I'm Not Jealous, Really I'm Not...

...Well, ok, maybe I am a bit jealous, just a teensy-weensy bit.

The invitations to the official Vatican Blogmeet (it doesn't qualify as a "Blognic" IMHO, because there's no food or drink involved... unlike the *Other* Catholic Rome Blognic) have been published for all to see. It seems that, after selecting a few bloggers as representative of certain areas, they just picked the names out of a hat.

And quite a few of the bloggers are on my own blogroll! Ok, I'm not a teensy-weensy bit jealous, I am very, very jealous...

Congratulations must go to Anna Arco (the Catholic Herald's chief feature writer), the Reluctant Sinner, the Crescat (who really does deserve to go - she was due to go to Rome last year only that unpronounceable volcano went and put the kybosh on it by erupting... and it pretty much closed Europe!), Mary O'Regan (The Path Less Taken), the Ironic Catholic (that's sooooo unfair - she stopped blogging for Lent!) Jane Mossendew (Thoughts from a Catholic Oasis) and James Bradley (Ordinariate Portal).

Hilary White also seems to have snuck in under the wire, much to her surprise... just as well the *Other* Catholic Rome Blognic is the day after!!

I'm really, really, very jealous indeed...

Happy Birthday, Holy Father!

Pope Benedict XVI is 84 today. Ad multos annos!

I was looking through a few of my previous posts about the Holy Father when I found this video, and I think it bears watching again. Enjoy!

Confession

Thanks to Fr. Ray Blake for drawing attention to this very moving video clip about Confession. I was watching it and thinking that the lack of sound made a very powerful statement... and then I realised that my computer was on mute! Nevertheless, it really hits home...

A Fantastic Film And An Even Better True Story...

The film, The Scarlet and the Black, is a gripping tale of heroic action and intrigue set in the Second World War, when the Nazis occupied Rome. Gregory Peck plays Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty, a priest in the Holy Office, who helps hundreds of allied servicemen and Jewish civilians escape.



The film is stirring enough, but it's even more so when you realise that it's based on a true story. Check out Stephen Walker's fascinating article in the Catholic Herald.

Guild Of Catholic Bloggers - Planning Meeting

The Reluctant Sinner is really getting up a head of steam. A meeting is being organised for Saturday May 7th, from 2:00-4:00pm - the Sinner will be providing tea and coffee from 1pm if people want to bring their sandwiches.

The meeting will be held in the Hinsley Room next to Westminster Cathedral - it's a stand-alone building behind St Paul's Bookshop and St Vincent's School, on Morpeth Terrace.

Sadly, I'll be busy that day, but if you can attend, then do leave a comment in the Reluctant Sinner's combox.

One Mantilla Does Not A Traddy Make...

...Heheheheh... It seems that one has to have a spare in the glove compartment. I have two. Does that make me an uber-trad?

"The women have an extra mantilla in the van - just in case. The men have an opinion on the best type of pipe tobacco for any occasion. The boys have their own cassock and surplice hanging in the closet. The girls know how to play Dies Irae on the organ. They wear a t-shirt while they go swimming so their brown scapular doesen't float away. They're willing to drive an hour to go to Mass... every Sunday. 

They know the confession times of at least 4 churches. They invite priests over to play cards and smoke cigars. They pray to saints that you think may not really exist. They ask you to finish the sentence when you say "John Paul the Great"... the great what? They might own a live chicken. When they're at a Novus Ordo Mass, everyone watches them to figure out why they're hitting themselves during the "Lamb of God"."

Clifford, over at Ecce Homo has scored himself an "A" on the Trad Scale found by The Rockin Traddy and drawn up by The Reluctant Traditionalist and Wholly Roamin Catholic.

Do you get the impression that I've been having a little holiday fun checking out some new (to me) blogs?

Just one question: What's a tinfoil hat joke?

A Bloggers' Guild...?

It seems that the two Rome Blognics are bearing fruit already. The Reluctant Sinner thought that it might be a good idea to have a Guild for Catholic Bloggers, under the patronage of Blessed Titus Brandsma.

