Time For A Re-Vamp...

I've been feeling rather under the weather this past week. I even found myself craving tangerines, though I'm regretting having succumbed to the temptation, as they're awkward to peel and I keep finding bits of tangerine peel everywhere, as well as having squirted juice in my eye on more than one occasion.

Anyway, I have been singularly devoid of blogging inspiration all week. I've concluded that I need to do a bit of blog spring-cleaning as a way to get the creative impulses firing. The blogrolls are way, way too long to be useful, and I suspect that several of the links are dead. They need some serious pruning,and I may change to the snippet-based rolls which change according to the most recent posts.

I think I shall retain the colour scheme and the background photo of the Rosary Basilica at Lourdes... Not sure about keeping the Kitty Kill Counter, though I suspect that, if I take it down, the cats will go on a murderous spree in revenge for being downgraded...

Any comments welcome...

Happy Feast Day !

Today is the transferred Solemnity of the Annunciation. Happy Feast Day!

Eccles Has A New Career...

I really do think that Eccles has a duty to write some new songs for the Church. I'm sure he could give Paul Inwood a run for his money. He's certainly got Gilbert and Sullivan sussed...

If you are in need of a good chortle, do go and read Eccles' latest composition: I am the very model of a modern liberal Catholic...

Just a snippet to whet the appetite:

I am the very model of a modern liberal Cath-o-lic,
I teach that faith before the 1960s was dia-bo-lic.
The services in Latin we rewrote in the vernacular,
With errors in translation that were really quite spectacular.
We threw out all that chanting in the style known as Gregorian -
It's really just of interest to a dusty old historian!
No ancient hymns we now allow - of classics we won't have any -
Instead, we sing "Shine, Jesus Shine" and Inwood's new cacophony!

Priceless!

Frequent Confession...

Vox in Rama posted a picture of a book she's just finished reading on Facebook. As her book addiction is far more serious than mine, I was rather amused to note that it was a book I had bought and read several years ago.

It really is an excellent book - not least because it explains so clearly why going regularly to Confession to confess venial sins is such a help in the spiritual life. As someone who has been discouraged in the past by the attitudes of some priests (and Bishops), it is great to hear the practice given a positive press.

"What we have in mind is the frequent and regular Confession of a person who in general does not commit mortal sin but rather lives a life of union with God and is bound to him by love. Such a person may, nevertheless, be guilty of many disloyalties and failings. He may have various weaknesses and bad habits and perverse inclinations, and he may have to struggle hard with his inordinate desires and his self-love. It is not a matter of indifference to him that here and there he has acted against his conscience, even though it be in nonessential matters."

Do go and read Vox in Rama's review in full too.

An Honest Film Review...

I'm an impulse blogger. If I think too much about the construction of a post, it goes horribly wrong, and I have to ditch it. Against my better judgement, I stopped to think about a couple of posts last week... and have decided to consign them to the bin.

My impassioned cri de coeur on Facebook provoked the reply that I should put up another cat photo. Well, the kitties are squabbling, and not amenable to posing for photos, so you've been spared that one. However, I remembered seeing this clip from Honest Trailers, and it made me chuckle, so I thought I'd share...

I never quite understood the allure of a musical which everyone said was so very sad. My idea of entertainment is something that will take me out of everyday humdrum activity and/or make me laugh. Even the name of the musical sounded like a bad omen... and then to hear that they'd made it into a musical film made me want to run screaming for the hills.

Looks like I got it right...

The Resurrection Story...

As a catechist and former RE teacher, I used to despair when confronted by students who, after 11 years of Catholic schooling, got Christmas and Easter completely confused. Something similar happened last Sunday when my minicab driver (who claimed to be Catholic) asked me: "I get that Jesus was nailed to the cross and died on Good Friday... but Easter Sunday... what's that all about then?"

I gently pointed out that anyone could get himself nailed to a cross... it was the rising again from the dead which was the really amazing thing that got Christians all excited!

So I was delighted to see that some families do still pass on the Faith... heartfelt congratulations to Annie Elizabeth and family...

Continuing The Cat Theme...

I was fascinated by this video - The Science of Cats. I knew quite a few of the facts detailed, but there were some new snippets of information... and I suspect that some of the related videos might be worth investigating, if only to play to a class at school as a little "treat" at the end of a lesson. Well, how else can we increase "general knowledge"?

Enjoy...

It's Been A While...

