Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Wednesday, 19 February 2025
'Casting Out the Myth. Did we Perform illegal Exorcisms?'
Dear Readers,
This post continues to publicise the facts behind the apparently unjust, unwarranted, and grossly inappropriate 'punishment' imposed on the 'Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer', also known as the 'Transalpine Redemptorists', by the Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand, Bishop Michael Gielen. This 'punishment', seemingly based on 'allegations' rather than facts, and showing in the process a somewhat careless disregard for the letter of both Canon and Common law, has resulted in the complete banning of several priests and brothers from the diocese of Christchurch, which includes their monastic home, and also the banning (temporarily suspended) of religious 'sisters', all of whom priests, brothers, and sisters, had a pivotal role in the spiritual life of their parish, which was established several years ago, with the blessing of the then incumbent Bishop, and which has developed over the years, with recent Sunday Mass attendances running into three figures. The parish is run on traditional lines with liturgy based on the traditional Latin Mass.
A broader report of this whole matter can be seen in earlier posts on this blogsite, immediately preceding this.
Editor.
*********************
(Continued from previous posts written by Fr Michael Mary FssR, Rector Major of the "Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer")
February 03 2025
The
Apostolic Visitator, Bishop Robert McGuckin of Australia, and the Chancellor of
Christchurch Diocese had an informal meeting with Fr Michael Mary before the
Visitation interviews began. Fr Michael Mary asked what the Visitation
was about. “The television programmes,” he was told. Thus, by
inference, it was about the supposed illegal exorcisms that were their focus.
The priest who had supposedly carried out these illegal exorcisms was absent,
recovering from an extremely grave, life-threatening medical condition.
The Visitator was content not to interview him, which is strange given that
these supposed illegal exorcisms were one of the primary focuses of the
Visitation. In fact, exorcisms were never brought up in any of the
Visitator’s interviews.
From the Visitator’s report: “Some exorcisms performed by FSSR priests in the
past may have been approved but others seem not to have been.” Given that
exorcisms, legal or otherwise, were not spoken about during any of our
interviews with the Visitator, and that he didn’t interview the priest who
supposedly performed them, one wonders how he managed even to come to this weak
conclusion.
The truth is that not all exorcisms are equal. The respected Dominican
moral theologians Frs. Charles Callan & John McHugh say: “Exorcisms are…of
two kinds, the solemn and the private [aka major & minor]. The former
are…reserved to clerics who have a special and express permission from the
Ordinary [Bishop]. The latter kind may [in certain circumstances] be made even
by members of the laity….It is recommended that priests frequently use private
exorcisms, at least secretly, for persons who are vexed by temptations or
scruples.”
Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous of Sydney, Australia says in his introduction
to a 2010 manual of minor exorcisms: “Minor exorcisms can be a normal part of
the ministry of priests and are used to assist people in the spiritual
struggle, particularly in the case of oppression.” The author, Fr Healey
explains: “A part, an important part, of the ordinary ministry of a priest is
the role of utilising prayers of minor exorcism to meet the spiritual needs of
the faithful.” These require no permission.
We had full, written faculties for the cases of Solemn Exorcism our priests
performed from three Ordinaries of Christchurch diocese (two Bishops and an
Administrator). There is no “may have been approved” about it. The
faculties will be in the diocesan archives for inspection or could have been
provided by us, had we been asked.
All other similar prayers performed by our priests were the minor exorcisms
mentioned above, which do not require the permission of a Bishop and are
considered by all to be a potential part of the normal ministry of a Catholic
priest.
This distinction is, at this stage, unacknowledged.
It would be extremely constructive and advantageous if all those who claim to
have had an exorcism came forward and their paperwork could be examined and
verified. In this way the “may have been...” and the “seem not
to have been...” could be entirely cleared up. One might be forgiven
for thinking that this would have been done during the Visitation. Vague
and unspecific statements and accusations are very dangerous.
The extravagant claims in the media (such as that we beat a pregnant woman to
get the devil out of her) are inventions of pure fantasy. If only the
Visitator had troubled himself to ask us about them.
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Semper Excelsior writes again - "Who really is the Catholic Priest ?"
WWednesday 15 January 2025
Semper Excelsior writes again - "Who really is the
Catholic Priest?"
This true story took place in Paris many years ago, when the world
was more carefree than it is today.
An actor, who was playing the part of a Catholic priest, was in such a
hurry to leave the theater one day after his performance, that he did so while
still wearing his costume, which
was the traditional full
length black cassock. As he hurried along the street, there appeared a small child before him.
