CATHEDRA PETRI CHAIR OF ST PETER

Unfortunately dear readers I have been busy with a new place of employment and have been unable to add new material to this blog. I should however like to say that I am encouraged by the large amount of readers who have added their names to the petition to which this blog is dedicated. I would like to encourage you all to make known this petition far and wide. On the feast of the Chair of St Petrus traditionally the statue of St Peter in Saint Peter's Rome is clothed in a beautiful cope (not unlike those being worn of late in Rome Deo Gratias) and crowned with the beloved Triregnum Tiara. We all pray that our Holy Father will revive the use of this symbol of his sublime office soon.

PLEASE READ AND SIGN AND MAKE KNOWN THE FOLLOWING PETITION TO THE HOLY FATHER FOR A RETURN OF THE TRIREGNUM

THE FOLLOWING PETITION TO THE HOLY FATHER CAN BE SIGNED AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: Petition for a return of the Papal triregnum tiara Petition ...

Most Holy Father,

We are most grateful to you for your continued untiring dedication in restoring the sacred to the holy liturgy & above all we thank you for your Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum" and the restoration of the Classical Rite. We can only applaud your efforts to restore continuity in the Church. We especially laud your continued effort to restore the use of venerable papal vestments & other traditions thereby reaffirming the dignity of your office as the Vicar of Christ. Many if not most of us were born during or after the Second Vatican Council. Many of us feel robbed of our sacred patrimony as Roman Catholics and are therefore all the more grateful to your holiness for your work for the "hermeneutic of continuity" in holy mother church. Most of us were deeply saddened at the abandonment of the triregnum & papal coronation as provided for by your predecessor his holiness of blessed memory Paul VI in his 1975 Apostolic Constitution "Romano Pontifici Eligendo". This venerable ceremony and crowning with the papal triregnum so full of rich symbolism calling to mind the very kingship of Jesus Christ would be but one more blessed opportunity to pay tribute to our patrimony. We the undersigned faithful humbly beg you Holy Father to restore the venerable tradition of the triregnum to the papal ceremonial. The patriarchs of the Orthodox east do not refrain from their own traditions & insignia of their patriarchal office and authority therefore all the more fitting is it that you holy father the vicar of Christ, the patriarch of all the west, the bishop of Rome should wear that ancient symbol of your office the triregnum. For as Mgr Nabuco states in his "Ius Pontificalium" : "Being exempt from all human authority, [The Apostolic Lord: (The Pope)] is crowned with a Tiara and uses it vested with the Sacred Vestments as a sign of his supreme dignity in temporal as well as in spiritual matters."

Submitted respectfully in the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary.

Out of necessity

Since my work schedule now requires me to work more Sundays a month than I would like I am now out of necessity to make a painful decision. There is only one diocesan sponsored usus antiquior in my city on any given Sunday. There are 2 or 3 that are either SSPX, Sedevacantist, Sedeprivationist ect at various chapels. My dilemma is one that I'm sure many out there are faced with: what to do when I am unable to assist at the diocesan sponsored usus antiquior? I would not have issue with going to a chapel of SSPX. I have at this time opted to try to find a tolerable missa ordinaria which is like finding a needle in a haystack. It is a real dilemma of conscience for me. I have issue with alot that goes on at most parish liturgies. My real dilemma is that because of circumstances being the way they are ie. 'EXTRAORDINARY ministers of the Eucharist', hand communion, and just the whole decorum that goes along with celebrations of average missa ordinaria. My biggest issue is not being able to kneel for holy communion which bothers me a great deal and so normally (like today) I went with out and made a spiritual communion which is a great sacrifice. Would that there were parishes like a former one of mine Church and School of St. Agnes or St. Joseph Catholic Church, Detroit, Michigan or St John Cantius Parish to name a few places where the missa ordinaria are celebrated with as much hermeneutic of continuity as possible. Alas I don't have this option. I beg your prayers that the liturgical landscape will begin to change soon.

FASTING

This will be the third year or so that i've sought to hold to a more traditional fast during the season of Lent. This means for me one major meal and two smaller meals that together do not equal the major meal. I try because of my blood sugar to drink pure fruit juice between my meals. As I long ago gave up flesh meats I try to limit my use of eggs and dairy to Sundays without being too scrupulous about it. This being more akin to the fast held by eastern churches. I find I do very well increasing my intake of fresh vegetables, legumes & whole grains. I also try to drink lots of fresh water. The practice of fasting has made me appreciate food and God's providence alot more. Fasting has made me more grateful for God's bounty and much more aware.

