Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.
– Revelation 12:7
Michael Voris traveled to El Paso, TX to document the support of parishioners of San Juan Bautista Iglesia for Father Michael Rodríguez, for the Traditional Latin Mass and for authentic Church teachings.
Here also is a video of the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass by Father Rodríguez at Sacred Heart Catholic Church (built in 1890, in what was then known as a mining town, now considered a "ghost town"), located in the small town of Shafter, Texas (population-40). Please note the un-"renovated" traditional altar in this humble but beautiful Catholic church. The homily begins at around 33:00. It's mostly in English with some parts in Spanish. The music of the Mass is very beautiful and solemn.
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Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us
in battle, be our protection against the
wickedness and snares of the devil. May
God rebuke him we humbly pray; and
do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host,
by the power of God, cast into hell Satan
and all evil spirits who wander through
the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.
Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
– Ephesians 5:11
This news video features an interview with David Rodríguez, the brother of Father Michael Rodríguez.
Father Michael was removed from his position at San Juan Bautista Church in El Paso, Texas for his public statements in defense of Catholic teaching on marriage and homosexuality according to a press release from Bishop Armando Ochoa.
Does a Catholic priest have a legal right to speak out on issues of morality that have a bearing on politics? Certainly, a priest has a moral obligation to spread the Gospel and to uphold Church teaching. But can it be considered an act of engaging in "partisan politics" to condemn the actions of politicians that are contrary to Church teachings?
Why is it OK for the USCCB to speak out publicly on a political issue at the national level, and not OK for a local priest to do the same thing at a local level?
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for My sake. Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven.
– Matthew 5:10-12
This is a dynamite interview. Here are some excerpts, but please do yourself a favor and read the full interview. We have been waiting a long time for a priest like this. Our prayers are answered. Thank God! Alleluia!
I began to study the prayers and theology of the Traditional Latin Mass. The more I studied, the more my awe and amazement grew. I was "discovering" not only the true Catholic theology of the Mass, but also the true Catholic theology of the priesthood, and so much more! Throughout my first nine years of priesthood, I had struggled to make sense of the very serious problems which exist in the Church. At this point, it was obvious that an extreme crisis pervaded the Church and her hierarchy, but why? I just couldn't quite understand how all of this "diabolical disorientation" had come to pass . . . until the brilliant light of the true Catholic Mass ("Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam . . .") began to penetrate my priestly soul. This "discovery" of the Traditional Latin Mass has been, by far, the greatest gift of God to my poor priesthood.
[...]
The dismal response of both civil and ecclesiastical authorities to the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church in regard to homosexuality demonstrates how extreme the current crisis of faith actually is. It really can’t get much worse. There’s hardly any faith left to lose! Even a pagan, bereft of the light of faith, can arrive at the conclusion that homosexual acts are intrinsically evil. Reason, natural law, and consideration of the male and female anatomy more than suffice to confirm this moral truth.
[NOTE: I Posted this earlier as UPDATE 2 at "Father Rodríguez parishioners want him back in El Paso" but decided to repost it here so that it gets the prominence it deserves. Please see the earlier article for more background information on Father Rodríguez.]
"You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
– Psalm 110:4
Father Michael Rodríguez
Many faithful Catholics around the country were saddened by the recent news that Father Rodríguez of El Paso, Texas was removed from his parish by Bishop Armando Ochoa for speaking out on the issue of marriage in the midst of a recall election. The good news is that the parishioners of Father Rodríguez are asking their bishop to return him to El Paso.
For the past 9 1/2 years, Fr. Michael Rodríguez has served as parish priest of San Juan Bautista in central El Paso. Recently, Bishop Armando Ochoa reassigned Fr. Rodríguez to Santa Teresa de Jesús Parish in Presidio, TX, and the surrounding missions of Candelaria, Redford, and Shafter, TX. We, the parishioners of San Juan Bautista, and hundreds, probably even thousands, of other Catholic faithful from around the diocese and southern New Mexico, want to make a public appeal to our Bishop: please restore the traditional Catholic parish life that we had at San Juan Bautista. We are convinced that this parish life is, by far, the greatest spiritual treasure of our city.
