Abstract:  Joe gets help in understanding the Tridentine
           Mass.  cd=Count Dracula, js=joseph_sixpack

cd:  Greetings...

js:  Hah!  i knew it!  Now i am catching on to you!

cd:  What do you mean?

js:  Well, as soon as i start doing something holy you show
     up.

cd:  I think the better word would be 'dangerous' and not
     'holy'.

The Vulture sees food put there by nature, and the hyena 
smells the food.  Man alone stares at the ground and tries 
to grow his own food, eventually ruining the very earth that 
tries to feed him.  Therefore, I too, appear where the 
prospect of food occurs...  and there is an abundance...

js:  Yikes!  am i food?

cd:  in a sense, a case could be made for that...
     (smiling)  We do serve humans after all...

js:  (nervously) Look, all i was doing was rewriting, no,
     not even that.  I was just breaking into sentences a
     translation of a memo from the pope.
     
cd:  That was a joke twinky.

js:  Oh...

cd:  Your memo is called a Motu Proprio!  dumkopf, and not a
     memo.

js:  Well, it seems like a memo to me...

cd:  no doubt.  I suspect that a Vermeer canvas would seem 
like a tablecloth to you as well.

js:  Well, look here anyway, here is what i have got so far:


                         MOTU PROPRIO
                     "SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM"
               VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2007 (VIS) -

   Given below is a non-official English language 
   translation of the Apostolic Letter "Motu Proprio data" 
   of Pope Benedict XVI, "Summorum Pontificum," concerning 
   the use of the Roman liturgy prior to the reform of 1970.

   The original text is written in Latin.

   Up to our own times, it has been the constant concern of 
   supreme pontiffs to ensure that the Church of Christ 
   offers a worthy ritual to the Divine Majesty, 'to the 
   praise and glory of His name,' and 'to the benefit of all 
   His Holy Church.'

   Since time immemorial it has been necessary - as it is 
   also for the future - to maintain the principle according 
   to which 'each particular Church must concur with the 
   universal Church, not only as regards the doctrine of the 
   faith and the sacramental signs, but also as regards the 
   usages universally accepted by uninterrupted apostolic 
   tradition, which must be observed not only to avoid 
   errors but also to transmit the integrity of the faith, 
   because the Church's law of prayer corresponds to her law 
   of faith.' (see fn 1.)

   "Among the pontiffs who showed that requisite concern, 
   particularly outstanding is the name of St. Gregory the 
   Great, who made every effort to ensure that the new 
   peoples of Europe received both the Catholic faith and 
   the treasures of worship and culture that had been 
   accumulated by the Romans in preceding centuries.

   He commanded that the form of the sacred liturgy as 
   celebrated in Rome (concerning both the Sacrifice of Mass 
   and the Divine Office) be conserved.

   He took great concern to ensure the dissemination of 
   monks and nuns who, following the Rule of St. Benedict, 
   together with the announcement of the Gospel illustrated 
   with their lives the wise provision of their Rule that 
   'nothing should be placed before the work of God.'

   In this way the sacred liturgy, celebrated according to 
   the Roman use, enriched not only the faith and piety but 
   also the culture of many peoples.

   It is known, in fact, that the Latin liturgy of the 
   Church in its various forms, in each century of the 
   Christian era, has been a spur to the spiritual life of 
   many saints, has reinforced many peoples in the virtue of 
   religion and fecundated their piety. 

   Many other Roman pontiffs, in the course of the 
   centuries, showed particular solicitude in ensuring that 
   the sacred liturgy accomplished this task more 
   effectively. Outstanding among them is St. Pius V who, 
   sustained by great pastoral zeal and following the 
   exhortations of the Council of Trent, renewed the entire 
   liturgy of the Church, oversaw the publication of 
   liturgical books amended and 'renewed in accordance with 
   the norms of the Fathers,' and provided them for the use 
   of the Latin Church.

   One of the liturgical books of the Roman rite is the 
   Roman Missal, which developed in the city of Rome and, 
   with the passing of the centuries, little by little took 
   forms very similar to that it has had in recent times.

