Topics: Muslims in France: Ask to Use Empty Catholic Churches...Traditional Latin Mass: Tips for Participating...Lourdes: Man with Paralysed Leg Walks 1,000Miles
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“Remember, O man, that dust thou art, and to dust thou shalt return.”
"Support us, Lord,
as with this Lenten fast
we begin our Christian warfare,
so that in doing battle against the spirit of evil
we may be armed with the weapon of self-denial.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen".
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...and now for the necessaries.
Please note: St. Anthony Catholic Church is one of two local churches celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass (EFLR) in the Wichita area. Though this blog is loosely centered around this parish and it's members, Venite Missa Est! is by no means, in any way an official voice of, or for, St. Anthony Parish or the Diocese of Wichita. Venite Missa Est! is strictly a private layman's endeavor.
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Muslims in France Ask to Use Empty Churches
by Soeren Kern
March 31, 2011 at 5:00 am
Muslim groups in France have asked the Roman Catholic Church for permission to use its empty churches as a way to solve the traffic problems caused by thousands of Muslims who pray in the streets. The request, which has been variously described by French political commentators as "alarming," "audacious" and "unprecedented," is yet another example of the growing assertiveness of France's six million Muslims, who are transforming the country in ways unimaginable only a few years ago.
In a March 11 communiqué addressed to the Church of France, the National Federation of the Great Mosque of Paris, the Council of Democratic Muslims of France and a Muslim activist group called Collectif Banlieues Respect called on the Roman Catholic Church – in a spirit of inter-religious solidarity, of course – to make its empty churches available to Muslims for Friday prayers, so that Muslims do not have to "pray in the streets" and be "held hostage to politics."
Every Friday, thousands of Muslims in Paris and other French cities close off streets and sidewalks (and by extension, close down local businesses and trap non-Muslim residents in their homes and offices) to accommodate overflowing crowds for midday prayers. Some mosques have also begun broadcasting sermons and chants of "Allah Akbar" via loudspeakers in the streets.
The weekly spectacles, which have been documented by dozens of videos posted on Youtube.com (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here), have provoked anger and disbelief. But despite many public complaints, local authorities have declined to intervene because they are afraid of sparking riots.
The issue of illegal street prayers was catapulted to the top of the French national political agenda in December 2010, when Marine Le Pen, the charismatic new leader of the far-right National Front party, denounced them as an "occupation without tanks or soldiers."
During a gathering in the east central French city of Lyon on December 10, Le Pen compared Muslims praying in the streets to Nazi occupation. She said: "For those who want to talk a lot about World War II, if it is about occupation, then we could also talk about it [Muslim prayers in the streets], because that is occupation of territory. It is an occupation of sections of the territory, of districts in which religious laws apply. It is an occupation. There are of course no tanks, there are no soldiers but it is nevertheless an occupation and it weighs heavily on local residents."
Many French voters agree. In fact, the issue of Muslim street prayers – and the broader question of the role of Islam in French society – has become a major issue ahead of the 2012 presidential elections. According to a recent survey by Ifop for the France-Soir newspaper, nearly 40% of French voters agree with Len Pen's views that Muslim prayer in the streets resembles an occupation. Moreover, a new opinion poll published by Le Parisien newspaper on March 8 shows that voters view Le Pen, who has criss-crossed the country arguing that France has been invaded by Muslims and betrayed by its elite, as the candidate best suited to deal with the growing problem of runaway Muslim immigration.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose popularity is at record lows just thirteen months before the first round of next year's presidential election, has been spooked by Le Pen's advance in the opinion polls. As a result, he now seems determined not to allow Le Pen to monopolize the issue of Islam in France. Sarkozy recently called Muslim prayers in the street "unacceptable" and said that the street cannot be allowed to become "an extension of the mosque." He also warned that the overflow of Muslim faithful on to the streets at prayer time when mosques are packed to capacity risks undermining the French secular tradition separating state and religion.
