Saturday, May 15, 2010

A Note from Rome

Last night I was surprised to be alerted to the article of Damian Thompson in The Telegraph blog. We had not been asked about this project as I am sure the organisers would state. It is true that our faculties for celebrating the Mass in public are restricted to the islands of Papa Stronsay and Stronsay.

I would like to give our friends and families an update on our process of canonical erection. To be as clear as possible I limit myself to saying that things are not at all easy for us.

Our seminarians, two of whom could be ordained to the priesthood, finish their studies this month and are not able to be ordained because we have not been canonically erected as yet. We ask for your prayers.


For the rest, let me invoke St. Arsenius as quoted by St. Alphonsus. I am thankful for their wisdom particularly in a time when one would like to speak from the heart; and loudly.

Restraint and silence are the better roads.


Devotedly,
Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.
Rome, 15 May, 2010




Very celebrated
is that saying of the holy Abbot Arsenius,
which he used to repeat many times,
and even sing it,
as Sirius in his History says:

“I HAVE OFTEN REPENTED OF HAVING SPOKEN
BUT NEVER OF HAVING KEPT SILENCE.”

ME SÆPE PŒNITUIT DIXISSE,
NUMQUAM TACUISSE.

S. ARSENIVS

26 comments:

  1. I am very sorry to hear that there are still obstacles in your way, I will keep you and your community in my prayers.

    Thomas

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  2. I will most certainly pray for you Father.
    "It is true that our faculties for celebrating the Mass in public are restricted to the islands of Papa Stronsay and Stronsay."

    May I please ask Father, respectfully, if the statement above is true [which it is] and you are regularised with Rome, why are your good priests restricted to faculties only on two small islands?

    God bless

    D.P.H.

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  3. Father, I too am sorry for the distress. I do not know why Damian has seen fit to dredge this up. His Grace said no; we were happy to leave it at that!

    Hope all is well! With my best wishes and prayers for you all,

    Mark.

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  4. My heart is broken over your predicament. This world, saturated in sin, is in tremendous need of your beautiful, soul saving missions. Rome must permit you to operate freely (as Our Lord would have it), in order to save souls and bring them back into His glorious sheepfold.

    May our Good God bless and keep the Traditional Transalpine Redemptorists!

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  5. Paralyzed in the face of spiritual disaster. Come back under the wing of the SSPX!

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  6. Br. Anthony T.O.S.F.
    I must add to my first words to avoid your conclusion:
    There is NO DESIRE to abandon ship because the going is tough or for any other reason; none whatsoever among any of us.
    Long live Benedict XVI, the Vicar of Christ at the helm! I have an affection for the line from Job: Although He should kill me, I will trust in Him.(Jb. 13:15) We hope and pray for perseverance. Nothing else interests us. Thanks. Fr. MM

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  7. Your pain I feel, although by osmosis. I will keep you in my prayers, as you have prayed for me.

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  8. For what are the onions of Egypt and forty years of wandering in the desert in comparison with the Promised Land of the Church. God bless you Fr Michael, loyal son of Pope Benedict, loyal son of the Church, loyal Son of the Most Holy Redeemer.

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  9. The Pharisees insulted the person of Almighty God to His very Face, yet Our Lord Jesus Christ remained silent. There is a lesson here for all of us, Br. Anthony.

    http://wheat4paradise.wordpress.com/

    David

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  10. There is nothing better than prayers that I can do for the Transalpine Redemptorists. God is going to reward your good work, including the wonderful publication of the Catholic.
    Pray for the readers of this blog as soon as all of us are praying for the Transalpine Redemptorists. :)

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  11. Our prayers are with you.

    Unfortunately this kind of unhelpful publicity is typical of Damian.

    As for Rome, the wheels grind slowly, but surely it is just a matter of time. Perhaps this is little comfort, but other people are in similar situations!

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  12. Keeping you in my prayers.

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  13. Hang in there. It's an obstacle in the road your community will take. Don't be deterred or disheartened. St. Aloysius and Our Lady will see things through to a successful end if you trust. "Rocks" are being thrown at you to try to force you to step off the narrow path.

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  14. My brothers in Christ

    I am sorry to hear of this situation, and pray for strength in your obedience to the will of God. May your hearts be filled with hope.

    I have visited Orkney and Papa Stronsay on many occasions, and can honestly say that it is there that found my peace with our Lord.

    My brothers, please pray for me and a special intention that is in my heart.

    May our Lord richly bless you

    Tony

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  15. How joyful was the day that I learned you returned to communion with Rome. I must say that I am thoroughly disheartened by this news. Your mission is so important and your example of holiness is one for the entire world to emulate. I will pray to the Blessed Virgin for her intervention, I know that the process will soon conclude favorably with Her intervention.

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  16. Praying for you and those two seminarians.

    I also give you another quote about remaining silent....from St. Thomas More: "Qui tacet consentire"

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  17. Anthony BidgoodMonday, May 17, 2010

    We should remember the tremondous difficulties Saint Alphonsus went through when he founded the Redemptorists before 'shooting from the lip'.

    In Christo,
    Anthony

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  18. This news will come as no surprise to those who understand the crisis in the Church and knew all along that your capitulation was a rash act. What can you now possibly have to gain from your current position, which is one of having fallen between two stools?

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  19. Dear Father,

    Do not worry.
    Canonical regularisation can happen in a short amount of time.

    Just look at the FSSP. They were completely regularised in less than 4 months.

    Yours will be very soon.

    God bless
    D.P.H.

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  20. What can you now possibly have to gain from your current position ...?

    The person who wrote the above line obviously knows very little about Fr. Michael Mary and even less about the fruits of obedience and sacrifice.

    David

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  21. Prayers for a successful outcome. It is a scandal that such a fruitful spring as the FSSR are hindered by Roman bureaucracy and Vatican II die-hards. When will they take their own medicine and be truly liberal and allow the "experiment of tradition"?

    God Bless you all and fight the good fight!

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  22. How does Rome expect the SSPX to place their trust in them.

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  23. Dear in Christ Fr. Michael Mary,
    I will add my poor prayers to the list of people already praying for your community. God Bless you all.

    In Christ Jesus,
    Khaled

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  24. Dear Fr. Michael Mary,

    My prayers are with you. I wrote to Bishop Moran inviting him to offer Mass for your intentions, and explaining why I support the Mass in St. Magnus's. The Rt. Reverend Bishop Moran replied today, acknowledging that he will offer Mass for you Fr. Michael Mary. May the heaven open and may you have an abundance of heavenly graces. I know 'things are not at all easy', but may this Mass make things easier. God bless you always

    For a for a full text of my letter to Bishop Moran, follow the link below:
    http://thepathlesstaken7.blogspot.com/2010/05/dear-bishop-moran.html

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  25. Dear Mary O'Regan

    Thank you for your charity and thoughtful gesture.

    We are very grateful for your prayers and the prayers of other friends and family members that have been offered for us over the last weeks from all parts of the world; all thanks to God's most wonderful Providence, for giving to our time the mediums of blog and internet.

    Blessed end of the Paschal season today!

    Devotedly,
    Fr. Michael Mary, F.SS.R.

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