF to their standards you are unfit to even be a Traditonalist, which is implied even if not written or spoken directly to you.

- WHY, STILL, the Latin Mass is NOT thriving in dioceses, and/or why clergy including bishops want NOTHING to do with the EF, as these people are the most vindictive souls in the Church. Who needs cliche “angry Protestants” when your own Brother and/or Sister in Christ commits vile sins against you and has no respect for the priestly class unless those priests sing their tune and think like them?

- How even in the stupidest of times, or the most awful of times, they still will find time to snipe at you personally or their chosen target of angst when spiritually, they are experiencing the closest thing they will ever experience to monastery life, or a time un-distracted by the outside world to deepen their spiritual lives in prayer and reading. They shirk developing real holiness and charity and opt for sinning via sins of the mind and word, be it written or otherwise. And they still cannot forgive you for your transgressions, or to even once maybe, consider we are a Communal Body of Christ and abandon the “US vs the New World Order and them, the “Novus Ordo Church,” mentality.

I shouldn’t have to make posts like this but staying silent is being an accessory to the sin of defending the ill will done via silence. And maybe, just maybe, a few minds and hearts will be moved to FINALLY see what is right in all this, and for once promote the EF Liturgy and the Church in a good light, than trying to tear it down from within and it’s people for what .... bragging rights? Knowing you are right and others are wrong?

Since when does being right constitute the Summum Bonum, the Greatest Good, which is God, who came down to us for our Salvation as the Word Made Flesh for our salvation, which we commemorated (albeit virtually for almost all laity,) most recently in the Holy Triduum?

Priorities people, priorities. Perhaps a rosary for everything going on may remind you of the One True Focus ... and if you want to direct it against me like a non-Catholic Christian when they say with emptiness "I'll pray for you," don’t bother praying for me at all. Or, pray with deep meaning in your Heart that one day, as Christ wished, your enemy (me,) and you, may be “United as one” here on Earth and in Heaven.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.

Highlight: Where Peter Is article on Sedevacantists and the SSPX

https://wherepeteris.com/getting-it-half-right-sedes-and-sspx/

A necessary, enlightening, and quality read for all those in Latin Mass/“Traddie land.”

Pax, Julian.

A New Year of 2019. Reflection on the EF/TLM in the Church and in Toronto in 2018

Hello everyone,

Another year draws to a close. While a new liturgical calendar year in both forms of the Roman Rite begins (the Novus Ordo and Extraordinary Form/Latin Mass,) another Julian Calendar year of 2018 Anno Domini (A.D.) slammed shut for the record books. As I look back on last year, I would like to reflect upon the good, the bad, and the ugly within our Church and more pertinent to this blog, what development has come within the Archdiocese of Toronto (and outside) for the Latin Mass.

TRIGGER WARNING .... 

Before I begin, let me say I’m going to be blunt in this post, and my haters/enemies or blind lemmings of the Radical Traditionalist side, will not like this post, especially those responsible of the sins against Christ and I mentioned within. What I say here is on my blog, and needless to say, that includes what happens before/after the Masses are done. I do this to show what stops the EF liturgy from growing, and only further cements the already existing divisions that shouldn’t be there in the first place, especially by youth and leaders who should know better! 

Let me also say, that I continue to take a cue that has now been reiterated thanks to the recent McCarick scandal of 2018: Bullies and predators have power over their victims when they continue to be silent. I will not be silent for that reason as well, to the chagrin of those who hate my friends and I. I also, will NOT be an enabler of such bullies, and hence, the works of the Devil by being an accessory to sin via silence.

Don’t like it? Go read Rorate Caeli, don’t waste your time in replying to me, and start living out the actual Gospel in your life. Or better yet, start acting civil and perhaps, working alongside your perceived enemies doing the EF liturgy. If seriously damaging retaliation occurs though, I am not afraid to contact the Office of the Archbishop as well as my legal counsel, of which the latter and I can discuss proceedings under civil and criminal codes of law in the province of Ontario, as well as the Human Rights Tribunal. 

That is your “trigger warning.” COMMENTS are off, and anything in my email inbox is subject to becoming a new post and example of what I’ll describe in this post. Also your emails will be saved in case of necessity to bring them to legal, or ecclesiastical counsel (e.g. the Chancery/Office of the Archbishop.)

