Welcome to my Traditional Catholic Web site. It is intended to useful
 primarily to long-time Catholics and converts, but has material that
 can be of help to Protestants to help them better understand the
 Catholic Faith. 

Questions or comments (not attacks on the Catholic Faith) can be
 addressed to me at:

  sa1986@zdnetmail.com

SITE UPDATED: November 27, 2000

Today, I updated the "Stphen Hand and the "Integrists" section.

Today I have put a new "Monthly Devotions" page on my site, which at
 present has prayers to the Infant Jesus of Prague. This page will 
 contain prayers suitable for use during each given month. Of course,
 most of the prayers can used any time if desired.


I have updated my Catholic Prayers 2 page with various prayers from 
the book "The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ" by St. Alphonsus
de Liguori.

November is the month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Please
 pray for the Souls in Purgatory, especially this month. They are in
 serious need of our prayers. Remember also to attend Mass and receive
 Holy Communion for them, especially on the feast of the Holy Souls,
 November 2.

 Some other things you can do to help the Holy Souls:
 
 Have Masses offered for them
 Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet
 Pray the Stations of the Cross
 Offer up little sacrifices
 Fast
 Spread devotion to them
 Attend Eucharistic Adoration and pray for them
 Gain all the indulgences you can, and apply them to the Holy Souls.
 Pray various prayers such as the St. Gertrude prayer:

 Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine
 Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today,
 for all the souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners
 in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
 Amen.

These articles are linked to on my links page:

An Apologia for Roman Catholic Traditionalism
Traditional Catholicism is Historical Catholicism: History's Indict-
  ment of the "Conservative" Error
Five Questions for Bishop Fabian Bruskowitz

I have linked to an excellent article written by a Mr. Adam C. 
 Kolasinski entitled "Legitimate Protest and Criticism of Papal Acts".
 The link can be found near the bottom of the Catholic Articles 
 list of links on my Catholic Links page.

I have posted, in the third section (under the Modety section), an 
article I wrote on Stephen Hand and his seeming obsession with
"integrists" and "integrism."
______________________________________________________________________

"The nature of the Catholic Faith is such that nothing can be added to
it, nothing taken away. Either it is held in its entirety or it is 
rejected totally. This is the Catholic faith which, unless a man believes
faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved." (Pope Benedict XV, "Ad
Beatissimi Apostolorum", 1914).

"Nor must it be thought that what is expounded in Encyclical Letters
does not of itself demand consent, since in writing such Letters the
Popes do not exercise the supreme power of their Teaching Authority.
For these matters are taught with the ordinary teaching authority, of
which it is true to say: "He who heareth you, heareth me;" and gener-
ally what is expounded and inculcated in Encyclical Letters already
for other reasons appertains to Catholic doctrine. But if the Supreme
Pontiffs in their official documents purposely pass judgment on a mat-
ter up to that time under dispute, it is obvious that that matter, ac-
cording to the mind and will of the same Pontiffs, cannot any longer
be considered a question open to discussion amomg theologians." (Pope
Pius XII, "Humani Generis", 1950).

"...there is little reason to wonder that the Modernists vent all their
bitterness and hatred on Catholics who zealously fight the battles of 
the Church. There is no species of insult which they do not heap upon 
them, but their usual course is to charge them with ignorance or obsti-
nacy." (Pope St. Pius X, "Pascendi Dominici Gregis", 1907).

BOOKS AND DOCUMENTS EVERY CATHOLIC SHOULD READ AND/OR OWN:

 Here are some things I think every Catholic should have in their home
library. I also highly recommend these for those who are converting to
the Catholic Faith, ESPECIALLY for those who are attending RCIA.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Catechism of the Council of Trent
Denzinger's Enchiridion Symbolorum (The Sources of Catholic Dogma)

 Papal and Curial Documents:

Pascendi Dominici Gregis(On the Doctrine of the Modernists)Pope Pius X
Mediator Dei(On the Sacred Liturgy)Pope Pius XII
Mortalium Animos(On Fostering True Religious Unity)Pope Pius XI
Humani Generis(Some False Opinions which Threaten to Undermine 
  Catholic Doctrine)Pope Pius XII
Mysterium Fidei(Mystery of Faith)Pope Paul VI
Memoriale Domini(Instruction on the Manner of Distributing Holy
  Communion)Pope Paul VI
Humanae Vitae(On Human Life)Pope Paul VI
Veritatis Splendor(The Splendor of Truth)Pope John Paul II
Dominicae Cenae(The Mystery and Worship of the Eucharist)
Inaestimabile Donum(Instruction concerning the Worship of the
  Eucharistic Mystery

 The Papal and Curial Documents are available online. Click the links
on my Catholic Links Page.
 The Douay-Rheims Bible and the Catechism of the Council of Trent are
also available online (click the Links on my Catholic Links Page. They
can also be ordered from:

Tan Books
P.O. Box 424
Rockford, IL 61105

 The Sources of Catholic Dogma can be ordered from:

The Maryfaithful Bookstore
P.O. Box 48
Powers Lake, N.D. 58773

 I highly recommend subscribing to the Catholic Family News. It costs
$26/year, but is usually offered at $20/year.

Catholic Family News
M.P.O. Box 743
Niagara Falls, NY 14302

 If you are interested in what really happened at Vatican II, what
the deal is with the New Mass, and various other aspects of the 
current crisis in the Church, I higly recommend the following:

Cramner's Godly Order
Pope John's Council
Pope Paul's New Mass, all by Michael Davies. Also read anything else
  by him. He is President of the International Una Voce Federation, 
  and he does his research, and cites his sources.

