Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Traditional Roman Catholic Thoughts

Reintroducing Logic and Reason to the Age of Sentimentalism

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All of the posts under the "Catholic" category.

How To Be Catholic in 2020

2019 was not an easy year to be Catholic. Though, if we are being honest, it hasn’t been easy to be a Catholic in any year. There are times within the Church’s history where it is easier to be Catholic due to cultural acceptance and toleration, but those days are long gone, at least for the foreseeable future.

What makes it even more difficult today is the complete lack of support from the hierarchy, from the local parish priest, up the chain to the bishop, the cardinals, and even the Pope himself. It goes without saying that there are the occasional priests, bishops, and cardinals who are indeed fighting the good fight. Still, these clergymen are few and far between.

Last year the Church in America, and certainly in other areas around the world, was rocked hard with scandal after scandal. From clergy sex abuse scandals to supporting immoral practices (including homosexual activities and birth control, to name a few), and even the misuse of money given by the faithful. Let us not forget the dreaded Pachamama incident that the Vatican and the Pope were both behind and in complete support of. There are still plenty of people who defend this nonsense and try to paint the Pachamama as some version of Our Blessed Mother, but who are they fooling?

What is a Catholic to do? As laity, we don’t have much power within the Church. But we do have some power, even on a human level. We laity need to say enough is enough. We are sick and tired of the abuses that the evil and immoral men in the Vatican and throughout the Church force down our throats daily, telling us that it’s Catholic. We aren’t stupid, and we won’t tolerate it anymore. 

Now, this isn’t saying that we are to leave the Church. We can’t and we won’t. We need to protest the solemn nonsense promoted by those in the hierarchy who are interested in promoting error. Whether it be Protestant, Pagan, Muslim, or whatever flavor of error is featured for that day. Compared to the Protestants protesting the Catholic identity of the Church, we are merely opposing the modernism that has become so prominently featured within the Church.

How do we do this?

  1. Find and attend the Traditional Latin Mass. If your local Novus Ordo parish doesn’t want to be faithful and there is no hope of it becoming traditional, then it is time to leave. Bad liturgy affects your soul more than you realize. It might mean that you have to travel much further to fulfill your Sunday obligation. But there is a relief when you know that you will go to Mass and don’t have to worry if the liturgy will be tampered with. You won’t have to worry about the sermons being heretical or tip-toeing close to it. If you can’t find or attend a TLM for some reason, then I suggest the following.
  2. Find a traditional priest. Encourage him to learn the TLM. Help out in any way that you can.
  3. Receive the Eucharist only from the priest or the deacon. Do not receive from a layman. Line jump if you have to or sit on the side that Father administers from.
  4. Receive the Eucharist kneeling and on the tongue. 
  5. Do not hold hands during the Our Father.
  6. Do not participate in the Sign of Peace.
  7. Dress your best. Men wear suits. Women dresses and veils.
  8. Reject any mannerism that is a novel idea that was not practiced within the Church before the Second Vatican Council.
  9. Frequent the Sacrament of Confession a minimum of once a month, ideally every other week. This way, you are always within the plus or minus eight days to receive a plenary indulgence. Go more often if you fall outside of the state of grace.
  10. Pray the Rosary daily! Our Lady of Fatima has begged and pleaded us to pray the Rosary. 

Ultimately, the entire list can be summed up as a straightforward rule: Be Catholic. We can no longer sit idly by as our Church become less Catholic. We must take an active role and lead by example. We must also remember to fast and pray, for as Our Lord said in Mark 9:29, ” This kind can go out by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.”

Jeff January 13, 2020 1 Comment Permalink

A Recap of 2019

2019 has come and gone, and now 2020 is underway. I thought it’d be good to start this year off with a recap of the most viewed articles of the last year. I know most people do this at the end of 2019, but, as always, I’m late to the party. For those of you who frequent this blog, or at least used to, you should know that by now.

In looking at the statistics for the last year, I only published two articles for the entire year. Pathetic.

Since I only have two articles for the last year, I’ll recap what those two articles were and then give a top 5 for the posts that most people viewed. So, without further ado, here are the top posts of the year!

