A warning about Anthony Perlas and his 'Latin Mass Society'

A while ago on this blog I linked to something being promoted by a group in the USA calling itself 'the Latin Mass Society'. So I think it behooves me to make it clear that, although there wasn't anything as far as I could see intrinsically wrong with that particular initiative, the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales has nothing to do with this group, has no formal links to it, and in light of more recent developments wants nothing to do with it, and would recommend to others to have nothing to do with it either.

This isn't a very edifying topic, but a little bit of background.

It is always a little bit irritating when two organisations have the same name, and when 'the Latin Mass Society' popped up on a campus in the USA with a slick website we asked them to find a way of differentiating themselves from us - there are many Latin Mass Societies around the world, as there are Ecclesia Dei groups and Una Voce groups, but they always have some kind of geographical qualifier ('of Ireland', 'of Florida' or whatever). Eventually they put a tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the home page; you'd need a magnifying glass to see it. Anyway, I didn't want something silly like that to stop us collaborating with people who supported the cause, so when some time later Anthony Perlas came on the scene as the head of this group, I didn't see any reason not to give support his initiatives.

In the last few months, however, something rather odd has been happening on his web pages. Perlas is a photographer, and he seemed to be focusing on photos of attractive young women wearing head coverings. And there was something a little... odd about some of these photos, and the accompanying text.

LMS Pilgrimage to Willesden this Saturday

A previous LMS Pilgrimage Mass.

The LMS pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Willesden takes place on Saturday, 31 October.

Programme:
11.30am Rosary & Angelus
12 noon Solemn High Mass Celebrant: Mgr Gordon Read, National Chaplain to the LMS
1pm Lunch
2pm Talk by Fr Cyril Law: “Newman & Our Lady”
3pm Procession of Our Lady of Willesden & Benediction
4pm Tea and depart

FIUV elects a new Council and President

Felipe Alanís Suárez, at dinner between Cardinals Brandmuller (left) and Pell (right)

I have now returned from Rome where I attended the 50th Anniversary General Assembly of Una Voce International. I am very pleased by the results of the elections, which is a Council representing the world-wide presence of the Traditional Movement, and our first President from outside Europe, Felipe Alanís Suárez, from Mexico.

I remain on the Council, and I will continue to publish the series of Position Papers. I have been more than happy to pass the responsibility of Treasurer on to another Councillor.

The follows the official Communique, addressed to the Federation's member associations.   .

Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce

Non cessant clamare quotidie UNA VOCE dicentes: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus

Quae patronum invocat sanctum Gregorium Magnum Papam

2015 - 50^th Anniversary Year of the Federation founded in 1965

IN FESTO DOMINI NOSTRI IESV CHRISTI REGIS

Dear Members of the Foederatio Internationalis Una Voce,

It is with great expectations that I write this letter to all of you, in my new capacity of President of our beloved International Federation.

FIUV and Summorum Pontificum events in Rome next week

Mass in the Chapel of the Choir, St Peter's, Rome, for the last FIUV General Assembly, Nov 2013

Here is the programme for the FIUV and Summorum Pontificum; FIUV events are in bold.

Friday, October 23

8.45am – Chiesa Nuova:

Chaplet of the Rosary with meditation and prayer at St. Philip Neri’s

Music: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate.

3:30pm – Palatine Hill:

Way of the Cross with the Family of the Immaculate, Mediatrix of all graces, and of Saint Francis.

6pm – Santa Maria in Campitelli:

Chaplet of the Rosary, confession, then Pontifical Mass at 6:30pm celebrated by His Excellency Guido Pozzo, titular archbishop of Bagnoregio and Ecclesia Dei Commission secretary.

The Schola Sainte-Cécile will sing Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s Mass for Four Choirs H4.

Saturday, October 24

9:30am – San Lorenzo in Damaso:

Eucharistic adoration presided by Don Marino Neri, secretary of Amicizia sacerdotale Summorum Pontificum

Music: Cantus Magnus

Adoro te devote Plainsong

Salve Regina Plainsong

Ave Maria Parsons

Tantum ergo Plainsong

Jesu dulcis memoria Victoria

Ave verum Corpus Byrd

Vexilla Regis Palestrina alternatim plainsong

10.30am – San Lorenzo in Damaso:

Solemn procession to St. Peter’s Basilica, led by Dom Jean Pateau, OSB, abbot of Fontgombault, the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate chanting.

