Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira on the Carmelites

There are certain religious orders that have a perennial role in the Catholic Church. They irradiate a certain spirit that is indispensable to the Church. It is a perfume that God wants His Church to have since it is a part of her very physiognomy. So God conserves those religious orders that maintain these characteristics. Other religious orders, however, which God judges as not indispensable to the Church, decline and disappear.

Among the orders in the first category, none has so wonderful a continuity as the Order of Carmel. According to a very respectable tradition, it was founded by Elias the Prophet, that is to say, long before the birth of Our Lord. It passed through trials and sufferings, brilliant successes and great failures until the coming of St. John the Baptist, who would be a member of this spiritual family and the greatest successor of Elias. Our Lord Himself would have been close to those religious, who for a certain period would be part of the movement of the Essenes.

Then, with the New Covenant and the dispersion of the Hebrew people, the Order took the name it has today and remained at Mount Carmel until the Muslim persecutions obliged it to flee to the West. In Europe it was at the point of closure when Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock – who was the General of the Order – and gave him the scapular devotion. With this, a torrent of graces came to the Order.

Later, St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross reformed a part of the Carmelite Order. This branch of reform influenced the whole trunk, and it continued to shine until it produced one of its most beautiful flowers, which was St. Therese of Lisieux. Afterward, a phenomenon of general decay set in until it experienced the tornado of bad consequences coming from Vatican, which we know.

You see that Divine Providence wants to conserve the Order of Carmel. According to private prophecies, this Order will never disappear. It will continue – from one glory to another and one trial to another – until the moment that its founder, Elias the Prophet, will return and be present in the last days of History to fight against the Antichrist, who will kill Elias. Then he will be resurrected, and see the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ for the Final Judgment.

There is, therefore, a mystery of predilection of Our Lady for this spiritual family. For this reason, it has greater longevity than other orders.

Devout Commemoration of the 3 hours agony of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ

Pope Pius VII, by a decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, dated 14 February 1815, granted the following indulgences to all the faithful who shall practise the devotion of the Three Hours' Agony, on Good Friday, beginning it after midday, and continuing it for the three hours following, up to that moment in which the memory of our divine Redeemer's death is annually recalled. 

This pious practice may be performed either in public or in private, alone or with others, under the direction of a priest or other sacred minister, or using any pious book that is approved, and meditating, according to each one's ability, on the great sufferings which our Saviour endured during those three hours, and on the seven words he uttered on the cross, or, instead of this, by reciting psalms, hymns or prayers:

• A plenary indulgence to all the faithful who, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, on Holy Thursday, or during Easter-week, shall devoutly pray, for some time, for the intention of his Holiness;
• An indulgence of 200 days to all who, on every Friday of the year, shall, with devotion, recall the memory of our Saviour's agony, and pray devoutly, for some time, in the manner aforesaid;
• A plenary indulgence, once a month, to be gained on the last Friday of every month by all those who, having meditated and prayed, as directed above, on the previous Fridays of the month, and, being truly penitent, after confession and communion, shall pray devoutly, for some time, for the intention of his Holiness.

(Source: Imprimatur 1903 AD, The New Raccolta Or Collection Of Prayers And Good Works, To Which The Sovereign Pontiffs Have Attached Holy Indulgences, pp. 168-169)

Devotion to the Drops of Blood Lost by Our Lord Jesus Christ on His Way to Calvary

St. Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary, with St. Matilda and St. Bridget, wishing to know something of the Passion of Jesus Christ, offered fervent and special prayers, upon which Our Lord revealed to them:

"To all the faithful who shall recite for 3 years, each day, 2 Our Fathers, 2 Hail Marys and 2 Glory Bes in honour of the drops of Blood I lost, I will concede the following 5 graces:

• The plenary indulgence and remittance of your sins;
• You will be free from the pains of Purgatory;
• If you should die before completing the said 3 years, for you it will be the same as if you had completed them;
• It will be upon your death the same as if you had shed all your blood for the Holy Faith;
• I will descend from Heaven to take your soul and that of your relatives, until the fourth generation."

Blessed by Pope Leo XIII in Rome, 5 April, 1890.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on different churches

Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn (11 December 1918 – 3 August 2008) was a Soviet and Russian author and dissident who helped to raise global awareness of political repression in the USSR, especially the Gulag prison system. He was awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Literature. His nonfiction work The Gulag Archipelago amounted to a head-on challenge to the Soviet state and sold tens of millions of copies.