As for everyone else, hopefully you will be able to simply read this for what it’s worth, but do not fret ... I’ll be doing the bad and ugly first, and then the good. There are a lot of positives from this year and in future.

General Church

THE BAD AND UGLY

This has been a particularly devastating year for the Roman Catholic Church. Thanks to the clerical abuse scandal (including sexual abuse of adult seminarians and a minor) of now ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the U.S.A., and a Pennsylvania Grand Jury report of the Catholic Church and sexual abuse, once again our Church has had to face a new wave of sex abuse scandal. From the media to parishioners at the parish level, many are angry, furious, and are using this as an excuse/opportunity/breaking point to leave the Catholic Church, shun priests in public or otherwise, and not grow their faith, being nice and complacent in Christmas and Easter land.

The Trads/Conservatives are of equal fault in this mess, cheering on shady priests and heroes who are using the scandal to attack the Holy Father, Pope Francis. Causing further scandal is none other than former Papal Nuncio of the USA Carlo Viganò, who fingered Pope Francis (with unsubstantiated evidence) of clerical cover up in the McCarick scandal. Meanwhile much of Vigano’s timeline has jarring holes in it, and his own moral and ethical character are in peril, as he even owed money to his brother after a Roman court decision over a lawsuit concerning family inheritance and assets that would make Pope Francis furious. Were one to be a Crown or government prosecutor putting Pope Francis on trial based on the Vigano testimony, too much doubt would exist that a jury would likely acquit him/declare “Not Guilty.”

In terms of the Latin Mass, the same voices on their blogs and in person, as well as some new names, continue to give the Latin Mass, Catholic "t"raditionalism, and even Catholicism, a bad reputation that detracts bodies from coming to the pews. Sadly, even more moderate conservatives/ orthodox individuals have joined the fray in spewing out tabloid fodder against the Pope Francis Papacy and/or endorsing works that sin against His Holiness by detraction and slander. Such fallen souls include Dr Taylor Marshall in his scandalous podcasts, and former Catholic Answers head and co-founder, Karl Keating, endorsing the hit piece “Lost Shepherd” by Phil Lawler. How the mighty have fallen! 

THE GOOD

However on a positive note, the Latin Mass IS becoming a driving force to liturgical and divine renewal in the Church, growing steadily in number with even occasional offerings, and more so, Pontifical Latin Masses being held by people aside from ++Burke and ++Schneider. Included in that number is Canada’s very own ++Prendergast of the diocese of Ottawa, whose diocese houses an FSSP parish and Chapter. He did this just a couple months ago for the 50th commemoration of the formation of the FSSP. See the FSSP newsletter website ``The Missive`` here.

Locally, there are more occasional and even parish offerings of the TLM. Don’t believe me, just go to New Liturgical Movement and see their photo posts for major feast days. In past they did only one post. But during major periods (E.G. Advent and Christmastide,) their number soars to 3-4 posts of multiple offerings worldwide! This is a marked difference from a year or two ago.

THE ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO AND OTHER DIOCESES

The Bad and the Ugly

PARISHES OFFERING THE EF

Alas, we come to my own neck of the woods where I reflect of the worst and the best of the growth of the TLM. Certain problems sadly persist which stall the growth of the TLM in certain regards, but in other avenues the TLM is becoming a juggernaut, and hope in increasing ever more.

As the Core of the Archdiocese of Toronto is my main focus, I will start here. In terms of parishes that offer TLMs more than once a week, INCLUDING Sunday obligation, that number is unchanged at ... two parishes (incl. grouped parishes.) that would be the Oratorian Parishes of St Phillip Neri and St. Vincent de Paul, and St Lawrence the Martyr which is home to the EF Chaplain of Toronto, Fr Russell Asch.

Personally I think that ALL faithful who even go occasionally to the EF, should write ++Collins at the Archdiocese of Toronto and demand another parish in the Core with a Sunday obligation Mass. Two parishes in neighbourhoods not immediately accessible to the TTC, nor in areas people would normally go out to in the city, is NOT ENOUGH! Further this situation is unfair to both the Archdiocese, and to the participants in the EF, as it gives the impression of “Ghettoization” of the EF, that is purposely allowing the EF to exist in parishes in less wealthy/harder to access geographical areas to discourage attendance. This must end! It sends the wrong message, that we are not being spiritually inclusive in the Archdiocese, as Pope Francis wills for his Church (despite a lack of preference by His Holiness for the EF.)