"The Reform of the Roman Liturgy: Its Problems and Background" by
  Msgr. Klaus Gamber
"Iota Unum" by Amerio Romano
"In the Murky Waters of Vatican II" by Atila Sinke Guimaraes
**********************************************************************

My e-mail address is: sa1986@zdnetmail.com

www.addme.com - Submit your site to 34 popular sites for free! 

Deuteronomy 22:5

 A woman shall not be clothed with men's apparel, neither shall a man
use women's apparel: for he that doeth these things is abominable 
before God.

1 Timothy 2:9-10

 In like manner women also in decent apparel: adorning themselves with
modesty and sobriety, not with plaited hair or gold, or pearls, or
costly attire, But as it becometh women professing godliness, with 
good works.

Galatians 5:19-24

 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication,
 uncleanness, IMMODESTY, luxury.
 20 Idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths,
 quarrels, dissensions, sects,
 21 Envies, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like. Of the
 which I fortell you, as I have foretold to you, that they who do such
 things shall not obtain the kingdom of God.
 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, be-
 nignity, goodness, longanimity,
 23 Mildness, faith, MODESTY, continency, chastity. Against such there
 is no law.
 24 And they that are Christ's, have crucified their flesh, with the
 vices and concupiscences.

Pope Benedict XV, Sacra Propediem, January 6, 1921

 "From this point of view one cannot sufficiently deplore the blind-
ness of so many women of every age and condition; made foolish by de-
sire to please, they do not see to what a degree the the indecency of
their clothing shocks every honest man, and offends God. Most of them
would formerly have blushed for those toilettes as for a grave fault
against Christian modesty, now it does not suffice for them to exhibit
them on the public thoroughfares; they do not fear to cross the thre-
shold of the churches, to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass,
and even to bear the seducing food of shameful passions to the Euch-
aristic Table where one receives the heavenly Author of Purity."

1928 Letter from the Congregation for Religious

 To the Ordinaries of Italy: regarding the crusade against immodest 
fashions, especially in schools directed by women Religious.
 Circular. Most Illustrious and Reverend Sir, well known to you are 
the grave words of condemnation which the Holy Father spoke, on sev-
eral occasions, with apostolic authority, against the immodest fash-
ion of women's dress which prevails today to the detriment of good
breeding.
 Suffice it to recall, the very grave words, charged with grief and 
admonition, with which in the discourse of August 15th current, in the
consistorial chamber, promulgating the decree on the heroic virtues of
Venerable Paolo Frassinetti, His Holiness denounced once again the
danger which, by its seductive fascination, threatens so many unwary
souls, who profess to belong to the flock of Jesus Christ and to His
Holy Church.
 It is painful to point out in this regard that the deplorable custom
tends to insinuate itself among young girls who frequent, as extern
pupils, some of the schools directed by Sisters and Sunday-school 
classes which are held in female religious institutions.
 In order to confront a danger which, by spreading, becomes ever more
grave, this Sacred Congregation, by order of the Holy Father, calls 
upon the ordinaries of Italy so that they may communicate to the sup-
eriors of the houses of female religious in their respective dioceses
the following injunctions of this Sacred Congragation, confirmed by
His Holiness in audience this day:
 a) In all schools, academies, recreation centers, Sunday schools, and
laboratories directed by female religious, not to be admitted from now
on are those girls who do not observe in their attire the rules of
modesty and Christian decency.
 b) To this end, the superiors themselves will be obliged to exercise
a close supervision and exclude peremptorily from the schools and pro-
jects of their institutions those pupils who do not conform to these
prescriptions
 c) They must not be influenced in this by any human respect, either
for material considerations or by reason of the social prestige of the
families of their pupils, even though the student body should dimin-
ish in number.
 d) Furthermore, the Sisters, in fulfillment of their educational pur-
suits, must endeavor to inculcate sweetly and strongly in their pup-
ils the love and relish for holy modesty, the sign and guardian of
purity and delicate adornment of womankind.
 Your Reverence will be vigilant that these injunctions be exactly ob-
served and that there be perfect conformity of conduct among all the
institutes of female religious in the diocese.
 You will severely call to task whoever should fail in this, and 
should any abuse be prolonged, you will notify this Sacred Congreg-
ation.
 With deepest esteem, I remain,
 Devotedly yours,
 G. cardinal Laurenti, Prefect
 Sacred Congreegation for Religious
 Vincent LaPuma, Secretary
 Rome, August 23, 1928

