ROME DAY 25/01 06: INTERNET

Posted on 30 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

On this Feast of St. Martina, Roman Virgin and Martyr (+228), the sun was up at 07:22 and it will set at 17:25.

The Ave Maria Bell should sound at 17:45.

There are 336 days left in the calendar year.

On this day, I had fast internet installed in my place.  However, even as the technician was working, he suggested that I go to the electrician store (there’s one I know nearby) and get some adhesive backed plastic channel for running and protecting the fiber optic cable.  So I did.

It just goes to show that, when in Rome, you do as the Romans do: you never assume everything is going to go without something strange happening.

Meanwhile…

Anyway, my ONE TASK which I came to complete is now accomplished.  I’ll have decent online access down and up for whatever time I have this place.

And now for something completely different.

San Luigi dei Francesi.

This is very cool. The new SecTransport was sworn in by Justice Thomas using the new Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: Old and New Testaments.  You can get one! (Unboxing HERE – To purchase US HERE – UK HERE)

More HERE on the swearing in by Justice Thomas.

One of the original four bishops consecrated by Archbp. Lefebvre in 1988 has died.

In chessy news…

White can mate in 2.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

Gukesh Dommaraju has taken sole lead at the Tata Steel Masters after the ninth round.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | 5 Comments

“GO TO CONFESSION!” I always say. Another thing I say is that it is CRUEL to leave penitents in doubt.

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today I was out and about in Rome doing errands. I chanced on a posted sign in the penitents’ part of the free standing confessionals that line most Roman churches, often dusty from neglect.   The sign is a little blurry because it was dark and I wasn’t quite patient enough.  However, it is the newer, post-Conciliar form in Italian with some cultural variants.  It was clearly not new, given how yellowed it was.  What is interesting is that it includes a beautiful prayer that priest would say after absolution in the older, traditional rite.   It is an optimistic, hope filled desire for the remission of temporal punishment due for sins that have been absolved:

Passio Dómini nostri Iesu Christi, mérita Beátæ Maríæ Vírginis, et ómnium Sanctórum, quidquid boni féceris, et mali sustinúeris, sint tibi in remissiónem peccatórum, augméntum grátiæ et præmium vitæ ætérnæ. Amen.

May the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merits of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the Saints, whatever good you shall have done, and evil you shall have endured, be to you unto remission of sins, increase of grace, and reward of eternal life. Amen.

There is so much richness here, so much incentive for the penitent to do penance and amend.   This is at the end of the rite of Penance in the Vetus Ordo.

In the day, penitents would have known what this prayer really said even if the priest said it in Latin. He could, of course say it in the local tongue. The point being that penitents were instructed from childhood – or adulthood if they were converts – on how to make confession. They were given a structure, a form to follow. That structure makes you freer to make a good confession, because you are not worried about not knowing what to do.

I’ve received the first confessions of little ones who were not prepared. They were confused and terrified. I’ve received first confessions of little ones who were well-prepared, often home-schooled. They might have been a little nervous (that doesn’t go away) but they did well and were happy at the end.

The worst thing you can do to children in the matter of sacramental preparation is NOT PREPARE THEM. It’s downright cruel. Its the same for adults, who as converts desire with all their hearts to do the right thing in the right way.

But there are jackass priests out there who think that they are being with it, or kind, or charmingly avuncular, or unassumingly inviting, etc., by downplaying structure, order, form, clarity. “Just say one thing, whatever comes into your head,” says Father “Just call me Bob!” as he simultaneously shatters any expectation of an examination of conscience. You know, “That mean old thing.”

Today at a Substack (is that how you refer to them?), I read a piece which describes what I am raving about.

I’ve learned over the years that instruction on “the sacrament of reconciliation” in the contemporary Church results the opposite of what one would hope to receive. I’ve realized that in the new rite, there simply is not much of a pattern to follow.

A woman adult convert was frustrated by the formlessness of the new rites, especially of penance. She describes a video by a Franciscan (which figures – I’m not happy with some of them right now) which left her little better informed than before, and indeed scratching her head. All that old structure and formula business was only the stuff of Hollywood that nobody does.

