Fr. Hunwicke: Prelatical unemployment??

A little tongue-in-cheek, but a fun take

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"You won't catch me agreeing with all those dreadful traddies on blogs like Rorate in criticising our Holy Father's splendidly crisp new system for getting rid of "bishops" he doesn't like.

Since the Roman Pontiff is in the strict sense the only true Bishop in the Church, it follows that other "bishops" are Romani Pontificis vicarii tantum et legati. Since the Spirit, who is always waiting to surprise the Church with new truth, reveals His New Things through the Pope, and since all "bishops" are under an obligation to follow this "Spirit who speaks through Francis" [Mgr Pinto], it follows that the Pope must have the inalienable right to mould and fashion the universal "Episcopate" so that, both corporately and individually, it expresses precisely the style and policy and culture which, guided by the Spirit, he wishes all the "bishops" to have.*

Having listened to ones "Bishop", one ought to be able confidently and joyously to proclaim [ex. gr.] Verba Vincentii, Vox Francisci!

Pope Francis' new motu proprio about getting rid of unsuitable "bishops", the title of which might be loosely but happily englished as Mummy loves you, truly and most admirably fills a gap in the Church's Law. Don't listen to Rorate; this legislation is to be warmly welcomed.

This also is the moment, I feel, to plug yet another lacuna in the Church's canonical armoury: the lack of a section in Canon Law headed De Pontifice Romano semovendo [Provisions for the Removal of the Roman Pontiff].

As we all know, reputable authors have for centuries been in disagreement as to whether
(1) a heretic pope ipso facto loses his Office - but then needs the Church authoritatively to declare that this has happened; or whether
(2) a heretic pope needs to be removed actu Ecclesiae before the Apostolic See is vacant.

This detail can easily be sorted out, and Bergoglio is just the man to do it...."

Read the rest HERE

We would look rather stupid if we were the only ones here.

A common error

I know I am not the only one that has ever heard the saying:

“We would look rather stupid if we were the only ones here.”

While the saying might hold true in the free market where ideas are infinite and people worship at the thrown of the almighty dollar, it does not hold true for all things.  As you can guess I speak here of being Catholic and attending to the obligations presented there within.

Generally people will use this when something happens within the church that causes scandal or really challenges them on the way they are living or how they will be living in the future.  The person will cite the problem then say, “Don’t these so called “holy men” get it that if they keep this garbage up they will look really stupid if no one is here?”

Lets grant the possibility (lets call it a guarantee because really who are we kidding ourselves with CCD classes making macaroni crosses) that they are ignorant of the necessity of the priesthood and the indefectibility of Holy Mother Church.  Now you could say that they are speaking specifically about leaving one parish (or if you are uncomfortable with such pre-conciliar terms insert “Faith Community”) for another for whatever reason, but usually they are speaking about an outright leaving, commonly referred to as apostacy.

Let’s get one thing straight if someone is indifferent on the matter of being Catholic they need to receive a rebuke and be instructed on the matter way before something happens and they fall right into their own erroneious thoughts.

Even if it was just the priest by himself it would not matter.  This is because he is not dependent on You or I to offer the sacrifice of the Mass.  One of the biggest culprits of this matter is how after the council the altar was wrechovated or replaced so as to make mass facing the people the norm.  It because a people centered service and thus the perception that it's a show necessitating spectators.

Pope Benedict, while still a Cardinal spoke on this in his excellent book The Spirit of the liturgy, which I recommend to any lover of the sacred liturgy (hint all Catholics). 

So ask your priest where his focus is when celebrating the Mass, is it an offereing to the Father or to the people, or has he created a hybrid of the two?  Either way don’t let this foolish saying go unchallenged.

+JMJ+

+Pray for Peter+

+Pray for the Middle East+