You’re also not supposed to hold hands during the “Our Father”, have lay ministers of communion also give blessings, etc., but who cares, man?  This is the new, hip Catholic Church.  They don’t need your old stodgy rules anymore, man.  It’s about peace and love, the people, and sharing, and caring, and singing and all that, man.  Get with the program, Jim-Bob.  This ain’t your grandfather’s Church any more.  This is the New & Improved RCC.  Rock on!

What about emptying theBaptismal font during Lent?  For tha matter, what about offering baptisms during Lent?

BTW, please pray for priests who are stuck behind those who break the rules.  Oh, the frustration of not being able to do anything about it.

Our crosses and statues are already veiled as of Ash Wednesday… what to do? :(

I see that in my parish every year they do away with the holy water and it always makes me wonder why when it is a practice that is not permitted. How much longer are some priests going to be disobedient in the small things? More to pray for during Lent. Thanks again Jimmy.
@ Curmudgeon maybe you’re a troll but irregardless of what you are, the liberal so-called “New & Improved RCC” will be stripped away as time goes on and the Lord’s will is made known to more believers who will grow in truth, in hope and in charity. A springtime of Orthodoxy is growing and i for one look forward to it…read here if you are so inclined:
http://www.firstthings.com/onthesquare/2013/02/a-new-take-on-modern-catholic-history

I hail from the UK and was recently there for a funeral. No females (still) are allowed on the altar . That includes no female alter servers and no Eucharistic ministers. Why?
I notice here in the U.S in the couple of parishes I frequent often, about 98% of the congregation at Masses, receive Communion. I find it difficult to believe that all those people are in a state of grace, to receive!  I have noted in the UK maybe 70% at most receive. What would you say accounts for the difference in these numbers?

Are baptisms permitted in Lent?  Our diocese prohibits them.  I suppose they make exceptions for emergencies.

I am pretty sure that Curmudgeon was employing saracsm to vent his frustration.  I can sympathize, it must be very frustrating to be stuck with folks who “won’t get with the program”.

I am very happy to belong to a parish that is careful about following the norms and rules.

To be honest with you though, I wasn’t aware about the flowers.  Is that just flowers or all greenery/plants?

Thanks for this. I did not know about the flowers either.
When rules like these six were in place, they had a specific meaning or purpose. For the most part though, we do not do a good job of passing on an understanding of the spirit behind the rules and are only slapped with the letters.

Live a life worthy of your calling!

I actually sent a letter to the priest and parochial vicar of my parish with the parts of the letter about not removing holy water during lent last year. they never responded but we’ll see if the holy water is there this year or not.

For everyone’s information, the published prohibitions do not apply to the Eastern Catholic churches.
1.  We never have musical instruments.  Our liturgies are chanted or sung.
2.  We always chant the doxology, even on weekdays.  I cannot understand why the Latin Rite Church does not say it during weekdays in the rest of the year.
3.  Lent is an Alleluia season.  We add alleluias because we give glory and praise to God as we await His resurrection on Easter.  Roman Catholic churches substitute “Glory and Praise” for alleluia.  Isn’t this what it means?
4.  Eastern Catholic churches never have floweres on the altar table.
5.  We usually do not have holy water fonts.  We do Baptisms in Lent.
We have holy water for drinking.
6.  Covering statues and crosses.  We cover icons during Holy Week.
One thing we do not do is have liturgies (masses) during the weekdays of Lent.  We have pre-sanctified liturgies using bread consecrated on the previous Sunday.

This is more of a question. I belong to a rather traditional church so all these things you mentioned they do correctly except they still sing alleleuia before the gospel. I was very surprised to realize this. How do I go about speaking to my priests about this? My parish is blessed to have two exceptional Fathers and I see them quite often. I don’t want to insult them.

Ann Butowski,

Isn’t it obvious. We here in the US are holier than the Pope. We don’t need to listen to those silly rules from the Vatican, the Pope or anyone else. Here we can make God in our image rather than needing to be made in his image. When you view the statistic you just mentioned, you can see that we also don’t need to listen to the rules of Arithmetic. Since roughly 80% of Catholic women Contracept (and thus are not able to receive communion), yet 98% receive communion.

I also noticed that my very traditional parish isn’t very holy since only about 70% to 80% take communion every week.

Of course, the alternatives to this is that maybe us Catholics in the US need to get an attitude adjustment.

What is the current ruling regarding foot washing? Males only?  This varies from parish to parish….what is the Official word?

