Catholics Should Be Distributists

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: A reading of the papal encyclicals on economic social justice reveals this to be true.  Catholics should be Distributists.

I believe we are now entering a time of complete economic and social collapse, which of course will lead to political collapse too, not just for the United States, but for nations around the world. Current trends now being reported in China indicate a massive economic bubble is about to pop in the Chinese housing market. This will likely result in the complete implosion and collapse of the Chinese economy, followed by economies around the world, perhaps delivering the final blow needed to implode the European and American economies as well. This is it! Laissez-Faire Capitalism and State Socialism have failed. The post-enlightenment economic models have left the whole world in financial ruin!

In a desperate attempt to regain control after the inevitable collapse that will soon come, we can look forward to the emergence of big-brother police-states in the Western world, employing strategies of law enforcement similar to those used in Communist China and the old Soviet Union. Even the United States has paved the way for this through recent legislation passed by the Senate, and on its way to be signed by President Obama. The governments of the West are preparing for a soon coming Economic Armageddon! In the midsts of this social upheaval and the police-state to follow, I do not know if 'The Catholic Knight' blog will be able to remain on the Internet. We can pray, and I will certainly try to keep it online for as long as possible. However, when living under a government that fears ideas that contradict the status quo, and has now the legal means to silence those ideas, I do not think it far fetched that Uncle Sam may perhaps shut down this little blogging venture in the not-too-distant future. Should that happen, I want my readers to start thinking about the future. When this is finally all over, we are going to have to rebuild, and I want you to take this idea with you. After the implosion of the economic models given to us by the Enlightenment Era (Capitalism and Socialism), let us all return to the teachings of the Church on economics, because what is economics after all, but morality by another name...

(Wikipedia) -- Distributism (also known as distributionism, distributivism) is a third-way economic philosophy formulated by such Catholic thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc to apply the principles of Catholic social teaching articulated by the Catholic Church, especially in Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum and more expansively explained by Pope Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno.

According to distributism, the ownership of the means of production should be spread as widely as possible among the general populace, rather than being centralized under the control of the state (state socialism) or a few large businesses or wealthy private individuals (laissez-faire capitalism). A summary of distributism is found in Chesterton's statement: "Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists."

Essentially, distributism distinguishes itself by its distribution of property (not to be confused with redistribution of wealth). While socialism allows no individuals to own productive property (it all being under state, community, or workers' control), distributism itself seeks to ensure that most people will become owners of productive property. As Belloc stated, the distributive state (the state which has implemented distributism) contains "an agglomeration of families of varying wealth, but by far the greater number of owners of the means of production." This broader distribution does not extend to all property, but only to productive property; that is, that property which produces wealth, namely, the things needed for man to survive. It includes land, tools, etc.

Distributism has often been described as a "third way", in opposition to both socialism and capitalism. Thomas Storck argues that "both socialism and capitalism are products of the European Enlightenment and are thus modernizing and anti-traditional forces. In contrast, distributism seeks to subordinate economic activity to human life as a whole, to our spiritual life, our intellectual life, our family life".

Some have seen it more as an aspiration, which has been successfully realised in the short term by commitment to the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity (these being built into financially independent local cooperatives and small family businesses), though proponents also cite such periods as the Middle Ages as examples of the historical long-term viability of distributism....

source

ALLELUIA !!! The New English Mass Is Here !!!

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The countdown is over, the new English mass is here!!! By now the last mass of the old "defective" English translation has been said in the United States, and it is permenantly suppressed -- gone forever! Tomorrow morning, we awake for mass with the new English translation, a better translation, one more faithful to the original Latin text. For the FIRST TIME in the United States, the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo) mass will be said in English PROPERLY, according to how it was intended to be said, way back when it was first released in 1970. For the FIRST TIME EVER, Catholic Americans will hear the REAL WORDS of the mass -- properly translated. An entire generation has passed -- literally -- and for the FIRST TIME EVER the post-conciliar youth (everyone under the age of 45) will hear the English mass as it was intended to be heard. This is an historic day indeed. Enjoy it!

I cannot begin to stress enough the momentous occasion this is. It marks the beginning. By that I mean the beginning of the end for bland Modernist innovation. I also mean the beginning of the beginning for the restoration of tradition. Yes, it's going to be a long road to reform ahead, but from now on we will see nothing but progress toward that end, sometimes a little progress, sometimes a lot, but always progress. The Modernist experiment has failed, resulting in the loss of souls and the gutting of the Church. Those days are now beginning to die out. The new English translation of the mass is here. The U.S. Anglican ordinariate is soon coming (in just 34 days from today). The Extraordinary Form (Tridentine) mass is here to stay. The generation of the 1970s priesthood officially begins its retirement in this decade. The Vatican is to start a new commission on sacred music, art and architecture with the authority to enforce their directives. The whole Modernist house of cards is all beginning to fall. The historic Catholic Church is beginning to rise. THIS IS IT!   IT HAS BEGUN !!!   We will be the first to witness the reforms of Vatican II as they were originally intended! 

