TradNews Roundup

*Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of Cardinal Achille Lienart humiliating Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, and thus setting the stage for the greatest and most devastating Leftist take-over in history, the fruits of which are obviously rotten.

*Fr. Kappes has returned safely to the United States. No doubt all of the many prayers for this good priest were very effective in his, and his translator's, safe conduct out of Greece. Of course, now that Father is safe and sound, let me add my snarky commentary on this shocking and sad affair. There should be no doubt that this episode is indicative of the lamentable state of Greece and modern Greek society. This is what happens when an entire generation is reared on government hand-outs; people lose all sense of right and wrong, the only important thing is filthy lucre gained with no effort. Shame on Greece, and shame on the Greeks who think their very existence means the rest of us owe them entitlement after entitlement. It took Socialism only about 50 years to reduce the cradle of western civilization into a pathetic mob of infantile simpletons.

*Yay! No more additional tropes in the novus ordo "Lamb of God", gushes Mr. Jeffrey Tucker over at the Chant Café. Well, good for you, all you novus ordies! The "Reform of the Reform" is moving along so nicely for you! Your Fr. McNiceguy liturgy leader and "presider" will have a little less time to handout Communion to his army of Extraordinary-Buffoons-of-Holy-Communion, but at least you won't have to sit there and endure the same banal string of notes over and over again. And apparently you won't have to worry about the Extraordinary Ministers breaking out into spontaneous dance, either (unless, of course, your local bishop's conference hasn't already enacted particular legislation that has been duly confirmed by the Holy See, because--heh!--nothing in the new order mainstream is written in stone; an abuse today will probably be perfectly fine tomorrow in the world of Vatican logic)! The "Reform of the Reform" is a grand and wondrous thing! Why, perhaps in four to five centuries from now this reforming trend will produce a liturgy that isn't Protestant anymore. Well... maybe that's asking too much. After all, we wouldn't want to move too fast.

*On a more positive note, some true restoration comes to the Diocese of Oakland as it welcomes to its territory a new traditionalist Carmel. Fr. Gregory Eichman, F.S.S.P., his sister and his family mentioned in this article are founding members of the same Traditional Latin Mass Community to which your's truly belongs, the St. Mother Theodore Guérin Traditional Latin Mass Community in the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. The grace of God works through patient endurance, and often only by great sacrifice. The Eichman family truly is a picture of the generosity, prayer and spirit of sacrifice that is so crucial for the continued growth of traditional Catholic communities, priestly fraternities and congregations. Deo gratias!

*The SSPX boasts of 42 new seminarians in France. As France degenerates into a Socialist hovel, traditionalism continues to grow as a sign of contradiction to the world at large. Opposition from within the Church and from without is serving to try the metal of traditional Catholics, and in many ways the results have been positive. Traditionalist societies, fraternities and religious communities are flowering with vocations to the priesthood and religious life, as is evidenced by the recent ordinations of the Dominicans from Avrille and the Capuchins from Morgan.

*Our friends over at Rorate Cæli are reporting the annual Votive Mass in honor of Blessed Karl of Austria that has been slated for October 27th, and please pray for the priests of the Rorate Cæli Purgatorial Society.

*Rorate Cæli reports on the big rumor. That flyer borders on false advertising: it has a picture of the pope, but clearly announces that the TLM, which was rumored would be offered by the pope himself, will be offered by someone else (though that someone else isn't exactly an unknown prelate). The commentary on this RC post is very interesting. I have never expected Pope Benedict XVI to offer a Traditional Latin Mass.

*The crisis in the Church Militant is blown off by our Catholic leaders, like the completely clueless and mean-spirited Bishop Anthony Taylor, who time after time reveals himself to be ignorant and uncharitable. It is utterly incredible how ignorant Taylor is. How did it happen that village idiots like him are ordained bishops? I think we all know the answer to that.

Obama's #1 Handler: David Axelrod.
He's one of the most powerful men in
the United States, and he is un-elected
and un-vetted. 

*The first and foremost problem with Mr. Obama is that he is a Socialist. An often neglected aspect of Socialism is that inherent to Socialism is the advancement of an agenda that promotes sexual immorality and depravity in order to destroy the family. Obama engenders all the destructive aspects of Socialism, i.e. exalting the power and prerogatives of the State, radical egalitarianism, the nationalization of industry and private enterprise, collectivism, redistrubtion of property, and the promotion of homosexuality and other degenerate behaviors. However, is it Obama we need fear? Here is an interesting treatment of Obama for what he is. There are many things this little treatise gets right, not the least of which is that Obama is essentially a front man, the pretty but dumb face for the hard left Socialists that have financed and propelled Obama's public career. There are, however, some things I think this article gets wrong, not the least of which is the forced and overly simplistic link between Socialism and Islam. If you are going to link Socialism to any one world religion, the more obvious connection would be between Talmudic Judaism and Socialism. At any rate, I don't think the connection is cut and dry. Islam as it exists today, while certainly influenced by, and in many ways a catalyst of, Socialism (as are many world religions), is too multifaceted to fit neatly into O'Connell's triad. Obama is as much a Muslim as he's a Christian. In fact, he's an atheist. That much ought to be obvious by now. At any rate, O'Connell's overall thesis, that it is Obama's handlers we ought to fear, seems  to be a timely and accurate warning. They will become more dangerous, especially if Obama loses.