Expert: Fr. Timothy Johnson - 7/9/2007

Question
QUESTION: Dear Father,

I have appreciated the time conversing back and forth with you.

You are correct Father about some things about me. I do feel pain when it comes to certain areas of our Church. For just one example, when people dress like trash in the Lord's house it deeply offends me. I believe this offends God and it has brought me tears more than once. It's really mind boggling that one of us could drive past a fancy restaurant and observe the attire of it's patrons and find people dressed there best. Whether it be Denny's, a wedding, club or other engagement people are conscience of what they wear. Yet drive past the local Church and see the complete opposite. Here you'll find families in sweat suits, flip flops, little girls wearing shorts that say sexy on their behinds and women with their breast hanging out. Now is this is just discipline or something more.

If we were to venture inside for a moment we would find people genuflecting at the alter, when the Tabernacle is way over on the side of the Church. No one in prayer all you here is talking before during and after Mass. These lack of conscience people are permitted to trample the alter read the Gospels and paw the host like a bag of doritoes. Then they have the nerve to hold up the host in front of my face and say the body of Christ. All while we are sitting down, standing up, diving over pews to give a sign of peace and singing every second to loud over bearing music. What makes me the most sad, the most doubtful, is at the end the Priest waits outside, shakes every ones hand after Mass oblivious to the obvious.

The last couple of times I went to A Norvus Ordo Mass I had to leave because I felt sick, literally. My five year old daughter even had a grip of what was wrong. As I recall being a little boy and being just as disturbed by these things. I hope it is clear now why I will never attend a Norvus Ordo Mass again. If I ever were to ache for Jesus it would be here. Not because of His Crucifixion, but for lack of respect there of.

Now for the defense of the Pope hear is my perspective. I do not place full blame on him. Pope Benedict is trying but he is powerless. He is our earthly father, from this perspective I can relate.

I will explain, Every good man must have a good woman to follow. Although a father, the wife is the back bone of the family. If she does carry the flow while the husband is out it will not work. The home will be unholy and off balance.

The Pope is one man, he is only most affective through the spouses of Christ, his laity. In most homes a man can't control his family, and that's just one home one place. Let's say the Pope were to go every Chapel/Church, fix everything a week later it would be back the same way.

Would I doubt the validity of our Holy Father' Mass?
no, of course not. Sorry but those under Him I do. The problems have always been with the Cardinals and Bishops. I'm sure you heard of the black mass held in the Vatican in the sixties. I wasn't the Pope, it was the Cardinals. The gay sects and pedophile, it wasn't the Pope it was his Cardinals and Bishops that are part of free mason lodges, satanic cults, etc..
. Because of this, acts of desperation have been displayed, like kissing the Koran, adding Rosary mysteries, having combined services and prayer sessions with other faiths, etc... But I understand. I love the Pope, I pray for the Pope, I would kiss the feet of our Pope and beg him to fix our Church. But reality let's me know it's time to throw in the towel. I just don't think about it any more.

I would highly recommend reading Dr. Fr. Malachi Martin's book Windswept House. He provides a inside look from being directly in contact with the Pope during the drastic changes in our Church. Check out his website at starharbor.com. Dr Martin was coincidentally found dead a month later after writing this book.

If your not a Modernist tell me why.

ANSWER: I am not a Modernist because I do not subscribe to the tenants of that heresy that were condemned by Pope St. Pius X in "Psacendi."  I have read through the "Anti-Modernist Oath", and were there somebody to receive my oath, I would take the oath.
I believe in the historical Jesus Christ.  I have Faith in Him as the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, Who is the Word made Flesh that dwelt among us.  I believe that he founded the Church that is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.  I reject the notions of "vital imanence", and Biblical, textual theories of "higher criticism."
I accept the Celebration of the 7-Sacraments as instituted by Christ in their ritual forms handed on to us by the same Catholic Church, and as I have indicated in past replies, I accept the Celebration of the Holy Eucharist as the Sacrifice of the Cross with Transubstantiation, as defined by the Council of Trent and reiterated at Vatican II.
Today I celebrated Mass privately with the Tridentine Rite and commemorated St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria.  As you know, I have never once spoken against or repudiated the Tridentine Rite of the Mass.
There are surely more reasons to indicated that I am not a Modernist, but the list would no doubt be quite lengthy.
Thanks for asking.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

P.S. Yeah - I am saddened by the fact that Pope John-Paul II would have kissed the Koran.  When I heard about that, I could only say: "What was he thinking?"

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Father, please explain why you celebrate both versions of the Mass.

- Why do you celebrate the Tridentine Mass privately?

- Do you expect and celebrate the New Mass because of obligation or preference?

Father I live in New York City and the most feared place to go is Harlom. Harlom used to be a nice place in the 40's and 50's. Now it everyone's worst nightmare. I'm sure there good folks there but in full spectrum it's all bad. In modern times people just don't realize how it used to be. They think it was always like this. What if a part of Harlom was preserved? Left in tact to it's good roots. What part of Harlom would be more meaningful.

