THIS XMAS, IT'S OK TO BE SCROOGE

As we commented recently, our tour in Europe confirmed that Pistrina has been on the right track in its analysis of the resurgence of traditional Catholic feeling, which might become the basis for a restoration movement. We are confident that this growing trend will render it unnecessary to affiliate with the half-educated, egotistical, Mammon-crazed sede wandering bishops who have plagued the faith for the last quarter of a century.

That's why we have been so insistent in urging everyone to starve the beast. Any money you throw their way is surely lost on a bad cause, the aim of which is to feather nests, not foster the Catholic faith. One of the worst donations you can make is to a sede seminary, because in a short time, there'll be no demand for their malformed products.

The reason we can make such a bold assertion is based on a recent visit we made to a European seminary. What a difference between their faculty and seminarians and those at the swampland Pesthouse and other Traddie disgraces! These professors possessed genuine, advanced academic degrees from world-renowned institutions. All were full-time professional instructors whose principal duty was to educate. Many had published in refereed journals and other recognized academic periodicals, and several were authors of books that had been printed and distributed by a reputable imprint, not by a vanity-press outfit. All were exceptionally well qualified for the subject matter they taught. We were especially impressed with the professor of Sacred Scripture, who knew Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic in addition to Latin. How different from the lumpen "professiorate" at Traddie institutions who barely have Latin (as we've demonstrated with the Pesthouse "faculty").

The seminarians were studious, self-confident, and mature. All had been graduates of accredited secondary schools; quite a few had won academic awards while in high school or university. None had been home-schooled, and none bore the uncertain look of fear and bewilderment that so often characterizes a Traddie seminarian. The seminarians we interviewed were split 50-50 between continuing their studies at the graduate level and entering parish work. Not one was a wild-eyed adherent of Vatican II; in fact, they all spoke openly of the importance of re-evaluating the council. Moreover, everyone we spoke to looked forward to learning how to celebrate the Tridentine rite so that he could offer it, at least upon occasion, after ordination. When we asked if they thought they were unique in their traditionalism, they said no: they had many friends and acquaintances in other seminaries who shared their opinions and aspirations.

If, indeed, there are many more like this small sample we spoke with, then a sea change is underway. These young men will join a conservative vanguard, which will soon sweep away the Pesthouse completers and their unfortunate brethren. In our estimation, the current cohort of ordained Pesthouse spawn will not be able to retire from the active priesthood inasmuch as the faithful will abandon them in a few years once they see how inferior they are to the likes of the would-be Levites we met.

This means that, if you support the Pesthouse and other Traddie enterprises like it, your money is going to waste. These underachievers are dumber and less prepared than their cynical, poorly formed masters, who themselves are on the verge of retirement (or at least eagerly planning for it).   Decide today to stop listening to the appeals for seminary support. For the good of the sede enrollees, these institutions must fail so that the ungifted young men can seek vocational training that will give them some kind of a future lest they become dependent on the government. They simply cannot compete with the new priests who are coming out of the reformed establishment seminaries.

Save your money and invest in your family. Giving to a Traddie seminary is like investing in a program to train people for hot-metal typesetting. So keep walking past those open hands and don't listen. You'll be doing the young men a favor.

KICK OFF

With the busy Thanksgiving holiday about to start, we just have a brief message this Sunday.

The board of directors of the new lay union is advising Catholics suffering under Mammonite Traddie clergy to "keep 'em poor" and begin withholding not only weekly offerings but also Christmas gifts, Mass stipends, and direct appeals to fund their special projects.

Cash is the only language they understand, and its absence is the only way to make these down-market priests and wandering bishops come to their senses.

The union knows of a number of decent priests and bishops at home and abroad who will say Masses for the laity's intentions, so there's no reason to heed any threats flying from the pulpit. Pistrina has volunteered to serve as a contact point for any Catholic who doesn't want to give "One-Hand Dan," the rector, the Blunderer, or any malformed Pesthouse completer a stipend. Just email us (pistrinalit@gmail.com), and we'll give you the contact information to have your Mass said.

Enjoy the break, and we'll see you here next Sunday.

BACK AND ENERGIZED

There's no place like home. L. Frank Baum

Thanks to hurricane Sandy and last week's storm, the Readers got to spend a few extra days abroad. We can confidently report that there is indeed something very conservative going on in the Novus Ordo Church. Oh, sure, once glorious churches still show the damage wrought by tasteless Vatican II experimenters, like the weird modernistic cube-mensa in the otherwise splendid Gesù. The majority of female religious are from the third world. The clergy on the street are generally unkempt and of apparent low breeding.  And, as ever, JPII's ghoulish image, wrapped in clouds, seems to peer down menacingly from every tacky souvenir shop display and disorderly church bulletin board. But the people themselves want to return to tradition.

Noon and evening masses were well attended. Persons of all ages could be found lighting candles or meditating in chapels where the Blessed Sacrament was reverently exposed for veneration (something we didn't see too often in past travels). In conversations with many different people, we heard bitter complaints about the policies and practices of the conciliar Church and its liberal leaders. (No one we talked to believes B16 is a genuine conservative; many even resent the fact that he's a German, who despite his years in the Curia doesn't really know how things operate in Rome.)  Well-informed Italians now know the council was wrong. Most encouraging were the words of praise for the Latin Mass. Furthermore, more than a few of our new acquaintances expressed a desire for the return of classical studies to the school curriculum. They see Europe fading, and they understand her eclipse is the result of abandoning Western culture, the center of which is the Roman Catholic Church.

Accordingly, when the Readers stepped off the plane, we all felt renewed despite the jet lag and stress of getting a flight back to a city other than New York. The union is off to a great start, and our conversations with everyday folks confirmed that aliquid-pravi Catholicism is a real alternative to the divisive and cultist ways of malformed sedevacantist adventurers. It's time Traddies in the 'States face up to the fact that "One-Hand Dan," the Blunderer, the rector, and all their associates are just plain wrong. It's the right time to tell these characters that Catholic principles, not narrow self-interest, count. It's time to show them the door.

Start by starving the Beast this coming holiday season.

HEADIN' HOME

Just a quick update. The new Catholic union planning conference held abroad has ended, and all parties have agreed on a firm plan of action slated to begin in earnest in January 2013. Pistrina hopes it can make a contribution to the effort in some small way. It's nice to know that after blogging against the Terrible Trio for more than two years that there are many well-placed Catholic leaders who agree that we must never again allow such men to have control over the laity's purse and souls.

One of the lighter notes at the conference emerged when the chairman read aloud this line from "One-Hand" Dan's nasty corner in his bulletin of last week: "No sooner had the sacred psalmody commenced then the door opened..." (emphasis ours). The Europeans present howled at the error, while the Americans cringed (but sniggered knowlingly). One elegant continental asked in what seemed to be genuine perplexity, "How can he not know the difference between then and than? Every child must know that -- even in America!"

An American tried to put on a charitable face by noting the deficient academic preparation of most of the U.S. clergy associated with the Gruesome Threesome. The Europeans grinned and dismissed the defense with a contemptuous wave of the hand.

Well, that's all for today. We're spending another week to tour the sites, and we hope to post a full article next week (if we can get into JFK, that is).