The fisheaters website has alot of wonderful information on Fasting and Abstinence. I am going to try to include some good lenten recipes for all my readers.

Shrove Tuesday

I took the opportunity to be 'shriven' this past Saturday morning. I've always liked that word 'shriven'. I have very vivid memories of the lively celebrations of Carnival in Cologne and the Rhineland where I lived for many years. The one thing that always amazed me was that in many places where Carnival is celebrated it's become nothing more than an opportunity for sin and hedonistic indulgence for people who have no intention of giving up anything for Lent let alone offending almighty God.

I've always liked this work by Bruegel, "The fight between carnival and Lent". If you get a chance to see view it up close it's quite extraordinary (Click on the picture to enlarge it). It's very full of symbolism. If you look closely in the upper right hand corner you can see penitents leaving the Church (after having been shriven). I hope most of you had the opportunity to go to confession today or are planning to do so soon.

The Lenten rigours begin tomorrow. The current law of the Church obliges us to fast and abstain from meat on only two days Ash Wednesday (tomorrow) and Good Friday as well as abastaining from all meat on all the fridays of Lent. I gave up meat long ago in order to live a more simple life so I try to fast more during Lent and to give up dairy and eggs on the fridays of lent (as is the custom in the eastern rite churches). If any of you need any recipes for making lenten fare, I would be most happy to send them to you.

The Code of Canon Law states that Fridays throughout the year and in the time of Lent are penitential days for the entire Church. Although fasting usually refers to any practice of restricting food, there is a distinction, in the Church, between fast (limiting food to one full meal a day, with two smaller meals allowed) and abstinence (abstaining from eating meat.) Abstinence from meat on Fridays as the universal form of penance on all Fridays is no longer mandatory. We may choose another way of observing the Church's requirement for acts of penance on Fridays, but we are not to neglect it, either.
Since the change in the abstinence rules, some people have become confused about the requirement to observe penitential days. As a result, the discipline of fasting (or abstaining from meat) or any form of regular penance has all but disappeared. Confession, or the Sacrament of Penance (or Reconciliation) has sharply declined, as well.
Both fast and abstinence are required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. For the record, rules of the Church in the United States about fasting and abstinence in effect since 1966 state that:
"Catholics in the United States are obliged to abstain from the eating of meat on Ash Wednesday and on all Fridays during the season of Lent. They are also obliged to fast on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday. Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly recommended. Abstinence from flesh meat on all Fridays of the year [excluding solemnities like Christmas which may fall on Friday] is especially recommended to individuals and to the Catholic community as a whole." (ref. Canons 1249-1253, Code of Canon Law)

Happy Candlemas

• I wish you all dear readers where ever you are a very happy and blessed Candlemas. I went to the early traditional Mass this morning at 7am. Unfortunately, we didn't have the procession and blessing of candles. I remember growing up with the 'forma ordinaria' that the liturgy for this day included a gathering outside the church or oratory with blessing of candles and priest & people processing into the Church. Unfortunately during my childhood we didn't celebrate this beautiful feastday with the blessing of candles or procession. This like so many of the ancient observances fell into disuse after the council. It's very important to have blessed candles in the home. They are used to meet the priest at the door with the Blessed Sacrament when he comes on sick calls and to have on the bedside table in the sick room. If you like me were unable to get any at Church you can get them here: http://www.theholyfamily.com/Candles.htm




• We live in dark times. We need all the light we can get! I think few of you would disagree with this. We as traditional Catholics need to be 'a light to the nations' and to all of those around us. There is such beauty and richness to our Catholic faith. Septuagesima is fast ending. Lent will be upon us soon. It's time for us to get our 'lenten rule' formulated. Last year I did my best to assist at the traditional Mass every day. Unfortunately, I don't think I will be able to do that this year but i'll try to do something. Let's all make a holy Lent. Let us pray that with the revival of the ancient liturgy that such beautiful traditions will be revived as well. Pray fervently for the holy father, pray for the consecration and conversion of Russia, pray for a revival and return to holy tradition.