In the New York Post, read the horrifying account of a young father who was beaten to death early in the early morning by a band of thugs on the mean streets of Chicago.

According to the Post, Chicago police “seek to question four persons of interest who have eluded capture in the crime-ridden city for two weeks.” There is no doubt, in time, the Chicago police will catch up with these killers, but the question is, what will happen to them when they’re caught. The answer is, nothing much, for a long, long, time. Their cases may eventually find their way to a courtroom, where their court-appointed lawyers will plead not guilty for their clients, however much evidence there may be against their clients. They then will use every available legal trick to prolong their cases as long as possible, seeking  postponement after postponement. In time, this will result in a plea bargained, comically light, sentence of a few years imprisonment, then it’s back on the streets for the perps to continue their criminal pursuits.

Mind you, that is a best-case scenario. Charges could be dropped for some technicality or other, or the perps might simply jump bail and disappear.

This is not justice. It is the complete breakdown of our criminal justice system, and it is plaguing not only Chicago, but most big cities in America. A century ago in our country, capital murder cases were resolved far quicker in the courts, from a few days to a month or two at the most. After conviction, the prisoner would sit in a jail cell for a year or two, then it was off to the electric chair. The switch was thrown and justice was dispensed.

In contrast, while the State of Illinois only recently banned capital punishment in 2011, the last time it put to death a murderer was in 1962. Similarly, most other states have banned capital punishment, decades after it was last applied.

What the problem boils down to is, most state governments no longer take crime seriously, regardless of what their politicos might say on the campaign trail about being “tough on crime.” If this lax attitude toward brutal crime, like the one described above continues, most Americans will become fed up with their governments and take matters into their own hands, returning to the 19th-century, Old West methods of justice. It will be ugly, but no doubt effective.

Time to dust off Old Sparky?

A friend writes:

Vatican II – The Second Spring of the Church: at start of the Council there were approximately 1300 Sisters of Charity of New York. Today there are 127, average age 87.

Included in the note was a link to a sensitively written story in The New York Times (subscription required) on the end days of the Sisters of Charity. This venerable order was doing well until a disruption occurred which has led to the eventual end of the Sisters of Charity and many other orders. That disruption was the Second Vatican Council, beginning in 1962 and ending in 1965, with its goal being, ironically, a “new spring” that would modernize and revitalize the Catholic Church.

The Times, in telling the experience of one nun, Sister Michael Maureen, tells of the pivotal event that has led to the decline of her order and others.

Then the world cracked open. Vatican II upended the old rigidities. She exchanged the habit for secular clothes — the order’s call was to be among the people, not above them — reclaimed her own name, moved into an East Village walk-up surrounded by the counterculture.

Which strikes this blogger as turning these devoted women, who up till then had lived their lives for God and and Holy Church by displaying their devotion to God by helping to ease the lives of the unfortunates of this world, into secular activists, taking a role in the social upheavals and protests of the 1960s. Though I am sure these venerable women would deny up and down this transformation of their places in Christ’s Holy Church, it certainly gave the appearance of it and made their lives less appealing to girls and young women who might have been considering a life of devotion to our Lord.

While not taking anything away from social workers, the Sisters of Charity and other orders are unique in their quiet and total devotion to our eternal God, not just to the temporal evils of our time on earth. The loss of these devoted servants will be a great loss to Catholic Church.

Pay attention, there will be a short quiz later on His Holiness’s statement.

‘Sport must keep the
human person at its
center…Sport, when it is lived authentically, does not remain merely a performance,’ he said. ‘It is a form of language, a story made of gestures, effort, waiting, falls, and new beginnings.

*As The New Yorker magazine of old might have headed the above.

Posted byAnthony Chase FountainApril 8, 2026Posted inUncategorized

A great scandal broke many years ago when it was revealed some of the largest and most  well known charities in this country were anything but charitable, spending most of their receipts on salaries, administration costs, and, ironically, fundraising.

One large, well known charity, the Catholic Church’s Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF), has escaped such charges as it is a well run institution where most of its donations go to the intended recipients. That is not to say however, that MCHF is free from scandal, but it has so far not received the attention it should.