Henry,
Thanks for your informative post.  As a fellow Eastern Catholic, I was thinking the very same as I read this post.  For those Roman Catholics confused by the fact that Ashes & Stations of the Cross are not offered in Eastern Catholic Churches during the Great Fast (Lent), I would encourage you to attend a Pre-Sanctified Liturgy (Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts) during Great & Holy Lent.  It is a beautifully moving & penitential service.  Adiitionally, the celebration of Great & Holy Week (especially the Triduum) as well as Pascha (Easter) in the Eastern Catholic tradition is something you must experience at least once it your life.  As Bl. John Paul II said, come & “breathe with both lungs, East & West.”

What about obeying Our Blessed Lady (at Fatima in 1917,) when she asked the Pope and all the bishops to pray at the same time (not necessarily in the same place) for the “conversion of Russia.” (Russia, at that time, was the most Catholic country in the world, I was informed. The Bolshevik Revolution happened one month later.)
We are all to pray the rosary, hopefully daily, although Sr. Lucia was to pray it constantly as the world situation grew more dire, indeed.  She said that if this request were fulfilled by the Pope, there would be peace.  If not, wars and trouble in the Church.
Well, there have been wars upon wars, and horrible “troubles” in the Church, so it is obvious that this request was NOT properly completed, isn’t it?  The Vatican, when I wrote them, said it HAD been done, and listed several dates.  But isn’t that even an obvious problem, that it had to be done over and over?
I’d love to hear an answer to this consternation.

Some paraishes still stop baptisms during Lent. This is schocking and I think sinful. Your note from the Holy See about not fasting from Sacraments during Lent entshould help stop that.

@Henry Peresie,
Thanks for sharing!  I’ve been reading up on Eastern Catholicism and discovering its treasures and traditions.  :)

At the parish my parents and I attended in South Carolina, there would be no music at the end of Mass in Lent.  The priest would recess in silence and the congregation would follow suit.

@Henry

We never have flowers on the actual altar table, either.  Only in the surrounding sanctuary area.  I am assuming those were ehat the article was referring to.

Miss Mann,

“I’d love to hear an answer to this consternation.”
Sr. Lucia said that the consecration had taken place. Here is a timeline of the events:
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/FatimaConsecration.htm

And here is Sr. Lucia’s letter affirming that the consecration had been fulfilled according to Our Lady’s wishes:
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/Fatima1984.htm

Hope that helps. God Bless!

6. Veiling crosses and statues before the Fifth Sunday of Lent

In recent years, some parishes in the United States have veiled or otherwise removed crosses and statues as soon as Lent begins.”
****************
FYI: I’m not the same “Kathleen” as a previous poster.

Didn’t churches used to veil statues,etc much earlier in Lent or am I misremembering?
Thanks!

For those who cannot bless themselves with holy water at mass, find a church that still has holy water,fill a large bottle of it, then use and carry a small bottle of it for mass.

Why isn’t the USCCB on top of all of this?  WHY so many questions?  Get to work Cardinal Dolan, your flock needs you, NOW.

The water fonts at one church I know always take this time of year to be “cleaned.” It must be a coincidence that it’s exactly the same time as Lent.

Miss Mann,
“I’d love to hear an answer to this consternation.”
Sr. Lucia said that the consecration had taken place. Here is a timeline of the events:
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/FatimaConsecration.htm

And here is Sr. Lucia’s letter affirming that the consecration had been fulfilled according to Our Lady’s wishes:
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/Fatima1984.htm

Hope that helps. God Bless!

@ Ann Botowski

In the UK the vast majority of parishes have girl altar boys and hordes of EMHC, most of them female. This includes Westminster Cathedral, where there is zero justification for either. To avoid them, and get decent music and Latin to boot, you can always rely on the Oratorians (London, Birmingham, Oxford, and Manchester.

For the first time in my life, our parish has a self-proclaimed progressive pastor.  How lucky I had been!  Much to my dismay, tradition has been given the boot!  We now have blue vestments for Advent, gray vestments for Lent, glass and pottery for the Eucharist, music during the entire Eucharistic prayer, unapproved and added resonsorials during the Eucharistic prayer, sermons on Mary was an unwed mother, told that there is nothing useful about suffering, told not to give up candy for Lent (the sacrifice is worthless if not permanent?), Revelation is 90% complete?, an unapproved prayer while distributing ashes, and unfortunately I could go on and on and on. He is 4 years away from retirement so I do not know if I should leave this parish or wait him out.  I pray he will see the light and at least follow the major rules!  I have NEVER ever been critical of ANY priest in my entire life but I have NEVER experienced this abuse before.  Pray for our parish!  Thank you!