1930 Letter of the Congregation of the Council

 By virthue of the supreme apostolate which he wields over the Univer-
sal Church by Divine Will, our Most Holy Father Pope Pius XI has never
ceased to inculcate, both verbally and by his writings, the words of
St. Paul(1 Tim. XI,9-10), namely, "Women...adorning themselves with
modesty and sobriety...and professing godliness with good works."
 Very often, when occasion arose, the same Supreme Pontiff condemned
emphatically the immodest fashion of dress adopted by Catholic women
and girls - which fashion not only offends the dignity of women and
against her adornment, but conduces to the temporal ruin of the women
and girls, and, what is still worse, to their eternal ruin, miserably
dragging down others in their fall. It is not surprising, therefore,
that all bishops and other ordinaries, as is the duty of ministers of
Christ, should in their own dioceses have unanimously opposed their
depraved licentiousness and promiscuity of manners, often bearing
with fortitude the derision and mockery leveled against them for this
cause.
 Therefore this Sacred Council, which watches over the discipline of
clergy and people, while cordially commending the action of the Vener-
able Bishops, most emphatically exhorts them to persevere in their
attitude and increase their activities insofar as their strength per-
mits, in order that this unwholesome disease be definitely uprooted
from human society.
 In oder to facilitate the desired effect, this Sacred Congregation,
by the mandate of the Most Holy Father, has decreed as follows:
 1. The parish priest, and especially the preacher, when occasion ari-
ses, should, according to the words of the Apostle Paul(2 Tim. IV, 2),
insist, argue, exhort and command that feminine garb be based on mod-
esty and womanly ornament be a defense of virtue. Let them likewise 
admonish parents to cause their daughters to cease wearing indecorous
dress.
 2. Parents, conscious of their grave obligations toward the educa-
tion, especially religious and moral, to their offspring, should see
to it that their daughters are solidly instructed, from the earliest
childhood, in Christian doctrine; and they themselves should assidu-
ously inculcate in their souls, by word and example, love for the 
virtues of modesty and chastity; and since their family should follow
the example of the Holy Family, they must rule in such a manner that
all its members, reared within the walls of of the home, should find 
reason and incentive to love and preserve modesty.
 3. Let parents keep their daughters away from public gymnastic games
and contests; but if their daughters are compelled to attend such ex-
hibitions, let them see that they are fully and modestly dressed. Let
them never permit their daughter to don immodest garb.
 4. Superioresses and teachers in schools for girls must do their ut-
most to instill love of modesty in the hearts of maidens confided to
their care and urge them to dress modestly.
 5. Said Superioresses and teachers must not receive in their colleges
and schools immodestly dressed girls, and should not even make an ex-
ception in the case of mothers of pupils. If, after being admitted,
girls persist in dressing immodestly, such pupils should be dismissed.
 6. Nuns, in compliance with the letter dated August 23, 1928, by the
Sacred Congregation of Religious, must not receive in their colleges,
schools, oratories or recreation grounds, or, if once admitted, toler-
ate girls who are not dressed with Christian modesty; said Nuns, in 
addition, should do their utmost so that love for holy chastity and
Christian modesty may become deeply rooted in the hearts of their pup-
ils.
 7. It is desirable that pious organizations of women be founded, 
which by their counsel, example and propoganda should combat the wear-
ing of apparel unsuited to Christian modesty, and should promote pur-
ity of customs and modesty of dress.
 8. In the pious associations of women those who dress immodestly 
should not be admitted to membership; but if, perchance, they are re-
ceived, and after having been admitted, fall again into their error,
they should be dismissed forthwith.
 9. Maidens and women dressed immodestly are to be debarred from Holy
Communion and froma acting as sponsors at the Sacraments of Baptism
and Confirmation; further, if the offense be extreme, they may even be
forbidden to enter the Church.

Donato Cardinal Sbaretti, Prefect
Congregation of the Council
Rome, January 12, 1930

This letter can be found in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis of 1930 (vol.
22, pp. 26-28). Thus, this letter is an OFFICIAL PAPAL ACT, and as it
has never been officially changed or contradicted, it is STILL IN 
FORCE, and since it relates to MORALS, it cannot be officially changed
or contradicted.

Pope Pius XII, Nov.8, 1957, Address to the Congress of the Latin Union
 of High Fashion, "Moral Problems in Fashion Design."

 This second virtue, modesty - the very word "modesty" comes from mod-
us, a measure or limit - probably better expresses the function of 
governing and dominating the pasions, especially sensual passions. It
is the natural bulwark of chastity. It is its effective rampart, be-
cause it moderates acts closely connected with the very object of
chastity [...] Yet no matter how broad and changeable the relative
morals of styles may be, there is always an absolute norm to be kept
after having heard the admonition of conscience warning against appr-
oaching danger: style must never be a proximate occasion of sin. [...]
An excess of immodesty in fashion involves, in practice, the cut of 
the garment. The garment must not be evaluated according to the estim-
ation of a decadent or already corrupt society, but according to the
aspirations of a society which prizes the dignity and seriousness of
its public attire. [...] It is often said almost with passive resig-
nation that fashions reflect the customs of a people. But it would be
more exact and much more useful to say that they express the decision
and moral direction that a nation intends to take: either to be ship-
wrecked in licentiousness or maintain itself at the level to which it
has been raised by religion and civilization.

More to added in the future....

8-29-00

I've been following the debate between The Remnant, Catholic Family
News, Tradition in Action, etc. (hereafter referred to as Matt & Co.),
and Stephen Hand. Mr. Hand has gone from being a supporter of the
Traditionalist position to a supporter of his own position. The big
problems for Mr. Hand are the video put out by the In the Spirit of
Chartres Committee from Arizona and an article published in The
Remnant and Catholic Family News entitled, "We Resist You to the
Face", in which the signers of said document declare that they will
"suspend obedience" to the Pope. Hand and his supporters are busy
condemning Matt & Co for these things. On Hand's web site is a page
titled "Catholicism, Various Errors, and Schismatic Views" which is
at www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/3251/controversy.html

On that page is an article in a box titled "John Sharpe, Thomas
Woods, Atila Guimaraes try to cover their Tracks." In this article,
as well as in an article titled "Apologia Pro Stephen Hand Against
the Assault of the Schismatics (genintegrist4.html), there is a
line quoted from the "We Resist You to the Face" article, which Mr.
Hand and a Brian Gershon (writer of the Apologia article) would love
to have you believe is a prime indicator that Matt & Co. are indeed
"schismatic". This is what they quote:

