Viva Il Papa...!

The waiting game continued... the focus just switched from chimney-watching to curtain-watching. A couple of bands played as they marched below the balcony...

Of all the images which were recorded during the waiting period, I think this was one of the most moving... a rosary clasped in prayer...

At least 100,000 people were present in St. Peter's Square... not bad for a Church which is out of touch with the modern world and totally irrelevant...

Then the excitement grew as lights came on in the room behind the balcony. I was so afraid I'd miss the big moment that I left my dinner unheeded in the microwave...

Cardinal Tauran came out to announce: "Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam; Eminentissimum ac reverendissimum Dominum..." Unlike his predecessor, he didn't milk the moment, and the name was said so quickly that I almost missed it...

And then Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio of Buenos Aires was announced as the new Pope, taking the name of Francis.

The poor man looked totally stunned...

Some nice touches - he started with a prayer for the Pope Emeritus. He also asked for prayers from the people for himself... and you could have heard a pin drop in St. Peter's Square: 100,000 people united in silent prayer. He also announced that he was going to pray for Rome before the Blessed Virgin Mary tomorrow.

The Ubi et Orbi blessing was made available to all those listening on the radio, watching on TV or via the new media.

According to the biography published by the Catholic Herald, Pope Francis has a reputation for being a man of great spirituality. Interestingly (to me, at any rate) he received a Masters Degree in Chemistry - a scientist in the Vatican might prove hard for the mainstream media to get its head around!

I shall forgive him the fact that he's a Jesuit... there have been some great Jesuits (Fr. Thwaites  being one of the best examples.) I'm glad that he didn't take the name Peter... those who believe in the prophecies of Malachy will be getting themselves all het up over the fact that we have a "black" Pope (the leader of the Jesuits is nicknamed the Black Pope because of the colour of the Jesuit habit!)

I take great comfort from the fact that, as Bishop of Buenos Aires, Pope Francis has been outspoken on the subject of abortion and same-sex "marriage." Right now, I think that's all I need to know.

God bless Pope Francis.

Habemus Papam...!!

Foul weather isn't enough to prevent huge crowds... all just watching a chimney!

And then, the moment everyone's been waiting for...

And the bells started pealing bang on cue...

Now we just have to wait for the name...

First Ballot...

I watched the chimney via my mobile device all the way through the beginning of the Confirmation class - well, Fr. Finigan was doing that bit. Then the connection froze - possibly my data allowance is nearly gone - and anyway, it was my turn to teach the class. Just before I switched my phone off completely, I got a text message from Vox in Rama announcing the black smoke.

Someone had obviously been given a stern talking-to after the last Conclave, because this time there was absolutely no doubt at all that the smoke was black. It looked rather like a chemistry experiment had gone very wrong, but at least we are absolutely sure of the result of the first ballot...

Fr. James Bradley, of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, (whose Twitter handle is @frjamesbradley) said he'd eat his biretta if there was white smoke tonight. No doubt he's breathing a sigh of relief. His tweets are always entertaining or edifying, or both. My favourite tonight was this one:

My favourite reaction to the black smoke has to be that of the lovely Bones... apparently a pope has  actually been elected:  it's Cardinal Burke, and the burning of the modernists has begun...

And finally it seems that some children from the parish are getting into the swing of things: Annie Elizabeth has been teaching them how to make a chimney... and it seems that the neighbours will be in no doubt once the white smoke appears! I suspect their bell-ringing will be rather more reliable than that of the Vatican!

Extra Omnes...

Much to my annoyance, I have a Confirmation class tonight. This means that I couldn't just settle down for an evening's entertainment of chimney spotting. So, I've done the next best thing. I've rushed over to the church at Blackfen, opened up the church (in case of early arrivals), put on the heating (it's bitterly cold out there) and settled down in the sacristy to chimney-spot on my laptop. My data allowance on my dongle will probably disappear quite quickly, but it's worth it...

I had to settle down in the sacristy because there are hordes of children in the Small Hall - either Brownies or Rainbows or some such group. And I have got about 40 minutes before my class arrives.