Zephyrinus pointed out that it has been a while since I posted any funnies from the Lolcats Cheezburger site. I explained that my own kitties have kept me busy writing about their own antics. However, I really couldn't resist this one...

Photos From The Vigil At Blackfen...

I've been struck down with the dreaded lurgy (the bane of all teachers once on holiday!) and so I've been a little slow to get some photos up on Flickr from the Easter Vigil.

Keith and Michael were in charge of the Easter Fire again this year, just to make sure that we wouldn't be needing to ask if anyone had a light when it came to lighting the Paschal Candle. Like barbecues, the Easter Fire is obviously a "man" thing. One year Fr. Tim's vestments are going to catch light along with the candle, I fear. He had to use a branch instead of a taper...

I was pretty impressed with the performance of my mobile phone camera, though I cheated for the crowd photo and used my flash...

Do go over and see the rest on Flickr.

A Spectacularly Blonde Moment...

Thursday had been exceptionally busy. That is the only excuse I have been able to come up with...

I knew that I (and some of the servers) would probably be in need of some refreshment after the Maundy Thursday Mass - just a brief visit to the club before spending the last hour watching at the Altar of Repose. So I went to the cashpoint to get some money out.

As I was removing my card, I suddenly remembered that I needed to buy some food items, as Good Friday was a Bank Holiday. I grabbed the card and shot into the shop next to the machine. I paid for my purchases by card and rushed off to Mass.

It was a long evening. At 10:20pm I offered to go and order a round of drinks while the servers finished rearranging the pews. This was considered very good planning on my part, and off I went, very pleased with myself...

...until I discovered that, in one of those blonde moments, I had failed to take the money out of the machine after removing my card...

Further enquiry revealed that the money hadn't been returned to the machine, so obviously someone found themselves £30 richer...

Good Friday...

The Good Friday Liturgical Action of the Passion isn't very photogenic, at least not in the Novus Ordo - the altar is stripped bare, and a lot of what is going on is very "static." I've never attended the Good Friday service in the usus antiquior, though, so maybe it is equally bleak.

Nevertheless, I have a small selection of photos over on Flickr...

Maundy Thursday...

I've been rather busy, as school didn't finish before Holy Week this year, and it felt as if we went right up to the wire before breaking up for the Easter Holiday.

As a result, I didn't feel very well-prepared for the start of the Triduum. However, all that was soon forgotten as the Mass was beautiful, and the stripping of the altars very poignant. Fr. Finigan gave a really moving sermon on the importance of the Priesthood for the life of the Church. It is a point I have made countless times before - without the men who sacrifice everything to follow God's call and become priests, there are no Sacraments. Without the Sacraments there is no Church.

I didn't take many photos - my phone was almost completely out of battery power, and I'd forgotten the charger (and my proper camera) - but there is a small selection over on Flickr.

He Died For Me...

I've mentioned before that I returned to the practice of the Faith about twenty years ago, after what I like to call my Damascus Road conversion. I was seriously ill at the time, in chronic pain and on crutches. One night I couldn't sleep, and felt impelled to read a children's book I'd been given for my Confirmation - Adventure of the Amethyst by Cecily Hallack. I've described the book in more detail in another post. I finished the book, fell soundly asleep for the first time in months and woke up six hours later, knowing that I simply had to find the nearest Catholic church.

I didn't actually want to go to Confession, or see a priest... I just had to get to the church, without knowing exactly why.

There were plenty of difficulties in this - mostly my lack of mobility and the fact that I didn't actually know where the nearest church was. By the time I found it, it was about 5pm on a grey September Saturday. There wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere, and the church appeared to be closed. I eventually found an open door and found myself in the Nave of the church, staring up at the largest crucifix I had ever seen.

I sank down into a pew, suddenly aware that Christ had died that awful, terrible death on the Cross for my sins. Not only that, but I knew with absolute certainty that it was my sins which had nailed Jesus to the Cross, as surely as if I had wielded the hammer... All the sins I had committed since my Baptism seemed to rise up, forcing me to acknowledge my betrayal, and I also knew that Jesus had known that I would betray him. Despite this, he went to the Cross willingly, even gladly.

And with an awful clarity, I also knew that Jesus would have suffered and died for me even if I had been the only one to be saved.

Often, during Stations of the Cross, the meditations seem to focus on the sins and injustices which are committed by others. Then, to say that Christ died for our sins can seem very glib and easy. In contrast, to recognise that Jesus would have suffered all that just to save one soul is something to treasure for all eternity.

How much must God love each one of us...

