A Night At The Opera...

Well, technically it was a night out for the choir at Bluewater's Showcase Cinema. However, the "film" we went to see was actually a live satellite broadcast of the New York Met Opera's performance of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda.

Leutgeb had suggested and then organised the trip. Annie Elizabeth volunteered to act as driver for anyone who wished to leave the car at home (like me!). His Hermeneuticalness led the hissing (for Elizabeth and Cecil) and the applause (for Mary Stuart) and, later on, Zephyrinus charmed one of the waitresses at Café Rouge with his knowledge of Hungarian (I think it was Hungarian, but he speaks so many languages it's hard to tell...)

It was a wonderful performance. It was my first experience of the bel canto style, and I found it very powerful. I did wonder what it must have been like for the two sopranos when they were belting out their lines cheek-to-cheek! I was also rather amused to note that a contentious line in the opera (which Italian censors at the time had found objectionable - I think it was the bit where Mary calls Elizabeth a "vile bastard") was sung, but not subtitled. You can read the New York Times' review here.

During the interval (I did point out that it was a live broadcast) there were interviews with the main characters, which provided a fascinating insight into the roles. Joshua Hopkins (Cecil) tried to defend his character's behaviour, saying that he just wanted what was best for England. That cut no ice with us - he was definitely the villain of the piece.

Fantastic sets, wonderful costumes, brilliant acting and superb music. I can't wait for the next choir outing!

Ooberfuse's World Youth Day Song...

About a month ago, I blogged about Ooberfuse and the fact that they wanted volunteers to go to North Greenwich Tube Station to dance for their official music video for Rio 2013.

I've been watching out for the result, and the video is promised soon... but the song itself is rather catchy, so I'm putting it up early...

Well, you can't really dance to Gregorian chant, and Haugen, Inwood & co. just don't cut the mustard in the catchy tunes department...

Even More Busy...

Still very busy at work. But being a Science teacher has a few perks... such as the opportunity to gross out the children. I will be doing this one (for real) with my Year 8s - they're about 12-13 years old - which should prove entertaining...

The Call To Arms...

The news of the letter (published in the Daily Telegraph) to Mr. David Cameron from 1000 Roman Catholic priests protesting against his foolish proposal to redefine marriage really encouraged me. The seriousness of such a redefinition has indeed acted as a wake-up call to many. It is abundantly clear that this proposal is a direct attack against religious freedom, and people are realising that we have to make a stand.

You can read some more responses by Damian Thompson, Fr. Ray Blake, Fr. Tim Finigan, John Smeaton and Protect the Pope. I'm sure that there have been others that I've missed, and there will be many more in the next few days.

Thank God for the many priests and bishops who have signed the letter. I'm sure that there are many more who would have signed if the timescale had not been so short. Have a look at the letter, and have a look here to see if your parish priest has signed. If he has, do be sure to thank him for his act of witness, and encourage him to continue to speak out. Remember, he may shortly find himself in prison for daring to state the truths of the Faith.

Busy, Busy, Busy...!

The start of a new term has hit me with the force of a large brick smacked against the side of my head...

Nevertheless, I was delighted to be able to hear Dawn Eden's talk when she visited Our Lady of the Rosary, Blackfen on Monday night. She gave a very moving talk on how devotion to the saints had helped her overcome the wounds of sexual abuse, and explained how the saints are actually a way in which God shows his love for us, rather than, as many Protestants believe, a way of leading people away from God.

I got a signed copy of Dawn's book, My Peace I Give You, and I'm really looking forward to reading it... unfortunately that treat is on the back-burner until things get quieter at work.

I was a little tired on Monday (though probably nowhere near as tired as Dawn herself: her talk in Blackfen was her second one of the day) partly because of my start-of-term fear of oversleeping, partly because of the shock to my system after the two-week break, and partly because I had developed a stinking cold. Even so, I was absolutely determined to get a photo of myself with Dawn, and persuaded His Hermeneuticalness to take a photo of us both...

What? Well, you didn't really think I'd allow myself to appear without my mantilla, did you? And Dawn said she'd brought hers along specially...

Do go over and read Dawn's blogs - she has two: The Dawn Patrol (a more personal blog, I think) and Feast of Eden (a blog which focuses more on saints and spiritual healing).

Those Twelve Days Of Christmas...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me... the following delivery dispatch note.

Secret Santa Enterprises, Inc.
North Pole Science Park

Dear Madam,

Thank you very much for your order, received 25 December 2012. Our Dispatches Department has had a few problems in fulfilling your requirements, and it is with regret that I have to inform you that the items you requested cannot be sent at this time.

Item: Partridge/Pear Tree Combo (1) The partridge is a ground-nesting bird, and has refused to consider arboreal transportation of any kind. It is also not the correct time of year to uproot pear trees, which are very susceptible to frost.

Item: Turtle Doves (1 pair) We did have one pair of turtle doves. Unfortunately there was a slight misunderstanding in the Cookery Department (Cook was very tipsy after a few pre-prandial sherries, and she's reading Alice in Wonderland at the moment!), and the turtle doves were mistakenly converted into a mock-turtle-dove soup. You will, I am sure, be comforted to know that the soup was excellent.