"In our view a possible future declaration of a sede vacante ('the
period of time when the Apostolic See is empty, as a consequence of 
the heresy of the Pope' CFN 7/2000) would take place automatically
when the Church would become aware of the gravity of the present day
errors and who is responsible for them." --We Resist the Pope to His
Face, V.3

This is exactly as worded in both articles. In addition, Mr. Gershon
spent a fair amount of time criticizing the Remnant's journalism
technique! First, who is this Brian Gershon, and what are his journal-
istic credentials? And second, and more importantly, why is that Mr.
Hand, who is so on fire to condemn his former friends, doesn't put
"We Resist You to the Face" on his website and critique it point by
point, while citing the Official teaching of the Catholic Church to
refute the "errors" in it?

The obvious answer is that he knows that on the whole the
article is not what he makes it out to be and does not indicate what
he wants people to believe.

In the 'John Sharpe et al try to cover their tracks' article, it says
"Tragically, all they have left is adhominem hatred, misrepresentat-
ion and distorted framing of facts, and deflection." Now this of
course is primarily in reference to what these people are saying 
about their involvement with the video "What we have Lost".

Nevertheless, both Mr. Hand and Mr. Gershon are guilty of the very 
same thing. The quote they used was taken out of context; they don't
want their readers to know about the fact that the quote from "We
Resist You to the Face" is  the second point under a subheading called
"What this Action does not Imply", and, in fact Hand and Gershon do
not even quote the entire section. They only gave part of it! 

Here is the entire section: (emphasis mine)

3. What this action does NOT imply
This resistance statement does NOT imply:
*The desire to judge the Pope, but only to compare his teachings with
  prior Magisterium of the other Popes and of the Church.
*THE DESIRE TO DECLARE THAT THE APOSTOLIC SEE IS VACANT. IN OUR VIEW,
A POSSIBLE FUTURE DECLARATION OF A SEDE VACANTE [THE PERIOD OF TIME
WHEN THE APOSTOLIC SEE IS EMPTY, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE HERESY OF THE
POPE] WOULD TAKE PLACE AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE CHURCH WOULD BECOME
AWARE OF THE GRAVITY OF THE PRESENT-DAY ERRORS AND OF WHO IS RESPON-
SIBLE FOR THEM. SHOULD SUCH A SITUATION NOT BECOME PUBLIC AND NOTOR-
IOUS, THE DECLARATION OF THE AFOREMENTIONED JUDGMENT WOULD FALL TO
FUTURE PONTIFFS.

The full text of "We Resist You to the Face" can be obtained from
The Remnant, Catholic Family News, or on the internet at the following
web address:

www.catholictradition.org/cfn-resistance.htm

I find it interesting that Mr. Hand and Mr. Gershon are so ready to
accuse Matt & Co. of "misrepresentation and distorted framing of facts
and deflection", especially since they have done the exact same thing,
as well as citing the title of the document as "We Resist the Pope to
his Face" which is not the title at all.

Mr. Hand also likes to talk of how the "Integrists" pit Pope against
Pope, and Council against Council. And how they engage in private
judgment of the Pope's writings, combing through them for some phrase
they can use to claim the Pope is teaching something wrong. Yet Mr. 
Hand does the exact same thing with "We Resist You to the Face." 

Mr. Hand, in Part 4 of his "Traditionalists, Tradition, and Private
Judgment" article, after narrating how "Integrists" reject Vatican II
and refer to the Pope as a heretic, etc. makes this statement, which 
can be found on the Wanderer's website at:

www.thewandererpress.com/u1.html

scroll down to Part 4 and read the 15th paragraph, which states:

 "This does not mean that every decision of the Pope or Church is 
always wise, but it does mean that the Church is infallibly and super-
naturally protected against defecting from the faith until the very
end of the world (Matt.28:20)"

This is true, but notice that Mr. Hand in any of his writings since
breaking with Matt & Co., has not made the distinction between Papal
Teaching and the Pope's private opinion. Mr. Hand, it seems to me,
would have his readers believe that whatever the Pope says or does is
automatically part of the Magisterium. He even made a big deal out of
'defending' the Magisterium by putting a link to a Catholic Encyclo-
pedia article entitled "Tradition and Living Magisterium." I find it
extremely interesting that he does not link to the article entitled
"Pope". I believe that Mr. Hand would not like his readers to know 
the truth about the Pope. He would rather his readers believe that
anything the Pope says or does is Magisterial, and beyond criticism.
However, as I will demonstrate from the article itself and 2 other
sources, the Pope does indeed have great power and supreme authority
in the Church, but that power is in no way ABSOLUTE in everything,
nor is it arbitrary and despotic. This is now on my page 'Papal
Authority, Papalotry, and "Attacking" the Pope'.

Mr. Hand devotes an entire page of his site to define the word 
"integrist/integralist". It can be summed up as: A person who believes
that something is dogmatic, when in fact it is not. And nowhere on 
that page does the definition of the word include: A person who crit-
isizes a decision of the Pope. Yet Mr. Hand condemns The Latin Mass
Magazine as integrist because of an alleged 25 page "attack" on the 
Pope. The magazine (Spring 2000 issue) had several articles that 
detail the history of Pope John Paul II's reign. The good and the
bad. But Mr. Hand is one of those people who sees any criticism of the
Pope as being the act of an "integrist." Anyone who does not believe 
that the pontificate of Pope John Paul II has been all good, or at the
least, mostly positive, is an "integrist", yet Mr. Hand has problems 
with altar girls, and believes that improvements could be made in the 
Novus Ordo Mass. 