I was particularly delighted to get a glimpse of the last few oaths being taken by the Cardinals, and then heard Monsignor Marini declare the "Extra Omnes!" I missed it last time.

Most of the screenshots are from the Vatican News Feed. Fantastic stuff... though it appeared to crash at one point.

Unfortunately, my photo of the actual closing of the doors appears to have been "eaten" by the technology. Once again, I have had one of my blonde moments. I consoled myself with the thought that, if EWTN and The Catholic Herald had technology glitches, then it was hardly surprising that I experienced a few of my own... Luckily for my peace of mind, Rome Reports had a video of the precious moments...

And, if you want to see the moment for yourselves...

Now all there is to do is wait for the smoke...

Along with the rest of the world...

Purr-pabile...

Bruvver Eccles thinks that Cardinal Furretti is the strongest candidate going in to the Conclave tomorrow. I quite like the idea that she puts the "cat" in "Catholic" - she certainly has form when it comes to hunting out heresy, as evinced by her attacks on an article in the Catholic Times by Monsignor Loftus and on The Bitter Pill (the whole publication!)

Tuesday...

I know that the saying goes, "Tomorrow never comes!" but actually tomorrow is the first day of the Conclave.

Eight years ago I was teaching RE (among other things) in a Catholic school, and so had the perfect excuse to keep a Conclave Alert. Lunchtime saw me and the priest-chaplain desperately trying to get a good look at the Sistine Chapel chimney on the first full day of the Conclave via the two very old computers in the staffroom. The internet connection was dire, and there was much frantic refreshing of pages amid cries of, "Is that smoke?" "That's definitely smoke!" "Oh, my goodness, it can't honestly be white, can it??" and "No, it's black!"

This time around, internet connections are good enough to watch films online. Even mobile phones allow this facility (assuming one hasn't used up one's data allowance!) Technology still suffers from occasional glitches - especially in schools, which appear to get fobbed off with sub-standard equipment and poor connections - but it is far better than the technology of eight years ago.

Lots of internet sites will be training their webcams on that most famous of chimneys. The race is on to see who will spot the first wisp of smoke. The timetable for the Conclave has been published (be aware that Rome is 1 hour ahead of GMT), and the times when smoke can be expected have been detailed. Pope Alarm is a text and email service which offers to let people know as soon as white smoke is sighted. Unfortunately, the text service is only available in the USA and Canada... and it's proved so popular that they aren't able to take any more numbers for texting. The email service is, however, open to everyone.

The Sistine Chapel chimney even has its own twitter account (several, actually!): there's @PapalSmokeStack, @ConclaveStove, @ConclaveChimney, @PapalSmoke and @PopeAlarm. We're almost spoiled for choice! Plus there are all the Catholics on the blogosphere who will be blogging and tweeting away.

Perversely, I am no longer teaching in a Catholic school, and I'm teaching Science. Not much scope in the curriculum for loading up the Catholic Herald's Liveblog which is due to start at 9am GMT. And using one's mobile phone in class is generally frowned upon... the students aren't allowed them either. Stepping out into the corridor in the middle of a Science lesson might also prove tricky... a lump of potassium filched from teacher's table while her back is turned could cause havoc if dropped down a drain.

Hmmm. Now there's a thought...

We're Getting Closer...

Here we go. After what has seemed to be an incredibly long wait, all the Cardinals have arrived in Rome and they have opted to start the Conclave a few days early, on Tuesday, 12 March. If the Pope had died,the Conclave wouldn't have started until March 15th. I suppose it just feels longer, as the Pope gave two weeks' notice of his abdication...

Last time around, Pope Benedict was elected after three ballots, on the second day of the Conclave. Everyone seems to expect that this one will be a longer affair.

Keep praying...

Ooops...

It seems that, after La Stampa violated the confidentiality of the General Congregation (by naming names and telling who said what about whom, according to the USCCB Blog), the Cardinals decided that it would be better to avoid those pesky media people. No more media interviews... other than the Vatican Press Office briefings, I suppose.