Top Two Articles Published in 2019

2. Put Pride In Its Place With the Litany of Humility
In 2019, I added the Litany of Humility to my daily morning prayers. I noticed that a lot of elements of my pride began to fade away slowly. I was starting to care less what people thought of me, and I was not worried as much about being “the best.” I have, for the most part, continued this practice, only missing a day here and there. I highly encourage you do make it part of yours as well.

1. A Synopsis of the Synod of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has called for a synod to be held within his Archdiocese. The synod will go on for a couple of years and in various phases. I went to one of the first listening sessions held and reported on what I encountered.

Most Read Posts of 2019

5. Traditional Latin Masses in the Twin Cities
I’ve created a page that lists all of the TLMs in the Twin Cities. I try to keep it as up to date as possible. It seems a lot of people come to the blog for merely learning where they can attend the Latin Mass here in the Twin Cities. If you are looking for TLMs in your area, you can check out latinmasstimes.com for a complete listing.

4. Why Is Matthew Kelly So Popular?
I wrote this article four years ago when people were asking why his books were always handed out after Christmas and Easter Masses. At one time, I was a big Matthew Kelly fan. In fact, you can search through older articles on this blog to find articles in which I highly praise him as being revolutionary. Alas, this is not the case anymore, nor has it been for some time.

3. Mortal Sin Against the Fourth Commandment
Wow, this article goes way back, and I’m surprised that so many people still search for this. Here I recall some mortal sins that violate the Fourth Commandment and the reasons why. Seeing that many people are still searching for, this tells me I should probably finish writing articles on mortal sins against the rest of the commandments.

2. The Rediscover Catholicism Movement Is Not the Solution
At one point, many parishes and dioceses across the country were using Matthew Kelly’s materials for parish enrichment. I wrote this article to talk about why that was a mistake. It seems that people aren’t using him as much, but then again, I’ve been hanging out in the traditional communities for the most part and ignoring what the mainstream Church is doing these days.

1. The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary and Why You Should Dump Them
Without a doubt, my most popular post as this one always riles up people. It doesn’t matter that Pope St. John Paul II said they were optional. It doesn’t matter that he said that you didn’t need to meditate upon them and could ignore them if you wish. Apparently, pointing that out makes you a hater and someone who has clearly lost the faith (no, seriously, many commenters have accused me of this). I’ve wanted to write a follow-up article to address some of the points and to dive deeper into this thinking, and maybe this year will be the year I do that.

I’m hoping this year I write more. In fact, to ensure that I am doing that, it’s my goal to publish one article a week. Sometimes, it’s challenging to think of a topic to write about, so if you have any suggestions for topics you’d like to see or questions you’d like answered, please drop a comment below, and I’ll do my best to write something up.

God bless, and may 2020 be an enjoyable and grace-filled year for you.

Jeff January 5, 2020 Leave A Comment Permalink

The Bishops Knew and Are Very Sad You Found Out

There is nothing more sickening, disgusting, blood-boiling, rage inducing than the news coming out of Pennsylvania this week.

More than 300 priests were found to have been involved in molesting children. Even worse? Bishops and Cardinals knew about it and did nothing. Well, that’s not entirely true because they did do something.

They covered it up.

The investigation discovered that Cardinal Wuerl, who has an “upstanding reputation for his zero tolerance take on sex abuse,” paid a priest who was going to report a list of known sex abusers within the priesthood to not report it. The report details this as well.

Another case found that a priest had raped a young girl, the girl became pregnant, and the priest took and paid for her to have an abortion. When the priest’s bishop found out, he wrote a letter of condolence…to the priest.

These are just a couple of cases found within the 800+ page document. Cardinal Wuerl is mentioned over 200 times. That’s quite the damning ratio.

The response from bishops, dioceses, and even the Vatican has been even more appalling. Very few have come out and condemned this behavior and those that have don’t come to realize the problem. There are few calls for these disgusting men to be defrocked, removed from the priesthood, and sent to prison where they can rot the rest of their miserable lives away from more potential victims. Unfortunately many mention how sad they are and ashamed…that you found out.

