26 Jun 24 – Is Outlawing the Traditional Mass an Unjust Law?

[0] Welcome to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[1] My name is Terry Barber with Virgin Most Powerful radio, and I have the honor and pleasure to chat with Bishop Strickland a couple times a week about Jesus Christ and his bride the church.

[2] And how to get to heaven?

[3] I mean, Bishop Strickland, is there anything more important than that?

[4] No. That's why I say, to me, I mean, I'm a kid in a candy store.

[5] Why?

[6] Because I love Jesus Christ, and he's full.

[7] first in my life and I'll say that and when I sin we just talked about it yesterday about going to the sacrament of confession I'm a sinner a couple times a week a couple times a month for me because I realize I need to have that sanctifying grace in my soul to say no to myself and yes to Jesus Christ so I think if you heard yesterday's show you'll get the impression that a sacrament of confession is critical in following Jesus Christ.

[8] Bishop Strickland I'm going to let you go with the gospel today first.

[9] I got a little winded yesterday because I love to have you give us your catechesis on the gospel.

[10] Now we're at Matthew chapter 7 verse 15 to 20.

[11] Okay, thanks, Terry.

[12] Thank you.

[13] A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.

[14] Jesus said to his disciples, Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing.

[15] but underneath the ravenous wolves by their fruits you will know them do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles just so every good tree bears good fruit and a rotten tree bears bad fruit a good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire so by these fruits you will know them the gospel of the Lord praise to you Lord Jesus Christ well Terry I don't think that we could have a gospel that's more topical for everything we're talking about in the last hour yeah this follows so well beware of false prophets that is a tragic reality and the the churches had to deal with it through the ages oh yeah times in the early years and they still are heresies we don't hear that things being labeled heresies as much now but i think the many of the heresies are alive and well they're not spoken of his heresies as much but that's false prophets so this is jesus christ telling his disciples think about that scene for just a moment okay here he is lord and savior still with them teaching them and he's already warning them about false prophets who come to you and sheep's clothing but underneath are ravenous wolves we hear that image all the time those wolves and sheep's clothing and sadly i would say they're rampant in the world and in the church today not just the church but the church should be the model of proclaiming the truth that sets us free from sin that guides us to the salvation of our souls I don't care what anybody else says.

[16] That's the purpose of the church.

[17] The proclamation of the gospel is about saving souls.

[18] That's why the missionaries of old, many of them gave their lives.

[19] I mean, they came to what we're in now, the new world, to bring the glorious news of the gospel.

[20] Certainly, they made mistakes.

[21] They were sinners.

[22] They maybe took the wrong approach sometimes.

[23] but their motivation was the salvation of souls.

[24] The motivation of wolves and sheep's clothing is anything but the salvation of souls.

[25] It may be their own wealth, their own prestige, their own position, or just nefariously desiring to take down the church.

[26] I mean, sadly, that's happened.

[27] And I believe it's happening in our own time.

[28] It certainly happened in the past.

[29] If you want to, any evidence of that, read something like the book of Gamara by St. Peter Damien.

[30] Oh, yes.

[31] A thousand years ago, he was, and I'm sure that St. Peter Damien knew well this passage from the gospel, the words of Christ himself.

[32] beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but underneath a ravenous wolves anyone who twists the message of the truth and says oh this needs to change or it has changed then they are wolves and sheep's clothing and we need to be aware of that I think one of the elements of this that we need to understand.

[33] Yes, the gospel says, judge not, yes, lest ye be judged.

[34] Don't judge others.

[35] Christ makes that very clear.

[36] But that gets translated in our time.

[37] Don't make any judgments at all.

[38] Just let people do whatever they want.

[39] Right.

[40] Absolutely.

[41] I do my best not to judge another person.

[42] That's up to go.

[43] But if we see, and parents have to do it all the time.

[44] I like to just go back to the day -to -day reality that parents and grandparents are really anyone, teachers, anyone that has responsibility over children, They have to make judgments.

[45] Right.

[46] They have to say, Sally is doing something wrong and Sally needs to be corrected.

