Roman Catholic Blog

A Sacrilegious Clown Mass In The Oakland Diocese

If you have trouble viewing the video above, you can also view it here: A Sacrilegious Clown Mass In The Oakland Diocese

An introductory extract from The Instruction Concerning Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery (Inaestimabile Donum)

Prepared by the Sacred Congregation for the Sacraments and Divine Worship Approved and Confirmed by His Holiness Pope John Paul II April 17, 1980

This Sacred Congregation notes with great joy the many positive results of the liturgical reform: a more active and conscious participation by the faithful in the liturgical mysteries, doctrinal and catechetical enrichment through the use of the vernacular, and the wealth of readings from the Bible, a growth in the community sense of liturgical life, and successful efforts to close the gap between life and worship, between Liturgical piety and personal piety, and between Liturgy and popular piety.

But these encouraging and positive aspects cannot suppress concern at the varied and frequent abuses being reported from different parts of the Catholic world: the confusion of roles, especially regarding the priestly ministry and the role of the laity (indiscriminate shared recitation of the Eucharistic Prayer, homilies given by lay people, lay people distributing Communion while the priests refrain from doing so); an increasing loss of the sense of the sacred (abandonment of liturgical vestments, the Eucharist celebrated outside church without real need, lack of reverence and respect for the Blessed Sacrament, etc.); misunderstanding of the ecclesial character of the Liturgy (the use of private texts, the proliferation of unapproved Eucharistic Prayers, the manipulation of the liturgical texts for social and political ends) . In these cases we are face to face with a real falsification of the Catholic Liturgy: "One who offers worship to God on the Church's behalf in a way contrary to that which is laid down by the Church with God-given authority and which is customary in the Church is guilty of falsification."[7]

None of these things can bring good results. The consequences are--and cannot fail to be--the impairing of the unity of Faith and worship in the Church, doctrinal uncertainty, scandal and bewilderment among the People of God, and the near inevitability of violent reactions.

It's time for an end to the wave of liturgical experimentation and liturgical abuse that has overtaken the Catholic Church in many parts of the world. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass needs to be celebrated with reverence and dignity.

Clown Masses and Halloween Masses (with Barney Blessings) demonstrate an appalling ignorance as to what really and truly takes place during Holy Mass: The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist

One would like to believe Masses like these are isolated incidents, but there is evidence that abuses like these (and other reprobated liturgical abuses) are quite common in the United States and abroad.

How long is such nonsense to be tolerated? How many warnings from the Holy See reprobating such actions need to be written, promulgated, and ignored, before more concrete action is taken? The abuses have to stop.

One way to stop them is to expose them. That's where YouTube and Catholic Blogs can be of invaluable assistance.

I intend to post footage of liturgical abuses in various dioceses throughout the United States here on Roman Catholic Blog. I do it not to spread scandal, but rather to assist in putting an end to such abuses. Whatever else may be said about exposing these things, it cannot be denied that the ones exposed do not like it. Which makes one wonder how they think what they are doing is so wonderful if they are angered by actions that expose what they are doing?

Bottom line: the darkness still hates the light.

Feel free to utilize YouTube to upload videos of legitimate liturgical abuse or heretical teachings. E-mail me the link to the video on YouTube at [email protected]. If your video is appropriate, I will post it here.

Other videos:

Catholic Halloween Mass

Halloween Mass

Halloween Mass 3 - The Barney Blessing

Another Halloween Mass

The 2006 Los Angeles archdiocesan Religious Education Congress, Closing Liturgy

Vocations Crisis

Any thoughts?

Halloween Mass 3 - The Barney Blessing

You can check out the third and final segment posted of the infamous Halloween Mass that took place in the Diocese of Orange here: Halloween Mass 3 - The Barney Blessing

Just when I thought the footage couldn't seem any goofier...

I am confused as to why the parishioners didn't seem to think this behavior was inappropriate or even out of the ordinary.

I suspect the frog in warming water theory might explain some of it, but that would indicate that they are used to a good deal of silliness to accept this as just another way of worshipping.