Dear Lin,

Courage!

“The first law of history is not to dare to utter falsehood; the second, not to fear to speak the truth.”
Pope Leo XIII

Re: item 1 - How about Haydn’s ‘7 Last Words of Christ’?  (Granted, more of a Good Friday than a Lent piece…)

@Mary Weaver

Russia was not a Catholic country at all, let alone “the most Catholic” in the world. It was an Orthodox country then, as it is now.

Dear Lin,

Remember that it isn’t only about what is legitamate but also what spiritual effects it will have on the parish. As we have seen over the past 40 years, these kinds of abuses are not acceptable by God and bring about a spiritual desert in a parish. The Bishop should be notified about these abuses and if he does act on them, go to the Archbishop above him. All the souls in your parish are in danger.

I left the Church after being exposed to these types of priests as a young man. I even became an athiest for a time. Usually when priests abuse the mass and Gods holy temple, our local parishes, they themselves don’t believe things like the real presence of Christ. What you see is only scratching the surface. This priest needs to be set right with God so all the souls in your parish can be blessed with all the Graces God can give them.

When coming back, I went to a Bishop approved Extraordinary form mass parish and have gained many spiritual blessings. If no changes can be made, change parishes for your own spiritual well being. Of course, we should always show respect to our priests for the position they hold, so be respectful what ever you do.

God Bless you and your efforts.

Proper reverence and humility should always be practiced.  No doubt about that.  However, the focus here seems to be more intellectually-based about church Rules & Regulations than that of keeping a mindset about the passion, death and resurrection of Christ.  The gospel reminds us that Jesus was none too happy with the church leadership of His day in their local parishes (synagogues).  The Pharisees also thought keeping church Rules & Regulations was more important.  Too much legalism is a distraction from understanding the difference between being under the law (OT) and now being under grace.

Casting Crowns,
Yes, I would agree that we need to be careful not to become like the Pharisees in Jesus time but the problem the Pharisees was that their laws and rules became like what our legal system is here in the US. Everyone seems to be trying to get away with as much as possible without breaking the law. Others are trying to break the law but find a legal way out. Still others use the law as a way of punishing people. In the Church it takes on an even further danger of people thinking that as long as the follow the laws of the Church, they are Holy, yet they don’t show Godly love or compassion.

The fact is that the laws and rules of the Church have been setup over the last 2000 years with the aid of the Holy Spirit. They all have reasons and when we ignore them, we pay the spiritual price. This attitude of not enforcing the rules of the Church got so carried away that now we have whole groups of Catholics that just do whatever they want and believe whatever they want.

This has brought about much spiritual pain to the Church as millions of Catholics have just voted with their feet. Most Catholics today seem to think the same way. We don’t need to follow rules. We can just worship God our own way. I don’t need to follow the ‘rule’ to go to church. After awhile they don’t bother praying. Next they become agnostics at best. I know this isn’t the case with all of those that are not practicing Catholics, but I look back and see the pattern in myself, my siblings and friends. Very few of them would I call real Christians or real Catholics today. Their eternal souls are very much at risk.

I have climbed back into the Bark of Peter (and hopefully I won’t fall out again) and now my job is to help my family and friends climb back in as well. The problem is that there are so many abuses at some of their parishes, that some of those I have helped don’t feel they are getting the graces they need to sustain their spirituality. All I can do is pray for them and the Church.

@Grok:  We are in general agreement.  Protocol and order definitely is important.  Church leaders always walk a fine line between enabling a slacker/cavalier mentality for those in the pew versus one of dropping a hammer on those not following rules.  The problem is finding the right balance.  When keeping rules is one’s *primary* focus they become nothing more than “works.”  We are not justified by good works but by the shed blood of Christ.

@Casting Crowns, I don’t want to get too off subject here but all Catholics believe that our actions are important. If you show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.

Do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

You know not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather he who does the will of God.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works, which God has prepared that we should walk in them.

Above are the words of Saint James, Saint Paul and Jesus Christ himself where we see, it is not only our faith but also our actions that make us acceptable to God. Catholicism is a religion of Holy people, Holy places, Holy things, and our Holy God. We must honor all of them through our actions and our faith.

