Sunday, September 24, 2017

Euthanasia and Physician Assisted Suicide FAQ - Video 2

Truth Bomb: The Best Way to Promote Vocations is Traditional Liturgy


The famous Canadian priest, Fr. William Ashley, gives Holy Communion today to his 14 altar boys.   This is a law of nature: the "Latin Mass" inspires vocations.  The more traditional the better.  Baby lions are fed meat, not popcorn fluff.   

The Last Surviving Canadian Soldier of the Famous Battle for Ortona

He has passed in his 97th year.

In your charity pray for the repose of the soul of Colonel David Fairweather. 

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/theprovince/obituary.aspx?n=david-irving-fairweather&pid=186699955

Catholic Culture: the Beard

Sacred Liturgy in Philadelphia (USA)

Cardinal Burke on Summorum Pontificum - Extraordinary Form

Catholic Humor

"He who drinks sleeps; he who sleeps does not sin; he who does not sin is a saint; therefore, he who drinks is a saint."

Saturday, September 23, 2017

Padre Pio: Pray for Us!

The only approved priest with the stigmata in the history of the Church. 

Friday, September 22, 2017

An Ex-Gay Response to James Martin

In Memoriam: Mons. Brunero Gherardini (Anno Domini 1925 - 2017)

One of the last great theologians and Roman professors has passed.  May his memory be eternal!

He was also a dear friend.  His spoken Italian was perfect Florentine!

I will miss seeing the great Mons. Gherardini at various events in Rome and the Vatican.  Sometimes, early in the morning, I would see him walk around the Vatican walls for exercise, always wearing his Roman cassock.

He was very gentle and quiet.  He really shined in the Roman aula, teaching in front of students.

Many will remember him as the postulator for the cause of Blessed Pius IX.  For others he was their beloved professor at the Lateran.  Others will remember him best as a canon of St. Peter's where he sang Vespers every Sunday.

He was an imposing figure, tall and slim.  He always walked with purpose and direction and had a quick and big smile.

The annual evening Mass at the tomb of Blessed Pius IX on February 7 was organized by him.  This was a tremendous contribution.  It was the only time of the year when pilgrims could enter and touch the tomb.    

This saintly priest wrote over eighty books on theological subjects.  Ordained priest in 1948, he studied in Rome during the good old days under the pontificate of Venerable Pius XII, of blessed memory.

He was a good and faithful friend to Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI.  Being in the Ratzinger camp, he paid a heavy price among the wolves.  His greatest achievement was to be an an orthodox and loyal son of Holy Mother Church during a time of tempest and rebellion.  

God gave this great man 92 years to do His work on the planet earth.  The torch hath been passed to a new generation.  May new youthful theologians pick up where he left off and be great theologians, loyal to safeguarding and protecting the sacred deposit of Faith even unto persecution, calumny and death.   


Thursday, September 21, 2017

Annual Mass at the Tomb of Venerable Pius XII

If you go you can meet some of his relatives who knew him, namely, his grand nieces, now getting up there in age.  I think of all the times I greeted Prince Francis Pacelli, deceased in 2011.  He had been the head of the family, born in 1939; his passing was too soon.

Alas, the torch is passed to a new generation.  The new head of the family is don Filippo's (born in 1941) son, Asciano Pacelli (born in 1973).  His claim to fame is that he is a reality TV star in Italy on Grande Fratello (a an extremely popular show that was both shallow and annoying).  Pray for his conversion.    

A Time is Coming...


Sunday, September 17, 2017

Philadelphia, USA

Read the Life of Michelangelo

"I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free."  -Michelangelo

Aquinas is My New Favorite Cabernet Sauvignon from the Napa Valley

Science and God

Meanwhile, students who openly believe in God are ridiculed on our college campuses.  Bible-based religions affirm a morally judging God. For the left, that is anathema. For the left, the only judging allowed is leftists' judging of others. No one judges the left — neither man nor God.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro Carámbula RIP

A great theologian, pastor, administrator, bioethicist, liturgy enthusiast and diplomat has passed before us.

He would also want to be remembered as a great pro-life warrior, always quick to defend the rights of preborn humans.  And a lover of all things Catholic, especially the Classical Roman Liturgy. 

On Holy Thursday the great Monsignor Ignacio Barreiro Carámbula passed away after a courageous five year battle with cancer.

I am still in a state of shock.  It seems like just yesterday his mother died (she had seen Pius XII on his 1934 trip to South America).  I am almost fearful Monsignor will see this blog post and laugh. 

Monsignor Barreiro was a close friend and a devoted follower of this blog.  My first Traditional Mass in Rome was with him at Santa Maria della Pace in Trastevere in 1998.