[47] Or Joey is doing something wrong and Joey needs to be corrected.

[48] That is making a judgment about an action that we're aware of of another person.

[49] That doesn't judge them, but it makes a judgment to say, this is harmful.

[50] This needs to be corrected.

[51] parents do it constantly you're not much of a parent if you say oh well i'm not going to make any judgments about what my child wants i mean so i mean we could go into lots of examples but christ really goes into the examples that we can look at by their fruits you will know them yeah do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles just so every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit.

[52] Christ, as he often does, he goes back to down to earth, astral growing, growing food, caring for animals, being out in nature.

[53] Really, Terry, I think this gospel reminds us, we need to do more of that.

[54] Because nature teaches us what's right, what's wrong, what's valuable.

[55] what isn't in it we need to be reminded of that this gospel i think is very important for our time because sadly there are i mean we talked about it in the last hour there are priests and bishops and cardinals in the church that are saying things that are they're false prophets yeah they're saying, oh, well, the church has changed this, and the teaching of the church is different.

[56] It's being a false prophet to say the church is no longer about the salvation of souls.

[57] And we went into that last time, but we need to be very clear.

[58] That's not the church.

[59] That is a false message.

[60] That's coming from a false prophet.

[61] And we need to say so.

[62] again not judging the person but calling them back to the truth both of us are always saying call me back to the truth if i wonder from it oh yeah if i say something that is the the message of a false prophet then correct me but if we're saying what christ said then we are living and saying what we need to say, the truth of the gospel.

[63] Yes, it's challenging, but it's also fulfilling, and it bears good fruit.

[64] I think this gospel reminds us to be very aware.

[65] And it's a tough place to be, maybe.

[66] People would rather be able to say, oh, well, we can just trust whatever father or whatever the bishop says, but you have to be discerning.

[67] And I guess the final point that I would make, we need to know the catechism.

[68] We need to know scripture.

[69] We need to know the teachings of our Catholic faith.

[70] So we can know when a false prophet speaks.

[71] I think one of the great problems of our time in the church, in this nation, and in the world, is that too many people aren't educated in the basic principles of this nation, in the basic principles of the catechism of the Catholic faith.

[72] They don't know.

[73] And so a false prophet can come along.

[74] They can't even tell you it's a false prophet because they don't know what the truth is.

[75] So I urge us all to continue to know the truth.

[76] It's glorious.

[77] It's interesting.

[78] It's life -changing, it's beautiful, and we need to know the truth of the gospel, just like we've been talking about the sacrament of confession.

[79] Many people don't know about going to a priest in a sacrament to be forgiven.

[80] When we know that, we're set free from the burden of our sin.

[81] Stay with us, family.

[82] We'll be right back after a quick break on the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[83] And now back to the bishop.

[84] Strickland Auer.

[85] Welcome back indeed.

[86] Bishop Strickland, yesterday we were talking about the report about the Vatican planning to enforce a final ban on the traditional Latin Mass. Now, many bishops have said, you know, that, look, this is a mass that has been with us for, you know, 16, 17, 100 years, and it's holy.

[87] it would be a tragedy, but also an unjust law to remove this mass from the church.

[88] And people have quoted St. Thomas Aquinas saying that an unjust law is not a law at itself.

[89] Now, me personally, as a layman, if a priest wants to say the traditional Latin mass, my understanding is that's illegitimate in a sense of trying to condemn.

[90] because it's been blessed by the church.

[91] It doesn't seem that that's an adjust call.

[92] So I'm going to say, go ahead and have it at our chapel.

[93] But I want you to explain to our people the hierarchy.

[94] In other words, all of us are under God's laws.

[95] Can you explain what you said yesterday about the Trinity Mass that you want to support that?

[96] You don't say it on a regular basis.

[97] But how do we navigate our way through?

[98] this if you're a family with kids and you're going to the trinantine mass and now they're going to make it more difficult if not cease for it to happen how do you maneuver through that in a in a christ -centered way well that's a big question terry um what i've urged people and i talk to people all the time because even before this latest uh information that supposedly july 16th and other hammers coming down.

