Recent speech by Archbishop (soon to be Cardinal) Burke to the Human Life International Gathering

A recent speech by Archbishop Burke deserves as much coverage as it can get. He was today named in the list of prelates that will be made a Cardinal in the Consistory to be held in November. Thank God for these courageous words of His Grace!

One of the things stressed in the address of His Grace is that above all the Bishops must display obedience, obedience to the teaching of the magisterium, and it is by their obedience (a virtue to be practised) that the faithful will be lead to it too.

Some quotes worth reading (the full speech can be found HERE on Zenit):

Obedience to the magisterium and the demands of the natural moral law are not only important for salvation, but are especially required of Catholics if a culture of life is to be advanced in today's world.

"Man is tempted to view the magisterium in relation to his individualism and self-pursuit,"... he called first and foremost on bishops to uphold the natural moral law, reminding them of Benedict XVI's exhortation to bishops "to be aware of the challenges of the present hour and have the courage to face them."

...the bishop, as chief teacher of faith and morals in the diocese, carries an especially "heavy and constant burden" in providing sound teaching... he stressed that obedience to the magisterium is a virtue, one obtained "through the practice" of such obedience.

"When shepherds of the flock are obedient to the magisterium entrusted to their exercise, then surely the numbers of the flock grow in obedience," he said. "If the shepherd isn't obedient, the flock easily gives way to confusion and error."

"Faith is first of all personal adherence of man to God,"... and "Where there are problems of chastity, there are problems of obedience." Rebellion against the moral truth, "is a rebellion against God and all that he teaches us."

...obedience to the magisterium is "difficult to master," adding that "Satan does not sleep" and in the culture of today, he is tempting mankind to act "as if God does not exist." Instead, Satan is "teaching us a radical individualism and self interest which leads us away from the love of God and love of one another,"...

...today's culture "teaches us to believe what is convenient and to reject what is difficult for us or which challenges us," thus leading to a "cafeteria Catholicism" which "picks and chooses which parts of faith to practice." He noted how this happened even among some bishops when they dissented from Paul VI's encyclical "Humanae Vitae." The consequences of that dissent... has "led many Catholics into habits of sin in what pertains to procreation and the education of human life."

...the attack on innocent and defenseless life of the unborn "has its corruption in an erroneous view of human sexuality which attempts to eliminate by mechanical or chemical means the essentially procreative nature of the conjugal act."

"The so-called contraceptive mentality is anti-life and the manipulation of the conjugal act, as Pope Paul VI prophetically observed, has led to many forms of violence in marriage and family life." Once the sexual union is longer seen to be by its very nature procreative, he continued, "human sexuality is abused in ways that are profoundly harmful and in ways destructive of individuals and society itself."

Archbishop Burke then turned to the exercise of the magisterium in public life. He spoke of the tendency today to compartmentalize the faith, and the "hypocrisy" of some Catholics in politics, medicine, business or other human endeavors, who claim to personally hold to the truth of the faith regarding the inviolability of innocent and defenseless human life, yet cooperate in attacks on the unborn, the infirm, or those with special needs. He also cited "self-proclaimed" Catholics who support state recognition of same sex marriage.

"It is not possible to be a practicing Catholic and conduct oneself publicly in this manner," he said to loud applause.

... many have become confused about "the most basic truths," namely the inviolable dignity of innocent human life from conception until natural death, and marriage of one man and one woman "as the first and irreplaceable" source of life and society.

The Lord's admonition of people who lead others into sin was "nothing less than vehement," he reminded listeners. For this reason, he said, the "perennial discipline of the Church [has] prohibited the giving of Holy Communion or the granting of a Church funeral to those who persist after admonition in the grave violation of the moral law."

 "The Church invites every soul to the mercy of God which is great beyond all our imagining, but that does not excuse her from proclaiming the truth of the moral law, also by applying her age old disciplines for the sake of the salvation of all."

To much applause, Archbishop Burke said: "When a person has culpably espoused and cooperated in gravely sinful acts, leading many into error and confusion over fundamental questions regarding respect for life and integrity of marriage and family, his repentance of such actions must also be public."