Item: Hens, French (3) The delivery of this item has been delayed by a dispute by lorry drivers at Calais. I can assure you that you would not have enjoyed this item, as the eggs generally smell of garlic and onions, with a certain je ne sais quoi sometimes identified as Galoises and felt berets.

Item: Birds, Calling (4) There was a slight misunderstanding here when the Chief Packer misread the delivery schedule, and attempted to send four call girls... fortunately the error was detected in time. As soon as the birds have been trained to use the latest in Nokia handsets, we will be sending them along to you.

Item: Rings, 24 Carat (5) Unfortunately, our stock of rings has been sorely depleted due to the depredations of a certain individual, last seen riding a white horse in the vicinity of Banbury Cross. She was described as a "fine lady," but, actually, must be a bit of a Chav to wear rings on all of her fingers...

Item: Geese, a-laying (6) Not much chance with this item either. Geese have proved very popular this Christmas (must be a new recipe out by Delia) and you won't be able to get your paws on one, a-laying or otherwise, for love nor money.

Item: Swans, Swimming (7) Madam, I do believe that you are, as they say, "extracting the urine." Swans are the property of the Crown, and while I might have been able to find one on the QT, seven is pushing your luck. Added to which is the problem of transportation. I mean, have you considered the size of one of those blighters? Some of them have a wingspan of six feet, and how, exactly, you were expecting us to be able to find a water tank large enough to accommodate all of them without drawing down the wrath of the animal rights lobby for cruel and inhumane transportation of live swans totally escapes me.

Item: Maids, Milking (8) Due to the latest edict of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries (or whatever they're calling themselves this week) movement of livestock and all unnecessary movement of farm workers has been banned. Milkmaids are farm workers according to EU directive 21478/07. Blame blue tongue and foot-in-mouth disease... well, wouldn't you have a blue tongue if you put your foot in your mouth? I suppose it might be red tongue if you changed the colour of your socks...

Item: Dancing Ladies (9) I'm afraid that we're right out of dancing ladies as well. King Herod put in a bulk order back in June (he got the taste for that sort of thing after his niece did a demo) and stocks have not been replenished.

Item: Lords, Leaping (10) Don't hold your breath. From what I've seen on the Parliamentary Channel, you'd be lucky to get a couple of the old codgers to attend anything, and they'd be pretty moribund. Not inclined to leap. Sleep, yes. Leaping is definitely a no-go area. The insurance wouldn't cover it. Health and Safety. Someone might have a heart attack.

Item: Pipers (11) Have you taken complete leave of your senses, woman?? Have you ever actually heard anyone play the bagpipes?? It's the most ghastly din imaginable... and then to request eleven of the wretched things. No, please believe me, I have your best interests at heart when I say that this item has been discontinued.

Item: Drummers (12) Well, we could possibly dig up Phil Collins, and that chap from Queen... but twelve might be a bit difficult. Maybe you'd prefer a nice tambourine...
Once again, sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused. We look forward to receiving your order next year.

Yours faithfully,
S. Claus.
Packaging & Delivery Section.

Yes, I'm afraid I rehashed this from 2007, but since I thought it was amusing, I decided to post it again!

Blackfen's Liturgy Committee Meeting...

Bet you didn't realise that there was a "Liturgy Committee" at Blackfen!

Actually, it's only for the Extraordinary Form Masses, and all that we do is work out when we want the visiting schola or the parish choir (other than Sundays), and which Mass setting would be appropriate. Extra fixtures, such as the Quarant'Ore have to be checked against cricket fixtures and beer festivals. Pretty simple, really.

So that's 2013 sorted.

The Clarion Call...

The British Province of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy has published a briefing paper on same-sex "marriage" which some people might find useful. It covers some of the most common questions we face on the issue, such as "Isn’t the Church just discriminating against gay people?"

The paper also makes it clear that:

"The Church calls on every Catholic, in conscience, to a clear and emphatic opposition to such proposals, [supporting SSM] and a refusal of any formal co-operation should such laws be passed."

Tuesday Tweeting...

The inimitable Fr. Z has suggested that all faithful Catholics who have Twitter accounts should coordinate their tweets to @Pontifex so that we get a trend going (and have a chance of the message actually getting through.)

So, the proposed tweet for Tuesday 1 Jan 2013 is simply @Pontifex Holy Father, I prayed for you today. Happy New Year of the Lord 2013!

Go for it, tweeps!

Happy New Year !

May the Year of Our Lord 2013

bring all my blog readers every blessing and happiness!

Just Another Day...

Sunday doesn't count as "the Lord's Day" because some Christians are happy to work on Sundays.

Well, then, how about you can't say stealing is unacceptable behaviour for humans, because there are rather a few people out there who are happy to steal things from others?

Oh, right. Not quite the same.

Fine. How about noting that some Muslims are happy to work on Fridays, but Friday is still understood as being special for observant Muslims? Or noting that the same applies to observant Jews and Saturdays?

