Pope Benedict’s Instruction to Get a Latin Mass in Your Parish

Posted on December 6, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Pope Benedict continually amazes me.  He has brought back the Latin Tridentine Mass and is in the process of bringing the  Anglicans into the Church.  (I will speak in depth about the later topic in the future.)

Unfortunately for some who are yearning for the Latin Mass, there are priests who refuse to have the Latin Mass in their church or only have it infrequently.  Thankfully, Pope Benedict gave us instruction on how to get the Latin Mass in our parish churches in his motu propio Sommorum Pontificum issued on July 7, 2007 and became law on September 14, 2007.

Latin MassFirst Pope Benedict starts out by stating that those who seek the Latin or Extraordinary form of the Mass are not seeking to case division (as some liberals in the Church say).

“The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary expression of the ‘Lex orandi’ (Law of prayer) of the Catholic Church of the Latin rite. Nonetheless, the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an extraordinary expression of that same ‘Lex orandi,’ and must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient usage. These two expressions of the Church’s Lex orandi will in no any way lead to a division in the Church’s ‘Lex credendi’ (Law of belief). They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite.” (Article 1)

He goes on to state that priests may use one of the two forms of the Mass without needing the permission of the bishop or the Vatican.

“For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the other, the priest has no need for permission from the Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.” (Article 2)

Next, the Pope sets up the requirements for Latin Masses in parishes.

Pope Benedict's office

“In parishes, where there is a stable group of faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, the pastor should willingly accept their requests to celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman Missal published in 1962…” (Article 5, § 1)

However, if the parish priest does not “willingly accept their request”, they must take their plea to a higher authority.

“If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 § 1, has not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop. The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes.” (Article 7)

If the bishop is not able to help, the people have to go higher yet.

“If he [the bishop] cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, the matter should be referred to the Pontifical Commission “Ecclesia Dei”.” (Article 7)

Pope Benedict also included an option for the bishop to create a parish or appoint a chaplain for the sole purpose of fulfilling the needs of those who prefer the beauty of the pre-Vatican II liturgy.Ratzinger saying the Latin Mass

“The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance with can. 518 for celebrations following the ancient form of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing all the norms of law.”  (Article 10)

Not only that, but Pope Benedict also allowed the use of the older rites for the other sacraments as well.

“For faithful and priests who request it, the pastor should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary form for special circumstances such as marriages, funerals or occasional celebrations, e.g. pilgrimages.”  (Article 5, § 3)

“The pastor, having attentively examined all aspects, may also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick, if the good of souls would seem to require it.  Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation using the earlier Roman Pontifical, if the good of souls would seem to require it.”  (Article 9, § 1-2)

You now have the information and the words of the Holy Father to back you up.  Go to your priests and ask for the Latin Tridentine Mass.  If he turns you away, follow the steps that the Pope laid out.  All the while pray and have faith.  The Latin Mass will return to the prominence it once had.

Posted in Bishops, Mass, motu propio, Pope Benedict XVI, Priest, Roman Catholic, Sommorum Pontificum, Tradition | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Church Documents Lay the Foundation of the Catholic Church

Posted on November 9, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

In recent years, there seems to be a move to discard old documents of the Church in favor of modern documents.  Some people in this movement appear to believe that older works are worthless because the authors are not up-to-date with the latest advances in history, science or what have you.

Age means nothing in term of the authority of a document.  If age rendered a document worthless, we should abandon the Bible itself.  We should also throw out the Constitution, after all what did those Founder Fathers know all those years ago.

The truth of the matter is that these early documents of the Church are the pillars that support Faith that we now practice.  The firm foundation, the bedrock that these pillars rest on is the Holy Bible.  Built on top of this foundation, there are over 2000 years worth of theological works of the Saints and Church Fathers, the encyclicals and letters of the Popes.  No other church in the world can say, “We have 2000 years of documents to provide help and counsel in any situation, trouble or crisis.”  For example, the non-Catholics have the Bible as their foundation, but their theologians only started writing 500 years ago.

We must constantly constantly consult this treasury of knowledge and insight to better understand our one, true Faith.  Only by constant study and prayer can we grow in our Faith and holiness.  We are blessed with an enormous treasure, let us make good use of it.

