The dolphin- it swims, softly sparkles and yet danger dances

(Also appeared at : Journey in a Broken World 31 / 08 | August / 2009)



Article by Marc Aupiais



Swish... And the sound sprays into the oceanic netherworld. The sparkling waves spray and leap with their broken surface. Light is caught, and held hostage for a moment, it breaks and shivers- as shadows move below.



Burst... the surface is shattered, and then absorbs the subtle, living dynamism of the creature.



It plays as sun or moon causes it to shine, sparkle in the breaking breeze. The water splatters off, and this, the forceful playmate softly reabsorbs. The playful power catches what left a silver-gray skin. All as it is unknowingly sopping wet... Jumping into the world its ancestors once knew- that of air, my world that it happens- is.



The dolphin plays, and dances- purely in joy, and yet its play is deadly- practice it seems.



When I face hardship- I surely should attempt to learn- to strengthen, to move- yet if I only did this then- I would be weak.



The child, they play to learn. They play to understand. Play is important, it must be more than just a game.



As Christians we must play fully with God. We must play in our understanding- and playfully look into our being. Play is important, and the ultimate game is religion, is just love.



We love that dolphin- because it resonates a part of us. Imagine playing forever- serving God ad infinitum, in joy!



Of course, games take practice- and rules/methods, and comprehension- before we get the fun!

Catholic Women's league- encourages parishioners to thank priests on Sunday dedicated to priests- our disapproval of how this was and likely will be done in the given context!

(Tridentine South and Southern Africa; Catholic Connection 22/07/08; 23/06/01)

Article by Marc Aupiais

I went to the early mass today- the Saturday night one, and what should be happening in parishes across the country tomorrow- happened tonight. A speaker from the Catholic Women's League spoke, thanking the priest, from the women's league, and the congregation for his work. This far it is good, she then encouraged the congregation to show this, this point it is no longer so compliant with Catholic Traditions of Eucharistic respect.

It is perhaps an unwritten law, which is serious enough- that should this have been done during the mass, we could apply Benedict XVIs words to it, and say that the essence of the mass is lost. Quite simply, even if it was in the announcements, as many of these will be- it remains in the presence of the Eucharist, and is before the priest leaves, and before the final prayers are said, as likely will be with many parishes tomorrow.

In fact, some ancient groups within the church found it so serious to do similar things, that we have centuries old canons recorded in these areas, utmost forbidding clapping in worship.

Now, what purpose does the Catholic Women's League (CWL) have in this- perhaps political- the advancement of the league in public eye, and in the eyes of priests, perhaps genuine aims at appreciating priests, or perhaps knowing aims at "reforming" the church. The league does not give us much to go by as to judging if they are orthodox or spurious. Organizations without clear pledges of loyalty to Orthodox teachings and practice are often ones to watch- for anything spurious. Participation by leading figures in Canada's Catholic Women's League in a pro-abortion march recently is only further proof of this. Unfortunately, in South Africa- it is unlikely that these practices will be stopped, even as 9 out of ten catholics in my own archdiocese, do not attend mass, we still are not returning to the Orthodox practices of before, instead- many choose something almost protestant, or African Traditionalist in nature to worship to. The Pope himself recently stated that the church is not ours but God's. We are to worship God at church, not continue human traditions, or further human politics within a purely human organization. The danger of seeing the church purely as a body of people, is that it is not a human body, but a divine manifestation, which we will be punished if we misrepresent.

At Trinity church at Wits, the other day when I attended, there was use of bongo drums in worship. The use of modern drums may well be justified, in that the sounds made by these are far from those of early drums, and the effect on the audience of the early drums are prevented- in that these simply compliment music, and do not induce any real form of trance, or dance feelings, or the darker group emotions- if used in a respectful manner. It is noted in old testament regulations, that Israel was not to use drums in their worship, the reason was the effect these had on the people worshiping. Perhaps one day we will regain respect for the ancient ways in which Catholics have worshiped for thousands of years.

It is when Catholics have returned to Orthodoxy in that past, that the church has been revived, attempting to water down the faith will only hurt it more.

What should the Women's league have done- they should have asked people to stand in agreement, or perhaps take something a bit more protestant in agreement, and say "amen"- it is. The simple fact is, we are to love God firstly, with heart mind and soul, and that means respect also, and secondly our neighbor. No man should ever be clapped for in a church, even as sometimes, such as at priestly ordinations, clapping may be permitted, but this clapping must be for God, and his working, and not for the priests.

Please also read the works of Saint Thomas Aquinas's Summa theologica on "Superstition". Aquinas is one of only a few saints to be called a Doctor of the church, in Catholic Belief, his words carry more prominence than popes, and are often quoted by important figures... unless the pope speaks excathedra, in which case it is God we respect, and the pope's words, as regards morals and doctrine are to be taken as true.

90% of JHB Archdiocese Catholics in the substance of Mortal sin, and lack of priests?

(Catholic Watchdog South Africa)

Article by Marc Aupiais

Statistics apparently from the recent Synod- say only 100 000 of the 1 000 000 Catholics in the Archdiocese regularly attend mass- as not attending mass on purpose is a mortal sin- this is very serious.

Some parishes only can have communion once every three months-

This is because of a shortage of priests- our local seminary has had to close large sections- and two schools have become one.