I've Won An Award...

It's about time... I haven't had any awards for simply ages, and so I was rather pleased to get this... until I realised that it was awarded for being unpopular...

(Ok, ok... it's for being not as well-known as other blogs!)

I got the award earlier in the week from the most excellent Countercultural Father. Unfortunately, having been rather busy with Confirmations and stuff, I didn't get around to awarding the Liebster Award to anyone else, and now quite a few of my options have already received the award from other sources.

The current requirements have evolved over time and are as follows:

1. Post the Liebster award graphic on your site.
2. Thank the blogger who nominated the blog for a Liebster Award and link back to their blog.
3. The blogger then writes 11 facts about himself or herself so people who discover his or her blog through the Liebster post will learn more about him or her.
4. In addition to posting 11 fun facts about themselves, nominated bloggers should also answer the 11 questions from the post of the person who nominated them.
5. The nominated blogger will in turn, nominate 9 other blogs with 200 or less followers (I'm guessing for my nominees) for a Liebster award by posting a comment on their blog and linking back to the Liebster post.
6. The nominated blogger will create 11 questions for his or her nominated blogs to answer in their Liebster post.

So, 1 and 2 are already completed... thanks Ben... remember that no good deed goes unpunished!

Finding 11 fun facts about myself might be a bit tricky... I'll settle for 11 facts...

1. I am a Catholic woman... I returned to the Church just over 20 years ago - in my defense, I had been very poorly catechised after being baptised at 13 to get my sister into a Catholic school.
2. I love the Usus Antiquior.
3. I wear a mantilla.
4. I love cats. Actually, I am crazy about them.
5. One of my cats (Cardinal Furretti) is named after a dead Pope (Mastai-Ferretti was the family name of Blessed Pius IX.)
6. The other cat (Monsignor Miaowrini) is named after the Papal MC (Monsignor Guido Marini.)
7. I teach Science.
8. I loathe inclusive language - it's usually insulting to women.
9. I love driving, but am not always lucky with cars.
10. I have severe problems with my knees (a legacy from a road-traffic accident in my teens and surgery which went wrong) and one ankle (the result of falling down the sacristy steps after Mass one day.)
11. I closed the A2 motorway in both directions when I got hit (twice) by an articulated lorry one morning in the rush-hour, spinning across three lanes and colliding with the central barrier before coming to rest, upside-down... it took the fire brigade 45 minutes to cut me out of the car.

Now to answer the questions posed by Ben...

1.  What inspired the title of your blog?  Well, I wanted to have a title that indicated my faithfulness to the Church as a woman, especially because I was tired of being "represented" by the feminazi types. I also wanted a snappy Latin title. Not knowing any Latin, I asked my Parish Priest what he thought I should call my blog...I would never have been brave enough to come up with that title myself, especially now I know it's a title used for Our Lady...
2. Why should people read your blog? Errrrm... well... there is stuff about cats and stuff about Catholicism...
3. What is your personal favourite post on your blog? That's a difficult one. I think that the most influential post has to be the one on the dilemmas of a traddy womynpriest... I think it was a post that went round the world, aided and abetted by Frs. Finigan, Blake and Zuhlsdorf, and helped along by Damian Thompson. But really, I think my best post is one I wrote arguing against the Stand Up for Vatican II crowd, pointing out that their stand was contrary to the teachings of, ummm... Vatican II.
4. What has been the most popular (most viewed) post on your blog? Strangely enough, it appears to be a game of Liturgical Chicken... how much of the music can you stand before you hit the stop button. I'm not sure how many people stumble across it while looking for real chickens, but at 19,142 page views (according to Blogger) it is far and away the most popular post. For comparison, Felix Fidei Defensor is second most popular - at 1,681 page views. Chickens are more popular than cats? Who knew??
5. Which post on your blog has attracted most comments? I don't usually get many comments, 2-3 is about average Occasionally I get a spike when something happens such as my cat dying. At first I thought that the post with most comments (33) was my Laywoman's Guide to the Usus Antiquior, but further delving revealed that it was actually a post on tacky hymns (47).
6. What other hobbies or interests (beyond blogging) are you prepared to admit to? Photography, singing and going out for dinner.
7. What are your hopes for the new pontificate? The same as my hopes for the old pontificate.
8. Where is your favourite place of pilgrimage, and why? Lourdes. It's one in the eye for anyone who claims not to believe in God or miracles because they are "rational."
9. Who is your favourite spiritual author, and why? Aaaaaaaaaaaargh. It depends what mood I'm in. Ummm... St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort. Or possibly St. Alphonsus Liguori. Or maybe Ven. Louis of Granada. Or perhaps Dom Lorenzo Scupoli. Or St. Francis de Sales... As for why, well, that would take forever...
10. Which of these questions did you find it most difficult to answer? The previous one!
11. Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party? No.