Posted in Bible, Church Fathers, Roman Catholic, Tradition | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Catholics Must Vote Like Catholics

Posted on November 1, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

This coming Tuesday, voters all around the country will be making their way to the polls.  The problem is that most Catholics will go to the polls without having been correctly instructed how to vote by their priests and bishops.  Some may disagree with this statement, but the overwhelming number of Catholics who voted for pro-death candidates in last election will bear me out.

When he was Cardinal Ratzinger, the current Pope said that pro-abortion politicians should be refused Holy Communion.  Only a very few, brave bishops and priests did this.  One of them was Archbishop Raymond Burke (soon to be Cardinal Burke) from St. Louis.  In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI called Burke to Rome.  It was originally thought by some that Burke had been called to Rome to take him out of the spotlight of American politics.  Things have happened to show that the opposite is true.  Cardinal-elect Burke was named head of the Supreme Tribunal on the Apostolic Signatura (basically the highest court in the Roman Catholic Church).  This makes him the second highest American in the Roman Catholic Church.

Recently, Cardinal-elect Burke gave an interview to Catholic Action for Faith and Family where he emphatically stated that Catholics cannot, under any circumstance vote for a pro-abortion candidate.  He said:

“You can never vote for someone who favors absolutely what’s called the right to choice of a woman to destroy human life in her womb or the right to a procured abortion…You can never justify voting for a candidate who not only does not want to limit abortion but believes that it should be available to everyone.”

I have said it before, Catholics must vote like Catholics or God will punish this country.  Seriously, how can God continue to bless a country that kills millions of His children every year.  This calls out to God for His just wrath.

God bless you and may you vote as God, not man, wants you to.

Posted in Abortion, Bishops, Cardinal Burke, Liberalism, Politics, Priest, Priest, Roman Catholic, Sin of Omission | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Clothe Thy Nakedness

Posted on August 26, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

It happens every year.  Once the temperature gets 65 degrees, out come the shorts and flip-flops.  The problem is that every years the summer clothes keep covering less and less.  This is scandalous, especially for a guy trying to keep his thoughts pure.  Look, I’m not some old geezer sitting here and complaining just for the fun of it.  I’m a 23 year old guy trying to stay pure and holy.  It’s enough to make a guy want to become a hermit during the summer months.

It’s bad enough to go outside and see this kind of hedonism out in the world, but I should not be subjected to this kind of temptation when I go to church.  Sadly, that is not the case.  It is not uncommon for women and girls to come into church on Sunday with shorts and plunging necklines.  They look like they are going to the beach, not church.  This should not be wearing so little, this is God’s house.

The blame for this problem falls primarily upon two groups: parents and pastors.  You can say that TV, movies and music are the main reason for this promiscuity among young people, but the fact of the matter is that parents have allow their children to watch or listen to these forms of media.  In some homes, the mothers have encourage this sort of dress by wearing it too.  Ultimately, the parents are the most responsible for the souls of their children.  They must correct their children and protect them from the hedonism of the world.

Pastors also have a responsibility to guard the souls of those in their parish.  They should tell women from the pulpit to clothe themselves.  Besides being disrespectful of God’s house, this lewdness of dress is also a grave temptation for young and old men alike.  Unfortunately, many of the priests that I know of have not spoken from the pulpit about this problem.  They must.

However, there are a few who have done their duty by speaking out.  Most recently, a priest in Croatia was in the news for kicking 2,000 indecently clad pilgrims out of his church annually.  Too bad there are not more like this.

We the laypeople must get together and give our priests and parents the support they need to do their jobs.  This means verbal encouragement and prayer.

Posted in Roman Catholic, Sin of Omission | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Our Duty As Catholic Lay People

Posted on August 15, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

After reading my latest post, some of you might think I should rename this blog “Bashing Bishops“.  The fact of the matter is that there are good bishops; they are not 100% bad, just 99.5% bad.  During the last national election, there were a number of bishops that stood up an said “No” to pro-abortion politicians receiving the sacraments.  Bishops Bruskewitz and Burke were two of the most well-known.  There have been others, but they are too few and far in between.  (Several of these prelates have been given jobs in the Vatican.  More on this later.)

