Donor Cards...

I used to be a firm believer in donor cards. I remember being quite angry that, on the death of my father, no one at the hospital believed my mother was in a fit state to consent to his organs being used. When his personal effects were returned, we found his donor card in his wallet.

Now, I am not so sure about the wisdom of carrying a card. The more I learn about hospital procedures, the more suspicious I become. When, exactly, is a person considered to be dead? And if, in order to allow organs to be harvested for transplant purposes before the heart has stopped beating, the diagnosis of "brain death" is accepted, then what exactly is "brain death"? And now we hear of cases where the donor has recovered just in time to stop having vital organs removed...

Tony Bland had to have opiates administered so that he wouldn't show distress when he was being starved and dehydrated to death. Now "dead" patients are having to be anaesthetised to stop them reacting to the pain of surgery to harvest their organs.

Coma, the book by Robin Cook about a health centre which purports to look after coma patients whilst secretly harvesting their organs for transplantation is beginning to appear prophetic...

Blessed Miguel Pro

Today is the anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Miguel Pro, a Mexican priest of the early twentieth century.

I heard the name a while back, but I didn't know very much about him until I read this excellent summary of his martyrdom on the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma blog. The similarities in the stories of the persecution of the Church in Mexico and the persecution carried out in England at the Reformation were quite striking. Nothing new under the Sun? Or does persecution of the Church always follow the same pattern? There's an extended blog post in there somewhere...

I was particularly amused by the tale of a young woman helping Fr. Pro to escape by linking arms with him and pretending to be his wife/girlfriend. There is a very similar account of one of the English martyrs (I forget which one) being saved from capture by the pursuivants when a maidservant pushed the priest into a water trough (or duck pond.) It was assumed that the woman, a known Catholic, would never do such a thing to a priest...

It is finding out about things like the persecution of the Church in Mexico that highlights the paucity of History teaching in the UK. The only thing British children get to hear about Mexico is that the Aztecs/Incas were there. The teaching is so vague that, even now, I don't know the difference between the Aztecs and the Incas...

Richard Collins also writes his own blog, Linen on the Hedgerow. It's well worth keeping an eye on his personal blog as well as the Guild one, because he doesn't always publish the same stories on both (I envy his industry... I have problems writing for just the one blog!!)

Happy Feast Day !

Oooops. Wrong celebration! This is the photo I meant to put up...

Happy St. Cecilia's Day. If you want to know more about the saint herself, do go and read my previous post about her.

And, to my many American readers, have a happy thanksgiving as well. Just one word of warning. If you are a vegetarian, and are happily planning on tucking into the tofurkey, be aware that it has nothing to do with tofu. The tofurkey is a cute little critter, and you have had it slaughtered...

Another Quick Plug...

A brand new blog is up and running, and is worth keeping an eye on.

It's by a friend of mine, Catholic Christian, who has just moved to the big, bad city,and he wanted to start a blog to record his thoughts and experiences.

Anyway, do pop over to Roamin in London when you get a chance

Women Bishops...

I returned to the Church twenty years ago, after what I describe as my Damascus Road conversion. I was pretty arrogant back in those days (some say that I still am) but I knew that the only way to avoid making a mess of my life again was to submit to the teaching authority of Holy Mother Church. She had, after all, survived 2000 years of human mismanagement, and Jesus had guaranteed that the Holy Spirit would preserve her. It was a no-brainer.

About a year or so after my reversion, the women priests thing kicked off in the Church of England. I didn't understand all the theological arguments - I still don't - but the Catholic Church stated clearly that you couldn't have women priests, because she didn't have the authority to do what Christ himself had not done. The lack of authority was the bottom line. That was enough for me.

The Church of England decided to go ahead and ordain women, but then, to put it bluntly, they dropped the idea of authority back when they split with Rome over the matter of a certain King's divorce. At the time it was argued that it was alright to ordain women as priests but they wouldn't ever go ahead and be ordained as bishops.

This struck me at the time as a rather disingenuous statement. Even to my untutored ears, it didn't sound right. After all, if you are going to dispense with the arguments against having women priests, then there are no arguments remaining against having women bishops. If there are no theological reasons to prevent women being ordained as bishops, then it boils down to a matter of equality. You cannot say women can not be bishops just because they are women when you wouldn't accept that argument about women becoming priests in the first place.

