25 November – Catterns Day

Posted on 25 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

A biretta tip to Eleanor Parker, who posts wonderfully on Twitter about early English medieval things. o{]:¬)

Today she has things about “Catterns Day”, the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria.

There is a page with a recipe for “Cattern Cakes” and it has a wonderful introduction. HERE

Today, the 25th November is St Catherine’s Day ~ in the UK it is a special day for lace makers whilst in France it is special day for young unmarried women. In France on St Catherine’s Day, young unmarried women are encouraged to pray for a husband ~ these young women are called “Catherinettes” (what a truly wonderful name) and as well as the special name, family and friends make them outlandish and rakish hats in vivid colours such as yellow (for faith) and green (for wisdom), these hats are then worn all day as a “crown” of their spinsterhood. The Millinery trade in France has also chosen this day to show off their latest hat designs, with more than a passing nod to the nation’s unmarried hat-wearing young ladies.

Whilst the French ladies are busily praying for a husband, in the UK our Lace Makers are celebrating their Saint’s Day and “Cattern Cakes” are the speciality of the day; “Cattern cakes” are spiced with cinnamon, lightly fruited and flavoured with caraway seeds; they were traditionally made by the English Nottingham lace makers for the festivities on their special feast day. The recipe goes back to Tudor times and has changed little over the centuries, although they are sometimes made with yeasted dough. Also known as Catherine Cakes, after Catherine of Aragon, whom whilst imprisoned locally at Ampthill, heard of the lace-maker’s financial plight and destroyed all of her lace only to commission some more and give work to the local industry.

Cattern Cakes are still specially prepared for St. Catherine’s Day in the UK by Lace makers for their special day, and are traditionally washed down with Hot Pot – a hot mixture of rum, beer and eggs. However, I find that I prefer mine with a cup of tea! These delicious little cakes are more like a soft and slightly chewy biscuit or cookie and I find the addition of caraway very refreshing, but then I love seed cake.

 

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WDTPRS: Novus Ordo – Solemnity of Christ the King

Posted on 25 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

In both the Vetus Ordo and Novus Ordo there is a strong interlinking with the upcoming Season of Advent, which is thematically more about the Second Coming of Christ than it is about His First Coming at Bethlehem.

In the Novus Ordo this is the 34th and Last Sunday of the year and, as such, it is the Solemnity of Christ the King.  In the Vetus Ordo, Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of October.

When the Lord returns He will return as King and Judge.  Consider 2 Peter 3:10-12:

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will be burned up.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening[b] the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the elements will melt with fire! 13 But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Christ will judge us all, dear friends, and submit all things to the Father (cf. 1 Cor 15:28).  Having excluded some from His presence, our King, Christ Jesus, will reign in majestic glory with the many who accepted His gifts and thereby merited eternal bliss.

The Collect for Mass in the Novus Ordo is a new composition, similar in some respects to the Collect in the Vetus.

Omnipotens sempiterne Deus,
qui in dilecto Filio tuo, universorum Rege,
omnia instaurare voluisti,
concede propitius,
ut tota creatura, a servitute liberata,
tuae maiestati deserviat ac te sine fine collaudet.

1962 Missale Romanum: Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui dilecto Filio tuo universorum Rege, omnia instaurare voluisti: concede propitius; ut cunctae familiae gentium, peccati vulnere disgregatae, eius suavissimo subdantur imperio… “so that all the families of peoples, torn apart by the wound of sin, may be subject to His most gentle rule.”

Instauro is a wonderful word which deserves more attention: “to renew, repeat, celebrate anew; to repair, restore; to erect, make”.  It is synonymous with renovo.  Etymologically instauro is related to Greek stauros.  Turning to a different L&S, the immensely valuable Liddell & Scott Greek Dictionary, we find that stauros is “an upright pale or stake.”   Stauros is the word used in the Greek New Testament for the Cross of Jesus.  Also the word immediately makes us think not only of the motto on the coat-of-arms of Pope St. Pius X, but also the origin of that motto Ephesians 1:10: “For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Eph 1:9-10 RSV).

There have been, by the way, some changes in the Latin texts of this passage.  The older Vulgate says “instaurare omnia in Christo” while the New Vulgate says “recapitulare omnia in Christo”.