When asked by Joseph Pearce for his opinions about the division within the Roman Catholic Church over the Second Vatican Council and the Novus Ordo Missae, Solzhenitsyn replied:

"A question peculiar to the Russian Orthodox Church is, should we continue to use Old Church Slavonic, or should we start to introduce more of the contemporary Russian language into the service? I understand the fears of both those in the Orthodox and in the Catholic Church, the wariness, the hesitation, and the fear that this is lowering the Church to the modern condition, the modern surroundings. I understand this, but alas, I fear that if religion does not allow itself to change, it will be impossible to return the world to religion because the world is incapable on its own of rising as high as the old demands of religion. Religion needs to come and meet it somewhat."

Pearce then asked Solzhenitsyn what he thought of the division caused within the Anglican Communion by the decision to ordain female priests. His answer was:

"Certainly there are many firm boundaries that should not be changed. When I speak of some sort of correlation between the cultural norms of the present, it is really only a small part of the whole thing. Certainly, I do not believe that women priests is the way to go!"

From Joseph Pearce (2011), Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile, Ignatius Press.

Hall of Honour (8): Rodolfo Vargas Rubio (1958 - 2025)

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio was born in Lima, Peru on 23rd November 1958 from Spanish parents. He had both Peruvian and Spanish nationality. His elementary and secondary schools were with the Jesuits in Lima. He studied Law at the Peruvian University of San Marcos, Philosophy at the Seminary of Cuenca (Spain), Theology at the Angelicum of Rome and History at the UNED (Spain). In 2005, Rodolfo Vargas Rubio wrote a biography of Pope Benedict XVI, published in Spain. He had the unique privilege of presenting a copy of this book ¿El último Papa? Benedicto XVI y su tiempo : perfil biográfico del Papa Ratzinger to His Holiness.

Vargas Rubio was a founder member and chairman of the Consociatio Culturalis Roma Aeterna, that joined the FIUV in 1997. He was also a founder member and chairman of the Sodalitium Internationalis Pastor Angelicus (SIPA), a lay association active from 1998 to contribute to the cause of beatification and canonization of the Venerable Pope Pius XII. Vargas Rubio spoke fluently Spanish, English, French, Italian and Catalan and knew Latin. He was also a knight of the Constantinian Order of Saint George and of the Royal Order of Saint Michael of the Wing (Portugal).

Rodolfo Vargas Rubio entered into the FIUV Council in 2007 and was elected Secretary of the Board in the same year and in 2009. During this time, he supported wholeheartedly Pro Tridentina (Malta)'s membership in the same organisation. He had to resign in 2011 for health reasons but stayed as councillor until 2017. 

As FIUV councillor FIUV he focused on two main areas: 

1) the promotion and diffusion of the FIUV in Spanish-speaking countries and strengthening the links between the associations of Spain, Portugal and Latin-America, and 

2) To fortify inner unity of the FIUV around its President in the challenge represented by the new circumstances that were being raised in Rome. 

In September 2025, Rodolfo Vargas Rubio passed away. He was a great Latinist and connoisseur of the liturgy and was also highly appreciated for his humility and generosity.

Requiescat in Pace

Leo XIV on the Tridentine Mass

Last April this Blog had commented on the future of the Tridentine Mass in Malta, and whether Traditionis custodes would still apply. 

Some days ago, it was announced that Tridentine Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Raymond Burke at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica on 25 October, 2025. This represents an important return of this rite to the Basilica after it was suspended in 2022 due to restrictions issued by Pope Francis' 2021. 

Yesterday, Rorate Coeli published the text being reproduced below:

From an excerpt of the new book-interview with Elise Ann Allen, of Crux, released today -- a direct quote from the Pope's response:

[Elise Ann Allen]: Regarding the study group on liturgy, what is being studied? How much of the reason for establishing this was related to divisions surrounding the Traditional Latin Mass, for example, or issues such as the new Amazonian rite?

 

[Leo XIV]: My understanding of what the group came out of is primarily from issues that have to do with the inculturation of the liturgy. How to continue the process of making the liturgy more meaningful within a different culture, within a specific culture, in a specific place at any given time. I think that was the primary issue.