[99] People have been concerned and people have sort of been seeing this movement and this push to cancel the traditional Latin Mass. What my advice has been to stay true to Christ, to stay true to his church, and to resist.

[100] anything that you know isn't true to Christ and to his church.

[101] I've already written a letter, one of the letters that I wrote a few weeks, several months ago, talked about the question.

[102] And I said, I believe, I mean, people that, if this all comes about, yeah it's it's basically eliminating any um celebration of the latin the traditional latin mass then what i believe many people will find themselves unable to obey and like you said it's i believe it is an unjust law and people have come to to a deeper faith in Jesus Christ and his church through the traditional Latin Mass. So I think that what schismatic is separating from Christ and his church.

[103] I think the word schismatic is being used, but it's not appropriate.

[104] Who's separating from Christ here?

[105] And who is saying this ancient, how in the world, there's something that was faithful and true for 16 years.

[106] And even one way, I mean, 16th centuries.

[107] And another thing that just comes to mind as we're talking about it.

[108] If the foundation of the mass in any form, if that can be removed, what's the basis of the novice ordo mats?

[109] Because clearly, historically, what we know is the novice ordo mats developed from the traditional Latin mats.

[110] Things were changed, but the basic format, and even now with the novice ordo, the very best.

[111] basics are there, an introductory right, the penitential right, the reading scripture, all of that, the foundation of that.

[112] So I think you could argue, again, it comes back to the lack of logic in many ways to me. I think you could argue that you're removing the foundation that makes us know that the novice ordo is a mass that truly is valid that celebrates bread and wine becoming the body and blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

[113] You know, there are many theologians that are much more theologically astute than I am.

[114] But I think common sense, and like, again, you know, the gospels we read on each of these days, they inform us so much.

[115] look at the fruit just do that Jesus says a good tree doesn't bear bad fruit what has happened to the church since the mass was altered the facts the statistics are very clear ordinations to the priest took her down many priests left the church the original religious communities have died people don't believe in the real presence.

[116] I mean, I don't believe that all the fruits of the novice or no mass is bad.

[117] But there's been some bad fruit.

[118] Oh, yeah.

[119] I think any honest person have to acknowledge that.

[120] So in that context, I guess my advice to people is to really not believe whatever we're told that, oh, we're being schismatic.

[121] No, the schism, if it comes, is coming from those trying to kill the tradition of the church.

[122] And we've heard people say, oh, tradition, it's backwards and you're clinging to something old.

[123] Yeah.

[124] That's not what tradition is about.

[125] tradition connects us to Christ let me finally say what I've always the best understanding what are the sacraments they help us to know the same Jesus Christ that walk the earth that taught the disciples that healed people that raised from the dead that ultimately died and rose from the dead himself.

[126] The sacraments connect us to him.

[127] And it's always about him.

[128] It's about Jesus Christ.

[129] I don't own the church.

[130] No bishop does.

[131] Even the bishop of Rome doesn't own the church.

[132] It's Christ's church.

[133] Amen.

[134] Just looking at the verse that talks about, Peter, you're rock, and upon this rock, I will build my church, Jesus doesn't say, Peter, you're a rock, and I'm going to build your church on you.

[135] He doesn't say that.

[136] He says, upon this rock, Peter, I will build my church.

[137] Christ owns the church.

[138] No one else, no human being, it's a divinely ordered community.

[139] That's why it's about the salvation of souls, because that's the reason.

[140] Christ came.

[141] So to me, I could talk forever about this, but many people will raise other arguments, but I say, resist this attempt to harm the body of Christ that is the church, the mystical body of Christ, resist because it's an unjust law.

[142] resist because the fruit of everything that has happened since we moved away from the norm being the traditional Latin mass there's been a lot of bad fruit yeah I don't think we we say that the whole tree of the novice orro is is to be discarded but that bad bad fruit needs to be acknowledged.

[143] And so we need to move to a place where all of the good of all of the liturgies is strengthened to let us know Christ more deeply and to eliminate anything that is diluting faith in the real presence, diluting the idea that we need to go to confession, diluting the idea that what the purpose of the church is, the salvation of souls, I would count all of that as bad fruit that needs to be eliminated from the tree that is the mystical body of Christ.