   It was towards this same goal that succeeding Roman 
   Pontiffs directed their energies during the subsequent 
   centuries in order to ensure that the rites and 
   liturgical books were brought up to date and when 
   necessary clarified.

   From the beginning of this century they undertook a more 
   general reform. (see fn 2)  

   Thus our predecessors Clement VIII, Urban VIII,
   St. Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XII and Blessed John XXIII
   all played a part. (see fn 2)

   In more recent times, Vatican Council II expressed a 
   desire that the respectful reverence due to divine 
   worship should be renewed and adapted to the needs of our 
   time.

   Moved by this desire our predecessor, the Supreme Pontiff 
   Paul VI, approved, in 1970, reformed and partly renewed 
   liturgical books for the Latin Church.

   These, translated into the various languages of the 
   world, were willingly accepted by bishops, priests and 
   faithful.

   John Paul II amended the third typical edition of the 
   Roman Missal.

   Thus Roman pontiffs have operated to ensure that 'this 
   kind of liturgical edifice ... should again appear 
   resplendent for its dignity and harmony. (see fn 4)

   But in some regions, no small numbers of faithful adhered 
   and continue to adhere with great love and affection to 
   the earlier liturgical forms.

   These had so deeply marked their culture and their spirit 
   that in 1984 the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II, moved by a 
   concern for the pastoral care of these faithful, with the 
   special indult 'Quattuor abhinc anno," issued by the 
   Congregation for Divine Worship, granted permission to 
   use the Roman Missal published by Blessed John XXIII in 
   the year 1962.

   Later, in the year 1988, John Paul II with the Apostolic 
   Letter given as Motu Proprio, 'Ecclesia Dei,' exhorted 
   bishops to make generous use of this power in favor of 
   all the faithful who so desired.

   Following the insistent prayers of these faithful, long 
   deliberated upon by our predecessor John Paul II, and 
   after having listened to the views of the Cardinal 
   Fathers of the Consistory of 22 March 2006, having 
   reflected deeply upon all aspects of the question, 
   invoked the Holy Spirit and trusting in the help of God, 
   with these Apostolic Letters we establish the following:

                              Art 1.
   The Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI is the ordinary 
   expression of the 'Lex orandi' (Law of prayer) of the 
   Catholic Church of the Latin rite.

   Nonetheless, the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V 
   and reissued by Bl. John XXIII is to be considered as an 
   extraordinary expression of that same 'Lex orandi,' and 
   must be given due honour for its venerable and ancient 
   usage.

   These two expressions of the Church's Lex orandi will in 
   no any way lead to a division in the Church's 'Lex 
   credendi' (Law of belief).

   They are, in fact two usages of the one Roman rite.

   It is, therefore, permissible to celebrate the Sacrifice 
   of the Mass following the typical edition of the Roman 
   Missal promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 and never 
   abrogated, as an extraordinary form of the Liturgy of the 
   Church.

   The conditions for the use of this Missal as laid down by 
   earlier documents 'Quattuor abhinc annis' and 'Ecclesia 
   Dei,' are substituted as follows:

                             Art. 2.
   In Masses celebrated without the people, each Catholic 
   priest of the Latin rite, whether secular or regular, may 
   use the Roman Missal published by Bl. Pope John XXIII in 
   1962, or the Roman Missal promulgated by Pope Paul VI in 
   1970, and may do so on any day with the exception of the 
   Easter Triduum.

   For such celebrations, with either one Missal or the 
   other, the priest has no need for permission from the 
   Apostolic See or from his Ordinary.

                             Art. 3.
   Communities of Institutes of consecrated life and of 
   Societies of apostolic life, of either pontifical or 
   diocesan right, wishing to celebrate Mass in accordance 
   with the edition of the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962, 
   for conventual or "community" celebration in their 
   oratories, may do so.

   If an individual community or an entire Institute or 
   Society wishes to undertake such celebrations often, 
   habitually or permanently, the decision must be taken by 
   the Superiors Major, in accordance with the law and 
   following their own specific decrees and statues.

                             Art. 4.
   Celebrations of Mass as mentioned above in art. 2
   may - observing all the norms of law - also be attended 
   by faithful who, of their own free will, ask to be 
   admitted.