While, most of what I have said has been pointed at the bishops; we, the laity, have our own job to perform.  We must get down on our knees and pray before the Blessed Sacrament that our bishops will be filled with the zeal and courage necessary to do their job.  Our most powerful weapon is the Rosary, as shown by St. Pio and many other saints.  We must storm Heaven with our prayers so that our religious leaders will be enlightened by the Holy Ghost.  We cannot stop there.  We must perform sacrifices and penance for those leaders who have offended God, as well as those who have the courage to stand up for what’s right.  The world glorifies evil in all forms, we must fight the spiritual battle, so that our spiritual leaders will have the strength and determination to persevere until the final victory.

Bruskewitz

Posted in Bishops, Orthodox, Roman Catholic | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Catholic Bishops Miss the Boat

Posted on August 15, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Last week, Americans across the country voted in the nation’s primaries.  Sadly, the bishops and priest had largely not advised those entrusted in their care how to vote as Catholics.  There is a big difference between how Catholics are required to vote and how others vote.  Catholics are require to vote pro-life 100% of the time, no matter what the issues are.

Recently, I found a voter guide for Michigan Catholics.  I will include a selection to show how Catholics are given almost no definitive guidance when it comes to voting as a Catholic should.

cross_and_flag

This document produced by the Michigan Catholic Conference and is called “A Call to Conscience: Faithful Citizenship and the Common Good.”  This two page document was put in church bulletins in the week before the election.  It was signed by Bishop Allen Vigeron of Detroit, Bishop Bernard Hebda of Gaylord, Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing, Bishop Walter Hurley of Grand Rapids, Bishop Alexander Sample of Marquette, Bishop Paul Bradley of Kalamazoo, and Bishop Joseph Cistone of Saginaw.

Here is a selection from that document:

“Catholics are called to evaluate all matters, including politics, through the lens of faith, to participate in the public square, to engage the political process, and to allow Gospel values to transform our society into a more just and better world for all.  In other words, Catholics are called to be “Faithful Citizens.” [sic]…Practicing Faithful Citizenship flow from a well-formed conscience…When we act in harmony with our conscience, shunning evil for that which is good, we are bringing the Gospel values to the public square…the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, brought to the public square by faith-filled Catholics, help to embolden our communities and to advance the common good…Issues of religious freedom, the right to life, protection of marriage  and the family, the education of children, and how the poor, the vulnerable and immigrants are served confront elected officials…These are the issues that we,too, as Catholics…We recognize that Catholics seek guidance from their church on matter of conscience…As teachers of the faith, we do not endorse candidates or political parties.  However, as bishops of the church, we have a duty to help the Catholic faithful form their consciences based on Gospel values and the teachings of Jesus Christ…Yet not all issues carry equal moral weight…The right to life is a commandment of God, and inherent and a fundamental moral principle.”

The biggest problem that I have with document is that it is too vague.  Yes, it does say that the right to life is the most important issue.  However, it does not say that if a Catholic votes for a pro-abortion he commits a mortal sin and must confess that sin to a priest before he can approach the sacraments.  This is a truth that is never heard the pulpit.

Another big problem that I have with this document is the use of the phrase “Common Good”.  The talk of a “Common Good”, as most people use it, is uncomfortable to me.  What is good for me is not necessarily good for someone else.  The idea of “Common Good” reminds me a bit of Communism, where the leaders decide what is good for the common people.

Finally, this document stresses the use of a “well-formed conscience”.  It almost sounds as if the bishops are relying on peoples’ consciences to do their jobs for them.  You cannot have a well-formed conscience if you do not known the faith and you don’t know the faith unless it is taught to you by your leaders, such as your bishops and priests.

Once again, the bishops kind of, sort of tell their flock how to vote.  They do so ambiguously that the meaning is obscured.  This lack of clarity has led to many Catholics voting against their faith.  The blame falls directly in the laps of those bishops.  I have said this several times and it’s still true.  Until they start speaking definitively on faith and moral and fighting for the true faith, this country will not be blessed and will continue its downward spiral.

Posted in Abortion, Bishops, Liberalism, Politics, Roman Catholic, Sin of Omission | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Catholics Must Read the Bible

Posted on July 7, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

The statement above may seem like an obvious fact, but sad to say most Catholics do not read their Bibles.  There are a few Catholics who read their Bibles, but the vast majority do not.  Most seem to think that listening to the readings at Mass on Sunday is good enough.  This is sad because it has always been the Catholic Church down through that has protected the Bible.  open_bible

Lack of knowledge of the Bible handicaps Catholics when they try to evangelize or just talk with non-Christians about matters of faith.  I spent four years at a non-denominational university and received Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing there.  In those four years, I was amazing at how well those non-Catholics knew the Bible and ashamed at how little I knew.  Their whole moral fabric and understanding of their faith was based on the Bible.  This is where the problem comes in.