There is for instance the salary paid to MCHF’s Chief Executive Officer, Greg Mustachiuoluo. 

Based on available tax filings for the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, where Msgr. Greg Mustaciuolo serves as Chief Executive Officer, his reported compensation has been: [1] $839,030 in reportable compensation, plus $86,340 in other compensation (2024 data). $713,802 in reportable compensation, plus $84,724 in other compensation (2023 data). [1] Background Before leading the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Msgr. Mustaciuolo served as the Vicar General and Chancellor of the Archdiocese of New York, overseeing day-to-day operations and a team responsible for managing combined revenues of over $415 million. [1, 2, 3]

To be honest, the enormous compensation paid to MCHF’s CEO is similar to CEOs at other top charities. What should raise eyebrows though is the full name and title of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation’s CEO: Monsignor Greg Mustachiuoluo. This  Catholic priest is currently paid $839,030, plus an additional $86,340, for a grand total of $925,370 for running a large, albeit respected charity.

If Holy Church would only pay all her priests similarly, recruitment difficulties to the priesthood would become a thing of the past.

Addendum

For those wishing to know more about Msgr Greg  Mustaciuolo and MCHF, a recent announcement from Cardinal Dolan will provide far greater detail concerning both.

A ridiculous anti-Catholic scandal is bigger than we thought.June 5, 2025

Another billion dollar scandal, perpetrated by a slob.November 16, 2022Liked by 1 person

High treason and piracy in DCJuly 25, 2025Liked by 1 person

Posted byAnthony Chase FountainApril 8, 2026Posted inUncategorized

Published by Anthony Chase Fountain

The Tatler of 1709 was founded by Jonathan Swift, aka Isaac Bickerstaff. The Taos Tatler was founded by ex-New Yorker Anthony Fountain in 2018, in the same spirit, he hopes, as the original. Please send mail to taostatler@gmail.com. View more posts

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Ranchos de Taos, NM

From the Washington Post:

Pope Leo XIV plans to personally carry the wooden cross through all 14 stations of the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum on his first Good Friday as pontiff

‘I think it will be an important sign because of what the pope represents, a spiritual leader in the world today, and for this voice, that everyone wants to hear, that says Christ still suffers,’ Leo told reporters this week outside of the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo. ‘I carry all of this suffering in my prayer.’

The Catholic Church is not a democracy, thanks be to God, but in the six decades of the modernizing of worship, via the mass and other rituals, and eliminating those like that which Pope Leo restored today, have any of the opposition been consulted on it? Was the laity ever consulted on the dumbing down of worship? Has anyone, of high or low ranking ever asked, is this necessary?

So, on this Good Friday, grateful thanks to Pope Leo’s seeming answer to that question. May God bless and preserve him.

*****

No more blogging until next week. My grateful thanks, a pious Good Friday, and a Happy Easter to my readers.

Related somewhat to the post below, yesterday evening I listened to the reissue recording seen above for the first time in several years. It was one of the few recordings I had the privilege of producing while at  Sony Music. It was to mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the original LP recording in 1964. It still is deeply moving. Politics aside, the assassination of President Kennedy was a great tragedy for the entire nation and it was most fitting that a Requiem Mass be celebrated for him, even though the 1962  reforms (sic) had already been in place.

The mass was celebrated in the “Extraordinary Form,” or as we lay folk call it, the Latin mass, and it was likely the last of its kind after the reforms of Vatican II. Richard Cardinal Cushing was the celebrant and intoned in his own inimitable manner. The musical forces for the Mozart were considerable: the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf, and top soloists and choirs from the area.  The Requiem was performed in a manner rarely heard these days, with orchestra and chorus far larger than any Mozart knew, but it hardly matters. With the 1800 attendees in the vast Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston’s South End, it was entirely appropriate and few could not have been moved. All modesty aside, I am proud to have been associated with the remastering and re-releases of this extraordinary musical and liturgical document.

The image is taken from Instapundit.

Glenn Reynold’s blog Instapundit is the granddaddy of blogdom, which your Tatler has been reading from the dawn of the Internet. His blog is a reliable source of news because Reynolds, a law professor, is scrupulous about what he posts, and thus they can be relied on for truthfulness.