Strange attitude from a man who promotes an idea that anything the 
Pope says or does is Magisterial, and thus above criticism.

However, if Matt & Co., or others, bring up negative things about the
Pope in any fashion, they are called "integrists", and "schismatic".

News Flash! Stephen Hand is the real integrist!!! He will accept no
criticism of the Pope from anyone, yet does the same himself! Not 
only is he the real integrist, he is espousing an extremely hypocrit-
ical viewpoint.

Now I will say flat out that I have not seen the video "What we have 
Lost". So I can't comment on it.

But, I will comment on one thing. I understand that Gerry Matatics
appeared in the video. I do not know what he said on the video, nor
do I know how long his appearance on it was. I did note that Mr. Hand
wasted little time linking to a question on Karl Keating's apologetics
forum about Gerry Matatics and Keating's response to Matatics being 
in it. On Hand's website, at his controversy.html page, he entitles
the link to this question, "Gerry Matatics, "called" and "sent" by
whom". I think Mr.Hand poses a very good question. In fact, I think it
is one of the more intelligent things posted on his website in months.
I too would like to ask this question of Karl Keating, who has made
accusations of "schism", "Feenyism", and the like against Gerry 
Matatics for years, without solid proof, and he will not give Gerry
a chance to defend himself. Keating is not objective where Gerry is
concerned, and will use anything to "prove" the Gerry is a "schism-
atic", a "Feenyite" etc. I would love to know who "called" and "sent"
Karl Keating to evangelize Protestants, and for years to be so 
uncharitable against one man. I would like to know who called and sent
Scott Hahn to give talks all over the country, and who became a 
supporter of the "charismatic movement", which is  heretical?
Who called and sent Stephen Hand to condemn just about any-
one who is "Traditionalist" as being an "integrist".
Who called and sent the leaders of the "charismatic movement" to 
spread their heresy in the Church? 

Please Mr. Hand, Mr. Keating, Mr. Hahn, and all you "charismatic"
leaders, tell me, who "called" and "sent" you???

I believe that it is time for Mr. Hand to at least be honest enough
to publish the entire text of "We Resist You to the Face" on his web-
site, and demonstrate from OFFICIAL church teaching, that it is in
error, and to seriously research and tell us exactly what the Church 
teaches in regard to authority of the Pope and the Church. But I doubt
he will do that, because then he would have to stop accusing people
of "integrism" and it would not look good to his new "conservative"
friends.

Another thing, I will admit that I saw one or  two things in "We
Resist You to the Face" that APPEARED to be a bit problematic. But
I will address those when I post the article and do a critique it on
my website. And I will be contacting Matt & Co. about there points.

I would also like to point out that Mr. Hand in "Traditionalists,
Tradition, and Private Judgment", accuses Catholic Family News of
using only the the worst photos of the Pope in certain situations.
First of all, what should CFN do? Act as though the Pope isn't doing
things his predecessors would have condemned him for? Should CFN, like
most "conservatives", stick their head in the sand, or keep on the
rose colored glasses? It can argued for days, even years, about how
the Pope should deal with the current crisis, but the facts are that
the Pope has done very little to correct the problems. Sure he has
done much good, and preached the Gospel throughout the world, but that
does not end the confusion, nor does it correct abuses. 

Mr. Hand is now a great supporter of Vatican II and loves to show
himself a great defender of the Pope. Ok then Mr. Hand, you claim 
that the Pope is following Vatican II. Well then, where is the Latin
in our churches? Only in churches that have the Indult Mass, and a few
of the Novus Ordo parishes is Latin ever heard anymore. But yet, the
council you now so love to defend, which stated: "Particalar law
remaining in force, LATIN IS TO BE PRESERVED IN THE LATIN RITE."
(emphasis mine), is ignored by the very Pope who is so in favor of
carrying out the directives of this Council!

Wake up, Mr. Hand. Vatican II may be a valid Council, the Novus Ordo
a valid Mass, and Pope John Paul II a valid Pope, but where is the 
document issued by the Pope ordering that Latin is to be used in all
Latin rite parishes? HELLO!!!!!!!! THERE ISN'T ONE!!!!!

And that is just one point that can be made. 

I would like to point out that Mr. Hand is, essentially, lumping all
"traditionalists" together now, no matter what. Granted there are in
fact some real "extreme Traditionalists" out there, and these should 
be avoided, but to Mr. Hand, any one who criticizes any of the post-
Conciliar Popes is an "Integrist", or "extreme Traditionalist."

The best thing to do is avoid Hand's website altogether, until he
realizes that he is the one who is confused and in error.

10-5-00

I am adding to this article. About a month, or almost 2, ago, Mr. Hand
posted an article on his controversy.html page entitled "The Lefebv-
rist Worm in Una Voce's Apple." I found it very interesting that Mr. 
Hand, who just a few months ago, was accusing Michal Matt of the Rem-
nant of criticizing Michal Davies behind his back, is now trying to
trash Michael Davies himself. I find it interesting that in the first
paragraph of this artcle Mr. Hand criticizes Davies for still allowing
his books to be published and sold by the Angelus Press (the printing
arm of the SSPX), while at the same time, Hand himself has made no at-
tempt, at least publicly, to get the Remnant to stop publishing and 
selling 2 of his own books! Interesting that Davies is somehow now an
"integrist" for his former defense of the SSPX, and his "allowing'
them to sell his books, but yet Mr. Hand is not, even though the very
people he has many times condemned as "integrists" have not been told
to stop selling his books, at least not publicly.