Sarkozy also denounced multiculturalism as a failure and said Muslims must assimilate into the French culture if they want to be welcomed in France. Joining other European leaders, such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, who recently have spoken out against multiculturalism, Sarkozy declared in a live-broadcast interview with French Channel One television: "I do not want a society where communities coexist side by side … France will not welcome people who do not agree to melt into a single community. We have been too busy with the identity of those who arrived and not enough with the identity of the country that accepted them."
At the same time, Sarkozy's center-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) party plans to hold a "national identity debate" on Islam and secularism on April 5. The purpose of the debate is to clarify the rights and responsibilities of Islam in a secular French Republic.
Some French voters, who say Sarkozy's efforts are too little too late, have taken matters into their own hands. For example, a group calling for "resistance to the Islamization of France" recently used Facebook to advertise an anti-Muslim "giant cocktail party" at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. "Identity Block," as the group is known, received some 7,000 RSVPs to attend the so-called "pork sausage and booze" party on the Champs-Elysées. Islam forbids the consumption of pork and alcoholic beverages.
In no mood for compromise, France's most prominent Muslim leader has called for the number of mosques in the country to be doubled to 4,000. In a June 2010 interview with France-Soir, Dalil Boubakeur, rector of the Grande Mosque of Paris and formerly president of the French Council for Muslims, said a major mosque-building program – courtesy of French taxpayers – would ease the "pressure, frustration and the sense of injustice" felt by many French Muslims. "Open a mosque and you close a prison," Boubakeur said. About 70% of all inmates in the French prison system are Muslim.
Meanwhile, the French Constitutional Court on March 10 struck down key aspects of a new law designed to crack down on Muslim-related urban violence. The court ruled that thirteen articles from security legislation passed by the Sarkozy government in February violated the French constitution. One of the articles removed by the court called for recent immigrants who attack police officers to be stripped of French citizenship.
Over the past several years, France has been the scene of many Muslim uprisings, usually accompanied by riots and car burnings. Large swaths of Muslim areas are now considered "no-go" zones by French police. At last count, there are 751 Sensitive Urban Zones (Zones Urbaines Sensibles, ZUS), as they are euphemistically called. A complete list of the ZUS can be found on a French government website, complete with satellite maps and precise street demarcations. An estimated 5 million Muslims live in the ZUS, parts of France over which the French state has lost control.
Related Topics: Soeren Kern
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Tips for Participating in the Traditional Latin Mass
With the many new locations for the Traditional
Latin Mass (Extraordinary Form) coming available, people who have wondered about it are starting to
attend. It's normal to have concerns regarding how to participate in an unfamiliar rite, particularly if
you've been attending the Novus Ordo (Ordinary form) regularly. Some differences between the two
forms of the Roman rite should be no cause for anxiety.
The Vatican II document Sacrosanctum Concilium merely reiterates what Popes from St. Piux X onward
have emphasized regarding active participation since a reform of the Roman liturgy began at the directive
of Blessed Pope Pius IX. Working from the definitive Latin text, the term participatio actuosa refers to an interior involvement - attentiveness of the heart and soul - in the liturgical celebration, not “active participation” meaning exterior activity alone, although exterior activity is not excluded. This understanding of the Latin words has led to unwarranted criticisms of the Traditional Latin Mass by those who seek to have it suppressed.
The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, regardless of which form or rite in which it is celebrated, always is and will be the perfect offering to the Father by the Son through the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is not appropriate to play the "My Mass is better than your Mass" game, which trivializes this gift of God to the human race.
10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Mass
1. If you are a newcomer to this form of the Roman rite, recognize that you have been invited by God Himself through a particular grace to be motivated to attend it. He has much to reveal to you by your attending this Mass, even if the first few times you go you find it “over your head”, baffling, or confusing. Do not give up because it may take six or seven times before you begin to be comfortable. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. The spiritual benefits will amaze you.