Today the General Synod voted very narrowly against women bishops. I think the Church of England is in trouble here. Anyone care to take bets on how long before we have the first court case under equal opportunities legislation?

A Compliment To Treasure...

I usually read all my favourite blogs via Google Reader. It cuts down on time wasted in clicking on links in a blogroll and finding that there's not been an update yet. It was a major consolation when my computer broke down, as I was still able to read all my favourites on my mobile phone (Google Reader is excellent on phones) and so I didn't have the attack of the vapours which total deprivation would have induced.

The downsides to using Google Reader are that I don't get to see the comments and that I don't see the design and layout of the blogs I'm reading. The former isn't too much of a problem - I can go and look at the original post if I think it provoked a good response. I don't usually bother too much about looking at layout on other blogs, it only comes to my attention when I am actually opening up specific posts in order to link to them.

I noticed that I received several referrals from my friends on Papa Stronsay this week. It surprised me, because I hadn't actually seen any posts from them linking to my blog. Just in case I had missed something, I pottered over to have a look. Imagine my surprise when, scrolling down the sidebar, I discovered that I'd been given my very own "icon" on the blogroll...

Both Cardinal Furretti and Monsignor Miaowrini made it into the picture. It is absolutely wonderful ! So a big thank you to the Community for the honour.

A New Blog To Read...

While I was checking out my stats and finding out where my readers are coming from, I discovered a new blog. Further investigation revealed that Recusancy is written by a young woman who has a love for the Church and the Holy Father, and a hatred of bad hymns. She also writes some seriously good stuff, particularly on healthcare.

Pop on over and explore for yourself - she's only been blogging since August, but she's already in the Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma. Leave a comment or two and welcome her to the Catholic Blogosphere!

Maternal Mortality...

The case of Savita Halappanavar is a very sad one. It is always sad when a young person dies. The amount of hysterical outrage in the Press from pro-abortionists, however, strikes me as being artificially manufactured.

Firstly, the full facts are not yet known, and won't be until after the inquest. There is no evidence that an abortion would have saved Savita - and, in fact, the president-elect of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI) for 2013-2014, Dr.Divakar, said that an abortion performed in a situation of acute septicaemia could well have resulted in hastening Savita's death.

Another reason that I consider the outrage of the pro-abortion lobby to be insincere and opportunistic is the lack of comment about the rates of maternal mortality in countries which do allow abortion. In 2010, the number of maternal deaths in the UK was double that in Ireland, and the US rate was more than three times that of Ireland. Ranking 6th in the world, Ireland is one of the safest places in which to give birth. The UK, which has what is effectively abortion on demand, ranks 23rd in the world, and sepsis is the leading cause of maternal mortality here.

Hard cases make bad law. Savita's death is a tragedy, but we need to examine the true facts before claiming that abortion should be made legal in order to reduce maternal mortality rates.

Red Hat Arrives From Rome...

Last Sunday, Cardinal Furretti's red hat arrived from Rome, courtesy of Annie Elizabeth and family who acted as couriers.

Annie and her family were in Rome for the FIUV pilgrimage Mass at St. Peter's in thanksgiving for Summorum Pontificum. You can read her excellent summary of the pilgrimage procession and Mass, along with some stunning photographs over on her blog. There are also two very amusing (and impressive) video clips of her youngest child singing the Salve Regina and the Regina Caeli (yes, I know it's the wrong season, but he's only three!!) from the roof of St. Peter's.

I tried to photograph Furretti with the hat on, but she was so ecstatic at its arrival that she wouldn't let go...

LMS Requiem Mass...

I attended the Requiem Mass for deceased Latin Mass Society members and their families at Westminster Cathedral this afternoon. The Mass itself was wonderful. Despite being able to attend the Traditional Latin Mass every weekend at Blackfen, I like to go to these big Masses every now and then, to remind myself that I am part of the wider Church... as well as enjoying a bit of extra pomp and ceremony!

It's a shame that, given the occasion, the Bishop's sermon didn't reflect on the need for us to pray for the dead. There was a lot about the love and mercy of God, which is all well and good, but we also need to remember that Hell exists, and we need to make a conscious effort to avoid it. St. Bernadette was reported as saying that she feared languishing in Purgatory for lack of prayers for the repose of her soul after her death. If such a saintly individual was so concerned to have prayers and Masses offered, then we more fallible types should really bear it in mind...

