Daily Rome Shot 760

Posted on 9 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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White to play and mate in two. How long did it take you?

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

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

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I am delighted to report that Magnus finally got a haircut. Now he needs to stand closer to the comb. He came zooming in 3 seconds before the clocks were to start, looking as if he just got out of the shower. After the handshake, as his clock was running he prepared his notation sheet.., adjusted his pieces… looked around… moved… left the board and walked around. As I type I am watching the (delayed) feed of the World Cup in Azerbaijan. Today, Magnus (black) v. Vincent Keymer. This is a classical. We are in the Round of 16: pairings and results HERE Another big game today is Hikaru v. Prag. My guy Wesley So faces off with Alexey Sarana, about whom I know nothing other than he, with a Russian name, plays under the Serbian flag.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
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“The sky is crying…” – The Vigil and the Tears of St. Lawrence

Posted on 9 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The sky is crying, look at the tears roll down the street.

Thanks to flaming comet dust moving at 60km per second.

Today is the Vigil of St. Lawrence, in the older, traditional Roman calendar, replete with purple vestments. Before our feasts we Catholics do some penance (such as reading about WYD).

What this also means that it is time for the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, so called because the meteors appear to be streaking out from the constellation Perseus.  At the peak, there can be 100 meteors and hour.

The shower has been traditionally nicknamed the Tears of St. Lawrence, whose feast is 11 August.

Each year your little whirling blue ball zooms through the debris of a comet named Swift-Tuttle.

Those of you in the northern hemisphere should get out there and watch the meteors. If you have children, make a plan. I have fond memories of looking into the heavens as a kid.

This year the peak of the Perseids will come when Earth enters the densest part of the comet’s leavings, on 13 August.   It’ll be a good year for viewing since only about 10% of the Moon will be reflecting in our direction.

Take your kids out to see the sky show and tell them the story of St. Lawrence, Pope Sixtus and the other deacons.

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Posted in Look! Up in the sky!, SESSIUNCULA |
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UPDATE – VIDEO: Bishop Joaquim Mol of Brazil confirms girl and then denies her Communion because she is kneeling

Posted on 9 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE 9 Aug 23:

When I first posted this, I didn’t make any comments.  It was really late.

HOWEVER, as someone on the combox points out, this jackass is distributing Communion on the hand BY INTINCTION.  Watch the first part closely.

To everyone… when you take videos with your phone, use the horizonal position. Crank up quality when you think it might be important.

Originally Published on: Aug 9, 2023 at 00:54

Everyone should see this.

Bishop Joaquim Mol, Auxiliary of Archdiocese of Belo Horizonte (Brazil), Salesian. He just confirmed her. He denies Communion because she knelt. BECAUSE SHE KNELT.

20 view at the time of this posting.

Maybe we can help.

Posted in Liberals, You must be joking! | Tagged
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Francis gives more advice

Posted on 8 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Francis has said some puzzling things over the years.   Recently, he has peppered the Church with a few more of his insights, whose depths defy easy exploration.

One of them prompted Anthony Esolen (who has a new translation of Augustine’s Confessions coming PRE-ORDER) to respond at Crisis.  Francis – really – “has encouraged priests to play soccer rather than, in the first instance anyhow, to preach dogma.”

Perhaps priests should also be doing other things as well.  However, I am not sure what those are.

For example, in a letter to the priests of Rome, Francis wrote to put us on guard against “spiritual worldliness”, which leads to “doctrinal intransigence and liturgical aestheticism”.

“Doctrinal intransigence” and “aestheticism” are clearly huge problems most Catholics have to face today.  Wherever you go, you run into elaborate liturgies and repetitions of the Athanasian Creed.

One might also wonder which doctrines we are not to be intransigent about.

The Incarnation?

The Immaculate Conception?

The Real Presence?

The Resurrection?

Perhaps something along the lines of morals, then.

Murder?

Defrauding people of their wages?

Or does he, perhaps, have another category of the Church’s doctrine in mind?

Posted in Francis, What are they REALLY saying? |
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Daily Rome Shot 759

Posted on 8 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Meanwhile,…

White to move and mate in 2.

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

Please give the Sisters a visit!

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

Chess news. Wesley surpassed his French challenger to advance in the FIDE World Cup. There is a rest day. Parings and Results HERE It’s getting down to the big dogs. Alas, the likeable David Howell was knocked out as was Teimour Radjabov and Quang Liem Le. Svidler beat Van Foreest. To watch now will be, Prag v Hikaru and Magnus v. Vincent Keymer. I expect Wesley to win and probably face off after that with Leinier Domínguez Pérez.