I don't agree that one should limit membership to Britain, however. After all, the Blogosphere is not bound by geographical limits - and, if one is planning to have a Bloggers' Guild, then presumably we can make use of technology to overcome the need for an actual corporeal presence at meetings (heheheheheh!) The *Other* Catholic Rome Blognic will put virtual attendance to the test. It is certainly getting plenty of attention.

Perhaps there can be local branches of the Guild...

Anyway, pop on over to register your interest in the Guild!

UPDATE: It seems as if the news of a Guild for Bloggers has hit the Catholic Herald - check out William Oddie's excellent article.

Feline Foibles...

My cat posts appear to be quite popular, so I shall continue with the occasional update...

Miaowrini really likes the great outdoors. More specifically, she likes going out and coming back in... and then going back out again. I haven't been able to work out whether she's busy playing tag with some of the neighbouring cats or if she's being chicken... Either way, the catflap is clattering almost constantly.

I occasionally call her in, just to see if she's ok, and she'll shoot in at high speed, possibly acknowledge my existence, check to see if there's anything new going on (such as food) and then depart at equally high speed. I occasionally hear a bit of a thump and some scrabbling which indicates that Miaowrini hasn't quite managed to jump up as cleanly as she'd like - she really is the clumsiest kitten I've ever encountered.

Furretti, on the other hand, is much more laid back. She doesn't go back and forth quite as much as Miaowrini. The sound of me opening the front door to go out usually results in her returning through the flap - almost as if she's only comfortable exploring if she knows I'm around. She does go out on her own (she was out when I came home yesterday afternoon) but she also likes to snooze inside. Preferably on top of any paperwork I'm trying to do.

I had a bit of a panic this morning. Furretti had used the litter-tray and had a bit of stuff sticking to her fur. I grabbed some paper to clean her up, and found traces of blood on the paper. She was lively enough - purring and happy to be given the extra attention, and then not so happy when I attempted to wash her bottom, she'd been eating well (but not excessively) and didn't appear to be in any discomfort, but...

I phoned the vet. It seems that it might be the change in diet (I had to switch to a different brand of cat biscuits because the brand I usually use was out of stock), or it could be worms. I have to get some worming stuff. Fortunately for my fingers there's a type in drop form that can be squeezed onto the back of the cat's neck. And I have to keep Furretti under observation.

Fingers crossed it's nothing serious...

A Coffee-Spluttering Moment...

The Catholic Herald is great. One of the bloggers for the online edition is Francis Philips, and while reading her article today on the corrected translation, one bit made me splutter coffee over my keyboard:

"I am dispirited by his peddling the dreary phrase, "the spirit of the Second Vatican Council", as if that dubious and elusive spectre has anything to do with the workings of the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t; the sooner it is buried with a stake through its heart and garlic round the doorposts, the better."

I Wasn't Going To Blog About Blognics, But...

Bones has put up the Rome Reports video clip about the Vatican's conference for bloggers, and Fr. Tim posted his translation of the notice which went out inviting bloggers to the event. I share Jane's frustration about the short notice: it seems that the Vatican officials figured that, since many bloggers would possibly be in Rome for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, it would be a good time to hold the conference. Actually, I think that many bloggers will be blogging on the beatification from the comfort of their own homes... the bunfight for flights and hotel rooms around the time of the beatification doesn't bear thinking about.

In addition, there's no guarantee that you'll get a ticket. They've limited the event to 150 seats. Fr. Z has pointed out that the rules for selection of the lucky attendees appear to be a little unclear...

Hilary White wondered whether the application process might be being carried out with a view to excluding the more outspoken bloggers. She decided to hold an alternative event: the *other* Catholic Blogger Rome Blognic. You can find out more on the Facebook Event Page. It seems that there will be a couple of talks, and Michael Voris (who does The Vortex on Real Catholic TV) has agreed to speak. THAT is a definite coup. Beer and pizza will also feature. That already marks the event out as streets ahead of the official Vatican one.This has provoked thoughts of bank robbery to flit enticingly through my mind (because that is the only way I would be able to get to Rome.) Through heroic effort, I have rejected such temptations, and am now weeping and wailing and generally bemoaning my misfortune.

A glimmer of hope has been waved in my general direction. Hilary has promised that there might be Skype or some such techno-wizardry which will enable those of us not corporeally present to be present in a bit more than spirit.