That's not to say there won't be setbacks, scandals, and delays in the future. There will be. Overall however, the movement is in the direction of progress toward the traditional Church. As I said, the progress may be slow at times, and fast at other times, but always progress, always toward tradition.

It's over my readers! It's finally over. No the fight isn't over, but the unfair advantage is. I'm speaking of the unfair advantage the Modernists had over English-speaking parishes and dioceses, up until this evening. Now it's over. They are crippled now. What gave them the flexibility to innovate was the poor English translation of the Novus Ordo mass. That flexibility is gone now. Anything they do against the new translation, or the rubrics of the mass, will be seen as a gross violation and DISOBEDIENCE to the POPE !!! That's not to say it won't happen. (It probably will.) But their cover is blown. They no longer have anything to hide behind. It's the beginning of the end for them -- unless of course they reform their ways.  If they reform, even reluctantly, than they come over to our side, and we gain new allies.  Those who won't reform would do well to retire at the earliest opportunity.

From this night forward, the only place the old English translation of the mass can be heard is in a protestant or schismatic sect.  My understanding is that some Protestants are quite fond of it.

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has now given the English-speaking Church everything we need to reform ourselves. In time we will. This is inevitable. That however, doesn't mean he's finished. There is more reform coming, but I do not know when. Eventually, the Novus Ordo mass itself will be rewritten, so the second half of the liturgy will look more like the Tridentine mass, but you're guess is as good as mine as to when. For now expect big changes at your local parish unlike anything you've seen in 40 years! Slowly but surely, with relentless incrementalism, the Holy Father (Pope Benedict XVI) is turning this great ship around.  This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!!!  DEO GRATIAS.

How To Prepare For The New Mass

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: For about a year now, classes have been offered to Catholics to help them 'prepare' for the new English translation of the Roman Missal. Very few Catholics have attended these courses. Those few that have should consider themselves blessed. As for the rest of us, there is no need to panic.

The best advice I could possibly give you is to chill out, relax and take it all in. Everything is going to be fine. Just pick up a copy of the missal in your pew, and follow along. Yes, it will take you a few weeks to get used to things, but you will get used to them. Within a few months, you will hardly remember the old translation. Within six months you'll be reciting the responses by memory.

Something beautiful is happening here, and it's something really good! Not only will this new translation elevate the spirit of the liturgy during mass, but it will likewise elevate our vernacular culture. There is an old saying in Latin. Lex orandi, lex credendi. It means "the law of prayer is the law of faith." Our prayers literally effect our faith. How we pray effects how we believe. How we believe effects how we act. How we act effects our whole culture. These days our culture could use all the help it can get, and the improvement to our English liturgy will have some positive impact.

So don't panic. Relax. Everything is going to be okay. Come the first Sunday of Advent (in just eleven days), pick up a new missal in your pew and follow along. Try to think of this as a Christmas gift of sorts. Things were starting to get a little old and stale in the former English translation. Now Rome has renewed it. So Enjoy!

Now please pass this message on to other Catholics who may be a little worried and/or confused. You can use the 'share' icons below...

The Chapel Veil Campaign

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Starting in Advent 2011, the U.S. Catholic Church is to begin its long awaited, and much anticipated, liturgical reforms of the English mass. The new translation, demanded by the Vatican, will reflect a much more accurate rendering of the official Latin version of the Novus Ordo liturgy issued by Rome nearly 40 years ago. (You can download a PDF of the new English mass HERE.) This marks a major shift in the American Church toward a more traditional and orthodox approach to the liturgy. You can read more about the coming changes here.

Some women have expressed to 'The Catholic Knight' a desire to return to the time honored custom of wearing the chapel veil during mass, and see the coming liturgical changes as a perfect opportunity to do this. Returning to this tradition will serve to further reinforce the message that the Catholic Church is the same today as it was yesterday, and the time honored customs of the Church have not died out, but on the contrary, live and breath through a new generation of Catholic women.