2. Obtain a 1962 Roman Missal. This is really important for getting the most out of assisting at the Traditional Mass. Baronius Press, Angelus Press, and the FSSP all have missals you can use to participate in the 1962 Mass. For those who like the great liturgical commentaries in the St. Andrew missal (1952 edition), you may find it at various locations on the internet. Ask someone who is experienced to help you learn how to use the missal. A real benefit of owning your own copy is that some, like the Father Lasance, have pictures of what the priest is doing so you can follow along more easily, and also because you can read the daily Mass propers (see #6 under "Seven Common Questions") when you can’t attend daily Mass. The English translations from the Latin are not only accurate, they are beautiful.
3. Have no anxiety over keeping up with the priest. Much of the Traditional Latin Mass is said in a low voice by the priest, because part of the Judeo-Christian liturgical heritage involves sacred mysteries which are prayed inaudibly by the priest. The silent parts of the Traditional Latin Mass are opportunities for
contemplation of the great mystery of the Sacrifice of the Cross (participatio actuosa). After you have attended this Mass for awhile, you will find it easier to follow along with the priest. Meanwhile, take time to read the excellent English translations opposite the Latin text in the missal of your choice before assisting at Mass, and meditate on them.
4. It is also a good idea to simply watch the sacred actions of the priest and the servers while contemplating their meaning. The richness of the Extraordinary Form consists of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic experiences which are meant to bring one to the highest possible level of unity with God. The
language of love is not merely a spoken one, nor does it require a great deal of activity to convey its
meaning.
5. There is a great deal more standing, kneeling, and sitting at the Traditional Mass than at the Ordinary form. If you are uncertain what to do, follow the instructions in your missal and watch what others are doing.
6. Ask an experienced person to help you learn to pronounce the responses in Latin that are expected of the congregation when attending the Traditional Mass. Most of them are very simple. Latin has
a great advantage: it has only one sound for each of the five vowels, and the diphthongs are easily mastered as well. In addition, since much of English is based on Latin, the meaning of the phrases is fairly simple to learn, especially with the vernacular translation beside the Latin.
7. The priest proclaims the Epistle and Gospel at the altar, with the congregation making the appropriate responses in Latin. After the priest has read the Gospel at the altar he proceeds to the pulpit where the usual custom is for him to read them in the vernacular to the people, followed by his sermon.
8. Unlike at the Novus Ordo, the Pater Noster (Our Father) is said aloud only by the priest. The laity answer with the servers the final line of the prayer: sed libéra nos a malo (but deliver us from evil).
9. The manner of receiving Holy Communion is kneeling and on the tongue, not in the hand. Only those with physical disabilities should receive Holy Communion standing or sitting.
People with celiac disease should let the priest know so they can receive the Precious Blood. Otherwise, Communion is given under the species of bread only. Unlike in the Ordinary form, the communicant does not answer “Amen” before receiving the Host. Be sure to acquaint yourself with the words of the extraordinarily beautiful blessing the priest gives to you as he makes the sign of the cross and places the sacred Host on your tongue.
In English: May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve thy soul unto life
everlasting. Amen.
10. After the Mass is over, the priest (at Low Masses only) usually, according to custom, leads the congregation in the Leonine prayers for the conversion of Russia. The Leonine prayers were prescribed by Pope Leo XIII who wrote the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, and reinforced by Popes Pius XI and XII.
For eighty years (1885-1965) the prayers were said after Low Masses, but, while never proscribed, they became optional after Vatican II, and thus were dropped altogether nearly everywhere. The Leonine prayers are usually said in the vernacular, but may also be said in Latin, depending on the custom of the place.
Seven Common Questions About the Extraordinary Form
1. What does the term “assisting at Mass” mean? This term has been used for many years, but has fallen by the wayside since the 1970s. You will hear people attending the Extraordinary Form use it to describe what they do when attending Mass. The term could equally be used to describe attending the Novus Ordo.
The theological meaning of the sacred priesthood is manifold, but a central point is that a man is ordained a priest specifically to offer sacrifice.
In the Catholic religion that means the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass where the priestimmolates the Sacred Victim (Christ) in an unbloody manner at the altar during the Consecration. The laity “assist” at Mass not in that they “help” the priest because the priest needs no “help” - that is not the meaning of “assist.” Rather it means to participate mentally, spiritually, and physically in the sacred mysteries in the role proper to the non-ordained.