Oh yeah? I’ll be that Franciscan sure doesn’t.

The writer comes to a good point which is concomitant with another thing I say all the time: WE ARE OUR RITES. Get this…

[…]

If we were wondering if our confession is valid — which we weren’t, not yet, because remember? the subject is supposed to be about how to do it — the video would still not really reassure us, because Fr. Cole doesn’t make distinctions on that point and doesn’t dwell on the often tampered-with necessity of the priest saying “I absolve you from your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Anyway, the main takeaway from this video, because it’s the main takeaway from the changes brought on by Pope Paul VI’s meddling, is, as I say, an insistence on the absence of form. In Confession, and this is my point, no one really knows how it should go and Fr. Cole does nothing to clear the problem up.

The absence of form results in an absence of meaning.

[…]

That seems to be the point in some of the post-Conciliar reforms. No?

Mind you, the new formula of absolution is VALID. No question, regarding sins. There is a question of absolving censures but, pffffft, who believes in those anymore except when some bishop wants to slam a priest into the ground for wanting the structure and clarity of the Vetus Ordo? THEN censures…. ohhhhh yesssss.

In the older right, the necessary step of removing incurring censures (if there are any) takes place before the absolution of sins. Then, as I mentioned above, there is a prayer about temporal punishment. See how orderly?

Some smarticus pantsicus will say that in the Rite of Reconciliation there are still absolutions of censures. Yeah, which one in 1000 priest knows about and one in 10000 use.

The abuse of the Sacrament of Penance has to stop.  It is abused both in its neglect and in its haphazard administration.

Don’t get me started about priests who don’t accurately use the approved, official formula of absolution in English, thus leaving penitents wondering if they were truly absolved.

What’s a “Eucharistic Rival”… or a revival of anything Catholic… without a revival of the Sacrament of Penance?

The Church for centuries was the greatest expert on humanity ever.  She figured out over generations and generations the effective ways and patterns of prayer and practice for the administration of the sacraments.   Then came the proverbial “Good Idea Fairy” (often emphasis on “fairy”), sprinkling “good idea fairy dust” over things.  Everything went herking and jerking into the fan blades.

Now we need more “good ideas” to fix the problem the “good ideas” caused.

Or maybe not.

Fr. Z’s 20 Tips For Making A Good Confession

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ROME DAY 25/01 05: a little discrepancy

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Roman sunrise was at 07:23.  The sun will set at 17:24.

The Ave Maria Bell is in the 17:45 cycle.

In the older calendar, today is the Feast of St. Francis de Sales.  He was transferred to 24 January in the newer calendar because that was the date of his burial in 1623 in the church of the Monastery of the Visitation in Annecy, which he had founded with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, who was also buried there.  Schuster says because he died on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, he feast day was set for when his remains were translated, namely 29 January, to Annecy.  Apparently there’s a little discrepancy.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

A touching inscription at The Parish™, just inside the door.  Some of you Latinists can have at.   Right click for larger.   Some things in the human condition don’t change much.  We’ve had all too many reminders of this during the most recent “Asian disease”.

Like something from a spy novel.

Time to sell some cheese.  LOTS of cheese.

In churchy news…

In Brainard, MN Masses will be celebrated ad orientem in all parishes periodically during the Jubilee.  You read that correctly.  HERE

The local bishop wrote a longish letter (linked above).   A couple concerns and observations.   First, he quotes the MISTRANSLATED GIRM #299.  Will this ever stop?   Also, he places all sorts of hemming ifs and oh nos on the parish priests who would have ad orientem worship in the diocese… even though, strictly speaking, the Roman Missal is pretty clear that it is the assumed way that Mass is celebrated (given rubrics to turn around to face the people).   Also, the language is a little vague… he “directs” but he “asks”.

The bishop is concerned about any divisions this might cause.   If you write in such cautious terms, could it be that those who are the likely suspects to grouse would be that much more emboldened?   What I would like to see is a bishop who is with their priests, period.  Not “I’m with you ‘win or tie’!”  I’d like to see a bishop say, “Okay!  All in.  Let’s DO this thing!”