Sacred Scripture presents several reasons for wearing the chapel veil. St. Paul tells us in his first letter to the Corinthians (11:1-16) that Christian women must cover their heads because it is a Sacred Tradition commanded by our Lord Himself and entrusted to Paul: "The things I am writing to you are the Lord's commandments" (1 Cor. 14:37). "That is why a woman ought to have a veil on her head, because of the angels" wrote St. Paul (1 Cor. 11:10). The invisible hierarchy should be respected because the angels are present at all Christian assemblies during worship, offering the Holy Sacrifice with us according to the honor due to God. St. John the Apostle wrote: "And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense that he might offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne." (Rev. 8:3, see also Matt. 18:10). They are offended by a lack of reverence at mass. The women of Corinth, beset by modern sensibilities, started coming to church without their heads covered. When St. Paul heard of their neglect, he wrote and urged them to keep the veil. According to St. Jerome's commentary Bible, he finally settled the matter by saying the head covering was a custom of the primitive communities of Judea, "the Churches of God" (1 Thess. 2-14, 2 Thess. 1-4) which had received this Tradition from early times (2 Thess., 2:15, 3:6). The “veil” represented modesty in many religions and cultures, especially in Judaism which was the cradle of the early Christian Church. A veil or head covering, is both a symbol and a mystical sacrifice that invites the woman wearing it to ascend the ladder of sanctity. When a woman covers her head in the Catholic Church it symbolizes her dignity and humility before God. It should not surprise us why so many modern women have so easily abandoned the tradition of the chapel veil (head covering) when the greatest meaning of the veil is modesty. It is purely an anti-Catholic culture that frowns on modesty. Do not be deceived, it was Secular feminism (a militantly anti-Catholic movement), that shunned Catholic women for wearing the chapel veil, telling them that a male dominated Church seeks to repress them. Such lunacy was nothing more than a lie straight from hell. If it were true, women would have been instructed to veil in the presence of men, but that is not the case at all. Both Sacred Scripture and previous canon law instructed women to veil in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament (not men), and particularly during the public prayer of the holy mass. The veil is a sign of modesty before our Eucharistic Lord. It is NOT a sign of male dominance. You can learn more about the custom of the chapel veil and what it means here.

'The Chapel Veil Campaign' is accompanied by a survey poll which can be viewed at the top of this blog. 'The Catholic Knight' requests that all you Catholic ladies out there review this material and prayerfully consider it. Then cast your vote in the accompanying poll to express your support for The Chapel Veil Campaign. Your vote of support will help other Catholic women muster the courage to do the same. The idea is to encourage young Catholic women all over the English-speaking world to put away the rebellion of the 1970s "hippy" generation, and start wearing the chapel veil again.

In the United States, the new English translation of the liturgy is currently scheduled to go into effect in Advent of 2011. That's because the US Catholic bishops no longer have permission from the Vatican to celebrate the "defective" English translation of the Novus Ordo mass we've been using since the 1970s. Since permission to celebrate it has been revoked, the US Catholic bishops will be unable to delay the transition anymore.

The return of the chapel veil, along with the liturgical renewal in the English translation of the mass, will send a clear and definite signal to the world that English-speaking Catholics have not lost the time-honored traditions of our sacred Catholic faith.

Please pass this message on by sending a Chapel Veil Campaign link to friends and family...
http://catholicknight.blogspot.com/2007/12/chapel-veil-campaign.html

'The Catholic Knight' welcomes your comments...

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2013 Solar Storm Expected To Cause Trouble

(Telegraph) - National power grids could overheat and air travel severely disrupted while electronic items, navigation devices and major satellites could stop working after the Sun reaches its maximum power in a few years.

Senior space agency scientists believe the Earth will be hit with unprecedented levels of magnetic energy from solar flares after the Sun wakes “from a deep slumber” sometime around 2013, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

In a new warning, Nasa said the super storm would hit like “a bolt of lightning” and could cause catastrophic consequences for the world’s health, emergency services and national security unless precautions are taken.

Scientists believe it could damage everything from emergency services’ systems, hospital equipment, banking systems and air traffic control devices, through to “everyday” items such as home computers, iPods and Sat Navs.

Due to humans’ heavy reliance on electronic devices, which are sensitive to magnetic energy, the storm could leave a multi-billion pound damage bill and “potentially devastating” problems for governments.

“We know it is coming but we don’t know how bad it is going to be,” Dr Richard Fisher, the director of Nasa's Heliophysics division, said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph....

read full story here

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Solar storms like this happen once a generation. These storms are harmless to biological life on earth, thanks to the protective magnetic field surrounding the planet, but never before has the Western world been so heavily dependent on electricity and electronic devices. Earth's magnetic field cannot protect our electricity supply nor our electronic toys. As a result they are highly vulnerable to plasma discharges from the sun reacting with our atmosphere. That being said, the developed world will likely suffer the most during solar storms, while the third world is not likely to even notice them.

How Anti-Catholicism Became A Liberal Trademark

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: Are you a Liberal? Well then you must be an Anti-Catholic. At least that's the new expectation of your buddies on the Left. "Catholic-baiting is the anti-Semitism of the liberals." So wrote the poet Peter Viereck. In truth it probably is the last remaining acceptable prejudice. Of course, it wasn't always that way.

