Our Catholic Identity – Fr. Z's Blog: Recent Episodes
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
Formerly entitled: "What Does The Prayer Really Say?" - Clear, straight commentary on Catholic issues, liturgy and life by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf o{]:¬)
On 2 August Ad Vaticanum published the remarks of Card. Sarah about the Traditional Latin Liturgy of the Roman, Latin Church. Read it there, but here’s a summary of the piece with my added emphases and comments (aka “zisking”). Essentially, … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I was recently in a discussion with other Catholics about the following scenario, and we weren’t able to come to an agreement, or find an answer online: would it be possible for a man and a … Read More →
I posted this recently, but since today is the Feast of St. Basil of Caesarea (which gives way to the Sunday), here it is again: Originally Published on: Jun 4, 2026 The evils which afflict us are well known, even … Read More →
From a priest… I think… QUAERITUR: Preparing for a funeral Mass in the near future; Is it permissible to chant the Dies Irae sequence in a Latin requiem Mass using the ordinary form? Didn’t see it anywhere in the copy … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: If we are keeping the 9 first Fridays, with the Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart, how do Good Friday (April 3) and St. Joseph (May 1) impact them? I get your point: rulz iz rulz, … Read More →
In the ancient Roman Church today was a big day for catechumens. Last Sunday, Laetare, was “midpoint” Sunday because before Lent was lengthened, it was the midpoint before Easter. Hence, Wednesday is called “in mediana” and the Roman Station is … Read More →
From a reader on this 2nd Sunday of Lent. (Note: because of the blog migration Early Tuesday 2 March, comments posted after 0600 EST 11 UTC) will not migrate. That’ll give you time to “think before posting”.) Wanted to pass … Read More →
In the Vetus Ordo, Usus Antiquior, there are four prayers for the blessing of ashes. In the Novus Ordo there is one, split into one of two … yes… options (aka a defining characteristic of the Novus Ordo). The business … Read More →
From a priest: Reverend and Dear Father, Ash Wednesday is soon to be upon us, and I am faced with the situation I am often faced with: whether to impose ashes on cute, angel-faced infants. It never fails that, as … Read More →
St. John Chrysostom could be nicknamed the “Patron Saint Of Telling It Like It Is”. Chrysostom (+407), known as the “golden-mouthed” for the excellence of his preaching, was Bishop of Constantinople. Trained in Antioch, he expounded Scripture in its literal … Read More →
From Ed Pentin at the National Catholic Register: Liturgy Sidestepped at Pope Leo XIV’s First Consistory? [With my emphases and comments.] Cardinals choose evangelization and synodality as key topics, disappointing those who expected the liturgy to be a central theme … Read More →
On December 17th we enter into that final stretch of our Advent preparation. In the Church’s solemn prayer of the hours, at Vespers, the great “O Antiphons” are sung. Today we have the first. Years ago, I made a little … Read More →
Photo from The World’s Best Sacristan™. I’ll just put this here. White to move and mate in 4. NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others. BONUS SHOT
Edward Pentin has – HERE – the text of an Open Letter correcting Card. Cupich who not long ago wrote a bizarre piece for Vatican News using Dilexi te as a springboard to trash the Church’s liturgy which has been … Read More →
1 November 2025 – Solemn Exposition of Relics at Ss Trinità dei Pellegrini (Church of the Most Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims) in Rome The custom of the exposition of relics on All Saints Day in the Roman tradition is … Read More →
One may legitimately ponder the state of the hierarchy today. Remember Bishop Garcia of Austin? Bishop Garcia, as the former bishop of Monterey, issued the letter to the Latin Mass community located at Sacred Heart Church in Hollister, CA, on … Read More →
Just a moment of your time, Your Excellency… 75% of Charlotte Seminarians Come from Parishes with Altar Rails This weekend the faithful of Charlotte have learned that as of the 1st Sunday of Advent November 30, 2025, Bishop Michael Martin … Read More →
UPDATE: Since I posted, the website has been updated with working links and the English text. Once again, the Holy See demonstrates its commitment to excellence on their website and the distribution of information. At the time of this writing, … Read More →
Look at this carefully. Preference for the Traditional Latin Mass is massively correlated with orthodoxy. This is precisely why certain people want it suppressed. They call the TLM “divisive” but the reality is that it is its opponents who want … Read More →
The Catholic Thing is a daily stop for me. They usually post two items a day, both of quality and brevity. Today they have something by Anthony Esolen, worth reading no matter where he is found on the interwebs. His … Read More →
Lately I have almost every day been adding orations from the Votive Mass “pro infirmis” during my celebration of Holy Mass. The orations from that Mass are poignant. Here is the Secret: Deus, cuius nutibus vitae nostrae momenta decurrunt: suscipe … Read More →