It's hardly surprising. Cardinals appear to be a garrulous lot. Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor let the cat out of the bag after the last conclave with his "They voted for him" gaffe. Just as well he isn't going to be there this time around: the penalty for violating the oath of secrecy has just been upped to excommunication latae sententiae.

Z-Swag In The Wild...

Just for a little light relief...

You can get your own bumper stickers by visiting the store on Fr. Z's blog...

A Little More Light-Hearted Fun...

This one's doing the rounds on Twitter and Facebook...

So that's why they're so keen on secrecy!

Someone's Not Happy...

Heheheh... Lightning struck St. Peter's just hours after the announcement that Benedict XVI was to resign. Then, just a day or two after he left Rome to go to Castel Gandolfo after his resignation, a minor earthquake hit the locality...

Signs that someone's not happy, perhaps...!!

More Latin Stuff...

One of the most irritating comments when a traditional hymn or antiphon is suggested is "Oh, you can't have that... no-one knows it!"

Well, no-one will ever know it unless they get to hear it - after all, that's how they got to know the hymns they do know.

Another irritating statement: "Catholics don't sing at Mass."

Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps they just don't sing the cruddy touchy-feely rubbish which passes for "modern" hymns according to the music publishers. Eccles has a whole series on the meaningless twaddle we've been forced to sing over the past 40 years.

But crack out the traditional hymns and the congregation suddenly seems to find an enthusiasm for joining in. Chanting is particularly popular - as Fr. Finigan has so often told our Confirmation candidates, go to the football terraces, and then tell me that men don't do chant.

Blackfen's Maestra di Cappella has the choir and congregation sussed. Introduce a new (old) chant and repeat it for an entire liturgical season. Three weeks in, and it's an old favourite.

After a year or two, Marian antiphons at the end of Mass are easy money. Even the toddlers enjoy belting them out...

Feeling Out Of Sorts...

Am I the only one who feels that this interregnum feels all "wrong" somehow?

It's difficult to pin it down, but it wasn't like this eight years ago. I'm feeling rather unsettled, and not a little ruffled.

March 11 seems to be the most likely date for the Conclave to kick off. We have no way of knowing how long it will continue. It is even possible that we won't have a new Pope in time for Easter... imagine Easter Sunday without the Ubi et Orbi blessing...!

Let's hope and pray that the Cardinals get their collective act together...

Pray, people...

Mass For The Election Of A Pope...

At Blackfen our monthly First Saturday Missa Cantata we celebrated the Mass for the Election of a Pope. This doesn't get celebrated very often - for obvious reasons - and the last Sede Vacante period occurred before I started blogging. We used our most beautiful red vestments; they are from a nineteenth century French set, with an exquisite embroidered Agnus Dei on the back.

There are more photos on my Flickr page.

Fr. Finigan's sermon at the Mass was a real wake-up call. It was a salutary reminder that we need to pray for the election of a good, wise and holy Pontiff, and not just sit back complacently to wait for the Holy Spirit to do it all. Yes, we need to trust that God will not leave us orphans - he has promised to be with his bride, the Church, until the end of time. But that trust must not be presumptuous  and we need to remember that God sometimes allows evil to happen; sometimes it is allowed as a punishment for our sins. There have been bad Popes in the past. As my friend Vox in Rama said, our failure to pray more fervently for Benedict XVI probably lead (indirectly) to his resignation.

It's a sobering thought.

If you haven't got a Cardinal to pray for during the Sede Vacante, you can get one here.

Contessina...

I knew that the Pope Emeritus loves cats - he used to go around feeding strays when he was a Cardinal - but I didn't realise that he actually had a cat with him in the Vatican .. I'm sure I read somewhere that cats weren't allowed in the Vatican.

Filippo Monteforte, AFP/Getty Images / February 19, 2013

It would appear that Benedict XVI has more than one cat... the report in the Chicago Tribune describes Contessina as one of the Pope's cats. I wonder how many there are?

Twitch of the mantilla to Lady Catcliffe for the information!

Sedes Apostolica Vacat...

I saw this notice hanging in place of Benedict XVI's portrait in the Sacristy at Blackfen this evening, just before Rosary & Benediction. It brought a little lump to my throat...