What's the problem- well- we think people need to stop watering down the faith- or lying about the seriousness of sin- if people knew they would go to hell for certain actions, many wouldn't do as they do...

Sadly- often the culprits are representatives of the church- and the diocese, to whom we have sent twice reports of misuse of authority- does not usually respond well- we have even been told to join in, having reported an incident- when on holiday I and another attended a mass where the priest encouraged the parish to commit an abuse of the mass, and also sang happy birthday to a parishioner (a seemingly common event).

One of our foundational doctrines is Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Sallus- outside the sacraments and the church- there is no salvation- except to those who for no fault of their own are not actively in union with the Divine teachings of the church! We are told to attend mass on sundays and days of obligation- and to attend confession yearly.

The issue is grave and until we determine to halt our politically correct talk- or stop the craziness of not preaching, or at least speaking of our religion- a secular value- disobedient to the gospel- we will continue to see short ques at confession- and lax Catholicism at church. God is in the detail- not some sketchy outline- when we gain respect for our ancestors who burnt heretics at the stake- perhaps we realize how important the immortal soul is- we only have one- while our body will be replaced after death.

I don't advocate burning anyone- that only can happen when a just Authority asks for it- and usually when that is that in charge of the land- and I don't say it is any solution- my real point is that we need to clearly preach our religion- to read the bible and catechism as a family at night- and to debate like anything about our beliefs- until such time as we promoted the faith boldly- and decide- not to spare the nation of our values- but to cement them in law- and in vocal objections to immorality- with insistence not to permit evil people to get away with public scandal-

Until we choose to rise as one- and rid our land of the yoke of ignorance- we will continue to hell preaching the secular humanist Philosophy - "don't judge- forgive", rather than the Catholic one- "forgive your brother 77 times a day if he truly repents and asks genuinely for forgiveness- otherwise- treat those who offend against the church- those who call themselves Christians- but aren't- as foreigners..."

Now we treat these people with love- but the bible shows that sometimes love is to tell them they are in sin- and to encourage change by any means possible... Of course- due to business needs and other things- and the nature of the world- we do need to associate with these people- but it does not mean we neglect judging- and truly letting them know the requirements for their salvation!

The Church Militant exists to preach the gospel- to administer the Sacraments- and to manifest glory and bring its members their due.

Judge not the church with the world's eyes- judge the world as the spiritual man- who the bible says "judges all things!", especially within the church!

Why many Protestant and Other congregations die- and the link to strict rules

(Tridentine SA ; c.f. Catholic Culture)
Article by Marc Aupiais

Protestant Christianity in its old form is declining- much of modern Protestant thought- often more mimics the beliefs of a political party or country, or movement than its roots in the 16th century- according to Catholic Culture. This is clear in the recent controversy of the Anglican synod- and the generally acceptance of contraceptive- homosexuality- and female priests among many protestants- things the reformers did not approve of.

The worlds biggest religions- Islam and Catholicism- are the most rule bound and the ones most strict in these.

The countries where Catholicism is strictest- it is largest- where self mortification is most practised, it grows the most.

The reason to watch this trend within the congregations of protestantism- is because it does not come from its roots- none of these people can claim the follow what they "originally heard" from their organizations' founders- as the bible commands of us to do with the words of Christ- but only that they are for progress- something borrowed from secular society.

Catholicism has its own additions from this- from the liberal movement who are not judging the world as "the spiritual man judges all things", but from its perspective- judging the spiritual- and the "carnal is death" (if our religion is to be believed), while the bible (Saint Paul)adds "the spirit is life", and so we have our own carnal additions- holding hands during the Our Father- from Alcoholics Anonymous (Karl Keating- Catholic Answers Apolostate), and communion on the hand, reintroduced by protestants- who desired to show that as the bread they took together was nothing but bread- that therefore any could handle it. Granted- in the early church- communion was often taken on the hand- but the church itself changed this practise- further- in areas where this was active prior Vatican II- it was not an abuse to allow it, yet we are still asked to do otherwise in the official norms.

Another addition- this one perhaps more serious is

- holding hands during the our Father- which is lambasted from EWTN, to Catholic Answers- to Zenit News, to important bishops- as something not in the rubrics- the script by which we hold mass.

According to an authoritative book of the church's on the mass- the holding hands created the wrong atmosphere- the mass is a worship ceremony- it is prayer, and the witnessing of a sacrifice- of the Eucharist- God's living flesh through time-

therefore- while the sign of peace is permitted and correct- it must not be an afterthought- rather- we at Tridentine South and Southern Africa- believe both the Our Father- and the Sign of peace should be distinctive and each have their own powerful impact, through the contrast- by inciting firstly the first command- worship of God- and then the second- love of neighbour- and the singleness of the church.


And so- the Latin mass fits our needs for growth and Orthodoxy- in the phenomenal growth of the churches which have instituted this- and in the growth of irregular organizations such as SSPX, whose bishops are excommunicated.

We must not water down religion to gain following- rather- we must increase its hardness- so that the seed does not fall on shallow ground- but on deep ground.

Further- we should not take practises from Alcoholics Anonymous- we do not gain our power from our peers alone- but from God and the sacraments- and our beloved Popes.

Holding hands- is a sign of needing support- a hand shake is a sign of support- the second is loving our neighbor- the first is something that has perhaps helped alcoholics- but which is introduced from the bottom up- in contrast with the method by which truth is clarified in the church.