                             Art. 5.
   1.  In parishes, where there is a stable group of 
   faithful who adhere to the earlier liturgical tradition, 
   the pastor should willingly accept their requests to 
   celebrate the Mass according to the rite of the Roman 
   Missal published in 1962, and ensure that the welfare of 
   these faithful harmonises with the ordinary pastoral care 
   of the parish, under the guidance of the bishop in 
   accordance with canon 392, avoiding discord and favouring 
   the unity of the whole Church.

   2.  Celebration in accordance with the Missal of Bl. John 
   XXIII may take place on working days; while on Sundays 
   and feast days one such celebration may also be held.

   3.   For faithful and priests who request it, the pastor 
   should also allow celebrations in this extraordinary form 
   for special circumstances such as marriages, funerals or 
   occasional celebrations, e.g. pilgrimages.

   4.   Priests who use the Missal of Bl. John XXIII must be 
   qualified to do so and not (be) juridically impeded.

   5.   In churches that are not parish or conventual 
   churches, it is the duty of the Rector of the church to 
   grant the above permission.

                             Art. 6.
   In Masses celebrated in the presence of the people in 
   accordance with the Missal of Bl. John XXIII, the 
   readings may be given in the vernacular, using editions 
   recognised by the Apostolic See.

                             Art. 7.
   If a group of lay faithful, as mentioned in art. 5 1, has 
   not obtained satisfaction to their requests from the 
   pastor, they should inform the diocesan bishop.

   The bishop is strongly requested to satisfy their wishes.

   If he cannot arrange for such celebration to take place, 
   the matter should be referred to the Pontifical 
   Commission "Ecclesia Dei".

                             Art. 8.
   A bishop who, desirous of satisfying such requests, but 
   who for various reasons is unable to do so, may refer the 
   problem to the Commission "Ecclesia Dei" to obtain 
   counsel and assistance.

                             Art. 9.
   1.   The pastor, having attentively examined all aspects, 
   may also grant permission to use the earlier ritual for 
   the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism, 
   Marriage, Penance, and the Anointing of the Sick, if the 
   good of souls would seem to require it.

   2.   Ordinaries are given the right to celebrate the 
   Sacrament of Confirmation using the earlier Roman 
   Pontifical, if the good of souls would seem to require 
   it.

   3.   Clerics ordained "in sacris constitutis" may use the 
   Roman Breviary promulgated by Bl. John XXIII in 1962.

                             Art. 10.
   The ordinary of a particular place, if he feels it 
   appropriate, may erect a personal parish in accordance 
   with can. 518 for celebrations following the ancient form 
   of the Roman rite, or appoint a chaplain, while observing 
   all the norms of law.

                             Art. 11.
   The Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei", erected by John 
   Paul II in 1988 (5), continues to exercise its function.

   Said Commission will have the form, duties and norms that 
   the Roman Pontiff wishes to assign it.

                             Art. 12.
   This Commission, apart from the powers it enjoys, will 
   exercise the authority of the Holy See, supervising the 
   observance and application of these dispositions.

   We order that everything We have established with these 
   Apostolic Letters issued as Motu Proprio be considered as 
   "established and decreed", and to be observed from 14 
   September of this year, Feast of the Exaltation of the 
   Cross, whatever there may be to the contrary.

   From Rome, at St. Peter's, 7 July 2007, third year of Our 
   Pontificate."
                       --------------------
   (1) General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 3rd ed., 
   2002, no. 397.
   (2) John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus 
   annus," 4 December 1988, 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.
   (3) Ibid.
   (4) St. Pius X, Apostolic Letter Motu propio data,
   "Abhinc duos annos," 23 October 1913: AAS 5 (1913), 449- 
   450; cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter "Vicesimus quintus 
   annus," no. 3: AAS 81 (1989), 899.
   (5) Cf John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Motu proprio data 
   "Ecclesia Dei," 2 July 1988, 6: AAS 80 (1988), 1498.
   BXVI-MP/.../SUMMORUM PONTIFICUMVIS 070707 (1900) 



js:  How does that look?  a lot easier to read isn't it?