Spiritual Support...

The Cardinals have the unenviable task ahead of them to elect the next Pope. They need to pray for guidance, and they need to do their utmost to ignore everything other than the good of the Church.

Although we ordinary Catholics cannot vote in the Conclave, we do have a duty to pray for the Cardinals during this time, and to beseech heaven for a good and holy man who will lead the Church. That's why I was so pleased to find Adopt A Cardinal. You send in your email address, and get given a random Cardinal to pray for.

You pray for him to make a good decision, not for him to become Pope (though that is a possibility, obviously!)

Anyway, I signed up, and was given Francesco Cardinal Monterisi of Italy. He's getting on a bit - he'll be 79 at the end of May - and there doesn't seem to be much information about him. I like the fact that, according to the Wikipedia page about him, he is a member of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. That means that he gets to investigate miracles. I like to think that looking at miracles would give one a firm appreciation of spiritual things and having prayers answered... it seems so very... well... Catholic! Helping the poor and working for justice and peace are important, but one doesn't actually have to have faith. Plenty of atheists would behave the same way, though without the benefit of grace.

Over 80,000 people have adopted a Cardinal, and its comforting to think that each of the 115 electors will have nearly 700 people praying for him during the run-up to the Conclave (and during it, naturally, as well as for three days after the election!) Do go over and adopt your very own Cardinal!

The Attacks Increase In Force...

I hadn't intended to post anything about the scandal which has broken around Cardinal O'Brien, but during Mass this evening I became convinced that I needed to say something.

I get the distinct impression that the attacks on the Church are increasing in vitriol and fervour, and that things are building up to a crescendo. The attacks are not just from human agencies - the devil is throwing everything he has at the Bride of Christ.

First of all, the Cardinal is accused of "inappropriate behaviour". He has denied the accusations. The law of this land still (notionally) accepts the idea of "presumed innocent until proven guilty," hence the idea that the prosecution has to prove guilt, and not the defendant having to prove innocence. False accusations have been made against priests (and others) in the past. So we must bear in mind that these accusations may be a vile calumny against Cardinal O'Brien.

Next, even if the Cardinal is guilty, it must be noted that this "inappropriate behaviour" did not involve children. The people involved were adults. In addition, it seems (from the vague and sketchy report in The Observer) that alcohol was involved. Human beings often get into inappropriate sexual situations when alcohol is involved. It is hardly earth-shattering news. It's a sin, of course, but not something unheard of.

I have certainly done things I regret whilst under the influence. When I sobered up, I regretted my actions, and resolved never to repeat them. Catholics have this wonderful Sacrament called Confession which allows them to express their sorrow for past sins to God, and He gives us absolution through the ministry of the priest. Then we can start afresh. We might repeat the sins, but as long as we intend not to do so, then that's all God asks. Even priests (and Cardinals) get to go to Confession.

This all leaves me with some very basic questions.

First of all, this happened about thirty years ago. Why have the accusations only been made now? If one of the men was in his 20s when it happened, why, at the age of 50 years, does he suddenly feel the need to complain? Why didn't he complain back in 2003 when O'Brien was made Cardinal? A quote in the Observer article said that the Cardinal's accusers "want the Conclave electing the new Pope to be 'clean.' " Oh really? In that case, why didn't they say something at the last Conclave? You know... the one where Pope Benedict XVI was elected.

Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that it's only since the last Conclave that Cardinal O'Brien has been speaking out forcefully on pro-life issues, and the defense of traditional marriage?

All this leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth. If you need an antidote, go and read Mark Lambert's excellent blog post.

And when you've finished that, pray for the Church. Then pray some more.

Oh yes... one final point, in case anyone is tempted to use the combox to accuse the Cardinal of hypocrisy for condemning homosexual activity while indulging in such behaviour himself. Please don't bother. One can be a sinner oneself and still recognise (and preach) about the Truth.

Cold...

Yeah, yeah... I know. Everywhere else copes with much colder conditions than we get here in England. But we're supposed to have a temperate climate, so "cold" isn't something we cope with very well, I guess.

