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Q: My parish has a beautiful crucifix mounted on the wall behind the altar that has been a great aid in my prayer life. Unfortunately, I must pray without this aid during the seasons of Christmas and of Easter, as during these seasons the crucifix is completely covered. During Christmas, a star is placed above the crucifix with a tail that hangs down to completely cover it. Likewise, during Easter, a banner of the Risen Christ is hung over the crucifix so that it is hidden from view. I realize that "a cross, with the figure of Christ crucified upon...

 Revealing overlooked Roman Missal changes The new Roman Missal has dropped three eucharistic prayers and added one. Why? And an introduction By Barry Hudock - OSV Newsweekly, 12/11/2011 W.P. Wittman photo In all the hoopla leading up to the implementation of the new edition of the Roman Missal in the United States, most of the attention has focused on the new principles used to translate its contents from the original Latin to English. Though questions about “dynamic equivalence” or “formal equivalence” are important and interesting, other changes — arguably more important ones — have barely been mentioned. Here’s one: There’s a...

Why do words matter? (Hint: Because we use them in prayer and worship.) An excellent answer to that important question is given by Fr. Douglas Martis and Christopher Carstens in Mystical Body, Mystical Voice: Encountering Christ in the Words of the Mass (published by the Liturgical Institute at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake and Liturgy Training Publications), which is excerpted in the November 2011 edition of Adoremus Bulletin:Words are sacramental, which means they contain and convey the reality they speak. Homo sapiens is a talking animal, communicating with the senses, by word of mouth, pen and...

Featured Term (selected at random):MASS The Sacrifice of the Eucharist as the central act of worship of the Catholic Church. The "Mass" is a late form of missio (sending), from which the faithful are sent to put into practice what they have learned and use the graces they have received in the Eucharistic liturgy. As defined by the Church at the Council of Trent, in the Mass, "The same Christ who offered himself once in a bloody manner on the altar of the cross, is present and offered in an unbloody manner." Consequently, the Mass is a truly propitiatory sacrifice,...

Missing the Missal’s Mass of Potential December 16th, 2011 by Louie VerrecchioAfter years of discussion, preparation and anticipation, the new English translation of the Roman Missal – Third Edition was officially implemented in the United States on November 27. The “reviews” are now starting to show up in newspapers, blogs, and other media. As I read them, it seems as though most of the “people in the pews” are either positive about the new text, or they are at the very least willing to approach the changes as an opportunity for spiritual growth.Some media outlets, however, are doing their level...

ROME, DEC. 13, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy at the Regina Apostolorum university.Q: In the new translation of Mass according to the English-language Roman Missal, I find myself wondering about a certain lack of specificity in the Confiteor. The missal indicates that those reciting the prayer are to strike their breast at the point where they say, "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault." I am old enough to remember the threefold striking of the breast in pre-Conciliar days, but wonder if this practice has been maintained elsewhere in the...

Fr. Raymond J. de Souza on the "real hero" behind the new missal translation Fr. Raymond J. de Souza writes in the Catholic Register (Canada) of how the new missal translation is a sign of hope for and confidence in the future:A Polish (John Paul II) and German (Benedict XVI) Pope, working together in Italian, were instrumental in bringing together the beauty that is seen in the new Roman Missal — though the true hero was Chilean Cardinal Jorge Medina Estevez, according to Fr. de Souza. CNS photo/Eliseo Fernandez, Reuters If you were to follow the secular press and, to...

Surpassing All Expectations . . . The New Missal Translation Is A Spectacular Success By JEFFREY TUCKERAs much time as I had spent reading the new translation of the missal, looking over the differences with the old translation, even saying the new prayers aloud and writing extensively about them, nothing could have prepared me for what I experienced on the First Sunday of Advent.The experience was beyond anything I believed would come in my lifetime. I found myself nearly overcome with a kind of controlled glee from the beginning of the Mass until the end.The changes are few compared with...