12 Noon – St. Peter’s Basilica:

Pontifical Mass at the Altar of the Chair celebrated by Msgr. Laise, bishop emeritus of San Luís, Argentine. His Excellency Luigi Negri, archbishop of Ferrara-Comacchio, will attend and deliver the homily.

Music: Schola Sainte Cécile

19:15 Vespers and Benediction, Chapel of St Peter Chanel, Domus Australia

Te saeculorum principem Plainsong
Magnificat primi toni Viadana
Ave verum Corpus Mozart
Organ: Sonata no.3 in C minor (Prelude: Allegro maestoso e con fuoco) Guilmant

Sunday, October 25

11am Pontifical Mass – Trinità dei Pellegrini

Feast of Christ the King, celebrated by dom Jean Pateau, OSB, abbot of Fontgombault.

Cantus Magnus will sing William Byrd’s “Mass For Five Voices”

Benedicimus Deum caeli MacMillan
Ave verum Corpus Elgar
Salve Regina Lotti
Asperges, Credo III
Organ: Suite médiévale (Acclamations: Christus vincit) Langlais

3pm FIUV Open Forum

Talks from Fr Mark Withoos, Guillaume Ferluc of the SP Pilgrimage, and others to be announced.

19:15 Vespers and Benediction Chapel of St Peter Chanel, Domus Australia

Te saeculorum principem Plainsong
Magnificat septimi toni Viadana
Tantum ergo Neal (World Premiere)
Ave verum corpus Byrd
Organ: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren (Magnificat peregrini toni) Pachelbel

Monday 26 October

11:00 Mass Chapel of St Peter Chanel, Domus Australia, Rome

Missa L’homme armé super voces musicales (K, G, S, A) Josquin
Hoc Corpus Robledo
Panis Angelicus Franck
Salve Regina

Support the work of the LMS by becoming an 'Anniversary Supporter'.

LMS Pilgrimage to Willesden, 31st October

Come and see the newly restored Shrine to Our Lady of Willesden, with a High Mass accompanied with polyphony provided by Cantus Magnus under Matthew Schellhorn.

Mass is at 12 noon, Saturday 31st October; click here for a map.

Inaugural Mass for the FSSP in Warringon

St Mary's, Warrington (Wikipedia Commons) The right church this time!

It gives me great pleasure to announce:

Inauguration of the ministry of the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter in the Liverpool Archdiocese:

On Saturday 21st November 2015 at 12 noon,

On the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady,

Polyphonic Solemn High Mass 

in the presence of the Most Reverend Malcolm Patrick McMahon OP, Archbishop of Liverpool,

at St Mary’s Priory Church, Buttermarket Street, Warrington WA1 2NS.

Access: Warrington is conveniently located at the intersection of the M6, M62 and M56 (overflow car parks by adjacent supermarkets). It is under 2h from London Euston by direct train: the 9:30AM service will take you there by 11:14AM. Warrington is 17 miles from Manchester Airport. All welcome. Choir dress for clergy. Refreshments will follow.

Click for a map.

Support the work of the LMS by becoming an 'Anniversary Supporter'.

Does Tradition preserve us, or we the Tradition?

St Anthony of the Desert having a lovely
quiet time.

There is a striking moment in Francis Poulenc's great Catholic opera, Dialogues des Carmelites. The young protagonist, Blanche, suffers from extreme timidity and wants to join a convent. She has an interview with the tough old Prioress, who ask her why she wants to join. She is seeking, she says, 'refuge'.

The Prioress rebukes her: Notre règle n'est pas un refuge. Ce n'est pas la règle qui nous garde, ma fille, c'est nous qui gardons la règle.

The Rule is not a refuge. It is not the rule which guards us, my daughter, but we who guard the Rule.

There is a little wordplay here: 'garde' means 'guard' and simply 'keep': we keep the Rule, in the ordinary sense of following it. But of course in keeping the Rule of religious life they by the same act maintain it, preserve it, guard it.