Also, there is an interesting passage about priests who are already celebrating ad orientem and that they must go by these guidelines.   Interesting.   I call to mind the letter from the liturgy office of the Archdiocese of New York in which it is lamented that priests want communion rails and they can’t understand where that’s coming from.

Anyway… brick by brick.

And there’s this.

And… the OBVIOUS… but it MUST be said.

Soooo much that’s troubling in this….

There seems to be a little discrepancy in the messages the US bishops are sending.  What’s it going to be?  Keep defending a policy that leaves who knows how many women and children to be used, abandoned, “disappeared”?   I’m no expert, but it seems to me that virtually uncontrolled immigration, spawning more and more uncontrolled immigration, has had really bad effects on lots of the immigrants.  Getting the numbers under control is a start.  Am I wrong?

In chessy news, there is a great write up and video about my guy Wesley So, one of the world’s top players and generally considered to be about the nicest guy in chess.  I am always pleased to hear Wesley praise Christ for his wins. Check out chess.com

How Wesley So Overcame All Odds To Become One Of The Best

And the video…

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FIDE and Freestyle are still struggling for supremacy. I guess this fight had to happen.

In Tata Steel:

GM Gukesh Dommaraju leads his first tournament as world champion after defeating GM Leon Luke Mendonca in round nine to move to 6.5/9 in the 2025 Tata Steel Chess Masters. He’s half a point ahead of GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov, who made a draw against GM Fabiano Caruana, and GM Vladimir Fedoseev, whose fourth win in six games came against GM Pentala Harikrishna. GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu began the day as co-leader, but now trails Gukesh by a point after losing to GM Anish Giri.

Meanwhile, its black’s move.  Can you find the Zwischenzug… the intermezzo… the “in between” move?

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

Posted in Brick by Brick, SESSIUNCULA | Tagged | 3 Comments

Another point of Catholic identity out with the bathwater?

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Occasionally we have a collision of Holy Days of Obligations and Feasts in the calendar.  Feasts get transferred.   Does the obligation get transferred?  We had this situation recently regarding the Feast/Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception which fell on an Advent Sunday.  In the Novus Ordo the liturgical day was bumped to Monday.  In the Vetus Ordo it remained on Sunday.  In these USA, Immaculate Conception is supposed to be a day of obligation.  So, was the obligation bumped to Monday in the Novus Ordo?  Confusion reigned.

Now there is a new “Note” from the Vatican’s liturgy office under date of 23 January 2025.

Bottom line:  When Feasts/Solemnities which would otherwise be Holy Days of Obligation are transferred to another days, the obligation is NOT transferred.

Message: It is too much to require that people go to Mass twice in a week or two days in a row.

What I fear from this is the subtext.  I fear that a message is being sent that integrating the Church’s calendar, our feasts and seasons, is not important.  Going to church for Mass, together as a worshiping body fulfilling the virtue of Religion, is not important.

These diminutions of expectations matter.  We are our rites.  There are consequences for our identity within the Church and out in the public square.

Ad intra, isn’t this what happened with the eucharistic fast?  Reduction from midnight to 3 hours, to 1 hour?  Maybe it isn’t that important after all.  Ad extra, a diminishing of public identity may have been an effect of no longer asking women to cover their heads in church.  It was an identifiable social phenomenon on Sundays as families made their way to church.   Ad extra et intra, isn’t this what may have happened with Friday abstinence?   Pretty much everyone was acutely aware that Catholics shouldn’t eat meat on Fridays. People adjusted for their dinner guests on Fridays or were mortified if they forgot.

It could be that in the case of this Note, the law was properly interpreted (odiosa restringenda, etc.).   However, it might have resulted in an alteration of the law.

If you keep whittling, pretty soon there’s nothing left to whittle.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, 1983 CIC can. 915, I'm just askin'..., Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged | 9 Comments

But people who want the TLM must be suppressed…

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

What on earth must this jackass think of the people in that church?

I’m pretty sure this is invalid.