From Our Store: Essays in Apologetics, Volume I (eBook) What is finally emerging as the sticking point between the Vatican and the Society of Saint Pius X is the question of the assent owed to the Second Vatican Council. This is now the subject of an important essay in L’Osservatore Romano by one of the key negotiators for the Vatican, the vicar general of Opus Dei, Msgr. Fernando Ocariz. Note that there is a link to the full text at the end of our news story, which itself includes substantial quotations.I hate to say I told you so, but Msgr. Ocariz...

BBC: Second Vespers from the London Oratory for the Feast of St. Andrew by Shawn Tribe Readers will no doubt be interested to know that BBC Radio 3's Choral Evensong programme broadcast Second Vespers for the Feast of St Andrew today from the London Oratory. Here is the programme summary: Weds 30th Nov 2011 (rpt Sun 4th Dec 2011) London Oratory- Choral Vespers Organ Prelude: Intonazione octavo tono (Giovanni Gabrieli) Invitatory: Deus in adjutorium meum (Victoria) Antiphons & Psalms: 110, 113, 116, 126, 117 (Victoria) Hymn: Exsultet orbis gaudiis (Victoria) Antiphon: Cum pervenisset (Plainsong) Canticle: Magnificat primi toni (Victoria) Antiphon...

A Roman Missal. Credit: Mazur Denver, Colo., Nov 27, 2011 / 07:29 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- After the switch to a new Mass translation, old liturgical books should be respectfully buried, either intact or after being burned, according to the U.S. bishops. “Whether or not the Sacramentary has been blessed by an official rite, it is appropriate to treat it with care,” the bishops' Secretariat for Divine Worship said in a recent response to several queries from U.S. Catholics. “Its disposal should be handled with respect.” The bishops' liturgy office recommends “burying the Sacramentary in an appropriate location on church...

Third Edition of the Roman Missal - Credit: Mazur Rome, Italy, Nov 26, 2011 / 07:24 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As English-speaking Catholic parishes begin using the new translation of the Mass on the first Sunday of Advent, leading members of the hierarchy are predicting great gains for the Church.“I have a feeling that this will be a great moment for deepening people’s liturgical piety and liturgical spirituality,” said Cardinal Raymond Burke, a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship, in comments to CNA.“The prayers are much more beautiful and they carry with them a staying power,” observed Cardinal...

New prayers for Advent season Published: 27 November 2011By: Elizabeth HarringtonTODAY, the first day of Advent, has been set as the date for the implementation of the entire third edition of the Roman Missal in Australia.Below are the new Collects for the four Sundays of Advent with the Opening Prayers of the 1973 Missal which they replace immediately below.These Advent texts typify the Mass prayers in the revised translation: loftier, more formal, more reverential ("Grant ... we pray ..."), and generally longer than those we have been using.FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENTNew Collect:Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,the resolve to...

Missal 3.0 – Part 5 November 24th, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present the final part of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. You can read part 4 here. The Dawn of Real Liturgical RenewalA major priority of both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI has been correct implementation of the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, especially the reform of the sacred liturgy....

Missal 3.0 – Part 4 November 17th, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present part 4 of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. You can read part 3 here. Part 5 will appear next Thursday. Catechesis, Catechesis, CatechesisWidespread failure to correctly understand and implement the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council has produced a decades-long liturgical crisis in the Catholic Church, leaving the true aims of...

Missal 3.0 – Part 3 November 10th, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present part 3 of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. You can read part 2 here. Part 4 will appear next Thursday. Roman Missal 3.0When many of us first heard that a new English translation of the liturgy was being prepared, the news brought some angst. We’re used to the way Mass has been...

Missal 3.0 – Part 2 November 3rd, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present part 2 of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. You can read part 1 here. Part 3 will appear next Thursday. The Language of Catholic WorshipBut how did Latin come to be the official language of Catholic worship in the Roman Rite, and why does the Church give it so much importance? To...