The Blackfen Faith Group went to London on Friday. We did manage to see my favourite painting, but photos were definitely not allowed. We stopped for a photo opportunity by the fountains in Trafalgar Square. It was cold enough to freeze some of the water on the fountain...

Well, I was impressed...

(There are a few more photos on my Flickr page.)

Conclave Clarification...

Cardinal Mahony has clarified his previous tweet. He does not intend to tweet during the Conclave itself..

Crawling Out Of The Woodwork...

For the next week or so, things are going to be horrible for Catholics. I almost envy the Cardinals their secluded Conclave - no outside information, no papers, no radio, no internet...

...Well,I did say almost...!

The abdication of the Holy Father seems to have encouraged those opposed to Pope Benedict's reforms to speak out. They have all come crawling out of the woodwork, eager to spread their dissenting opinions and views, perhaps in the hopes of influencing the choice of successor to the Chair of Peter. Annie Elizabeth told me that there was a positive side to this...

Just look at this little offering from the Editor of the Bitter Pill... (and Annie Elizabeth's riposte!)

We can see this as a positive development. It will certainly make it easier for the new Pope to clean out the dross.

Nonsense Not Restricted To The Mainstream Media...

At the time of the last Conclave, I was teaching RE (among other things) in a Catholic school. With all the media interest, and the sheer novelty of the event for most people, I was determined to make sure that I got my facts straight. I had great fun discussing the whole process with each of my classes, and I was almost disappointed when things finished so quickly!

Now, I don't for one instant claim that this makes me an expert. But it does give me a good general grasp on how the whole setup is supposed to work.

Which is why I found this little piece in Vatican Insider so very odd.

After all, doesn't the name suggest that the reporters will actually know what goes on in the Vatican? And, even though Conclaves don't happen all that frequently, this will be the fourth in 35 years... and the last one happened only 8 years ago (amid considerable media interest!)

So why on earth are they suggesting that some Cardinals might tweet from the Conclave?

I can understand that PaddyPower has allowed bets that a Cardinal will tweet (currently 8/1 odds), but then they are allowing people to put money on Richard Dawkins for Pope. But I did expect Catholic sources to be better informed.

The Cardinals swear an oath just before all unauthorised persons leave the Sistine Chapel. In particular,

"...We promise and swear to observe with the greatest fidelity and with all persons, clerical or lay, secrecy regarding everything that in any way relates to the election of the Roman Pontiff and regarding what occurs in the place of the election, directly or indirectly related to the results of the voting; we promise and swear not to break this secret in any way, either during or after the election of the new Pontiff, unless explicit authorisation is granted by the same Pontiff."

The Camerlengo and three assistants act as vigilanti, checking for bugs and other electronic devices, and all communication with the outside world is forbidden - no papers, publications of any kind, news bulletins (audio or video) - and, although Twitter isn't mentioned specifically, I'm pretty sure that it's covered in the news bulletin category...

Unfortunately, it would appear that even some Cardinals haven't quite figured out the procedure. Assuming that his account hasn't been hacked, Cardinal Mahony was unwise enough to advertise his intentions...

He might benefit from reading this handy little guide to the Conclave from the CTS which can be downloaded free...

Feeling Slightly Paranoid...

Ever get the feeling you're being watched...?

Legitimate Speculation...

Reflecting on the passing of time and the impending abdication of the Holy Father, it occurred to me that the upcoming Conclave will be my fourth.

Admittedly, two of them occurred before I became Catholic. But I have vivid memories of my father (a lapsed Catholic) being very interested in the election of John Paul I, and then, soon after, sitting with him and watching the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel on television as John Paul II was voted in. I didn't understand the significance at the time, and was only vaguely aware that my father was a Catholic, but I did know that he thought it was important.

I've posted before on my experience of the last Conclave. I had remarked, more in jest than anything else, that it would be wonderful if Cardinal Ratzinger was elected; I was told that this was not even remotely likely, but that he would be very influential in determining John Paul II's successor.

