The ecumenical service at Westminster Abbey has just concluded. There was some very beautiful singing, including Duruflé's Ubi Caritas, the Pope and the Archbishop Canterbury delivered addresses, and venerated the shrine of St Edward.
There was a rather noisy gathering of Protestants outside beforehand. Fortunately there were plenty of Catholics mixed up among them so the boos were mostly drowned out by the cheers. Rather a pity to have a protest like that but I don't expect it bothered the Pope too much. A French journalist who was standing next to me was completely baffled by it.
15 comments:
I don't remember seeing anything like that during the US Papal Visit Father. Did they burn him in effigy also? LOL
Father, thanks for your excellent coverage these past couple of days.
It's a pity those ultra-protestants weren't inside to see the Moderator General of the CofScotland proclaim the Gospel between two acolytes, see the High Altar of Westminster be incensed during the Magnificat, followed by the Pope and other bishops.
Most of the Catholic Hierarchy present looked a bit disinteretsed in the proceedings.
One great moment was caught on the Papal Visit webcam with the Archbishop of Liverpool caught saying to a lady how much he was 'chocked' (because it was exactly his own view or something similar). Now I couldn't catch whether he was referring to Rowan Williams' speech or HH the Popes'.
A good view of the rear of the medieval altar screen too. The much more often seen front of it has a Victorian veneer.
Shame about the barbecue on the mensa..
Booing...? Really?!?
Such a different religious climate in the UK. I didn't realize how deep the 'anti-Catholic' sentiment was until I went there myself and experienced it.
No, I can't imagine our Holy Father being phased by it at all...
There were people protesting this?!
And look: THEY get candles on the altar. Hmph!
Protestants protesting against the Pope?
They've clearly not forgotten the Decrees of the Council of Trent then.
http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct13.html
BTW The Frenchman was being polite.
I was pretty suprised too, Father. Genuinely suprised they bothered. There were no more than two dozen of them, but they were well-prepared with placards and flyers.
Vincent
PS the French journalist later had a long conversation with the new Prior of the St Jean Community in Bretwood – I'm sure she went away edified!
Father, I know that we've only seen one major Papal liturgy so far and tomorrow promises great things (Westminster Cathedral - not necessarily Hyde park) but have you noticed the lack of discussion surrounding the liturgy. Why do you think that it is?
In all the scandals raised the 'Williamson' affair has received little mention (DG) but maybe any discussions relating to the SSPX might just start to touch on the nerve of 'liturgy' and so they steer clear.
It's all going quite well (DG) and it's just me thinking.
God bless.
It was a very good occasion even though suffragan bishops, such as me, had to wear lounge suits and sit in the cheap seats in the North Transept. I saw the pope live for about 5 secs on the way in and 5 secs on the way out and the rest was on CCTV. The addresses were fine: both the Westminster Hall one and the Westminster Abbey ones. The 'popery' was amusing and worked reasonably well. In the end, though, it is the doctrinal base that has to be right and, in the politest way, the claims of the Petrine ministry as Catholics understand it were asserted by the Holy Father and rebutted by the AB of C at Westminster Abbey, just as, earlier, the Speaker of the House of Lords in her vote of thanks had politely distanced political decisions from a faith basis and looked instead for an undergirding ethical basis. But where do you find a reliable one of those outside the religious tradition?
+ Andrew
Good to see you there Father. I asked you to check out my new blog - so now you can!
I'm sure we'd all prefer it if it was just the Protestants protesting... It is their job you know!
Father - just to echo a comment above, thanks for you excellent coverage.
God bless you. God bless our Pope.
I cannot help but feel that those Benedictine Monks and Abbots who served in Westminster Abbey, before the Reformation, are celebrating in Heaven because the Holy Father has finally come to their earthly home. God Bless Pope Benedict XVI. Definitely historical!.
you ll find, via Internet media searching and online plans/promotions, that the 'Protestant' protesters(redundant) are mostly the small, but very loud/vocal and media savvy, "Ex-catholics For Christ,UK"( and the also very small but love attention 'Free Presbyterian Church', UK)fundamentalist groups. who also protest anything mainline etc..
PAX
At what point does Ecumenism stop and Relativism begin?
Has the Papal Bull on the Invalidity of Anglican Orders, APOSTOLICAE CURAE, been revoked?
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