Posted in You must be joking! | 5 Comments

“I asked the new Chinese AI “DEEPSEEK”, about the priest’s posture during the consecration in the Traditional Latin Mass. It’s Reply….”

Posted on 29 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Some think that AI is here to stay.  If that is so, then I am not convinced that we are (cf. Skynet).

In the meantime, AI is bringing us bread and circuses: great memes and videos, etc.

That’s what the interwebs did, then our phones did more of, then Twitter and other platforms multiplied and now AI is taking to another level.

With each level of progress we perhaps can detect in more and more people shorter attention spans, diminished interest in remembering things, ignorance about how to look things up with concrete tools.

That’s a preamble.

This is from a reader….

I just asked the brand new Chinese AI “DEEPSEEK”, about the priest’s posture during the consecration in the Traditional Latin Mass—

It’s Reply…..

Leaning over the elements and speaking the words of consecration—carries deep symbolic and theological significance. This posture can be understood as a profound reflection of divine action, particularly when compared to God the Father breathing life into Adam in Genesis 2:7. Here’s how the two are connected:

1. **Divine Humility and Intimacy**: In Genesis, God stoops down to breathe life into Adam, demonstrating His intimate involvement in creation and His desire to share His life with humanity. Similarly, the priest, leaning over the bread and wine, embodies a posture of humility and reverence, reflecting Christ’s own humility in the Incarnation and His willingness to offer Himself for humanity. This leaning posture signifies the priest’s role as an instrument of Christ, bringing divine life to the faithful through the Eucharist.

2. **The Breath of Life and the Words of Consecration**: Just as God’s breath in Genesis imparts physical and spiritual life to Adam, the priest’s words of consecration—”This is My Body” and “This is My Blood”—bring about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The act of speaking these words while leaning over the elements can be seen as a symbolic reenactment of God’s life-giving breath. The words themselves, like the divine breath, are transformative, changing the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ.

3. **Creation and New Creation**: The priest’s posture and actions during the consecration also evoke the themes of creation and new creation. In Genesis, God’s breath initiates the first creation, while in the Eucharist, the priest’s words, through the power of the Holy Spirit, participate in the new creation brought about by Christ’s sacrifice. The leaning posture signifies the priest’s role in mediating this new creation, bringing the life of Christ to the Church.

4. **Sacrificial Offering**: The priest’s leaning over the elements also reflects the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. Just as Christ offered Himself on the Cross, the priest, in persona Christi, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice to the Father. This posture of leaning over the altar can be seen as a gesture of offering, presenting the gifts of bread and wine to be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ.

5. **Mystery and Reverence**: The posture of leaning over the elements underscores the mystery and reverence of the moment. The priest’s physical closeness to the bread and wine signifies the profound mystery of the Real Presence and the sacredness of the act being performed. It is a moment of deep communion between heaven and earth, where the divine life is made present in the midst of the congregation.

In summary, the priest’s posture of leaning over the elements and speaking the words of consecration during the Traditional Latin Mass is rich with symbolic meaning. It reflects the humility, intimacy, and life-giving action of God in creation and redemption, drawing a parallel between the breath of life given to Adam and the transformative words of consecration that bring Christ’s presence into the Eucharist. This posture highlights the priest’s role as a mediator of divine life and the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life.

So, those were Chinese AI answers.   I am curious to know what books that information was mined from, or what sites.  I’d like to have those books.

Posted in "How To..." - Practical Notes, I'm just askin'..., Semper Paratus, SESSIUNCULA, The Coming Storm, The Drill, The future and our choices | 4 Comments

28 January – SECOND St. Agnes

Posted on 28 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

One can tell how our ancient Roman forebears venerated their saints by how many churches they had and how many feasts. Today is the SECOND Feast of St. Agnes. An octave after the feast of her martyrdom, today, 28 January, is the Feast of the Nativity of Agnes. This is a little ambiguous, because the “nativity” (“birthday”) can also mean the day the saint died and was “born” into Heaven.

These says, 2nd Agnes shares with St. Peter Nolasco, serious-badass (and so was Agnes). However in the older Roman Missal there is a separate formulary for her.