From a priest friend (summarized): QUAERITUR: At Gloria.TV there is a story about aberrations in Germany [Imagine my shock!]. One was a Baptism problem: the priest said the words while the godfather poured the water. Is this a valid Baptism? … Read More →
This is crazy fun. If you really want a ride, listen to it at 1.25X like I did. One of the things this reveals is the inherent power of Catholic sacred liturgical worship. Another thing it reveals is an inherent … Read More →
There is a piece at Rorate from a couple days ago which addresses a massive problems in Italy with paltry vocations, unstaffed churches, and declined church attendance. They are hitting the pot of strong coffee that we in these USA … Read More →
I was given a manuscript of a new book by Bp. Schneider to look over. It is about heresies. Just as he put out a book about the truths of the Faith that are to be believe, now he has … Read More →
In the traditional Roman calendar for the 1962 Missale Romanum yesterday, Thursday, was the Feast of Corpus Domini, or Corpus Christi. In the post-Conciliar Missal’s calendar today is also Corpus Christi. In the Novus Ordo – Vetus too, with “external celebration” … Read More →
Pentecost Friday At NLM there is a great explanation of the Pentecost Roman Stations. I find these historical details interesting because we find traces of ancient things in the traditional rites even today. In any event, if I am to … Read More →
Pentecost Thursday. The Roman Station is St. Lawrence outside the walls, which is where it was in the Easter Octave on Wednesday. In the Gospel from Luke 9, Jesus sends the Apostles out with authority to heal and cast out … Read More →
Reactions to Harrison Butker’s commencement speech abound. Today there are couple of note. First, at Crisis is a piece by Paul Kengor: “Hell’s Fury for Harrison Butker” subtitled: “If you’re sick of the bullying thugs of cancel culture, then stand with Harrison … Read More →
A while back I wrote a review of Anthony Esolen’s fine book Nostalgia. HERE In it, I wrote: How often is the charge of “nostalgia” flung as a cliché into the teeth of those who desire, with their legitimate aspirations, the … Read More →
Three things in particular caught my eye this morning. Two of them are connected with each other and they ring of good common sense and faith. The other clanks of delusional blather. First, at LifeSite we read finally the news made … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: Finally I got my first Latin Mass and it was wonderful. I want more more more and I can’t understand why the Pope doesn’t want us to have it. I know he doesn’t like things he … Read More →
All eyes are turning to S. Montana – a beautiful area to be sure – where tens of people might attend a special conference for those recovering from being traditional. The Trad Recovery conference is for people who had bad experiences … Read More →
A sad bit of Dominican news: the monastery of the Santo Domingo el Real in Madrid has had to close for lack of vocations, 805 years after its foundation by St Dominic. The nuns have long been guardians of the … Read More →
Today is NOT a holy day of obligation. That said, many people try to go to Mass on Ash Wednesday. Many, however, cannot. Therefore, let us know about your good experiences of Holy Mass and the good points in the sermon, … Read More →
You will find this video quite interesting. Larry Chapp interviews Bp. James Conley of Lincoln about the reform of the liturgy. Please let me know your high points. For me: communion rails, communion on the tongue, the Roman Canon. They … Read More →
On this coming Sunday, Holy Church begins to sing in a new key. We have come around, in the traditional calendar, to Pre-Lent. The “Gesima Sundays” have Roman Stations. Today we are at St. Lawrence “outside the walls”. Being in … Read More →
Well? Are’ya gonna do it? Do you have to call the priest RIGHT NOW so you can have a plan in place for your Sunday TLM… or Novus Ordo for that matter. WHY NOT? It’s called “Solidarity with the oppressed”. … Read More →
This is worth notice. Priests of the Cathedral in San Francisco have issued their own statement about FS… Conscience First (English and Spanish)
In the Novus Ordo calendar the observance of Epiphany (12 days after Christmas – the reason it is called “Twelfth Night”) is in some places moved to the Sunday, this year tomorrow. Some say that moving it to Sunday allows … Read More →
As Christmas approaches, it seems strange to write that we have need of some good news! Good news has come, however, from the Fraternity of St. Vincent Ferrier, of Chémeré-le-Roi, France, a traditional group of Dominicans. They recently completed a … Read More →
Right now some clamor for everything in the Church, all her doctrine, liturgy (which is doctrine), law, structures… everything… to be “reinterpreted” in light of the “spirit” of Vatican II and the “spirit” of ongoing “synodality” (“walking togetherity”). From the … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have seen several Examination of Conscience guides mention neglecting prayer as a sin. Could you unpack this a bit? Failing to pray at all for a week, for example, seems like it would be a … Read More →