Recapitulare is related to Latin caput (“head”) and was deemed by the scholars behind the New Vulgate as a better translation of the Greek anakephalaioô, “to sum up the argument.”  This harks to the headship of Christ over the Body of the Church and expresses that He is the Final Statement, the Conclusion of All Things.  At any rate, in 1925 and in the 1960’s when the older version of Vulgate was in use, the Collect had instaurare and not recapitulare.

Why all this electronic ink about recapitulare?  The phrase, “renew/reinstate all things in Christ” points to the Kingship of Jesus.  In everything that Jesus said or did in His earthly life, He was actively drawing all things and peoples to Himself.  In the time to come, when His Majesty the King returns in gloria and maiestas this act of drawing-to-Himself (cf. John 12:32) will culminate in the exaltation of all creation in a perfect unending paean of praise.  In the meantime, by virtue of baptism and our integration into Christus Venturus (Christ About-To-Come), we all share in His three-fold office of priest, prophet, and also king.  We have the duty to proclaim His Kingship by all that we say and do.

We are to offer all our good works back to Him for the sake of His glory and the expectation of His Coming.  This glorious restoration (instaurare) is possible only through the Lord’s Cross (Greek stauros).  The Cross is found subtly in the midst of this Collect, where it is revealed as the pivot point of all creation (creatura).

LITERAL TRANSLATION:

Almighty eternal God,
who desired to renew all things
in Your beloved Son, the King of the universe,
graciously grant
that the whole of creation, having been freed from servitude,
may zealously serve Your majesty and praise You greatly without end.

The first objective of our participation in the Church’s sacred rites is to praise God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and give God glory.  Liturgical and Biblical Latin is rich with words and phrases which exalt and express praise of God.  In fact, the concepts of “glory” and “majesty” are nearly interchangeable in this light.  We, on the one hand, render up honor and glory to God in a way external to God.  On the other hand, glory and majesty are also divine attributes which we in no way give Him, which He has – or rather is – in Himself by His nature.

When we come into His presence, even in the contact we have with Him through the Church’s sacred mysteries, His divine attribute of splendor or glory or majesty, whatever you will, has the power to transform us.  His majestic glory changes us.

Our sacred liturgical rites make mysteries present to us and present us to the mysteries.   What and how we do as our rites in our churches is of existential importance for us as Christians, since our rites are doctrine and we are our rites.

More and more this is becoming obvious.

Will we get this sorted out before the return of the Lord as King and Judge?  We had better try!  As we say in Advent, “make straight His path”!  For Christ, when He returns, is going to make that path straight, is going to level all obstacles and raise everything that is low whether we have done it or not.

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, WDTPRS |
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Daily Rome Shot 863

Posted on 25 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

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Photo from The World’s Best Sacristan™

Welcome registrants:

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Meanwhile, BLACK to move and make progress with a tactic.


1. … Qa1+ 2. Kd2 Qxb2+ 3. Ke1 3 Nc2+ 4. Qxc2 Qxc2
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Right now, through 26 Nov, Remote Chess Academy has discounts up to 80%.

Use FATHERZ10 at checkout

Also, Chess House has Black Friday deals.  I’ve had some correspondence with the folks who run it.  Nice people.  I also like their attitude. “Chess in every home unites people around play and fosters intellectual growth. We make it accessible to people in a way that brings joy, building brilliant minds and great memories.”

Yesterday at the Sinquefield Cup, my guy Wesley So was the only one to walk away with a win over Hungarian-born Richard Rapport.  He is the official leader so far.  The rest were draws.  Wesley’s interview after his victory has a great element: “glory to Christ”.

Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE  These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.

UPDATE: At ChessHouse I see that the “ChessUp” Chess Computer is on sale for a Thanksgiving “Blitz Black Friday” Deal.  $80 off!    I have one.

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This is okay, but shut down the Vetus Ordo!

Posted on 24 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Pretty clear, isn’t it?

We are our rites.

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Daily Rome Shot 862 – The Bongcloud

Posted on 24 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

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The monks of Le Barroux have a special deal today.  With my code you can get 10% off all the time.  Today they have 15% off: BLACKFRIDAY15

Photo by The World’s Best Sacristan™

Isn’t that great?

I especially like that the “stemma” above the door is still Paul VI.

