The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Quite a while ago, St Anthony Communications sent me a copy of their new DVD on Confession (in which I have a brief cameo role.) Sorry to be so long in giving notice of it. The DVD is quite hard-hitting at the beginning, not compromising on the nature of sin. Then it moves to explain the mercy of God and the provision which He made for His Church to minister the forgiveness of sins. Fr Nicholas Schofield, Fr Marcus Holden, Fr Andrew Pinsent and Fr Thomas Crean OP offer some very good insights into the sacrament of Penance. Fr Jeremy Davies an experienced exorcist, also speaks from the heart with great effect. The DVD is 20 minutes long, which makes it a good element of an evening of recollection or a part of sacramental preparation. It is available for £9.95 from St Anthony Communications where you can see a short preview.

A cliché often repeated about blogging (or Facebook or Twitter ...) is that it prevents people meeting real people. Well this evening, as I was blogging, I received a phone call from the local hospital. As a young priest in Camberwell, I often had to respond to such calls, and made my way over to Kings College Hospital "in the still of the night". Another local parish looks after the main hospital here so well that I don't have these calls so often now. So when I do get called out, it is a reminder for me of a basic part of the ministry of the priest: to attend to the dying. Late at night, the drive to the hospital is easy enough. I drive briskly but well within the margins of safety, keeping alert and reminding myself of the advice in "Roadcraft", the advanced drivers' manual. At the hospital, it is easy enough to park since most of the visitors have gone. At the ward station, the nurse is waiting and I meet the family, and chat to them in a good humoured w...

Congratulations, Joanna Preece! You have become a Christian, a child of God, and a member of the Catholic Church. And all ex opere operato . Congratulations also to the justly proud parents James and Ella. (For more great stuff, see Catholic and Loving It .)

Thinking of anniversaries, I have only just noticed (shame on me!) that today is the anniversary of my Baptism. The Church offers us a plenary indulgence if, at the Easter Vigil or on the anniversary of our baptism, we renew the promises made on our behalf. Off to do that now ...

Archbishop Mark Coleridge of the diocese of Canberra and Goulburn in Australia, has spoken about the problems with St Mary's in Brisbane and the charge made the Australian press that Rome is "bullying" Archbishop Bathersby into taking action against the parish. Among many abuses, perhaps the most serious is the use of an invalid baptismal formula. (See: The consequences of invalid baptisms ) The Canberra and Goulburn diocesan website has the full article which is well worth reading. Here is one quotation which embodies true Oz bluntness: In the end, communities like St Mary’s and those who support them, fail to recognise the difference between a band-wagon and a hearse. With the best of good intentions – and no-one is attributing any of this to malice – they jump gleefully on the band-wagon of a certain relevance and inclusiveness without realising that what looks like a band-wagon into the brave, new world of the future is in fact a hearse leading to a dead end that the...

Fr Michael Woodgate, who teaches at St John's Seminary, Wonersh, has written a good book called "A Priest's Guide to Hearing Confessions". it is intended as a modern equivalent of the classic manuals for confessors and it succeeds in offering a doctrinally sound and practically helpful guide. It will be especially helpful for the newly ordained priest but as with all such books, it is important for those of us ordained some time to remind ourselves of the basics and to listen to what other wise priests have to say. As well as dealing with basic such as the matter for confession and the qualities required in the minister, the seal, and approaches to different types of penitent, Father gives a useful summary concerning censures and penalties and their absolution. A most useful book for any priest. A Priest's Guide to Hearing Confessions can be ordered from the CTS , price £9.95 (140 pages, hardback.)

Fr Sean Finnegan has an excellent post about the theology of the episcopate: Crossword Clue . I would like to make an observation with regard to the rite of ordination of a priest. The essential form of ordination for priests and deacons is almost exactly the same as the form in the old Roman Pontifical. (The form for Bishops has been changed to be based on the Apostolic Tradition - thought at the time of Vatican II to be by Hippolytus.) So the Latin text for the form of ordination of a priest is as follows: Da, quaesumus, omnipotens Pater, his famulis tuis Presbyterii dignitatem; innova in visceribus eorum Spiritum sanctitatis; acceptum a te, Deus, secundi meriti munus obtineant , censuramque morum exemplo suae conversationis insinuent.” The English translation currently in use is: Almighty Father, grant to these servants of yours the dignity of the priesthood. Renew within them the Spirit of holiness. As co-workers with the order of bishops may they be faithful to the ministry that ...

The old chestnut I am referring to is the unbelievably silly interpretation of the rubric of the new Missal (older version) which said that, by tradition, the Church does not "celebrate the sacraments" on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Anyone with an ounce of sense and not infected with the daftest kind of positivism regarding liturgical law simply presumed that this did not intend to prohibit the longstanding custom of hearing confessions on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. If any support were needed, the press pictures of the Pope of Rome sitting in the confessional on Good Friday every year might just count for something? Just to make things absolutely clear, the 2000 edition of the Missal adds in the clause "except for penance and the anointing of the sick." Fr Z also has the reference to a clarification from Rome on the matter as long ago as 1977. (See: Just to be clear, Confessions on Good Friday are NOT forbidden…. duh! ) 31 years after that clarification and 8...

