Heheheheh...

It's silly-season Friday here at Mulier Fortis...

Mantilla-twitch to A Thorn in the Pew.

Internet Crash...

Can you imagine the reaction if this really did happen? I get twitchy just being unable to access blogs while at work...


Twitch of the mantilla to Mark.

So Very Sad...

Fr. Ray Blake has a post on the state of things at the Venerable English College in Rome - unfortunately, it seems that all is not as it should be. It would appear that the powers-that-be at the VEC are stuck in a time-warp somewhere around the 1970s, and they refuse to recognise that the students welcome a more traditional approach to their formation, and still less do they acknowledge the authority of the Holy Father.

For example, the English College students are allowed to wear a cassock for ceremonies outside of the college but not in it.

I can hardly believe how ridiculous this rule is. Pope John Paul II instructed all students in Rome to wear clerical dress when they went out in public. How much more should they be allowed (note I say "allowed" and not "forced") to wear traditional priestly garb for major ceremonies in the College (or anywhere else?) The enforcement of an arbitrary ban of this sort encourages an attitude of disobedience towards one's superiors (if not actual disobedience) which is hardly the sort of attitude one would wish to foster in men training for the sacred priesthood.

This completely ludicrous approach was compounded by the extremely ill-mannered instruction to guests at a recent ordination not to wear a cassock.

Really, how crass is this instruction? If a priest normally wears a cassock for celebrating Mass, then why should he not wear one to an Ordination? Presumably there wasn't any attempt to check whether all priests and deacons were wearing clerical collars, (or even any clerical attire) under their albs? Perhaps someone could enlighten me as to numbers of priests in "mufti" who were turned away from the Ordination...

I would also be interested to know whether the people who thought up this "dress-down" code also issue instructions to female members of the congregation who wear either unsuitably short skirts, indecently low tops or very little around the midriff (or occasionally a combination thereof) to dress more appropriately for Sunday Mass?

...somehow I doubt it.

Not Good...

I am not the happiest of bunnies... I tried to buy a book online earlier (a new Chemistry book, as I think I need to do some extra reading over the Summer) and got a message back from Amazon telling me that the transaction had been declined. I wasn't too happy, but Amazon had had a few glitches during the day, and I didn't think anything more of it.

I then went to a cash machine on my way home. After one (correct) PIN number entry, the machine spat the card back out at me, saying that too many incorrect PIN numbers had been tried, and that the card was declined. Alarm bells started going off in my head...

I rang the bank. The operator asked if I wanted a new PIN to unblock the card. No, I explained, I wanted to know why the card had been blocked in the first place. I was told that I had entered the incorrect PIN number too many times. I told the operator that I jolly well had not put in the wrong number, not even once. She then told me that the card must have been blocked by a faulty machine, and that a new PIN number would be all I needed to get the card working again.

I was starting to get a little frustrated by this point. I felt that she wasn't actually listening to what I was saying, but was reading from a prepared script. I pointed out that I hadn't used a machine until this evening, after the card had been blocked (illustrated by my declined Amazon purchase.) After first trying to fob me off with the claim that she couldn't tell why the card had been blocked, she then changed her tune and said that someone in Scarborough had tried to pay for items using the card, but the PIN had been incorrect, and the card had then been blocked. So, now did I want a new PIN number to be issued?

With difficulty, I explained that I was very concerned about the integrity of the card - if I asked for a new PIN, surely the person with the cloned card had a possibility of getting the correct PIN number, by pure chance. There was also the problem of the internet... no-one asks for a PIN number online, just the card number. And what if they tried to sign for stuff using my card...?

No, no... I was being unreasonable. My card had to be used with the correct PIN. They would give me a new PIN. I pointed out (again) that the PIN wasn't needed for online purchases. I was reassured that the card had been blocked, and wouldn't work until I got the new PIN. I pointed out (again, with less patience) that PIN numbers were not used online, and one I activated my new PIN, the toe-rag with the cloned card could start shopping again...

Eventually, the operator handed me over to her supervisor. She checked the online purchases, and nothing untoward had gone out in the past couple of weeks. And to prevent the card being mis-used when I get my new PIN, I'm going to get a new card as well, just to be on the safe side...

However, I shall also make a little trip to my nearest branch and make my displeasure known!

Summorum Pontificum Celebrations Continued...

Another video celebrating the liberalisation (never thought I'd be pleased to hear that word!!) of the extraordinary form of the Mass. Not quite as funny as Fr. Tim's original, but Fr. Stephen Fisher has produced an amusing and entertaining follow-up! I particularly like the circus music...


Mantilla-twitch to Mark for spotting this one!

Anyone Interested...?

Ma Beck has alerted us to the fact that Lumen Gentleman is collecting a database of people who are interested in attending/saying Mass in the extraordinary form. I suspect that it is designed to confound one or two sceptical souls who insist that there is no call for it in their neck of the woods. There are several different countries represented, so pop on over and leave your name. The more the merrier... (There does seem to be a slight hiccough with the "State" for addresses in the UK, but hopefully they'll get ironed out soon.)