WELCOME NEW REGISTRANTS:

hcastello
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ALSO… along with my donors for the 24th day of the month (oh so few) thanks to JB who kindly sent ad hoc.   BTW everyone – PayPal is great but Zelle is greater (no fees).

ALSO… thanks to the kind soul, whoever you are, who sent an item from my Amazon wish list, in this case some super hot Chinese chili oil.  There was no gift slip in the box.  I can’t tell you how that vexes me.    Some socks came awhile back too… again… no gift slip.  That REALLY steams my xiao long bao.

Meanwhile, white to move and mate in FIVE.


1. Bg8 Kxg8 2. Rh8+ Kxh8 3. Qh3+ Rh5 4. Qxh5+ Kg8 5. Qh2#
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance. US HERE – UK HERE  These links take you to a generic “catholic” search in Amazon, but, once in and browsing or searching, Amazon remembers that you used my link and I get the credit.

At the Sinquefield Cup in St Louis, its draw draw draw, which statistically, given these players, is not a shock. Jan-Krzysztof Duda withdrew from the tournament due to health issues, and his round-1 game will be taken out of consideration for the final standings. Nepo and Fabi had strong chances yesterday but, nope. I think it was Fabiano who said in an interview that – I paraphrase – their brains are mush. They just had the Rapid and Blitz before this. It must be grueling.

In other chessy news Vladimir Kramnik says he has been studying statistics which suggest to him, so he is suggesting to the world, that top players like Hikaru Nakamura are cheating in online blitz. There is now a Twitter war which is getting sharp. In one video short I saw Hikaru opine that Kramnik is “Full of [SYNOD]”. Heating this up is Nepo, who reposted Kramnik’s veiled accusation, thus incurring the wrath of the Naka. Magnus didn’t waste the chance to poke at Hikaru. He posted a screen shot of Hikaru losing a bishop, quipping: “Wins all these online events, yet doesn’t know how pawns capture? Interesting.” Hikaru trolled him back, “I know you don’t know how the knight moves, I was hoping you didn’t know how the pawn moves too!! ?”  They play against each other a lot.

As a matter of fact in 2021 one of the funniest chess things I ever saw was when they “Double Bongclouded” each other.

SCHOLION: The Bongcloud Opening is 1. e4 e5 (standard King pawn opening) 2. Ke2. ??? King – e2?  The idea is that this is such a bad move that you would have to have been smoking dope to make it. Super GM’s have used the Bongcloud and won in serious games.

YouTube thumbnailYouTube icon

Ahhh… admit it your day couldn’t have been complete without chess news, controversy and hilarity. Will the hijinx ever end? That’s the 64 Square Question.

 

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Argentina’s new Vice President attends Latin Mass, SSPX

Posted on 23 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From the Catholic Herald:

Argentina’s new VP attends Latin Mass, sympathises with SSPX and opposes abortion

Following Argentina’s presidential election on Sunday 19 November, won by libertarian so-called “anti-Pope” economist Javier Milei, its new vice-president has taken flak in the media for her traditional Catholic views and practices.

Victoria Villarruel, 48, who was elected with the recent victory of her running-mate Milei, has been described as a member of “a marginal and ultra-conservative Catholic faction” and someone who engages in “secret rituals” (the ancient Latin liturgy) by the Argentine press. [Described so “by the press”.  That settles that!]

She particularly drew criticism for her reported attendance of a Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) chapel in downtown Buenos Aires, with critics drawing particular attention to the fact that the SSPX was once home to (now-expelled) Bishop Richard Williamson who is an accused holocaust-denier. [Sounds like what “critics” would do… pull up something entirely irrelevant.  Would they report that when Francis was still there he helped the SSPX get official status?]

Attention has been given to her position as honorary president of the Tridentine Foundation for Classical Values. [Catchy!] The group not only shares its name with the form of the liturgy she is known to attend, but also promotes “classical knowledge” such as the study of Greek and Latin alongside “strengthening in values and virtues” in education and the defences of the traditional family unit and life from the moment of conception.

[…]

Too bad she wasn’t a US-born citizen!

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Daily Rome Shot 861

Posted on 23 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

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Photo by The Great Roman™

The “Remureine Column” found where Romulus may have killed Remus.

Use FATHERZ10 at checkout

Thanks to CB who as one of the faithful “100!” donated today.