The Catholics of El Paso have now been left without the priest who was the lone voice speaking the truth and upholding all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Anyone in El Paso can tell you that the most reverent Mass offered was at San Juan Bautista. Fr. Rodríguez had Confessions five times a week and often stayed past midnight absolving our sins. He had a Holy Hour almost every day, and all-night Adoration at least once a month. The Rosary was prayed daily at San Juan, many times more than once. Every Friday, after the evening Mass, Fr. Rodríguez led the Stations of the Cross in Spanish, and others prayed them in English every Friday at 12:30 p.m. At San Juan Bautista, we had many other devotions, novenas, blessings of sacramentals, processions, and additional Masses for First Friday and First Saturday. There were also numerous classes in the faith for both the adults and youth of the parish. Fr. Rodríguez was the only priest speaking out in public to defend Marriage as the union between one man and one woman. In addition, he was the only priest of the diocese offering the Traditional Latin Mass. Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has made it very clear that the Traditional Latin Mass should be offered generously throughout the world wherever the faithful are requesting it. Here in El Paso, hundreds of us are requesting a daily Traditional Latin Mass, just as it was being offered at San Juan Bautista. We respectfully ask Bishop Ochoa to do nothing more than obey the directives of our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Moreover, in just two years, the small parish of San Juan Bautista has had five men go to the seminary and two women to the convent. Another two men and two women will probably go this year to seek a religious vocation and many more youth are discerning a religious vocation thanks, in part, to the example and spiritual direction of Fr. Michael Rodríguez. Finally, Fr. Rodríguez was the only priest in the diocese who was openly promoting true Catholic education and supporting those who wish to homeschool within their family.
Many Catholics will attest to the fact that no other priest in El Paso was working harder than Fr. Rodríguez for the sanctification and salvation of our souls. And now he is gone, and so is the rich and magnificent spiritual life that we formerly had at San Juan. The grief and sorrow which many of us are experiencing is unimaginable. We've lost our spiritual father! Many of the faithful are utterly devastated. They simply do not know where to go for the feeding and care of their souls. Hundreds of letters have already been written to our Bishop, and we intend to make it thousands upon thousands. The injustice is palpable, especially for those who prefer the Traditional Latin Mass, as well as the poor, the elderly and children who relied on him for their spiritual nourishment. Their pain and hopelessness is written all over their faces.
This morning we presented Bishop Armando Ochoa with a petition of more 180 signatures, and are still in the process of gathering more. Our hope is to have 500 by next week and then grow that number even more. We are urging our Bishop to be obedient to Pope Benedict XVI, and provide El Paso with a parish life centered on the Traditional Latin Mass. Secondly, we are pleading with our Bishop: please, please send Fr. Rodríguez back to us. We love him, he’s sacrificed so much for us, and El Paso desperately needs the light and strength of his priesthood.
If you would like to help, here are a few things you can do.
Offer prayers and fastings for the speedy return of Fr. Rodriguez to San Juan Bautista.
Call the El Paso Chancery at (915) 872-8400 even if you are from another part of the country. Let them know how important it is to have a priest who will defend and proclaim the truth.
An update on San Juan Bautista. There are no Traditional Latin Masses at the parish at present, although there is a promise to train a priest or two in the timeless Mass of All Ages and to have a Sunday TLM there at some indeterminate point in the future. There are no other Sacraments offered, none of the daily catechesis classes Fr. Rodriguez offered, none of the daily prayers and devotionals, the whole parish life is essentially gone. There is apparently an offer to undergo prep like First Communion or Confirmation at a neighboring parish that is apparently very problematic, and then to have the actual Sacrament at San Juan Bautista, but that’s hardly a replacement for a vibrant parish life.
This is a dynamite interview. Here are some excerpts, but please do yourself a favor and read the full interview. We have been waiting a long time for a priest like this. Our prayers are answered. Thank God! Alleluia!
I began to study the prayers and theology of the Traditional Latin Mass. The more I studied, the more my awe and amazement grew. I was "discovering" not only the true Catholic theology of the Mass, but also the true Catholic theology of the priesthood, and so much more! Throughout my first nine years of priesthood, I had struggled to make sense of the very serious problems which exist in the Church. At this point, it was obvious that an extreme crisis pervaded the Church and her hierarchy, but why? I just couldn't quite understand how all of this "diabolical disorientation" had come to pass . . . until the brilliant light of the true Catholic Mass ("Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam . . .") began to penetrate my priestly soul. This "discovery" of the Traditional Latin Mass has been, by far, the greatest gift of God to my poor priesthood.
[...]
The dismal response of both civil and ecclesiastical authorities to the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church in regard to homosexuality demonstrates how extreme the current crisis of faith actually is. It really can’t get much worse. There’s hardly any faith left to lose! Even a pagan, bereft of the light of faith, can arrive at the conclusion that homosexual acts are intrinsically evil. Reason, natural law, and consideration of the male and female anatomy more than suffice to confirm this moral truth.
The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice. They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger.
– Matthew 23:2-4
What are we to make of this? Has the Catholic Church in America lost sight of its mission?
Perhaps we need to turn to the Orthodox Church to remind ourselves of our past heritage. Certainly orthodoxy does not seem to be welcomed by the Catholic bishops. Is the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in America attempting to separate itself from the Holy See? Will the Roman Catholic Church in the future be a mixture of orthodox Catholics, orthodox Protestants and the Orthodox Church?