The Vatican Press Office has issued a “no comment” on the entire matter.

It’s undeniable that this rot is affecting the vast majority of the priesthood and hierarchy within the Church. It is time for a purge, even if that means that there won’t be that many priests left to administer the sacraments. The time for wrist-slapping is over.

Every single one of the clergy who molested or covered up molestation should be removed from ministry and thrown in prison.

Funny timing for Pope Francis to say that the death penalty is “inadmissible,” no?

UPDATE (August 16, 2018 10:42pm):

The Vatican has released a Press Statement.

Jeff August 16, 2018 2 Comments Permalink

What Do the Catechisms Have to Say About the Death Penalty?

Catechism of the Council of Trent:

“The power of life and death is permitted to certain civil magistrates because theirs is the responsibility under law to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Far from being guilty of breaking this commandment [Thy shall not kill], such an execution of justice is precisely an act of obedience to it. For the purpose of the law is to protect and foster human life. This purpose is fulfilled when the legitimate authority of the State is exercised by taking the guilty lives of those who have taken innocent lives. In the Psalms we find a vindication of this right: “Morning by morning I will destroy all the wicked in the land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of the Lord” (Ps. 101:8). (Roman Catechism of the Council of Trent, 1566, Part III, 5, n. 4)

Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992):

“Assuming that the guilty party’s identity and responsibility have been fully determined, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude recourse to the death peantly, if this is the only possible way of effectively defending human lives against the unjust aggressor.
If, however, non-lethal means are sufficient to defend and protect people’s safety from the aggressor, authority will limit itself to such means, as these are more in keeping with the concrete conditions of the common good and more in conformity to the dignity of the human person.
Today, in fact, as a consequence of the possibilities which teh state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm – without definitely taking away from him the possibility of redeeming himself – the cases in which the execution of the offender is an absolute necessity ‘are very rare, if not practically nonexistent.'”

Pope Francis 2018:

“Recourse to the death penalty on the part of legitimate authority, following a fair trial, was long considered an appropriate response to the gravity of certain crimes and an acceptable, albeit extreme, means of safeguarding the common good.
Today, however, there is an increasing awareness that the dignity of the person is not lost even after the commission of very serious crimes. In addition, a new understanding has emerged of the significance of penal sanctions imposed by the state. Lastly, more effective systems of detention have been developed, which ensure the due protection of citizens but, at the same time, do not definitively deprive the guilty of the possibility of redemption.
Consequently, the Church teaches, in the light of the Gospel, that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person’, and she works with determination for its abolition worldwide.”

So the Church has been wrong for 2000 years on the Death Penalty. Got it.

Jeff August 2, 2018 Leave A Comment Permalink

Top Posts of 2017

Happy New Year! As we roll in 2018, I wanted to take a few minutes to highlight the top posts on the blog. In years past, I would highlight the top ten articles from that particular year and share it on Facebook and Twitter. This year, I thought I’d try something a little different.

As some of you may be new, it’d be good to highlight the posts in an article. One thing I noticed that was different this year was that my top ten posts were all written in previous years, meaning that none of the articles I published in 2017 were the most read articles. So what I thought I’d do was to highlight the top ten posts (top five from 2017 and top five from previous years) and comment as to why they might be.

Top Five Blog Posts of 2017.

#5
Four Years of a Disastrous Papacy

I wrote this on the evening of Pope Francis’ four year anniversary of being elected Pope. I highlight some of the things he has done, as well as what makes his papacy, in my opinion, the worst of them all. Not only does he repeatedly blasphemy both God and Mary, but he both preaches a doctrine and lives a life that is not Catholic.

With the release of the “Dictator Pope” book last month, I think it demonstrates the type of Pope we have.

#4
Heretical Garbage: For Research Purposes Only

I created a stamp that allows you to mark books (or anything really) with this phrase. I had seen this idea as a picture at some point but couldn’t find an affordable way of purchasing it. To date, 56 copies have been sold. Thank you!