[144] Well, said, Bishop, while you're speaking, I'm thinking of a book again, the Ratzinger report in 1985, Ignatius Press, and both Benedict nailed it.

[145] And we were dealing with a crisis back when you were first ordained.

[146] and Bishop, and Cardinal Ratzinger said that it's your ecclesiology.

[147] What is your ecclesiology?

[148] How do you see the church?

[149] Do you see it in a war, and I'm going to use a word that's going to offend some people.

[150] Do you see the church in a senatorality approach that we get to vote on things that of truth?

[151] No, senatality isn't what, I'm just being honest with you.

[152] This idea that we get to vote on what we want to do in the church, that's an Anglican approach.

[153] and we saw what happened to the Anglican church with that senidality.

[154] They probably wouldn't even be here 10 years, 15 years from now.

[155] They're losing so many souls that church will cease to exist.

[156] Now, we know Christ gave us the divine promise that we will be here, but we've had so many times where the church goes down and it always comes back up.

[157] So I would just say, Gardner Ratzinger's books, a good resource.

[158] How do you see the church?

[159] Do you see it as the optimist club where you get to vote on things?

[160] or the bride of Christ.

[161] And I think that when we have this supernatural approach that you're talking about, then we just do what God wants.

[162] It's not what we want.

[163] It's not what the local parish wants.

[164] The diocese wants, the archbishop, cardinal pope.

[165] What is the will of God?

[166] What is it that God's calling us to do?

[167] And we know it's the universal call to holiness, not just bishops like you, but lay knuckleheads like me, dads, grandfathers, to live a holy life.

[168] and if we don't call us to that, to holiness, things like calling me to recycle bottles, that's fine, I mean, for the secular world.

[169] But let's put more of an emphasis on the church on the salvation of souls.

[170] When we come back, Bishop Strickland, you've got some tweets that I found really fascinating, especially you've got one from Bishop Athanasius Snyder about the priesthood.

[171] And you've written about this already.

[172] but I think most of the newly ordained priests that I'm running into in the last many years really understand their priesthood better than ever and I want to get your take about the teaching on celibacy and why Catholic priests since I think the 8th century have been living celibate lives and I want to get your take because I think you're almost 40 years of priest now It's amazing.

[173] So stay with us, family.

[174] You're listening to the Bishop Strickland Hour where our focus is on one thing.

[175] Jesus Christ and his bride the church and how to serve the church and how to save our souls.

[176] Stay with us.

[177] We'll be back after a quick break here on the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful radio.

[178] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[179] Welcome back.

[180] Have you noticed on the Bishop Strickland Hour we're always focusing on the fundamentals of the faith and about knowing Jesus Christ.

[181] Well, some of your tweets, you sent something out about Bishop Athanasia Snyder saying a Catholic priest is unmarried for life because he has to belong entirely to God.

[182] With his soul and also with his body, day and night, he belongs exclusively to God.

[183] I've never seen anybody as a priest say it in those words, but I think, That is so beautiful.

[184] And when we understand celibacy in that realm, we see the beauty of it.

[185] So I want to ask you as a celibate man for almost 40 years of your priesthood, I noticed you said, thank you, Bishop Snyder for that.

[186] But can you talk a little bit about why the priest again and how that helps you serve people like me here in California?

[187] Because your time, you don't have a white.

[188] and family like I do.

[189] Here, you are focusing completely on the salvation of souls with your priesthood and now being a bishop.

[190] So your thoughts about celibacy.

[191] Well, you've really summarized it, Terry, and I think that quote from Bishop Snyder underscores it, it leaves you free to address the essential goal for all of us.

[192] Certainly, you as a husband and father and grandfather now you play a role as well yeah but we need people that are dedicated to proclaiming the truth and helping people seek the most important goal in their lives I know for myself through the years like you said I've been a priest 39 years and I committed to celibacy as a deacon so I've been it'll be December of this coming year will be 40 years since I've been committed to living a celibate lifestyle.