That was as far as speculation on my part went. I didn't really know of any other Cardinals, except for Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. The Catholic blogosphere wasn't as extensive as it is now, and, though the mainstream media bias against Catholicism was less widely acknowledged, I distrusted it as a source of reliable information on the Church, and had already given up my television. There wasn't really any time to consider who was papabile. It seemed to be in poor taste to speculate during the Pope's final illness, and once he had died, there was the period of mourning: speculation then as to possible successors seemed to be in equally poor taste.

This time, of course, there is no death, and no period of mourning. Many Catholics, like myself, have experienced a sort of grief and mourning at what seemed to be abandonment; however, the emotions are different to those which would have followed the death of the Holy Father. We have, in effect, been given "permission" to discuss the candidates for Peter's Chair.

Technically, any single, baptised Catholic man could be elected Pope. In reality it is highly unlikely that the man won't be a cardinal. There are 117 cardinals who will be eligible to vote. The Vatican website names 118 cardinal-electors, but it seems that, since the Holy Father's abdication takes place on 28th February, Lubomyr Cardinal Husar (whose 80th birthday occurs two days earlier) will be ineligible to vote.

Checking out the names on the Catholic blogosphere has made me draw only one conclusion: the field is really wide open, and it's anyone's guess. The inimitable Fr. Z seems to be keeping pretty quiet, though he has been looking at the cardinals' qualifications. Fr. Finigan won't make any predictions, though he has indicated his personal preference would be Mauro Cardinal Piacenza.

Just out of curiosity, I decided to have a look at PaddyPower - I'd used them to place a bet on the next Archbishop of Westminster (I lost.)

At the moment, Peter Cardinal Turkson is favourite at 5/2. Presumably this is because of the excitement about a possible black pope... disregarding the fact that a few of the popes in the past have presumably been black (think about where they came from!) But the old saying goes "He who enters the Conclave as Pope leaves as Cardinal."

HE Mauro Piacenza is being quoted at 40/1. Cardinal Burke is given odds of 80/1. Interestingly, Cardinal O'Brien from Scotland is at 66/1. PaddyPower even has a tongue-in-cheek rationale for predicting the next pontiff.

One shouldn't pay too much attention to the bookies' favourites, however. Richard Dawkins is given odds of 666/1. I'd have said that hell would freeze over sooner!

In A Reflective Mood...

The Blackfen Faith Group has been planning a trip to the National Gallery to see a small selection of Christian art. Hearing about some of the pictures reminded me of my favourite: Christ before the High Priest by Gerrit van Honthorst.

The first time I saw the picture, it took my breath away...

I'd read in the Gospel accounts how Christ hadn't answered Caiaphas, the High Priest, after he had been betrayed by Judas and captured in the Garden of Gethsemane. I hadn't given much consideration to the fact that Jesus was silent in the face of the false accusations.

Looking at the picture, I could suddenly see that Christ's silence radiates power. Caiaphas is supposedly the one in charge by virtue of his office, but Christ's silence appears to make him uncomfortable, challenging him to recognise that the accusations are false. I get the feeling that, the longer Christ stands there, saying nothing, the more pricked Caiaphas' conscience becomes, the angrier he gets, and the more determined he becomes to rid himself of this man who dares to challenge his authority. And Jesus stands there, in silence.

This is also, I think, the true depiction of meekness: we have been conditioned to think of meekness as synonymous with weakness and lack of spirit. On the contrary, true meekness involves self-mastery and strength of character - something exemplified by Van Honthorst's masterpiece.

He's Got A Little List...

Back in 2009, a version of the "little list" appeared on The Monstrous Regiment of Women. It was rather good, and I promptly snaffled the text and posted it, giving credit where it was due, of course.

Now Bruvver Eccles has produced an updated version which is just as amusing... though the original little list still stands, as I'm sure Eccles would be the first to admit...

Explain This One To Me...

If, as some of the mainstream media would have us believe, Pope Benedict XVI was sooooo very unpopular, and he failed to make the Church relevant by embracing changing attitudes, then how is it that more than 150,000 people turned up for what is, effectively, nothing more than a short talk on a Sunday lunchtime...?

Photo from L'Osservatore Romano

Just for a comparison, 62,000 people attended the opening ceremony at the London Olympics in July last year...