The Mass of St. Agnes today is the Common of a Virgin Martyr. The Collect today is rather straightforward, but that of the ancient “Gelasian Sacramentary” runs like this:

Adesto nobis, omnipotens Deus, beatae Agnetis festa repetentibus, quam hodiernae festivitatis prolatam exortu ineffabili munere sublevasti.

Have a stab!

The Gradual and Alleluia are from Ps 44 (45 – RSV) with its two-fold powerful warrior and nuptial maiden image. The Gospel is not that of the wise and foolish virgins, but rather that of the pearl of great price, that is the price of being Christian: all you have.

Happy Second Agnes!

 

Posted in Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Saints: Stories & Symbols, Save The Liturgy - Save The World | Tagged | 2 Comments

ROME DAY 25/01 04: Cringe

Posted on 28 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

I slept in this morning, so I was not aware of the sunrise at 07:24.  I will surely see the sunset at 17:22.

I won’t hear the Ave Maria Bell, which should ring at 17:45 in this cycle. It changed.

However, The Parish™ is – I think – ringing it at the precise time for the Ave Maria, rather than at a fixed time in a cycle.  I should be there in the evening and I will listen for it.

Yesterday I went to visit St. Philip Neri, to thank him for his intercession and favors and to ask for a few more things.

A dim Chiesa Nuova in the late afternoon.  The decorative drapery is up.

The chess guys were out, bundled up, but playing and vigorously kibbitzing.  When I walked up they were just beginning what turned into a QDA, which is a little odd.  The black player got into trouble trying to defend his pawn, right on schedule.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

BTW… if you like the photos, thank long-time reader DM who provided the upgraded phone last year.  Thanks DM.

I don’t know what this is, but my first thought was… I’d rather not write it.

UPDATE: Apparently the emeritus of Washington was there. THAT figures. Studied liturgy in Rome at the worst place at the worst time. Couple that with nearly limitless power and no accountability and you get this sort of B as in B, S as in S. I don’t want to be rash, but I suspect the poor guys (maybe seminarians?) dragooned into this wished they were elsewhere. They are free to write to tell me, “Hell, yeah! I loved that! It was grooooovy!” But in Washington, seminarians have been “dragooned” in the past.

There were once men…

Card. Pell, pray for us!

This is interesting from Larry Chapp with Mat Fradd. He touches on the hyper-papalism of the papalatrous and also Taurina cacata.

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Meanwhile, the great Card. Zen asked a good question:

In chessy news…

White to move and mate in 3.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

From chess.com:

German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, the head of Freestyle Chess, has fired back at the International Chess Federation’s (FIDE) threats of legal action, labeling it “blackmail,” and alleging that FIDE demanded $500,000 for the rights to use the world championship title. He says he’s ready to take the case to court.

The conflict between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, which has five high-level Chess960/Fischer-Random tournaments scheduled in 2025, is heating up. On Tuesday, the chess world governing body released a statement threatening legal action if the tour planned to crown a ‘world champion’ without FIDE’s approval.

 

 

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | 9 Comments

ROME DAY 25/01 03: “You Had ONE Job!”

Posted on 27 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

The Roman day with sunlight began at 07:25 which will significantly dwindle after 17:21.

Our Ave Maria Bell: still in the 17:30 cycle, according to this calendar.

I think it should have changed today to 17:45.   We will check this tomorrow.

Being up with the sun has some benefits.   The walk to church and the still drowsy Piazza Farnese.

Here is an “Ivy Report”.   You might remember them from past visits.  This is the same spot as before.   And it is really a “creeper” rather than an “ivy”.  Or so I am told.

Breakfast. I’ve been eating more protein in the mornings, but you have to have a cornetto in Rome once in a while.

In the “You Had ONE Job!” Report.   Internet installation took another step forward.  I received a text to confirm that I wanted an technician appointment.  CLICK.  Someone is supposed to come on Thursday morning.   Keep your fingers crossed and ask St. Isidore to smooth things down.

This is pretty crazy…

In churchy news….

VP Vance is not impressed with the US Bishops regarding immigration. HERE

Neither is this guy in Austin, TX. HERE Blistering.