Once upon a time Liberals could be counted on as the defenders of Catholic minorities in predominately Protestant countries, like the USA for example. Not so anymore. Today, Liberals are expected to despise the Catholic Church, it's leaders, and everything it represents. "The only good Catholic is a bad Catholic." So says the Liberal Left today, as it showers with praise Catholic dissenters like Senator Ted Kennedy, John Kerry and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi. While it simultaneously scorns faithful Catholics such as Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas. Catholics who oppose Church teaching are considered "enlightened" and "sophisticated," while those who defend Church teaching are called "bigoted" and "fundamentalist" as well as "down right dangerous." You see the trend here? This is the new status quo. It's been this way for a long time. While not everyone who self-identifies as "liberal" automatically displays such blatant anti-Catholicism, it is the expected norm on the Left, and those Liberals who do not march in lock-step are the exception to the rule.

So how did it happen? How could a movement (Liberalism or "Progressivism"), which once identified with poor Catholic immigrants, turn into such a hate filled and intolerant anti-Catholic machine? The answer can best be found in modern Liberalism's embrace of moral relativism. It began sometime early in the last century, and by the 1960s it had firmly taken root. This has inevitably led to the Left's bitter turn against the Catholic Church and anyone who would defend her (even those poor Catholic immigrants the Left once supported). Why? Because in a time when the Left has embraced moral relativism, nothing is more offensive than a religion that says not all "truths" are equal, that not all religions are equally true, and that not all morality is relative.

You see in an age of moral relativism, embraced by the Liberal Left, an interesting dichotomy has developed. Relativism claims to treat all moral views equally. However, that does not hold true toward those moral views that reject relativism. In this case, Relativism demands retribution, and that its opposition be crushed. So as Pope Benedict XVI pointed out, while he was still Cardinal Ratzinger, Relativism has become a sort of "dictatorship" of the worst kind, one which demands that all be treated equally, with Relativism as the unquestionable absolute final authority. One can question any religion, any politics, any societal norm, but not Relativism. Relativism is above question, and those who dare to question it must be put down at all cost.

It's an illogical contradiction you see. The Liberal, having embraced moral relativism, says there are no moral absolutes, EXCEPT of course the absolute moral statement that there are no moral absolutes. To say there is no real morality is of course a moral statement, and the irony is that those who make such statements do so within the social framework of a Christian civilization that gave them the freedom and safety to make such statements in the first place. For to say there are no moral absolutes is to say "thou shalt not murder" is not always true. It is to say that certain addendum could easily be added depending on the situation. "Thou shalt not murder - without a good reason" could be one such example. Thus the same moral relativism espoused by Liberals could easily be used to justify killing them in the name of relativism. Why not? If it's all relative, who's to say it's wrong?

Of course The Catholic Knight does say it's wrong, because The Catholic Knight is NOT a moral relativist. Such an argument is pure insanity, but that is the nature of moral relativism itself. Let me be perfectly clear, lest some fool accuse me of advocating murder, the killing of a human being (outside of self defense) is ALWAYS WRONG, at ALL TIMES, and WITHOUT EXCEPTION. That is moral absolutism, and thankfully for Liberals, that is what The Catholic Knight espouses, along with the Catholic Church, Christianity in general, and many of the world's organized religions. So thanks to the pope, his supporters, and others like him, Left-wing Liberal Relativists are free to make such ridiculous assertions as "there are no moral absolutes" without fear of their own idiocy being used against them in some violent way. (Of course, that may all change once Islam takes over western civilization in about 50 years.)

So as Liberals espouse moral relativism within the framework of a Christian civilization, that still protects them from the inevitable conclusions of their own ideology, their hatred toward anyone who would espouse moral absolutism intensifies. This is coupled with a nagging question that plagues them. "Since the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s has given us a society where marriage is no longer necessary, and sexual morality is virtually a thing of the past, why have we not yet attained Nirvana?" A similar question could be posed about many other things as well, such as the redistribution of wealth for example. Of course, no Liberal is going to ask this out loud, but the question must be nagging them at least at a subconscious level. What do people do in uncertain times like these, when their own ideology is above question? They scapegoat of course, and since they view everything that came before their relativism as anathema, and the Catholic Church espouses such antiquated ideas, then of course the Catholic Church must be the problem. So it is scapegoated, just like the Jews have been scapegoated throughout history. Is it the least bit surprising to see that history demonstrates a recurring theme of anti-Catholicism linked to anti-Semitism at the same periods of time when the future looks bleak and uncertain? That would indeed seem to be the case, for whenever societies start to attack the Jews they simultaneously attack the Catholic Church. The attacks are often different, and the people involved are sometimes different, as it would seem that different socioeconomic classes seem to attack different groups in different ways. One thing that remains constant however is scapegoating. Anti-Semitism is currently on the rise in Europe, and this comes at a time when active participation in the Catholic religion is at an all time historic low. Of course now with the excessive and disproportionate media coverage of clerical sex abuse, the Catholic Church itself is becoming the scapegoat.

This scapegoating of the Catholic Church however fits the template of moral relativism all the more. Not only does it provide an easy answer (or excuse) for why our Liberal society has not achieved the Nirvana that was expected, but the morally absolute teachings of the Catholic Church are also conveniently offensive to anyone who holds a morally relativistic point of view.