Missal 3.0 – Part 1 October 27th, 2011 by Justin SoutarEditor’s Note: On Nov. 27, the first Sunday of Advent, the new English translation of the Roman Missal will be implemented in all Catholic parishes in the United States. Here we present part 1 of a five-part series about the new translation–and the reasons behind it. Part 2 will appear next Thursday. November 27, 2011 will be a historic day for the Roman Catholic Church across the English-speaking world. On that day the United States will join other English-speaking countries in implementing a new translation of the Third Typical Edition...

Term (selected at random):SOLEMN MASS The Eucharistic liturgy in which the priest celebrant is assisted by a deacon and/or acolyte. Before the revision of the liturgy, a Solemn Mass was celebrated by a priest, assisted by a deacon and subdeacon; with special music, incense, and ceremonies. The practice went back to the early Church when a Solemn Mass was the typical Mass, whose liturgical texts were divided among several books to suit the convenience of those who employed them. The term Solemn Mass was also formerly applied to the liturgy celebrated by the Pope or a bishop, when assisted by...

Such a small but highly significant thing, the chin paten. Its use is to catch a host that might drop or a particle from a host. As such it is another reminder of the real, true and substantial presence of Christ in even the smallest particle of the host. The chin paten helps ensure that not even a small particle drop.Today the communion, or “chin� paten is also symbolic. When one sees them today it is a pretty clear signal that “this is a more traditional parish.� Their use had declined, especially when communion in the hand became widespread, during...

Thursday, November 10, 2011 "The Roman Catholic Mass is undergoing a major overhaul." [Note: I started this post five days ago, then decided to let it go. But I've decided to post it because I'm curious—see the end of this post—for reader's reactions to the approaching changes to the Missal that will take effect at the start of Advent.] Is it? Really? I guess it depends somewhat on one's perspective. Here is a longer quote from the post titled, "Big changes to Catholic Mass spur confusion in the pews", on the CNN blog:The Roman Catholic Mass is undergoing a...

 The long-awaited introduction of the new translation of the Roman Missal on November 27, the First Sunday of Advent, offers the Church in the Anglophere an opportunity to reflect on the riches of the liturgy, its biblical vocabulary, and its virtually inexhaustible storehouse of images. Much of that vocabulary, and a great many of those images, were lost under the “dynamic equivalence” theory of translation; they have now been restored under the “formal equivalence” method of translating. Over the next years and decades, the Catholic Church will be reminded of just what a treasure-house of wonders the liturgy is.At the...

Featured Term (selected at random):CHURCHING A liturgical ceremony of thanksgiving by which mothers thank God for the blessing of motherhood. More appropriately the ritual is called "the blessing of a woman after childbirth," the mother incurred a legal defilement, as in ancient Judaism. The ceremony may begin at the door of a church, although it has become customary to perform the rite near the altar. Taking hold of the priest's stole, the mother is symbolically led into the church to express her gratitude. the prayer of the priest concludes with the petition that "she and her offspring may deserve...

Featured Term (selected at random):EUCHARISTIC INTERCESSION Prayers of the priest at Mass, after the Consecration, which profess the belief that the Eucharist is celebrated in union with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, and that the sacrament is offered for her and all her members living and dead. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

The Diocese of Phoenix has announced that it will issue norms specifying the conditions under which Holy Communion may be distributed under both species. “The new norms will promote unity in the celebration of the Eucharist all around the world, and come from the revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd Edition, together with the final edition of The Norms for the Distribution and Reception of Holy Communion Under Both Kinds for the Dioceses of the United States of America,” the diocese stated in a press release. “In the Roman Missal (1975), 14 instances were provided when the chalice...