Avoiding Anger...

After my little rant yesterday about the rubbish portrayed as Catholicism by the mainstream media, and my efforts to avoid the sin of anger being thwarted by a particularly beastly opinion of the Holy Father's legacy given by Bishop Kieran Conry, I thought I might redress the balance a little by posting a few good reports from the blogosphere.

First of all, I rather appreciated this little video clip of an interview with Cardinal Arinze shortly after the announcement was made.

This is the sort of response one expects from a shepherd of the Church, and, dare I say it, Bishop Conry would do well to take note. I've had a soft spot for Cardinal Arinze ever since he offered to give a turkey to anyone who could show him where in the documents of Vatican II the removal of altar rails was decreed.

Confirmation of my view that the majority of mainstream journalists get it so very wrong was given by Tim Stanley, one of The Telegraph's bloggers. He sounded almost as annoyed with the MSM's approach to Catholicism as me. I think one of my favourite lines has to be "So The Guardian’s ideal Pope is someone who isn’t a Catholic."

And finally, at least, for this post (there are plenty of other excellent tributes to the Holy Father) there was a really excellent message from Fr. Julian Large, Provost at the London Oratory. I actually laughed out loud when I read the caveat to his thoughts on the significance of the lightning bolt which struck St. Peter's:

"The Provost of this Oratory has not been invested with extraordinary prophetic powers, and his knowledge of geophysics is slight; so anything that he might have to say on the subject of thunderbolts might safely be taken with a scruple-spoonful of blessed and exorcised salt.."

There is a great wealth of good material on the blogosphere. You just have to practise custody of the eyes...

The Sin Of Anger...

I know I shouldn't do it.

I know I should resist temptation, but I am fallible.

Every time the Church hits the news, I promise to avoid all occasions of sin - namely reading or watching anything in the mainstream media. I can guarantee that the Church's teachings and the Holy Father will be misrepresented, scorned and ridiculed... If I could persuade Paddy Power to take my bet, I would make a fortune... except that even they might notice that it's a dead cert.

One can almost understand an atheist or non-Catholic article to get things wrong - I say "almost" because responsible journalism used to involve checking one's facts before publication. But what makes me really angry is when the rubbish being spouted is given credibility because it is from a Catholic.

Ex-nuns and laicised priests are particular favourites for the MSM. People who write for that dreadful rag, The Bitter Pill (which ought to be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act) are also seen and heard from quite frequently. And any Catholic who has declared publicly that the Church is "wrong" on this or that doctrine is bound to come crawling out of the woodwork sooner or later (most probably sooner!)

With the Holy Father's abdication (or resignation, or renunciation, or whatever the correct term should be) on Monday, I had done quite well. I stuck to The Catholic Herald, the occasional piece in The Telegraph (only if the title seemed fairly positive) and the Catholic blogosphere.

I had done quite well, that is, until this afternoon, when a friend posted a link onto my timeline on Facebook.

The Bishop in question is Bishop Kieran Conry. I know that he is no fan of the Holy Father (his comments about the implementation of Summorum Pontificum make that clear), but one does expect a sort of statesmanlike attitude towards the Papacy from one's bishops. A degree of respect and diplomacy when speaking of the decisions of the Pope... you know, the sort of stuff which was actually demanded of the faithful by Lumen Gentium:

"...In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman Pontiff, even when he is not speaking ex cathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely adhered to, according to his manifest mind and will. His mind and will in the matter may be known either from the character of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking." (LG n. 25)

I was under the impression that Lumen Gentium was one of the documents actually produced by the Second Vatican Council. Obviously the good bishop has only read those bits which count as "reforming ideals."

Fortunately for my blood pressure, the majority of the article is behind a subscription paywall. Therefore I can't read the hatchet-job he has probably done on the Holy Father.

Words I Never Expected To Hear At Blackfen...

This has been a week of momentous happenings.

Asked whether he thought a visit to the pub might be in order after the evening Mass, Blackfen's Senior MC was actually heard to say that he didn't think it was "quite in the spirit... "

Next thing, he'll be quoting the Spirit of Vatican II.