[193] And it isn't easy.

[194] I mean, there are things that you give up, but what I've learned along the way is you as a husband and father, you give up a lot of things also.

[195] Oh, absolutely.

[196] I mean, Christ calls us to a sacrificial.

[197] way of life.

[198] Amen.

[199] This processes take different forms, but all of us are called to that.

[200] And I think that we need to remember that.

[201] And as I worked with our seminarians in the diocese, I always talk to them about, and I talk to our vocation directors, that what the priests we need would have been great fathers and husbands as well.

[202] Oh, yeah.

[203] Those are the kinds of priests we need.

[204] That's right.

[205] We need fathers and husbands that would have had qualities that would have made them a good priest.

[206] Yep.

[207] Because really, it's about living a life that offers sacrifices, that places others first and using your time for the good of others rather than selfishly.

[208] Now, I mean, I think part of the crisis in our families and in our society is that too many men have forgotten that.

[209] Too many men are not living that sacrificial life, maybe partially because too many priests are not living at well.

[210] But we need each other and we need to remember that it's not saying, oh, well, I'm going to be a priest and make sacrifices in my life, or I'm going to get married and I don't have to make any sacrifices.

[211] Anyone authentically living the way of Christ is going to make sacrifices.

[212] I think in very practical terms.

[213] You know, I love interacting with families with the children.

[214] Yeah, I've seen it.

[215] But if I did have my own family, I wouldn't want to have the responsibilities of a priest.

[216] I mean, you work long days.

[217] I do.

[218] You have a lot of responsibilities.

[219] And through your career you have.

[220] But there's a time when you can lock the office door and go home and go to your family.

[221] Yeah.

[222] That's the kind of life I would want if I had a wife and children.

[223] Sure.

[224] I wouldn't want to be on call 24 -7.

[225] And that doesn't mean certainly that 24 -7 I'm always out there.

[226] I mean, I get to relax.

[227] I get to spend time with friends.

[228] I get, you know, I get, I mean, we need to live a balanced life.

[229] That's right.

[230] But the celibate lifestyle gives me the opportunity for one thing to spend significant time in prayer.

[231] Yes.

[232] And I'm sure for you through the years, it's been challenging to pray.

[233] Big time.

[234] Because there's a wife and kids there that have legitimate needs that you've got to take care of.

[235] That's right.

[236] If Johnny gets sick, you can't say, Johnny, I'll take care of you after I finish praying.

[237] A good dad says, okay, Johnny, I was going to read some scripture, but I'll help you out because you're sick.

[238] I mean, that's what a dad does.

[239] And in some sense, even a priest has to do the same thing.

[240] I mean, neither lifestyle is you don't get off scot -free from inconveniences and from saccharacteries.

[241] sacrifices and from challenges your way of life.

[242] I mean, as a priest, I need to be, and I always was available at any given hour.

[243] I mean, and sometimes that hour is two in the morning.

[244] Right.

[245] I have to deal with the two o 'clock feeding of a child that was hungry.

[246] But I did have to deal with a two o 'clock call to an emergency at the hospital.

[247] So I don't think the distinctions are that hard and fast, but the basic gift of celibacy, it frees you up to be about the salvation of souls, about the work of the church, being available to teach and to bring Christ healing in the sacraments, to be there to instruct for marriage, to do all the things that a family needs to.

[248] be strong.

[249] So there really needs to be a partnership between the celibate priest and the mother and father of a family.

[250] Sometimes that breaks down.

[251] I mean, I'm sure we've both known priests that were pretty much loners and didn't go out a lot.

[252] That isn't the ideal for priesthood.

[253] Syllabacy is not a bachelor's lifestyle where they're free to just do what they want.

[254] Celibacy's purpose in the church is to free us up to be men of God and to focus our energy on the salvation of souls.

[255] Is it perfect?

[256] No. But I think it's a great value that we shouldn't let go of because the world needs it really more than ever.

[257] Yes.

[258] That witness of men who are dedicated to God.

[259] And that's what a priest is called to.