And let's ignore the fact that "Christians" is a rather broad term with regard to the requirements of religious observance...

It might be worth pointing out, however, that when Sunday trading was being introduced, we were assured - nay, promised - that no-one who didn't want to work on Sunday would be forced to do so.

Small wonder that Government "promises" and "assurances" are actually considered to be worth somewhat less than the paper upon which they are written...

I'm with Annie Elizabeth on this one.

One By One...

Archbishop Bernard Longley has become the latest Catholic Bishop to speak out on the issue of same-sex "marriage." He has sent a Pastoral Letter to be read out at all Masses in the Archdiocese of Birmingham for the Feast of the Holy Family. Unfortunately, the letter isn't yet up on the website, so there are only a few snippets in a report by the Daily Telegraph.

I am very encouraged by the fact that, one by one, the Bishops of England & Wales are realising that they cannot remain silent on the issue of the redefinition of marriage. And it is a redefinition - it has absolutely nothing to do with equal rights and discrimination. Civil partnerships provide every legal "equality" that could be asked for... which then begs the question, why?

Why the urgency to push this legislation through, when it wasn't in any Party manifesto? Why are all the possible contenders for Tory party leadership (should Mr. Cameron be rejected) suddenly in favour of the legislation? Why is the success of this legislation so critical that the use of the Parliament Act is being flagged up to dissuade any House of Lords rebellion?

Why is it happening now? And, given that there appears to be support from the leaders of most of the political parties, who, exactly, is pushing for this?

Christmas Toys...

After Rosary & Benediction on Thursday evening, an altar server couldn't resist showing one of his Christmas presents to His Hermeneuticalness...

And, needless to say, "Fr. Gadget" couldn't resist trying it out...

A Missed Opportunity...

Yesterday was the Feast of St. John the Evangelist. Chatting to Annie Elizabeth today, I discovered that we had both missed the opportunity to get our wine supplies blessed. The chaps at Papa Stronsay were much better-prepared, and arranged for the blessing to take place in the refectory...

As Annie Elizabeth pointed out - next year we will bring a whole car boot-full... each...

Midnight Mass At Blackfen...

We were truly blessed to be able to have a Solemn High Mass at midnight on Christmas Eve. The sacristy team had worked tirelessly to decorate the church, and the senior altar servers (particularly Zephyrinus and Matthaeus) had helped to arrange and light candles... I managed to take a few photos before everything started...

The carols started at 11:20pm - with Leutgeb making the whole musical director thing look effortless. The night was truly magical, the sermon moved me to tears, and the Senior MC had arranged mulled wine and mince pies for all the helpers. Unfortunately I was driving, and so had to forego the mulled wine but I was allowed to imbibe the aroma for about three seconds (all that the MC would allow, as he wanted to drink it!)

You can see a few more of the photos over at my Flickr page (yes, I managed to rescue them after all!)

Christmas Capers...

After Midnight Mass, two of the altar servers were very keen to demonstrate how they had managed to sneak their decorated socks past the (usually) eagle-eyed Senior MC.

To be fair, I think that the aforementioned Senior MC had his hands full with the four clerics he was shepherding through the intricacies of Solemn High Mass...

In any case, I think that the two servers were trumped in the sock department by a younger member of the congregation who had what looked like a dog attached to his socks...

Uh-Oh...!

In this technological age, it is very easy to forget the basics. Like the inconvenient fact that things take time to transfer from one machine to another...

I used to take photos on my mobile or camera, then I'd upload them onto my computer using a USB cable. I would convert them to smaller versions for the blog using Photoshop Elements, and save this as a separate folder. I'd often save them on Picasa too. Then I would upload selected photos to Flickr. Time-consuming. But I always had several copies of my photos...

Now, my mobile phone automatically copies my photos onto Dropbox. I then upload copies from Dropbox onto Flickr... Sometimes I will also upload them to my own computer. In theory, everything should be much, much easier...

Unfortunately, I am a very "organised" sort of person. I hate having lots and lots of shortcuts on my desktop. I like folders. Lots and lots of folders. All neatly labelled and arranged. The mobile phone's way of just adding more and more photos to the camera is annoying. I like to group my photos.

So, overnight my mobile uploaded the photos I took during Midnight Mass to Dropbox. And this evening I tried to move all the photos into a folder on Dropbox prior to copying the folder to Flickr. And then, having moved the photos, I proceeded to delete them from my phone...

Only the photos didn't actually appear to have been moved... oops.

I think I deleted them too quickly. Or something like that. Fortunately Dropbox appears to have some sort of experience with klutzy behaviour. I discovered a "restore" button on the website (though not on the downloaded version) so its not quite the catastrophe I first feared...

A Happy Christmas...

Prayers and best wishes to all my blog readers for a happy and holy Christmas...

Photos from Midnight Mass will be posted in due course!

A Christmas Present...

Deo gratias! The Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has finally been given a church! The parish of The Most Precious Blood, Borough, is to be cared for by Fr. Pearson of the Ordinariate.

