Sometimes people criticise electronic communication because it might be a poor substitute for real face-to-face communication. To be honest, I have often found that email has helped me to renew acquaintances with old friends; and through the blogosphere I have met many new ones. Just over a month after the visit of Fr Zuhlsdorf, I found myself today having lunch in London with Fr Guy Selvester who writes the blog Shouts in the Piazza.Fr Selvester is an expert in heraldry. The other day he had an interesting article on the diplomatic difficulty faced by the newly elevated Cardinal Brady and the elegant solution proposed by Michael Merrigan, the head of the Irish Genealogical Society. See Of Red Hats and Red Faces
6 comments:
This is news to me.
I had no idea that since the restoration of the Heirarchy in 1850 a Catholic bishop's arms were granted by the Crown.
I hope Father Guy will teach us more on the subject.
One is never too old to learn ..
Sorry.
I forgot to ask :
Who granted Archbishop Brady his present episcopal arms ?
Yet another comment.
I've been thinking.
(I couldn't leave a comment on Father Guy's blog.It doesn't seem to have a combox.
I've sent him an e-mail.)
I don't understand the position in Ireland.
Does the Irish government grant Catholic bishops their arms, or do they simply assume their own arms ?
Can anyone enlighten me, please ?
It occurs to me (and I know very little about heraldry) that since his elevation to the cardinalate, Archbishop Brady can use his existing archi-episcopal arms, but
with the adornments of a cardinal i.e. the red galero).
I don't think the arms of Catholic bishops in England are granted by the Crown, are they ?
I hope Father Guy or some other expert in heraldry will read this !
I'd dearly like to know.
Yay -- Fr. Guy!!! He visited our small "ad hoc" herealdry meeting near San Francisco about two years back. Not only is he an expert in heraldry, but he is a GOOD heraldic designer (those two attributes are not always present simultaneously).
Fr. Guy will also be celebrating the usus antiquitor more often. I'm sure he'll tell you the full story.
Also .... Fr. Guy has a GREAT first name!
:^D
Yes, it's a very fine name, e.g. Mons. Guido Marini ...
Dr Peter Wright asked: "Does the Irish government grant Catholic bishops their arms, or do they simply assume their own arms?"
Interesting question. I'd hazard a guess that the answer is probably "yes" and "yes" respectively. The Office of the Chief Herald (successor in the R. of Ireland to the Ulster King of Arms) is responsible for issuing all coats of arms but I would have an idea that in the case of the appointment of a Bishop he would have a great deal of input into the actual design himself, particularly the motto.
Mind you, I was unaware of the fact that there was this doubt over the operation of the Office. We have a lot of looney so-called republicans in this country who are ever zealous for challenging anything remotely savouring of the ancien regime. Now what does that remind one of? :) Jaykay
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