[260] Yeah.

[261] You know, Father, Bishop Strickland, while you're speaking, you remind me of some of the stories I heard in Japan when early Christians, Catholic missionaries, evangelized Japan.

[262] And then for like 300 years, there were no more missionaries.

[263] But the missionaries at the 16th or 15th century told them, we will come back but you need to ask these questions and it was about the priesthood are they going to be celibate are they going to be under you know is a Catholic and so what's so beautiful is when missionaries came to Japan hundreds of years later the people still had the faith even though they didn't have the sacraments they still prayed their rosary they read scripture and when those missionaries came, I read this.

[264] They asked them, okay, you're a missionary.

[265] Are you married?

[266] No, we're celibate.

[267] Okay, then you're in.

[268] Now, we trust you.

[269] And it was because they had been through being conquered where people would take their women and abuse them.

[270] Say, now she's my wife.

[271] But when they saw that these missionaries came and they had no wife, they were.

[272] They were celibate, they were so much more comfortable in the gospel message that these men were here to really have motives of not carnal motives, but supernatural motives.

[273] And I think that celibacy, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but it is a foretaste of heaven because the scriptures make it clear, there is no marriage in heaven.

[274] I'm not going to be married to my wife in heaven.

[275] The Lord said that.

[276] And so the very fact that your celibate shows the world that you believe something more than this world?

[277] Am I on to something?

[278] Absolutely.

[279] And we need that kind of witness.

[280] Many of the saints chose to be celibate whether they were ordained priest or not.

[281] And I think it is a value that we need.

[282] And we need to support the men because there are challenges.

[283] There are challenges through any way of life.

[284] But we need to pray for the priest and support them in living authentically, living a life that is clear and committed to Christ.

[285] We're all sinners, but there's been too much corruption in living a duplicitous life.

[286] And that does damage to the church and damage to the priesthood and damage to the individual.

[287] It's not the loving thing to say, all go ahead and live kind of a two lives.

[288] We have to live committed to Christ, all of us, and the celibate priest is hopefully an example of that.

[289] Well, said, when we come back, we're going to open up the catechism.

[290] Yesterday, we were talking about the great sacrament of confession and how important it is.

[291] And I think you said it, we've been saying it, the revival of the Holy Eucharist, you know, with what's going on in the country, we can also have a revival in confession because the Eucharist and confession are meant to go together.

[292] And why?

[293] Because let's be honest.

[294] We look at the Catholic Church and we see very small lines on Saturday evening for confessions, but we see long lines for Holy Communion.

[295] You know, either we have a lot of saintly men and women or maybe they're just not formed well.

[296] That's what we'll talk about when we come back on the Bishop Strickland Hour on Virgin Most Powerful radio.

[297] Stay with us.

[298] And now back to the Bishop Strickland Hour.

[299] Welcome back, indeed.

[300] I like good news, Bishop Strickland.

[301] And before we get to the catechism, Turkey joined the ranks of more than 20 countries consecrating to the Sacred Heart of Jesus just last Friday, June 7th, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.

[302] And I say that because there was a time when devotion to the sacred heart, when we grew up as kids, at least I always had it at our home and all Catholic families, had that very famous image of the sacred heart that we've all been accustomed to seeing most of my life.

[303] So when I hear of another country consecrating their country to the sacred heart, it's music to my ears.

[304] Bishop Strickland, we're going to get into, and I know you love the sacred heart, obviously, but we're going to get into it.

[305] the catechism again.

[306] And again, I want to make recommendation.

[307] The St. Philip Institute published this, The Way of Christ Catechism.

[308] You can go to the St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization to get your own copy.

[309] It's like a Baltimore Catechism.

[310] It's question and answer.

[311] But what I really like about, not just the questions and answers, they reference in the corner every page to the big catechism and give you the paragraph that supports what they're saying.

[312] And it makes it really quite beautiful.

[313] Well, the next question, Bishop Strickland, on confession is, well, actually it comes right time to the next one.

[314] It said, what is the sacrament of the anointing of the sick?

[315] And I'm sure as a priest, well, you've done enough of those.

