Dear TIA,

I just signed a petition supporting an emergency suspension of California's outrageous court ruling that sanctioned homosexual marriage. Same-sex marriage licenses will be issued by June 15 at the latest. We have very little time to stop this ruling.

Please go here to sign.

     E.M.

TIA,

Concerning the piece by Lyle Arnold Jr. on the lack of outrage from priests, Bishops, Cardinals and the recent Popes on the sexual abuse crisis that has done so much to destroy Holy Mother Church: Thank you!

You have done a masterful job of exposing what has been missing from the mouths of said Prelates since this abuse scandal was exposed by the secular press. Real Catholic Prelates would have been utterly outraged and then imitated Christ when he saw the moneychangers in the temple. However, all we get is an occassional lame apology and promises of how it won't happen again. What a farce!

The prelates, with their desire never to offend anyone over anything are truly sickening. Not even the rape of children can invoke thier ire. Seemingly,the only thing that will do that is the faithful wanting the Traditional faith in their lives.

     God have mercy on all of us.

     S.C.

Hello TIA,

I have a request for you about an article I read recently by Patrick Odou titled On Common Property: Arthur Penty vs. St. Thomas Aquinas. In the article Mr. Odou has a quote for St. Thomas Aquinas which is said to be from the Summa contra Gentiles.

Now, the first way, that is, for all to live in common on the proceeds of possessions that are sold, is one which will work, but not for a long time. So, the Apostles instituted this way of living for the faithful in Jerusalem, because they foresaw through the Holy Spirit that they would not remain together for long in Jerusalem, both because of the persecutions to come from the Jews and because of the imminent destruction of the city and its people. As a result, it was not necessary to provide for the faithful, except for a short time. Consequently, when they went out to other peoples, among whom the Church was to be established and to continue to endure, there is no account of their establishing this mode of living (Ibid. chap. 135, 2, p. 182). The ibid is from (Summa contra Gentiles, Book 3, Part 2, chap. 132, 2, trans. by Vernon Bourke, Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1956, p. 170).

I have looked through three other translations than the one cited, of the work, as the editions translated by Vernon Bourke is not available online. I can find no section of the book that is remotely similar to the above quote?

I would very much like to find the quote even if from another version as it would be useful in refuting the idea that Bible teaches us to live communally as the Amish do. Perhaps if you can forward this to Mr. Odou, I can get in contact with him.

     Thank you,

     M.D.



TIA responds:

Mr. M.D.,

Below we are posting photocopies of both the cover of the edition of the Summa contra Gentiles mentioned and its quote. We hope it will be of assistance to you.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

As usual you are doing some of the best work being done.

Again, the late G.K. Chesterton said, it is not that modern man does not believe in God or that his belief is weak,it is once he stops believing in God, he believes in everything.

There are those who think that the feminization of society has led to a matriarchal society. This is quite Jewish, since the Jews trace whether or not one is Jewish to the mother.

A real contrast to those who have a strong respect and honor for the Fatherland.

     S.M.

To whom it may concern:

I was thoroughly disgusted with the Dallas/Fr. Mallinson affair last week and posted about it on my blog. I wanted to get a video capture of Annette Gonzales-Taylor for my story, but I didn't know how to do it. I notice that you did it. Could someone let me know how it's done?

     Thanks,

     R.K.



TIA responds:

R.K.,

It is rather simple to catch a picture from a video. Simply pause the video and set up your digital camera on a small tripod in front of the screen. Be sure your camera is set on no flash. Take the picture, then work with it to reach a better focus, light/darkness etc.

We hope this is of some help to you.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

TIA,

Before I begin, let me first offer my condolences and my prayers to the dedicated woman who sent in a detailed account of her love for Christ and her attempts to join an order which practices the True Catholic Faith. It is something that we must be aware of, as we decry the lack of priests and the bastardisation of seminaries around the world, we must never forget that good and godly women are trying to fulfill their vocations under as much, if not greater, stress than men. My heart goes out to that poor woman, equally so because she is in my own country and her letter speaks to me.

I would like to ask for your guided opinion on the priesthood. I have been contemplating and earnestly seeking out God's wisdom in whether or not I am called to religious life. I feel a strong call towards Holy Orders but, as I look around at liturgical novelties, a lacklustre lectionary and a collapse of faith within the Church, I am unsure. I am not so unsure as to denounce God's love but I just do not know where to go. I wonder about all of the many different congregations and religious orders that exist and cannot see the forest for the trees.

I had at one point thought about seeking my life within the Jesuits. However, after only a few moments researching them, I learned that not only are they not Catholic, but they are now some of the worst offenders of heresy in the history of The Church. So I ruled them out. I wonder about becoming a parish priest, but I can't shake the knowledge of abuses and Modernism that is within their seminaries, and I worry even more that I may end up stuck in a lifeless tomb of a "church," with people wanting "celebration" rather than "sacrifice".

Are there any orders that have an outlook of Catholicism within the Church as it stands? Are there any traditional orders that are not just for the training and ordination of parish priests?

I would appreciate it if you could offer some advice, first, about the orders which are intolerably unsuitable and heretical that I must avoid, and second, any orders where I might find refuge but am unsure if becoming a parish priest is my calling.

I want to serve Our Lord Jesus Christ, and I seek your help so that I might stand firm in the faith and not allow myself to be willingly delivered to the wolves.

     St. Michael Defender of Holy Mother Church, pray for us,

     L.S., England



TIA responds:

Mr. L.S.,

We thank you for your consideration, and we praise your noble desire to become a priest. However, we dont have any specific advice to offer you about what seminary you should enter.

There is a principle in Catholic morals that is this: When true authorities are lacking in the Catholic Church and the general situation is chaotic, each Catholic must follow his own conscience.

TIA applies this principle when it comes to advising our readers about what Mass to attend to avoid the Novus Ordo Mass, and also, as in your case, what traditionalist seminary one should enter to avoid Progressivism. We leave these decisions to each ones conscience.

Through our books, booklets, tapes and articles on our website, we believe we give our readers sufficient background following the bi-millennial doctrine of the Church to permit them to make their own decisions on such matters.

Doing this, we avoid both the Progressivist chaos, and also, alas, the chaos inside Traditionalism created by different groups that pretend to be the exclusive holders of the Catholic truth.

The only advice we offer you is to pray to Our Lady of Good Counsel, asking her to guide your decision. We will also be praying for you in this intention.

     Cordially,

     TIA correspondence desk

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