British lords, celebrities call on Vatican to preserve ‘treasure’ of Latin Mass

British media executive Sir Nicholas Coleridge, journalist Fraser Nelson, classical pianist Dame Mitsuko Uchida, author Tom Holland, and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger in a July 2, 2024, letter in the London newspaper The Times called upon the Holy See to preserve what they describe as the “magnificent” cultural artifact of the Catholic Church’s Traditional Latin Mass. | Credit: ANDREW MATTHEWS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images; David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Spectator Life; Ian Nicholson/WPA Pool/Getty Images; David Levenson/Getty Images; and Dave Benett/Getty Images for Harry's Bar

By Daniel Payne

CNA Staff, Jul 3, 2024 / 12:45 pm

A distinguished cadre of British public figures is calling upon the Holy See to preserve what they describe as the “magnificent” cultural artifact of the Catholic Church’s Traditional Latin Mass.

In 2021 Pope Francis placed sweeping restrictions on the celebration of Mass using the 1962 Roman Missal, known also as the extraordinary form of the Roman rite and the Tridentine Mass. Rumors have circulated in recent months that the Vatican is preparing to clamp down further on the celebration of that ancient liturgy.

No new directives on the Latin Mass have yet been promulgated amid the rumors. In a Tuesday letter to the London newspaper the Times, meanwhile, a wide cross-section of English cultural fixtures openly implored the Vatican to refrain from restricting the rite further.

“Recently there have been worrying reports from Rome that the Latin Mass is to be banished from nearly every Catholic church,” the letter said. “This is a painful and confusing prospect, especially for the growing number of young Catholics whose faith has been nurtured by it.”

The signatories, which included actress and human rights advocate Bianca Jagger, author Tom Holland, musical eminence Julian Lloyd Webber, and media executive Sir Nicholas Coleridge, described the Latin Mass as a “cathedral” of “text and gesture” that developed over many centuries.

“Not everyone appreciates its value and that is fine,” the writers said, “but to destroy it seems an unnecessary and insensitive act in a world where history can all too easily slip away forgotten.”

“The old rite’s ability to encourage silence and contemplation is a treasure not easily replicated, and, when gone, impossible to reconstruct,” they said.

The writers in their letter pointed to a 1971 petition from a similar cross-section of prominent Britons that had also asked the Vatican to preserve the Latin Mass in England.

That petition led to the “Agatha Christie indult” allowing the extraordinary form to continue there; the indult was named after the famous author who was among the signatories.

In their letter this week the British celebrities said their petition, like the 1971 request, was “entirely ecumenical and nonpolitical.”

“The signatories include Catholics and non-Catholics, believers and nonbelievers,” they wrote. “We implore the Holy See to reconsider any further restriction of access to this magnificent spiritual and cultural heritage.”

In issuing the 2021 guidelines, the pope had said he was saddened that the celebration of the extraordinary form was now characterized by a rejection of the Second Vatican Council and its liturgical reforms.

To doubt the council, he said at the time, is “to doubt the Holy Spirit himself who guides the Church.”

 

 

How The Devil Distorted The Rainbow

As the devil makes modified Christian symbols signs of rebellion against God.

The rainbow is a natural phenomenon that occurs when the sun’s rays pass through water.

And in a world filled with natural wonders, few phenomena captivate the human spirit as much as the vibrant beauty of a rainbow.

But beyond its aesthetic appeal, the rainbow contains deep symbolism, which speaks of the depths of our faith and of God’s unlimited love and his promises.

Let us also remember that the sun represents God, while water represents life.

That is why the devil has taken the rainbow, emptying it of its form and its original content.

Because he cannot create anything, he always copies God, in this case by taking the rainbow for himself, subverting it aesthetically, and assuming in its content to promote his values, also the inverse of God.

In the Holy Scriptures the rainbow is presented as a gift from God.

In the book of Genesis, Noah leaves the ark at the end of the flood and makes an altar for the Almighty.

And immediately God sends the rainbow as a sign, symbolizing that earth will no longer be destroyed again.

In the Book of Exodus, the rainbow is presented as a sign of the Throne of God.