This is the perspective against the Vatican II council and the New Mass from those who like they way it used to be. Father you may be a good one thrown into the mist. But in full spectrum it is a Modernist enviromnent.
ANSWER: Yesterday, 05 JUL, I celebrated Mass privately because I did not have a public celebration of Mass scheduled for that day.
I celebrate both versions of the Mass because it is lawful for me to do so.  I celebrate the New Mass because, I suppose, in public scheduled Masses it is expected of me by my Ordinary in my Diocese; however, with the "Motu Proprio" coming out, I will be working with interested parties in getting a Tridentine Latin public scheduled Mass at my Parish.  Theologically I take both versions of the Mass as handed down by higher authorities in the Church, in light of the defined dogmas of the Council of Trent, reiterated in the Second Vatican Council.
I have to take into account the congregation with whom I am celebrating, in terms of their preparation, etc.  At this point, it seems, the only vernacular celebrations of the Eucharist in the Latin Church is the Ordo Missae of Pope Paul VI; and fortunately, the revised, fixed and corrected English version ought to be coming out soon.
As far as I know, there is no longer a provision for celebrating the "Tridentine" Mass in English, though I know historically there was a little "window" of time between about 1964 to 1970 during which an essentially "Tridentine" Rite of the Mass was being celebrated, with various degrees of the use of vernacular.  It will be interesting to see the development of things over the next few decades within the Universal Church under the Authority of the Pope as it pertains to liturgical rites, laws, and practices.
Thanks!

Fr. Timothy Johnson

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: The Tridentine "Mass in English" come on!

The Church in decades to come - Interesting maybe, disgusting, definatelty. If I die before my children are of sound I will make sure in my will it states for them to have nothing to do with the new Church.

I'm anxious to see which Pope will allow for women Priests.

Care to place a wager?

ANSWER: Actually Pope John-Paul already delivered the only definitive and infallible teaching in 1994 prohibiting the ordination of women by "Ordinatio Sacerdotalis."  The language declared definitively that the Church established by Jesus Christ does not possess the authority to ordain women to Holy Orders: "Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32)I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." (22 May 1994, Pope John-Paul II)
You seem shocked by the Tridentine Mass in English.  It already existed at a discrete moment in history from 1964 through 1968, with some degree or other of vernacular along with the Latin language.
Fr. Timothy Johnson

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm not shocked at all. What I'm shocked at is the lack of regard for the beauty and importance of the Mass being celebrated in Latin from a Priest who calls himself Traditional right before my eyes. Sorry Father I just wanted my reaction to be heard honestly.

There is more than one way the Pope would allow for women priests. What going to happen when an abundance of Catholic Masses to this on their will. It is already being further tampered with here and there in such a way.  He can't control what's goping on now. What's going to happen when this goes main stream?

I am well aware of the Pope's encyclical. It was written based on the constant presure from some of his Cardinals and Bishops. What makes you think those bad seeds will listen?
ANSWER: I have never spoken against the celebration of Mass in the Latin language.  I have a high regard for beauty in carrying out Sacred Rites and Music at Mass.  Do you do anything to help out with the celebrations of the Mass you attend, or do you constantly and unceasingly stand off to the side-lines and criticize without end?
You seem to have some ideas of how to get women priests.  I wish you would share them, because maybe the Pope hasn't even thought of them.  That kind of comment seems so strange to me - I'm sorry.  It is like you occupy your time imagining all the ways that one might act to go contrary to the Tradition of the Church.
By the way Ordinatio Sacerdotalis is an "Apostolic Letter", not an Encyclical.
I would not make a point of that to most people; but your mental state is so supercharged critical that I really think you need to just stand back and step down a little.  Neither you nor I know more than the Pope, my friend.  You and I are not the Successors of St. Peter.

Fr. Timothy Johnson

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I stand corrected, it is an Apostolic Letter. However, let's make clear my state of mind differs per context of topic/situation. Such as a situation as ours clearly brings out the disgust of the Norvus Ordo. If I were speaking with Traditional Latin Rite only Priest, I'm then naturally at ease.

Do I assist at Mass, sure I do, I pray like our past Saints did. If you mean do I assist by handing out bulletins in my gym shorts at the doors of the Church, or competing who can sing the loudest, no I do not No I do not.

Our current and last Pope have made it quite clear of their modernest stature.

For further regard of Norvus Ordo disgust I must refer you to traditio.com. Check out the photo session.  

Father where is the Tabernacle in your Church. Do you any longer keep your fingers pinched after consecrating the host. Do you realize the articles of host that are all over the floor, and the even more particles the Eucharistic ministers add to. Could you imagine how many times these articles of our Lord are trampled on every Mass. This in it self is sin whether or not transubstination has ocurred and merits non participation because of conscience.  Your hands are clean, you wash them at the alter. Doesn't this defeat the purpose by having our Lord violated afterwards. Do you not see the reverance of the Real Presence of our Lord being taken for granted?

Answer
Tabernacle in all 3 of my Parishes are front and center.
When I offer the so-called Tridentine Mass, I follow the rubrics.
When I offer the so-called Novus Ordo Mass, I take care in regards to particles of the Sacred Host.
It might be a good thing if you helped to pass out bulletins in your Sunday Mass suit and tie;
and, if your parish does high sung Mass, maybe you could help out in the choir.  In fact when the Mass Ordinary is all in Latin the people present ought to sing the chant with a moderate and well-blended voice.
And keep praying for the Church, we need all the prayers we can get!