Dear Tradition in Action,

May God bless you and keep you. Thank you for sending free of charge reading materials. I read them and have shared them with others.

We have started here two Catechism classes using Baltimore Catechism No. 3. In those who attend, I believe they are growing in the basics of the Catholic Faith. Many in prison do not have a strong foundation. The Novus Ordo here provides the inefficient RCIA program.

Thanks again for your support.

     In Christ the King,

     K.D.L.

Dr. Horvat

Thanks for the Catholic take on Thanksgiving [The First Thanksgiving Was Catholic]. It should be read at every Catholic table on Thanksgiving. It's a great story and gives us an alternative to the Puritan version of Thanksgiving.

As you point out, since the last Thursday of November is a random date to commemorate Thanksgiving, Catholics can easily "commemorate on this day the conquest of Don O'ate and the Franciscan priests, rather than that bitter harvest of the Puritans. I am sure that this will glorify Our Lord Jesus Christ and gain his blessing for our future."

     Planning to enjoy my Catholic Thanksgiving,

     Yours truly,

     G.G.

TIA,

No, Pope Ratzinger doesn't say a word about the consecration or Fatima message. I'm glad to see you pointing that out.

Also, he doesn't say a word about Purgatory. This November 2, the Feast of All Souls Day when Catholics pray for the souls of the faithful departed, Benedict XVI asked the faithful "not to be sad," but "to live their faith in the dead and risen Christ." In the world, he said, there is an "irrepressible" anticipation of eternal life, to which Christ responds with his love. [from Asia News].

This sounds so comforting - a lot like universal salvation, don't you think. . .

"Christian hope," the pope concluded, "is not, however, an individual hope, it is always hope for others as well. Thus the prayer of a pilgrim soul in the world can help another soul that is being purified after death. This is why the Church calls upon us to pray for our deceased loved ones, and to visit their graves."

So Purgatory - although he never uses the word - is reduced to simply a state of being purified!? What does that mean? It sure doesn't imply any physical suffering like we read about in pre-Vatican II catechisms.

I think this Pope follows a whole different theology. Wake up, fellow trads - you are being fooled if you think he follows traditional Catholic doctrine.

     Keep up the good work,

     E. K.

Dear TIA,

Your readers may be interested to know, as I was, that a return to traditional Catholic school discipline could reduce their government taxes. In Ireland at the moment there is a controversy over a cut in the education budget, which will save the government millions of dollars. This will result in an average class size in primary schools, of 28 children instead of 27. This apparently allows big financial savings.

The photo I have enclosed is of a class of 6/7 year old boys in a Convent of Mercy school in Dublin in the 1950s. Here we see some 42 boys with one row of desks out of the photo to the right. So a total class size of 56. As you can see there is order and discipline in this classroom with Sister firmly in control and this is a state, not a private school. How far removed from the chaotic classrooms of the state schools today!

In this classroom punctuality, good manners, respect for authority, hard work, attention and strict silence at all times were demanded and generally received. When they were not, Sister used her strap, which can just be seen hanging from the leather cincture around her waist. Such straps were used routinely in Catholic schools at that time. No one complained and in fact, the children preferred to be slapped rather than be given a "slower" punishment, such as detention or lines or a humiliating punishment such as kneeling in a corner.

This happy situation lasted until the 1980s when a socialist minister abolished corporal punishment in state schools. We are now reaping the "rewards" with rampant vandalism, thuggery and crime, lack of respect for authority, lack of respect for the church and all the attendant evils of modern society. Of course we are paying higher taxes than ever, as our modern teachers cannot cope with the large classes of the past, without the support which traditional methods of discipline would give them.

     C.M.P. from Ireland

TIA

I want to say thank you again for the spectacular information. I read your chapters available on your website. I really enjoyed the article on physiognomy that ends with the Roman Senators description of Our Lord.

I now know about Our Lady of Las Lajas, Colombia, again spectacular.

I will be ordering the Manual of Civility and another Our Lady of Good Success video shortly.

     Yours in Jesus and Mary,

     C.L.

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