Most of the time when talking about faith, the Catholic will speak from the point of tradition, primarily Catholic tradition, and the non-Catholic will quote from the Bible.  (Because of a watered-down or lack of catechesis in Catholic education, most Catholics do not know the tenants of their own faith.  More on this later.)  The Catholic could be speaking Maori (the language of New Zealand) and the non-Catholic Farsi (spoken in Iran) for all the good that it will do.

If the Catholic could quote from the Bible as well as the non-Catholic, he would have a greater chance of getting his point across.  I am not saying that we should leave tradition at home when we converse with non-Catholics, but what I am saying is that if both sides have a common source (the Bible) the discussion will go a lot better, especially for the Catholic.

What Bible Should We Read?

You might think that you can grab any Bible off the shelf and start reading it.  Unfortunately, no.  In the middle of the 60s (around the same time as Vatican II), new Bible translations were released for the Catholic community which were changed from previous translations.  These new translations became more non-Catholic friendly and watered-down.  They removed words, such as Hell, soul, charity and host.

The Douay-Rheims version of the Bible has been the official Bible of the Catholic Church for many centuries and is the only true Catholic English translation of the Bible.  It was taken from the Latin Vulgate, which was pain-stakingly translated from the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic sources by St. Jerome.  He was much closer to those original sources than anyone now.DRB2a

Besides, the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible has a certain poetic sound to it.  For most people, this is not important, but for a bibliophile (book nut) like me it is.  It’s like asking the difference between Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott and Red Storm Rising by Tom Clancy.  There is a certain beauty of verse and elegance of style in the former that is lacking in the later.

So, be sure to pick up a copy of the Douay-Rheims Bible and read so that you are ready to defend and spread your Faith.

Posted in Bible, Protestants, Roman Catholic | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Archbishop Gomez to Encounter Strong Liberalism in LA

Posted on April 8, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Once he heard that Archbishop Gomez was going to take over for Cardinal Mahony in the ultra-liberal LA archdiocese, Hitler decided to post a new rant on Youtube.

Seriously however, Gomez will be facing strong liberal feeling.  LA has been the most liberal diocese in the country for many years under Mahony and others.  Watch the following for an example of the foolishness that went on as recently as this March.

It’s really sad all this has gone on.  Instead of being a solemn remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice, the Mass has become like many of the Protestant services I saw while I went to a Baptist college.  Liturgical dance has no place in Church.  I’ll say more on that later.  For now it is enough to say that Gomez has a lot of work to do.

For those who don’t know much about Archbishop Gomez, he is not perfect, but he is light-years ahead of Mahony.  The LA Times wrote:

Archbishop Gomez of LA Archdiocese

Archbishop Gomez of LA Archdiocese

And like many of those Latinos, he is at once a conservative and a progressive: unyielding in his opposition to abortion and gay marriage, passionate in his advocacy for immigrants and the poor, confounding to those who try to wedge him into the traditional right-left political paradigm.

During his six-year tenure atop the San Antonio archdiocese, Gomez emerged as a leading advocate for doctrinal conformity, determined to stave off what he saw as creeping secularism in the church.

He denounced one Catholic university when it invited then-Sen. Hillary Clinton to campus, because she favored abortion rights, and another when it invited a Benedictine nun, because she had advocated the ordination of women. Under his reign, a local Catholic high school ended its relationship with an organization that raised money to fight breast cancer, because the same organization gave grants to Planned Parenthood. After a 17-year-old lay advisory commission created by his predecessor suggested that gay marriage might be a human rights issue under one reading of the church’s teachings, Gomez disbanded the commission.

…

Yet in Denver, where Gomez served as a bishop, he was the driving force behind the creation of Centro San Juan Diego, both a formation center for lay leaders and a social services center for immigrants. Roughly 30,000 adults visited the center last year to learn English and computer skills and obtain free legal advice to gain citizenship and fight deportation.

Gomez has marched for immigrants’ rights and worked to bridge the complex cultural gap between long-established Mexican American communities and newly arrived immigrant communities from elsewhere in Latin America.

