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Beautiful, hot summer day watching Clark Street traffic and small birds. The private mass a liberating experience. Pope Leo on praying for an end to climate change.

Cardinal Cupich and "unity," a match made in heaven?

Restore Individualistic Piety. Follow St Newman, Pius XII’s Mediator Dei, avoid "unthinking conformity to the collectivistic spirit of the times." Take a pass on an unnecessary “feeling of community.”

More of "10 Critical Issues Facing the Next Pope" offered by old Vatican hand: clearing up Vatican 2 "ambiguities" and reforming the Jesuits . . .

What Pope Leo must do -- a laundry list offered by an old Vatican hand who wrote a book five years ago about "Leading Cardinal Candidates" with nothing in it about a man named Prevost . . .

Mass as holy lecture? Head trip? Readings in Novus Ordo vs. traditional: something cooking here? St. Michael prayer scary? Latin bad? Good? Reverence under attack? And what happened to the Holy Ghost?

Adjust to modern world for pastoral reasons, but aren't there limits to such adjustments? Of course there are. Above all, do not change the message, only make it more effective . . .

Glad-handing at Mass #6. First, it's a mirror of the overall new-mass problem. For many not all a problem, that is, who should not be thrown under the new-mass bus by overly enthusiastic bishops.

Leo reinterprets Scripture to meet UN purposes. Why does he talk that way? Presents vineyard workers story with a modern twist, as if making a case for DEI.

In homily on family, Leo advances theological framework that brought us here, with its "ambiguity, humanism, and sentimental universalism"

Francis man approves Leo XVI, ditto Francis disapprover, cautiously, concerned about Leo's handling the Charlotte liturgy business and banning of Latin etc. by harsh, extremist bishop

Glad-handing at Mass #5, some tips on how to be a good mass-attender and a non-conformist at the same time. Why deal with each other when Christ Himself awaits you?

Glad-handing in the middle of Mass #4, follow-up on previous 3. Investigating its post-Vatican II developments and what Benedict said in 2007 after the 2005 synod on the Eucharist . . .

Glad-handing in the middle of Mass, #3: Catholics being Christians — glad-handing pro and con but mostly con

Glad-handing in the middle of Mass: Father John tries to put not-so-glad-handers at ease, second of a series

Glad-handing in the middle of Mass, first of a series

Cardinal of Chicago pitches new way to fight (asking politely?) abortion, Catholic Charities uses pro-abortion lobbyist for abortionists. What on earth is going on?

Now, having given two sides of our Leo, rated according to reporter's preference, let us now hear about a full-scale presentation of the new man in Rome, one-two-three-go, no or few holds barred . . .

So that's that, ok? Now what? No more Francis to kick around. New man with a more, ah, civilized -- polished -- way about him, and can you believe, Chicago-born. Who'd a-thunk it?

More rogues gallery candidates for following in Francis' footsteps. Too much like him, says traditionalist compiler . . .

Some really bad possible candidates for next pope, a rogues gallery. Gives you idea of what traditionalists reject in case you're interested and/or didn't know . . .

Is John XXIV on his way? Yes, but also no. The rest of the story, “a rumor, a tip-off, if we want to call it that. The kind that makes you jump out of your seat . . .

It's conclave time, everyone. Here's some inside scooping by uber knowledge veteran with heavy traditionalist mind and reputation. There are "progressives" and there are "progressives."

Just when I thought, enough of blasting Francis, I come across this, which I couldn't pass. Covers a multitude of bases.

Was Francis a liberal? If not, what? Plus list of offenses: Upheaval. Ambiguity. Ignoring critics. His "penchant for draconian disciplines." "Unrelenting" attack on the Traditional Mass. And more . .

Joseph Addison columnist centries ago, readable. The pope: He's dead, to begin with. Now what? Did he leave a mess?

In Catholic devotional talk, is "love"overdone? Plus "The Pope is Dead. Long Live the Papacy" and "What now, Holy Church?"

Notes to self 3. On to Good Friday, Mass of the Presanctified, no hoc est enim. No reenactment of Calvary, but reminder of same. A mass and not a mass. Sermon by Venezuelan. Holy Saturday Lauds . . .

Lockdowns Never Again: Sweden Was Right, and We Were Wrong -- an August of 2020 assessment and reminder of the terrible foolishness of lockdown

Notes to self 2: Catholic Reformation, Listen to Teresa, immediate care on Broadway, Insomnia, Catherine of Genoa, Lauds for pew-sitters . . .

