From the “news” source NJ.com we get the following. Full link here.
“The head of New Jersey’s largest Catholic diocese was recently impersonated on social media by someone who opened an account in his name, Archdiocese of Newark officials said.”
So, Brother Joe simply cannot escape the ghettoes of the internet even if he allegedly isn’t trying. Don’t feel bad, Joe. I lost a term paper I was five pages into once. Never hit “Save” and the whole thing went down the drain, lost in the third level of clipboard hell for all time. I know. I sympathize.
Wait, what’s that? This was a case of someone spoofing you on social media?
Oh forget that then…
Dude, you are a spoof of a Roman Catholic prelate. How do you top that?
Sympathy level just dropped. Sorry. I was cleaning my dresser off this morning and the large mason jar I keep with loose change and a few spare F’s got dumped. So it seems, you know, I’m all out of F’s to give, as the kids say.
The account in question? I received this from a nephew – a real nephew, not an Uncle Ted type – in May.
The thing is Blanche*, I’d be more inclined to care if you hadn’t previously tweeted your love and affection for an Italian pillow-biter or your sister or something. Side note: I’ve said many times before. I have 8 sisters and I’ve never said anything so retarded to them in my life as “Nighty night, baby.”
Oh and by the way, this spoof account has been active for some time. Several siblings of mine received invite notifications to it a few months ago so how’s that Archdiocesan Social Media Director working out for you?
Pray for these men.
Our Lady of Quito, pray for us!
*I am reminded by a reliable source that Blanche was McCarrick’s Golden Girls name. The above should read “The thing is Dorothy…“
Perhaps during your prayer, please remember to offer an Ave for me. And whatever you do, don’t forget to entrust to The Two Hearts the care of all His holy priests. We need them. We need them in good health, strong, stouthearted, and striving for perfection every day. The devil loves when he can snatch one and take him out of commission. Don’t let that happen for lack of a few moments of prayer.
While scanning through my extensive photo collection this afternoon I stumbled upon something interesting. It is a picture I snapped 2 years ago and I think I took the shot because the dark cloud looked particularly vicious. Turns out I was right and a few minutes later a massive storm was unleashed. The picture is both portentous and symbolic. Here it is.
Note the abundance of parking.
You may ask what this is. A parking lot with a pile of dirt and the corner of a red brick building? Indeed it is; but it is more.
What you see, friends, is the parking lot of a Montesorri School in Northern Vitginia with a dark storm cloud looming large in the immediate vicinity.
And if you know, then you know. If you don’t know, you will soon, especially if you’re a parishioner of Holy Trinity in Gainesville. I’m sure it will be awesome, though.
Jorge’s recent trip to Canada is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Quick aside: do you remember how the announcement of Bergoglio’s supposed election to the papacy was made? They dragged up the Cardinal Proto-deacon, Jean-Louis Tauran, from his crypt beneath the Vatican grottoes to make the traditional “Habamus Papam” declaration from the balcony of St. Peter’s. Even at the time I remember thinking, “Is this guy asking a question or making a statement?” As in, “We have a pope?” Yes, Eminence, we do. His name is Benedict. But now nine years later we have the squatter visiting the hinterlands of North America and demon-worshiping something called the Grandmother of the West. I’m not making this up. I think he should have invoked the Step-sister of the East instead. I hear she’s more willing to appease her summoners. She couldn’t get as many dates in high school because her cousin, Baphomet, turned all the other demons into raging fags. Poor thing. She reminds me of Kim Campbell*.
I Play One on TV
I had intended to write about the legal concept known as “corporation sole”. In brief, think of this as “the Crown” but better. Every diocese in the United States, or so I’m told by a drunk lawyer, is incorporated under this method. What it means is that the entirety of that diocese IS the bishop. In other words, the parish properties, the miters, the little knob-like thing that turns on the sprinklers at the episcopal residence and doesn’t have a name? All belong to the bishop as CEO of the corporation. I was going to write about this because said sauced counsel called to advise that any bishop in this country who wanted to keep the Latin Mass alive and well in his diocese could simply do it. When he gets threatened with removal from office, he can tell the Vatican, “Try to remove me. I own the property. I own the diocese. I OWN EVERYTHING!” Then the whole thing goes to US District Court where an American jurist operating under the kind of law that actually means something in the real world might simply say, “Hey, corporate law is pretty clear.” But this friend was really, really sotted when we spoke so maybe that’s not a thing.
