On the FSSP Chaplaincy in Front Royal and the SSPX

St. Francis de Sales advises the faithful to always put the best construction on other people's actions and the most critical on your own. So I will do that with Bishop Burbidge's decision to invite the FSSP to start a chaplaincy here in Virginia. Since it is being formed "to serve primarily in Front Royal," it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that a primary purpose is to close (by attrition) the SSPX chapel currently in Linden "which remains in a state of irregular communion."

I can't read the bishop's mind but I will presume that he really does care about his diocesan flock and not just the money the diocese is losing which, in view of the on-going SSPX building fund donations, is approaching two million dollars.

Accused Priests? Many Are Not Guilty!

I've been reflecting for the past few days on the accusations against the rector of the diocesan cathedral, Fr. Patrick Posey. An accuser has come forth claiming abuse over thirty years ago. I don't know Fr. Posey personally, but his reputation from friends who do know him is praiseworthy. So here we have someone come forth with thirty-year-old accusations. No matter how this resolves, Fr. Posey will always be under a cloud. How do you disprove something that supposedly happened thirty years ago, especially in an era of the lie?  And what's the quote about a lie traveling around the world before the truth gets out of bed?

Sunday Meditation: Reflecting on the Good Shepherd

"I know my sheep and they know me." John 10:14 

Does your diocese have a good shepherd? Does your parish? How can you tell? Scripture says, "By their fruits you shall know them." The measure of a good shepherd is how zealously he defends the faith and protects his flock from scandal. If you are fortunate enough to have a good shepherd, be sure to express your gratitude.

And now I have a story to tell from my own two dioceses, Richmond and Arlington. Arlington is blessed to have many faithful priests. How grateful I am for them because they have kept Arlington from going the way of so many places that have essentially lost the faith altogether. Fr. John Hardon, S.J. warned about the crisis of faith for years and predicted that entire dioceses would lose the faith. Has that happened in your diocese? He described the crisis in a 1997 article that outlined what has become ever more obvious. Who can deny it today?

Guest Post: Spiritual Diocesan Malfeasance in the Diocese of Arlington? by Brian Kopp

Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel, Linden, VA

Editor's note: All the information in the commentary below by Brian Kopp is first hand witnessed by Brian himself and the people involved and/or their parents. The situation in the Front Royal area is tragic. Rather than recognizing who the real enemy is, the local diocese and parishes have chosen to attack the SSPX and those who attend the chapel. It is hard to believe a priest would label a faithful believing and practicing Catholic as "not a Catholic." My question would be, "Father, is James Martin a Catholic as he promotes sins that cry to heaven for vengeance? How about the new head of DDF (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith) who is about to be made a cardinal? Víctor Manuel Fernández covered up abuse allegations for years. Is he a danger to the faith? Is he a Catholic? Is Archbishop Paglia, who put a blasphemous homoerotic fresco in his cathedral complete with his own image in a red zucchetto, a faithful Catholic? These men occupy high level positions at the Vatican. And you're going to tell me that those who go to the SSPX chapel aren't Catholic? Really?"

Do Charity and Love Prevail in the Diocese of Arlington?

Before I get into the subject of this post, let me explain the collage above. My oldest brother, who died in 2019, created it for his Facebook page. That's him as a baby and as a teenager. He always said he was the youngest survivor at Pearl Harbor because my mom was a few months pregnant on December 7th when the attack occurred.

Guest Post: When the Bishop Becomes a Dictator

Traditionis Custodes threw the TLM out of our churches. The new "home" for the stepchildren is a gym or a classroom. "No church for you rigid, pharisaical tradition lovers!

By Fr. Bill Aitcheson

Recently, the Arlington Diocesan bishop warned the twenty-one priests who celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) in his jurisdiction, that their celebrations of the TLM are going to be severely curtailed. Essentially, there will only be eight public locations for the TLM and most of them will not be allowed in a parish church. The TLM will only be celebrated in these eight places and the times of celebration are not to be published in the parish bulletin. The attempted suppression of the TLM is by order of Jorge Bergoglio in conformity with his shameful tome, Traditionis custodes and its interpretation found in the Congregation for Divine Worship's Responsa ad dubia.

Guest Post: Thomas McFadden and More Wokeness in the Diocese of Arlington

God never created a baby He
didn't plan to care for!

My friend, Tom McFadden, offers insightful commentary on the latest woke activities in the Diocese of Arlington on global warming/climate change. I've lived long enough to see hand-wringing leftists proved entirely wrong again and again. Paul Ehrlich predicted in the 1960's that the world would be devastated before the end of the 20th century by a "population bomb" that turned out to be a dud. Did that destroy him as a prophet of doom? Of course not! The Vatican invited the evil pro-abortion bug scientist to participate in a conference on "biodiversity." The Church has become a huge part of the problem by embracing woke (and extremely profitable) positions that mirror the godless left.

Some Questions are Well Worth Asking: I'm Happy to Find a New (to me) Blog Doing It!

“Did Bishop Burbidge Violate Canon 932 in Order to Punish His Flock?”

The Ministry of Truth in the Diocese of Arlington

The Arlington Catholic Herald, our diocesan newspaper, came yesterday. I generally check the priest's moves and the bishop's schedule and do a quick page-through to see if I want to read anything. It used to be a joke among some of my confreres, when Bishop Paul Loverde was our ordinary to count how many photos of him graced the pages of the paper. Bishop Burbidge can't compete. His only photo in this issues was the stamp-sized mini attached to his column.

At any rate, one headline caught my eye and caused uncontrollable eye-rolling and head-shaking, and, frankly, anger over the dishonesty it illustrated.