See also:

Diocese of Orange Halloween Mass: Fr. Fred Bailey's Highly Nuanced, Carefully Qualified Apology To Bishop Tod Brown

Satan's Thanksgiving

The Sacrilegeous Halloween Mass: A Cartoon Commentary

Devils Distributing Communion: Bishop Tod Brown's Kind Of Diversity

The Blasphemous Halloween Masses: More Footage

Orange Diocese Halloween Mass: Listen To The Music

Any thoughts?

Another Halloween Mass

The photos in the slideshow linked below were taken at St. Kenneth "Catholic Community" parish in Plymouth Township, Michigan has posted images from their 2006 Halloween Mass.

You can view the slideshow here: Halloween Mass 2006, by St. Kenneth Catholic Community

Why do people think it is appropriate to dress in witches' hats and paint their children in zombie make-up for Mass?

What is missing in the catechesis in parishes where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is seen as little more than an excuse to "gather" and have fun as a "community"?

I will say this: My first impression was that Fr. Fred Bailey's Halloween Mass in Orange County, California was worse, primarily because of the costumes worn by the priest and the people in the sanctuary, but the St. Kenneth "Catholic Community" isn't faring much better.

Gerald Augustinus wrote about the second Mass here: Another Halloween Mass, this time in Michigan

Amy Welborn did an excellent analysis of this second Halloween Mass here: Boo

Amy caught something I hadn't:

At first I thought the priest's costume was some sort of medieval clerical robe tossed over his vestments. The musicians seemed to be doing a Renaissance thing, so it seemed logical. But in reading the comments at Gerald's and studying the photos, I saw...no. The red cape and hood are a devil costume! Which, apparently, during the homily, the priest turns inside out to reveal a white cape - an angel. It appears from the one slide of the rest of Mass, he ditches the costume for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Well.

I suppose a priest dressed as a devil at Mass may top even Fr. Fred. Who thought that was possible?

Any thoughts?

Diocese of Orange Halloween Mass: Fr. Fred Bailey's Highly Nuanced, Carefully Qualified Apology To Bishop Tod Brown

Fr. Fred Bailey, the pastor of Corpus Christi "Catholic-Christian Community" in Aliso Viejo (in the Diocese of Orange) has apologized to Bishop Tod Brown for the Halloween Masses he encouraged at his parish. (Here is some alternate footage: Catholic Halloween Mass)

Below is the complete text of his highly nuanced and carefully qualified apology:

November 8, 2006

Dear Bishop Brown:

Since 1998, when we first began celebrating liturgies here in Aliso Viejo, a particular dynamic has always been the youthfulness of our community with an obvious abundance of children. With this in mind, many of our programs have been developed to be of service to them and it was in this spirit that we began inviting children to wear their Halloween costumes to the Masses on the weekend prior to Halloween. Many parents inquired if they too could wear costumes so as to make it a family event, and thus, a Halloween tradition of having parishioners in costume at Mass was born. Based on our Catholic-Christian grounding of faith in Jesus Christ, we know that the assorted costumes of Halloween are a manner of poking fun and holding up to the light of Christ’s Resurrection the things that may have
once frightened us.

I am aware that my enthusiasm for our family celebration of Halloween has caused me to neglect my pastoral duties of providing appropriate direction and instruction to our people regarding appropriate/inappropriate costumes. Prior to the weekend of October 28-29 I failed to adequately instruct our assorted liturgical ministers as to what might be appropriate apparel for their ministry. Because of this oversight on my part, we had some lay ministers of communion attired in devil horns and assorted other costumes that, in hindsight, I could easily have prevented if I had been more attentive to my pastoral duties. Bishop Brown, I stress to you the goodness and faith-filled integrity of the ministers who were so attired, they are some of our most involved and faithful members. They accepted me at my word in regards to their costume making fun of fearful things, and would be mortified to think that they gave offense to people of good faith. The lay ministers are innocent of any wrongdoing, the offense is mine and I take full responsibility.

I realize that my pastoral neglect and lack of prudent judgment has caused great concern and offense to many in the Church. I have given my life as a priest to the Church of the Diocese of Orange and it causes me great pain to realize that my lapse in judgment could so easily transform a wonderful family tradition into something questionable and repugnant to people of good faith. From my heart I apologize to you and to the larger community of the faithful for my pastoral neglect.

I await your counsel and assistance in determining an appropriate manner of making amends for this matter.