I have to say that I'm surprised it has taken so long for the Ordinariate to be given a church... in America, the Ordinariate were given a base almost before they'd been formed. I'm also surprised that the Ordinariate haven't been given a church in Westminster... but, hey, Southwark seems to be a little more organised.

I've been to the church in Borough - about 15 years ago. It's very close to London Bridge, so isn't as horrendous a location as it sounds (I mean, who has heard of "Borough"??) and I'm sure that the Ordinariate will be able to do great things there.

UPDATE:  It seems as if the parish hasn't actually been "given" to the Ordinariate, but has just been entrusted to their care. This is really unbelievable - the Ordinariate ought to be given their own church to serve as a base for Monsignor Newton as the Ordinary. The Bishops of England & Wales need to be much more supportive, as they have been encouraged to by the words and example of the Holy Father.

Gaudete !

Yes, slightly late... but the last week and a bit before Christmas is just manic. Anyway, better late than never - you can see a few photos from the Solemn High Mass and a photo from the Carol Service over at the Flickr page.

A Plea From The Heart...

James Preece has pointed out that there is a general rule of thumb when It comes to blog comments. 90% of readers are "lurkers" who show up on stats but never, ever comment. Then there are the 9% who occasionally comment when really exercised about a topic. And the remaining 1% of readers are responsible for the greater proportion of comments... and this can make comments seem very argumentative and inward-looking, because the regular commenters get to know each other...

I don't have very many spats in the combox - my commenters tend to address specific points in the posts rather than having a go at each other. Nevertheless, I can sympathise with James' view: the lurkers are extremely welcome, but just occasionally it is nice to have some sort of a response from a few more of one's readers... so do go over and comment if you have a minute!

Gender Differences...

My car had to go in for its MOT today.

My heart sank when the chap at the garage invited me over to the office to see the paperwork. He was very sweet, and started to go through the list of all the bits and pieces which needed to be addressed. He seemed really keen to explain it all. In detail.

After three items were mentioned, I decided that I could bear it no more. I had to stop him in mid flow. I'm female. And blonde. "Can it be fixed?"

The poor man looked at me as if I were mad. "Oh yes, of course we can fix it..."

Gentlemen, it is a car. A box on wheels. I need it to start, go forward (and back when provoked) and stop. I need to know where the petrol goes... and (I suppose) the oil and water. Anything else is superfluous...

And if you don't believe me, then allow me to explain the intricacies of shopping for clothes...

Advent On The Bandwagon...

Psy has turned out to be a rather unlikely YouTube sensation with his odd dance moves and "Gangnam Style." I'm a bit wary of the video - but the tune is catchy. Someone had the interesting notion of using part of the soundtrack on this video about the meaning of Advent (and Christmas too!)

Twitch of the mantilla to Kate at Australia Incognita... and to Xt3 who made the video, and also a really snazzy interactive Advent Calendar.

A Small Victory...?

It's not much, but it seems that a federal appeals court reinstated two of the top legal challenges to the HHS mandate (more commonly referred to as "Obamacare".) This mandate requires religious employers to pay for drugs that may cause abortions.

The court also ordered the Obama administration to report back every 60 days until it carries out its promise to issue a new rule that protects employers' religious freedom. The Obama administration now has to rewrite the HHS mandate by March 2013.

It would appear that the Americans trust their Government about as much as we Brits trust ours... in other words, about as far as one can throw them with both hands tied behind their backs...

A Little Night Music...

"O Holy Night" is one of my favourite Christmas songs - so it was with a little trepidation that I heard that ooberfuse had done a cover version. I needn't have worried: it sounds really lovely...

I haven't heard how the dance session for the video for World Youth Day 2013 went. I'll post on it as soon as I hear more...

And Now For The Cardinal...

I'm delighted to see that Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has also decided that enough is enough, and has written a scathing letter to the Prime Minister, published in the Daily Telegraph.

I don't actually think Mr. Cameron will pay any attention: his arrogance in deciding to push the legislation through has been simply breathtaking. However, what is vitally important is that the hierarchy actually stands up to defend Church teaching in moral matters.

Deo gratias, they have started to get their act together... Pray that our bishops may continue to speak out.

Sermon Snippet...

We are extremely lucky at Blackfen - with a Seminary Professor of Sacramental Theology for a Parish Priest, the Sunday sermon is never made up of trite platitudes. Of course, sometimes a point or two from the sermon hits home more than at other times...

Today there was plenty to think about, but one bit really did stop me in my tracks.

Our Lord chose to be born into a human family. Things were arranged so that Joseph was there as Jesus' foster-father, so that Jesus grew up within a family.

Think about it.

And Another Head Rises Above The Parapet...

I've only just found this statement from Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury Diocese. I did think it odd that he didn't appear to have made a statement on same-sex "marriage." It seems that Bishop Davies actually made his statement the day before Archbishops Nichols and Smith published their joint statement on behalf of the Bishops' Conference of England & Wales.