In the present climate, in which many would like, as it were, to “liberate” public life from God, the Christian Churches in Germany – including Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians – are walking side by side along the path of peaceful witness for understanding and solidarity among peoples, on the basis of their faith in the one God and Father of all. At the same time they continue to place the miracle of God’s incarnation at the centre of their proclamation. Realizing that on this mystery all human dignity depends, they speak up jointly for the protection of human life from conception to natural death. Faith in God, the Creator of life, and unconditional adherence to the dignity of every human being strengthen faithful Christians to oppose vigorously every manipulative and selective intervention in the area of human life. Knowing too the value of marriage and the family, we as Christians attach great importance to defending the integrity and the uniqueness of marriage between one man and one woman from any kind of misinterpretation. Here the common engagement of Christians, including Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians, makes a valuable contribution to building up a society equipped for the future, in which the human person is given the respect which is his due.
One shudders to think if a Catholic priest were to make such a public pronouncement in the United States, what the reaction of his bishop might be. One wonders if the American bishops are among those who wish to "'liberate' public life from God".
Let's parse the Pope's statement and see what he believes to be the most essential elements of the Christian faith in these tumultuous times in which we live.
"the protection of human life from conception to natural death" - The very first thing he brings up is the pro-Life message. Isn't this the core message of Priests for Life? Isn't this exactly what Father Pavone has committed his life to?
"oppose vigorously every manipulative and selective intervention in the area of human life" - Again we hear the Holy Father emphasizing the pro-Life message. Could he possibly be more clear about how high a priority this should be for all of our priests and bishops?
"defending the integrity and the uniqueness of marriage between one man and one woman from any kind of misinterpretation" - Here we see how strongly the Pope connects the pro-Life message with the struggle to defend marriage. They are essentially one and the same. And wasn't this what got Father Rodriguez in trouble with his bishop? How can any priest possibly defend marriage from the attacks of the homosexual community without also pointing out the sinful nature of homosexual relationships? And how can the Church effectively defend marriage without getting more directly involved in the political process?
Father Frank Pavone and Father Michael Rodriguez are two priests that took the message of the Gospel to heart and acted on it. They both believe in freedom of religion; not just "freedom of worship". They spoke out in the public square; not just from the pulpit. And for this they have both been chastised by their bishops.
The mission of the Church is to save souls. We know that "the wages of sin is death". If the Church can get our society to recognize that abortion and "homosexual marriage" are sins then many souls will find their rewards in heaven. But in order to be heard over the din of secular society we must be "the voice of one crying in the wilderness".
St. John the Baptist was certainly not being "pastoral" in his pronouncements when he called the Pharisees and Sadducees a "brood of vipers". He did not confine his ministry to his home diocese. He went out to where the Lord was calling him and where he was needed. It's time for the Catholic Church to get back to Theology 101 and heed the words of St. John the Baptist:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
– Matthew 3:2
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St. John the Baptist, pray for us.
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Father Michael Rodriguez on "The Real Truth about Homosexuality"
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.
– Revelation 12:7
Here is the second part of the interview with Father Michael Rodriguez of El Paso, Texas. In this segment he speaks extensively about the traditional Latin Mass and what it can teach us about our Catholic faith.
I think Father Rodriguez makes an important point when he says that "our Catholic faith has been compromised" by the new Mass. After seeing the latest defeat of the Catholic faith in New York with regard to the issue of "homosexual marriage" and the response from the Church leadership, I was faced with my own personal crisis of faith.
And I asked myself, "If a child is raised up in the Catholic Church as it exists today in the United States, will that child learn to love God as Christ commanded with all our heart, soul, strength and mind?" And even from a pragmatic point of view, would that child be equipped to do battle with the secular culture as is required of all Christians in this age in which we live?
What I see is the same thing that Father Michael is saying, which is that the secular culture has crept into the new Mass. And as the culture infiltrates the Mass and dilutes it, so too is our faith diluted. We become more accepting and tolerant of the secular culture in areas where it is in sharp conflict with Catholic teachings.
We have two choices. Either we can abandon the Catholic Church and find a Christian denomination that is standing up against the culture. Or we can demand that the Catholic Church in America truly defend the teachings of our faith.
One way to begin to recapture our faith is to attend the Latin Mass. This does not mean that we must totally reject the new Mass, but it means that we must demand that the Church truly accept its mission of proclaiming the Word of Christ -- especially when this goes counter to what our culture teaches.
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon.
– Revelation 12:7
This interview with Father Michael Rodriguez of El Paso, Texas was just posted today. As soon as part 2 of this interview becomes available, I will share it with everyone.
There are also more videos of Father Michael at the JmjhfProductions YouTube channel. Here is a short video of San Juan Buatista Church.
God has given us some good priests. Let's be thankful for that. It is up to the Church to elevate men with the same devotion to Christ as Father Michael Rodriguez to become the bishops that lead the flock.
St. John the Baptist, you leapt in the womb at the presence of our Lord. You were his first witness. You made the path straight for him. You paid the ultimate sacrifice with your life in defense of marriage. Pray for us. Ora pro nobis.