To Grok Hadrian and Casting Crowns.  It is with great fear and trembling that I even write about this situation.  I love my Catholic faith with all heart and have great respect for the priesthood. I live in a small town and the parish is of moderate to poor means, many elderly. I have asked the parish council to approach the pastor on a couple of the major issues. They have and he argued that his ways were acceptable.  It is not about following “the rules” so much as leading the less Catechized astray. Changing parishes means driving 30 minutes plus each way which my husband and I can do, but many cannot. I intend to take this up the chain of command as delicately as possible. It is my understanding that his reputation has preceded him and we now have a new bishop. Our new pastor has been quoted as saying that the bishop needs him more than he needs the church. I am over 60 and I have never complained about anything in our parish. I am also not discussing this with other parishioners so as not to conflict them as I am conflicted. I purchased both books written by Jimmy Akin about Mass Confusion because I wanted to be sure that I was not the one confused. It is much too easy to become confused when a priest’s sermons are not completely in line with the doctrine of the Church. There are days when I have to come home a research information contained in a sermon. Many do not, they just accept because one should be able to trust that a priest speaks the Truth.  In any event, thank you for your support. It has only been a couple of months, but very unsettling months. God bless you and please pray for my parish and pastor, as I will, too!

I think Jesus would say you’re being way too legalistic here - it’s a bit Pharisiacal to get hung up on these kinds of formalities. I sincerely doubt God is going to condemn anyone for accidentally not following obscure rubrics.

My friend, Miss Maggie saves these quotes:
“Better that only a few Catholics should be left, staunch and sincere in their religion, than that they should, remaining many, desire as it were, to be in collusion with the Church’s enemies and in conformity with the open foes of our faith.” — –St. Peter Canisius (1521-1597
“When there is an imminent danger for the Faith, Prelates must be questioned, even publicly, by their subjects.”
–- St. Thomas Aquinas
“If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”— 2 Chronicles 7:14

Tony,

None of these things are formalities, and they certainly are not obscure. These are well publicized laws for the celebration of the liturgy. “Not getting hung up on” the liturgy, which the Church rightfully regulates, is far from not caring about it at all.

Furthermore, most of “no-nos” posted above are certainly not obscure to the priests that violate them. They either don’t care or are willfully disobedient.

Also, please learn what the Pharisees were actually condemned for. It wasn’t simply rubricism. It was a devotion to the law without caring or helping anyone to fulfill it. It was neglect in taking care of their own problems while condemning others.

The solution to Pharisaism isn’t an abandonment of the rules; it is following them in love and truth.

Thank you, Andy. God bless you!

For the “Alleluia” verse, in Lent our parish sings “Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless Glory” before and after the actual verse.  Is this a permissable variation?
TeaPot562

When noted that the holy water fonts were empty, I respectfully wrote the pastor and enclosed the letter of clarification from the CDF. The following year and since, I’m happy to report that holy water has returned.

Tony:  You are correct.  When criticized by the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath,  Jesus rightly counseled them on their narrow minded view.  Indeed, the glory of God was made manifest right before their eyes in the miracles of those people being healed of sickness, disease and being raised from the dead.  The eyes of the Pharisees were more interested in Jesus breaking Jewish law than in God being glorified.
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We also have a prime example with the blind man cured at the pool of Siloam.  The Pharisees responded to Jesus:  “Are we also blind?”  Jesus said:  “You say we see,—and so your sin remains.”  Today is no different whereby modern day church Pharisees continue to walk in spiritual blindness.

teapot—During Lent, in place of the Alleluia, any of the following phrases may be used:
Praise to you, O Christ, king of eternal glory!
Praise and honor to you, Lord Jesus!
Glory and praise to you, O Christ!
Glory to you, O Christ, you are the Word of God!
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, king of endless glory!

Kathleen re covering images: According to the pre-1970 calendar, crosses and images were to be covered during Passiontide, i.e., following the Mass of Saturday of the 4th week of Lent. The 5th Sunday was Passion Sunday.  Since the 2001 GIRM, it is permissible in the USA to cover crosses and images from that same time, although the 5th Sunday is no longer Passion Sunday which has now been combined with the 6th Sunday, Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.
If they were covered earlier as you remember, it was not according to the rubrics.

jp: when the option for footwashing on Holy Thursday is used, the rubrics of the Roman Missal state that it is to be men (“viri”=grown males,as opposed to “homines”=humans).  The 1988 letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship “Paschales Solemnitatis” restates the same wording, “chosen men.” In the previous year, the US Bishops Committee on the Liturgy acknowledged that it has become customary in the US to disregard this rubric, but making such a change licit must be approved by the CDW, which has never happened.
In 2005 Cardinal O’Malley of Boston did receive permission to wash both men’s and women’s feet because he considered it pastorally necessary, however, that permission applied only to him.
Unless the local ordinary has received permission for washing women’s feet in his diocese, the practice is illicit.