RADICAL TRADITIONALISM AND BULLYING, A SIN AGAINST THE 5th COMMANDMENT, STILL LEADS CERTAIN AVENUES ... 

Furthermore, as I’ve alluded to in my blog goals (See No. 4,) and in past reflections and postings (eg, here and here,) there is still a sick, elitist, sinful attitude among certain members of the community of Radical Traditionalism, and to boot, now includes some of the younger members of this community. These youth in particular are carrying such attitudes they would never have developed in normal parish/campus ministry life of the Church, were it not for older individuals who harbored such attitudes (who at least, have some legitimacy as they were stripped of the TLM, for the Novus Ordo at its worst back in the 1970s of wild experimentation.) Pope Francis has spoken about these young individuals before in one of his books of Argentinian homilies or notes for his homilies, where he states that behind the rigidity are personal problems and issues.

Worse, these individuals of both the older generation and the younger generation, be they clergy or laity, attack in various ways those of us who do not wish to espouse anti-Papal and anti-Catholic values they do, nor turning the EF liturgy into an idol of specific mechanical steps to be carried out like a toy robot, while denigrating the Novus Ordo, thinking of it as a `bastard rite.` For that, we suffer harassment in the form of snide comments on social media, and emails from those fanboys (and possibly, girls? hasn't happened yet to me,) of said individuals, even clergy, demeaning us and discouraging us to doing the EF.

What kind of shenanigans do I mean? I’ll use myself as an example to illustrate what I’ve mentioned as barriers to the EF, from various instances last year. In terms of general promotion of the EF, I was ‘ordered’ a.k.a. ‘asked’ (albeit in a passive aggressive manner,) in the summer of 2018, not to promote a specific EF Mass offering, which had the assistance of a newly formed young adult choir of Gregorian chanters. The reasoning I was given was my blog was too political and the choir doesn’t want to be affiliated with my blog for that reason.

This reasoning was asinine to begin with as I have NO official position or representation with anyone. I even have a disclaimer HERE where by I state I represent myself and no one else here in Servimus, even if I do most of my serving with x choir or x parish. For that matter I retort that my choices of serving is so NOT to be affiliated with political malefactors, those who are anti-Francis, anti-Church, anti-Archdiocese (chancery) and anti-++Collins, etc.

However, I knew that this person has friends that are enemies of both my close friends in the EF (including the St Patrick’s Gregorian Choir) and I, who vehemently do not want us ‘Glad Trads’ around.

Despite honest or not-honest intentions, I curtly told this person NO, because I believe in (save promoting Radical Traditionalists,) in promoting offerings to allow ALL people to come and to grow interest in the EF, and that others before him told my allies of St Patrick’s Gregorian Choir and I, not to promote or invite people to their offerings. Might I add that sadly, such person is a young adult and was NOT of my known enemies at that time?

Let's turn to another example involving myself. Whenever I post my Latin Mass reports on Toronto Catholic Youth Facebook page, regardless of what I write, one of my enemies, another young man who is an example of those rigid youth and who sees me as his enemy (despite any verbal or written denials if you know the person,) leaves passive aggressive comments that either demean the offerings of my friends and I that we participate in/organize, insinuating that I am causing division in the EF, etc. I am actually fighting against the division that ALREADY EXISTS, I have been for years, and I will continue to do so (thanks to people like himself,) and such comments are a case of the “pot calling the kettle black.” Here, the adage “if you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say it at all,” would allow the individual to put to practice what we are taught in our TRUE Catholic Faith and the EF liturgy. 

A more insidious, and dare I say, Satanic example, happened during my last offering of the EF I served the Holy Lord at his altar with, that of Christ the King in October 2018, organized by St Pat’s Gregorian Choir (SPGC), hosted by St Mary’s Polish Catholic Church. For the sake of this post, I will elaborate more on some of the events, to illustrate the sabotaging behaviour that certain individuals try to do to continue to wreck the TLM, and gives victory only to the Devil.

I initially reported briefly for the Mass, on the change of venue and time for the offering of the Latin mass. I did not disclose full details at that time out of the sake of charity for my colleagues and those who attended that mass.

However, I will now reveal more so you can truly see what actions only benefit the Devil and prevent this beautiful, sacred liturgy from being able to reach more souls. Before this offering, it was agreed between SPGC and I, that I would be the Master of Ceremonies (MC) after seven years of alter serving in the Archdiocese of Toronto, having served multiple positions. In short having paid my dues, it was finally time to lead in the liturgy.