Speaking of amazon, thank you to those of you who have sent items from my wishlist.  Sometimes the “gift slips” are not in the box and I don’t know who sent them, which frustrates me enormously. I always try to write a note when something comes in.  If you sent something and didn’t hear from me, it’s 98% sure to be because there were no slips.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
5 Comments

The Eucharist at WYD?

Posted on 7 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Eucharist at World Youth Day.

Ciboria?

Posted in You must be joking! | Tagged
16 Comments

Connecting some dots

Posted on 7 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Michael Matt of The Remnant posted another video recently.  He discussed, inter alia, Card. Dolan’s examination of conscience about how the Church handled the “lockdown” and also the infamous Pact of the Catacombs near the end of Vatican when a bunch of progressivist bishops got together in the Catacombs of Domitilla and pledged themselves effectively to a kind of Liberation Theology, in part underpinned by Card. Lercaro… who had been put in charge of the Consilium to “reform” the Mass, et al.  The signatories of their manifesto pledged not to use trappings of office, such as rings or crosses of precious metals or any fancy clothing.

One of the characters involved in the Pact was a Brazilian bishop, Helder Camara.  As it happens – and this is in the Remnant video – someone who was deeply influenced by Camara was Klaus Schwab (think “Great Reset”… “One World Order”, who had Camara come to Davos.

Camara, by the way, in the 30’s had been a pro-Mussolini clerical fascist in Brazil.  Then he went Communist and pro-Castro.  Of course.

Also, you might remember a story about the death of an Italian bishop named Luigi Bettazzi.  He was a signatory of the Pact.  He was Card. Lercaro’s auxiliary in Bologna.    At the Council the young Bettazzi got up on his hind legs about what we might these days recognize as the yammering about “synodality” (“walking together”) in the incipient guise of “collegiality”.    He was a dedication “discontinuity” bishop for his career, holding that Vatican II was a break.  He was also behind the innovative idea that bishops are a kind of superpriest rather than a priest with greater jurisdiction, a massive can of worms that is still crawling today.

Bettazzi remarked: “The Pact of the Catacombs today is […] Pope Francis”.

In any event, Michael connects some interesting dots.

YouTube pulled The Remnant’s video as having violated the blah blah.  You can see it at their website.    HERE

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | Tagged ,
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UPDATED – Church burned down on anniversary of SCOTUS Dobbs decision. HELP THEM! ACTION ITEM!

Posted on 7 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

UPDATE: 8 August 23

I received word that investigators found that an accelerant was used. Therefore, this was arson.

And to be clear this is a CATHOLIC Church of the Ordinariate of the Chair of Peter, set up under Benedict XVI, the Pope of Christian Unity.

Originally Published on: Aug 7, 2023

My heart goes out.   I saw this awful news and the appeal at Rorate.

RORATE CHURCH DRIVE – PLEASE GIVE – Ordinariate Church Destroyed by Fire in Florida

The beautiful Church of the Incarnation, an Ordinariate Church located in Orlando, Florida, was destroyed by fire on the anniversary of the Dobbs decision that reversed Roe. It may have been a coincidence — or not, as the parish had always been vocal in their pro-life advocacy.

THIS FIRST RORATE CHURCH DRIVE is dedicated to the rebuilding of their Church, so loved for its faithful and beautiful rites. Their donation page is here. Please donate often and as much as you can.

Thank you!

Again… donation page is HERE

Posted in SESSIUNCULA |
4 Comments

Bp. Strickland: Any attack on the Traditional Latin Mass is an attack on the Deposit of Faith

Posted on 7 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z kudos to Bp. Strickland.

Posted in Fr. Z KUDOS, Hard-Identity Catholicism, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Save The Liturgy - Save The World, The future and our choices | Tagged
5 Comments

Somewhat unsettling VIDEO. Analysis needed. (No… not a liturgical abuse.)

Posted on 7 August 2023 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Someone very thoughtfully sent this video.   This is a Komodo Dragon.  The meal is an adult goat.  No silverware.

Did I know that Komodo Dragons could do that?  No.  I did not.

This is little off beat for this blog, but I felt strangely compelled to share it.   There has to be a good analogy in here somewhere, puns about “getting your goat”, etc., aside.

One thought that came to mind involved a certain presidential candidate and the potential opponents.   Another was of a certain “large” chess pro and his opposition.  I have memories of consuming the Summa something like that when I discovered it in my 20’s.   It might foreshadow the relationship of a future Pope Clement XIV-II (XIV²?) and a certain Society which is now about as lively as that caprine canapé.   As for that Society, I sense a similar but rather longer lasting and very much hotter experience of being devoured if major changes are not effected.

Posted in Lighter fare |
7 Comments