Fr. Carota on the Phoenix priest attacks June 18, 2014
Posted by Tantumblogo in awesomeness, Basics, Four Last Things, General Catholic, Glory, Grace, Interior Life, Latin Mass, priests, Tradition, Virtue.trackback
Another favorite priest of mine, although I’ve never met him, is Fr. Peter Carota. He took a bit of time to start covering the unprovoked and dastardly attacks on the priests in Phoenix, but he’s really made up for it since. I had not been to his site since last Thursday, when I don’t think he had any posts on this atrocity, and then I went by last night and found just oodles.
One in particular is very good (images also taken from Fr. Carota’s site):
While offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, [for the repose of Fr. Walker’s soul] the whole idea of the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary, re-made present at that Requiem Mass, really became evident. I could not help thinking about his death, but also his sacrificial life as a traditional Catholic priest while he lived.
We priest are called to be Alter Christus and Victim Souls with the One and Only High Priest, Jesus Christ. Every time we offer the sacrifice of the Holy Mass, we are to offer our lives, in union with Jesus, for the salvation of souls. That means we are to literally suffer with Jesus, in His passion, to save others.
At the consecration, the priest says: “This is My Body”, “This is My Blood”, because it is Jesus, in us,
offering Himself to the Father for the salvation of souls and forgiveness of sins. We priests are truly acting in “Persona Christi”, the person of Jesus Christ. For this reason we do not say: “Jesus said this is My Body”, or “Jesus said this is My Blood”.
As a selfish, spoiled priest, I abhor suffering and avoid it. But I also know that I am “supposed to” live a sacrificial life with Jesus, like all the saints taught and lived. I know I am suppose to be a living victim with Jesus, for the forgiveness of sins and the winning of souls.
Fr. Walker, as a traditional priest, was trained in the traditional understanding of the Holy Priesthood. He knew what it meant to be a priest. I am sure his family can tell you, his classmates from Seminary can tell you and Fr. Terra can tell you, he correctly understood the gravity of being a Catholic priest. He was shot and died wearing his priestly Cassock. [And Fr. Terra has wondered if he were not perhaps shot because of his cassock. Fr. Terra’s memory is far from clear due to his terrible injuries, but this was related in an interview he gave to a Phoenix TV station. While not looking to attack priests, per se’, this deranged man was almost certainly under demonic influence and it could have been an unthinking reaction. Fr. Walker was shot multiple time, with a .357 Magnum, one of the more powerful handgun rounds.]
Hopefully all priests are as prepared as Fr. Walker was to die. He actually died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. When the paramedics opened up his collar to work on him to see if they could save him, the saw the scapular and medals around his neck. [Praise God. I am certain Our
Lady honored the promise She has made regarding wearing the Scapular]
I have often said that when I die, I want to leave a huge wake behind my life and death. Thanks be to God, Fr. Walker has left a huge holy wake of traditional Catholicism behind his life and death. His death is being reported in the news all over the world. May each one of you, who are reading this, meditate on the way you may die and what you would like to leave behind. Hopefully people will see how you lived your Catholic faith, remember your good deeds and still feel your love……
…. If one soul is saved by the death of Fr. Walker, his life was well worth it. St. Maria Goretti’s mother adopted the man who murdered her, as a son, after his conversion. He was present at the Vatican when she was canonized.
That’s a really beautiful reflection. One of several on Fr. Carota’s site, which I encourage you to check out. And I 
think much good is already coming of this attack. The TLM, the great virtues of traditional priests, witness to traditional priestly and religious lives – all have been broadcast the world over. As have the fantastic witness of some very faithful souls.
As Fr. Carota mentioned above, he had only just offered a Holy Requiem Missa Cantata for his dear departed mother. It is such a great blessing to have so many priests loving and offering the great Mass of All Ages. It is easy for newcomers like me to overlook the great improvements that have been experienced in the past few years. However, we also have to recognize that the Mass and those who love it have many enemies, and that the situation in the Church remains very far from ideal. We have an endless supply of things to implore of our Blessed Lord.
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What do you make of the news that it was Fr. Terra’s gun? I am no advocate for gun control by any means, but I can’t help but think if things may have turned out differently if he hadn’t had it. Just something I’ve been pondering.
I have read several similar opinions. Given the level of beating that Fr. Terra got, I think it’s a miracle that either survived, gun or no. That guy was obviously on such a meth rage bender he was capable of anything. No gun, and perhaps Fr. Walker survives, but it’s just as likely he’s beaten to death with a pipe. No way of telling.
A reader and close associate of Michael Voris asked if maybe priests should not have guns. To me, this situation says the opposite. Many/most priests should have them. In this case, a surprise attack on Fr. Terra incapacitated him so he couldn’t operate the gun. He has already lost his index finger on his shooting hand. That was broken if not later amputated. Under different circumstances, perhaps with the gun, he prevents Fr. Walker from being injured at all. This was a freak event. Usually, someone doesn’t so get the jump on someone that they make the gun a moot factor.
When I first saw Fr. Terra’s bandaged hands in the pictures of the funeral, I prayed he had not lost any of his “canonical digits”. But if, as you say, he has lost an index finger, he will not be able to offer Holy Mass again, unless he receives a special dispensation.
In either case, the very fact that Father’s hands were seriously harmed inclines me to suspect with you that the attacker was under demonic influence.
Let us continue to pray fervently for Father Terra.
Fr. Terra said he lost part of one finger. He also had other broken fingers. I should have stated this more carefully. I did not even think about the fact that losing index finger or thumb could make offering Mass difficult to impossible. So I pray he did not lose the function of those digits.
From the photo I saw, his right hand was clobbered. I am 90% sure Fr. Terra is right handed.
I wondered the same thing about the firearm. But I think both men would have been severely beaten, and beaten likely to death, with or without the firearm. Fr. Terra wrestled with this question with a priest friend of mine… He did not take this lightly. He is a darn good fighter, not sure at all that Fr. Walker would have been able to fight off the meth rage the way Fr. Terra was able to. I am somewhat surprised that the anti-gun folks have not seized on to this angle of the story…. But then perhaps they do not want any more publicity about these good, holy men….
Okay. Thanks for your thoughts! I am curious if the MSM will pick up on that fact and try and run with it for the pro-gun control angle. Maybe the fact that it would bring more positive light to a traditional Catholic priest means they will ignore it.
Hah! :-). Just saw your post…. We are both thinking the same thing. 🙂
St. Isaac Jogues received a special dispensation from the Pope to offer Mass with his mutilated hands. Surely the same will happen for Fr. Terra.
Father Carota was attending to his mother’s funeral when that night he heard of the shooting. He had a bit on his plate then, as he was also very concerned that relatives would flip out when he offered the Mass for his mother in the Old Rite. Seems when he did this for his parents 70th wedding anniversary an uncle, who is also his godfather, had an outburst in Church. So if Father Carota was not first in reporting on the issue there are reasons. You can read all about this on his website.
JMJ
I understand the reasons. From the point of view of the post, they didn’t really matter. What mattered was that he now had a whole bunch of great stuff to reflect one.
The entire Requiem Mass (both) for Fr. Walker is up on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIO-b0BHHmg (Father Eric Flood)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lH9gUxx9a0 (Father Peter Carota)