What is a thing is that I had my yearly jury duty this morning! I usually tell them, per George Carlin’s old chestnut, “I’d make an excellent juror because I can spot guilty people just like that!” This time there was no need. It was a justice of the peace court. There were 22 potential jurors called in and they only needed 6 for the case. Mathematically my odds were slim to begin with. The case in question centered around an eviction. When I answered that I had once been a landlord (renting a house I owned to a friend), I was dismissed with extreme prejudice and malice aforethought. Also, habeas corpus or something. I’ve seen Law & Order. I know how it goes.
The Wedding at Cana, stained glass, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Harrisburg, PA where there is NO Latin Mass (but literally a block away in an also-beautiful church there is.
Speaking of evictions, I happened to read the very good blog linked on Canon212 this morning called Curmudgeon’s Cave. Whoever you are, brother, keep writing. Me like. His point in writing was to expose some of the less seemly things going on in the background of the Cupich/ICKSP situation. First we learn that Cupich apparently kept the insurance money when the church burned and in recompense, gave the property to the Institute. We also learn that there were stipulations in the quit-claim deed that prevent the Institute from carrying out any religious services deemed inappropriate by the Archbishop of Chicago. So that’s why the Institute conceded on this one. They’re legally – as in civil law, not canon – not allowed to offer the TLM in their own property. Ain’t that a kicker?
Is There Any Testicular Fortitude Left in the World?
And again I ask, where are the men? You know, if some demon-worshiping fruitcake (or some fruitcake worshiping demon) told me that I had to do this or that or forbade me from doing that which he has no authority to forbid (for a whole lotta’ reasons), I’d probably laugh in his face. Yes, think about that. Let’s go with the former descriptor above. Imagine a literal fruitcake. They make the majority of the world’s fruitcakes here in Texas. But just imagine an anthropomorphic fruitcake trying to tell you that you are forbidden from offering the Latin Mass. Fathers, how do you respond to that? Remember, and I cannot stress this enough, it’s a freakin’ fruitcake. The only difference here is that the actual fruitcake might just have as much actual authority as the man who went north and worshiped an actual demon. And happens to be a fruitcake.
Wake up! He cannot tell you 1) not to offer the Latin Mass, 2) that you need his or anyone else’s permission to do so, and 3) that all the gods of the pagans aren’t demons because, as per Psalm 95, they sure as hell are. And remember, saying that they’re not is simply not Catholic. And what do we call non-Catholics acting like pope? If you said a little boy playing dress up (who happens to not be Catholic) then you get Harvey’s gold star of the day.
You did it! Hooray!
*If you know who Kim Campbell is and you never lived in Canada, you, too, get the gold star.
Friends, I am happy to report that this evening, at my parish, I met a man who had reached out to me via my blog’s email address. He figured out – using the clues I’ve dropped – that we belong to the same parish and that we both were interested in building a network of like-minded trad Catholic men.
If you haven’t already done so, Catholic dads, reach out. Find the men in your parish who will help you 1) protect your families when everything goes south and 2) continue to worship in the Traditional rites or the Church.
And to fulfill a longstanding promise I made, please pray to St. Rita, patroness of the impossible, for all your impossible needs. She will intercede for you with great results.
St. Rita of Cascia, stained glass, Cathedral of St. Patrick, Fort Worth, Tx
In reflecting on the situation in Arlington over the weekend, I have come to some realizations. I mentioned in a previous post that Arlington never had an Ecclesia Dei community post-Summorum Pontificum. I’ve also reflected on the number of contacts I have in that place and I’ve remembered that I need to tread carefully lest I betray any of them.
So instead tonight I will offer a glimpse of what I believe is actually going on. Here’s a hint. They’re not really coming after you – not as Mr. and Mrs. Tradcatholic anyway. Let me explain.