Sincerely, Reverend Fred K. Bailey

You can also read the apology here (scroll down – the apology is near the bottom of the second page): Corpus Christi Bulletin, November 18-19, 2006

Note that Fr. Fred does not admit that wearing Halloween costumes at a special Halloween centered Mass is not appropriate for adults or children. Note that Fr. Fred does not apologize for bragging about having an extraordinary minister dressed as a devil and saying that there is nothing wrong with this, even having gone so far as to boast: "Now there's a switch! Only at Corpus Christi does the devil himself become a Eucharistic minister! You knew we were twisted!" In his apology, Fr. Bailey claims that the inappropriate costumes were merely an oversight. If having a woman dressed as a demon while distrubuting the Blessed Sacrament (while Fr. Fred sat down and sang "open my eyes, Lord...help me to see" – which is more than a little ironic) was only an embarrassing oversight, why did he highlight it as an example of how delightfully twisted folks are at Corpus Christi "Catholic-Christian Community" during the next Mass?

What's this business about "people of good faith"? Does anyone else think this is a subtle way of saying that some of those who did not approve of the Halloween Mass are not "people of good faith"?

Fr. Fred also describes an earlier Halloween Mass (and demonstrates his theological perspective and homiletic style) here: "It's Just A Pumpkin," Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, January 2001

Any thoughts?

Satan's Thanksgiving

Here's what Satan doesn't want you to see:

Write to:

His Eminence
Cardinal Francis Arinze
Prefect
Cong. for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
00120 Vatican City State

Here are some things you can write about: Open Letter to Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange

If you need more reasons, see also:

The Sacrilegeous Halloween Mass: A Cartoon Commentary

Devils Distributing Communion: Bishop Tod Brown's Kind Of Diversity

The Blasphemous Halloween Masses: More Footage

Orange Diocese Halloween Mass: Listen To The Music

Now On YouTube: Bishop Tod Brown Refuses To Give Holy Communion To A Kneeling Woman

Bishop Tod Brown: More Defiance In Orange County?

Why Does Bishop Tod Brown Support Rod Stephens?

Bishop Brown To Orange County Catholics: Let's Get Spiritual!

Bishop Brown's Empire Strikes Back: No Tridentine For You!

St. Mary's by the Sea Liturgical Reeducation Camp

Cartoon: The Diocese of Orange Implements New USCCB Decision On Communion For Pro-Abortion Politicians

A Ban on Kneeling? Some Catholics Won’t Stand for It

Bishop Tod Brown Bans Kneeling At Traditional Times During The Liturgy

Roman Catholic Blog: Humor Archives

Vocations Crisis: Another Must Watch Video

You can also see this video here: Vocations Crisis

Faithful Catholics: You've Got To Watch This!

This video can also be viewed here: Orthodox Catholic

I love the ending. Let's hope it's true.

The USCCB: On Issues Of Substance

The USCCB is talking about issues of substance, namely who may receive the Holy Eucharist. Catholic moral teaching on sexual morality is also being discussed. They have also been talking about music in the liturgy.

There was some back and forth between Bishop Burke and Bishop Niederauer on the Chastity based group, Courage, which ministers to those with same-sex attractions and their loved ones. Bishop Burke wanted the USCCB to endorse Courage. Bishop Niederauer was against it.

I am pleased with Bishop Burke: Burke takes lead role at meeting

Here are some articles:

U.S. Catholic bishops tackle contraception, gays, communion

Bishops stress sexual issues and warn on Communion

Serious sin a bar to receiving Communion, bishops say in new document

Any thoughts?

Elton John: "I Would Ban Religion Completely"

To the left is a picture of Elton John with his "husband" David Furnish. According to the Drudge Report, "Sir Elton John wants religion banned completely – because he believes it promotes hatred of gays." Here's the story: Elton John: "I Would Ban Religion Completely"

Quote:

In a candid interview for a dedicated Gay issue of Observer Music Monthly Magazine he shared his views on topics as varied as being a pop icon to Tony Blair's stance on the war in Iraq.

He said there was a lack of religious leadership, particularly in world politics, and complained that people do not take to the streets to protest any more.

Sir Elton said: "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays. But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely. Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

He added: "The world is near escalating to World War Three and where are the leaders of each religion? Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together? I said this after 9/11 and people thought I was nuts. Instead of more violence why isn't there a meeting of religious leaders?"