Meanwhile, here’s an easy one.

White to move and mate in two.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Your use of my Amazon affiliate link is a major part of my income. It helps to pay for insurance, groceries, everything. Please remember me when shopping online. Thanks in advance.  US HERE – UK HERE

From time to time I peddle courses from Remote Chess Academy.  This fellow has helped my game.  RCA will have a “Black Friday” Sale from 24-26 November with discounts up to 80%.  For every $50 names are entered in a lottery for 5 winners of the “Super Pack” (which is essentially the kitchen sink).

In St. Louis – sad in its oppression of traditional Catholic worship, but happy in its promotion of chess – at the Sinquefield Cup tournament, there were only 8 players yesterday because Jan-Krzysztof Duda was ill. He was to play Richard Rapport who in his own turn was wiped out by a full day of travel to get there. Postponed.  All games were draws.

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More tears shed in St. Louis.

Posted on 23 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

From The Federalist:

St. Louis Archdiocese Closes Thriving Traditional Latin Mass Parish

[…]

As a result of all those meetings and focus groups, St. Barnabas, a growing Traditional Latin Mass parish with children consisting of 35 percent of the congregation, zero debt, and a pastor who is not a part of the archdiocese, and therefore not taking away priestly resources from any other parish, was ordered by the archbishop to shutter its doors.

St. Barnabas has been subsumed by a parish less than two miles down the road called Assumption. This means that the Assumption parish will take control of St. Barnabas’ building, territory, and finances, including the nearly $600,000 in St. Barnabas’ bank account, in accordance with Canon law. Right now, the Assumption parish is running a deficit of more than $500,000 due to renovation expenses, which can be paid down once it gains control of St. Barnabas’ funds.

Now with St. Barnabas closed, anyone looking to attend a Latin Mass will have to drive more than 30 miles into the city to the Oratory of Sts. Gregory and Augustine’s or St. Francis de Sales — a trek that parishioner Susan Cooke said her 89-year-old mother couldn’t make.

“It’s sad to lose St. Barnabas itself,” Cooke said. “You know the property, it’s terrible that we’re going to be losing that, but it’s even more terrible that we won’t have a Latin Mass in St. Charles County anymore.”

In his decree letter, Rozanski cited St. Barnabas’ celebration of the Latin Mass according to the Roman Missal of 1962 as being in violation of orders from the Vatican.

“The faithful who prefer such celebrations of the Holy Eucharist have become the greater part of the worshiping assembly at Saint Barnabas Parish, and Pope Francis by motu proprio Traditionis Custodes art. 3 has instructed that territorial parochial churches are not suitable for such celebrations,” the decree stated.

[…]

With their new Benedictine monk Fr. Dolce, St. Barnabas introduced two more weekend Mass times and a daily Mass. This year, the average attendance at its Latin Masses is 283 at both Sunday services — filling the church to 80 percent capacity. Since Oct. 1, 2022, St. Barnabas’ church attendance has gone up by 34 percent, according to Murphy.

[…]

What does the Archbishop want for that place? That it be a center for Hispanic ministry.

[…]

Some question if this Spanish language-only parish will stay afloat. According to U.S. Census data, only 4 percent of the population in St. Charles County is Hispanic. And the archdiocese already has four parishes that serve the Hispanic community with Spanish-language Masses as well as English-language Masses

[…]

Friends, brace yourselves.    This will get worse before it gets better.

You must stay strong in your Catholic Faith no matter how badly your bishops treat you.

We are not exempt from the Passion.

Posted in Traditionis custodes |
14 Comments

ASK FATHER: Michael Voris

Posted on 22 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

There are enough emails in my box asking me my take on the resignation of Michael Voris from Church Militant to merit a post.

CM issued a statement that Michael was asked to resign for breaching their “morality clause”.

Michael Voris posted his own explanation on Twitter/X.

Michael’s video statement contained some pretty dark implications, about which we can guess, but which haven’t been disclosed.  Some radical healing is in order.

I’ve had concerns about the whole of Church Militant for a while. I made a choice not to watch most of what pops up in my various feeds.

That’s now apart from this new development with Michael, whom I’ve known and had been personally cordial with over the years.

