Free Republic

“Progressive Manias”: Powerful article by Archbishop AguerWhat is progressivism? I am referring to ecclesiastical progressivism, which, like secular progressivism, looks to the future as if the world and the Church were on the move, always evolving towards the best.We could consider evolutionism as a sort of eponym of religious progressivism. This constitutes a system of “advanced” ideas and attitudes, which proudly detaches itself from any adherence to Tradition. The so-called modernism of the early twentieth century was described and condemned by St. Pius X in the Encyclical Pascendi dominici gregis and the Decree Lamentabili sane exitu. It brought together...

[Catholic Caucus] Cardinal Martini was a ‘Prophet,’ Says Vatican CardinalCardinal Czerny’s remarks were reported by Vatican News, the Holy See’s online news portal, which said that the Canadian Jesuit spoke at the launch of the sixth volume of Cardinal Martini’s complete works.Vatican Cardinal Michael Czerny on Monday described the late Italian Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini as a “prophet.”The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said that the controversial Jesuit theologian anticipated recent developments in the Catholic Church.Cardinal Martini, a renowned biblical scholar, was described by the New York Times as one of the Catholic Church’s “most influential...

The Council and the Eclipse of God – by Don Pietro Leone : Part 2 of CHAPTER VII –Man’s Cult of God - Sacrosanctum Concilium : a veritable modernist minefield Don Pietro Leone continues to guide us through the modernist minefield of Sacrosanctum Concilium – The Council’s document on the Reform of the Liturgy. This section, which is an excellent read, is incontrovertible in its refutations of conciliar conceits and not without humour. F.R. The Council and the Eclipse of God by Don Pietro Leone CHAPTER VIIPART 2: MAN’S CULT OF GOD4. Liturgical ReformWe shall here consider: a) The...

[Catholic Caucus] “Onion liturgy: Francis and nervousness about form” — Scorching article by Luisella Scrosati Francis’s speech, delivered May 7 and addressed to the faculty and students of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute Anselmianum [text here], suggests some nervousness. Decades of improvised liturgical interventions to erase all traces of adoration, reverence, sacred awe, and connection with Sacred Tradition; synods and meetings to no end, to mortify what is branded as the Catholic “right” in order to extinguish it... and then, having to realize that the ancient Mass is not only enduring, but spreading more and more; that young families -...

[Catholic Caucus] Pope to Students and Faculty of Sant’Anselmo, May 7, 2022: “Every reform creates resistance… All of these things scandalized closed-minded people” Today, the pope addressed the teachers and students of the Pontifical Liturgical Institute Sant’Anselmo (Italian original here), the think-tank of Traditionis Custodes and like-minded initiatives. He compares those who lamented Pius XII’s massacre of Holy Week to the Pharisees who rent their garments, and accuses lovers of the “sacred and great” Catholic tradition of weaponizing it against Church unity. His attacks on tradition are, as always, superficial, hypocritical, and judgmental, and his undying optimism for a...

[Catholic Caucus] Why Ecclesia Dei Communities Should Avoid Concelebrating the Chrism Mass: A Response to Michael Charlier The following article was first published at OnePeterFive and is reprinted here with permission.—PAKIn the news cycle recently there has been much coverage of Pope Francis’s statement to a group of French bishops that all priests in a diocese, regardless of affiliation, should be present to concelebrate the Chrism Mass with their bishop each year (see this article). As a result, the ever-simmering question of concelebration has once more come to a boil.Respected German traditionalist Michael Charlier wrote an article (translated at...

[Catholic Caucus] Archbishop Aguer: Vatican Resurrects Evil "Spirit of the Council"Francis persistence in mockingly those who have a secure faith is a cause of astonishment, bewilderment, and concern, writes retired Archbishop Hector Aguer on Rorate-caeli.blogspot.com (May 3).He complains that Francis is reviling Catholics as "rigorous Pharisees” and contradicts the Bible and John Paul II's and Benedict XVI's teaching.For Aguer, Francis' relativistic moralism reduces faith, morals and spirituality into Kant's practical reason and submits to the dictates of a New World Order wanted by Freemasonry and the international money imperialism.Aguer writes that “the Vatican is a hive of Freemasons, who help...

[Catholic Caucus] Announcing the Release of Mass of the Ages Episode II —plus Screenings at Theatres in Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Front Royal, Washington DC Following the tremendously positive reception of Episode I with over 1 million views to date, the creators of the Mass of the Ages trilogy are pleased to announce the release of Episode II slated for the Feast of the Ascension, Thursday, May 26, at 8pm ET. In contrast to the storytelling approach of Episode I, which offered a beautiful and compelling overview of the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM), Episode II takes an investigative posture,...

[Catholic Caucus] EXCLUSIVE: Bishop Schneider on SynodalityChurch Should Be Focused on “Rooting Out Sources of Corruption,” Not “Conducting Opinion Polls”“It is without doubt that God wants His Church to focus on rooting out the sources of doctrinal, moral, liturgical, and spiritual corruption that have plagued her for decades, as a means of restoring health to the Church in our day.”Thus says His Excellency Athanasius Schneider, an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan, in a lengthy new interview with Catholic Family News on the subject of synodality.“To establish as a principle of synodality such things as...

[Catholic Caucus] French Mothers (of Traditional Priests): Francis Will Shake Hands With ThemFrancis will welcome the mothers of Roman Rite priests at the end of their pilgrimage to Rome after his May 4 general audience, the mothers' association LaVoieRomaine.com (April 21) announced.The mothers are walking from Paris to the Vatican asking Francis to preserve the Roman Mass.They are bringing with them hundreds letters from Roman Rite Catholics in order to show to the Holy See that the faithful who attend the Roman Mass are “very diverse.”