I later attended his Sunday Mass at San Giuseppe Capo le Case, near the Spanish Steps.  

Born in Uruguay, Monsignor was the product of the finest Catholic education.  He spoke many languages.  I can still remember seeing him at a luncheon in the Rome resort town of Santa Marinella as he spoke many languages at once!

Monsignor had been a diplomat in the foreign service of Uruguay for some years until he was forced into exile after a coup d'état of his government.

After working at the U.N., he entered the seminary in New York and was ordained priest in 1987 by John Card. O'Connor at St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.

In 1998 Monsignor did something great for the Church when he opened the wonderful Rome office of Human Life International - a beacon of light - which is still in operation today.  

As a graduate student in Rome, I frequented his office where he had established a wonderful library and study room for students.  Most of the books were in English and covered various subjects, including bioethics and morals.

There was always a stack of The Latin Mass Magazine, which he was a contributor.     

I always enjoyed a visit.  When his office door was open, it meant you could say hi.  When it was closed, you knew he was busy.  Some days, the entire office was full of cigar smoke, which reminded us of the South America of his youth in the 1940s.    

At noon Monsignor was fond of inviting all those present into his office to pray together the Angelus. 

The wall behind his desk, jokingly called the "wall of fame," was covered in his diplomas and awards, including his two doctorates, the one in the center a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross.  Another framed document was his membership in the Confraternity of St. Peter and another his being named a prelate of honor during the reign of John Paul II.  

Once on a train ride into Rome, Monsignor joked that he belonged to a South American diocese he had never been to.  We all laughed. 

Over the years Monsignor helped a lot of people.  His greatest gift was sound advice, prudence and action.  Sometimes this meant counseling young couples, or mentoring lonely expats.  He was always lending a friendly hand to help those in need.  Once he even paid for a mutual friend's dental bill.

Greatly devoted to the Traditional Latin Mass, he was not well coordinated in the sanctuary.  However, he was brilliant and his sermons, delivered in Italian, were stirring and delivered with great gusto and interesting collocation. 

Oh, how I will miss seeing him walking the streets of Rome in his cassock and rain coat, wearing his cap, carrying his umbrella and looking out from those thick glasses.  He was the only priest I saw at every pro-life event.

A friend of popes, cardinals, bishops, priests, nuns, the laity, students, the unborn, the Latin Mass movement and all in need of help, may this great man rest in peace.  Hopefully one day he will be canonized and declared a patron saint of the unborn and of graduate students in Rome.      

Famous French Choir from Paris in Malta on Pilgrimage

All Beer Should Be Made by Monks

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

(EOHSJ) Custom Tours: Your Lieutenancy’s Pilgrimage

http://oc-travel.com/

  Join us as we visit the very foundations of the Order in Jerusalem, where our predecessors provided both hospitality and defense for pilgrims. In addition to visiting a specially chosen charity of the Order in Palestine, we will follow the life and ministry of Jesus as we travel from Galilee up to Jerusalem. 

Psalm 121 (122): 1-6
"I rejoiced at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord.  Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem.  Jerusalem, which is built as a city, which is compact together. For thither did the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord: the testimony of Israel, to praise the name of the Lord.  Because their seats have sat in judgment, seats upon the house of David.
  Pray ye for the things that are for the peace of Jerusalem: and abundance for them that love thee."

Value of a Soul


Celebrating “Summorum Pontificum” • FSSP in Los Angeles

Monday, September 11, 2017

Annual Marie Reine du Canada Walking Pilgrimage in Quebec

My latest article, on the terrific 4-day walking pilgrimage (camping 3 nights) in the Medieval tradition - hiking through some of the most beautiful rural land in North America. 

https://bccatholic.ca/content/annual-walking-pilgrimage-draws-hikers-to-one-of-the-oldest-stone-churches-in-canada

Sacred Music Being Preserved

Crown of Thorns in Paris

Did you know you can venerate the crown of thorns at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris?

Public veneration of the crown of thorns and the relics of the passion are the First Friday of every month and every Friday during Lent at 3:00 p.m.

See the new official website of Notre-Dame for more details: http://www.notredamedeparis.fr/en/spiritualite/

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Poisoned Battle of Lepanto Cross that Pius V Went to Kiss and Was Saved






The Dominican Pontiff Pius V was known to frequently kiss the feet of this cross that belonged to him.

During the Battle of Lepanto, at his home in the Vatican, he noticed the leg came off, alerting him something was not right.

The cross had been poisoned.

The intent was to kill the Pope when he kissed it.

This great relic is now kept safe by the Passionists in Rome.

It was an honor to pray here and to hear the story. 

Pope St. Pius V, pray for us!