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...

Quinquagesima Sunday...

I love the name "Quinquagesima" ! In fact, all the "-gesimas" have a certain ring to them. Quinquagesima, as the inimitable Fr. Z reminds us, is the symbolic fiftieth day before Easter.

We're on the home straight before the rigours of Lent begin. Hopefully we've all decided on our penances, our prayers and our almsgiving for the Lenten season. If not, now is the last chance.

Tuesday is not "pancake" day - it's Shrove Tuesday. To be shriven is to be absolved from your sins. Shrove Tuesday is thus named because it was traditionally the day people went to Confession before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. The emphasis was on preparing for Lent, not just seeing Lent as preparation for Easter (though obviously it is that too!) But Ash Wednesday should not catch us unawares...

Excuses...

My MP, Teresa Pearce, replied to my concerns about same-sex "marriage" with what appears to be a standard letter, as she doesn't address the points I raised about teachers losing their jobs, churches being pressured by the ECHR, or priests going to prison. She also didn't bother to explain why this legislation was being addressed when so much else of far more importance was not being dealt with.

I really can't be bothered to type out the whole blurb. The main excuse she gives for voting in favour of the Bill is as follows...

"I understand that this is a sensitive matter... However, my stance on this issue is that I think that people should be treated equally, both socially and legally, no matter what their gender, race, religion or sexuality. My initial view was that the creation of civil partnerships removed the inequalities relating to property and inheritance that used to exist and therefore I was not convinced of the need to go that further step to gay marriage.

"However some very practical differences between civil partnerships and marriage have recently been brought to my attention. For instance, under the current laws relating to pensions, immigration and powers of attorney, people in civil partnerships are not given the same rights as people who are married..."

If this really was the case, it would seem far better to change the law regarding the practical differences rather than trying to redefine an institution which has been understood in the same way for millennia, the consequences of which have not been fully considered and which will lead to the persecution of people with religious beliefs.

Unless, of course, it is the intention to persecute those with religious beliefs...

Hunting Season Resumes...

It seems as if the recent lull in wildlife being brought in to the house may have come to an end...

The snow seemed to have discouraged the kitties from going hunting. It is understandable: the snow was deeper than the kitties are tall. Why get cold and wet when you don't have to?

I was getting ready to go out for tea with Leutgeb this afternoon when a sudden bang of the catflap and a squawk stopped me in my tracks. Miaowrini had her mouth full of pigeon, and was endeavoring to carry her catch through to the sitting room. At first I thought the bird was dead, and would have cleaned up the mess on my return, but another squawk suggested the bird was still alive.

Out came the towel - it calms the bird, which goes quite still when everything goes "dark," and the cat gets confused. I carried the bird to the window and opened the towel. The bird didn't move, and I feared it was so wounded I'd have to wring its neck. However, on throwing it upwards (I'm on the ground floor, I hasten to add), the bird fluttered its wings a bit, landed safely and ran off under a parked car.

As I left five minutes later, I looked for the pigeon, but it had gone - presumably it had got over its shock and flown away.

Miaowrini is still sulking...