My 11 questions are very similar to Ben's (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery) so...

1. What inspired the title of your blog?
2. Why did you start to blog?
3. What is your personal favourite post on your blog?
4. What has been the most popular (most viewed) post on your blog?
5. Which post on your blog has attracted most comments?
6. What other hobbies or interests (beyond blogging) are you prepared to admit to?
7. What has been your closest brush with death?
8. Where is your favourite place of pilgrimage, and why?
9. Who is your favourite spiritual author, and why?
10. Have you ever experienced a miracle?
11. Which of these questions did you find it most difficult to answer?

And my nine nominees for the Liebster Award are:

Vox in Rama Audita Est

Zephyrinus

Defénde Nos In Proélio

Arundel & Brighton LMS

Sub Umbra Alarum Suarum

That the Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill

Left-Footer

The Path Less Taken

Thoughts From A Catholic Oasis

I'm afraid that I couldn't be bothered to work out which blogs didn't have big readerships - and am quite sure that many of the blogs I have named have more readers than me... but I have avoided the really big hitters such as Fr. Z and His Hermeneuticalness... and, actually, any priests, as they tend to have a captive audience of parishioners anyway...

Palm Sunday...

Well, we didn't get to have a Solemn High Mass today, but had to "make do" with a Missa Cantata.

We're obviously spoiled rotten in Blackfen if a full-blown, all-the-trimmings, Missa Cantata with outdoor procession and chanted Gospel is considered "make-do" !!

The only reason that I knew how long the ceremonies lasted was because I was writing down the times of various bits to allow for future scheduling. It really didn't feel like 2 hours 31 minutes.

I think that having a procession outdoors when it's snowing might actually be a step too far.

The server who got to be cross-bearer seemed to enjoy himself...

You can see more photos over at Flickr.

Housework...

I have come to the conclusion that housework is pointless if one has cats.

As soon as I remove one pigeon carcass and hoover up the feathers, the kitties bring me another one. I suspect that the cats have discovered a source of birdseed which they are using as bait.

A New Initiative Worth Noting...

Totally frustrated with the rubbish being spouted by Prof. Beattie and her ilk in the name of Catholic women, Caroline Farrow hit on the brilliant idea of getting together a petition of support from faithful Catholic women.

It's rather like the Chrism Mass demo that I used to organise with Joanna Bogle. Sadly, the demo at Southwark had to stop because they moved the Chrism Mass from Maundy Thursday, and getting time off school and work was harder to arrange... though Westminster's is still going strong, I think!

Anyway, Caroline's petition doesn't require a physical presence, just a virtual one. Basically, sign up if you agree with the following...

"I am a faithful practicing Roman Catholic woman, who attends Mass at least once a week and who believes in and practices the Church’s teachings, specifically pertaining to matters on sexuality, contraception, abortion, marriage and the ordination of women. I believe that the Roman Catholic Church is sympathetic to and representative of the needs and concerns of women and their children, wherever they may be in the world. I would like to offer our new Pope Francis, my prayers and support and thank him for his continued protection and support of mothers and their unborn children. I fully endorse Church doctrine in relation to women’s issues."

Personally I would be inclined to reassure people that failing to live up to this ideal is no bar, provided one accepts that the ideal is true and something to strive for, rather than attempting to change Church teaching to suit our sinful natures.

However, if you want to sign up, Caroline has started a specific blog for signatures... please do go over and give your support.

Mainstream "Meedja" Spinning...

A full teaching day at school means that I haven't had the opportunity to watch the Holy Father's Inaugural Mass, nor to check out many of the reports. Having read this (excellent, as always) piece by Fr. Simon, I think I shall be sure to eschew any of the mainstream media reports.

I always advise my students to remember that, if they ever copy and paste information from another source, they should either change key words (rather a lot of them) or put the remarks in quote marks. The sort of plagiarism cited by Fr. Simon would be enough to get coursework thrown out by the Exam Boards...

It's Been One Of THOSE Days...

And Now For Something More Edifying...

One of the best pieces I have read on the election of Pope Francis is from the Provost of the London Oratory. It is such a relief to read something so sensible after all the nonsense.