Featured Term (selected at random):STANDING A posture for various parts of the Eucharistic liturgy and the Divine Office. Since different countries have different customs, the episcopal conferences have given corresponding directives to the people. From time immemorial, however, standing has been customary during the reading of the Gospel and the recitation or singing of the Creed, the Preface, and Sanctus. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Featured Term (selected at random):READER The ministry to which a person is specially appointed by the Church, of reading the Word of God in liturgical assemblies. He is to read the lessons form Scripture, except for the Gospel, in the Mass and other sacred functions. He is to recite the psalms between the rreadings when there is no psalmist. He is to present the intentions for the general intercessions in the absence of a deacon or cantor. He is to direct the singing and the participation by the faithful. He is to intruct the faithful for the worthy reception of...

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When the third edition of the English-language version of the Roman Missal is implemented at Advent, it will mark the continuing evolution of the eucharistic liturgy that began in the earliest days of the church. The most recent changes -- which more closely reflect "Liturgiam Authenticam" ("The Authentic Liturgy"), the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments' 2001 document on liturgical translations -- are unlikely to be the last, liturgists agree. From Aramaic to Greek to Latin to vernacular language after the Second Vatican Council, the Mass has evolved over 2,000 years in an effort to help...

Via Eponymous Flower and Messa in Latino comes something from World Youth Day not covered by the mainstream Catholic media. And one must ask why that is.My emphases: Traditionalist Bishops [Not the SSPX bishops. Bishops with actual faculties and authority.] Celebrate the Immemorial Mass With 1500 WYD Pilgrims(Madrid) Msgr. Marc Marie Max Aillet, the Bishop of Bayonne, Lescar and Orlon since 2008 in France will celebrate the Holy Mass in the Extraordinary Form at the Parish Church of San Eduardo in Madrid with more than 1500 youth. This church has been allocated to the youth who are attached to Tradition...

Here is something that should put some heart into readers who are feeling down about continued liberal and dissenting dominance in many places.Here is something from a blog of a Catholic bishop, His Excellency Most. Rev. Christopher Coyne, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. He was just consecrated bishop this year.Here are a few excerpts, but there is a lot of great material over there. We come into the story while the bishop is having a bit of a vacation…. My emphases and comments. Why I Didn’t Go to Confession Today.This morning I attended Mass rather than concelebrated Mass....

USCCB President Authorizes Gradual Introduction of Musical Settings of New Roman Missal Starting In September June 28th, 2011 by U.S. Conference of Catholic BishopsArchbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Divine Worship, announced that diocesan bishops may permit the gradual introduction of the musical settings of the people’s parts of the Mass from the new Roman Missal in September. Primarily this affects the the Gloria, the Holy, Holy, Holy and the Memorial Acclamations. This variation to the implementation of the Roman Missal, Third Edition, set to take place all...

A parish music director in Phoenix has recently completed a major project in the renewal of sacred music, one that could have a revolutionary impact upon the celebration of the Ordinary form of the Mass all over the English-speaking world, as the latter prepares for the renewal of sacred language on its way this winter, courtesy of the new translation of the OF Roman Missal.Adam Bartlett, director of music at St. Joan of Arc parish, is the composer and compiler of the Simple English Propers, an anthology of music for the Mass that is unlike anything else available in English...

Under the current liturgical norms there is greater flexibility than some would wish regarding both diversity and inculturation. Most of you who read this blog regularly know that I am probably more appreciative of legitimate (please note that word) diversity. I celebrate both the Traditional Latin Mass (usually in the solemn high form) and also pastor a parish with strong African American roots where we use gospel music, spirituals and exhibit charismatic enthusiasm.However, I must add, that in the African American community, such things ARE traditional and considered sacred and reverent by most of my parishioners. In fact the traditional...

London, England, May 19, 2011 / 12:18 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- England’s bishops say the upcoming new English translation of the Mass is not “change for change’s sake,” but will “ensure greater fidelity to the liturgical tradition of the Church.” In a letter to be read in all parishes May 29, the bishops say the current translation of the Mass does not express the full meaning of the original Latin and loses some of the “teaching of the faith,” meant to be communicated in the liturgy. “In the earlier translation not all the meaning of the original Latin text was fully...