cd:  I would recommend you correct the errors.

js:  What errors?  It is just a translation by ???
     Oh Christ! i forgot his name already...

cd:  sigh...
     Twinky... you certainly do not lack for temerity.

js:  Well, gee whiz... What's so wrong?
     Look, all he has really said is:  Hey!  What's the
     problem with the Latin Mass?  It's okay.  Go for it,
     if you want.  No problemo... learn Latin.

cd:  Do you even understand what you are reading?

js:  Well, that is why i made it easier to read for me by
     breaking it down into simple sentences sort of.  That
     Vatican speak is a hard nut for joe's to crack and the
     jewish defense league is raising cain about something
     or other...  Anyhow, i got the whole thing down to a
     couple of understandable english sentences, right?

cd:  hmmmm...   wellll...  let's see... ummm... the Good 
Friday Tridentine...

Let me begin by saying, When the church announces, thru its 
Latin Mass, that it is praying for the Jews, it is, in 
effect really praying for itself, and its members, to 
undergo and accept, and live, the mysteries of the Life of 
Christ - The pure doctrine of the Church.  These Mysteries 
are emblazoned upon the walls of every Catholic Church in 
existence.

They are called, "The Stations of the Cross."

js:  (slightly exasperated) i know that!

cd:  But the reference to the Salvation of the Jews in the 
Latin Mass has no application to those misinformed neighbors 
and upset people of the neighboring cities or temples or 
Samaritians close to the eternal Jerusalem on earth who deny 
the New Testament of Christ as Savior.

The past has sufficiently proven that God's Church or the 
temple, if you prefer, cannot long stand on a corrupt earth, 
without the sacrifical ministrations of God's only son, this 
Jesus character, that they crucify.

Gleefully, I might add, where there is no divine government 
(Jesus crucified), there is societal destruction.  No God, 
no culture.

The earth becomes just a two-legged dinosaur world, that 
chews upon one another and all its resources, to everyone's 
eventual demise.  For us, God's intervention has always been 
a big pain, and interferes with our work of damnation.

The Church in the Heavens may have other time proven 
requirements and offspring to ameliorate these and other of 
our happy and bellicose effects, but those, if they exist at 
all,  are not understood by mere earthbound mortals, such as 
a joseph_sixpack class of persons.

js:  i admit prayer is more comforting than understanding.
     i read once somewhere that, Wisdom is a woman and
     cannot save.

cd:  Very good Twinky!     

So those "jews" happily pissed off by thinking the reference 
in the Latin Mass refers to them, can rest at ease.  They 
are not the that class of jews that are referenced in the 
Latin Mass.  In fact, biblically speaking, they are not jews 
at all but just religious neighbors of the head honcho 
temple.  Mary, who was told to take her child and flee into 
Egypt, the mother of Christ, did not exist within their 
realm.  Many of the temple children's parents were not 
granted such advice.
     
The Latin Mass is referring to its own jews thruout time 
that are the sinful members of the Eternal Type of Jewish 
Temple in the bible, which is the main temple today and 
thruout time and countries, with its high priests, scribes 
and pharisees, court of the women, valley of the 
cheesemakers, and etc.  Let me refer you to, one of our 
favorites, the wedding in the land of Cana...

The bible is a timeless instrument of human social 
organizations, their thought, their foibles, their 
activities, in their attempt at promoting a functional, and 
stable, yet earthly culture.  From time to time, Unhappily, 
to the lament of all, God steps in  to correct our 
orchestrated abuses...

In its exhortations, the Church is simply praying for its 
own.  It is NOT castigating its hapless neighbors, who have 
not thru continued trial and error over the centuries, hit 
upon a method to keep the Ark of the Covenant, pure, without 
defilement, and in one piece.  

The Church recognizes the immediate and urgent need to 
concern itself about the sin and the sins of its own 
members, regretfully, from our point of view, of trying to 
get to God.  The perfidious jews mentioned, again, are 
simply a reference to its own members who are too dense to 
accept Christ as a way of life.  Happily, there is plenty of 
sin and abundant perfidiousness down thru time, contained 
within the pilgrim church, on earth, to content us.

