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The lost lecture of the pastor of pastors.
Quite interesting.
The New Pagans and the Church, a lecture delivered in 1958 by then-Father Joseph (more…)
An avoidable tragedy – still avoidable.
The following article, written 26 years ago this spring, is still as fresh as a daisy in its valuable lessons.
An Avoidable Tragedy by Eric de Saventhem
Or, “Object lessons to avert artificial estrangements that can last a millennium”.
The essay appeared originally in the April (more…)
Newly ‘declassified’: how not to misunderstand a motu proprio – by reading it
NCCL has just ‘declassified’ two hitherto TOP-secret projects.
1. Click here to read letters dated October 27, 2007 to Cardinal Castrillón of the Ecclesia Dei Commission in Rome, (more…)
More ‘declassified’ projects – with the now “Pope Emeritus”, then-Cardinal Ratzinger
Read more about recently declassified projects by clicking on the respective hyperlink. (more…)
Three newly ‘declassified’ projects from NCCL’s ‘TOP SECRET’ archives
Read about three recently declassified projects by clicking on the respective hyperlink. (more…)
Letters to Cardinal Castrillón Hoyos: concelebration is hardly the only sign of communion with one’s bishop
Some people simply cannot read. No matter that they know how to read. Even when they are intelligent, they’ve got to want to read, if they are going to begin to understand what someone else, who has written something, means by it.
That applies even to some bishops and certain cardinals. (more…)
Letters to Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos suggesting how Catholics should, as always, pray for the conversion of Jewish people
Some people simply cannot read. No matter that they know how to read. Even when they are intelligent, they’ve got to want to read, if they are going to begin to understand what someone else, who has written something, means by it.
That applies even to some bishops and certain cardinals. (more…)
A(nother) running correspondence with then-Cardinal Ratzinger (and his secretary) – this one sparked by an interview on EWTN, over Ecclesial reform
The following correspondences were written on behalf of His Holiness, John Paul II, proposing means to then-Cardinal Ratzinger to allow unimpeded public practice of the legitimate (liturgical & other) aspirations of Catholics commonly-called traditional in the Western Church.
1. The first letter — this one dated 6 December 2003, signed by Count Neri Capponi of Florence & counter-signed by scores (or hundreds) more to then-Cardinal Ratzinger — offers a suggestion in response to the open-ended query in his interview of September 2003 with Raymond Arroyo of EWTN. That is, in re peacefully reconciling (broader) use of the traditional Roman missal (1962) without overshadowing the normative status of the Novus Ordo missae (1969).
Again, the letter appeals to His Holiness to remove once for all the conditions, all of them manufactured, which impede a normalized relationship with him of those Catholics commonly called ‘traditional’.
2. Page two of the same (afore-listed) letter of December 6, 2003.
3. The second letter, this one dated 8 January 2004, suggesting another way to ‘normatize’ a wider celebration of the Roman rite (according to the ancient liturgical usage) with the New rite.
4. Dated January 27, 2004 — the Cardinal’s reply to the first letter, given by Msgr. Georg Gänswein, then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s personal secretary.
5. Msgr. Gänswein’s second reply, dated 28 January 2004, to our second letter.
Nota bene the blessing and concluding words of encouragement to persevere to elaborate a concrete solution to the subject problems.
Front of envelope in which two letters, dated January 27 & 28 were delivered together on February 4, 2004.
Reverse of same envelope, showing stamped emblem of Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, and indicating delivery date of two letters, dated January 27 & 28, in same envelope.
6. Dated 16 February 2004, this is our third letter and final letter in this series to His then-Eminence, Joseph Ratzinger.
7. Final letter, dated February 25, 2004, to Msgr. Georg Gänswein.
The book referred to in the letter is the one presented with the letter to the Monsignor: The Roman Option by Anglo-Catholic convert William Oddie, PhD.
The correspondences were ‘declassified’ on 20 January 2014.
EWTN interviews Cardinal Ratzinger, with a question about ‘renewal’ (aka Ecclesial reform)
In the September 5 interview with Cardinal Ratzinger, EWTN host Raymond Arroyo asks about a so-called “New Springtime” in the Church anticipated by so many, and how he sees it emerging.
The entire interview appears below.
Here follow main points of (more…)
Reform of the Reformer 