Catholic Charities Coaching Illegals on How to Evade Immigration Authorities?
HERE

In chessy news…

Black to mate in 2. How fast?

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

From Chess.com (I’m an affiliate – HERE)

GMs Fabiano Caruana and Wei Yi kept alive their hopes of winning a second Tata Steel Chess Masters title with late wins with Black to move within a point of GMs Gukesh Dommaraju, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Caruana pounced on a time-trouble mistake by GM Vincent Keymer, while Wei overcame GM Max Warmerdam only deep into the second session of play. The remaining games were drawn.From chess.com (I’m an affiliate)

 

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | 5 Comments

ROME DAY 25/01 02: jet lag

Posted on 26 January 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Today the sun was up by 07:26 and it was down by 17:20.  Getting longer.  Last I was here, they were getting shorter.   The Ave Maria Bell, back in November, was also in the 17:30 cycle.   It is now, too.    But unless you are in a special place, you won’t hear it.

It is the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany.  The Vatican Curia calendar indicates that this is the “Domenica della Parola di Dio”.  Frankly, I think every Sundays is the Sunday of the Word of God.  At least I treat them that way, at 1 Peter 5.

Today I celebrated Holy Mass for my Benefactors who sent donations for this trip.   I won’t forget the rest of you!

An action shot of don Dimitri incensing the Evangelarium,

After Mass one of the members of the Archconfraternity of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims and Convalescents (founded by St. Philip Neri … I’m the first priest member in maybe a century…) hosted a little reception for the occasion of her onomastico, which is Agnes (so, it’s like the octave of Agnes, Romans are flexible with time).   She made some of the best lasagne I’ve had in a long time.

It’s so nice to be with these great people.  The Archconfraternity is doing well.  Today, The Great Roman™ and the Get It Done Pastor™ were talking about the interview TGR did with EWTN.   Moreover, the Archon is in a book published about the Jubilee (get it?  Rome and Pilgrims?).  HERE

Everything was boxed up when I was last here.  Look.  How beautiful.

In honor of the Palazzo Farnese being cleaned, watch a video of the end of the 2nd act of Tosca, when she stabs Scarpia in the throat with a pair of scissors and then taunts him as he chokes on his blood.  Never gets old.   This is where the 2nd Act of that oh-so-Roman opera takes place.

The production at the Met a few years ago with Sonya Yoncheva was spectacular. Here’s the part where Tosca get’s her revenge. The Napoleanic governor of Rome, the evil Scarpia, is holding Tosca’s main squeeze prisoner. He’s gonna die if she doesn’t give in to his obsessed lascivious demands. She has other ideas. If you have a chance watch the whole opera, in segments. It’s the best Tosca I have ever seen.

“What’s wrong? Are you choking on your blood? Die, damned! Die! DIE!”

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Maria Callas.

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Tosca is the perfect opera for the beginner and the “in-operable”. It’s short, it has famous arias, and everybody dies.

A while back, there was a broadcast production of Tosca from the real sites of the action, Chiese Sant’Andrea della Valle, Palazzo Farnese and Castel Sant’ Angelo. I’d like to find that, but I’m tired.

A street I walk down.

This is too cool not to share.

Let it be said.

There’s some B asn in B, S as in S at Fishwrap – what a disaster! Please God snuff it OUT – but Hazell does the lifting.

The Fishwrap piece is deeeeeeply stupid. HERE

As much as dismissing trad Catholicism as a mere LARP (“live action role-playing game”) or fringe internet identity category would be unfair, there’s something to be said about the fact that it has flourished in spaces like Reddit, Tumblr and X (formerly Twitter), which have also served as a breeding ground for gamer communities, fandoms and new gender and sexual identities.

Yeah… right.   Scorn.

US high schools and this.  Compare and contrast.  HERE

VP Vance has things to say about the US Bishops.  HERE (Fishwrap had a spittle-flecked nutty)

Chessy news…

Mate in 4.  White’s move.

[NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.]

 

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.

Posted in SESSIUNCULA | 10 Comments