I call your attention… no. Wait. To those who don’t like the Traditional Latin Mass… to those who don’t like me personally or what I write or defend… to those who don’t understand why there are Catholics who aren’t just … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I saw a tweet or whatever it is that they are called now starting an argument about whether or not people in the pews should bow to the priest when he enters to say the Traditional … Read More →
LifeSite today looked at what the participants of “Walking Together about Walking Togetherity” are discussing and it fits with what I have written before. The true content of the “W-T” is the process itself. The aim is to make “W-T” a … Read More →
The point of the “Walking Together about Walking Togetherity” is the process itself. The process is the content, the message. That does not mean that there are not sidelines, some of them dominant. One of them is the normalization of … Read More →
I’ll wager that in the readership there are people who are experts on how to hold meetings, how to control the message and direction of meetings, changing minds, creating consensus, etc. I’ve only read a little about it. However, … Read More →
I’m still disappointed and annoyed at Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Cap., for the inexplicable and, frankly, ignorant attack on the Traditional Latin Mass some time back, together with two other writers who ought to know better. Many of us … Read More →
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, under the new leadership of now-Card. Fernandez, responded to a series of Dubia sent in by Dominik Card. Duka, OP, of Prague on 13 July 2023 about administration of Holy Communion to … Read More →
One of my favorite depictions of the Blessed Virgin shows her protecting a soul in the form of a child from the Devil whom she is beating with a club. I also have one of St Margaret beating Satan with … Read More →
At CNA I saw something that shocked but didn’t surprise. German exodus: Half a million Catholics abandon Church in historic departure The Catholic Church in Germany is facing an unprecedented crisis, with more than half a million baptized Catholics leaving … Read More →
There are lots of customs for the Vigil and the Feast of St. John the Baptist. Romans eat snails. Romans also would gather certain plants that were mature by this point, such as what we call St. John’s Wort, along … Read More →
I was about to post something along the lines of “KETCHUP: THE WONDER FOOD”, but then I saw this. Remember. Vatican II was – pace St. Joan – the new Pentecost… Springtime in the fullest sense. It surely – pace … Read More →
In many places the Feast of Corpus Christi gets an “external celebration” on Sunday. It is wonderful to see the multiplication of Eucharistic processions especially with the growth of the Traditional Latin Mass. TLM began, processions generally followed. In 2008 … Read More →
One of the necessary steps to true Eucharistic renewal is the elimination of Communion in the hand. Thanks to Fr. D for the image! Biretta tip (even though I don’t use a pom on my biretta any longer)… o{]:¬)
At Crisis there is a MUST READ piece by Jennifer Bryson Why Do Heretics Remain in the Church? The counterfactual optimism of heretics keeps them in the Church while working to destroy it. A perennial question. She breaks it down … Read More →
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The practice of Forty Hours Devotion should be revived. Forty Hours originally evolved to ask God’s protection from external threats, such as invasion or disease. Now, it should be undertaken because … Read More →
I’m about to attempt a Herculean task: help people to understand something about the Church’s law about marriages in light of SSPX issues. May God have mercy on my soul. Firstly, I had a question come in: How might this … Read More →
If you are serious as a Catholic, you know at all times what is on the calendrical horizon. If you are a follower of the Vetus Ordo of the Roman Church, you have additional help by means of the “gesima” … Read More →
From the introduction of Cardinal Sarah’s new book. When priests offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass unworthily, when they give the Eucharistic Jesus to sinners who have no intention of asking Him to forgive their sin’s or of living … Read More →
Today is the Feast of St. Blaise, about whom we know very little. We have only this very brief entry in the Martyrologium Romanum: Sancti Blasii, episcopi et martyris, qui pro christiano nomine Sabaste in Armenia passus est … Read More →
A short time ago, Card. McElroy of that super-important see of San Diego, issued a seriously dreadful opinion piece at Jesuit-run (who else?) Amerika. HERE Responses to his confusing and erroneous notions streamed forth, for example HERE. They can be … Read More →
I saw this photo on Twitter. I post just the photo and not the link because of the off-color remark that accompanied it, surely motivated by disgust. I’m not precisely sure what motivated the off-color remark about this sign. Several … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have read your blog on and off for years but recently began reading regularly. I always find your writing edifying and informative. I will try to keep my question/concern short and to the point. I … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: My cousin’s parish priest said that there is no purgatory. What say you? I say that, if he really thinks there is no Purgatory, then the priest is a heretic. I say that if he has … Read More →