The Church that prays for the jews, is on earth, where it 
belongs, as an aspirant, looking up to the heavens, and not 
in the Heavens, looking down upon the earth.  There are not 
enought Buicks to go around for both institutions.  Earth 
gets the toys, the Heavens get the responsibility.

js:  Is that where the word 'heave' came from?

cd:  very perceptive Twinky...
Again, the Tridentine and all other Sacraments points the 
way to its frail members, of the mysteries of God, and of 
approaching God, that exist upon its walls, and in its 
prayers and sacraments.

Some (a kind amount), gifted with limited imagination and 
intellect, take the excoriation of the Latin Mass directed 
at them and happily, wrongly apply it to the innocent 
others, who are not in fact, referenced.  Fulfilling that 
which is written about them, "They have eyes, but cannot 
see, ears but cannot hear."

They are sternly adamant in their sin, to our great glee.
We can always use the additional manpower and womanpower.

That is perhaps the best reason why the church's neighbors 
should continually cast a suspicious eye upon sentences 
within the Temple's services which can, and often are, 
misinterpreted by its more truculent members, determined to 
ignore the message of God's son, thinking they have already 
been saved, and are now in authority, unknowingly and 
steadfastly taking on God's name in vain, a very fatal error 
to one's soul.  Again, we welcome all with open arms, ...and 
spiritual chains.

So you see, the churches neighbors are not without 
legitimacy in their concern for the words that exist within 
the main temple's services that fall upon the ears of some 
of its agressive 'alpha' members. They have a pleasant 
surprise coming...

Do you remember in times past, when I was mocking one such 
soul, fresh to damnation, repeating his war cry, "kill the 
infidels!"?  Do you remember what he said?

js:  yes... yes... i do...
     He was quite crushed and replied very slowly and in a
     tired voice, "yes.  that's what i thought."

     i remember now.  it was quite disturbing for me as that
     was the level of my zeal too at the time.

     Boy!  it sure took the wind out of my sails.

cd:  Twinky, your eternal mystical Church has a sufficient 
and quite adequate supply of sinners within its own to 
continually populate our premises.  We are all, in fact, 
awaiting your own arrival.

js:  (weakly)  me?...

cd:  The activity of concerning itself about the 
contemporary unbelievers mislead sensitivities over that 
which is NOT a reference to them, is always a happy issue 
for us, and which, needs our continued attention, as well as 
our continued encouragement, from our point of view.  We 
love enmity.  It is so pleasant and proves our point to the 
alternate institution.

For your further enlightenment Twinky, the I AM WHO AM 
should never be confused with the i am who am.  Flee your 
divine aspirations Twinky, and don't touch God with a ten 
foot pole.  Thieves are not divine.  Thieves are ours.  We 
are not divine.

Ach!  I have wasted far too much of my time.  Good bye for 
now.  See you soon, no doubt, during your next holiness 
'attack'.



With that final admonishment, the Count, as usual, just 
vanished into thin air.  i never could figure out how he did 
that...

Oh, before i forget.  The Count told me he was not a count.  
The hapless Vlad was just an occupied soul whose mortal sins 
were extreme 'spiritual' ambition.

The subject came up when i mentioned that he could not have 
ever been at the Last Supper as Dracula came into history 
well after the events in Christ's life.

With dripping sarcasm, he told me that, "He was there, he 
has been there, he will always be there."  Then told me that 
i knew nothing about the Last Supper.  I have never seen him 
more disgusted.  The look in his eyes were, well...
Well beyond any discription of contempt.      

If you run into any of these people, you have to be careful 
how you talk to them...

And more importantly, there is this final matter.  i could 
never figure out whether i should believe a single word he 
said.

After all, i think he comes from the land of lies.  Can 
anyone deduce truth from such a flood of possible lies?  
sigh...

Well, anyhow, it is a God of Perfect Love, Perfect Mercy, 
and Perfect Justice we try to worship...  no others need 
apply.

No one need take offense.
Just keep praying to have your own soul saved.
That is problem enough for any of us.