(ANSA) - Vatican City - Italian conductor Riccardo Muti is backing Pope Benedict XVI's drive to discourage guitar ''sing-songs'' from Catholic masses. The traditionalist German pontiff has called for an end to the use of pop-inspired religious music that many Catholic churches have used in different parts of the world to attract the faithful. ''It is possible to modernize holy music,'' he once said at a concert at the Sistine Chapel. ''But this cannot happen outside the great traditional path of the past, of Gregorian chants and sacred polyphonic choral music. ''(The Church supports) new expressive means (in music, as...

'Generous' approval Vatican issues new norms for the Tridentine rite.   JOHN THAVIS | Catholic News Service 5/13/11 VATICAN CITY — A new Vatican instruction calls on local bishops and pastors to respond generously to Catholics who seek celebration of the Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal, commonly known as the Tridentine rite. The instruction, issued May 13, said pastors should approve such Masses for groups of faithful, even when such groups are small or are formed of people from different parishes or dioceses. These faithful cannot, however, contest the validity of the modern Mass or the authority of...

Here is an excerpt from a lengthy and very thoughtful address on the new translation of the Roman Missal given last month by Auxiliary Bishop James Conley of Denver at the Midwest Theological Forum in Valparaiso, Indiana: The key point here is that the words we pray matter. What we pray makes a difference in what we believe. Our prayer has implications for how we grasp the saving truths that are communicated to us through the liturgy. For instance, our current translation almost always favors abstract nouns to translate physical metaphors for God. If the Latin prayer refers to the...

Pope Benedict XVI / Photo Credit Mazur Vatican City, May 13, 2011 / 10:55 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Local dioceses should give a “generous welcome” to any laity who wish to attend Mass in the “extraordinary form” and to priests who wish to say it.  That’s the key message of new Vatican guidelines regarding the extraordinary form of the Mass – often popularly referred to as the “Tridentine Mass” or “old Latin Mass.” The “extraordinary form” is the rite of Mass contained within the Roman Missal which was universally used from 1570 to 1962. It was almost always celebrated in...

A Biblical Walk Through the Mass Interview With Author on Finding Scripture in the New Translation By Kathleen Naab LITTLETON, Colorado, MAY 5, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Many Catholics might not realize just how much an hour at church on Sunday mornings puts them in contact with the Bible. In addition to the readings and psalm, "practically everything in the liturgy has some roots in Scripture,” according to a scholar who has written a book to point out these connections. Dr. Edward Sri goes into the biblical roots of liturgy in <A href="http://www.ascensionpress.com/shop/Scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=159">"A Biblical Walk Through the Mass."</A> And he says the...

Featured Term (selected at random):CHALICE The cup-shaped vessel or goblet used at Mass to contain the Precious Blood of Christ. For centuries it was made of precious material; if it was not of gold, the interior of the cup was gold-plated. Since the Second Vatican Council, chalices may be of other materials. A chalice is consecrated with holy chrism by a bishop. Regilding the inside does not destroy the consecration. sometimes the word chalice designates its contents. (Etym. Latin calix, cup, goblet, drinking vessel, chalice.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal...

One of the Vienna Cardinal's regalia was so ugly that he even presented it at the Old Liberal trade exhibition in Italy. Their "simple" vestments (kreuz.net) The Viennese Liturgy seminar will feature clerical robes at the clerical exposition „koiné 2011“ in the northern Italian city of Vicenza. The website 'erzdiozese-wien.at' reported this in March. For Sister Imelda Ruf the dubious invitation to the Mass "a promise that we are on the right way." The Sister belongs to the Benedictine Cloister Steinerkirchen fifty kilometers south west of Linz.