"Reading the newspapers since the election of our new Pope, pious Catholics will find material that fills them with hope and joy and speculations that might give anyone sane a stroke if they happened to be true. We should not allow what we see in the press or on the Internet to disturb our serenity and distract us from prayer. That would be playing into the hands of the devil, who dreads and despises the prayers of the faithful (any timidity one might have about mentioning the devil in these modern times, by the way, has been dissolved by the fact that Pope Francis mentioned that enemy of God and man at least twice, in startlingly direct terms, in sermons on the first days after the election)."

I particularly enjoyed the reference to Hans Küng as "the Swiss entertainer" !

A Little Humour...

Some people are getting a little over-wrought about our new Pope. Personally, I think we need to give him time... after all, being made responsible for the world's billion or so Catholics must be a bit like being hit with a ten-ton truck. Getting stressed over whether he wears the papal red shoes is perhaps a little premature. He's 76 years old, and wearing in a new pair of shoes is no joke at any age, especially if you do a lot of standing and walking. I seem to recall reading somewhere that his feet are far bigger than anyone else's in the conclave, and the ones made for possible popes just weren't big enough.

So I thought I'd share this little snippet.

A twitch of the mantilla to Damian Thompson.

Photos From Laetare Sunday...

We had a Solemn High Mass on Laetare Sunday (something of a tradition at Blackfen!) but I only just realised that I hadn't put up my photos on Flickr. That oversight has now been corrected!

One of the servers was very anxious to know if we were going to have a Solemn High Mass next weekend, on Palm Sunday. Unfortunately, Fr. Finigan has been unable to find a subdeacon, so it won't be possible. This news appeared to cheer the boy up immensely. That means he gets to carry the cross and bash the church door with it... apparently, at a High Mass the subdeacon carries the cross!

Every cloud has a silver lining for someone, it seems...

Urghhhh...!

There is a dead pigeon in my sitting room. The bird either put up a valiant fight, or the kitties wanted to perfect their feather-plucking techniques...

Still Slightly Stunned...

... But, I suspect that I'm not half as stunned as Pope Francis!

When he first cam out onto the balcony, he had that slightly glazed expression of a rabbit caught in the headlights. It can't be easy, suddenly finding yourself responsible for the souls of all the world's Catholics. And remember, one day he will have to account for any who were lost through his actions (or lack of them) before Almighty God.

I wonder if the Holy Father thought at all of Jonah? After all, at the last Conclave, he apparently begged his supporters in a heartfelt plea not to vote for him, and so those votes went towards electing Benedict XVI. So, having dodged the bullet first time around, it must be slightly disconcerting to feel that God has now caught up with him again.

Anyway, I'm still trying to take in the news. Several sources seem to be trying to put a dampener on things. I refuse to take them seriously. The huge disappointment for many people will have been that the Conclave elected a Catholic as Pope. Even worse, he's a man. How terribly reactionary!

I read on one blog that this was a real disaster for the Church because the Holy Father was opposed to the TLM, and didn't allow any to be said in his diocese. In fact, this seems not to be the case - whatever his personal preferences, he arranged for the TLM to be celebrated 48 hours after Summorum Pontificum was promulgated.

Yes, Liturgy is important. But the Holy Father doesn't have to like the TLM, he just has to allow it to continue. Good Liturgy has its own momentum, and will become more and more widespread: clown-Masses and other liturgical abuses are just not attractive to younger people (from what I've seen in the last decade.)

UPDATE: It seems that the implementation had its problems, but my point still stands: Pope Francis isn't likely to do away with Summorum Pontificum. As long as abuses aren't tolerated, personal liturgical preferences and inclinations aren't an issue.

The more I read about our Holy Father, the more I am drawn to him.

The Holy Father is staunchly pro-life. He's spoken out strongly against abortion, against euthanasia and against same-sex "marriage." In talking about these evils,he has mentioned the devil, the Father of Lies. No mealy-mouthed, half-hearted platitudes these, uttered with an idea of appealing to popular opinion.

The Holy Father spent time talking to Benedict XVI before coming out onto the balcony after his election. The delay in coming out to greet the people is an indication that this was no mere courtesy call, and that they had a real heart-to-heart.

Finally, Pope Francis told everyone from the balcony that he intended to go to pray for the people of Rome before Our Lady, and, sure enough, that is what he did.

A Pope with a true devotion to Our Lady. What more could any faithful Catholic need?

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...