A Sign of Renewed Life

 Wednesday, 5 February 2025

A Sign of Renewed Life Br Paul Mary ad

A Sign of Renewed Life

 Br Paul Mary admires the new sign for the Mission Immaculata, which will go up once the new fence is properly installed.

ire the new sign for the Mission Iacuwhichwi go up once the new fence is proper installed.

"MISSION IMMACULATA"

'Casting Out the Myth. Did we Perform illegal Exorcisms?'

  

Casting out the M

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.

 February 03, 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.

 

at January 15, 2025

 

 

Who really is the Catholic Priest? - Submitted by Semper Excelsior - a member of the laity

 

Who really is the Catholic Priest? - Submitted by Semper Excelsior - a member of the laity

Exorcisms - Part 4. Sorry..It doesn't add up..

 

Monday, 23 December 2024

Exorcisms Part 4. Sorry. .. It doesn't add up....

 The publicity on television and in the newspapers was all about "Illegal Exorcisms".

It was said that an "expert" was coming from Rome to hold an investigation into the "Illegal Exorcisms". The fact is that we may never know why the Apostolic Visitation was called. It may be disappointing for the people who thought it was indeed about the "Illegal Exorcisms", but the facts do not seem to add up to that being the reason at all. It could have been a 'smoke screen' for something else. It could be that the people complaining were a convenient occasion.

For the world it looked to be about "Illegal Exorcisms". But "Illegal Exorcisms" are not difficult to decide. Legal or illegal Exorcisms are a simple matter of arithmetic. You simply count the Faculty Letters issued by the local ordinaries and match them with the people who received the Rite of Exorcism. That does not take two months of Apostolic Visitation to sift.

The fact is that the Apostolic Visitator never asked any member of the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer any questions about Exorcism. 

The Apostolic Visitator never asked to see any paperwork at all, about anything at all. He wasn't interested either in asking questions or receiving answers.

Concerning Exorcisms this is all that came back from Rome:

"Exorcisms
The Bishop of Christchurch has put a stop to all unauthorized exorcisms. Some exorcisms performed by FSSR priests in the past may have been approved but other seem not to have been."

Comments:

1. The first sentence makes no sense at all: How can authority put a stop to what is unauthorised? If it is unauthorized, it means that authority was ignored in the first place. So if authority is ignored, how could authority put a stop to what was, and would always be, excluded from? 

2 The second sentence concludes nothing at all. It is not arithmetic. "some... may have... other seem not." This was a question of straight arithmetic. The answer was easy to find. Certainty was possible.

We had headlines! We had TV exorcism graphs on the map! Experts. Unfortunately it produced nearly two lines and thoroughly concluded nothing when a conclusion was certainly possible. Whatever it was all about, it certainly wasn't sincerely looking into Exorcisms and finding the truth about them. Nor was it about anything we were questioned about.

Believing the experience of the Apostolic Visitation was a sincere event in our lives is proving to be a challenge. 

   

 

at December 23, 2024 No comments: 

 

 

Exorcism Part 3 - Prolonged Exorcisms...What does the Church say?

 

Exorcisms Part 3 - Prolonged Exorcisms.... What does the Church say?

 The newspapers and Internet accused the exorcisms performed by the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer as being "prolonged". 

The accusation of "prolonged" exorcism means that the priests performing the exorcisms were abusive and in the wrong from the get-go. They were "prolonged" therefore they were certainly abusive.

What does the Rite of Exorcism itself say about the length of exorcisms?

Standard 17.

Standard 17 has the answer:

"17. He will pay attention as to what words in particular cause the evil spirits to tremble, repeating them the more frequently. And when he comes to a threatening expression, he recurs to it again and again, always increasing the punishments. If he perceives that he is making progress, let him persist for two, three, four hours, and longer if he can until victory is attained."

The sessions that our priests conducted were usually as follows:
Preparation: First Holy Mass was offered for the person receiving the Rite of Exorcism.
Rubric 1 of the Rite says in red:
The priest delegated by the Ordinary to perform the office shall have gone to confession, or at least elicited an act of contrition, and offered the holy sacrifice of the Mass, if it was convenient to do so; he ought, moreover, to have implored God's help in devout prayer. Vested in surplice and purple stole, and having before him the person possessed (in fetters if there is any danger) he traces the sign of the Cross over him, over himself, and the bystanders, then sprinkles them with holy water. Kneeling down he prays the Litany of the Saints exclusive of the prayers that follow it, with the others making the responses. Thereupon he says:
Antiphon. Ne reminiscaris...

Session 1 Then the priest reads the Rite as prescribed 60 - 90 minutes.
Refreshment Break 30 minutes. (Priest and assistants have been fasting from the night before).
Session 2 Ususlly shorter than 60 minutes.

The Rite of Exorcism as laid down by the Roman Ritual is the law and the standard by which all judgments should be made.
By the Rite of Exorcism a 90 minute session could in no way be considered to be "prolonged" since it does not hit the two hour base line.

The Rite itself encourages a session to be 3 or 4 hours long, and even longer. (cf Standard 17 above)

Conclusion:

The traditional Rite of Exorcism sets the standards.

Anyone asking for the traditional Rite must expect it to be 

according to the standards and the rubrics.

The priests worked within the time line structures of the rite.

The statements made about "prolonged" exorcisms indicates ignorance of the Rite. 

at December 23, 2024 No comment