[316] The anointing of sick is a sacrament that spiritually strengthens any sick or dying person who receives it.

[317] It gives him or her the grace to purses.

[318] persevere in faith and hope during temptations that sometimes come up at the end of life.

[319] If the person is unable to confess his sins, anointing of the sick still forgives the sins.

[320] It is a very powerful sacrament.

[321] Now, Bishop Strickland, before you answer that, we do about 200 funerals a year here at our chapel.

[322] And when people come to me when grandma's very, very sick, that's the first thing.

[323] I asked them, did you call a priest?

[324] Grandma's dying.

[325] Why would I do that?

[326] I mean, it just blows my mind.

[327] They're Catholic.

[328] Why would you do that?

[329] There was a time when it was just normal.

[330] So I always encourage them.

[331] He'd get the anointing or for confession depending on the state of the person.

[332] And then, of course, I always encourage at these funerals to have masses offered for their loved ones.

[333] But a lot of people are still unclear about this anointing of the six.

[334] So can you kind of just summarize again why this is an important sacrament?

[335] Well, as you've already said, Terry, it's about bringing Christ's healing sacramentally to a person who is seriously ill or dying.

[336] As we know, it used to be called extreme unction.

[337] Right.

[338] When we were kids.

[339] And it was pretty much, at least for a time in the church, it was pretty much exclusively when someone was very close to death.

[340] Yeah.

[341] It certainly is still appropriate for them, but I think that's one of the good things that's developed in recent years is a recognition.

[342] And I think, again, Christ is the model.

[343] The sacraments are Christ present in the church today.

[344] Christ certainly brought healing to people.

[345] I mean, he raised people from the dead.

[346] Yeah.

[347] But he also healed people that weren't necessary.

[348] I mean, the man with the withered hand wasn't dying, but he brought healing to that person.

[349] So, you know, I think that in my pastoral experience, it's not appropriate to be anointed because you have a cold.

[350] Right.

[351] But I've always advised if you're going into the hospital or surgery when you're going to get general anesthesia, be appointed before that surgery.

[352] Amen.

[353] If you're seriously ill, you know, hopefully, I mean, I think I've had even people come in, you know, with some of the older mentality.

[354] Yeah.

[355] When the priest walks in the door of the hospital room, I've had people say, I'm not that sick.

[356] That's cute.

[357] Because they have that mentality of, oh, it's just extreme action.

[358] So it needs to be more available for healing, for strengthening.

[359] Or, I mean, all of us are going to die at some point and to receive the anointing of the sick when we're seriously ill. I would qualify anytime you're having surgery.

[360] If you're going to be general anesthesia, I mean, the doctors will tell you it's part of the insurance requirements.

[361] They tell you that death is possible anytime you're going to have surgery with general anesthesia.

[362] We need to be aware of that, not so much fearful, but just aware, and know that the healer.

[363] of Christ is available.

[364] I've had many beautiful experiences of celebrating the anointing of the sick for people who were seriously ill. I would say if you've been diagnosed with cancer, yeah.

[365] Yeah.

[366] Be anointed.

[367] And, you know, if you aren't sure, ask the priest about is it appropriate to be anointed or not.

[368] Certainly the priest can bless you.

[369] And very often, I mean, different priests have different ideas about when it's appropriate to annoy someone, but certainly in danger of death, absolutely.

[370] And we need to re -catechise people to understand if, let's say you get a call.

[371] I mean, and I know that it needs to be almost instinct.

[372] Yeah.

[373] Because if you get a call, that someone's been in a serious accident and they're being taken to the hospital, it needs to be our instinct as we're going to the hospital ourselves to call the priest.

[374] Yes.

[375] Sometimes, I mean, it's a traumatic situation.

[376] And people may forget to call the priest if they're so worried about their loved one.

[377] It needs to be an automatic thing that if you get a call that somebody's being taken to the emergency.

[378] you should the first thing you should think is I need to call the priests because if they're being taken to the emergency room anointing is is appropriate they may it may end up that it's not a life -threatening injury yeah but if they're in the emergency room I would say always whether it's an accident or a illness that's just taken them seriously ill, that it's appropriate to ask for the sacrament of anointing.

[379] Sometimes I've had people say, oh, they didn't want to bother the priest.

[380] That's what the priest is there for.

[381] A good priest, I mean, you may run into a priest who says, why did you bother me?

[382] This isn't life -threatening, but most of the priests I know, and I always did my best.

[383] If people called and said, can you come to the hospital?

[384] There's been an emergency.

[385] I would do my best to get there.

[386] Sometimes you couldn't get there immediately if you're just about to celebrate Mass or there may reasons.

[387] But the priests, most of the time the priest will get there as quickly as he can.

[388] And I think to emphasize the beautiful gift that the sacrament of anointing is, it reminds us, like all the sacraments, that Christ is with us, that he's not distant from us.

[389] And especially in a time of serious illness, we need to know that Christ is with us.

[390] And that's part of the work of the celibate priests to be available to take Christ through the anointing of the sick, if appropriate, and they can to also receive the Eucharist to go to confession.

[391] That's really the last rights in the church today would be confession, anointing, and the Eucharist.

[392] Sometimes people are unconscious and they're not able to actually go to confession.

[393] But if they are, the priest can ask them, do you want to go to confession, be anointed, and receive the body of Christ, that really encompasses the last rites of the church today.

[394] And there's great grace there.

[395] Yes.

[396] Even if a person recovers, the grace is there to assist them in a time of serious illness.

[397] You got about two minutes left, but I wanted to follow up with another question that I get asked all the time.

[398] Grandma's sick.

[399] She gets anointed.

[400] She comes back.

[401] Everything's, you know, she's more stable.

[402] And then, you know, three weeks later, she has another bout where her health goes south very bad can she be anointed again and the answer is absolutely i mean i've i've had people that were elderly and you know in and out of the hospital anointed many times obviously i believe they need that strengthening and healing that comes from the sacrament so it's not like oh well they were annoyed at a month ago so they don't to be, I mean, be grateful that they were anointed fairly recently, but it's always appropriate, if they're seriously ill again, it's always appropriate for them to be anointed again.

[403] Excellent.

[404] Excellent.

[405] And I want to recommend again, Bishop Strickland, his YouTube channel, he's got lots of new YouTube videos coming out.

[406] Tell us what you do for those who've never heard about your YouTube channel.

[407] How many minutes do you?

[408] give it and what do you do?

[409] It's about six or seven minutes.

[410] I talk about aspects of our faith, whether it's a great saint or a special feast day or just something that we all need to be aware of that's in the news these days.

[411] So, but it's about six or seven minutes.

[412] It seems to be well received.

[413] Good.

[414] And it's just an opportunity to continue to rejoice in our faith, to learn more about it.

[415] and to just be aware of like the great saints that are part of our Catholic life.

[416] Beautiful.

[417] Bishop Strickland, the music's going to be coming on.

[418] You'll be out for two weeks for another pilgrimage, but we'll be taking clips from those YouTube and other things to continue your show.

[419] And I would like to ask our listeners to pray for your safety when you're out back out in Europe and sharing the gospel.

[420] I'm sure you're going to meet lots of great people again.

[421] and if we could receive a blessing today, that would be grand.

[422] Almighty God, we ask your blessing for all of us participating in Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[423] We give thanks for all those who make it possible for us to share the good news of your son, Jesus Christ, through the medium of the internet and radio.

[424] Guide us always in the light and grace of your son.

[425] May the saints intercede for us, especially the Queen of Saints, Immaculate Virgin Mary.

[426] And we ask this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

[427] Amen.

[428] Folks, I want to encourage you to go to our website for all the other Virgin Most Powerful Radio shows.

[429] All of Bishop Strickland shows are there.

[430] BMPR .org.

[431] Check out the podcast.

[432] And we want to thank you for your support here at Virgin Most Powerful Radio.

[433] Thanks again for listening.

[434] Share it with your friends.

[435] Check our YouTube channel out.

[436] ahead for other inspirational video.

[437] God bless you.