I don't think I can take many more of these shocks...

Further Reactions To The News...

I'm tempted to say that it looks as if even Our Lord was thunderstruck at yesterday's announcement...

The Holy Father Abdicates!

I'm still in shock.

The news that Pope Benedict XVI is to abdicate in just over a fortnight has left me feeling rather numb and somewhat bereft.

It is understandable that the Holy Father finds it a dreadful strain, especially at his advanced age, and obviously this is something he will have prayed about and reflected upon for some time. He will, one day, be held to account for his stewardship of the Church - a truly unenviable position. And it seems that he deems it best to hand over that stewardship swiftly, rather than allow a prolonged period of increasing ill-health and fevered speculation about his successor.

It is still a shock...

It seems that it was a shock even to those closest to him. The Holy Father will be the first Pope in 600 years to renounce the Papacy.

Nevertheless, the Church does not have "policies" or "programmes" which change with the shifting winds of popular opinion. She teaches Truths which endure for eternity. So the Press can save its breath and stop speculating on whether the new Pope will "allow" female ordination, gay "marriage," contraception, and such like. He won't.

Christ promised that he would be with his Bride, the Church, to the end of the ages, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against her. We need to demonstrate our trust in that promise.

And we should pray for our great Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI... and pray for his successor.

Progress... (Of Sorts...)

It seems that Miaowrini is finally learning some manners.

Tonight she brought in a mouse, and before tucking in, she laid it down very carefully in her food bowl...

Despite appearances, the mouse was still alive, and, since I didn't fancy the idea of listening to it being slaughtered in the middle of my beauty sleep, I felt obliged to rescue it.

A Typical Sunday In Blackfen...

One is never bored at Blackfen.

The parish is a lively one, and there is usually something going on. Of course, there are only 52 Sundays in the year (give or take) and so the calendar does occasionally get a little full...

This morning was an example.

First there was the 9am English Mass with children's liturgy and the children's choir chanting things like the Introit and singing the Mass propers. Directly after that, there was a Religious Sister and a Lay Brother from an Orthodox convent in Belarus selling icons and stuff to raise money for their work looking after orphans and disabled people. I had been tasked by Annie Elizabeth to get something "nice" which meant that I was in absolute agonies in case my ideas of "nice" didn't pass muster. I took comfort from the fact that directly after I nabbed one of the icons, several other people came up and asked about the same one. Meanwhile, the altar servers were changing various things over from green to purple as it was Quinquagesima in the old calendar, as well as setting up the gradines and arranging the altar for Mass to be celebrated ad orientem. Music for the usus antiquior Mass also had to be laid out.

It goes without saying that Mass was wonderful. It's almost the oasis of calm in the middle of the maelstrom. Even so, the Confessional door is opened and shut so often that I have occasionally wondered if a revolving door might help.

No Baptisms this week. Gosh, the Parish Priest is slacking!

Tidying up after the Mass and setting up for the Novus Ordo evening Mass is pretty routine. All the servers help (though some of the younger ones have been known to try to escape). Today, things were a little more hectic, as the Religious Sister and the Lay Brother were busy selling more of their icons, and that meant that rather more people than usual were in the Small Hall.

The choir practice was therefore held in the little room with all the cupboards which is between the church and the Small Hall. I know this because I fell over Leutgeb putting them through their paces when I was getting stuff from the cupboards...

The Senior MC wanted to refresh the gas canisters on his supply of lifebelts  It was considered desirable that the servers and Parish Priest received training for what to do in the case of flooding (well, Blackfen is built on... ummm... a fen...) to compliment their training for what to do in the case of fire.

Sadly, I had one of my frequent blonde moments, and managed to press the wrong button, so the video of the operation of the lifebelts didn't record. I did manage to get a photo or two of the aftermath...

I believe that the parish club was preparing to watch some rugby match this afternoon - something to do with six nations. I wasn't paying attention because, thanks to the eagle-eyed Zephyrinus, I discovered that I had yet another flat tyre.

At least this time I could wait for the breakdown services in the comfort of the parish club...