To All Those Who Think Every Pope is the Reincarnation of St. Peter....

One of the meditations (my favorite) in the Spiritual Exercises is on The Two Standards. The retreatant is presented two scenes. On a hill near Babylon (the city of confusion) Satan appears to be seated on a high throne surrounded by terrifying demons. Smoke fills the air and the howls of the demons assault the ears. Satan urges on his minions to attack all the followers of Christ to gather them into his hellish kingdom. He advises them with wicked strategies for debasing consciences.

The second scene is a plain around Jerusalem (the city of peace) where Jesus gathers all under His banner urging His followers to go out and spread the words of faith, bringing all to a knowledge of His love and mercy.

So now let's see...which do I choose?

 THIS

and THIS

or THIS

Here's my answer written on July 16th.

Dear Fr B,

It is with clear insight as to what I'm doing that I now wish to withdraw my membership from St Mary's. For many weeks now I have known that I cannot ever go back to the Novus Ordo, no matter how reverently celebrated, because the Mass of the Ages does something to a soul that the Novus Ordo never could, for me at least. I cannot remember the last time I teared up at a Novus Ordo Mass, but it happens almost every time I'm at St Thomas More. The beauty and joy of it all is ...well...otherworldly and is, frankly, what I converted for all those years ago.

With Bergoglio's Motu Proprio today against the Mass of All Time I know now is the time I must make this decision. I can no longer be a member of both St Mary of the Lakes and St Thomas More. If Bergoglio excommunicates the SSPX then I shall die excommunicated. So be it. But then that clearly brings into question the validity of such an act by a Marxist globalist who people think is the pope when in fact he possibly isn't. (Just FYI - the SSPX thinks he is and prays for him in every Mass, but I don't necessarily think that way.)

I want to thank you for all your kindness to me over the past several years. I never felt anything but pastoral love from you and your presence at St Mary's and for that I sincerely thank you.

May God be with you,

Susan

Our Spiritual Father Gave Us a Serpent Yesterday!

Do you ever read a post that strikes a chord of joy or sorrow and actually brings tears to your eyes? That happened to me this morning when I read Eric Sammons article at Crisis Magazine.

Traditionis custodes: Serpents over Fish

I grieve for children who have absentee or negligent or abusive fathers. What a tragedy for those youngsters! Today, after the pope dropped a bomb on the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) yesterday, I know how they feel. I'm sure many others who love the TLM could say the same thing. Here's a bit from Sammon's piece:

Comments Coming Out about the Motu Proprio. What Next?

I'm posting links for some articles about what the pope did earlier today in releasing the document which is translated as "Guardians of Tradition." It was accompanied by a letter which is as bad as the motu proprio itself.

What? Really? 

Is the title of the document a joke? Guardian of Tradition?

We Knew It Was Just a Matter of Time: Pope Francis Abrogates Universal Permission for TLM...

We'll get those traditionalist clergy 
and their little lambs too!

It's like a soap opera: As the World of Bergoglio and the Traditional Latin Mass (TLM) Turns.

Next? 

Complete abrogation of the TLM by the pope and his minions at the Vatican? Won't James Martin smile!

Alert! FSSP, Canons of Christ the King, Canons of the New Jerusalem, etc. You are on the enemies list. Get ready for the chopping block!

Alert! SSPX and your flock, get ready for excommunication!

Bishop of Evreux Attempts to Suppress Motu Proprio in Normandy

Reading this article about the Catholic bishop of Evreux in Normandy, France reminded me of the French uprising in the Vendee during the French Revolution. Of course, the Catholics of the Vendee were rising against the anti-clerical relativism of the Reign of Terror.

Unfortunately, today's reign of terror in the Church is often led by members of the hierarchy determined to enshrine the spirit of the world on our altars. Here in the U.S. we are certainly no strangers to this clerical abuse. The rolecall of bishop-barbarians includes cardinals of the most powerful dioceses. Cardinal Bernardin was a champion at undermining the faith while pretending to defend it. Cardinal Mahony walks in his footsteps, though less nimbly. He is a hatchet man compared to the scalpel-wielding Bernardin.

I had to laugh when I got to the part of the story about the bishop saying Mass while his congregation and altar servers disappeared to protest his abuse of the Mass. They simply removed themselves to another Church where the bishop was denied entry to the sanctuary. And I'm delighted that the pastor is fighting. Obedience is not an absolute when the bishop violates his authority.

Perhaps we should imitate our brothers and sisters in France. If the bishop or priest is messing with the Eucharist and undermining the faith, walk out and keep walking until you find true worship. And certainly, stop financially supporting these faith wreckers!

The faith is virtually dead in France. You would think this bishop would be calling in a priest who is so successful to get instructions on how to save his other failing parishes. But destroying the faith seems to be what many of these men are about. And perhaps he follows the same strategy of his U.S. brothers (like Gumbleton, Clark, Sullivan, etc.) who suppressed vocations to stir up support for the ordination of women. I found an interesting press release that shows the bishop is a "progressive" when it comes to ecumenism and also indicates the miserable status of his diocese where lay people are taking over many parish functions because of the lack of vocations.

Pray for the lay revolution in Evreux. The pastor is fighting the bishop's action in canon law. Let's pray the bishop gets the Bishop Martino treatment. We'll see if it's reserved to the orthodox defending the faith.