Notes to the self: Believe God, Spy Wednesday, McDonald’s, Robert Herrick on insomnia, no-dog walking, writing snippets . . .

My Starbucks day . . .

Homily Helper #4. Jeremiah in trouble. Not to fear, the Lord is here. And Jesus? Once more he argues his divinity, once more he is threatened, once more escapes, his time not yet arrived.

Homily Helper #3. Abram gets a new name and an offer he can't refuse. His people have a deal -- if they can keep it. Jesus jousts with Jews, who threaten him, he escapes. The beat goes on . . .

Homily Helper #2, the day's Scripture Old-style. Leviticus tells of Moses delivering God's law. Jesus once more defends himself to disbelieving Jewish leaders.

Homily Helper, reporting the day's Scripture. As about today's king, burned up about 3 young men but unable to burn them. Then Jesus about sin as enslaver.

Dead man rising. Widow of Nain's only son. Told to "Weep not." He rises, begins talking, a "holy fear" fills witnesses. Another matter: Why Latin in the mass?

The man born blind sees, Pharisees quiz him, he quizzes them back, they kick him out. Jesus looks him up, puts the crucial question, gets an answer for the ages. All in a day's work for the Savior.

The Samaritan woman at the well. “You’re a Jew,” she asks, “and you ask me for water?” “Go and get your husband,” he said. "I have no husband." His conversion-stopper. Savior of the world!

Thinking while walking: Able to do both at same time. Coming up with friendly advice in spiritual matters for Christians and others. Second guessing today's standard vocabulary accurate as it is . . .

Why Catholics attend old-style masses. Worshipers and pastor made their case in 1993 Chi Tribune account. Worship as "vertical," not "horizontal," focus on God not fellow worshipers . . .

Old-style Catholic mass in Oak Park, 1993, as in Chicago Tribune by Jim Bowman - in two parts; Part One

Zeno, Henry James, Tristram Shandy, Stephen King. Keats, glorious Keats. Waugh vs. Mitford. Death's sting. Elvis danced. Yvor Winters. Janis Joplin. The crime of sentimentalism.

The day's blitz by a fairly astute observer. Moses lays down the law, for his people. Became a message for all, Roman church included. Gospel writers, a new kind of Jew, told us about it, remind us.

Let's face it, God is everywhere. Question is, what are we going to do about it?

Mixtum-gatherum #2: Death's sting. JD Vance said WHAT? Faith, Hope, and What? Hooray for love. The Pope’s condition.

Church Reporter: “Sermons are too long, too personal, disorganized”

Notes of long ago Oak Parker: Bread Kitchen. Columns. Blackwood’s Magazine. Fetus targeted. Rush Limbaugh. Karl Popper. Somerset Maugham. Paul Vallas. Road to Serfdom.

Mass as dangerous to one's mass attendance. The flexible mike. Why are the poor blessed? What about the rich? Hard words from the preaching Jesus.

Mixtum-gatherum #1. Gaza strip: pecking away at a Trump initiative. Pope Francis on immigration: Why so against stopping illegals? Plus, he's another Joe Biden?

'60s made for tricky situations. Idealistic young church worker asked by visiting black-studies prof to buy guns for "the movement." Unabomber and cop-killer. Francis Bacon on marriage.

(POSTED: 8/16/10) The Rev. Jeffrey Keefe’s first encounter with a same-sex-attracted client had a “profound effect” on him, he told priests and other pastoral workers at Mundelein Seminary July, 2010

Priest in business of "helping same-sex-oriented people calm their urges and live chaste lives." Fr. Paul Check at Catholic Citizens of Illinois luncheon July 9, 2010.

14 June 2010: Parishioners asked, pastor supplied forum about clerical abuse. Bishops' man fills them in, answers questions. A multi-faceted report on the scandal and bishops' response . . .

"We pray," the reader says at holy mass. For the end of the world, vote-stealing, political corruption? For God's "loving embrace”? Russell Shaw's American Church. What would John the Baptist say?

New version of Mass, in priest's own words as of Feb 10, 2011, when the mass as head trip was already living rent-free in the worshiper's mind, a flea-bitten space . . .

Words matter!!

St. Sabina’s Michael Pfleger, "a man on fire" in 2011. A page in Windy City Catholicism of a story unfolding even as we speak . . .

My night at the Trump rally, March 11, 2016

When mass attendance became a head trip part 3

When mass attendance became a head trip part 2

When mass attendance became a head trip