With joy, the child took the actor's hand and kissed it! "Good morning,
Father," he called over
his shoulder as he ran happily away.
Reverence and Familiarity
The actor was astonished! That innocent action of the child made such a
deep impression on him. As he continued walking he thought, who on earth is a
Catholic priest that he would attract such reverence and familiarity?
The question did not leave his mind. He began his research and study into
Catholicism, and happily, this led him to becoming a Catholic!
Where is this reverence for priests now? Reverence that leads to such
conversions? Respect that sets them apart from the rest of humanity?
We mustn't be fooled by the fact they look like the rest of us. The
Catholic priest harbors Divinity within him! He is called Another Christ
- Alter Christus. You and I are not an Alter Christus, but the priest is. He is
different.
He is like the Tabernacle with
the hidden Christ inside - silent, secret but there. In the confessional the
priest as an Alter Christus brings us the tender mercy of God.
Priest - Alter Christus - Another Christ
At the altar the priest, an
Alter Christus, breathes out upon the Host, speaking in the very person of
Christ,"This is my Body" so that we too, may briefly possess the Divine within us. What a mystery! What a grace!
As Jesus can no longer walk among us, He has hidden Himself inside the
priest so He can draw out of us our childlike love and reverence for Him.
As Jesus carried the Cross, the priest carries the whole world on his
shoulders with his prayers.
As Jesus was tossed about on a boat, the priest is tossed about in this
world, exiled, unwanted.
And thus he knows he is truly following in the footsteps of that
Divinity within him, when as Alter Christus he sleeps through the storm,
because he knows, all is God's will.
"If the world hate you, know ye that it hath hated me before
you." (Jn 15:18),
Part 2 - Importance of the Priestly Office
- by St Alphonsus Liguori,
Bishop and Doctor of the Church
St Alphonsus Maria, Bishop and
Doctor of the Church
The dignity of the priest is estimated from the exalted nature of his
offices.
Priests are chosen by God to manage on earth all his concerns and
interests. "Divine," says St. Cyril of Alexandria, "are the
offices confided to priests."
St. Ambrose has called the priestly office a Divine profession. A priest
is a minister destined by God to be a public ambassador of the whole Church, to
honor Him, and to obtain His graces for all the faithful. The entire Church
cannot give to God as much honor, nor obtain so many graces, as a single priest
by celebrating a single Mass; for the greatest honor that the whole Church
without priests could give to God would consist in offering to Him in sacrifice
the lives of all men. But of what value are the lives of all men compared with
the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which is a sacrifice of infinite value? What are
all men before God but a little dust? As a drop of a bucket, as a
little dust. They are but a mere nothing in His sight: All nations are before
Him as if they had no being at all.
Thus, by the celebration of a single Mass, in which he offers Jesus
Christ in sacrifice, a priest gives greater honor to the Lord, than if all men
by dying for God offered to Him the sacrifice of their lives. By a single Mass,
he gives greater honor to God than all the Angels and Saints, along with the
Blessed Virgin Mary, have given or shall give to Him; for their
worship cannot be of
infinite value, like
that which the priest celebrating on the altar offers to God.
-The Priest -
Ambassador of the Whole World to intercede with God
Moreover, in the holy Mass,
the priest offers to God an adequate thanksgiving for all the graces bestowed
even on the Blessed in Paradise; but such a thanksgiving all the Saints
together are incapable of offering to Him. Hence it is, that on this account
also the priestly dignity is superior even to all celestial dignities.
St John Chrysostom,
Bishop, Doctor of the Church
Besides, the priest, says
St. John Chrysostom, is an ambassador of the whole world, to intercede with God
and to obtain graces for all creatures. The priest, according to St.
Ephrem, "treats familiarly with God." To priests every door is open.
Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the
Redeemer to die in order to save the world; a drop of His Blood, a single tear,
or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer,
being of infinite value, should be sufficient to save not one but a thousand
worlds. But to institute the priesthood, the death of Jesus Christ has been
necessary. Had he not died, where should we find the victim that the priests of
the New Law now offer? a victim altogether holy and immaculate, capable of
giving to God an honor worthy of God. As has been already said, all the lives
of men and Angels are not capable of giving to God an infinite honor like that
which a priest offers to Him by a single Mass.
All the lives of men and Angels are not able to offer the infinite
honour
that a priest offers to God by a
Single Holy Mass
at the
Mother of Perpetual Succour Oratory, Christchurch, N.Z.
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