Word on the street is that Rome is preparing a serious prohibition of the Old Rite. Something with more canonical teeth than the last go-round.

This should come as no surprise. Remember: “The two forms cannot coexist.”

But, why thank God for this?

First, recall that AntiChurch forces will stop at nothing to suppress right worship. The Enemy hates it above all earthly things; and so long as the old boy has any ecclesiastical, civil, or popular apparatus in his hands, he will use them to oppose, diminish, destroy it.

And he’ll continue enjoying a royal time of it, as long as devout Catholics wring their hands and do nothing, crying “holy obedience!” as they bow to the enemies of Christ sitting High Atop the Thing. It’s really rather clever to have convinced the (statistically few) practicing Catholics of our time that there’s only one Beatitude anymore: “Blessed are the Compliant, for They Shall Be Safe.”

(Perhaps another read of True Obedience is in order.)

In any event, Thanks be to God if He permits further decrees aiming to suppress Tradition. For, as Credo plainly recalls:

Why does God permit the devil to tempt and afflict men? To purify and strengthen the just, who gain merit by their combat. (1.614)

As any extant ecclesiastical datapoint shows, Catholics have, on the whole, grown weak and flabby for want of “purity and strength” in any number of ways. If the other shoe does drop on the TLM, make no mistake: It will be the work of Our Lady.

Not because she hopes we will meekly suffer such deprivations in quiet resignation—as if the sacrilegious suppression of divine rites were the positive will of God!—but rather, because she knows that at least some will rise to the occasion. She, at least, believes in her men.

…In her bishops, no longer willing to ignore or carry water for the New Paradigm.

…In her priests, who love their Lord and their own spiritual children enough to oppose the unreasonable, unjust, and unholy violations of the rights of God and His faithful in the sanctuary.

…In her devoted laymen, no longer able to endure insults and violence to her honor, or to that of her Son, or their own rightful patrimony.

We should thank God for any opportunity to be found worthy to suffer for His Name (cf. Acts 5:41). Perhaps Catholic men will even esto vir a little bit.

Bravo the Restoration!