Joe Shaw was taking plenty of photos, and I'm sure that they'll end up on his blog in due course...

Wonderful News...!

I am completely bowled over! Due to the generosity of one of my readers, I have been able to get a new computer!

I opted for an Acer laptop, as I thought it would be more versatile. I bought it this evening but couldn't play with it immediately as Rosary & Benediction was on this evening... and I wanted to say a prayer or two in thanksgiving. I am still getting to grips with Windows 8 (grrrr) but need to get to bed, as I have school in the morning.

So, blogging will resume very shortly. Watch this space!

Update...

The computer chappie has confirmed that my computer is well and truly dead. Something to do with a motherboard. Apparently it's cheaper to buy a new computer than fix the old one. But that's not an option right now... Ho hum. Could be worse...

Blogging Has Been Suspended...

My desktop computer has died, and I can't afford to get it fixed just now - or afford to get a new one. I can't blog from school, and blogging on my mobile phone is too much hassle. I hope to be back up and running soon!

I Don't Want To Jump On The Bandwagon, But...

Lots of stuff has been written about the recent woes of Dr. Tina Beattie. She has complained that there is a blog campaign against her, and that is the reason she has had a couple of speaking engagements cancelled. There are some excellent summaries out there - Mark Lambert has the most comprehensive round-up, including links to Dr. Beattie's cries of victimisation.

Time to call a spade a shovel, I think.

Yes, several bloggers have written posts decrying her opinions, and expressing relief that she will not be given a platform at Catholic institutions to air her opinions.

However, this is not the "sovietisation" of the Church. This is what happens when faithful, orthodox Catholics (who are, quite frankly, totally hacked off at having her personal opinions touted as being compatible with Catholic teaching) get to demonstrate their democratic right to exercise free speech. That's what blogs are for - they allow those of us who wish to do so (without the benefit of friends in the mainstream media to give us a platform) to express our views to a wider audience.

Dr. Beattie's invitations to speak are extended to her in her capacity as a Catholic theologian. After all, that's the billing she gets in The Tablet. It's the description she gets given in the mainstream media. No-one contacts me to ask if I will talk on the teachings of the Church - I have no official standing. She is asked to speak solely on account of her position. If the views Dr. Beattie holds and expresses are not in accord with the teachings of the Church, (although she is at total liberty to hold and express those views) then it is no surprise that the invitations to speak at Catholic institutions are withdrawn.

Hardly rocket science, is it?

Dr. Beattie can think, say and write whatever she wants. She has that freedom. But she can't do it and honestly claim to be speaking as an authority on Catholic theology.

Prayers From Papa Stronsay...

Now there's an offer you can't refuse!

The Community on Papa Stronsay are offering to pray for the deceased relatives and friends of anyone who asks. They even want to encourage prayer for dead enemies!

Just send an email with the names to the dedicated email address and the names will be printed off and placed near the tabernacle in the chapel, to be remembered at each Mass during the month of November.

The Community is a real prayer powerhouse, so get those names in! Free some more souls from Purgatory!

All Souls...

The Mass was totally awesome.* You could almost hear the cheering from Purgatory...

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

*Yes, the Mass is always awesome, but some times it's more awesome than others...

New Blog On The Block...

A brand new blog has come to my attention - and just for once it isn't a blog which I just haven't seen before. Matthaeus just started blogging on Sunday at Sub Umbra Alarum Suarum - though he has been a commenter for much longer. Do go over and welcome him to the Blogosphere.

He has a beautiful shot of a church or chapel as his background wallpaper which one just glimpses as the page loads. Very tantalising, and a promise of good things to come, I think...

Celebrating The Feast...

We really are very blessed at Blackfen. A week ago we started our Quarant'Ore celebrations and then had four Missa Cantatas in four days. Then Low Mass on the Monday. Today we had the first of another four Missa Cantatas - today's was for the Feast of All Saints.

We were very lucky to have a surprise visitor for the Mass - Clare from Brighton joined us, and sang with Julia and the choir. It sounded really wonderful. Singing is thirsty work, so a visit to the Parish Club afterwards was in order...

The servers proved to be a little camera-shy on this occasion.

Tomorrow we have a Missa Cantata for the Commemoration of the Holy Souls, then we have our regular First Saturday Missa Cantata and the usual Sunday parish Missa Cantata. Eight Missa Cantatas in eleven days is pretty impressive for a parish church...