Left-wing Liberals began adopting moral relativism sometime in the early 20th century, and the concept became synonymous with Liberalism (or "Progressivism") by the 1960s. It was at this time their attitudes toward the Catholic Church began to change and became increasingly hostile. Today we are steadily moving toward a point when Liberalism and anti-Catholicism are practically one in the same.

Why Secular Western Civilization Will Fall - VERY SOON!

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The words of Pope John Paul II echo in our minds no longer as a warning, but now as a prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. This is why Western Civilization (Europe, North and South America, Australia and even Russia) will not survive the next forty years. It's all going to come crashing down very quickly - slowly at first - but increasing with intensity until it's over....

If the promotion of the self is understood in terms of absolute autonomy, people inevitably reach the point of rejecting one another. Everyone else is considered an enemy from whom one has to defend oneself. Thus society becomes a mass of individuals placed side by side, but without any mutual bonds. Each one wishes to assert himself independently of the other and in fact intends to make his own interests prevail. Still, in the face of other people's analogous interests, some kind of compromise must be found, if one wants a society in which the maximum possible freedom is guaranteed to each individual. In this way, any reference to common values and to a truth absolutely binding on everyone is lost, and social life ventures on to the shifting sands of complete relativism. At that point, everything is negotiable, everything is open to bargaining: even the first of the fundamental rights, the right to life.

This is what is happening also at the level of politics and government: the original and inalienable right to life is questioned or denied on the basis of a parliamentary vote or the will of one part of the people-even if it is the majority. This is the sinister result of a relativism which reigns unopposed: the "right" ceases to be such, because it is no longer firmly founded on the inviolable dignity of the person, but is made subject to the will of the stronger part.

In this way democracy, contradicting its own principles, effectively moves towards a form of totalitarianism. The State is no longer the "common home" where all can live together on the basis of principles of fundamental equality, but is transformed into a tyrant State, which arrogates to itself the right to dispose of the life of the weakest and most defenceless members, from the unborn child to the elderly, in the name of a public interest which is really nothing but the interest of one part. The appearance of the strictest respect for legality is maintained, at least when the laws permitting abortion and euthanasia are the result of a ballot in accordance with what are generally seen as the rules of democracy. Really, what we have here is only the tragic caricature of legality; the democratic ideal, which is only truly such when it acknowledges and safeguards the dignity of every human person, is betrayed in its very foundations: "How is it still possible to speak of the dignity of every human person when the killing of the weakest and most innocent is permitted? In the name of what justice is the most unjust of discriminations practised: some individuals are held to be deserving of defence and others are denied that dignity?" When this happens, the process leading to the breakdown of a genuinely human co-existence and the disintegration of the State itself has already begun.

To claim the right to abortion, infanticide and euthanasia, and to recognize that right in law, means to attribute to human freedom a perverse and evil significance: that of an absolute power over others and against others. This is the death of true freedom: "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin" (Jn 8:34).

John Paul II

Evangelium Vitae

Mark my words, Western Civilization will not last another forty years under Secularism. Before 2050 Western Secularism will have imploded, giving way to a new theocratic system in it's place. The only thing that remains to be seen is this. Which type of theocratic system will ultimately take over? Will it be a revived form of Christendom? Or shall we look forward to prayer rugs, burkas and mosques? It's going to happen people. The only questions now are when and how.

THE RISE OF ANGLICAN CATHOLICISM !!!

Click Here To See Full Video Of Anglican Catholic Mass

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: The Anglican Apostolic Constitution has been published by Rome, and a new era in Church history has begun -- the era of Anglican Catholic Renewal! Being an Evangelical convert to Catholicism myself, I spent about a year in a moderately conservative Episcopal parish before swimming the Tiber. It was the Anglican love for catholic liturgy and form that opened my eyes to the beauty of the Catholic Church just before the turn of the millennium. So 'The Catholic Knight' has a special interest in the development of this Anglican reunification with Rome.

First let me say this. The future of Anglicanism lies squarely within the Catholic Church. The Protestant Anglican Communion (PAC) and the Archbishop of Canterbury are now defunct. I call it the "Protestant" Anglican Communion (PAC) because that is exactly what it is - Protestant. Granted, many Anglicans show a love and affection for all things catholic, and they deserve full recognition for that. One could possibly say they are "catholic" only in the extreme lesser sense, because they embrace many catholic practices. However, most Anglicans reject the authority of Rome, and while that does not negate their catholicism in and of itself, their lack of valid holy orders does. Anglicans have a 'catholic' style of religion, but the national provinces of the Anglican Communion are essentially Protestant churches. Therefore, the Anglican Communion is essentially a Protestant organization. Hence I call it the "Protestant Anglican Communion" or just PAC.