This morning Reynolds posted an item on Instapundit an item with a report the Latin mass, or the”Extraordinary Form,” is taking off in leaps and bounds, especially among young Catholics. Presumably this is because as Catholics they find Novus Ordo hopelessly inadequate in expressing the majesty and awe of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist. Its bland and insipid everyday English falls far short. That is hardly the case with the Latin mass and its ancient legacy. It is, to use the word  correctly, awesome.

Holy Church however will not likely budge on the Latin mass being restored to its former place in worship anytime soon. That being the case, this blogger has an admittedly unorthodox (pun intended) alternative to today’s mass. Since my early days as a Catholic (not all that long ago) I’ve long urged instead of using the weak and insipid version of the mass we use now, the Church should simply filch the 1662 Church of England Book of Common Prayer, or its counterpart in the US, the 1928 Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Those two sources contain some of the most beautiful language in English. Naturally, much adaptation would be required of either source to conform them to Catholic teachings, but the Anglican mass/service is essentially the same as the Catholic mass. Using adaptions of the Book of Common Prayer would restore what was lost in reforms of Vatican 2 and beauty and awe would once again be brought back to our worship.

From Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV presides at Mass on Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, and reflects on Jesus as the King of Peace who rejects war and refuses to listen to the prayers of those who wage war . . .

‘Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” said the Pope. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.’

I have always had a fair regard for Pope Leo, especially when compared with his predecessor, and simply because he is an American. Regrettably, that regard for him has deteriorated some after his ill-thought statement about “those who wage war.” Does that include the Americans who led our efforts against murderous dictators of the past? Or those who practiced slavery? Or those who fought against Britain in this nation’s efforts to gain independence?

Father Rutler, who alerted this blogger to Leo’s unfortunate statement, points out those who held a different opinion from his, then asks a rhetorical question.

Pope St Pius V and the chaps at Lepanto were of a different opinion.

Does this mean that the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is canceled?

Father then quotes in full a long prayer by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on D-Day, when this nation was in the thick of the Second World War.

My fellow Americans: Last night, when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment that troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the Channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far.

And so, in this poignant hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer:

Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our Republic, our religion, and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.

Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith.

They will need Thy blessings. Their road will be long and hard. For the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again; and we know that by Thy grace, and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

They will be sore tried, by night and by day, without rest-until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men’s souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise, and tolerance and good will among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle, for their return to the haven of home.

Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants, into Thy kingdom.

And for us at home – fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters, and brothers of brave men overseas – whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them – help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer. As we rise to each new day, and again when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips, invoking Thy help to our efforts.

Give us strength, too – strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our armed forces.

And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons wheresoever they may be.

And, O Lord, give us Faith. Give us Faith in Thee; Faith in our sons; Faith in each other; Faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose.

With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country, and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men. And a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

Thy will be done, Almighty God.

Amen.

Let us pray our Pope Leo retracts  his misguided statement, or at least modifies it.

From EWTN

Belgian bishop plans to
ordain married men by
2028, violating Church
canon law

Bishop Johan Bonny of Belgium expressed his plan to ordain married men into the priesthood by 2028 in a move that has not received approval from the Vatican and would violate the current Code of Canon Law.

In these anything-goes times, ordaining married men for the priesthood seems a relatively benign error, but celibacy for men was codified in the Church over 900 years ago. Its beginnings go back to the 4th century, when the Church in Spain made it a requirement for bishops, priests, and deacons ca. 305-306. If they were already married, they were required to abstain.

There were valid reasons for celibacy, then and now. Married priests cannot devote 100 percent of their time and attention to the Church and ministering to their flocks.

It’s a puzzle then why some clergy, who know the rules of canon law, feel they ca ignore them, or announce their intention to do so, as Bishop Bonny has. Should the bishop follow through on his intentions, he will certainly have to face the consequences of his actions, and his ordinations will be voided. His actions will be all for nought, so why engage in them?

As an aside, there is an exception for the celibacy requirement and that is for married Anglican  priests, who may be ordained into the Catholic Church. Presumably, that only male priests.

Bishop Bonny–breathed in too much incense?