Nicene Truth

Benedict Contemplating Latin in Novus Ordo Consecration

[Lord, please let it be! -Jay]

Rome, Jul. 4, 2008 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) is considering changes in the Mass, according to an Italian publication.

The weekly Panorama reports that the Holy Father has asked the Congregation for Divine Worship to study the possibility of changes that would include using Latin in the Eucharistic Prayer and moving the Sign of Peace to the Offertory.

Note: CWN has not been able to confirm the accuracy of the Panorama report. The New Liturgical Movement web site, which brought the Italian report to the attention of English-speaking readers, cautioned that the Panorama report should be treated "with great caution." The Panorama story itself suggests only that the Pope has asked for a study of the proposals-- not that he is prepared to implement the changes.

According to the Italian weekly, the Pope is weighing the use of Latin for the formula of Consecration at Mass. He may also be leaning toward the use of Latin in other sacraments.

Pope Benedict has often expressed a desire to enrich the post-conciliar liturgy by incorporating some aspects of older liturgical practices. The proposed changes could be seen as part of that process.

Dave Hodges Defends Veneration of the Theotokos

By: Dave Hodges

I originally hesitated to write this post because the subject of the post is so sensitive and the one to whom I am responding in this post is a man I love and cherish very much, my father-in-law, Rev. Steve Schlissel from New York. If he does decide to read this, he should know that this post is written by somebody who not only loves him dearly, but admires him and looks up to him for many of his character traits. So whilst nothing is intended to be given or taken personally, it is inevitable that some may see it this way. Nevertheless, I write this with a spirit of charity and not hostility. I do disagree with him vehemently, but that should say nothing of my opinion of him personally.

Benedicta tu in mulieribus et benedictus fructus ventri tui, Jesus

In a recent post on his blog, Rev. Schlissel writes at length about the Roman Catholic “idolatry” of Mary. He asserts that if Mary were to be included in the Godhead – a “Quadrinity” he calls it – that nothing in all of Roman Catholic faith or practise would change. Either he is grossly ignorant of the actual practise of the Church, or this is simply inflated rhetoric. I cannot imagine him to be so ignorant of Catholic worship on this matter, so I will assume that it is just rhetoric. And as a rhetorical device, it conveys that he thinks that we honour Mary too much, and that is understandable from his perspective, but for those who actually are ignorant of Catholic practise, there are some things they ought to know.

A Complete Byzantine Liturgy

Beautiful.  This is the reality which has replaced the shadow: the New Holy of Holies, the New Ark, the New Synagogue, the New Eden, the New Covenant.

The Biblical Case for Liturgy, Lillith, and Satyrs

Or, the 'gods' are Real

By: Jay Dyer

A strange title for an article, indeed, but they told us in high school to make your opening line catchy, so hopefully that will bring sweat to the brow of some Calvinist. It’s quite surprising to see that many biblical theologians refuse to admit the existence of the angelic realm, given that it’s so prominent in Sacred Scripture, both in the New and Old Testaments. But this is to be expected since higher criticism is the norm. We will examine below the prominence in Scripture of both sides of the angelic: the holy and the demonic, and see from many scholars of various Christian traditions that the correct biblical and historical view of the hierarchies is quite a diverse realm.

I hope for this to be eye opening to many Protestants who for whatever reasons have failed to understand the biblical and historical case for this legitimate area of theology. I know from my own experience that Calvinist circles tend to be completely unaware in practice, at least, of the influence and action of secondary angelic agents, such as angels or demons. This is because Calvinism thrusts all of its theological focus on the divine will, and usually upon the immediate causality of the divine will, even if mediate, secondary causes are professed intellectually. For proof of this, I challenge the reader to name one Calvinistic exorcist. Case closed. Thus we find this to be an area of radical difference in both Orthodoxy and traditional Catholic teaching when compared with Protestant theology, even of its more conservative stripes. It’s also very telling to me that it’s generally the Churches with Apostolic Succession that actually do exorcisms.

Old Roman Rite of Exorcism

Chapter I

General Rules Concerning Exorcism

1. A priest -- one who is expressly and particularly authorized by the Ordinary -- when he intends to perform an exorcism over persons tormented by the devil, must be properly distinguished for his piety, prudence, and integrity of life. He should fulfill this devout undertaking in all constancy and humility, being utterly immune to any striving for human aggrandizement, and relying, not on his own, but on the divine power. Moreover, he ought to be of mature years, and revered not alone for his office but for his moral qualities.
2. In order to exercise his ministry rightly, he should resort to a great deal more study of the matter (which has to be passed over here for the sake of brevity), by examining approved authors and cases from experience; on the other hand, let him carefully observe the few more important points enumerated here.
3. Especially, he should not believe too readily that a person is possessed by an evil spirit; but he ought to ascertain the signs by which a person possessed can be distinguished from one who is suffering from some illness, especially one of a psychological nature. (From the emended text of the 1952 edition.) Signs of possession may be the following: ability to speak with some facility in a strange tongue or to understand it when spoken by another; the faculty of divulging future and hidden events; display of powers which are beyond the subject's age and natural condition; and various other indications which, when taken together as a whole, build up the evidence.