I can understand the desire to have a single, united statement from the Bishops of England & Wales. However, I suspect that we really need every single Bishop to make it absolutely clear that they are opposed to the proposed legislation, that they believe that the guarantees being promised aren't worth the paper they are written on, and that they are going to exhort the faithful, in no uncertain terms, to oppose the Bill. It is worth reminding Mr. Cameron that there are rather a lot of Catholics in the country, and he tramples on our rights and consciences at his peril.

On that note, I have to say that I enjoyed the latest offering from Bones...

St. Jude is a particular favourite of mine, being the first saint I encountered "properly" when a novena to him sorted out a previously intransigent hospital waiting list.

I do have a sneaking suspicion that we might need to invoke the whole Litany...

Habemus Tweet...

Now this really does put the rest of us tweeters and bloggers to shame. To think that I have simply been whipping out my Android phone for a quick exchange of views on Twitter, or gloating over my laptop as I blog away. The Holy Father has shown us how it should be done: with a cheering (and chanting) audience, a throne, several aides to make sure there are no embarrassing little spelling mistakes (predictive text really is a pain!) and a fully-charged iPad.

Ok, scratch the iPad. The Curt Jester has already called dibs on it anyway (via Facebook... how very last year!), just in case it turns out to be a second class relic. And the Ironic Catholic wants the table. So I'll just be a humble minor-blogger, and settle for the champers and chocolate cake mentioned by His Hermeneuticalness...

Oh, and just in case you're wondering - here's a shot of the Holy Father's first ever tweet...

Standing Up To Be Counted...

I previously bewailed the absence of any response to the Government's proposals to push through legislation on same-sex "marriage." Bishop Joseph Devine of the Diocese of Motherwell was the first to stick his head above the parapet - though same-sex "marriage" was only one of the issues he raised - closely followed by Bishop Philip Egan, the new Bishop of Portsmouth.

Now it appears that the other Bishops are starting to wake up. Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Peter Smith, as President and Vice-President, respectively, of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England & Wales, issued a joint statement on the Government response to the same sex marriage consultation. It did read very much like a statement drawn up by committee (as Fr. Ray pointed out, the Bishops' Conference does appear to frustrate the decision-making process) but at least the statement has been made, with its unequivocal opposition to any Bill changing the definition of marriage.

Furthermore, Archbishop Peter Smith issued another statement after his meeting with Maria Miller, the Secretary of State. In this much more personal statement, Archbishop Smith explained in detail why the intention to redefine marriage is such a problem.

"There is only one institution called marriage, whether you enter it by a civil or religious route, and it is for the good of society as a whole that we are concerned. The essence of marriage involves the complementarity of the two genders, male and female... 

"...the Government thus far has shown an impoverished understanding, unable to see that the institution of marriage is more than a way of recognizing committed loving relationships. What marriage has always meant is the union of one man and one woman for love and mutual support, and open to the procreation of children. This is the most secure foundation for the family and, as all the evidence shows, provides the best environment in which the next generation can be created and brought up as flourishing members of society. That is why society has given a particular legal status to marriage distinct from all other relationships: it is because it provides a unique benefit not only to the married couple but also to society itself. There lies the root of our opposition: it is a desire to preserve marriage in its full meaning as an essential element of the common good of society."

And now, Bishop Michael Campbell, the Bishop of Lancaster, has brought out his own statement, ending with an endorsement of the statement made by the Archbishops of Westminster and Southwark.

It is a huge relief that some of the Bishops, at least, have started to respond to this crisis - for it is a crisis. The Government, in choosing to ignore over 600,000 signatures objecting to the proposed change in the law, showed how very little concern it has for the democratic process. The redefinition of marriage in law may well mean that the Catholic Church has to follow continental customs, treating the Sacrament of Matrimony as completely separate from the civil registration of marriage. If that should prove to be the case, one might actually question the necessity for any civil registration at all...

Telling It Like It Is...

My post on David Cameron's determination to push through same-sex "marriage" was written in a bit of a hurry - I had come out straight from school, gone shopping for the refreshments for Fr. Finigan's final talk on Vatican II for the Year of Faith, set everything up and then got out my laptop for some very quick blogging. I was sure that, over the weekend, there would definitely be some sort of response from the Catholic Hierarchy. After all, this blatant attack on the institution of marriage couldn't possibly be allowed to go unchallenged...

No response from the Bishops of England & Wales. It wasn't just that I didn't notice anything - Fr. Ray Blake also noted the deafening silence.

So I was very pleased to hear rumours that, once again, a Bishop from Scotland had stepped into the breach, and was stating, in no uncertain terms, that David Cameron's reassurances on the one hand and attacks on the other really wouldn't do. Unfortunately, Scotland on Sunday didn't seem to like the fact that a Catholic Bishop should want to defend Catholic teaching, and so took the Bishop to task for his "intemperate" letter with its "sarcastic" tirade. Scottish bishops do have a bit of a reputation for directness of approach, but, given the mainstream media's enchantment with the idea of same-sex marriage, I was a little dubious as to the truthfulness of the account of the epistolary exchange.