Mr. Hand claims that Davies does still defend the SSPX. Maybe so. I 
can't say for sure, but I think Mr. Hand needs to get with reality.

Hand publishes an article by E. Michael Jones (of Fidelity and Culture
Wars fame) that is FIVE years old, as his proof that Davies is a def-
ender of the SSPX. And offers nothing newer, or if he does, I haven't
seen it yet.

Also, I noticed that Mr. Hand still maintains a link on his links 
page to a small part of one of Davies' writing that is on the 'Net.
(As of 11-1-00).

All the more reason to avoid Stephen Hand, and his website.

11-1-00

 Hand is at it again.

I noticed 2 articles on Hand's site on 10-31-00. One is titled:
"Canon Law Study Concludes Integrists Who Publicly "Suspend 
Obedience" to Pope are in Schism". This article can be found at
www.geocities.com/Athens/Ithaca/3251/joan.html. Another article, which
is on TCR  /tri.html page is titled: "FSSP Responds to Misrepresentat-
ions of Latin Mass Magazine. I'd like to point something out here. In
this 'FSSP Responds' article, Mr. Hand (or whoever) brings up the 
point that a headline can be written so the event being reported on is
perceived in a good or bad light. The line I am referring to is this,
and I quote, "It's a well-known fact in publishing circles that the
title you give to any article will set the frame of mind in which
people read it." And then he demonstrates how this is done. Excellent 
point. However, he seems to have forgotten it when he wrote the title
for the first article I mentioned. In that article, Mr. Hand goes on
to state that the "Canon Law study" is not in fact completed, and is
expected to be released next year. One moment this study is done, the
next he says it's expected to be released next year. Interesting.
 I don't know who is doing this study, but if I had to guess, I would
guess it was Pete Vere. Mr. Vere, who frankly I admire, recently got
a degree in Canon Law, and not long ago did a canonical study on the
SSPX situation. Given that his writings have as late appeared on TCR,
and a short letter of his recently published in The Remnant stating
his opinion obout the "suspension of obedience", I conclude that it is
him doing the study. I hope Mr. Vere, or whoever is doing the study,
abandons the project. There are more pressing problems than the so-
called "schism" of the "We Resist..." writers.
 But to get to my other points. In the FSSP responds article, Hand
does his usual bit of name-calling, etc. He claims that the North 
American District Headquarters was consulted about the alleged attacks
by the editor of The Latin Mass magazine against the FSSP.
 Well, then perhaps Mr. Hand can explain a few things. Like what pages
of the Fall 2000 issue the alleged attacks are made on. And how about
quoting the entire text of the articles for those of us who are not
current subscribers the The Latin Mass? Also, what proof do we have 
that he actually spoke to the Fraternity and Fr. Devillers? When and
how exactly did he speak with Fr. Devillers? By phone? By fax? By 
e-mail? Maybe Vulcan mind-meld? Mr. Hand is very good at accusing the
Latin Mass Magazine of using "supposition and innuendo as opposed to
facts" as well as "a significant amount of selective reporting and
quoting, as well as a great deal of underlying personal animosity" in
what Latin Mass Magazine reports about the FSSP and Fr. Devillers. Mr.
Hand should know all about 'selective quoting', considering that's 
what he did when writing about "We Resist You to the Face", as I dem-
onstrated earlier in this article. And he is also an expert on having
"a great deal of personal animosity." He condemns his former friends
as "extremists", "extreme Traditionalists" and "integrists" all the 
while saying he tried to talk to them about their seeming 'hardening
against Rome'. But notice Mr. Hand offers no proof that he tried to
talk to them. Where are the audio and/or video tapes of their conver-
sations? Where are the E-mails that have verified as true and original
by disinterested 3rd parties? Where is other written verification? Mr.
Hand says is said to work in a law office. This should be obvious to
him. 
 Now I want to make clear here that I do not have this issue of the
Latin Mass Magazine, so I can't look at it and say "Ah, Mr. Hand is 
right in what he is saying." Maybe everything he says and alleges in
his article is true, but how can I know that, without seeing the art-
icles myself? I would like to bring up one thing that Hand speaks of
in his article, because it is common knowledge. He brings up the 
point of the debate about the "French 16", the Fraternity priests who
appealed to Rome for permission to use the New Rite of Mass. In the 
article, there are 5 points he makes, marked by dots. If you read the
4th one, the one that begins "Rome has no "new" policy....". What I
want to know is this. If what he alleges in this point is true, then
why is that these "French 16" petitioned Rome in the first place? If
it was understood in the beginning of the FSSP that their priests 
would still retain the right to celebrate the Novus Ordo, then what
was the point of 16 French FSSP priests petitioning Rome to be sure
they could do so? And if they did want to celebrate the New Mass,
then why waste time joining the FSSP? 
 I want to state for the record that I'm glad that we have the FSSP.
They do a lot of good and help a lot of people, but in the midst of
all the debate, I think that what is being missed is that the FSSP is
allowed to exist at the whim of the Ecclesia Dei Commission. The Papal
document Ecclesia Dei was a Motu Proprio, which is means the Pope is
the one who initiated it, on his own. To the best of my knowledge, 
this type of document doesn't necessarily carry the weight of full 
Papal authority. It's not doctrinal, and could be revoked by him, or
a successor at anytime, for any reason. I could be wrong about that,
but until proven otherwise.....
 If the Pope was so in favor of the continuing of the FSSP and the 
Traditional Orders in general, why is it that they are not given the
status of personal prelature (I think that's the right term) like the
way too controversial Opus Dei is? Why leave the FSSP at the mercy of
bishops who don't want Traditional orders or Traditional anything in
their dioceses? The fact is that the FSSP could be closed down on a 
whim, with no notice. And if that isn't the truth then why was it not
given personal prelature status? Think about it.