Sure, there’s only one Roman Rite celebrated in two forms, Ordinary and Extraordinary, but let’s be honest; that’s just on paper. In the real world, the Ordinary Form comes in more flavors than Baskin Robbins. Here are just some of the choices at my disposal:

Featured Term (selected at random):ASPERGES The first word in the Latin of the Psalm "Thou shall sprinkle me with hyssop" gave its name to the ceremony of sprinkling the people with holy water before the principal Mass on Sunday. During the paschal season the "Asperges" is replaced by the hymn "Vidi Aquam." (Etym. Latin asperges, thou wilt sprinkle; from aspergere, to sprinkle.) All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Fr. Michal Ryan, pastor of a cathedral church, launched an online signature drive to encourage laity and clergy alike to oppose the liturgical texts approved by Holy Mother Church...

Monday and Thrsday mornings, 3/28 and 31Kohen--Leviticus 12:1-4Levi--12:5-8Yisra'el--13:1-5 Strday 4/2--Shabbat HaChodesh/Parashat Tazri`aMORNING Kohen--Leviticus 12:1-13:5Levi--13:6-17Shelishi--13:18-23Revi`i--13:24-28Chamishi--13:29-39Shishi--13:40-54Shevi`i--13:55-59Maftir--Exodus 12:1-20Haftarah--Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 EVENING Kohen--Leviticus 14:1-5Levi--vs. 6-9Yisra'el--vs. 10-12

Monday morning 3/14Kohen--Leviticus 6:1-3Levi--vs. 4-6Yisra'el--vs.7-11 Thrsday 3/17--Ta`anit 'EsterMORNING Kohen--Exodus 32:11-14Levi--Exodus 34:1-3Yisra'el--Exodus 34:4-10 EVENING Kohen--Exodus 32:11-14Levi--Exodus 34:1-3Yisra'el/Maftir--Exodus 34:4-10Haftarah--Isaiah 55:6-56:8 Strday 3/19--Shabbat Zakhor/Parashat TzavMORNING Kohen--Leviticus 6:1-11Levi--6:12-7:10Shelishi--7:11-38Revi`i--8:1-13Chamishi--8:14-21Shishi--8:22-29Shevi`i--8:30-36Maftir--Deuteronomy 25:17-19Haftarah--I Samuel 15:2-34 EVENING Kohen--Leviticus 9:1-6Levi--vs. 7-10Yisra'el--vs. 11-16 Strday night, 3/19--Leyl PurimMegillat 'Ester--The Book of Esther Sunday 3/20--PurimKohen--Exodus 17:8-10Levi--vs. 11-13Yisra'el--vs. 14-16Megillat 'Ester--The Book of Esther Monday and Thrsday mornings, 3/21 and 24Kohen--Leviticus 9:1-6Levi--vs. 7-10Yisra'el--vs. 11-16 Strday 3/26--Shabbat Parah/Parashat SheminiMORNING Kohen--Leviticus 9:1-16Levi--9:17-23Shelishi--9:24-10:11Revi`i--10:12-15Chamishi--10:16-20Shishi--11:1-32Shevi`i--11:33-47Maftir--Numbers 19:1-22Haftarah--Ezekiel 36:16-38 EVENING Kohen--Leviticus 12:1-4Levi--12:5-8Yisra'el--13:1-5

Featured Term (selected at random):PENITENTIAL ACT The invitation by the priest at Mass, after the opening salutation, to have the congregation acknowledge their sinfulness. This is followed by the Appeal for Mercy, the Kyrie, unless the pleas for forgiveness was already included in the penitential act. Normally each invocation is sung (or said) twice, but there may be further repetitions and also brief text insertions (tropes) if the circumstances warrant such additions. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Look up “Gregorian chant” in just about any current dictionary or encyclopedia and you will see a description that says it “is the liturgical chant of the Roman Catholic Church.” Notice that the tense of the verb “to be” is in its present form of “is.”

It says "Mass" outside. But it's a Rock concert on the inside. This thief's pastoral initiative doesn't serve the youth, rather it serves the blathering of the official Bishops, providing them a diversion from the shattering glass of their Olde Liberal Church destruction.