The Irish Fight for the Latin Mass – Part 1
Above: Doonagore Castle (“fort of the goats”), Doolin, Co. Clare, Ireland. Photo by Jesse Gardner on Unsplash In the English speaking world, the story of Catholicism during and after the Reformation is dominated by the experience of England. The sad tale of an ancient Catholic kingdom subjected to the yoke of Protestantism, of a systematic […]
The Last Testament of Cardinal Pell
In growing numbers under the pontificate of the Dictator Pope, priests, bishops, and cardinals have denounced His Holiness directly or indirectly. But this is the first time one of Pope Francis’s own Cardinals from his C9 Council has turned against him. And, as it turns out, it was published on the day before that same […]
On Singing Gregorian Chant Artfully (Part 1)
This week and next, I will share practical and speculative points on singing Gregorian chant well that I have learned by leading scholas, by participating in them, and by listening to masters discuss what they do and why. My points are not put forward here as “Gospel truths”; they are merely an attempt to put […]
Paul VI: Refounder of Catholicism
Religion Department Academics of a certain sort love to scandalize undergraduates by telling them that Jesus is a marginal figure in Church history; the real founder of the religion, they whisper, was Paul. In fact, they persist, the religion should really be called Paulianity. From the standpoint of Roman Catholicism, there is some truth to […]
Two Gems from Silverstream Priory
Above: Silverstream Priory from the website. This past fall I’ve enjoyed reading two little books published by the good monks of Silverstream Priory. The first, Letters to a Soul, consists of fifty-five short letters of spiritual direction written by Dom Hubert van Zeller to an anonymous directee. Written in the social and ecclesiastical upheaval of […]
A New Catholic Faith for Children to Abandon
Above: a blessing service as part of a day of action in defiance to the Vatican’s ruling on same-sex unions in the Youth Church in Wurzburg, Germany, on Monday, May 10th. I am picturing a small French-speaking Saskatchewan village in the 1930s. It is perhaps disingenuous to shrug one’s shoulders and simply declare that times are […]
4th Sunday after Epiphany: Love in the swamp
For this 4th Sunday after Epiphany the Vetus Ordo gives us the ultra-dramatic Gospel scene of the Apostles with the Lord in a boat being swamped by the waves during a great storm on the Sea of Galilee. The Lord was asleep. That’s the Gospel for Sunday. But this year I’m writing about the first […]
3rd Sunday after Epiphany: “‘Vengeance is YOUR’S’, saith the Lord!” No… wait… that’s not how it goes.
We are looking at the Epistle readings for the Vetus Ordo on Sundays. This week we continue what we prayed last week. I say, “what we prayed,” because the readings themselves are part of a sacrificial offering, the Word being raised to the Father, as the Word made flesh was raised on the Cross, as […]
ACTION PLAN: Trad Reception of Benedict
Today on the podcast we will have an important conversation about the late pope Emeritus, his legacy, and the actions that Trads must take at this point. The new storm is on the horizon, and I believe Benedict plays an important role in the future of the Trad movement that we need to discuss. Join […]
Revealed: Benedict’s Reaction to Francis Against the TLM
Our friends at Rorate have published the English translation of key portions of the new book from the secretary of the late Pope Emeritus, Archbishop Georg Gänswein. The book is entitled “Nient’ altro che la verità: La mia vita al fianco di Benedetto XVI” (Nothing but the truth: My life beside Pope Benedict XVI) (Piemme, […]