Nowhere did the original letters appear, and so I contacted the Bishop himself.

The full correspondence made for very interesting reading. It wasn't my idea of an intemperate and sarcastic tirade. A little forthright, perhaps, not written in the usual diplomatic-ese, but only in so far as it called a spade a shovel. The Bishop showed great restraint, in my humble opinion, in not calling the spade a shovel and battering the Prime Minister over the head with it. Instead he merely handed the shovel over and invited the Prime Minister to recommence his digging...

To begin with, Bishop Devine's first letter was asking the Prime Minister for an explanation of the conflict between his statement that Christians should have the right to wear a cross at work (and that the law should be changed to allow this, if necessary) and the Government's petitioning of the European Court of Human Rights to judge that Christians should accept that personal expressions of faith at work might cost them their jobs. The letter ended by asking for an assurance that Christians' freedom of thought, conscience and religion would be respected.

The reply from Mr. Cameron was abrupt and rather dismissive. He stated that the Government's position was that people should be allowed to wear a cross at work, but that the Government wanted to fight against this at the European Court of Human Rights because the cases being examined had been lost at tribunals and courts in the UK and the Government didn't want UK law to be overturned in Europe.

Oh, right. That's ok then. Injustice towards a minority group is allowed, and actually to be encouraged, just so long as it is British injustice. None of that European injustice for us Christians, thank you very much!

Bishop Devine, not unnaturally, appeared to feel that this really needed a reply. He reiterated his point that the first letter had actually asked for assurances about freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and went on to state that no such reassurances had been given. The Bishop also pointed out that, with the conflicting positions of what Mr. Cameron said and what he actually did, it was hardly surprising that people would be wary of trusting him in the future.

The Bishop also pointed out that Catholics were the one faith group not provided for in law, and stated that he suspected it was only a matter of time "...before you go one step further and outlaw the teaching of Christian doctrine on sexual morality on the grounds of discrimination."

The Bishop then warned Mr. Cameron against rushing through legislation on same-sex marriage:

"Counsel from respected legal experts warn of the damage that redefining marriage will do to Christian religious freedom and the protection of family life, all of which will further undermine Christians freedom of conscience. We face the prospect of teachers being forced to teach against their religious beliefs or face dismissal... the likelihood that parents would have no right to withdraw their child from lessons endorsing gay marriage; the probability of public sector workers losing their jobs for not promoting the government's new vision of marriage and carers being rejected for fostering because of their Christian beliefs. This amounts to a serious threat to civil liberties even to the extent of preventing people doing things which are manifestly good for society."

Bishop Devine quotes the Holy Father, and then continues:

"In a recent report the UN special rapporteur said "The state has to respect everyone's freedom of religion or belief as an inalienable - and thus non-negotiable - entitlement of human beings." Sadly, under your premiership, this most basic of human rights is no longer being respected in the UK."

The Bishop of Motherwell has called the Prime Minister to account for his inconsistencies. No doubt he will take an awful lot of flak from the mainstream media for daring to speak out. It is important, I think, for ordinary Catholics to assure the Bishop of our prayers and support - it is possible to email messages for the Bishop care of the Chancellor of the Diocese (Bishop Devine doesn't appear to have a personal email address on the Diocesan site.)

And finally today, one of the English bishops, Philip Egan, has published a statement on the Portsmouth Diocese website, warning Mr. Cameron against pushing through legislation of same-sex "marriage". We need to pray for him, and for the other Bishops who have not yet had the courage to stand up publicly in defence of Church teaching.

End Of The World? Still Hand In Your Homework...

The idea that the Mayan calendar has predicted the end of the world on 21 December this year seems to be gaining momentum. NASA has even posted a debunking page.

Several of my students have pointed out that, if the world is about to end, it is extremely unreasonable of me to give them all homework. I retaliated by promising them that, should the world actually end on December 21, then I will excuse them from handing the work in on the first day back in January...

Cameron's Either Lying Or Stupid...

According to the news today, and on the front page of the Daily Telegraph Online, The British Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron wants to allow gay "marriages" to be conducted in churches, synagogues and so on.

For the sake of argument, let us overlook the little point that gay "marriage" hasn't actually been passed through Parliament - though from the way the PM is going on about it, he considers it to be a fait accompli. We shall also overlook the fact that this has nothing to do with equality before the law, as civil partnerships already provide this.

I want to look at the assurances being given by the Prime Minister.

He said: "I'm a massive supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to be excluded from a great institution. But let me be absolutely one hundred per cent clear, if there is any church or any synagogue or any mosque that doesn't want to have a gay marriage it will not, absolutely must not, be forced to hold it. That is absolutely clear in the legislation."

No, it isn't.

The European Court of Human Rights, back in March this year, ruled that same-sex marriage is not a human right. In its conclusion, it also pointed out that if same-sex couples are allowed to marry, any church that offers weddings will be guilty of discrimination if it declines to marry same-sex couples.