[Catholic Caucus] The Truce of ’68 RevisitedTwenty years ago, the writer George Weigel coined the phrase “the Truce of 1968” to describe the aftermath of the public dissent from Humanae Vitae, Paul VI’s encyclical reaffirming the Church’s teaching on contraception. In Weigel’s telling, the Church’s failure to publicly discipline the theologians who rejected Humanae Vitae (the Vatican allowed the priests who had dissented publicly to recant privately), taught Catholics that one could dissent without major repercussions and that the Vatican would not back those bishops who tried to enforce adherence to the encyclical. One could quibble with the word “truce”...

[Catholic Caucus] Why Bishops BetraySo, let us say that I am a Bishop, and that I am on record with saying that I hope that, “one day”, women will be able to be ordained. Even if I were, say, a Jesuit, there is no damn way I do not know that this will never, ever, happen. In fact, as a Bishop, I would know it even in a Biden-advanced state of mental fog. Why would I, then, say such a thing, giving scandal worldwide? Below are my takes. No, ignorance in good faith is not one of them. One: I...

“For a Catholic freedom... in the Catholic Church”: Fr Claude Barthe on the prospects of a different era to come (Originally published in French at Res Novae on April 1, 2022)The present pontificate, with its turmoil, could well constitute, if not the terminal phase of the post-Vatican II era, at least the approach of its end. Provided, of course, that there are men of the Church who have the necessary determination to turn the page.Unquestionably, today we find ourselves in a pre-conclave atmosphere[1]. This does not mean that the cardinal electors will be meeting tomorrow in the Sistine Chapel....

Archbishop Viganò: Both society and Church ‘infiltrated’ by people who want to ‘destroy’ these institutionsArchbishop Viganò noted how Archbishop Lefebvre ‘was one of the few, very few prelates who wanted to denounce the conciliar revolution, understanding its subversive nature,’ an intervention which is now understood. (LifeSiteNews) – Editor’s note: The following is a translation of an interview Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò gave to Dr. Armando Manocchia for the Italian TV channel “Canale Italia,” April 2, 2022.Dr. Armando Manocchia: Beginning with the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), Masonic infiltrations within the Catholic Church have become increasingly substantial. Progressivism and relativism have been...

Important study: “On Doctrinal and Moral Disorders Abiding in the Church” — Fr. John Hardon’s 1990 critique of the “revised draft” of the Catechism (Part 1) Rorate has received from Drs. Maike and Robert Hickson the following important study, which introduces and then provides the critique written by Fr. John Hardon, S.J. (1914–2000) in 1990 when he was given the opportunity to review a “revised draft” of what would become the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The text offered here, in two parts, was first published in Christian Order in 2016 and is now being made available on the...

[Catholic Caucus] Palm Sunday: Never Forget Rameaux Port Marly, ARSH 1987 – the Year of the Glorious Battering RamOn Palm Sunday thirty-five years ago, having been locked out of their church because they were a Traditional Latin Mass parish, the parishioners at St. Louis Port Marly gathered, Mass was celebrated outside in front of the church, and then to strains of “Christus Vincit” the men used a battering ram to bust through a wall and gain entrance to their church.No one feared arrest. No one feared getting a ticket. They feared only God.The sportiness begins at 24:00.Un! Deux! Trois!!!Be inspired.Link...

[Catholic Caucus] Masonic Conspiracy, Lefebvre, and the Murder of John Paul I[Catholic Caucus] Fr. Charles Murr is one of the last living witnesses to Vatican corruption who is both orthodox and courageous. We have many clerics out there – dare I opine “many”! – who are orthodox, but do not have the courage – or perhaps the opportunity? – to speak the truth come what may.Today, we thank God for Fr. Charles Murr who continues to show that he has both, setting an example for all clerics everywhere.Advertisement - Continue Reading BelowIn an interview with Kevin Symonds back in 2020,...

It’s Time to End the Church’s Ravening Wolves Problem When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the children of Fatima over one hundred years ago, there were many problems in the world, but rampant heresy within the Church was not one of them. Whereas today almost the entire Church hierarchy has at least tacitly accepted the proliferation of the most baneful lies to ever be preached from Catholic pulpits — that all Protestant religions please God; that hell might be empty; and that all souls may go to heaven — Our Lady of Fatima appeared at a time when...

Vatican defends hasty rollout of revolutionary laity reformThe new apostolic constitution is said to uphold Pope Francis' stance of focusing more on the rank-and-file people of God. Vatican officials on Monday defended the last-minute rollout of Pope Francis’ reform of the Holy See bureaucracy while also painting it as one of the most consequential moves of his pontificate since it recognizes that any believer, male or female, can head a Vatican office.The new apostolic constitution "Praedicate Evanglium," or "Proclaiming the Gospel," was released Saturday after nine years of work with no advance warning and only in Italian. It replaces the...

[Catholic Caucus] "In black and white": Archbishop Aguer on tradition versus relativism"In black and white": Archbishop Aguer on tradition versus relativismPublished at InfoCatólica on March 30, 2022. Translated for Rorate.The title that heads this note does not refer to the cinema before the invention of technicolor, but to the astonishing criticism of current ecclesiastical officialdom that is directed against the members of the Church who love the great Catholic Tradition, and who recognize that homogeneity is what should characterize the development of ecclesial realities: dogma, liturgy, law, institutions. I have often quoted St. Vincent of Lerins and the formulas...