A Cat-o-lick Dilemma...

As I have said, I am out for long periods during the day, and I don't want Monsignor Furretti to get lonely and bored - the flat will be trashed in a fortnight if I leave her completely alone. My initial plan - get two kittens from the same litter - was basically foiled when Catzinger croaked. Today I went to see if I could find a friend for Furretti.

I managed to find a cat of roughly the same age - not as easy as I'd have thought - and brought her home today. She's a black and white shorthair, very cute to look at, but she is incredibly timid. Every time I try and approach her, she shies away. In fact, she gets pretty nervous if I even turn to look at her, and scoots behind the armchair out of sight. I'd be happy to let her take her time, but she is wandering around, miaowing in a very plaintive manner, probably crying for her own litter-mates.

Anyway, this little kitty is another female. Her back paws are white "socks" while her front paws have a few white toes each. She has a white nose and muzzle, but a black chin, and a white bib on the front of her chest. She is about four months old, I think - just a little younger than Furretti.

Meanwhile, Furretti is throwing a strop. She is fascinated by the new arrival, but growls, hisses and spits in a most unwelcoming, antisocial way each time she approaches the newcomer. The hackles are definitely up, and battle will probably commence when I'm trying to get my much-needed beauty sleep.

I know, I know... it just needs time and patience...

I haven't come up with a suitable name. I had considered Catzinger II, but this kitty really doesn't look like a Catzinger. Cardinal Miaowro Piacenza was His Hermeneuticalness' suggestion, or Monsignor Guido Miaowrini was another of my ideas.

I've decided that I need to open it up to the com-box. Ground rules are simple - I don't want a name that could be considered a "real" person's name (like George, or Thomas) and it must be distinct from Furretti.

Thinking caps on, people...

Bishop Gene Robinson To Retire...

According to the report on the excellent LifeSite News, Episcopalian bishop Gene Robinson has announced he will be retiring "due to the strain of the controversy."

Ah, diddums...

Felix Fidei Defensor...?

It appears that Monsignor Furretti has taken her blessing seriously...

I had a copy of The Catholic Times which I had been looking at purely because I wanted to see if Monsignor Basil Loftus had really written an article stating that Christ's presence after the Resurrection wasn't a physical presence but a spiritual one. (He had.) This was before Fr. Finigan's excellent blog post on the subject... and it pretty much said everything I was thinking (and more) so I never got around to publishing my own post.

I also had a copy of The Remnant, which I get from Tom, one of our visiting schola members.

Monsignor Furretti, in one of the mad half-hours common to all kittendom, threw both papers onto the floor, examined them, and promptly shredded The Catholic Times, leaving The Remnant intact. I happened to tweet the event, and was told "Photos, or it didn't happen!"

So...

Red Maria thought Monsignor Loftus might consider issuing a writ against Monsignor Furretti... 

Towards Advent...

Last Saturday saw the tenth Towards Advent Festival of Catholic Culture at Westminster Cathedral Hall.

Despite having wanted to support this excellent event in previous years, I've always been doing something else, so I was delighted to realise that I could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and pop in en route to the Latin Mass Society's Annual Requiem.

I had intended to drive to North Greenwich and take the tube in to Central London... however, in the end, I decided to keep driving all the way to Victoria. I made excellent time - managing to miss some major demonstration or other which was due to close Parliament Square for most of the afternoon. Finding a place to park proved a little tricky. In desperation, I parked on a single yellow line, praying that it meant the same in Westminster as everywhere else (ie. restricted until 12noon on Saturdays - it was 1pm) and started hopping along the side of the Cathedral on my way to the hall.

I then spotted a free parking space which hadn't been there two minutes before when I had driven past. I was in a bit of a quandary... Should I go back and move my car to the better parking space (risking someone else swiping it while I tried), and maybe losing the space I already had, or should I stay put? While I hovered, Fr. Nicholas Schofield greeted me. This was just too good an opportunity to miss, and I begged him to guard the space for me, while I hopped back to my car. When I eventually got myself parked, Fr. Schofield told me he'd had to chase off two prospective space-snatchers!

I had deliberately brought coins for the parking meter. Alas, I realised that the meter in question was one of the new card-only ones... and I didn't have my cards with me. Just as I was about to panic, a friend from Blackfen, Wendy, turned up with her boys (the boys were going to serve at the Requiem Mass later) and offered to pay with her card... upon which we discovered that parking there was free at weekends, so we were both happy!

The Festival appeared to be going really well, and was extremely busy with people buying Christmas cards, Advent calendars, gifts, books and so on. I went round the stalls, asking if I could take photos, and chatting to various people I recognised, or who recognised me!

The Catholic Herald had a stall, and lots of people were stopping to chat and to collect a free newspaper... I felt a minor pang of sympathy for the poor soul manning The Suppository's stall - most people seemed to walk past very quickly, with eyes averted. It was only a minor pang... and not enough to make me want to stop or take a photo...

I was very pleased to meet, at long last, the incomparable Daphne McLeod who does such sterling work in defence of the family.

Fr. Clifton was at the second-hand bookstall, looking pretty chirpy despite the recent kerfuffle over his blog. It was good to hear that he wouldn't be giving up blogging completely.

To my delight and utter amazement, there was a stall selling items made from the Papal Tartan - the St. Ninian Tartan - and, since they'd sold out of scarves, and I don't go in for wearing ties, I got myself a pashmina... The chap on the stall didn't want to appear on the blog just yet, as he's only just starting his apostolate part time... (I didn't behead him accidentally, I wanted to show off his tie!) However, I shall give him a plug when the time comes.

I spotted Sir Dan of the Nesbitry on duty at the Faith Movement's stall, along with Joe Kelly, another good friend. Sir Dan was keen to know if I'd seen him on His Hermeneuticalness' blog following his latest Rome trip. Of course I had!

SPUC had a stall selling their excellent "proper" Christmas cards... I really dislike Christmas cards with reindeer, Santa, trees and whatnot, which ignores the whole point of Christmas - ie. the birth of Christ. I can tolerate angels (they feature heavily in the story, after all) and wise men and stars (even though they are a little later on in the narrative.) Anyhow, you can still order proper Christmas cards through the SPUC shop website.

Sadly, I didn't have as much time at the Festival as I'd have liked, because I wanted to get to the LMS Requiem Mass in the Cathedral... hopefully I'll get more time next year! Congratulations to all those involved.

Apologies...

I have been neglecting the blogs - both my own and others. I haven't been that much more busy of late, but it is extraordinarily difficult to type with one hand while holding a kitten in the other. Monsignor Furretti keeps slipping off my lap, and I am tired of getting scratched to ribbons when she attempts to stay in position. As I am out all day, it seems a bit mean to ignore her when I finally arrive home!

So far I have been unsuccessful in finding a suitable companion for her.

His Hermeneticalness doesn't want to lose his street cred by posting cat pictures - other than Pushkin of the Birmingham Oratory. However, he emailed me the ones he took after blessing Furretti...