What a week! The Holy Father was in Canada participating in pagan ceremonies, while my bishop, Michael Burbidge, was meeting with the priests of the diocese dropping the bomb on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in obedience to the pope's apostolic letter, Traditionis Custodes (TC).
Frankly, I was at least a little bit surprised. Bishop Burbidge has been largely sympathetic to the traditional communities and has even offered Confirmation according to the traditional rite. But, let's face it, most of the bishops are company men and no matter how crazy things get in Rome or how many evil things the pope says or does, they go along. You don't find many bishops these days in the mold of St. Athanasius. All the worse for the poor, abused flock.
The pope has had it in for the TLM for a long time. TC and the accompanying letter constituted carpet bombing for the flock who embrace tradition. We are the bastard stepchildren who must conform or be punished. Pope Francis has made a point of insulting traditionalists and calling us names. While he respects pagans and their traditions, he offers us nothing but contempt.
Sadly, the restrictions on the Latin Mass put out by Bishop Burbidge last Friday are, to say the least, draconian.
Meanwhile, in Canada, Pope Francis gave a lengthy speech honoring the culture and traditions of the indigenous peoples there. Read what LifeSiteNews wrote about the events and compare them to the treatment of his own Catholic sons and daughters:
Francis delivered a speech condemning “ideological colonization,” lamenting a past “colonialist mentality” which he said “disregarded the concrete life of people and imposed certain predetermined cultural modes.”
Continuing, the Holy Father appeared to endorse the paganistic rituals of the indigenous peoples, stating that “the Holy See and the local Catholic communities are concretely committed to promoting the indigenous cultures through specific and appropriate forms of spiritual accompaniment that include attention to their cultural traditions, customs, languages and educational processes, in the spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.”
Earlier during his Canadian visit, the Pope, donning traditional indigenous headwear, also attended a “healing dance,” replete with drumbeats apparently supposed to imitate “the heartbeat of mother earth.”
Sooooo.....while the pope and bishops were honoring the circle of spirits and obeying the direction of the shaman running the ceremony in Canada, the traditional communities of Arlington with their culture and traditions were being thrown on the ash heap by Bishop Burbidge in obedience to our Pachamama, smudgepot, circle of spirits pope.
What a kick in the gut!
Pagan rituals get respect from our religious leaders who even participate in them at the direction of shamans; while Catholics who love the TLM get the jackboot -- literally -- booted out of the churches.
NO MASS FOR YOU! Get with the Novus Ordo or get thee to a gym!
The 21 Latin Mass locations in Arlington have been reduced to eight and most of the congregations have been thrown out of the churches, relegated to school gymnasiums and auditoriums. Three parishes may continue to celebrate the Latin Mass inside their churches by permission of Rome: St. John the Beloved in McLean, St. Rita's in Alexandria, and St. Anthony Mission in King George.
But don't celebrate too much; it's temporary while they indoctrinate the poor, ignorant trads to accept the Vatican II new Mass which is essentially the Mass instituted by Cranmer under Elizabeth I.
Remember when the pope and bishops sent priests to England to feed the people with the TLM. Remember when priests died -- hanged, drawn, and quartered -- for the crime of celebrating the TLM?
Last Holy Thursday, my husband and I attended the Mass of the Lord's Supper at Holy Trinity in Gainesville which has a large traditional community who are now homeless. But, they are not that far from the SSPX chapel in Linden which has an 8:00 a.m. low Mass on Sunday as well as a 10:30 high Mass. Refugees will find a warm welcome there, and perhaps hasten the day when the community can move to its more permanent location.
Another draconian factor is that the TLM is now forbidden during Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. What a slap in the face to the people of God!
And to add insult to injury, parish bulletins may not include locations where the Latin Mass is being celebrated. Heh, heh, heh... maybe the faithful won't be able to find the Masses!
How petty and childish! Good grief! Are these people grownups?
It makes the pope and his bishops look ridiculous. Do they really think it's that easy to browbeat the faithful into following unjust orders?
Bishop Burbidge, following the pope's illegitimate and unjust orders, just guaranteed an explosion of new parishioners at the SSPX chapel in Linden and the one in Upper Marlboro, MD. It would have been wiser to follow the admonition of Gamaliel when he told the Sanhedrin not to persecute the apostles. If it's not from God, it will die on its own he told the priests; if it's from God you will find yourself fighting against God.
I have no doubt in my mind which way this is going. We have a pope who breaks the First Commandment with a cavalier smirk. Will orthodox Catholics follow his lead? Not a chance! We will keep the faith, follow the doctrine, and refuse to participate in his blasphemies against God.
Meanwhile in DC, Cardinal Wilton Gregory has smashed the TLM. St. Mary's in downtown which has a large traditional congregation will no doubt go bankrupt now that those supporting the parish have been booted out. A cynical friend sent me an email guessing that Gregory is salivating to have the parish fail so he can sell what is a prime piece of real estate in the city. I think my friend is calling it right. In many dioceses the Almighty Dollar has replaced Almighty God.
Despite all the bad news, I'm not wringing my hands. I read the biography of Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi on retreat. What a holy woman! Wife, Mother, and Mystic. She dedicated her entire life to the truth and to making reparation for the sins of others, including Napoleon, a great enemy of the Church.
Attacks on the church are nothing new, even attacks from within the Church herself by Judases in cope and miter. Remember the Arian heresy?
So stay in the battle, but don't lose heart. God wins! If we embrace His will, we have nothing at all to fear.