Now the reason why the future of Anglicanism lies squarely in Rome and not the PAC is because the PAC has demonstrated a complete inability to police it's own provinces and protect those who object to the liberalizing trends of modernist relativism. The PAC has effectively embraced the ordination of female bishops and homosexual bishops simply by it's inability (or refusal) to jettison those diocese that engage in this practice. So what is the future of the PAC? Simply put, it's going to be more of the same - a lot more of the same! In fact, we can expect the liberalizing trends of northern provinces within the PAC to accelerate in the years ahead as more and more conservatives leave the communion for other churches, or to join the Catholic Church via the Anglican Ordinariates.

Rome will preserve Anglican tradition far better than Canterbury ever could. How do I know that? Simple, we have over a thousand years of example. The Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church have operated in union with Rome, and with nearly complete autonomy, for a millennium. When we think of Eastern Rites, our minds often default to the Eastern Orthodox, who are not currently in union with Rome. However, what many people don't know is that a lot of Eastern Catholic churches refused to break with Rome, or else they chose to reunite with Rome after the initial schism back in 1054 AD. Those churches that remain in union with Rome are virtually indistinguishable from Eastern Orthodox churches, and yet they are fully Catholic in the sense that they are in full communion with the pope. The same will be the case with the Anglican Ordinariates, and thirty years from now, when the PAC is nothing more than a liberal shell of the great Christian body it once was, Anglican Ordinariates will be growing strong and leading the way for Catholics in the English-speaking world. By that time, the Anglican Ordinariates will be more "Anglican" than the PAC, and just as "catholic" as Rome itself.

The full text of the Anglican Apostolic Constitution can be viewed on the Vatican website HERE. What I provide below are excerpts, with my own commentary....

I. §1 Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church are erected by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith within the confines of the territorial boundaries of a particular Conference of Bishops in consultation with that same Conference.

§3 Each Ordinariate possesses public juridic personality by the law itself (ipso iure); it is juridically comparable to a diocese.

Ordinariates are a lot like diocese. They will be erected by Rome itself, working together with national Catholic bishop conferences, to establish these ordinariates within their territories. They will certainly overlap existing diocese, and each ordinariate will have it's own "Ordinary" (or bishop) who will govern that ordinariate with full episcopal authority, answering directly to Rome.

§4 The Ordinariate is composed of lay faithful, clerics and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, originally belonging to the Anglican Communion and now in full communion with the Catholic Church, or those who receive the Sacraments of Initiation within the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate.

Effectively, you become an "Anglican Catholic" (basically a "Roman Catholic" but with an additional Anglican identity) and in full communion with the pope, if you enter the Catholic Church through an Anglican Ordinariate parish. Now in regards to regular Roman Catholics who wish to join an Anglican Ordinariate, Fr. Phillips at his Anglican Use blog does a good job addressing this issue here.

§5 The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the authoritative expression of the Catholic faith professed by members of the Ordinariate.

Just in case there was any doubt, Anglican Catholic Ordinariates are fully Catholic, in full communion with the pope of Rome, and the beliefs are 100% identical.

III. Without excluding liturgical celebrations according to the Roman Rite, the Ordinariate has the faculty to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical celebrations according to the liturgical books proper to the Anglican tradition, which have been approved by the Holy See, so as to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared.

The Anglican "Book of Common Prayer" has already been revised and approved by Rome under the new title of "Book of Divine Worship." A free online PDF version can be acquired HERE. It is expected that a newer revision will eventually be published after the new Ordinariates have been formed, and a general conference is convened among the new Anglican ordinary bishops to further define and propagate their traditions. Of course this new revision will have to be approved by Rome as well. The Anglican Catholic mass is in many ways similar to the traditional Roman Rite mass (extraordinary form), however it is all in traditional high English, and it includes some things that are particularly unique to Anglican tradition. It also excludes a few things which are particularly unique to Roman tradition. The same could be said for the Anglican Divine Office (or "Liturgy of the Hours").

§ 2. The Ordinary, in full observance of the discipline of celibate clergy in the Latin Church, as a rule (pro regula) will admit only celibate men to the order of presbyter. He may also petition the Roman Pontiff, as a derogation from can. 277, §1, for the admission of married men to the order of presbyter on a case by case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See.

The rule of celibacy applies identically to the Anglican Ordinariates as it does the the Byzantine Catholic Rite, and other Eastern Catholic rites. Typically celibate men are admitted as candidates for Holy Orders. However, married men (men already married that is) may apply for Holy Orders on a case by case basis. It is presumed that at least some will be admitted, however we can expect celibacy to be the common norm for Anglican Catholic priests, just as it is for Byzantine Catholic priests. There is no reason, whatsoever, to believe that this permission will lead to priests getting married, as some in the press have theorized. This tradition is 100% compatible with eastern Catholic traditions and the Roman Catholic tradition up until the Second Lateran Council in 1139 AD.