 

There is another issue, which is also another hot-button issue, which I have already received a number of requests and letters [about]: The question about, people always say ‘the Latin Mass.’ Well, you can say Mass in Latin right now. If it’s the Vatican II rite there’s no problem. Obviously, between the Tridentine Mass and the Vatican II Mass, the Mass of Paul VI, I’m not sure where that’s going to go. It’s obviously very complicated.

 

I do know that part of that issue, unfortunately, has become – again, part of a process of polarization – people have used the liturgy as an excuse for advancing other topics. It’s become a political tool, and that’s very unfortunate. I think sometimes the, say, ‘abuse’ of the liturgy from what we call the Vatican II Mass, was not helpful for people who were looking for a deeper experience of prayer, of contact with the mystery of faith that they seemed to find in the celebration of the Tridentine Mass. Again, we’ve become polarized, so that instead of being able to say, well, if we celebrate the Vatican II liturgy in a proper way, do you really find that much difference between this experience and that experience?

 

I have not had the chance to really sit down with a group of people who are advocating for the Tridentine rite. There’s an opportunity coming up soon, and I’m sure there will be occasions for that. But that is an issue that I think also, maybe with synodality, we have to sit down and talk about. It’s become the kind of issue that’s so polarized that people aren’t willing to listen to one another, oftentimes. I’ve heard bishops talk to me, they’ve talked to me about that, where they say, ‘we invited them to this and that and they just won’t even hear it’. They don’t even want to talk about it. That’s a problem in itself. It means we’re into ideology now, we’re no longer into the experience of church communion. That’s one of the issues on the agenda.

IMPORTANT: appeal from Archbishop Elpidophoros of America

As traditional Catholics, at Pro Tridentina (Malta), we feel it is our duty to share this appeal from Archbishop Elpidophoros of America (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America):

"It is with profound concern and deep sorrow that I address the grave situation facing the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine at the God-trodden Mount Sinai, following the recent judicial decision by Egyptian authorities that threatens to seize the monastery’s property and disrupt its sacred mission.

The Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, nestled at the foot of Mount Sinai, stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of faith, scholarship, and interreligious harmony. Established in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian I, it is the oldest continuously inhabited Christian monastery in the world. The monastery is situated at the very place where God appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush and beneath the Mount of the Decalogue where the Law was given. This sacred ground has nurtured saints honored by the Church, including Saint John Climacus, author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, and Gregory of Sinai, who transplanted Hesychast traditions to the Slavic peoples. The monastery has preserved Christianity’s most precious archaeological and spiritual heritage, including the celebrated Sinai library with its ancient manuscripts and the world’s most important collection of pre-iconoclastic panel icons.

Throughout eighteen centuries, this spiritual institution has maintained harmonious relations with various administrations and regional authorities, who have consistently confirmed and protected its traditional order and sacred character. Its walls have witnessed centuries of devotion and peace among Muslims, Christians, and Jews alike. The monastery’s significance transcends religious boundaries, symbolizing a shared heritage of humanity.

In May 2023, I had the profound honor of leading a pilgrimage of Greek Americans to this sacred site. Together, we venerated the Chapel of the Burning Bush, ascended Mount Sinai, and engaged with the monastic community that has preserved this beacon of spirituality through the ages. Our visit reaffirmed the monastery’s role as a living monument to faith and resilience.

The recent judicial actions which threaten to confiscate the monastery’s property and disrupt its spiritual mission are deeply troubling. Such measures not only violate religious freedoms but also endanger a site of immense historical and cultural importance. It is imperative that the Egyptian government honors its previous commitments to protect the monastery’s autonomy and heritage.

I call upon religious leaders, international organizations, and all people of faith, to join in advocating for the preservation of the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine. Let us work collectively to ensure that this sacred institution continues to inspire and unite people of all faiths for generations to come."

Statement on the election of Pope Leo XIV by FIUV

 

Press Release of Una Voce International (FIUV) on the election of Pope Leo XIV

Una Voce International (Foederation Internationalis Una Voce) would like to welcome Pope Leo XIV and assure him of the prayer of our member associations, who represent Catholics attached to the Traditional Mass all over the world.

Pope Leo has the chance to make a new start with many matters in the Church, and if the Traditional Mass does not appear to him the most pressing one, we commend to him a policy of peaceful co-existence, in which our supporters in every continent may be encouraged to make the greatest possible contribution to the life of the Church, united to the Holy Father in charity and obedience.

