The Importance of the Rural Question

 In 1941 the National Catholic Rural Life Conference published a book titled, Manifesto on Rural Life. It was published “with the intent to state certain fundamental principles and policies without which it would be folly to essay a solution. These principles and policies are chiefly derived from Catholic social philosophy as expressed in the social and cyclicals of Leo XIII and Pius XI.”

80 years later, we can be asking the same question taken from the book.

IMPORTANCE OF THE RURAL QUESTION

The National Catholic Rural Life Conference, is committed to the belief that the well-being of the nation rests to a large measure on a healthy agrarianism. The conference regards the betterment of rural conditions as the starting point in the regeneration of society. It’s objectives are the improvement of the spiritual, religious, social, cultural and economic status of the rural group. These objectives are so closely related that one is dependent on the others. Right living conditions are essential for spiritual and cultural development. Reconquest of the soil, which has been depleted through improper use, and exploitation, is a fundamental consideration, for human erosion is closely related to soil erosion. Reconquest of ownership is another fundamental consideration, as much as ownership is essential for independent, successful and self satisfying farm life. The multiplying family-size, owner-operate firms is an important safeguard against the exploitation of our greatest natural resource, namely, the land.

Intensive educational program is needed in order that rural youth might learn to appreciate the singular blessedness of life on the land, and in order that the farming group might be enable to retain its economic independence, develop a spiritual and self satisfying rural culture. This education should be adapted to the special needs of the farming group, and should be grounded on the Christian philosophy of life.

The rural problem is complex and varies in type and intensity with geographical areas. Wrong attitudes toward agriculture, and wrong appraisals of what constitutes fundamental values, deeply rooted in the thinking of both rural and urban groups, are barriers that must be surmounted. Although the rural problem presents great difficulties, we cannot admit that it is insoluble, for the fate of humans society rests on the solution. The rural problem is so important, that it should engage the greatest minds of the nation.

Our Lady of Palestine Patroness of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre

Prayer To Our Lady Of Palestine

(Patroness Of The Order)

O Mary Immaculate,
gracious Queen of Heaven and of Earth,
behold us prostrate before thy exalted throne.
Full of confidence in thy goodness
and in thy boundless power,
we beseech thee to turn a pitying glance upon Palestine,
which more than any other country belongs to thee,
since thou hast graced it with thy birth,
thy virtues and thy sorrows,
and from there hast given the Redeemer to the world.

Remember that there especially
thou wert constituted our tender Mother,
the dispenser of graces.
Watch, therefore, with special protection
over thy native country,
scatter from it the shades of error,
for it was there the Sun of Eternal Justice shone.

Bring about the speedy fulfilment of the promise,
which issued from the lips of Thy Divine Son,
that there should be one fold and one Shepherd.

Obtain for us all that we may serve the Lord
in sanctity and justice during the days of our life,
so that, by the merits of Jesus
and with thy motherly aid,
we may pass at last from this earthly Jerusalem
to the splendors of the heavenly one.

Amen.

(“Imprimatur, Jerusalem. Kal. Jan. 1926: Aloysius Patriarcha”)

I just recently purchased this book myself and recommend it. Ambassador Habsburg is a credit to his family.

“Knowing who you are gives you sovereignty over yourself. It will give you the confidence not to be swayed by fleeting fads, but to follow the truth—about yourself and about God. The alternative is the empty aimlessness that torments so many and characterizes so much of modern life.”

— Archduke Eduard Habsburg, The Habsburg Way: Seven Rules for Turbulent Times

https://www.tumblarhouse.com/blogs/news/7-reasons-to-read-7-rules-for-turbulent-times-the-habsburg-way

Novena for the Election of the New Grand Master of the SMOM

For those interested in a novena to pray for the election of a new Grand Master here is one to St George that I suggest. Although he is not a patron of the Order of Malta specifically he is still a patron of chivalry, knights and is also one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. He is also the patron of the Constantinian Order of St George of whom many knights are also Knights of Malta.

Pray the following prayers for nine consecutive day's with the suggested intention, 

Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will truly be present at the deliberations and voting of the SMOM membership and leadership concerned -- and that all will obey and cooperate with the Spirit so that the Grand Master elected will TRULY be God's choice for SMOM and the Universal Church.

May whoever is elected be an indefatigable defender and promoter of the Deposit of the Faith and the Magisterium of the Church, ridding SMOM of all Freemasons and others who live or encourage any way of life contrary to Gospel mores.

PREPARATORY PRAYER

Almighty and eternal God!
With lively faith
and reverently worshipping
Thy divine Majesty,
I prostrate myself before Thee
and invoke with filial trust
Thy supreme bounty and mercy.
Illumine the darkness of my intellect
with a ray of Thy heavenly light
and inflame my heart
with the fire of Thy Divine love,
that I may contemplate
the great virtues and merits
of the Saint in whose honour
I make this novena,
and following his example imitate,
like him,
the life of Thy Divine Son. 

Moreover, I beseech Thee to grant graciously,
through the merits and intercession
of this powerful Helper,
the petition which through him
I humbly place before Thee,
devoutly saving,
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Vouchsafe graciously to hear it,
if it redounds to Thy greater glory
and to the salvation of my soul.

Amen.

PRAYER IN HONOR OF SAINT GEORGE

O GOD, who didst grant to Saint George
strength and constancy in the various torments
which he sustained for our holy faith;
we beseech Thee to preserve,
through his intercession,
our faith from wavering and doubt,
so that we may serve Thee
with a sincere heart faithfully unto death.
Through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

INVOCATION OF SAINT GEORGE

Faithful servant of God
and invincible martyr, Saint George;
favoured by God with the gift of faith,
and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ,
thou didst fight valiantly
against the dragon of pride,
falsehood, and deceit.
Neither pain nor torture,
sword nor death could part thee
from the love of Christ.
I fervently implore thee
for the sake of this love
to help me by thy intercession
to overcome the temptations that surround me,
and to bear bravely
the trials that oppress me,
so that I may patiently carry the cross
which is placed upon me;
and let neither distress nor difficulties
separate me from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Valiant champion of the Faith,
assist me in the combat against evil,
that I may win the crown promised to them
that persevere unto the end. 

PRAYER

My Lord and my God!
I offer up to Thee
my petition in union
with the bitter passion
and death of Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
together with the merits
of His immaculate and blessed Mother,
Mary ever virgin,
and of all the saints,
particularly with those of the holy Helper
in whose honour I make this novena. 

Look down upon me,
merciful Lord!
Grant me Thy grace and Thy love,
and graciously hear my prayer.

Amen.

Philip Lawler Commentary on This Disasterous Papacy

Philip Lawler has written another excellent article for Catholic Culture on what we can and should do  when the non-fallible speech of the Pope threatens to undermine perennial doctrine. Some would prefer to minimize or downplay this to "focus on the good" or not talk about it in public so we don't cause scandal. As though silence in the face of evil isn't itself scandalous.

In a large family, how should a son behave when he realizes that his father’s pathological behavior threatens the welfare of the whole household? He should certainly continue to show respect for his father, but he cannot indefinitely deny the danger. Eventually, a dysfunctional family needs an intervention.
In the worldwide family that is the Catholic Church, the best means of intervention is always prayer. Intense prayer for the Holy Father would be a particularly apt project for the season of Lent. But intervention also requires honesty: a candid recognition that we have a serious problem.

http://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/otn.cfm?ID=1207

Solemn Vows of Frà Bertrand de Villermont

Frà Bertrand de Villermont made his solemn vows as a professed knight of the Order of Malta in February at the conventual church of the Order in France, St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Paris.

For more photos visit the webpage below.

http://www.sainteelisabethdehongrie.com/photos2017.html

Modernist Jesuit Superior Says Word of God is Relative

It's no wonder these people have such admiration for Martin Luther, they are protestants just like he is. In effect they are saying saying "I interpret the Bible in my own context, as it speaks to me." Whether by sin or other reason the light of Faith has gone out from these people. How supposedly intelligent people can spout such nonsense is shocking and the fact they actually believe what they are saying is even more stunning.

Q: Cardinal Gerhard L. Műller, prefect of the congregation for the doctrine of the faith, has said with regard to marriage that the words of Jesus are very clear and "no power in heaven and on earth, neither an angel nor the pope, neither a council nor a law of the bishops has the faculty to modify them."
A: So then, there would have to be a lot of reflection on what Jesus really said. At that time, no one had a recorder to take down his words. What is known is that the words of Jesus must be contextualized, they are expressed in a language, in a specific setting, they are addressed to someone in particular. 

Q: But if all the worlds of Jesus must be examined and brought back to their historical context, they do not have an absolute value.
A: Over the last century in the Church there has been a great blossoming of studies that seek to understand exactly what Jesus meant to say… That is not relativism, but attests that the word is relative, the Gospel is written by human beings, it is accepted by the Church which is made up of human persons… So it is true that no one can change the word of Jesus, but one must know what it was!