First a question. Is chanting the same as singing?. We are chanting the Gloria as well as the Alleluia.
We are hand holders in my Parish as well as soft balling the Holy Spirit back to the Priest after he says “the Lord be with you. Frankly I hate it, but returning to the Church after some 30+ years I stand mute.
I am admittedly a EWTN junkie, not to mention reading everything I can get my grubby little hands on. I love the Church but feel we need to grow up. Also I beleave the Biships need to drop the hammer on these topics. This is the Catholic Church, not the “Feel Good” church. Its “Worship”, not a burger and fries with friends.
We are “called to Christs’ Church to worship, offer thanks and praise to God. Not the other way around, I just can’t see Almighty God joining “our little party” , after all isn’t our human way of thinking the very reason He sent his Son, his Only Son to redeem…..Us?.

Thank you Mary Weaver Mann!  I saved your quotes for future reference!

@Richard Esparza,
Nice points you made. I too have returned after 30 years. I have seen so many of my family leave the Church in recent years, perhaps even following my example and reasoning. It was in fact EWTN radio that started me on my journey back. I live in a diocese notorious for open rebellion against Church teaching by the Bishop and priests in past years. Most Catholics in this area have left the Church, which makes sense when they receive few Graces from God from local rebellious parishes.

Thankfully, most of these abuses of been stopped with the last couple of Bishops and many have started returning. Personally, on Sundays I drive to a different city to go to a Extraordinary form Mass by the FSSP priests (Established by Pope John Paul II). It gives me the fuel I need to make it through the week. I also attend my local daily mass a couple times per week as well but it isn’t always available. I enjoy the Extraordinary form much more but the daily novus ordo mass is also a blessing from Gods Church.

God Bless you and hope you find a Parish that give you the Graces you need to keep up the fight for truth.

@Lin,
You are truly courageous in your efforts to help your local parish come into conformity with Catholic teaching. It is obvious to us who have watched so many Catholics leave, that it is due to the lack of graces that they receive when going to a Mass full of abuses. It is sooo very hard to speak up when we are viewed as the bad guy. We now see how society is trying to make us Catholics as a whole, look like bigots and unloving with the ‘Same Sex Marriage’ issue. You get the same type of harsh criticism as we are seeing being made on this blog. Comparing us with the Pharisees is VERY HARSH but we know what Jesus meant and we know that God, through his Church, would not have setup these ‘rules’, if he didn’t think it was important.

I will pray for you and God Bless your efforts.

Nick, perhaps I can understand about the “conversion of Russia” aspect, but, what about the obvious effects on the Church and the world?  Nothing changed, with all the war and all the “problems” in the Church!  Surely that proves Her wishes have not been fulfilled!

@mwa:  [“Unless the local ordinary has received permission for washing women’s feet in his diocese, the practice is illicit.”]
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How is this practice illicit?  Without permission, would it otherwise be sinful to wash the feet of women in full view of the church at evening Mass on Holy Thursday?

@Casting Crowns,
Are you Roman Catholic? Not trying to offend, just curious since so many protestants get into these conversations.

You do understand that anything done in the Mass is part of the Mass, don’t you. The Mass was established by God for the Church. If and only if God has added something to the Mass, is it permissible. They can wash women’s feet all they want, but not during the Mass unless it is approved. The reason that women’s feet are not washed during the mass is a similar reason to why women can’t be priests. Jesus set the example. He washed the disciples feet but not any of the women who were almost always following Jesus.

I am sure we can find reasons to change everything we do as Catholics and just become Buddist or Baptist or whatever, but we are Catholic and as such we follow the teachings of God through the magesterium, period. If the magesterium allows Bishops to make exception to the rule for ‘men only’, they had a reason, in that one case but they didn’t open it up to all.

Many of these types of things have been ‘temporary exceptions’ for the church in the US and have turned out very badly. Most of these in the Mass have taken on a more ‘me’ centered attitude (entertainment, we are all priests, etc), Catholics have had a more ‘I make the rules’ thinking. They obey what ‘they’ agree with as if the Church was a human institution. It isn’t, it was setup by Christ and only God has the right to make changes. As my priest said last Sunday in the homily, ‘It isn’t about me and what I want, it is about God, period’.