There is always the slight possibility that I am sharper, and more on-the-ball that the Prime Minister's legal advisors. It's about as slight as my chances of being elected Pope. So that means the Prime Minister is giving assurances which he hasn't checked out (ie. he's mind-blowingly stupid.) Alternatively, he's lying through his teeth, and assumes that the British Public are too stupid to notice...

I didn't ever think that I'd prefer to think the Prime Minister of the country is a blithering idiot...

Dance For Rio...

Having found out about the great band ooberfuse via His Hermeneuticalness' blog post on Shabaz Bhatti, I was delighted to spot that one of the band had started following me on Twitter. It seems that Cherrie Anderson, who is one of the very talented songwriters and vocalists, likes to read my blog. I've got a sneaking suspicion that it's because of the cats. They are, after all, adorable, despite what His Hermeneuticalness says!

Anyway, I promptly started following back. And, from Cherrie's latest tweet, it seems that ooberfuse are making a video for World Youth Day 2013. They want volunteers who like dancing and want to be in the video to turn up at North Greenwich tube station on Saturday morning - that's December 8th. - at 9am.

It sounds like tremendous fun. Sadly, with two dodgy knees and an even more dodgy ankle, dancing isn't my thing these days. I'm also attending the Missa Cantata at Blackfen for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. But if you do happen to be free, I'd recommend it...

Here's the video they made in memory of Shabaz Bhatti, to give you a taste of the group's musical style...

Oh Please...!

Well, maybe after all the previous stuff, she'll say something radical. You know, something Catholic...

...But I won't hold my breath!

Twitch of the mantilla to the Lovely Bones.

Wasps In Autumn...

The Call to Action group which is trying to organise meetings of dissenters in various dioceses around the country remind me of wasps in autumn. They're dying, and they become more vicious because time is running out.

As I said on Twitter, I rather resent having to pay any attention to this unhappy coterie: I'd much rather settle back, and find out, in this Year of Faith, exactly what Vatican II actually did say about things like obedience to Papal authority, rather than being forced to repeat myself ad nauseam to people who are so wedded to their little fantasies of how the Spirit of Vatican II opened all the windows and doors of the church that they wouldn't recognise an actual Vatican II document if it sat up, waved a tie-dye stole and a tambourine, and bit them on the bum.

So why am I wasting a perfectly good evening's blogging time?

Well, it is rather invidious, this dissent thing. Dissent must make a noise. It has to be vocal. It is instability attacking stability, and so it needs to pop up all over the place in order to convince the powers-that-be that change just has to happen, because simply everyone is calling for it.

Quite apart from the fact that the Church, being a supernatural institution started and protected by God himself, isn't going to cave in to that sort of rubbish (well, not when considered in the light of eternity) there is the purely human aspect of it. The faithful Catholics in the pews who attend Mass regularly and support the Church with their time and money aren't, by and large, a vocal group. They expect things to be taken care of. Most of them won't actually notice the Call to Action types - just as they didn't really pay any attention to the Stand Up for Vatican II crowd.

The faithful parish priests, on the other hand, are hearing nothing but the vocal minority. With the best will in the world, it is difficult to keep one's spirits up in the face of such relentless poison. And, believe me, this stuff, just like a wasp sting, is a poison. It's killed off plenty of vocations over the past forty years, and destroyed many people's faith.

It is absolutely vital that this sort of dissent is dealt with. It's tempting to leave it to die quietly, but a dying wasp is vicious, and a whole nest really needs expert removal.

There is a precedent. The Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska, issued an automatic interdict in 1996 which progressed to excommunication on members of the organisation within his diocese. This was backed up by Rome. In view of the latest Motu Proprio, the Bishops of England & Wales cannot just sit back and allow this to continue unchallenged. Silence implies consent.

Faithful Catholics also need to make their feelings known by writing to their Bishops. Find out where the meetings are to be held, and if it is on Catholic premises, then demand to know why.

If it all gets too much, remember to laugh about it. The gates of hell shall not prevail.

Finally, remember to support the very many faithful priests and religious who are as tired of this nonsense as anyone else. And don't forget to pray.

Reflections Of A Feline Nature...

The other day I was indulging in some idle reflections on why a comfortably sleeping cat (or even a picture of a sleeping cat) makes so many people smile. I concluded that it has something to do with the fact that the sleeping cat implies trust. If a cat is happy, things can't be that bad.

Both Cardinal Furretti and Monsignor Miaowrini were rescue cats, each adopted at approximately four months of age.

Furretti was adopted first, along with her brother, Cardinal Catzinger. Actually Catzinger was the one who picked me out; once he had conferred the seal of approval, Furretti wouldn't leave my side. The two of them had been dumped in a stairwell together, and it's as if she has some sort of separation anxiety. She loves to be in the same room as me, and sleeps on the bed beside me most of the night. She will also come over to say hallo when I get home in the evening.

About a month after Catzinger's death, I adopted Miaowrini. She had been abandoned, and, from the nervous way she shied away from me whenever I even looked at her, I suspect that she had been very badly treated. Gradually she would approach me, and allow me to stroke her, but she didn't like to be picked up. Then, after about 18 months, she started flopping over onto her side as I approached, wanting to have her tummy tickled.