For more of the interview, http://magister.blogautore.espresso.repubblica.it/2017/02/22/marriage-and-divorce-the-general-of-the-jesuits-jesus-too-must-be-reinterpreted/

Cardinal Burke Visit to Kansas City

Some pictures of Cardinal Burke during his visit to the Kansas City area last week.

Defense of the Faith Lecture with Cardinal Burke in Kansas City

This Friday, February 10th, Cardinal Burke will be giving a lecture entitled, "The Challenges to the Defense of the Faith in Our Times." If you are in the Kansas City area this weekend you won't want to miss it. 

Dec. 20, 1522- The Day the Knights Surrendered Rhodes

Today is the date in 1522 when the Knights accepted defeat and surrendered the island of Rhodes  http://gloriaromanorum.blogspot.com/2016/12/december-20-ad-1522-knights-of-saint.html?m=1

Pray Rosary with the Incarcerated

If you have found yourself wanting to get involved with Prison Ministry but don't have an opportunity to actually visit a prison this might by for you.

From a Knight of the Order in Florida. 

"I would like to announce a Malta Prison Ministry initiative beginning January 2017, it's the "Prisoner Evening Rosary of Common Petition". As a Marian Order, we would like to encourage a more frequent use of the rosary. For our incarcerated brothers and sisters, it is a perfect time to teach them to pray the rosary, and offer their petitions to Our Lord, through Mary. It is a perfect opportunity to encourage the daily use of the rosary, and build habits that will last throughout their lifetime. The term "Common Petition" refers to the seven common petitions that prisoners will say each of the seven nights of the week at precisely 8:00 PM, EST. Everyone participating will be praying for the same specific petition, at the same exact time. Attached to this note are the petitions for each night.

Over time, this nightly event will unify all prisoners across the country, in one common prayer for the intention of the day. Over time, we hope to have thousands of rosaries being prayed at the same time, for the same intention, each evening at the same 8;00 PM hour, not adjusting for time zones. Naturally, prisoners are free to add intentions as they wish, but there will be one common intention for the whole country. Hopefully prisoners will invite additional prisoners to their common prayer circle and the spiritual voices will grow, all the while petitioning through Mary, and hopefully developing the habit of the daily rosary.

PRISONER EVENING ROSARY OF COMMON PETITION

Mondays:
All the prisoners in Florida pray for the families of all the incarcerated; that the Blessed Mother will watch over these families and keep them from want, and that their children will be properly cared for.

Tuesdays:
All prisoners will ask Blessed Mother to intercede on behalf of all those who have been falsely accused. That the justice system will bring to light all the facts surrounding their arrest, and they may be treated with the justice they deserve.

Wednesdays:
All the prisoners will pray to the Blessed Mother to intercede for the poor of the world. That those who have, will enthusiastically share with those who have not. That God, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, will shower the poorest of the poor with His grace and relieve their suffering.

Thursdays:
All prisoners will pray for each other. That their case will receive the fair evaluation that is necessary to render fair judgment. For those that receive sentences, that God will inspire mercy from the judge.

Fridays:
Prisoners will pray to Our Lord in thanksgiving for His suffering and death on the cross. On this day Christ died for our sins, and that they ask the Lord for the strength not to sin against Him further. Prisoners will petition God for the forgiveness of everyone’s sins, and each prisoner personally resolve to renew his/her commitment to a better life.

Saturdays:
Prisoners pray to the Blessed Mother for her help and protection against the evils and injustices of the world. That Blessed Mother will intercede with Our Lord on behalf of all nations to govern its people with justice and with true compassion for the least among their citizens.

Sundays:
Prisoners will celebrate the resurrection of Christ. That as difficult as the world might seem, Our Lord and Savior has risen and has promised to deliver all who seek Him out, as well as all those who are faithful to His commandments. Prisoners will pray that the evils of the world will not sway them from following the teachings of Christ, because they love God more than they love themselves.

St. John the Baptist Church, Little Maplestead, England

St John the Baptist Church, Little Maplestead, England. The present church was built in the 14th century, renovated in the 1850's and is one of only four round churches still in use in England. It was built on a site originally given to the Order of of St John in 1185 and is still associated with the English, Venerable Order of St. John today. Every year members of the Venerable Order of St. John process to the Church on the first Sunday of June.

MedSeas Tour of Rhodes and Crete

A fellow knight of the Order of Malta has put together a wonderful tour of the former sites of the Knights of St. John on Rhodes. He is a professional tour operator, MedSeas Catholic Journeys, who has taken groups to Malta, the Camino de Santiago in Spain and Portugal, and a Saints, Knights and Wine tour in Italy. This promises to be a spectacular trip and I hope you will consider joining us next September, 2017. Visit the MedSeas website for more information and a detailed itinerary.