#3
Pope Francis Denies the Catholic Faith and the Precepts of the Church Again

About a year ago now, Pope Francis said that if you “go to Mass, but then don’t speak with my parents, help my grandparents or the poor, go and see those who are sick, this does not prove my faith, there’s no point.” One of the precepts of the Church is to go to Mass every week, unless some circumstance prevents you, typically health related. To intentionally miss Mass is a mortal sin.

The story would be different if he said that you shouldn’t receive Holy Communion if you have been disrespectful to your parents or intentionally neglect the sick or poor, but as usual, it wasn’t. This isn’t the first time that he said you shouldn’t go to Mass and it likely won’t be the last.

#2
What Are the World Mission Mysteries of the Rosary and Should We Pray Them?

At the time of this article, I had received two separate rosaries in the mail in the last year that were called “World Mission Rosaries” complete with their own separate mysteries. Upon further investigation, it appears that the original intention behind the “World Mission” Rosary is good, as it calls us to pray for different areas of the world with each decade, however, the inclusion of brand new mysteries should be avoided. Thanks to Pope John Paul II for opening up this can of worms.

#1
Novus Ordo Logic: The Latin Mass Is Eh, The Novus Ordo Is Great

It is interesting isn’t it, that whenever you talk about how great the Latin Mass is, many Catholics look at you with pain and go “yeah, well, I don’t understand what’s going on!” But when you start to point out the inconsistencies with the Novus Ordo Mass, you are met with the same responses:
“But it’s the same Eucharist!”
“It’s okay that it’s different between parishes!”
“Different strokes for different folks!”

Hey, liturgical abuse is cool and should be allowed, but if you want any resemblance of reverence, then you gotta go elsewhere.

Top Five Blog Posts Pre-2017

#5
Mortal Sin Against the Third Commandment

I’m not sure why this post is still so popular. I suppose it’s because people are looking for some sense of sanity in what grave sins are against the commandments. It just goes to show that I need to continue to publish more articles on mortal sins.

#4
Mortal Sin Against the Fourth Commandment

Again, further illustrates that people want this.

#3
Why Is Matthew Kelly So Popular?

Matthew Kelly is everywhere in the Church these days. I detail how he became so popular as I used to be a fan(as can be observed in much older posts on this blog). I also point out how Matthew Kelly uses a non-traditional idea of St. Joseph’s life to prove a point which can confuse his book “Rediscover Jesus.”

#2
The Rediscover Catholicism Movement Is Not the Answer

Another article detailing why his material is fluff and should not be avoided.

#1
The Luminous Mysteries and Why You Should Dump Them

Without a doubt my most popular post, I point out how the Luminous mysteries are:

  1. A creation of John Paul II. He says so himself. They are not revealed by Mary. He never attributes them to her. His words, not mine.
  2. Inconsistent with the historical understanding of how the Rosary came to be. Initially, the Rosary was prayed by reciting all 15 decades (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious) for a total of 150 Hail Mary’s. These 150 Hail Mary’s is equal to the number of Psalms. Hence it’s nickname of “Our Lady’s Psalter.”
  3. Inconsistent with Our Lady’s messages throughout the years. Our Lady, especially at Fatima, calls us to pray the Rosary daily. If these new mysteries are so essential to our faith, which advocates of these mysteries constantly imply, then why did Mary not give them at an apparition? Again, John Paul II created them himself, he says so.
  4. The idea that “they paint a complete picture of Our Lord’s life” is fallacious. It implies that the Rosary before 2004 was incomplete and that Our Perfect Mother in Heaven gave us something incomplete and imperfect.

I’ve also received the most amount of hate for this article in which I’ve been called a Protestant, incomplete in my conversion to the faith, and so on. A follow-up article is needed.

On a personal note, thank you for sticking around on this blog. I know I don’t update it as often lately as life has been busy and this is a hobby. As always, it’s my goal to write more this year, but I’ll have to see what time allows.

If there is a topic of particular interest to you, please leave a comment below, and I’ll write about it.

May God bless you abundantly this year!

Jeff January 9, 2018 Leave A Comment Permalink

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