Another way to say it is that the laity, through the sacrament of Baptism, are consecrated to a common, holy priesthood. By virtue of this sacrament we share in the priesthood of Christ and along with the ordained priest at Mass we offer the Divine Victim to the Father. We offer ourselves as members of
Christ's mystical body as well. All the Faithful, both the immolating priest and the laity assisting, join ranks in completing the Holy Sacrifice by the priestly action of consuming the Victim through reception of Holy
Communion.
2. Why do women cover their heads in church? At most Traditional Masses you will see many women wearing hats or veils. Under the 1917 code of canon law, women were required to have their heads covered. Custom has the force of law in the Church. Because women covered their heads in church since the time of the early Church, its inclusion in the 1917 code was only formalizing what had been a venerable practice and which appeared in law in various places long before. This topic is not mentioned in the 1983 code at all. After Vatican II with the strong feminist movement which entered the church, covering of
one’s head fell out of use, but technically speaking, it is part of our tradition and ought to be respectfully observed. It is also appropriate for women to cover their heads when attending the Novus Ordo.
3. How should people dress when attending the Extraordinary Form? As a rule, people tend to dress more formally at the Traditional Latin Mass than at the Novus Ordo in the United States. Women wear
suits, dresses, or skirts and blouses and men wear either suit and tie or shirt with tie. The thinking behind this is simple: we are going to God's house, the courts of the Lord, to worship Him. Angels are present
even though we can't see them. If you were going to see the President of the United States or the Queen of England, what would you wear? God is worthy of our best mode of dress.
4. Why does the priest appear to have his back to the people? Appearances can be very deceiving. In reality, the priest is facing the altar, which represents liturgical east regardless of its actual physical orientation. The meaning of liturgical east in the New Testament begins with the story of the Magi, who came to worship the Child as they followed a star in the east. The Magi represent the gentiles
called to Christ. The priest, as alter Christus (another Christ), leads the people, all facing the same direction,
in the supreme act of worship: the re-presentation to the Father of the Sacrifice of the Son through the
power of the Holy Spirit. Because the Church teaches that Christ will come again out of the heavens from the
east to judge the living and the dead, the priest leads the people in joyful expectation of this Second Coming as all face liturgical east.
5. What is so important about the Traditional Mass being prayed only in Latin? First of all, Latin is the official language of the Church and its sacred language as well. Theological meanings are very precise when expressed in Latin, which is also an unchanging language. The past 40 years have been a powerful lesson in how the secular invades the sanctuary, and how political agendas can control sacred rites and rob them of their true meaning through the vernacular. Praying in Latin allows for none of that.
There is no need for Spanish Masses, Vietnamese Masses, English Masses, French, Mandarin, Swahili, Russian or other Masses when the sacred liturgy is celebrated in Latin. People of all races and languages can worship side by side at the Extraordinary Form. The vernacular divides; Latin unites. Anyone
from anywhere in the world can walk into the Extraordinary Form and immediately know and understand what is going on. People of various ethnicities in parishes can all be in the same place at the same time at Mass and respond to the priest in the same language.
6. What is meant by the terms “propers” and “ordinary” or “common” of the Mass? The propers of the Mass are the prayers and readings proper to the Sunday or feast: the Introit, Collect (prayer), Gradual, Tract, Offertory, Communion and Postcommunion.
The ordinary of the Mass is what is prayed at every Mass. These prayers are the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, and the Canon of the Mass. There is also a proper Offertory prayer along with the common or ordinary Offertory prayers. At most Traditional Mass locations a red book from the Coalition in Support of Ecclesia Dei is available with the ordinary of the Mass in it, and a supplemental set of propers for the specific Sunday or feast celebrated.
7. How old is the Traditional Latin Mass? The majority of the Mass was in use
for well over 1500 years. Some people call it the Mass of Pius V, but that is
not really correct. St. Pius the V did not make up his own Mass in the
1500s. He codified the Roman Rite as it came from Apostolic times and
removed abuses. He also said that any rite over 200 years old could continue
to be celebrated (Dominican, Sarum, Braga, Carthusian, and Carmelite rites for
example).