Rhodes – The Island of Sun: Discover Rhodes, surrounded by clear blue waters, it’s a land of ancient temples, castles and fortresses, all part of the rich history dating back to the Neolithic era. We will experience its ravishing coastlines, dramatic mountain scapes, classic small villages and historic monuments especially sites linked to the Knights of St. John.

Explore Rhodes and Crete and the History of the Knights of St. John

Chapel of the Knights of St. John Rhodes

Come see the historical home of the Knights of St. John on the island of Rhodes with MedSeas Catholic Journeys, September 22-29, 2017. There will be an optional extension to visit Crete from September 29th-October 3rd.

Some highlights of the trip will include:

Old Town of Rhodes – Knights of St. John • Grand Masters Palace • Archeological Museum  •  Village of Lindos  •  Castle & Acropolis of Lindos • Village of Archangelos  •  Valley of the Butterflies  •  Embona Village  • Anastasia’s Winery  • Castle of Kritinia – Knights of St. John  •  Island of Symi  •  Panormitis Monastery  •  Church of Our Lady of Filerimos  • Ancient city of Kamiros …and more

Reflection on Battle of Lepanto by Fr. Rutler

Weekly Column by Fr. Rutler for October 2, 2016

---

FROM THE PASTOR
October 2, 2016
by Fr. George W. Rutler

Our faith is based, not on abstract speculation, but on historical events. Christ does not hover around us as a philosophical idea, for he “was made flesh and dwelt among us.” The Church’s feasts are acts of thanksgiving for actions of God that have affected the course of human existence. On October 7, the Church celebrates the victory of Christian naval vessels over those of the Ottoman Muslims who outnumbered the Christians by more than two to one, and whose ships were manned by upwards of fifteen thousand Christian galley slaves.

   The Battle of Lepanto in 1571 was the greatest naval engagement until the Battle of Jutland in World War I, but it is not commemorated just as a lesson in the art of maritime war. The core of the feast is that it saved Christian civilization. Compared to it, July 4 and Waterloo and Gettysburg and D-Day are ancillary struggles to preserve what would not exist at all, had it not been for 1571. Pope St. Pius V, by divine inspiration while praying the Rosary, announced in the Church of Santa Sabina that a triumph of the Cross had been won, at the very moment the battle was won in the Gulf of Patras in western Greece, though news of it would have taken many days to reach Rome by courier.

   We revere the “Star Spangled Banner” whose broad stripes and bright stars gallantly streamed in 1814, but quite more remarkable was the banner held by Gianandrea Doria, great-nephew of the Admiral Andrea Doria, at Lepanto. It bore the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The Lady had appeared in Mexico forty years earlier, but reproductions of the image had made it to old Europe, and King Philip of Spain had given one to the fleet. It has been preserved in the cathedral of Genoa. 

   Had the battle ended differently, Sultan Selim could have fulfilled his vow to conquer Rome, turning the basilica of Saint Peter into a mosque, despoiling and upending its bells so that they might be filled with oil and burned in honor of Allah, as had been done in 997 at the tomb of Saint James in Compostela.

   Is all this the dilettantish indulgence of the sort of people who watch the History Channel? We would not be here – nor would our holy religion, our universities, our science, our democracy, our enfranchised women, our justice, our social tolerance, and our entire moral fabric – were it not for Lepanto. The feast of its victory was instituted by Pope St. Pius V and, after the final defeat of the Ottomans in 1716 at Timișoara in present-day Romania, led by Prince Eugene of Savoy, Pope Clement XI made it a universal feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Given the terrors of our present times, it would be well to pray the Rosary on October 7.      

From Pastoral Guide of Pope St Gregory the Great

A word of advice to pastors, and even Popes. 

From the Pastoral Guide by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
(Lib. 2, 4: PL 77, 30-31)

Let the pastor be discreetly silent, and to the point when he speaks

A spiritual guide should be silent when discretion requires and speak when words are of service. Otherwise he may say what he should not or be silent when he should speak. Indiscreet speech may lead men into error and an imprudent silence may leave in error those who could have been taught. Pastors who lack foresight hesitate to say openly what is right because they fear losing the favor of men. As the voice of truth tells us, such leaders are not zealous pastors who protect their flocks, rather they are like mercenaries who flee by taking refuge in silence when the wolf appears.

The Lord reproaches them through the prophet: They are dumb dogs that cannot bark. On another occasion he complains: You did not advance against the foe or set up a wall in front of the house of Israel, so that you might stand fast in battle on the day of the Lord. To advance against the foe involves a bold resistance to the powers of this world in defense of the flock. To stand fast in battle on the day of the Lord means to oppose the wicked enemy out of love for what is right.