All Saint, All Souls & The Month Of November...

The month of November is often portrayed as a gloomy one. In the Northern Hemisphere it is marked by cold, wet weather and grey skies. The nights are getting longer. The year is coming to a close, and it feels like everything is doom and gloom, with the Church's emphasis on death, the Holy Souls and Purgatory. The joyful celebration of the Feast of All Saints lasts a single day. The Holy Souls get a whole month...

And yet, in reality, the month of November, properly considered, should be a beacon of hope and light for us all. It shows us to what we aspire, and it shows us how we will, most probably, attain it.

We start with the great Feast of All Saints. A glimpse of heaven, it is the Church Triumphant, and we are given a chance to honour all our favourite patron saints, but also, more importantly, we are given the opportunity to celebrate the many saints who are unrecognised...

There are two categories, I like to think, of unrecognised saints. The first one is that of the really saintly individuals who just don't attract a cultus after their death. They will never be canonised because the Church needs a couple of miracles (at least) before that happens, and it is rare that miracles are granted unless we ask for them. Without groups of people actively praying to the deceased for those miracles, and campaigning for the Church to recognise them as saints, the individuals just never make it "onto the books." We may be fortunate in our lives to meet such individuals and to recognise their saintly qualities, but they are the hidden saints.

The second category is, for me, the more interesting one, because it is where most of us hope (and expect) to end up. We all want to be saints (well, anyone who believes in an afterlife, that is.) We just might not describe it that way. Think about it - when was the last time you heard anyone actually declare that they want to go to hell for all eternity? By definition, everyone who is in heaven is a saint. Today is the day to celebrate the mercy and love of God that allows us to hope that we might one day scrape in. All Saints' Day also celebrates all those who have ended up in heaven after their time of purification in Purgatory, and, as such, is a celebration of "the hope which is in us".

Our sins mean that we deserve to go to hell, because all sin is an affront to God. But through the mercy of God, those of us who have not separated ourselves from him by unrepented mortal sin can still hope for heaven. Purgatory is where we are made fit to be in God's presence - it is a gift to us, as we would be unable to bear being in his presence if there was the least stain of sin on our souls. This is the Church Suffering - though every soul in Purgatory rejoices in that suffering which allows them to get to heaven. And so, tomorrow, we celebrate the fact that Purgatory exists - All Souls' Day is even more dear to me than All Saints' Day, and the two are inseparable.

The thing is that the Holy Souls in Purgatory can do nothing for themselves. The process of purification is beyond their control. The Church, however, allows us to help. The prayers and penances offered by us, the Church Militant, for the Holy Souls gets them to heaven. Every Plenary Indulgence offered on their behalf brings a soul out into the Beatific Vision for all eternity. Plenary Indulgences applied to one's own soul only last until the next venial sin - so, for most of us, it is a fleeting benefit!

November, with the extra emphasis placed by Holy Mother Church on prayers for the Souls in Purgatory, is a month of great rejoicing.

This Explains Rather A Lot...

I had heard from several sources that Bishop Kieran Conry was rather resistant to the celebration of Mass in the Extraordinary Form, and that, as a result, requests for the TLM in Arundel & Brighton weren't encouraged (to put it politely) despite the provisions of Summorum Pontificum.

Having read a summary of the Bishop's thinking on the Mass at the time of the Reformation, it all becomes clear.

If, as Bishop Conry appears to, one believes that:

"...over the centuries, and especially after the Protestant Reformation, many of the elements of the Mass had become obscured. Much of this was a consequence of the continued use of Latin, which served to alienate and distance people from the action of the Mass"

then obviously one would be very averse to its continuation.

Unfortunately, Bishop Conry appears not to have read Eamon Duffy's classic, The Stripping of the Altars, which paints a very different picture of faith and worship among the laity in England and Wales.

He also doesn't appear to have read The Spirit of the Liturgy by Pope Benedict (written when he was Cardinal) or else he wouldn't talk about the priest having his back to the people.

Even more unfortunately, the Bishop doesn't appear to have paid any attention to the documents of Vatican II either... you know, the ones which called for Latin to be retained in the Mass, and Gregorian chant to be given pride of place (among other things)...

Pray for the Bishop. And pray for his flock.