Personally, I also wanted to be an MC, as I am also aware, that in today’s climate in the EF Church, MCs are playing an essential role in training not only servers, but also Priests and assisting them, as an MC must be competent in all areas of the liturgy. Also, having knowledge helps the priest and others with their roles, and should one present themselves to help get an EF going, having a knowledgeable leader would assist the priest who may not want to initially delve into it, fearing lack of knowledge/resources.

I purposely shadowed the MC at the practice for the June offering of which a number of the same people who were involved in Christ the King knew, at least those initially involved. It was known to those members that I would be MC’ing the October mass.

Initially, Christ the King was to be held as usual in the earlier afternoon of the last Sunday of October, with me debuting as MC. Those arrangements were changed suddenly, with the Mass to be moved to 530pm, but also a change in the lineup with me being replaced by another MC who has never been MC with SPGC`s organized masses (he MIGHT have served other positions in past, though this author`s recollection is hazy on that.) This change of the MC role was at someone else’s insistence.  While the scheduling change had valid reasoning behind it, this change in MC was done with utter disregard to SPGC and I. Further I was furious! It was known to a number of us involved including the Choir and I that I would be debuting. This was a deliberate attempt to stop me from doing so, as I’ve found out that the change was motivated by utter hatred for me and the SPGC. Same group of enemies, but different players with direct/indirect involvement.

Out of charity for attendees of the EF, I will not name the party directly responsible, which consists of one or more members, but what I will say is as part of leadership of the EF, for the party to do so, has allowed themselves to be seduced by Satan, to hate a family man and a father of a 9 month old son, simply because of his allies in the TLM and I choose to be loyal to my Church, my Eminence, ++Collins, and not espouse the heresies contained in Radical Traditionalism! For the new year these party members should resolve to seriously do deep penance for their sins, and I would highly advise them to read the works of one of my Patron Saints, St Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, especially his Ascetic Work, “Preparation for Death,” to give them direction for their future conduct of their souls.

Regardless, my true friends of the Choir and I, were NOT going to let Satan stop us from having this Mass due to a time change and interlopers. The Choir immediately (and with my prayers, and I’m sure those of the members and choirmaster,) set about getting to work, and thankfully St Mary’s and Fr Kazimierz the pastor, were more than happy to welcome us with open arms, also having the Mass moved back to earlier afternoon, which accommodated many of us and the laity, while allowing for some rest on the Day of the Lord, before the coming work week.

Despite what our enemies tried to do, Our Lord, Christ the King, ruled once again over both Earthly and his Divine Kingdom, and allowed his reign to not be quashed by the Devil. It ceases to amaze me that despite what challenges have assailed all of us, be it email harassment, or laity and clergy befriending us and then “turning heel” on my friends and I, there has always been an offering of Christ the King in the Last Sunday of October for the Feast of Christ the King. Viva Christo Rei! 

So, what do these events that have happened to me say? Plain and simple, there continues to be a sect of people in the EF community, who want to go against the spiritual discipleship and mission of Holy Mother Church and Our Eminence ++Collins wishes, and want the EF only for themselves as their elitist club of spiritual superiority. They do not want those loyal to Pope Francis and Holy Mother Church and the poor and less fortunate to provide and/or attend the EF, (including those that decry the injustices and sins that they commit,) and foolishly think they are needed to purify the Church of its crisis, rot, and evil. Hence the actions they take upon my friends and I are to stop us from holding Latin Masses, and even I as a server from playing any part in the overall growth and proliferation of the EF in the Archdiocese of Toronto. They want the whole pie and the leadership, and their enemies cast aside.

THE GOOD -Toronto and Beyond

I’ll admit that I’ve spilled a lot of red ink on the table of this post. You are asking now, what good is there in Toronto and beyond then, for the EF, after all I’ve said? Well .... MUCH!

First, when you count more than Sunday/daily offerings in the Archdiocese of Toronto, we have in total 7 parishes offering the Latin Mass, as well as lay organizations and choirs helping to hold extra offering of the TLM and even now Vespers!