Number of Exorcisms Rising in Australia Due to Satanism

Brisbane, Feb 19, 2008 (CNA).- Increased interest in Satanism and the occult has led to a rise in exorcisms in the Australian state of Queensland, the Courier Mail reports.

One priest who asked not to be identified said he presently carried out exorcisms at least once every two weeks.

"Being possessed by a demon is terrifying in one's mental and emotional life," he said to the Courier Mail. "Some of these manifestations are extremely powerful, causing people to be plagued by disturbances. They hear voices and see hideous creatures in their sleep.

"There has been a recruitment of pagan practices, and it's sheer poison.”

Exorcism Prayer of St. Basil & Akathist Hymn to St. Michael

O God of gods and Lord of lords, Creator of the fiery ranks, and Fashioner of the fleshless powers, the Artisan of heavenly things and those under the heavens, Whom no man has seen, nor is able to see, Whom all creation fears: Into the dark depths of Hell You hurled the commander who had become proud, and who, because of his disobedient service, was cast down from the height to earth, as well as the angels that fell away with him, all having become evil demons. Grant that this my exorcism being performed in Your awesome name, be terrible to the Master of evil and to all his minions who had fallen with him from the height of brightness. Drive him into banishment, commanding him to depart hence, so that no harm might be worked against Your sealed Image. And, as You have commanded, let those who are sealed receive the strength to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and upon all power of the Enemy. For manifested, hymned, and glorified with fear, by everything that has breath is Your most holy Name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and into ages of ages. Amen.

Hundreds of Germans Believe Themselves Possessed

This interesting article states that exocrcisms are being outsourced because there is a shortage of ritual exorcists in Germany.  That's because real Christianity is all but dead in apostate, occult-obsessed Western Culture as a whole. The article goes on to say that there are exorcisms every day in Germany.  The girl who died in Germany as a result of a failed exorcism was the basis for the film, The Exorcism of Emily Rose.  Here's a thought: maybe the Scriptures really are true!  Maybe the name and power of Christ really does cast out devils, just like in St. Mark's Gospel!  Maybe the founders of German Higher Criticism, the sons of Luther, Melanchthon, and Kant were the one's that were wrong and tragicaly erred in bequeathing to their posterity a "Christianity" demythologized and stripped of all its power.  However, the fact that exorcisms are making a comeback is a good sign.

See also "Exorcism in the Orthodox Church"

-Jay

St. Cyprian on the Unity of the Church

{Note: The classic treatise of St. Cyprian of Carthage on the Uniy of the Church.  A good introduction for those not familiar with or new to the Church Fathers. -Jay]

Argument.— On the Occasion of the Schism of Novatian, to Keep Back from Him the Carthaginians, Who Already Were Not Averse to Him, on Account of Novatus and Some Other Presbyters of His Church, Who Had Originated the Whole Disturbance, Cyprian Wrote This Treatise. And First of All, Fortifying Them Against the Deceits of These, He Exhorts Them to Constancy, and Instructs Them that Heresies Exist Because Christ, the Head of the Church, is Not Looked To, that the Common Commission First Entrusted to Peter is Contemned, and the One Church and the One Episcopate are Deserted. Then He Proves, as Well by the Scriptures as by the Figures of the Old and New Testament, the Unity of the Church.

Liturgy and Spirituality

By: Hieromonk Athanasije JEVTIC

OrthodoxInfo.com

1. The Liturgy is found at the very center of life, experience and understanding of the
Orthodox Catholic Church of God and consequently at the center of Orthodox Theology. For
the being and life itself of the Orthodox Church consists of the Liturgy, because the very being
of the Church of Christ is liturgical and Her very life eucharistic.

The whole creation of Cod, the whole world is conceived and created by God in such a
way So as to become one great oikonomia (οἰκονομία- οἴκος-νέμω) of God in Christ, «the
oikonomia of grace», according to the words of the Apostle Paul, which means to become one
community" (κοινωνία) of everything created with God, to become the Church: the Body of Christ
and the House of the Father in the Spirit (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:21-22), to become one «blessed
kingdom,) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom of «the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit».