As the Vatican Trainwreck continues, the Mass of Paul VI continues to reflect and inculcate a religion increasingly divergent from Roman Catholicism.

As we’ve noted elsewhere, the inherent amorphousness of this Novus Ordo Missae already renders it a non-Catholic rite. Things like pachamamas and purple light shows should have made that resoundingly clear over the last few years – if it wasn’t clear enough in its debut!

Even so, here’s a further capitulum of what can be expected in 2021:

As quietly reported from Rome last week, Francis has “opened access” to the Minor Orders of Lector and Acolyte for women. Held exclusively by men since apostolic times, these orders were “suppressed” after Vatican II and reduced to merely functionary roles at parishes across the globe. These roles were often filled by women after that point, given the exodus of virile heterosexual males who could no longer bear the singalong. Read more of that story here, or at Vatican News here.

And, in continued obeisance to King Covid, a Note on Ash Wednesday was just released from the Vatican, calling for muzzles on all Catholic priests for Ash Wednesday, along with the sprinkling of ashes rather than signing penitents with that ancient sacramental. It can’t even be called an imposition anymore… maybe a showering? a peppering?

So…

Given that the revisionist Book of Blessings directs that “this rite may be celebrated by a priest or deacon who may be assisted by lay ministers in the distribution of the ashes” (n. 1659), might the neighborhood Novus Ordo parish expect an Ash-Sprinkling Lectress this February?

But of course!

Seems like a good year to have your weapons blessed.

And Bravo the Restoration!

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UPDATE: A reader points out that the sprinkling of ashes is not of itself a rupture with tradition, as it both appears in Scripture, and the Dominican use has long employed this method. With a facemask, at arms’ length, and by a woman? Not so much.