There are also new and exciting developments that have occurred in the past year with regards to the EF community. First, another priest in the Archdiocese, Fr Luis Calleja, at St Timothy’s in Orangeville, is offering some weekday Latin Masses early morning. Welcome Fr! Second, a new choir of young adult vocalists, the St Vincent’s Oratory has formed in Toronto, who have assisted at some extra offerings for TLM Masses, as well as offerings of vespers according to the 1962/EF liturgical guidelines.

Which brings be to point three: These monthly and/or biweekly offerings of Vespers are being held on a Sunday evening (or evenings) at the base parish for the chaplain of the EF, St Lawrence the Martyr, one of the two mainstay parishes with daily EF and Sunday obligation Mass. See here as an example in one of their past bulletins of 2018. As a final note, I will also say that the QUANTITY of extraordinary offerings at higher Mass levels of Cantata (Sung High) and Solemnis (Solemn)(outside of normal parish schedules or in addition to parish schedules,) are being held all over the Archdiocese, whether at parishes friendly to the EF, or in co-operation/organization by the lay organizations/choirs/Chaplian to the EF.

Where the most significant growth is though, this year, is outside the Archdiocese of Toronto. More and more “communities” are forming in other dioceses, and bishops are accommodating their needs by allowing certain parishes to hold at least monthly offerings of the TLM. Some bishops, such as +Crosby of London (which includes Hamilton, ...) have even assigned a priest to be an EF chaplain to administer to the faithful desiring the EF and is celebrant for their Masses. This also extends to providing sacraments in the EF Rite/according to EF books.

How much growth has happened? Well, that would be the following: 2 parishes in Peterborough in the Campbelford and Hastings area;  2 parishes under the diocese of London with 1 parish in Sarnia/Lambton under the TLM Sarnia-Lambton community; 5 parishes in the Diocese of Hamilton, with 3 alone, and 2 under the communities of the Grey Bruce Latin Mass Community and Brantford Latin Mass community; 1 offering in the Diocese of Pembroke; and 1 offering in Sudbury under the Mater Dei Latin Mass community.  This makes a grand total of 10 new offerings I've discovered in 2018! This also includes 5 new communities! While I will NOT promote or list all these communities as some contain poisoned, radical traditionalist leadership and/or elements, I do include them in numbers to show the overall quantity of offerings that has soared high!

And believe me, word IS getting out to the young adults, thirsty for deep spiritual worship and the truth of the Catholic Faith, presented to them and challenging them to do Pope Francis’ “Hagan Lio” in life, even if Jorge Maria Bergoglio as Francis has his own ideas what youth should do! Social media, such as this blog, other mediums besides Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Are spreading the news, and a good and steady, gradual influx of my generation and younger are coming out to these EF Masses. Just look at my report for Rorate Caeli 2018 when I look at demographics in the pews by sheer visuals alone for example.

Despite the climate of the Church and the still major presence of regular parish life with the Novus Ordo, young people are coming to the Traditional Mass thanks to social media! Here’s an example of one young lady (name withheld,) who, thanks to my blog was able to find an offering closest to her in her area in Ontario:

"... Hi, Julian, ... you posted that wonderful list of Latin Masses in nearby dioceses? It was a big help to me. I live about 1.5 hours west of XXXXX [city withheld], ON, and it’s such a wasteland here. I’m so happy to find 2x a month Latin Mass in Campbellford nearby! I’m going tomorrow! Prior to this, I’d only been while travelling ... thank you .... +JMJ"

Also, social media is allowing the spread of major liturgical events like never before, of which “die-hard” Traditionalists are sacrificing time, energy, vacation days at work, and their lives to attend. Examples were the Solemn Poltifical Mass in Ottawa for the FSSP, and the upcoming Sacra Liturgia 2019 conference, coming to Toronto in June, which ++Collins has welcomed with open arms, and who knows, might even be a part of in some way! SL2019 I found on Facebook, as early as Nov 2018 being promoted!

SUMMARY

So where are we at 2019? We are standing at a major point in time in the Modern Church. Between the secular culture’s forceful drive for people to be hedonistic and scandal in the everyday Church, regular Church culture, and Novus Ordo liturgy (the majority of Masses,) are becoming more and more unappealing to the average faithful in keeping them in the Church, numerous laity and youth are becoming full of contemplation of leaving the Church for good. Where will the spiritually hungry, the hurt, the needy go? Traditional Catholicism could be those beacons ... were it not for problems as I’ve glanced at in this blog, and this posting.