§ 5. Candidates for Holy Orders in an Ordinariate should be prepared alongside other seminarians, especially in the areas of doctrinal and pastoral formation. In order to address the particular needs of seminarians of the Ordinariate and formation in Anglican patrimony, the Ordinary may also establish seminary programs or houses of formation which would relate to existing Catholic faculties of theology.

VII. The Ordinary, with the approval of the Holy See, can erect new Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, with the right to call their members to Holy Orders, according to the norms of canon law. Institutes of Consecrated Life originating in the Anglican Communion and entering into full communion with the Catholic Church may also be placed under his jurisdiction by mutual consent.

VIII. § 1. The Ordinary, according to the norm of law, after having heard the opinion of the Diocesan Bishop of the place, may erect, with the consent of the Holy See, personal parishes for the faithful who belong to the Ordinariate.

XII. For judicial cases, the competent tribunal is that of the Diocese in which one of the parties is domiciled, unless the Ordinariate has constituted its own tribunal, in which case the tribunal of second instance is the one designated by the Ordinariate and approved by the Holy See.

Yes, you read that right! The Anglican Ordinary bishop may erect his own seminaries, institutes of consecrated life (holy orders), parishes and tribunals, all in cooperation with Rome and having heard the opinion of the Roman Rite diocesan bishop this may effect.

In effect, what we have is a "church within the Church" fully governed by the pope and the norms of canon law. Also, we have the makings of a whole new rite (or the resurgence of an old rite) within the Catholic Church, should it ever come to that at some point in the distant future. At present the status of "Ordinariate" was far more than anyone expected and is more than satisfying to the Anglicans involved. The rites and privileges they've been given within the Catholic Church are nothing short of amazing!

'The Catholic Knight' predicts this will have a profound effect on Catholics in the English-speaking world, though maybe not right away. Time will be the main factor here. Anglican Ordinariates will prove to be both liturgically traditional, and profoundly orthodox on doctrinal matters, just as they already have proved in the United States where "Anglican Use" parishes have existed for some thirty years. The effect of Anglican Ordinariates will call all Catholics to a more traditional and orthodox expression of the Catholic faith in the English-speaking world. Indeed, the creation of Anglican Ordinariate parishes will not only be attractive to Anglicans within the PAC, but also some Roman Catholics disgusted with the liberal practices and teachings typically found in many Roman Catholic parishes these days. Thus it is completely reasonable to assume that future Anglican Catholic parishes will consist of a mixture of parishioners coming from both the Anglican tradition, and regular visitors from the Roman Catholic tradition. Anglican Ordinariates in England and the United States are effectively as good as established, simply because of the presence of many Anglicans already in full-communion with the Roman Catholic Church in these areas. More nations will soon follow.
If you wish to join an Anglican Catholic parish, or would like to start one in your area, use these contacts below for more information...

Inside the United States contact: president@anglicanuse.org
Outside the United States contact: plusjohn@senet.com.au

Good Catholics Should Abandon The Novus Ordo Mass

THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: For the last couple years, The Catholic Knight has been assisting at both the full Roman Rite and it's abbreviated form. By that I mean both the Traditional Latin Mass (extraordinary form) and the Contemporary Vernacular Mass (ordinary form), often called the "Novus Ordo" (meaning "new order") mass. I believed that as the Holy Father's liturgical reforms began to take shape, the celebration of the Novus Ordo mass in our diocese in Southern Missouri would improve. I have not seen this to be the case at all. If anything, it's gotten worse! Whenever there is an opportunity for liturgical abuse, it is taken, without exception. Whenever there is a chink in the armor of liturgical rubrics, it is exploited to the fullest, even to the point of ignoring the rubrics entirely. About three months ago I assisted a Novus Ordo mass at a nearby college wherein the priest continually stopped during the Liturgy of the Eucharist, to "explain" to the congregation what he was doing and what these things mean. About the same time, I learned that the liturgical director of our diocese has been privately requesting some priests do this. This is surly against the will of the local bishop, but so far, no action as been taken to correct the matter.

Now we have the latest abuse. Because of the swine (H1N1) flu outbreak, entire diocese across America are now being instructed by their bishops to refuse communion on the tongue. The reason given is fear of spreading the disease. However, participation in receiving the cup is still permitted. (Go figure!) In the previous 100 years prior to Vatican II, such a thing was never heard of. During the 1908 and 1918 flu epidemics, which killed literally millions of people, communion was still received on the tongue. Likewise, during the smallpox and polio outbreaks of the 1920s through 1950s, communion was still received on the tongue. The Vatican has specifically instructed all diocese throughout the world to make accommodation for communion on the tongue for all Catholics who want to receive that way, everywhere, and without exception. Yet we know that in this post-conciliar era the USCCB has been trying to buck this directive for decades, even to the point of issuing non-binding "official" documents stating that communion in the hand is the "norm" for Catholics in the United States. Thus they imply that if you receive communion on the tongue, that is somehow "abnormal." In turn, Vatican prelates have instructed Catholic Americans to ignore such ridiculous "official" statements from local bishop conferences (like the USCCB).