It's taken two years, but finally Miaowrini has jumped up on to the bed beside Furretti and me, and has curled up and slept. And then she has woken up, stretched, purred, rolled over to be tickled, and then gone back to sleep... and watching her lie there makes me smile...

The two cats will continue to have their little squabbles, and I shall have to guard against accusations of "favouritism" from one or the other, but right now I have two happy, sleeping cats on my duvet. And that's a definition of happiness.

Questionable Questionnaires...

The Bitter Pill has a survey up about the new translation of the Mass. As well as a sloppy approach to Catholicism, it seems that the publication takes a sloppy approach to questionnaires.

The questions are clumsily worded and there were numerous errors in the text. Several commenters over at Fr. Z's blog uncharitably suggested that this might be because the people who wrote the questionnaire don't go to Mass regularly, and so are themselves unfamiliar with the new translation. I prefer to think that the authors of the questionnaire usually attend Mass celebrated according to the Usus Antiquior, and so are unfamiliar with the English...

Obviously someone alerted the powers that be at The Bitter Pill that they'd goofed. The questionnaire has been changed to remove some of the ambiguities - for example they clarify that you might hear a phrase rather than say it. This does rather affect the answers one might give, so it's worth going back to check your responses.

Reflections For Advent...

Every year I grouse about the fact that earlier and earlier Christmas celebrations crowd out the season of Advent. This year I'm delighted to note that Father Z has decided to help out by publishing a podcast reflection for each day of Advent.

I no longer bother with iTunes now that I've ditched the iPhone in favour of my beloved Android Samsung Galaxy Nexus, so I'm not sure if there is a way to download the podcasts automatically (there probably is a way, I'm just too busy (ok, ok, too lazy!) to look into it. However, it will come up on Google reader each day.

In case you missed them, the first three days' reflections are here: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

Tempus Fugit...

The chaps at Papa Stronsay have produced their wonderfully uplifting calendar again. Time to pencil in all your important engagements, Latin Masses to attend, conferences to go to...

Don't waste any more time! Order your very own copy now... and maybe even buy a few copies as presents!

Another Motu Proprio To Make Hearts Rejoice...

It's strange. Before Summorum Pontificum, I'd never heard of Motu Proprios, though I now know they existed. I'm pretty sure that the Holy Father has actually issued a few more, but, in my heart, Summorum Pontificum was THE Motu Proprio.

As of yesterday, this is no longer the case. Pope Benedict has delivered another Motu Proprio to warm the cockles of faithful Catholic hearts...

The title, Intima Ecclesiae Natura, is rather more wordy, but don't let that put you off. This MP is on charity, and particularly on Catholic charitable organisations. Yes, important, but surely nothing to get excited about? Actually, here in the UK, it constitutes a tolling bell for organisations such as CAFOD, which will now be required to toe the line on Catholic teaching on contraceptives or else change its name to AFOD.

I believe that the US also has one or two institutions which will be similarly affected.

The bit that got me all excited was the realisation that this will apply to all Catholic institutions which claim charitable status... for example, The Bitter Pill. True, The Tablet doesn't actually use the word "Catholic" in the title... but it does have the phrase "The International Catholic News Weekly" under the title on the website. And, if it isn't Catholic, why should it be distributed and sold in churches across the country?

There are some real grenades just about to be lobbed at organisations which claim to be Catholic, but in reality sneer at the teachings of the Church and at the Holy Father. In particular (and the emphases are all mine):

Article 4. - § 3. It is the responsibility of the diocesan Bishop to ensure that in the activities and management of these agencies the norms of the Church’s universal and particular law are respected...

Article 7. - § 1. The agencies referred to in Article 1 § 1 are required to select their personnel from among persons who share, or at least respect, the Catholic identity of these works.

Article 7. - § 2. To ensure an evangelical witness in the service of charity, the diocesan Bishop is to take care that those who work in the Church’s charitable apostolate, along with due professional competence, give an example of Christian life and witness to a formation of heart which testifies to a faith working through charity.

Article 9. - § 3. It is the duty of the diocesan Bishop and the respective parish priests to see that in this area the faithful are not led into error or misunderstanding; hence they are to prevent publicity being given through parish or diocesan structures to initiatives which, while presenting themselves as charitable, propose choices or methods at odds with the Church’s teaching.

And another salvo is found lurking:

Article 10. - § 3. In particular, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that charitable agencies dependent upon him do not receive financial support from groups or institutions that pursue ends contrary to Church’s teaching. Similarly, lest scandal be given to the faithful, the diocesan Bishop is to ensure that these charitable agencies do not accept contributions for initiatives whose ends, or the means used to pursue them, are not in conformity with the Church’s teaching.

This really is a Motu Proprio about which to celebrate! What a wonderful present for Advent from the Holy Father! How many hearts will rejoice at the news...? I think we'll probably be having more champers and chocolate cake at Blackfen...

Now, all we need to do is wait for the Bishops of England & Wales to follow the instructions... (Please be charitable in the comments box!)