Ubi Petrus

Having poked around at my old parish’s web site and noticed that they’re running Joomla! I thought I’d take a peek at it and see what I could make it do. My current parish website could desperately use a facelift, and Joomla certainly seems to be a (relatively) easy way to do it. I’ve already started to play with a test site on my home server. So… is there anyone out there with any experience with Joomla?

Of course, I’m way ahead of myself on this as I don’t yet know if our pastor is interested in investing time in the web site right now and I don’t yet even know who currently maintains the site, but I’d like to be sure I can offer something useful before I suggest anything to our pastor. Any thoughts or alternative suggestions would be most appreciated.

If you’re not already all Motu Proprio-ed out, Jimmy Akin has provided a very long and very extensive review of Summorum Pontificum. One more thing to add to the reading list if you haven’t already.

Yeeps, I’ve been tagged. Twice! Both Puff and Fr. Daren Zehnle tagged me for the “Why I love Jesus” meme. Apparently someone hung a bulls-eye on me and I didn’t notice. That’s okay, I was feeling a little un-loved after having gone un-tagged for so long anyway. So…the rules:

Those tagged will share 5 things they “love” about Jesus.
Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.
Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here with their name so that others can read them.

Let me first admit that this is not something I’m usually very good at. Ask me an intellectual question, no problem, I’ll prattle on all day (or until I realize I’m getting the blank stare) but diving deep inside the real question, truly extrapolating the depth of love, well, being a “typical guy” that’s not so easy. But enough stalling…

1. Because He didn’t, hasn’t and won’t give up on me. Even when I did, have and will. I haven’t yet figured out if He’s pulling, dragging or pushing me along, but I’m certainly not doing this by myself.
2. Because He told us “good enough” isn’t good enough (think “adultery in the heart” and associated “but I say to you” teachings). My Dad always told me “if you’re going to do it, do it right or don’t do it at all” (yes, he has a little Yogi Berra in him). When I read those teachings, I knew this was real.
3. The fact that he works in apparent contradictions, fooling the wise and confusing the learned. It fits my otherwise contorted mind.
4. Because He taught me that real love is nothing like the pathetic, stupid pale imitation I learned about growing up – it is better, deeper, stronger, more painful, and more rewarding. For some reason I never really understood this until Deus Caritas Est but boy is it a life-changer.
5. Because I don’t understand His ways. And because that’s okay. You have no idea how liberating that is for someone like me.

I could go on, but rules are rules. I hereby tag Mike Aquilina (because I like to act like I know him, and he makes me look like I don’t like to think) of The Way of the Fathers, Aaron of Indolent Server (even if he is on partial hiatus), Bear-i-tone from The Spirit’s Sword (because turnabout is fair play), Leticia of causa nostrae laetitiae, and Diane of Te Deum laudamus. And anyone else that wants to play along – surely y’all can do better than I can.

Not that I thought Lumen Gentium was all that confusing when I read it back before I was even a Catholic, but apparently I was just lucky or something. However, given the propensity of some of the innovative bent to, well, innovate, I’m not surprised that clarification of the term “subsistit in” or “subsists in” was needed. It’s not stating anything new or earth-shattering, but yet we have places like Fox News already saying “Pope Benedict XVI says Orthodox churches are defective and other Christian denominations are not true churches” so apparently nothing is out of reach of their ability to deform. The full document can be found here.

From the EWTN schedule:

THE WORLD OVER LIVE SPECIAL:
ANALYSIS OF MOTU PROPIO: SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM
Host Raymond Arroyo will discuss the newly- released papal document by Pope Benedict XVI widening use of the 1962 Roman Missal.
Guest include:
Most Rev. Fabian Bruskewitz, Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska
Monsignor James Moroney, Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for the Liturgy
Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ, Editor of Homiletic & Pastoral Review
Most Rev. Thomas G. Doran, Bishop of Rockford, Illinois
Fr. George Gabet, FSSP, North American District Superior of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
July 9, 9 PM Live
July 13, 8 PM Encore

H/T to Insight Scoop.

Bishop John B. McCormack of the Diocese of Manchester has issued a statement regarding Summorum Pontificum. I might say the note is very positive in tone and does not dismiss the issue as did Cardinal O’Malley recently (and possibly accidentally). As if the letter itself was not positive enough, it includes this tidbit which I hadn’t expected to see:

Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the Roman Rite is a “rich treasure” that binds each local Church with the universal Church. It is in this spirit that Bishop Christian and I, along with the pastors of our parishes in New Hampshire, intend to prepare to address the accommodations envisioned by Our Holy Father later this year. Our goal is to make room for all Catholics around the Lord’s Table.

The provisions of Summorum Pontificum take effect September 14, 2007. Between now and then, Bishop Christian and I will consult with the Deans and Pastors, as well as with the consultation bodies of our Diocese, regarding how we can best carry out the objectives of Our Holy Father in the watchful spirit which he commends to us — one of “peace and serenity.”

Whether that means we will see a dedicated Mass somewhere in this Diocese using the 1962 Missal or some other arrangement remains to be seen. Regardless, I now have hope that those who attend the SSPX chapel in Salem just might come home. And just maybe some of our priests who have lost touch with the sanctity, vivacity and efficaciousness of a well- and properly-prayed Mass without innovation will come to see that liturgy is not, as one priest put it to me, boring. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll see a rebirth, a reform-of-the-reform of liturgy in this Diocese that can only help restore the Church and faith in God itself to the rightful place in the our world. Save the Liturgy, Save the World as Fr. Z would say.

Fr. Z has done his usual excellent analysis here, and Fr. Daren Zehnle has some analysis here and further points us to the USCCB copy of the motu proprio and explanatory letter. The first thing that strikes when reading the USCCB variant is the use of the word ‘let’ where the VIS translation uses ‘should’ (e.g. “Let the pastor” vs. “The pastor should”) following the unfortunate pattern of USCCB translations softening the language in critical areas.

Interestingly, Fr. Z notes that this motu proprio takes effect on September 14 of this year, which is coincidentally my birthday. It is also the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross – one does wonder if this is purely chance, but with this Pontiff I somehow doubt it.

Note also there is no minimum number required to request the use of the old Missal, but rather a “stable group”. There also is no maximum number which would require the permission of the Bishop as some had surmised. The Bishop retains his full authority over his Diocese, but is to refer to the Ecclesia Dei commission any request which he is unable to fulfill. In a Diocese like mine where there is an acute priest shortage, this might well end up in coordinating with a group like FSSP or ICKSP. In the end, it is entirely possible such an arrangement might well help alleviate some of the need to close or twin parishes as well. All things in time, I suppose. For now, let us give thanks and pray and work – ora et labora – for positive results of this long-coming work of the Holy Father in union with the Holy Spirit.

It’s here! At least, the Latin version is here. The unofficial VIS translation to English is here. Very, very interesting. Rorate Caeli also has the explanatory letter to the Bishops here. Time for breakfast, then I’ll dig back in to this.

Still catching up. Several days away will do that to you. Leticia has found a beautiful YouTube video of what is simply my favorite way to spend any free time (what’s that?). What better way to spend a moment or an hour than in front of Jesus himself? If you haven’t gone to Adoration before, or even recently, make it a point to do so soon.

If spending time with Christ isn’t a good enough reason, remember also that Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen has said he wrote all of his homilies in the Presence of the Lord. He made out all right, didn’t he?