Archbishop Burke also alluded to what he called "one of ironies of the present situation," which is that a person who brings attention to the scandal of gravely sinful actions by Catholics is accused of a lack of charity and of causing division in the unity of the Church.

Lying or failing to tell the truth, however, "is never a sign of a charity," he said.

"A unity which is not founded on the truth of the moral law is not unity," underlined the archbishop. "The Church was founded on speaking truth with love.

October - Month of the Holy Rosary

The 7th of October marks the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary and in our diocese (Ossory) this feast is celebrated as a first class feast of the Dedication of the Cathedral in Kilkenny under Our Lady's patronage.

The Battle of Lepanto, 1571

Originaly celebrated under the title of 'Our Lady of Victory' the feast later become known as 'Our Lady of the Rosary', under which powerful prayer we have been many times been assisted by Heaven.

From the Catholic Encyclopaedia:

Apart from the signal defeat of the Albigensian heretics at the battle of Muret in 1213 which legend has attributed to the recitation of the Rosary by St. Dominic, it is believed that Heaven has on many occasions rewarded the faith of those who had recourse to this devotion in times of special danger. More particularly, the naval victory of Lepanto gained by Don John of Austria over the Turkish fleet on the first Sunday of October in 1571 responded wonderfully to the processions made at Rome on that same day by the members of the Rosary confraternity. St. Pius V thereupon ordered that a commemoration of the Rosary should be made upon that day, and at the request of the Dominican Order Gregory XIII in 1573 allowed this feast to be kept in all churches which possessed an altar dedicated to the Holy Rosary.

A reminder for us all to say the Rosary everyday so that our lives may become examples of conversion and peace!

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

Sung Mass - Sunday 19th September at 5pm

A reminder that there will be a Sung Mass this Sunday at 5pm, 

at St. Patrick's, College Rd. Kilkenny

Mass will be that of the 17th Sunday after Pentecost (Justus es Domine)

Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST (2 Cl)

5pm. St. Patrick's Church, College Road, Kilkenny.
Celebrant: Rev. Thomas O'Toole CC

Ant: 'As Jesus went into the house * of one of the chief Pharisees, to eat bread on the Sabbath Day, behold, there was a certain man before Him which had the dropsy and He took him, and healed him, and let him go.'

Let us place ourselves at the feet of Christ and say to Him: Lord Jesus, Incarnate Word, I believe that Thou art God... By such acts of faith, we lay the very foundation of our spiritual life. And if this act is frequently renewed, then Christ, as St. Paul says, "dwells in our hearts", that is to say He reigns in our souls in a constant manner as Master and King, and becomes in us, through His Spirit, the principle of divine life. (Dom Marmion on the Epistle from the Mass, Eph. 3.13-21.).

Today also marks the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. 

After the Battle of Vienna and the glorious victory of Jan Sobieski III over the Turks (12 Sept., 1683), the feast was extended to the universal Church by Innocent XI, and assigned to the Sunday after the Nativity of Mary by a Decree of 25 Nov., 1683 (duplex majus).

"Battle of Vienna", by Józef Brandt, 1863. Museum Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw

Ant. O Mary * blessed art thou that didst believe! for there shall be a performance of those things which were told thee from the Lord. Alleluia.

V. Grace is poured into thy lips
R. Therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Let us pray,
Grant we beseech thee, O Almighty God, that thy faithful people, who rejoice in the Name and keeping of the most holy Virgin Mary, may by her Motherly prayers be freed from all ills upon earth, and worthily attain unto thine everlasting joy in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ

Some photographs from the 25th of July

A few rather belated photographs from the weekend of the 25th of July and the Solemn Mass celebrated at St. Patrick's church in Kilkenny, in honour of St. Oliver Plunkett and in thanks-giving of the years work in the Diocese of Ossory. The deacon and sub-deacon were both local diocesan priests, with the celebrant a visiting priest of the Fraternity of St. Peter. It was the first time that the local clergy had participated in the celebration of a Solemn Mass.

 

Relic of St. Oliver Plunkett

Pre- Mass practice

Servers practice

August - The Month of Our Blessed Mother too!

A reminder of of some of the traditional feasts dedicated to Our Blessed Mother in August.

August 2:   Our Lady of the Angels

August 5:   Our Lady of the Snows (Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major)  
August 15:  Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary  

August 21:  Our Lady of Knock   
August 22:  Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary  
August 24:  Our Lady, Health of the Sick  

August 26:  Our Lady of Czestochowa  

August 27:  Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary 

Apse mosaic in the Papal Basilica of Sancta Maria Maggiore

Ant. Speciosa * facta es et suavis in deliciis tuis, sancta Dei Genitrix.

O Holy Mother of God thou art become beautiful * and gentle in thy gladness.

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Snows, the dedication of that great Marian Basilica of St. Mary Major. The third reading from today's Office of Matins tells us about the Feast.

"When Liberius was Pope, a Roman patrician named John, and his wife, also of noble birth, having no children to inherit their goods, vowed their inheritance to the most holy Virgin Mother of God. The blessed Virgin heard their prayers and approved their vow by a miracle. On the 5th of August, which is that time when the heat of summer waxeth greatest in the City, a part of the Esquiline Hill was covered by night with snow. And on that same night, the Mother of God told John and his wife separately in dreams that they should build a church on that place. When John told this to Pope Liberius, he said that he had had the same dream. The Pope therefore went to the snow-covered hill and there marked out a site. The church was built with the money given by John and his wife, and was later restored by Sixtus III. It hath been given various names ; but, so that its title may indicate its excellence, it is called the Church of St. Mary Major."

Archaeological evidence does indeed show an earlier church on the site with the present Basilica dating back to the fifth century AD. Its construction tied to the Council of Ephesus of 431 AD, which proclaimed Mary "Theotokos, Mother of God."

The website of the Papal Basilica of Sancta Maria Maggiore with further images and information to be found by clicking here!

Today would also be an opportune time to begin a Novena in honour of the Feast of the Assumption on the 15th of August. 

Fota III Conference Pontifical High Mass Sermon by Archbishop Raymond Burke

 "We live in an age, when many are no longer able to distinguish the good fruits of a holy life from the evil fruits born of slavery to sin.  The confusion and error is so pervasive that it has even entered into the life of the Church and threatened the highest and most perfect expression of her life, the Sacred Liturgy, the public worship of God. "

As has been reported elsewhere the Fota III Conference in Cork this year included the opportunity to hear the thoughts and reflections of Archbishop Raymond Burke (currently the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as well as a member of the Congregation of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, Congregation of Bishops and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints). 

He is well known, amongst other things, for the numerous occasions he has celebrated Pontifical High Mass in the vetus ordo including a number of Ordinations for those societies using the traditional liturgy.

On Sunday the 11th of July, his Grace celebrated Pontifical High Mass in the church of St. Peter & Paul in Cork City. The sermon he preached can be found in full by following the link below.

We pray for Archbishop Burke, and all our Bishops, that they may have the courage and humility to guide the Church wisely and in accordance with Tradition in these difficult times.

Our Lady Seat of Wisdom, 

Pray for us!

Click here for the full text of the Sermon.

A Reminder... A weekend of liturgical celebrations

As previously announced, we will this coming weekend, celebrate the 90th anniversary of the beatification of St. Oliver Plunkett. It will also be an occasion for us to give thanks for the past years work in our diocese, under his patronage.

We remember especially in our prayers Our Holy Father, Benedict XVI, our Bishop Seamus Freeman SAC, and all the clergy and religious of our diocese.

Saturday 24th of July at 3.30pm

Vespers, Benediction and the public veneration of a 1st Class relic of St. Oliver Plunkett.

 

Sunday 25th of July at 5pm

Solemn High votive Mass in honour of St. Oliver Plunkett (With the permission of Bishop Freeman SAC, Bishop of Ossory), followed by the opportunity for the veneration of a 1st Class Relic of St. Oliver Plunkett.

 

There will also be the opportunity for people to join us for dinner after Mass, on Sunday evening, in Kilkenny. Please email us for more details if you would like to attend: societyofstoliverplunkett(at)gmail.com

St. Oliver Plunkett,

Pray for us!