When a pastor has been afraid to assert what is right, has he not turned his back and fled by remaining silent? Whereas if he intervenes on behalf of the flock, he sets up a wall against the enemy in front of the house of Israel. Therefore, the Lord again says to his unfaithful people: Your prophets saw false and foolish visions and did not point out your wickedness, that you might repent of your sins. The name of prophet is sometimes given in the sacred writings to teachers who both declare the present to be fleeting and reveal what is to come. The word of God accuses them of seeing false visions because they are afraid to reproach men for their faults and thereby lull the evildoer with an empty promise of safety. Because they fear reproach, they keep silent and fail to point out the sinner’s wrongdoing.

The word of reproach is a key that unlocks a door, because reproach reveals a fault of which the evildoer is himself often unaware. That is why Paul says of the bishop: He must be able to encourage men in sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. For the same reason God tells us through Malachi: The lips of the priest are to preserve knowledge, and men shall look to him for the law, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Finally, that is also the reason why the Lord warns us through Isaiah: Cry out and be not still; raise your voice in a trumpet call.

Anyone ordained a priest undertakes the task of preaching, so that with a loud cry he may go on ahead of the terrible judge who follows. If, then, a priest does not know how to preach, what kind of cry can such a dumb herald utter? It was to bring this home that the Holy Spirit descended in the form of tongues on the first pastors, for he causes those whom he has filled, to speak out spontaneously.

Promo Video from Czech Association of the SMOM

English Post - Knights Battle to Defend Rhodes

The English Post in the siege of Rhodes was named for the English knights who were responsible for defending that portion of the walls of the city. It was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting. Twice the knights lost it and twice they won it back. The tenaille is on the left and the main wall is further is visible in the background further behind it.  On the right of the wide dry ditch is the counterscarp that the attackers had to climb down before storming the city wall. The ditch is enfiladed by the Tower of St. John, its bulwark and lower wall providing vertically stacked fields of overlapping fire. The stone cannon balls seen in the ditch are remnants from the fighting. To experience first hand the history of the Knights of St. John please join us on a tour to the beautiful islands of Rhodes and Crete next September. For more information visit MedSeas Catholic Journeys.

Photo courtesy of Norbert Nagel.

Angelus Prayer for the Crusades

Most people know that the Angelus is recited at three particular times during the day; 6 am, 12 noon, and 6 pm and during the Easter Season, the Angelus is replaced by the Regina Caeli, a practice first instituted in 1743.

But how many know that the origins of the Angelus is with an 11th century custom of reciting three Hail Mary's during the evening bell which Pope Gregory IX (d 1241) ordered to be rung in order to remind people to pray for the Crusades. Later Pope Callistus III (1455-1458) commended the practice as a prayer for protection against the Turkish invasions of his time. By the sixteenth century the form of the prayer was standardized and it has been highly popular since the 17th century. 

http://www.preces-latinae.org/thesaurus/Cotidiana/Angelus.html

Kilteel Castle - Priory of the Knights of St. John in Ireland

In the village of Kilteel six miles north of Naas at the foot of the Wicklow mountains is Kilteel Castle.

It was built in the early thirteenth century by Maurice Fitzgerald for the Knights Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. The site upon which the castle was built was once a monastic settlement.

It's most notable resident was Sir John Rawson who was the last Prior of the Kilmainham house of the Order before King Henry VIII dissolved the Order.

In 1511 he was appointed Prior of Kilmainham; this was a position of considerable political power, entitling him to sit both in the Irish House of Lords and on the Privy Council of Ireland. In 1517 he became Lord Treasurer of Ireland.

During the second siege of Rhodes in 1522 Sir John was the only knight from Ireland that responded to the Grand Master's request for knights to come to defend Rhodes. After the Siege, Rawson returned to Ireland where he continued to serve as Prior.

When Henry VIII decided to dissolve the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and after lengthy negotiations Rawson in 1541 surrendered the Priory of Kilmainham in return for a payment of 500 marks and the title of Viscount Clontarf  and the lease of the castle was given to Thomas Alen and his wife.

In 1669 Col. Richard Talbot, Earl of Tyreconnell became the owner of Kilteel. He then sold the castle to Sir William Fownes of Kilkenny where it remained in his family until 1838 when it was sold to the Kennedys of Johnstown-Kennedy.

Today the castle is a designated National Monument. It consists of a tower house dated to the fifteenth century, another projecting towerhouse with a spiral stairs and two further rooms at the gate-way.