Bickerstaff woke up this morning with a solemn hymn tune in his head, one he had not heard or sung in ages. The hymn was a combination of two tunes, St Patrick and Deirdre, but is better known by its first line, I bind unto myself this day (only organists and scholars refer to hymns by their tune names).
The hymn was also a sad reminder of this Episcopalian convert’s regret having to say goodbye to the glorious Anglican musical tradition. There was no other option, though, with the Episcopal Church choosing to turn its back on traditional Christian teachings, let alone the dubious beginnings of Anglicanism, making those disastrous choices possible.
Over the last 50 years, the Episcopal church has embraced every left-wing heresy, essentially as doctrine. Singing beautiful hymns cannot render heresies legitimate. Other than in Anglican Use parishes, the wretched state of music in most Catholic churches, require playing and singing those lovely hymns, composed in better times for the Anglican church, at home. That is a reasonable compromise for the gift of salvation.
Jake Tapper admits Democratic cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline may be ‘worse than Watergate’
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The cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline might be a bigger scandal than Watergate, CNN host Jake Tapper acknowledged Monday.
“Acknowledged.” Ha! No admission from Tapper that he led the way, not only in broadcasting the countless lies about the state of Biden’s health, but worse, savaging anyone who even gently suggested that maybe, just maybe, the President’s health wasn’t quite up to par? Tapper was the Democrats’s chief henchman for leading the attacks on those who weren’t fully supportive of the Biden propaganda machine.
Read this humble amalgam of Woodward and Bernstein’s heartfelt mea culpa to Piers Morgan:
Asked point blank by Morgan if he owed the American people an apology, Tapper responded: “I feel like I owe the American people an acknowledgment that I wish I had covered the story better.”
Gosh, Jake, what an honest and touching confession. Just one little, teeny-tiny correction, if you don’t mind, pu-lease?
“I feel like I owe the American people an acknowledgment that I wish I had covered the story better.”
There, fixed.
(Another correction would be “as if” for “like,” but that’s a lost battle, regrettably.)
To list them all in one post wouldencouragethe reader to click somewhere else, so only a few bight-sized bits at a time.
Primo. Ex-homiliae chit-chat: if it cannot be incorporated into the homily, we can live without it. Tace!
Secundo. Applause during Mass: few things are more irksome, especially when Father requests it.
Tertio. Inappropriate hymns or “songs:” Yes, this is Memorial Day Weekend. Yes, America the Beautiful is a lovely, unofficial national anthem–but as a communion hymn? No. It’s particularly painful when the soloist can’t sing and the accompanist, on guitar, of course, knows only three chords, tonic, dominant, and subdominate–in root position only.
At a meeting recently with President Trump in the White House, South African President Ramaphosa vehemently denied white South Africans were being persecuted and murdered. After hearing enough, Trump ran a video that clearly showed otherwise.
Bickerstaff, despite his increasingly growing number of years, cannot recall a president so utterly lacking in timidity as President Trump. No doubt he violated a good many rules of diplomatic protocol with this brazen act, to which Bickerstaff only reaction is: Bravo, Mr President! It’s long overdue.
Change is likely coming to Vatican policies, including, possibly, the celebration of Usus Antiquior, the Traditional Latin Mass. That is, if Cardinal Chye of Singapore has anything to do with it.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Compass, the Cardinal spoke supportively of the new Pope, saying, “. . . I think Pope Leone XIV is exactly the Pope the world needs right now.” And, “The new Pope will not be ambiguous and will not leave the interpretation of what he says up to each individual.”
Regarding TLM, that statement could be interpreted negatively as meaning the Latin Mass will be universally suppressed, as it is not now (for example, compare the Archdiocese of New Mexico, with its strict enforcement of the edict, with that of New York’s).
His Eminence, however, does not seem to be of that mind. When asked what will become of those who prefer the Latin Mass, his response was encouraging:
Personally, I believe there is no reason to stop people who prefer the Tridentine Mass . . . Of course, the unity of the Church must be preserved, but we already have different rites, such as the Syro-Malabar rite. We can accept different ways of celebrating the Eucharist, so I believe we should not stifle those who prefer the Tridentine rite. Ultimately, what matters is not the rite or the form in which it is celebrated, but whether one encounters God in depth. [Italics added.]
Personally, Bickerstaff believes some of the more zealous proponents of TLM could benefit reading that last sentence of his Eminence. Your mostly humble blogger must also acknowledge the opinions expressed above are those of only one cardinal. However, this one cardinal, His Eminence Cardinal Chye, is influential among his peers and well liked. As Nico Spuntoni, his interviewer, wrote of him,
Several cardinals told us that Cardinal William Goh Seng Chye’s speech was one of the most appreciated during the general congregations. This comes as no surprise, as the archbishop is known for his doctrinal clarity, pastoral zeal, and liturgical sensitivity.
It seems a certainty to Bickerstaff that the cardinal will have influence on Pope Leo XIV, especially as the latter seems much more open to other’s opinions, as opposed to his predecessor.
We will have to wait and see, but things appear to be looking up for Catholic tradionalists.
A FaceBook posting, put up by David Gabler, of a shortpiece by John Samuel Craig;it is quoted here in its entirety becausethere isn’t a single wasted word.
Regardless of your politics, I’d encourage you to consider this picture: the beautiful, brilliant, daughter of Indian immigrants. A man who grew up without a father and a drug addicted mother, who joined the military and then attended and graduated from the #1 law school in America on the GI bill. The first American pope, a Godly man, faithful to Catholic doctrine, who spent ten years in Peru, sleeping on dirt floors and serving the poor. The son of Cuban immigrants who fled Castro’s Cuba. His mother was a maid. His father was a bartender. And his wife, the beautiful daughter of Columbian immigrants. We have recently seen some of the worst of America. Here’s a picture of the best.
There are unconfirmed reports containing good news regarding Cardinal Sarah, who was on the outs with Pope Francis. Apparently, he has been restored to grace by Pope Leo XIV and has been appointed by Leo, who created the position, Special Papal Envoy to Sub-Saharan countries. Those countries are far more conservative in their Catholic beliefs and practices than most Western countries, which has caused much antagonism between Pope Francis and church leaders in the south. Sarah’s assignment, should he choose accept it (to paraphrase a long-ago television program), is to reconcile the parties, and repair the damages done by the previous reign.
Sarah’s job will be a tough one, which may explain why he will answer to Pope Leo alone. It may also be to avoid papal politics interfering with his job, making him a powerful man indeed; quite a reversal in the fortunes of Cardinal Sarah.
Bickerstaff expects there shall be more surprises coming from our pope soon.
Palm Springs IVF clinic bomber ID’d as Guy Edward Bartkus, a ‘pro-mortalist’ who opposed people being born ‘without their consent’
It is reasonable to assume the late miscreant was not a Catholic.
More from the Post.
A 25-year-old self-described “pro-mortalist” has been identified as the attacker who detonated a car bomb outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs Saturday — killing himself and injuring four other people, according to sources.
Guy Edward Bartkus, of Twentynine Palms, is believed to have detonated an explosive device in his car outside the American Reproductive Centers, which performs IVF treatments, egg collections and other procedures, law enforcement sources told The Post
But the clincher in this bizarre tale is Barkus seemed to have considered himself a humanitarian of sorts, though his humanitarian instincts, such as the, manifested themselves in a rather peculiar way.
Bartkus allegedly described his fanatical pro-death beliefs in written and recorded manifestos as being against bringing people into the world without their consent to spare them from futuresuffering, [Italics added]. KCAL news reported.
THE TAOS TATLER. 