Either Traditonalism crashes and burn with the sins of the very participants within the Church and it’s advocates, as per Satan’s plan to decimate souls via spiritual Pride, or it matches forward like an electric train, and could be that beacon of hope, especially to those of my Xenial and younger generation(s) (TRUE Millenials, Gen Z, the Wired generation of today’s teens and kids ...)

Yes, currently there a lot of setbacks, and much evil has been committed in the Church at the highest levels with McCarick and the clerical abuse scandals. It’s only going to get worse, especially in the USA as federal investigations and local ones unearth more cover-ups by chancery offices.
More of those setbacks also include grievous sins in the Church such as harassment, bullying, intended ostracism which is happening in the Church on both sides of the theological-political spectrum, all for the sake of a fascist hold of the Church shaped according to what each side of “Protestants” holds dear, while being anti-Catholic.

However, this includes the local level/parish level by certain members of the EF community in Toronto, whereby it’s older members have spiritually and mentally corrupted some young impressionable minds or committed sins against others such as my friends and I. Such acts, whether by laity or clergy, old and young, on internet blogs or in person, do nothing but detract from the growth of the EF and show the guilty parties for who they really are ... exactly as opponents of the EF say. Do you wonder where Francis gets his cannon fodder for his homilies against Traditionalists from?

Also for Toronto, and other dioceses worldwide, the EF must stop being ghettoized, and a couple of more offerings must be erected in more easily accessible, and desirable (for lack of a better word,) areas, with firm oversight by parish pastors and diocesan chancery offices, to ensure radical Traditonalists/Anti-Catholic interests and personalities do not lead the “scene” or that parish’s community. Ghettoization is NOT the answer for the densest parts of the Archdiocese, the GTA core in Toronto. While I do sympathize with His Eminence’s wishes NOT to be involved with those anti-Catholic elements that attack Church discipleship (and in extension to the EF, who sympathize with Radical Traditonal leader and organizations) EF offerings MUST expand past the Oratorians and St Lawrence the Martyr, and NOT in other areas that would be “Ghettoized.” Surely aren’t their parishes with priests that are retiring that could be re-diverted to the needs of the EF, or at least with one key mass being an EF Mass?

To that I say everyone needs to be silent, pray, fast, do any other acts of reparation, and just do the EF. Clearly in 2019, we ALL could be capable of stopping the exclusion and the sniping and grow up! Are we not all baptized and professed Catholics? Work with each other on the altar and off, despite animosities, and promote each other’s Masses (save those with radical traditionalist leadership, I won’t do it on Servimus.) Seriously, if you want serving help, just ask me straight and just serve on the altar with me. I don't care for anything else before/after practice and Masses if that's what's desired. Also, plan on accusing me of hypocrisy? We’ll go ahead if you want to do that. But it will be a waste of your time that could have been spent sending an email or making a call to invite another person to the EF, or recruiting the help of myself or another young man to help serve the Latin Mass.

However, despite such acts, as demonstrated worldwide (eg NLM photoposts,) and even in Ontario, the Latin Mass IS thriving in the normal life of the Church! More and more priests are daring to take up the call of learning the EF in whatever frequency possible, be they for a first Mass after ordination, occasional, or even frequent offerings! Further, here in Toronto, and even outside the Archdiocese, more and more areas are having regular TLMs, as evidenced by the growth of numerous “communities” and parishes having them, even if it just once a month! And yes, youth are becoming more and more involved in this form of the Roman Rite, even if it’s the occasional offering. Let me also state that the quantity of higher level offerings, in general, is also increasing due to these new communities, and even new initiatives in Toronto, such as the St Vincent’s Oratory choir, and outside of Toronto by all parties and choirs involved.

Personally, I know that it is too early to call a “victory” of any sort, but when one thinks about the progress of the EF, in spite of the indifference of the Pope Francis Papacy, there is much hope we can have in our hearts and minds of a more promising liturgical future in the Church, one that touches the souls of the Church’s Faithful.

Keep “being the Mauqis,” as Fr John Zuhlsdorf always says. Keep helping out and performing those spiritual and corporal works of mercy in your parishes and personal life, while devoting as much of your time, energy, and even finances, to the EF.

There is hope here in Toronto, and even in our province, country, and world, with the Church alongside of it, but only we in this finite life, will determine how far it will go, or if the Lord’s TRUE Gospel, in liturgy and in life, will fall on deaf ears.

Pax Tibi Christi, Julian Barkin.