I bring to the attention of the readership and interesting site called Reverent Catholic Mass Let Us Help You Find a Reverent Catholic Church Near You! The site reads: Trying to find a reverent Catholic Mass or acquire resources to … Read More →
This year 1 January, the Octave of Christmas or the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God fell on a Sunday. All Sundays are Holy Days of Obligation. Next year, 2024, 1 January falls on a Monday. That means that, … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: After a number of years away from the faith of my childhood, I made the decision to return to the Catholic church. After attending a few masses, my heart longed to receive the Eucharist, so I … Read More →
The liturgical year guided and nourished and shaped Catholics for centuries. It does so far less now, since it is much diminished after the “reforms” that hacked away at the calendar. However, once upon a time people not only followed … Read More →
I recently wrote about a book: “Copies should be obtained and given to priests, especially those who lean toward traditional, and to bishops perhaps along with a spiritual bouquet.“ What book? Does TRADITIONIS CUSTODES Pass the Juridical Rationality Test? by Fr. … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: Would my Baltimore Catechism No 4 and the Sacred Liturgy be best as a layman as my manual for daily life? I ask because I’m wondering if I should carry both my Catechism and my 1962 … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: My schedule required me to attend a lunchtime Novus Ordo near my office today. The priest (I believe intentionally) modified the Eucharistic Prayer, employing the old “for all” translation of pro multis. As far as I … Read More →
Today is the 8th Day for a Novena before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Will you participate? Even if you are late to starting, that’s okay! Start anyway. And remember that there is no one way to observe this Novena. … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: My 1956 Saint Andrew Daily Missal, pages 1111 et seq., allows for partial indulgences, measured in days and years, upon various prayers; yet, current my Baronius Press missal does not. Two Questions: 1. Have partial indulgences … Read More →
Today is the 7th Day for a Novena before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Will you participate? Even if you are late to starting, that’s okay! Start anyway. And remember that there is no one way to observe this Novena. … Read More →
Today is the 6th Day for a Novena before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Will you participate? Even if you are late to starting, that’s okay! Start anyway. And remember that there is no one way to observe this Novena. … Read More →
Today is the 5th Day for a Novena before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Will you participate? Even if you are late to starting, that’s okay! Start anyway. And remember that there is no one way to observe this Novena. … Read More →
Today is the 2nd Day for a Novena before the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Will you participate? Even if you are late to starting, that’s okay! Start anyway. And remember that there is no one way to observe this … Read More →
I try not to pay too much attention to Jesuit-run Amerika Magazine. It occasionally intrudes. Even less to I want thoughts of or by Austen Ivereigh. I am therefore grateful to my friend Fr. Raymond J. de Souza who, writing … Read More →
There’s chatter about “Eucharistic Revival”. I have my ideas about what will work, but I’m afraid that the spirit of Vatican II, at least under the control of the power-that-be, will not be able even to imagine giving them a … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have never seen a decree or document stating that the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary have been indulgenced. I suspect you also have never seen a decree that the Glorious Mysteries have been indulgenced. The … Read More →
Let’s have a review of the indulgences available for All Souls and the days that follow, so that you can plan your own action. Don’t let these days slip by. From the Handbook of Indulgences: Visiting a Church or an Oratory … Read More →
UPDATE: 21 Oct 22: Check this out. Hilarious and sad at the same time. HERE Originally Published on: Oct 19, 2022 While bad news is unpleasant, and often we do well to sidestep the avalanche that hurtles at us everyday, sometimes … Read More →
The great liturgical scholar Klaus Gamber said that the de-orientation of the altar was the more destructive change after the Council. To make that clear: The priest celebrating Mass facing the people did more damage to the Faith than anything … Read More →