So my question is this. When does this illicit policy against communion on the tongue end? Does it end when the swine flu outbreak is over? What about the seasonal flu, which hasn't even started yet? Then after the seasonal flu, what comes next? Shall the bishops impose this same illicit policy during the next flu outbreak? If that's the case, why bother dropping the policy at all? Why not just keep it in force year round? Then what about other virus outbreaks? What about the threat of biological terrorism? Anthrax? Smallpox? etc. For that matter, I suppose just about any viral outbreak would qualify, since infants and the elderly die from common infections all the time. What about community acquired staff infections, or strep throat? Of course, TB is on the rise again, and is slowly reaching epidemic proportions. I suppose they'll have to ban communion on the tongue for that too. My point here is that this latest policy is just the next link in a long chain of liturgical abuses perpetuated by the USCCB and liberal clergy partial to the Novus Ordo mass.

These latest events have become the last straw for me. I have completely abandoned the Novus Ordo mass, and I am calling upon ALL faithful and orthodox Catholics to do the same. Yes, that's right. So long as Catholics continue to put up with one abuse after another, so long as we continue to tolerate it, then it will continue forever! English speaking Catholics now have three alternatives available to them...

1. The full Roman Rite (extraordinary form) in Latin,
2. The Anglican Use of the Roman Rite in English,
3. The Byzantine Rite, or some other eastern rite in full communion with Rome.

Unless of course the abbreviated form (Novus Ordo) mass happens to be celebrated correctly at your parish, which is an extreme liturgical rarity, good Catholics should seek local alternatives. Sadly, the liturgical abuses have gone on for so long throughout the United States and Canada, that most North American Catholics don't even know what a proper liturgical celebration is supposed to look like. They've never seen it! It's sad but true. Therefore 'The Catholic Knight' blog provides you with these short (4 minute) videos demonstrating a Novus Ordo mass celebrated properly, and compared to the full Roman Rite (extraordinary form) mass. Remember, the Novus Ordo mass is SUPPOSED to be an abbreviated form of the Roman Rite. Basically the rule of thumb is this. A properly celebrated Novus Ordo mass should look and sound very much like an old Roman Rite Latin mass. If it doesn't, then it's not properly celebrated...

Novus Ordo Mass - Properly Celebrated


Full Roman Rite Mass
(i.e. "Extraordinary Form")


So I have a challenge for you. If you're a Catholic reading this, and you're not sure if your parish is celebrating the mass properly, according to the directives of Rome, then my challenge is that you look around. Look in the yellow pages of your phone book, and see if you can find an Extraordinary Form, Anglican Use or Byzantine Catholic mass in your area. If you can find one -- ATTEND IT! Try it out. So long as the parish is in full communion with Rome, it really doesn't matter what form of the liturgy they are using, as long as they're doing it correctly, and there is no Church law that says you can't go there. Try it out and see what you think. If you attend any of the above listed liturgies for any length of time, you will soon get a good liturgical sense about you, and you'll know if your previous parish was celebrating the Novus Ordo properly or not. Then you can make an INFORMED decision about whether or not the liturgy is being celebrated properly in your regular parish, and if you want to go back there.

That's the best advice I can give you in the liturgical crisis we now find ourselves in. The good news is that within a decade the crisis will be near over. Most of the retro-1970s priests perpetuating the problems will be retired by then, and the new priests coming out of seminary today are overwhelmingly traditional. Within two decades the crisis will be over, and the standard celebration of mass in the English speaking world will be either the full Roman Rite (in Latin) or else the Anglican Use.

Rumors have been confirmed that the Vatican is currently working on a total revision of the Novus Ordo mass, which is supposed to bring it more in line with the full Roman Rite (extraordinary form) mass. The success of this reform will be dependent on the priests, and if they are traditional enough to celebrate it properly. It is unknown as to when this new revision of the Novus Ordo mass will be released, and it remains to be seen how well it will be celebrated by young traditional priests who overwhelming prefer the full Roman Rite in Latin. Regardless of this, the coming revised English Novus Ordo mass will meet considerable competition in the English-speaking world with the newly emerging Anglican Use liturgy under the direction of the newly emerging Anglican Ordinariates. Good Catholic Americans must prepare for this inevitability. Start getting ready now, and get yourselves out of the Novus Ordo mass (unless it's properly celebrated) as soon as possible. Start looking around, new opportunities are presenting themselves everywhere, and you can always make a formal request for the full Roman Rite, or the Anglican Use, in your local area.

Full Roman Rite Catholic Mass


Anglican Use Catholic Mass


Eastern Rite Catholic Divine Liturgy