We urge all our supporters and friends to pray for Pope Leo. The following prayer, from the ancient Roman Missal, is the Collect from the Votive Mass ‘On the day of the Coronation of a Pope’, and is suitable for a newly elected Pope.

Deus, ómnium fidélium pastor et rector, fámulum tuum Leonem, quem pastórem Ecclésiæ tuæ præésse voluísti, propítius réspice: da ei, quǽsumus, verbo et exémplo, quibus præest, profícere; ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi crédito, pervéniat sempitérnam. Per Dominum nostrum.

O God the Pastor and Ruler of all the faithful, look favourably on Thy servant Leo whom Thou hast been pleased to appoint as shepherd of Thy Church: grant to him, we beseech Thee, that by word and example he may edify those over whom he is placed, so that, with the flock entrusted to him, he may attain unto life everlasting.

Contact: 

Joseph Shaw president@fiuv.org 

Andris Amolins secretary@fiuv.org

Habemus Papam

 

Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum

Robertum Franciscum, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost,

cui sibi nomen imposuit Leonem Decimum Quartum.

What happens to Traditionis custodes now in Malta and Gozo?

The regulations set out in Traditionis custodes and as applied in Malta and Gozo provide that (comments in bold by this Blog):

1. The bishop of the diocese is the sole authority to decide whether the celebration of Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal may take place in his diocese. - only one Sunday Mass is allowed in Malta, none in Gozo.

2. The bishop must decide the locations and times when Mass according to the 1962 rubrics may take place. This cannot occur within parochial churches, nor can the bishop erect new personal parishes dedicated to the celebration of Mass according to the 1962 Missal. - in fact the Mass is only held in the Jesuits Church in Valletta. Other, few Tridentine Masses that are held from time to time are celebrated by so-called 'independent priests'.

3. The bishop must ensure that the existing communities that celebrate Mass according to the 1962 rubrics are effective for the spiritual growth of his people, and he has the option to revoke the permissions given to these communities. He may not authorize the establishment of new groups that gather for celebration according to the 1962 Roman Missal. - this has affected Pro Tridentina (Malta) directly, also because some persons had decided to spread lies about this organisation, for their personal ambitions.

4. The bishop should appoint a priest to act as a delegate for the pastoral care of the groups of the faithful attached to the 1962 liturgical rites. The priest must understand the Missal of 1962 well, must be well-versed in ecclesial Latin, and must exhibit pastoral charity and a desire for ecclesial communion. -  this has been done with the appointment of Canon Doublet.

5. Priests ordained before the publication of Traditionis custodes (16 July 2021) who celebrated Mass according to the 1962 Missal before the publication of Traditionis custodes should request permission from the bishop of the diocese to continue to celebrate Mass according to the 1962 rubrics. - it's unclear whether these priests, some of whom appear in the section Hall of Honour did this or not.

6. Priests ordained after the publication of Traditionis custodes must submit a formal request to the bishop of the diocese in order to gain permission to celebrate Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. The bishop must then consult the Holy See before the bishop grants permission to the priest. - as far as is known, no priest did this.

In December 2021, additional restrictions and guidelines (some of which are reproduced below) were issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the form of a Responsa ad dubia:

1. if a non-parish church, oratory or chapel cannot be found for a group to gather to celebrate the Mass according to the 1962 Missal, the diocesan bishop can ask the Holy See for permission to use a parish church; however, the Mass should not be listed in the parish schedule and when a non-parish church, oratory or chapel becomes available, the permission to celebrate the Mass in the parish church will be withdrawn. - none was asked. If such a group grows in the number of attendees, permission to use the 1962 Missal may be withdrawn because it can be considered that the group is promoting the previous rite. 

2. The diocesan bishop is not authorized to grant permission for the use of the Pontificale Romanum (the Pontifical Missal) issued in 1962. This also means that the sacraments of Holy Orders and Confirmation may only be celebrated in the post-Vatican II form. The only exception is for personal parishes to use the Roman Ritual. But these very few exceptions must be monitored in order to ensure that the priests are accepting the liturgical reforms coming from the Council. - this eliminates all previous permissions to celebrate the Mass and the Sacraments according to the Roman Pontifical and the Roman Ritual which are the two main directories that regulated ceremonies in the Catholic Church for more than 1,000 years. 

3. In order for a priest to be granted permission to celebrate the Mass according to the Missal of 1962, he must recognize the validity and legitimacy of concelebration and is not to refuse to concelebrate at the diocesan Chrism Mass. - this is being applied in Malta.