If you missed the previous background, I’ll bring you up to speed. The Arlington Diocese was split off of the Richmond Diocese in 1974. It covers 21 counties in Northern Virginia. Interestingly, it’s see “city” isn’t a city at all but the entirely unincorporated Arlington County which sits directly across the Potomac from DC. Also of note, Arlington is not suffragen to Wilton’s Washington but to Lori’s Baltimore. There are currently 70 parishes of which 21 offer the TLM – many on a daily basis. After September 8, there will be just 8 and only 3 of those in the church buildings proper.
Going back to the lack of Fraternity or Institute parishes, it is because the good priests of Arlington are just that. For the most part, these men are solid and desirous of bringing souls to heaven through reverent liturgy. True, many of them were not familiar growing up with the TLM. But that describes me as well and I bet it does many of you.
Unicorns and Mutual Enrichment
We’ve joked about the “unicorn” that is the reverent Novus Ordo mass. If you’ve lived in Arlington you probably know what I’m about to say. If there was ever a place on earth where such a thing might be considered a reality, it was here. There really weren’t the overt and wide scale liturgical abuses in Arlington that have been endemic of the Church writ large. They didn’t even have girl altar boys until 2006 and most people weren’t happy when Bishop Loverde pushed them through.
Pentecost stained glass, St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Little Washington, VA – WHERE THE TLM WON’T BE OFFERED ANYMORE
As far as the call of Benedict XVI that the old and “new” Masses should provide mutual enrichment for each other, consider this. Due to the large number of parish churches offering both NO and TLM Mass, most Catholics in this diocese have attended both and actually understand both. It’s personally not my style and I think there ought to be unity in worship (TLM only) but Arlingtonians we’re kind of doing it and without much issue. What I mean specifically is that many families would go back and forth between the two liturgies without a problem.
The Mass, Not You
This brings us to the point. In the Bishop’s directive, much talk is made of shepherding the people back into the “sole expression” of the Roman Rite. We’ve discussed this and it’s nonsense. But the document is worded in such a way as to imply that those attending the TLM are somehow diametrically opposed to the NO. This simply is not the case in Arlington and they know it. In point #9 we read:
“Pastors of parishes in which the Mass in usus antiquior is celebrated… must develop a pastoral plan to lead the faithful who are attached to the antecedent liturgy towards the celebration of the liturgy according to… the Second Vatican Council. Already it is the reality that our faithful who participate in the usus antiquior also frequent the reformed liturgy interchangeably for Daily, Sunday, and Holy Day Masses.”
So you see, the Diocese knows this. They know the people of this see don’t have a problem in se with the NO. This truly seems to be a matter of preference. They admit it right in their text!
So if they have to have a plan to bring back people who haven’t left, what gives?
I’ll tell you what gives. The Antichurch gives. They cannot stand the ancient liturgy because it is holy, reverent, and brings souls to Calvary. They call us “rigid” as if that wasn’t some faggoty Freudian slip of theirs. Trust me, Bergoglio and Roache are all about rigid when they think no one’s watching. No, my friends, this is about the complete suppression of the Latin Mass.
You didn’t have a problem with the Novus Ordo. They have a problem with TLM and they need it gone and dead.
Seems Doctor Taylor was not correct in his speculation that the whole thing was a ruse of some kind. Sorry, Doctor, we can’t all be right all the time.
Chicago Faithful Catholics, get over to the SSPX or seek greener pastures.
God Bless Us and the Virgin Protect Us!
View of the Windy City – where the ICKSP WILL NO LONGER OFFER MASS – from atop the Sears Tower
Folks, I got off all that social media nonsense a while ago. Sorry but I'm not on Twitbook, Facepalm, YouHu, WingWang or any of the others. Maybe an event will happen to make me change my mind like Peter and Paul coming down with flaming swords and commanding it be so. Until then, read the blog and if you feel a comment is in order or you feel like sharing a tip or suggestion for a topic, email me at harvey@harveymillican.com.
Harvey Millican's Blog: Musings of a Trad Dad 