I would like to bring up another point on Stephen Hand. Hand likes to
accuse Matt & Co. of name-calling, and that sort of thing. but, at the
end of the FSSP article, he refers to Thomas Woods of Latin Mass Maga-
zine as an "extremist" and says he "defended the de facto Integrist
schism" because of his defense of the "We Resist you to the Face"
article. Mr. Hand is, as I showed earlier, guilty of the very same 
things he accuses his former friends of. 

I think it's time Mr. Hand started using his time more constructively
than condemning Matt & Co. In fact, he should do everyone a favor by
getting a real life, and putting out material that will help people to
lead a better and holier life, rather than condemning a few people who
have simply stated the truth, and who, excuse the language but, had 
the balls to say what had to be said.

Shawn  11-2-00
______________________________________________________________________

Today, 11-27, I was checking out Stephen Hand's site, and he has 
linked to a story in Catholic World Report about the "gay priest
problem". One of his suggestions for dealing with this pronblem is
that, and I quote, "What Rome can do, REQUIRE HEADS ON PLATTERS"
I find it interesting that he all of a sudden seems to see the need
for punishment of people for something, and that Rome should do the
punishing. But earlier this year, he held this strange (and probably
still does) idea that people who have been attacking the Catholic 
Faith for years, and leading millions astray, should not be openly
excommunicated, for fear of causing a great "schism" in the Church.
Well, if you've followed Hand's new career of condemning certain
people as "integrists", you'll probably notice that a great schism
has already begun. At least according to him and his new friends at
the Wanderer. 
 So, Mr. Hand, I ask you, why this sudden suggestion that Rome call 
for heads on platters? While I agree that such priests and bishops
should be laicized, and removed from their sacred offices, and put
in a program to help them, and that they should do serious penance
for their actions, why the sudden call for their heads? What about
people who have been attacking the Faith for years, like Hans Kung,
Richard McBrien, et al? These people have done thousands of times more
damage to the Faith than any number of gay priests. So why not call
for the heads of McBrien and his ilk? Oh gee, that's right, I forgot,
you're a "conservative" now. You believe everything the Pope says or
does is magisterial and hence infallible. Gee, Mr. Hand, the Pope has
done virtually nothing about gay priests during his pontificate as
well as very little about curbing heresy, but, gee, didn't you just 
recently spend months this summer condemning The Remnant, CFN, et al.
for "attacking" the Pope, and going into "schism" because of a docu-
ment that you didn't like, in which they pointed out these same 
things, among others? Well, Mr. Hand, you once again prove that
YOU are the real "integrist". I think, Mr. Hand, it's time for you to
sit back, relax, and ask yourself, "What am I really accomplishing
here?" I'll tell you, NOTHING, except proving yourself to be a 
hypocrite. Why don't you spend a little more time filling your site
with things that will help people lead good lives and become holy,
rather than talking about things that we have already been oversatu-
rated with? 

This will be the last time I update this section. Let's face it, it's
pretty much old news, but I will keep it on my site in another place
for future reference. 

 This is currently one of the most controversial topics in the Church
today. Supposedly, this is about converting the non-Catholics to the 
Catholic Faith, but in practice, it is used to allow non-Catholics to
feel that they are already members of the True Church, and that it 
really doesn't matter what "church" or "religion" one belongs to, as 
long as one leads a "good" life. That is a serious error. The Catholic
Church has INFALLIBLY defined twice that "Outside the Catholic Church
there is no salvation", and has once INFALLIBLY defined that one can-
not be saved without being subject to the Roman Pontiff. It has also
condemned indifferentism, which is the belief or attitude that one 
religion is as good as another, and that it isn't necessary to be 
Catholic in order to be saved. Today, there are many so-called "Cath-
olic" bishops who allow their cathedrals to be used for the "ordin-
ation" of Protestant "bishops" and "clergy". This is a sacrilege. Many
bishops and priests routinely encourage Catholiocs to attend so-called
"ecumenical" services, such as "prayer meetings" to pray for "Christ-
ian unity". Participation in these is forbidden by the First Command-
ment of God, and by the Papal Encyclical "Mortalium Animos" by Pope
Pius XI. This encyclical condemned "ecumenism" as an error. True
"ecumenism" is in the conversion of all non-Catholics to the Catholic
Faith, and ANYONE who promotes the opposite of this, is guilty of
promoting that which has been condemend.