And in Ezekiel, as a presence of God in Heaven.

And the rainbow also appears reflected in the wings of the angels, because they carry the reflection of God.

In the New Testament, it appears as an expression of the glory of God.

In the Book of Revelation, the rainbow appears again as part of the Throne of God.

And it is exposed as a sign of the end of man’s time and the announcement of the Kingdom of God.

Tradition has linked this play of colors in nature to the Virgin Mary.

Firstly, with the mystery of Her Nativity, it is said that the Virgin was born at six in the afternoon under the shadow of the rainbow.

Anne Catherine Emmerich had a vision that, when Jesus was born, there was a sign for the Roman emperor.

She observed a Virgin sitting on a rainbow with a Child Who seemed to come out of her.

The emperor went to consult an oracle, who fell silent with shock upon learning of the birth of Jesus.


And the Three Wise Men also saw that rainbow, where the Virgin was on the crescent.

So the rainbow is not only present in the creation of the world and in the revelation of God to men, but also in the incarnation of the Son of God.

In the apparitions of the Virgin of Guadalupe del Tepeyac, the Indian Juan Diego describes the Virgin on a type of bright lights, a rainbow that acts as a throne.

And perhaps for that reason, in some revelations, the rainbow is spoken of as the sign of God’s intervention in the world.

Our Lady allegedly said in Garabandal that there will be a sign prior to the “Warning” or “Illumination of Conscience.” 

According to alleged seer Conchita, it begins with the letter A, and many speculate that it could be a rainbow.

And on June 17, 2023, a northeastern nun had a vision of an altar boy of about fifteen years old who claimed to come with God’s permission to reveal a great event related to the tribulation already present.

He said that before this event appears, a sign will occur, a huge rainbow, which the whole world will see.

We have made a video about this event, which we recommend you watch.

So up to this point, we have seen that the rainbow is a warning sign of God’s intervention, of hope, of mercy, and of His protection.

But it is also true of the genuine breadth and diversity found in the Church of Christ, which brings together Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women:

Of all nations, cultures, races and peoples, in one family of God.

And in turn, just as the colors of the rainbow blend harmoniously, creating a magnificent kaleidoscope, so our lives are called to radiate the various facets of our unique gifts and virtues as we become living reflections of the Love of Christ, and by bringing others closer to God, through our words and actions.

But the devil does everything possible to destroy the work of God by trying to foster the spirit of antichrist throughout history.

And we know that the spirit of antichrist imitates and mocks Christ, takes what is of God and reverses it.

Because the demon that produces it is the father of lies, he cannot create anything; he is only God’s monkey.

And he will not come up with a new symbol for the investment of values ​​that he encourages, but rather take a symbol of God and desecrate it.

The devil’s great fixation is on supplanting God and being worshiped.

That’s where it comes from: appropriating the symbols of God and perverting them. 

In other words, it empties them of meaning and turns them inside out like a sock.

And what is the consequence?

That any moral or doctrinal inversion of a Christian symbol necessarily becomes a demonic symbol.

And the rainbow symbol, among others, has become the object of this manipulation.

Lately, the devil has used this symbol, not as a sign of hope, nor of the glory of God, but as one of defiance to God.

In the Holy Scriptures and in Catholic tradition, the rainbow is seven colors, as it appears in nature.

And it is one of the symbols that represents the Holy Spirit.

But half a century ago, the enemies of God, those who lived the spirit of antichrist, began to use the six-color rainbow.

According to ancient numerology, six is the number of man and seven is the number of the Divine, and there are seven colors in a natural rainbow.

This rebellion means the attempt to supplant God with man, deifying Him and forgetting His limits as a creature.

And when it is insisted on, 666, we are facing the number of the beast that the Apocalypse warns about. 

So then, a rainbow that rebels against nature, because it does not preserve the colors of the rainbow produced by natural laws, is also the symbol of the moral inversion of the natural law that God created.

And he who uses it puts himself at the service of the beast.

In conclusion, the natural rainbow represents the Presence and Mercy of God.

And it means salvation for the human being who is obedient to God.