"It's like the peace movement in the Sixties. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace concerts but we don't seem to do them any more."

"If John Lennon were alive today he'd be leading it with a vengeance," he said.

Sir Elton said people were too busy blogging on the internet to go out onto the streets to stand up for what they believed in. "They seem to do their protesting online and that's not good enough. You have to get out there and be seen to be vocal, and you've got to do it time and time again. There was a big march in London when Britain decided to join the war against Iraq and Tony Blair is on the record as saying 'the people who march today will have blood on their hands'. That's returned to bite him on the ass," he said.

Sir Elton compared his place in British culture with that of the Queen Mother's. He said: "People come to me and I'm a bit like the Queen Mother. I never get those problems. I don't know what it is with me, people treat me very reverently. Referring to his "wedding" to long-term partner David Furnish, he said: "It was the same when Dave and I had our civil union - I was expecting the odd flour bomb and there wasn't. "Dave and I as a couple seem to be the acceptable face of gayness, and that's great."

He pledged to continue to campaign for gay rights saying: "I'm going to fight for them whether I do it silently behind the scenes or so vocally that I get locked up. "I can't just sit back; it's not in my nature any more. I'm nearly 60-years-old after all. I can't sit back and blindly ignore it and I won't."

When people tell you that homosexuals are harmless and we should just leave them alone, remember that many homosexuals want to see religion wiped off the face of the earth, and secular progressives in Western culture are helping them in that endeavor.

When people tell you that homosexuals are marginalized, look at who is marching with them: When Nancy Met Harry

Any thoughts?

More Liturgical Video: Arrogant, Anti-Christian Atheist, Richard Dawkins, Questions Fallen Evangelical Minister, Ted Haggard

This video clip is interesting on many levels. It was made before Ted Haggard was publicly humiliated by a methamphetamine-dealing, homosexual prostitute, and provides something of a window into who he was before his fall. (I had never heard of him before the scandal.)

The video can also be seen here: Richard Dawkins Questions Evangelical Pastor

It's interesting to listen to Haggard try to defend Christianity. Sometimes he's right on the money. Dawkins certainly doesn't come off well, even though this video is from his perspective.

Now let's examine the liturgy presented in the video clip:

I was struck by how the liturgies represented in this video resemble the direction Catholic liturgies all over Orange County (and Los Angeles, and San Diego, and probably elsewhere) have been heading for the past few decades.

I believe that more progressive bishops in the United States see Protestant/Evangelical mega-churches like this one as a model for Catholicism (with the possible exception of the tendency towards conservatism and biblically-based Christian moral doctrine). Note how Haggard stresses having things "in the round". Note how the music resembles music played at Catholic liturgies.

If you don't believe that Catholic liturgists who think themselves cutting edge are cribbing from the Evangelicals, check out this video: The 2006 Los Angeles archdiocesan Religious Education Congress, Closing Liturgy

(You may need to download the required media players to view the clips.)

As a side note on poor Ted Haggard (please pray for him), apparently, Mr. Haggard harbored some anti-Catholic prejudices, as is evidenced in this story from Catholic News Service: Catholic filmmaker finds suspicion about her faith among evangelicals

Here's the relevant section of the article:

"My one disturbing encounter was at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs (Colo.) with Pastor Ted Haggard," head of the National Association of Evangelicals, who is "the senior minister of the church," Ewing said.

"I was in the service, and we had three cameras rolling, and there were 3,000 people in the church, and my cameraman was on the stage shooting him, and Pastor Ted started teasing the cameraman: 'Where are you from? England? Do you go to church?'" she recounted.

When the cameraman told Rev. Haggard that he goes to church when he's in England, the minister said, "So you're in the Church of England." The cameraman replied, "No, I'm Catholic," according to Ewing. "Pastor Ted turned to the congregation – and I have this on tape – in a very mocking tone, he said, 'Oh, we l-o-o-o-ve the Catholics, don't we?' and people started laughing.

"Why would he whack another religion?" she asked. "There was a disparaging way about how everyone reacted. As the leader of the National Association of Evangelicals, he is a representative of 30 million people and a religiously respected person in the movement. For him to joke like that, I was pretty alarmed."

Sad.

Any thoughts?