 (Numbers are paragraph numbers in Denzinger's Enchiridion Symbolorum,
The Sources of Catholic Dogma, 30th Edition)

From the Letter of the Sacred Office, September 16, 1864

1685  It has been made known to the Apostolic See that some Catholic
laymen and ecclesiastics have enrolled in a society to "procure" as 
they say, the unity of Christianity, established at London in the year
1857, and that already many journalistic articles have been published,
which are signed by the names of Catholics approving this society, or
which are shown to be the work of churchmen commending this same soc-
iety.
  But certainly, I need not say what the nature of this society is,
and whither it is tending; this is easily understood from the articles
of the newspaper entitled THE UNION REVIEW, and from that very page on
which members are invited or listed. Indeed, formed and directed by
Protestants, it is animated by that spirit which expressly avows for
example, that the three Christian communions, Roman Catholic, Greek-
schismatic, and Anglican, however seperated and divided from one an-
other, nevertheless with equal right claim for themselves the name 
Catholic. Admission, therefore, into that society is open to all,
wheresoever they may live, Catholics, Greek-schismatics, and Angli-
cans, under this condition however, that no one is permitted to raise
a question about the various forms of doctrine in which they disagree,
and that it is right for each individual to follow with tranquil soul
what is acceptable to his own religious creed. Indeed, the society it-
self indicates to all its members the prayer to be recited, and to the
priests the sacrifices to be celebrated according to its own intent-
ion: namely, that the said three Christian communions, inasmuch as 
they, as it is alleged, together now constitute the Catholic Church,
may at some time or other unite to form one body....
1686  The foundation on which this society rests is of such a nature
that it makes the divine establishment of the Church of no consequ-
ence. For it is wholly in this: that it supposes the true Church of
Jesus Christ to be composed partly of the Roman Church scattered and
propogated throughout the whole world, partly, indeed, of the schism 
of Photius, and of the Anglican heresy, to which, as well as to the
Roman Church, "there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism" [cf.Eph 4:5].
Surely nothing should be preferable to a Catholic man than that sch-
isms and dissensions among Christians be torn out by the roots and
that all Christians be "careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace" [Eph.4:3]....But, that the faithful of Christ and the
clergy should pray for unity under the leadership of heretics, and,
what is worse, according to an intention, polluted and infected as 
much as possible with heresy, can in no way be tolerated. The true 
Church of Jesus Christ was established by divine authority, and is 
known by a fourfold mark, which we assert in the creed must be beli-
eved; and each one of these marks so clings to the others that it can-
not be seperated from them; hence it happens that that Church which
truly is, and is called Catholic should at the same time shine with
the prerogatives of unity, sanctity, and apostolic succession. There-
fore, the Catholic Church alone is conspicuous and perfect in the un-
ity of the whole world and of all nations, particularly in that unity
whose beginning, root, and unfailing origin are that supreme authority
and "higher principality" of Blessed PETER, the prince of the Apost-
les, and of his successors in the Roman Chair. No other Church is
Catholic except the one which, founded on the one PETER, grows into
one "body compacted and fitly joined together"[Eph.4:16] in the unity 
of faith and charity....
  Therefore, the faithful should especially shun this London society,
because those sympathizing with it favor indifferentism and engender
scandal. 

From the Decree of the Holy Office, July 8, 1927

2199  Whether it is permitted Catholics to be present at, or take part 
in conventions, gatherings, meetings, or societies of non-Catholics
which aim to associate together under a single agreement all who in 
any way lay claim to the name of Christian?
  Reply: In the negative, and there must be complete adherence to the
decree (De participatione catholicorum societati, "ad procurandam
christianitatis unitatem") on the participation of Catholics in a soc-
iety "to procure the unity of Christianity."

Note: The decree just mentioned in the reply is the Letter of the
Sacred Office, September 16, 1864 above (which you probably just read).

Also refer to: MORTALIUM ANIMOS (On Fostering True Religious Unity),
Pope Pius XI, 1928. This can be found on my Catholic Links Page.

**********************************************************************

The following quotes are from "Papal Teachings: The Church", Selected
and arranged by The Benedictine Monks of Solesmes, 1962, and published
by St. Paul Editions (Daughters of St. Paul).

(Numbers listed are the paragraph numbers in the book.)

Pope Pius X, 1910
746  Finally, let all be persuaded of this: it will be utterly vain to
laborin this cause unless, in the first place, every effort is made to
preserve the Catholic Faith whole and entire such as it has been con-
secrated and transmitted to us in Sacred Scripture, the teachings of 
the Fathers, the interpretation of the Church, the General Councils,
and the decrees of the Sovereign Pontiffs....

Pope Pius XII, 1944
1118 ...Even more, even under the pretxt of restoring peace and con-
cord, it is wrong to dissemble even so much as a single dogma; for as
the Alexandrian Patriarch admonishes us: "To desire peace is certainly
the highest and principal good..but we may not, for that reason, des-
pise the virtue of piety in Christ". Therefore, it does not lead to
the much desired return of the erring children to real and true unity
in Christ, this method which accepts merely certain doctrinal head-
ings, on which all, or very nearly all, of the communities who glory
in the name of Christ are agreed; rather that method should be adopt-
ed that lays down as the basis of concord and harmony among Christians
all the divinely revealed truths in all their integrity.

(The 'Alexandrian Patriarch' referred to is St. Cyril of Alexandria.)

Pope Pius XII, 1948
1244  The Church's maternal eye follows those souls, temporarily lost
or in danger, with vigilant love and redoubled solicitude. She is not
troubled. She prays. She waits: she waits for the return of her chil-
dren and is anxious to find means of hastening the hour. To this end
she does not recoil from any sacrifice; no effort is to painful for
her to reach that end. She is ready for anything. For anything, with 
the exception of one thing: let no one ask her to obtain the return 
of the children seperated from her--either in times past or in recent 
ones--at the price of minimizing or clouding any item at all in the 
deposit of Christian faith confided to her safekeeping.

***What more proof is needed that ecumenism as practiced today is not
in conformity with the 2,000 year Tradition of the Catholic Faith? 

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