To use a cliche, the Church isn’t a museum of the perfect, but a “field hospital” for sinners. The analogy limps a bit because while field hospitals are mostly concerned with wounds inflicted by external forces, while the Church also treats sheer victims, she treats mostly the self-inflicted wounds from sin.  It’s still a useful image.

Field hospitals, set up for disasters and battles, are temporary places. The Church Militant is temporary. This isn’t the end of the battle, it is the midst of the battle.  In battle we struggle against human frailty and the fog of war.

At a field hospital, after the icy process of triage, there is screaming and stench. People are patched up so that they can be moved elsewhere. There follows continued care, rehab, counseling.

Another fact of a field hospital is that some people don’t make it out alive.

Not everyone in the Church is going to be saved.

How about you?  Are you presuming upon God’s friendship?

From battlefield medic, to field hospital, to trauma center, to rehab, to counseling there are various stages of brutal horror along with heroic wonder.   In its gruesome challenge there is also beauty, mystery.

We should be humble when we are witnesses to this process.

Not a one of us hasn’t needed and doesn’t need mercy.

We are going get justice from God whether we want it or not.  Mercy, however, is ours but we have to ask for it.

People are so swift to desire for others what they imagine as “justice”. Our Lord wants us to be contrite of heart and merciful.

My take on Michael’s video? It’s not just an admission of faults and wounds, but also a request for mercy, at least in the form of prayers and some understanding about human fragility.

In my view, in this march upcountry in the present Church Militant we have “man down”… a “man overboard”.  This requires an immediate response of that which is salvific rather than betrayal.  You don’t keep sailing, you throw a rope and heave to.  You don’t leave your brother in the ditch, you grab his arm and pull him to safety.

Already I’ve seen the ugly starting on Twitter, etc., lots of people piling on, railing at and about him, etc. It seems to me pretty vile to kick a man when he is at a spiritual low point and struggling to rise. Some of what I’ve seen written so far from the trad side…

I’ll just remind you of what Our Lord explained about forgiveness, the only thing in the Our Father He went back to explain. If you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven. PERIOD.

Examine your own consciences.

If you have some real problem with Voris, then your best bet is to pray for him and offer willing mortifications for his benefit.

I ask Our Blessed Mother to cover him with her protective mantle.  I ask St. Michael to protect him from spiritual and temporal harm.  I ask St. Joseph to banish demons from his struggles.  I ask Christ the High Priest to cover him with His Precious Blood and to bring him healing and peace.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, GO TO CONFESSION | Tagged
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Daily Rome Shot 860

Posted on 22 November 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Black Friday Amazon deals available….

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Photo from The World’s Best Sacristan™

Many thanks to my donors today.  I did get an email bounced back from my thank you notes.  If you regularly donate and haven’t heard from me, it’s not because I haven’t tried.

Try this one…

White to move.   White’s in serious trouble, so think fast!

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Meanwhile, in St. Louis the Sinquefield Cup is underway, the last of the Grand Chess Tour.  This is classical: 90 for 40 moves, then 30 plus 30 sec increment.  1st place $100K.  2nd $65K.  Over the whole tour Fabiano Caruana is leading.  Yesterday, however, all games were drawn. Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Anish Giri were a move short of checkmating each other.

Hanging out before the day’s action are Nepo (2771), Anish (2752) and my guy Wesley So (2752). These guys have been playing against each other for years and they know each other well.

Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2734) and Levon Aronian (2727). They both usually appear to have just rolled out of bed having slept in their clothes, though Levon mostly sports flashy shirts. This is definitely no longer the days of suits and ties… which they should reclaim!

Photos from chess.com

Action continues today with Round 2.

The St. Louis Chess Club was founded by entrepreneur Rex Sinquefield, 79, who has had quite a life.  He is a devout Catholic and serves on the Cathedral’s board. Part of his childhood was spent in a Catholic orphanage. He was in seminary for a while in St. Louis, served in the Army, and majored in business at St. Louis University and University of Chicago.  As a philanthropist he funded the School of Music at U of Missouri and has been a director of the St. Vincent Home for Children along with many other local cultural concerns.  The Chess Campus is spectacular.  He was a strong player who thinks that chess can help transform young people.   I’ve actually thought about uprooting and moving to the Central West End of St. Louis.  Maybe in better times.

Speaking of moving…

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