Referring to posts by Henry Peresie, Patricia, and Elisa

I am a Roman (Latin Rite) Catholic.  I have had the blessing to attend Eastern Catholic Divine Liturgy, and I have to agree with what Patricia said.  It really does help us appreciate fully Christ’s ministry to all the world to be witness to the beauty of our liturgies.  I for one have always been very thankful to be in full communion with the Eastern Catholic churches; in order to be able to participate fully and appreciate the liturgy and spirituality of the Church through history.  I have to say, I find the Eastern liturgy beautiful.

Speaking of which, although my parish is a Novus Ordo parish, I am likewise thankful to be able to participate in the Extraordinary Rite for the same reasons as well.  Maybe we wouldn’t take ourselves so seriously (in a bad way) if we were more mindful of our place in history, and that He has been with us through it all.

@Grok Hadrian:  The Mass has been developed over time by the church.  We don’t see the Offering manifest at the Last Supper, but we do see the Consecration and Communion.  No feet of any women were washed because we do not see any evidence in the gospel that women were present at the Last Supper.  Women may have been present but gospel doesn’t mention it.
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My comment was not about myself or any Catholic making up one’s own rules to suit one’s own preferences.  If washing the feet is so sancrosanct and truly only for men then why would a Bishop ever deviate off that tract and allow the washing of feet for women?  Because of diocesan independence, what one Bishop allows in practice another Bishop can easily reject.  Church tradition is fine, but it should not necessarily be viewed as legalism resulting in sin if not followed.
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Some dioceses still have the Solemnity of Mary (January 1) as a Holy Day of Obligation while other dioceses do not.

@Lin

I once had a conversation with the Director of Worship at my diocese about change in a parish.  I will parapharase, but she said that a parish community’s dedication to their faith will outlast a pastor’s six-year term, and that a parish must therefore be mindful of its own relationship to its diocese and to the Universal Church and its teachings.

And so, I think I would probably encourage you not to be silent due to fear on your part; and that if discussing it with your fellow parishioners is helpful to raise the issue to your Ordinary (bishop), perhaps you might want to prayerfully consider doing so.

Pax domini,
- alvinc

Miss Mann,

I thought that the links which I provided answered the several questions you had asked, in your original comment, about the consecration of Russia, the several attempts to administer the consecration, etc.
I’m not an expert on the Fatima apparitions, so, please, correct me if I’m wrong, but, I don’t remember Our Lady promising an end to ALL wars, only and end to the errors and evils that Russia would spread throughout the world. Which did occur for seven decades.
I believe this pretty much ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia is no longer an existential threat to mankind, as it was when Blessed John Paul II was elevated to the papacy. At least that’s how I see the history that has unfolded since then.

I also believe that thanks to John Paul & Benedict the New Evangelization has begun, and, that a new spring-time of the Church is being ushered in. Satan’s 100 year infiltration of the Church is over, if you believe the vision of Pope Leo XIII.
Just give it some time. A century (or the 50 years since Vatican II and 29 years since the Consecration of Russia) is but a sneeze in the course of Salvation History. The Church Militant will triumph. “Be Not Afraid.”
God Bless!

@CastingCrowns: Last time I checked, the Solemnity of Mary is still a Holy Day of Obligation for Canada & the US at the very least. It’s not up to the diocese, but the USCCB & the CCCB I believe.

@Carolyn:  Thanks for the correction.  Yes, it’s still a Holy Day of Obligation but attendance at Mass is not obligatory depending upon a mandate of your local diocese.  Here is where local Bishops can differ.
You are correct.

I am so glad you printed this, I know this but have seen the various things you have written in several parishes and many young people and RCIA too don’t know this about Holywater or the cross coverings since many explore the different forms of the Holymass.  Besides all this with the world in the way it is today, the evil one would like if the Holywater fonts were empty, my beautiful mom always taught us the devil hates Holywater!!!

This is great information to me. I am a new Catholic, still learning about the church. I was wondering why the mass seemed different recently.

INeverKnew,

Welcome to the one true Catholic and Apostolic Church. I am so happy for you. Please get involved at your Church. Volunteer where ever you can but most importantly, take advantage of all the gifts the Church provides for receiving that all important Grace of God. You can do this by faithfully going to mass on Sundays but for many additional graces, try daily mass when you can, attending the Stations of the Cross, doing a daily rosary, and many more.

God Bless you and your future with God to guide you