4. The faculty to celebrate according to the 1962 missal, granted by a diocesan bishop to a priest, is restricted to the territory of that diocese. - therefore priests who celebrate in Malta cannot celebrate the Tridentine Mass in Gozo. The same would apply to any Maltese priest who was incardinated in another diocese. From testimonies gathered by some faithful who attend the different Tridentine Masses in Malta (whether authorised or not), this has been the case with at least 1 priest who attended a seminary abroad.

5. A priest who has been granted faculties to celebrate the 1962 missal is not permitted to celebrate both the Mass according to the 1962 missal and the post-Vatican II missal on the same day. - it is unclear whether an exemption was made in Malta, based on testimonies made by faithful who attend Mass in Valletta.

6. Not only the priest but the deacons and acolytes must also be authorized to serve at the Mass.- if one considers High Masses, the solemnities of the Holy Week, Easter and Christmas in which deacons and acolytes play a very precise role, we see that this demand for authorisation is intended to discourage their participation in such ceremonies. This necessarily leads to a diminishing of such ceremonies.

7. A priest who is authorised to say the Mass according to the1962 Missal cannot say two such Masses even if the group of faithful is approved by the Bishop. - this harms the faithful and puts pressure on them to attend the Novus Ordo Missae. Again, it is clear why groups such as the ASPM are not allowed to expand their attendance at Tridentine Mass while other groups, like Pro Tridentina (Malta), when possible, have to resort to independent priests. 

As if this was not enough, a Rescriptum ex audientia was issued in early 2023. The latest document clearly demands that permission for the groups who received parishes to say the 1962 Mass has to be confirmed by the Vatican. This is directly aimed at the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Institute of Christ the King, the Institute of the Good Shepherd, the Apostolic Administration of St. John Mary Vianney and other such priestly organizations. - but, what about those priests who do not belong to these organizations and say the Latin Mass in churches where both the Novus Ordo Mass and the Tridentine Mass are said once in a while?

The goal of these documents is to entirely abrogate the permissions given by both John Paul II and Benedict XVI to celebrate the Tridentine Mass according to the 1962 Missal. The documents pretend also to abolish the celebration of Mass according to the Missals prior to 1955. They affirm that from now on the only approved expression of the Latin Rite is the Novus Ordo Missae, in which the faithful must have an active participation. Using his "magisterial authority" Francis declared that "the Liturgical Reform is irreversible."

Now that the sede vacante period has begun, one can expect the current situation in Malta to remain the same, for the time being. After a new pope  is elected, one needs probably to wait for some time to see whether the current legislation continues, more restrictions are made or, perhaps, the Church reverts back to the motu proprio Summorum Pontificum.

BREAKING NEWS: Pope Francis has died

The Vatican has just announced that Pope Francis has died.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat eis. Requiescant in pace. Amen.

Bishop Richard Williamson R.I.P.

The sad news that was expected, arrived. As we had informed the readers of this Blog, on 25 January 2025, it was reported that Bishop Williamson was in hospital and in a serious condition. The bishop had suffered a brain haemorrhage and had received last rites at hospital. He died yesterday evening (29 January), at the age of 84.

Réquiem æternam dona ei, Dómine.
Et lux perpétua lúceat ei.
Requiéscat in pace.
Amen.
Anima ejus, et ánimæ ómnium fidélium defunctórum, per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace.
Amen.

BREAKING NEWS: Bishop Richard Williamson dying

Dear members and friends of Pro Tridentina (Malta),

We kindly ask you to pray for Bishop Richard Williamson, formerly of SSPX.

Although His Excellency Bishop Williamson reportedly passed away yesterday, after suffering a brain haemorrhage, we have yet to confirm this report. A former official of the organisation is currently in touch with the Bishop's entourage. This person knew the Bishop and was involved in the organisation of the Bishop's visit to Malta in 2013.

Disagreements notwithstanding, he is a man of great faith and intellect and was always more than charitable in his approach, even to those with whom he disagreed. He has devoted his life to the service of Christ's Church, was ordained by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, and has fought tirelessly for the restoration of Christ's Church and the proclamation of the social Kingship of Jesus Christ. He is a loyal son of the Church.

In your charity, please pray for His Excellency, and if it is true that he has passed away, let us pray for the repose of his soul.

Damian Vella

President, Pro Tridentina (Malta)