From the National Catholic Register (the Catholic paper, not the other one, the Fishwrap). Pope Francis announced on Sunday that the Synod (“walking together”) on Synodality (“walking together”) will be extended to 2024. Speaking in his Angelus address on Oct. … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: At my parish, we have a new pastoral administrator…. Don’t know the whole story, but suffice it to say that Fr. W does not really seem to want to be in parish ministry. Our parish has … Read More →
It seems that Swiss Card. Koch has raised his concerns about the Germans “Synodal (“walking together”) Way”. In doing so, he has incurred the wrath of German bishops and others who have sent him, and the organizers of an event … Read More →
The great Fr. Hunwicke at his esteemed page has composed an insightful post. He is dead on target. The reason the haters of the Vetus Ordo fear and hate the Vetus Ordo is because of the moral life implied in … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I am wondering about the practice of holding First Holy Communions at the regular Sunday Masses instead of a special, separate Mass for the whole class. My own was on a Saturday, with 60 other CCD … Read More →
Today at Crisis (aptly named) editor Eric Sammons argues that there are four camps (roughly speaking) in the Church today – perhaps the Latin Church in the Northern Hemisphere. Can they be reconciled? Do they constitute different religions? The core: In summary: … Read More →
Francis went to Astana (Nur-Sultan), Kazakhstan to participate in the VII Congress Of the Leaders Of World And Traditional Religions. That Congress issued a final declaration, surely prepared ahead of time and distributed to the signatories ahead of time. This … Read More →
In the Divine Praises we pray: Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and Mother. Today, 12 September, is the Feast of the Holy Name of Mary. Devotion to the name of Mary was at first in Spain, by Carmelites. … Read More →
Sometimes coincidences are just coincidences. Sometimes they aren’t. Yesterday, 1 September, on the anniversary of a very creepy thing, two very creepy things happened. 1- Francis gave a speech to the world’s bishops, more an more reduced to “branch managers” … Read More →
September is traditionally associated with the Seven Sorrows devotion. Back in 2019, because the Church is pretty obviously hurtling into chaos from the top down, I determined to write reflections on the Seven Sorrows of Mary. I started writing these … Read More →
You will want to watch this before it is expunged from on orders from high atop the thing. Tucker Carlson’s opening monologue on 31 August 2022. He goes over the many ways in which the left, fully in charge, is … Read More →
I have long observed that a demographic sinkhole is opening up under the Church here in these USA. The fact is that lots of “nones” will stop even pretending to embrace the family religion. Also, the inexorable movement of time is … Read More →
From a reader… QUAERITUR: I have begun the habit of adding a devotion to my prayers for each month. Some are obvious, like July being the Precious Blood. But, there seems to be some disagreement on certain months, like August, where some … Read More →
In many places the Feast of Corpus Christi gets an “external celebration” on Sunday. It is wonderful to see the multiplication of Eucharistic processions especially with the growth of the Traditional Latin Mass. TLM began, processions generally followed. In 2008 … Read More →
I’ve been asked quite a few times today what I thought about the new “red hat” list for the College of Cardinals. I simply laughed. The ploy and play of the list is so obvious that it is hardly to … Read More →
UPDATE: Since I am traveling it is hard for me to update the list of bishops who have issued supportive statements about what Archbp. Cordileone did. Perhaps a reader or two might keep an eye and provide in the combox … Read More →
The effects of the cruel Traditionis custodes are widespread. Here is an excerpt from an email, followed by a link to a blog post about the D.C. situation regarding the Vetus Ordo. We are praying hard for the Cardinal at this time. … Read More →
In the midst of chaos, we need to bring our minds to the work at hand, our work of sacred liturgy, the renewal of which is our only hope for true revitalization of the Church. This Sunday’s Collect survived the … Read More →
UPDATE: I received this and, in fairness, it ought to be shared: Dear Fr. Zuhlsdorf, Your posting about our parish slightly mischaracterizes what was said at mass today about Cardinal Gregory’s thoughts about the Extraordinary Form Mass at our parish. … Read More →
Here also are my audio projects of the Way of the Cross. On 1st Fridays, do please pray the Act of Reparation. What we need right now is PRAYER, especially now. And remember to GO TO CONFESSION! For priests, especially, try The Way Of … Read More →
Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff. Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at the Masses for the 1st Passion Sunday (N.O. 5th of Lent)? … Read More →
I often mention that the Benedictines of Norcia make great beer and that when you but, you help them. (That beer is really good.) So, too, I mention the Benedictines of Le Barroux who make wine (and they now have … Read More →
Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff. Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at the Masses for the 1st Sunday of Lent? Tell about attendance … Read More →