But the modified rainbow means destruction for those who do not want to believe in God but rather follow the moral investment plans of the evil one.

 

Matthew 9:1-8 Get up, and pick up your bed, your sins are forgiven

The Healing of the Paralytic, Anonymous Netherlandish painter, 16th century Oil on panel © National Gallery of Art, Washington

Gospel Reading

Jesus got in the boat, crossed the water and came to his own town. Then some people appeared, bringing him a paralytic stretched out on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Courage, my child, your sins are forgiven.’ And at this some scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’ Knowing what was in their minds Jesus said, ‘Why do you have such wicked thoughts in your hearts? Now, which of these is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? But to prove to you that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,’ – he said to the paralytic – ‘get up, and pick up your bed and go off home.’ And the man got up and went home. A feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this, and they praised God for giving such power to men.

Reflection on the painting

Our 16th-century Netherlandish painting by an anonymous artist depicts the paralytic after he has been healed by Jesus, as in our Gospel reading today. He got up, picked up his bed and is now walking away. In the distance we see him before his healing, lying on his makeshift mattress in front of a house. On the roof of the house we see men opening a hole, to lower a sick man through - the artist combining two healing stories here in the same painting. But most of the painting is a large depiction of the man walking along the road (depicted on the right) towards a new life. Humbled by his experience, he gazes down at the ground, a stark contrast to his previous life spent looking up at passersby. His world has been turned upside down, and his new posture reflects the profound change he has undergone. The paralytic man symbolises each one of us in our need for God's forgiveness. In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus powerfully asserts his authority to forgive sins. He declares to the paralytic, "Get up, pick up your bed, and go home; your sins are forgiven." This profound statement not only heals the man's physical ailment but also offers the spiritual renewal that only Christ can provide, highlighting the transformative power of divine mercy and grace in our own lives. What we should remember about today's story is that the paralytic man was brought to Jesus by his friends; he couldn't have reached him on his own. Without his friends, he would not have been healed. His forgiveness and healing came through the faith and efforts of others. Similarly, in our lives today, while our faith is personal, it is never meant to be private. Our faith calls us to be brought to Jesus by our friends and to recognise the need to bring others closer to him. This is the essence of the Church community: we bring people to Christ and are brought to him by our friends.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

 

John 20: 24-29 The Feast of Saint Thomas, Apostle

Saint Thomas and Christ, Sculpted by Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488), Sculpted between 1467-1483, Cast bronze © Orsanmichele Church, Florence

Gospel Reading

Thomas, called the Twin, who was one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. When the disciples said, ‘We have seen the Lord’, he answered, ‘Unless I see the holes that the nails made in his hands and can put my finger into the holes they made, and unless I can put my hand into his side, I refuse to believe.’ Eight days later the disciples were in the house again and Thomas was with them. The doors were closed, but Jesus came in and stood among them. ‘Peace be with you’ he said. Then he spoke to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; look, here are my hands. Give me your hand; put it into my side. Doubt no longer but believe.’ Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him: ‘You believe because you can see me. Happy are those who have not seen and yet believe.’

Reflection on the sculpture

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle. Thomas has come to be known as "Doubting Thomas," yet there was much more to him than his doubt. The risen Lord’s face-to-face encounter with Thomas in our Gospel reading today dispelled all his doubts and led him to one of the most profound professions of faith in all the Gospels: "My Lord and my God." Thomas's declaration affirms Christ’s full humanity (my Lord) and full divinity (my God). Because we live only in hope of such a face-to-face meeting with the Lord, there will always be some element of doubt in our own faith. As Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, "Now we see as in a mirror, dimly." The questions and doubts of our reasoning are an inevitable part of seeing dimly. They are not enemies of faith; rather, they can lead to its deepening. If we face our doubts and our questions honestly, as Thomas did, and bring them to each other and to the Lord, we too can reach a point where we can make Thomas’ confession our own, ‘My Lord and my God’. Our late-15th-century sculpture by Andrea del Verrocchio beautifully captures the poignant interaction between Christ and Saint Thomas. The sculpture's expressive detail allows us to almost hear their profound dialogue. The Risen Christ stands in a regal pose, contrasting sharply with Saint Thomas’ agitated, nervous, and merely human state. Originally crafted to occupy one of the fourteen niches on the exterior walls of the Orsanmichele Church in Florence, the figures were cast without modeled backs, intended to be viewed only from the front. This artistic choice emphasises the frontal interaction, drawing the viewer into the intimate and transformative moment shared by Christ and Thomas. Born in Florence as Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni, Verrocchio trained under Donatello, whose influence is evident in his early works. Verrocchio established a highly successful workshop in Florence, which became a hub for aspiring artists. Among his most famous pupils were Leonardo da Vinci and Pietro Perugino, who would go on to become significant figures in their own right. Though Verrocchio was primarily known as a sculptor, he also painted. He died in Venice in 1488, leaving behind a legacy of artistic achievement that continued to inspire the trajectory of Renaissance art.

by Father Patrick van der Vorst

 

Pope who once advised learning from tattoos bans them in the Vatican

ROME – Back in 2018, Pope Francis famously insisted the church should not be “afraid” of the tattoos many young people sport, saying that priests actually can learn from them because they often communicate something important about the personality of the wearer.

“It’s important not to be scared. With young people, one should never be scared. Never,” he said at the time.

 

It turns out, however, that the pontiff’s seemingly benign view of tattoos doesn’t extend to his own workforce in the Vatican. New rules for employees of St. Peter’s Basilica issued June 29 specify that personnel may not have visible tattoos or piercings, and theoretically could be suspended if they do.

The new provisions were part of a twin set of new statutes released on Saturday, which the feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul, one governing the Fabbrica di San Pietro, meaning the administration of the basilica, and the other its “chapter,” referring to a body of retired priests who assist in liturgical and sacramental life.

 

Among other things, the new rules require basilica employees to “commit to adhering to principles of exemplary religious and moral conduct,” including not cohabitating outside of marriage. Employees must not have a criminal record, and must be both baptized and confirmed in the Catholic Church. They must also produce a letter from a parish priest testifying to their good standing.

The rules apply to all employees of the basilica, who include artistic experts and architects in addition to the so-called Sampietrini, meaning laborers who carry out routine maintenance and operations.

In addition, personnel are also barred from “taking part in activities, or attending rallies, which are inappropriate for a Vatican employee.” Most observers have taken that provision, at least in part, to refer to events such as the Gay Pride rally which was staged in Rome on June 15.

 

On another front, the new rules also address the chronic leaks which have beset the Vatican in recent years, and which have resulted in two separate scandals known as “Vatileaks.”

Personnel are required at the time of hiring to make a profession of faith or a loyalty oath, including the promise to maintain what’s known as the “secret of the office,” generally meaning confidentiality, before one of the superiors of the basilica.

Employees are also banned from giving interviews to media outlets without authorization, and from divulging any information covered by the “pontifical secret.” They may not invite outsiders into their workplace, and may not remove “original documents and photocopies or electronic copies and other archival materials.”

In what amounts to a fairly clear break with previous Vatican practice, the rules also discourage nepotism, barring the hiring of close blood relatives of current employees without the express consent of the cardinal in charge of the basilica.

The other set of new norms governs the basilica chapter, an institution which has existed in one form or another since the second half of the 11^th century. Originally, the role of the chapter was to oversee sacramental life in the basilica and to administer its property, including artwork, other goods, and even real estate donated to the papacy.

Today financial oversight has largely been turned over the administration of the basilica, while the chapter has come to focus more on liturgical and sacramental matters. It’s composed of a vicar and 34 members, mostly retired clergy, who traditionally have been granted a stipend and living quarters in addition to fees for specific services.

Among other things, the new provisions specify that the canons will become merely “honorary” once they reach the age of 80 and will no longer receive stipends, though they will be allowed to retain their title and to participate in liturgical and pastoral activity in the basilica. They also will retain the right to be buried in the chapel of the chapter.

The same rules apply to canons who have not taken part in meetings and liturgical events in the basilica for more than a year.