On top of that he is a member of Opus Dei and was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Denver.

I think that Pope Benedict made a good choice when he picked Gomez.  We need to pray for Archbishop Gomez as he marches towards his inevitable battle with liberalism.  Let’s pray that he is victorious and helps California become more conservative.

Posted in Bishops, Liberalism, Liturgical dance, Orthodox, Roman Catholic | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Rebuke of the Bishops and a Call to the Laity

Posted on April 3, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

judas-iscariot_wa     This Holy Week we spent some time reflecting on Judas, who handed Jesus over to His enemies.  Since he was a member of the twelve Apostles, Judas was a bishop of the early Church.  As we look upon the Church today, especially the Church in America, there is no shortage of Judases among the bishops.

Take politics for example.  The bishops around the country have failed to correct or excommunicate the many apostate “Catholic” politicians.  They have remained largely silent.  They are failing in their duties.

“That’s an uncharitable thing to say,” most will protest.  (That’s the usual response what a conservative or traditional Catholic tries to correct a liberal.  Besides I’m performing a spiritual work of mercy by instructing the ignorant.)  What about the bishops themselves?  They have failed to show charity to all the aborted babies who have died through their lack of action.  They have failed to show charity to Our Lord by failing Him.

Bishops     I can count on one hand the traditional or conservative bishops in the US.  I don’t have enough fingers or toes to count all of the liberal bishops.  The majority of bishops have been lukewarm at best in their defense of life, especially when it comes to dealing with politicians.  The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

Let’s look at some fact of the faith that most Catholics no longer know.  There are nine ways in which a person can be an accessory to another’s sins.

  1. By counsel
  2. By command
  3. By consent
  4. By provocation
  5. By praise or flattery
  6. By concealment
  7. By partaking
  8. By silence
  9. By defense of the ill done

There are four sins that call to Heaven for vengeance.

  1. Willful murder
  2. The sin of Sodom
  3. Oppression of the poor
  4. Defrauding the laborer of his wages

(You can find both of these lists in The Young Man’s Guide by Fr. F. X. Lasance circa 1952)

As seen by these lists, silent bishops are accessories to the murders of millions of children.

Each of these bishops were called to be “alter Christi”crucifixion, another Christ.  As my Dad always says, “Christ preached in such away that the religious leaders of His day put Him to death.”  That is the while meaning of being Catholic, especially Roman Catholic.  If you’re not willing to stand up for your faith, you might as well go and hide.

But some people worry that if the bishops speak out, they may lose their tax-exempt status.  So what?  Where in the Bible does it say that the Church must be tax-exempt to preach the Gospel?  This is a weak, weak excuse for the bishop to use.  There have been many non-Catholic preachers who speak out on these subjects and some have lost their tax-exempt status, but they still continue to preach the truth.  The bishops could learn a thing or two from our non-Catholic brethren.

Because the majority of the clergy has fallen down on their job to faithfully and forcefully preach the Real Roman Catholic faith, it has fallen to the laity to take up the slack.  We must band together to learn and spread the faith.

Notice the name of this blog: Real Roman Catholic.  That’s PopeBenedictWelcome to emphasize that I follow and believe in the true, authentic faith that comes from Rome, not the pick-and-choose, cafeteria Catholicism prevalent in the USA.  It is time for us to take up the banner and follow the Pope before it is too late.

Posted in Abortion, Apostles, Bishops, Healthcare, Judas, Politics, Roman Catholic, Saints | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Nancy Pelosi Continues to Pretend She is "Catholic"

Posted on March 19, 2010 by John Paul Wohlscheid

Nancy Pelosi pretended that she was Catholic by linking today’s feast of St. Joseph to the passage of the health care bill.  She went on to say that she has the signature of many “Catholic” religious who want her to pass what she called “this life-affirming bill”.

It is becoming more and more apparent that when these people (politician) use the term “Catholic”, they do not mean that they believe the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.  Instead, they use the term “Catholic” to get votes, no more and no less.  There are few, if any people, anymore in public life who say that they are “Catholic” and are truly follower of Jesus Christ.  Most twist the Church’s teachings for their own personal gain.  God help them when they come before the Great Judge in Heaven.  We must continue to pray that these people realize the error of their ways before it is too late.

Posted in Healthcare, Orthodox, Politics, Roman Catholic | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment