Above: the nave of St. Thomas More Cathedral, the apostolic chair of Arlington. On July 29, 2022, Bishop Michael Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, Virginia, promulgated a “Policy for Implementation of Traditionis Custodes in the Diocese of Arlington.” Effective September 8, 2022, the Tridentine Mass can no longer be offered in parish churches in Arlington. (There…
In his open message to priests, dated January 2, 2022, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò begins with the admission that he had served the “Holy Apostolic Mass” as a youth; that it was the Mass of his ordination in March, 1968; and that it soon became a distant memory. He admits that he had been away…
The scene: a small church in some out-of-the-way place. Early morning sunlight dimly filters through a small window, revealing smoke curling up from two just-extinguished candles. There are six candles in all, upon an altar that is hard against the wall. Some placards with prayers in Latin are spaced along the altar. It is quiet.…
We see now where this is going. Immediately following the release of Traditionis Custodes in July, 2021, a few bishops canceled Latin Masses in their dioceses. Many, however, are still “prayerfully considering” how best to implement the Pope’s executive order. Now the vicar general for the Diocese of Rome has given the bishops of the…
The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler Ed. Edward Short Sophia Institute Press 317 pages $15.99 paperback, $9.99 e-book The great virtue of Edward Short’s new book is that it makes Father George Rutler accessible in terms of both content and price. The book is titled The Wit and Wisdom of Father George Rutler.…
“The Luminous Mysteries are my favorite.” “I cannot hear the priest at the Latin Mass.” “I might attend the Latin Mass, but I do not want to go against Vatican II.” I was with a group of people recently who had gathered to discuss the book Christus Vincit by Bishop Athanasius Schneider. These were some…
At the beginning of every year, the Washington Post publishes “The List.” The List is a pop culture guide to what is “in” and what is “out” in the new year. To get the most benefit from The List, it helps to have some degree of cultural “wokeness.” I wondered what a such a list…
I had never read the Bible, which is to say, the whole Bible. The extent of my Bible reading had been the passages read during Sunday Mass and the occasional daily Mass. So when I learned about Dr. Taylor Marshall’s plan for reading the entire (Catholic) Bible in one year, I decided to do it.…
The time has come to rescue our brethren, and by brethren I mean those American Catholics who have remained in the Church, and who worship God devoutly and in the only manner most of them have ever known. They may attend Mass every week and on every holy day of obligation or they may attend…
“The mind will protect itself from having to face something intolerable.” As I read a recent article by Rod Dreher, this line in it resonated with me. Perhaps it accessed that part of the attic where my brain stores my psychology studies. The paragraph containing that line begins with a reference to “cognitive dissonance,” a…
The American Catholic is comfortable. This is a person who has remained in the Church despite all of the reasons others have found for leaving; a person who feels good inside after Mass; a person who is glad that the Church has caught up with the times. Staying enrolled in the parish, raising your hands…