Fr. Vander Woude encourages the Latin Mass congregation!

 

I found this video so incredibly sad. 

First of all, I have always had great respect for Fr. Tom Vander Woude who is the pastor at Holy Trinity in Gainesville. In a previous post, I mistakenly said the congregation at Holy Trinity was being abandoned because the Montessori school is in the boundaries of All Saints in Manassas. However, it is the priests of Holy Trinity who will care for that very large Latin Mass community -- at least until the next act of suppression is implemented.

We Can't Cut Bishop Burbidge Any More Slack: The Latin Mass Crackdown is Brutal and Cruel!

The new Bishop Burbidge segregation:
Latin Mass Catholics to the left, NO Catholics to the right!

Claire Chretien pegs it with an article at LifeSiteNews that is crystal clear. 

The Diocese of Arlington’s brutal Latin Mass crackdown is cruel. That’s the point!

What is happening in Arlington is, indeed, brutal, cruel, and advances an agenda that masquerades as "unity" while it segregates traditional Catholics from the parish. Is the bishop worried that traditionalists will pollute the churches and the other parishioners? 

When Will Some Courageous Shepherds Just Say NO?

The other night I watched, once again, the 1973 film, The Catholics, with Martin Sheen and Trevor Howard. The title was later changed to Conflict. 

If you want to understand where we're going, watch the movie. 

Brief synopsis: The Latin Mass has almost disappeared after Vatican IV. A group of Irish monks, however, continue to pray the Latin Mass and, to accommodate the crowds, they say it on a mountain that was once the scene of Masses during Cromwell's persecution. After a news broadcast about the Mass, pilgrims head to Ireland from all over the world to attend the Latin Mass which puts the monks on modern Rome's radar screen.

Are you getting the gist of where I'm going?

Pray for Bishop Burbidge: He is Obviously Not Going to Question or Challenge the Right of the Pope to Abuse Us!

Virginia diocese announces massive restrictions on traditional
sacraments following Vatican crackdown

From the article:

Thu Dec 23, 2021 - 10:15 am EST

ARLINGTON, Virginia (LifeSiteNews) – A bishop in a U.S. diocese recognized for its ample provision of the traditional liturgy (Latin Mass) has become one of the first prelates to announce a ban on certain sacraments in the Old Rite, following the Vatican’s latest restrictions on the Latin Mass.

Bishop Michael Burbidge, 64, of the Diocese of Arlington sent an email to priests of the diocese December 21, in which he outlined his implementation of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments’ (CDW) December 18 document.

After the Vatican Directives, What's Next in the Diocese of Arlington for the Latin Mass?

And so it begins. 

My bishop, Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, spoke about the Vatican directive that came out last weekend in his 12/20 podcast, a portion of which I've transcribed below. The bishop won't be issuing his own implementation document until the new year, but it's pretty clear that it will be bad news for those of us who attend the "extraordinary form" at diocesan parishes, even if only occasionally. 

Chinese Woman Gets Slap Down from the Pope and an Ad Limina visit for Bishop Burbidge

Now what could these two events possibly have in common? Read on....



According to a tweet by Msgr. Ferrari, a priest who lives and works in Rome, the Chinese woman was begging the pope to help the Chinese people. Keep in mind that Francis threw faithful Chinese and their underground bishops under the bus in an incredible betrayal. The persecution since then has intensified even for government-appointed churches. You can see Msgr. Ferrari's tweet here. When asked who his source was, he said it was a Chinese priest working in Rome who spoke to the woman.

Good News: Fr. Duesterhaus Cleared. (About time!) Please keep praying for Fr. Ron Escalante!

Editor's Note: Releasing a brief press notice announcing the exoneration is easier to do than to restore the good name of a priest held up to public contempt for month. Accused priests are treated as guilty until proven innocent. How many Catholics know about the accusations? How many fewer know about the exoneration. How will you restore Father's reputation, Bishop Burbidge? 

Diocesan Review Board concludes Father Michael Duesterhaus
not credibly accused of child sexual abuse

July 24, 2019

Since March 14, 2018, the Diocese of Arlington has provided announcements and updates regarding allegations of child sexual abuse and other inappropriate conduct against Father Michael Duesterhaus. Father Duesterhaus was placed on administrative leave pending investigations conducted by local law enforcement agencies and the Diocese of Arlington.

How to Railroad a Good Priest! The Fr. Escalante Saga Goes On!

I've been following the Fr. Escalante situation for some time now. Go here for some background.

Calling All Crusaders in the Church Militant: Defend Your Good Priests!

I received this email today from a parishioner at St. Francis de Sales in Purcelville who is up in arms over the treatment of Fr. Ron Escalante. What she urges is absolutely necessary. Silence in the face of calumny and injustice is unacceptable. If you aren't aware of the mistreatment of Fr. Escalante go here. Defend your good priests before there aren't any left!

Dear Parishioners,

It is time to rise up and put pressure on the Bishop to return our beloved Pastor to SFDS.  Please send a written letter to:

The Fr. Escalante Tale Goes On...

...and it's beginning to feel like Tales from the Crypt. Check out the offices of the PR bureaucracy at the Diocese of Arlington:



Not sure who the guy in the coffin is....What do you think?

If you haven't been following the saga up to now, go here and here.

This is How You Smear a Good Priest! Bring Back Fr. Escalante!

New Revelations in the Father Escalante Saga

Blue Ridge Leader 10 hours agoOur Towns, Top News0 Comments

By Valerie Cury

In November of 2018, Father Ronald S. Escalante, Pastor of Saint Francis de Sales Church in Purcellville, was placed on administrative leave by the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.