The Novus Ordo (Ordinary Form) is rightfully called the Mass of Paul VI because it
was assembled from many different origins by a committee and given approval by
Pope Paul VI. It did not grow organically from the existing Roman rite as the Second
Vatican Council called for. That statement does not call into question its validity.
The Church teaches us that the Holy Spirit guarantees the infallibility of the Pope in
matters of Faith and morals so regardless of the break with the tradition of organic
growth, the Ordinary form remains valid and a source of grace.
You can find many resources explaining the meaning of the Traditional Latin Mass on
the internet, which allows you to delve more deeply into some of the points mentioned
here and explore new ones. The most important thing to do when attending the
Traditional Latin Mass is to open your heart to God, fully trusting that He will
show you what you need to be closer to Him through this venerable liturgy.
For more information:
http://www.sanctamissa.org/en/index.html (a resource for priests but laity can learn a
lot here).
Extraordinary-Form (for musicians).
http://fssp.com/press/ (site for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, USA).
A man with a paralysed left leg has completed a 1,000-mile hike to Santiago de Compostela after being cured at Lourdes, it has been reported.
Television repair man Serge François, 40, said he felt a warm glow spread down his herniated leg during a visit to Lourdes in 2002.
He said he had been praying at the grotto where Bernadette Soubirous first had visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858, and all of his suffering suddenly disappeared.
After regaining the use of his leg, Mr François walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St James), the pilgrimage route spanning France and Spain.
Mr François, from La Salle-et-Chapelle-Aubry in Maine, western France, reported what happened to the International Medical Committee of Lourdes and 20 doctors have now concluded that it was indeed “remarkable”.
Bishop Emmanuel Delmas of Angers said: “In the name of the Church, I publicly recognise the ‘remarkable’ character of the healing from which Serge François benefited at Lourdes on April 12, 2002. This healing can be considered a personal gift from God to man, as an event of grace, as a sign of Christ the Saviour.”
Bishop Delmas said the bureau of medical experts at Lourdes had concluded that the recovery was “sudden, complete, unrelated to any particular therapy and durable”.
The healing could be considered “as a personal gift of God for this man, as an event of grace, as a sign of Christ the Saviour”, he said, avoiding the word “miracle”.
More than 7,000 cases of unexplained healings have been recorded in Lourdes, but only 67 have been recognised as miraculous by the Church. The healing of Mr François may be the 68th.
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Man with Paralysed Leg Walks 1,000Miles After Visit to Lourdes
Catholic Herald.co.uk
A man with a paralysed left leg has completed a 1,000-mile hike to Santiago de Compostela after being cured at Lourdes, it has been reported.
Television repair man Serge François, 40, said he felt a warm glow spread down his herniated leg during a visit to Lourdes in 2002.
He said he had been praying at the grotto where Bernadette Soubirous first had visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858, and all of his suffering suddenly disappeared.
After regaining the use of his leg, Mr François walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St James), the pilgrimage route spanning France and Spain.
Mr François, from La Salle-et-Chapelle-Aubry in Maine, western France, reported what happened to the International Medical Committee of Lourdes and 20 doctors have now concluded that it was indeed “remarkable”.
Bishop Emmanuel Delmas of Angers said: “In the name of the Church, I publicly recognise the ‘remarkable’ character of the healing from which Serge François benefited at Lourdes on April 12, 2002. This healing can be considered a personal gift from God to man, as an event of grace, as a sign of Christ the Saviour.”
Bishop Delmas said the bureau of medical experts at Lourdes had concluded that the recovery was “sudden, complete, unrelated to any particular therapy and durable”.
The healing could be considered “as a personal gift of God for this man, as an event of grace, as a sign of Christ the Saviour”, he said, avoiding the word “miracle”.
More than 7,000 cases of unexplained healings have been recorded in Lourdes, but only 67 have been recognised as miraculous by the Church. The healing of Mr François may be the 68th.
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