Fr John Boyle has written a very helpful and sensible post with further details of the consequences of the invalid baptisms. (See Feminist Baptismal Formula Invalid ) As there is now plenty of good material out there on this, I thought it was time for something lighter ...

Back in 2004, Archbishop John Bathersby wrote to Fr Peter Kennedy, parish priest of St Mary's, South Brisbane, to ask that he comply with Redemptionis Sacramentum , follow the liturgical norms and stop baptising people "in the Name of the Creator and of the Liberator and of the Sustainer". They were doing this to make the sacrament "more inclusive, less patriarchal." Fr Kennedy begged to differ from the Bishop's suggestion that he had been baptising invalidly. (see Brisbane Archbishop stops "inclusive" baptism ) Well the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith begs to differ from Fr Kennedy: Responsa ad Proposita Dubia de validitate baptismatis 1 Feb 2008. The original is in Latin; here is the official English translation: QUESTIONS First question: Whether the Baptism conferred with the formulas « I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier » and « I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Lib...

The Anaphora of Addai and Mari in its present form does not include the words of institution which our Lord spoke at the Last Supper ( ... this is my body ... this is my blood... ) In 2001, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity published Guidelines for admission to communion between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. These Guidelines affirmed the validity of the anaphora of Addai and Mari, even without the words of instutition. The question matters because the Anaphora of Addai and Mari is sometimes used to support the view that there is no actual moment of consecration in the Mass. Last March I mentioned that Fr Michael Lang had written on this question in 2004 in the journal Divinitas and was intending to publish the material more widely. He has edited a collection of articles which has now been published by Nova et Vetera : Die Anaphora von Addai und Mari – Studien zu Eucharistie und Einsetzungsworten (The Anaphora of Addai and Mari - Studies o...

Today the Holy Father celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel and baptised thirteen children. In recent years, a platform in front of the High Altar has been used with an altar "facing the people." Today, the Holy Father celebrated Mass at the High Altar of the magnificent chapel. There was apparently a notice from the Office of Papal Liturgical Celebrations but I have not been able to locate it. Rorate Caeli translates part of the Apcom report : "This year, the wooden platform on which an altar was placed for the occasion will not be set up, but the actual altar of the Sistine Chapel will be used. "A decision was made to celebrate on the ancient altar to avoid altering he beauty and harmony of this architectural jewel - the Vatican note explains - preserving its structure, in a celebratory viewpoint, and making use of a possibility foreseen by liturgical legislation. This means that, at some moments, the Pope will be with his back turned to the faithful and facing t...

The Times today reports the latest in manufactured secularist outrage. Apparently John Austin, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, is going to have a private meeting with Ed Balls to push him to "re-examine" the future of faith schools. This is on the back of some statistics showing that people are having their children baptised later. ( Times Online: Backlash as more claim religion to get place in top schools ) The article speaks of a "year 5 Epiphany" which is a bit of a slide from the figures quoted later in the article which concern baptisms of a year old or later. For those outside the UK, children in "Year 5" are 9-10 years old. At the beginning of the subsequent year, they need to apply for secondary school. The implication is that there are loads of baptisms purely to facilitate this. Actually, the Dioceses could refute this by looking up the annual pastoral returns which report on baptisms of children up to 1 year, 1-7 years and over 7. The latter catego...

Yesterday I took the train from Waterloo to Poole to visit my sister and her daughter and baptise my relatively new great nephew, Jack David. The Baptism was scheduled in the Church of the Sacred Heart in Bournemouth, just inside the Portsmouth Diocese. The sacristan was most helpful and welcoming and I was impressed by the Victorian Gothic Church which was originally run by the Jesuits. My sister, her husband and her daughter are part of the bell-ringing group at the Church which boasts a rare collection of bells for a Catholic Church. One day, perhaps, I will be able to make another visit, encouraged by my brother-in-law, Chris, to celebrate Mass at the Lady altar: Naturally, at the Baptism of a baby, it is important that a slightly older sibling is not left out. Lucy is great at singing and dancing and was allowed to perform under the watchful eye of Grandma and Dad: The adults were treated to Champagne afterwards, courtesy of Jack's Great-Grandfather who is a retired judge. Acc...

Speculation seems to have increased recently that Tony Blair may be about to be received into the Catholic Church. I was left a message saying that someone was looking for a quote on this. I'll be up in town today to speak at the School of Evangelisation so I hope some of the following might be of help... If Tony Blair were to convert to Catholicism, I would welcome that warmly. But conversion involves the acceptance of Catholic teaching such as the teaching that abortion and embryo experimentation are evil because all human life is sacred from the moment of conception, and that laws introducing homosexual civil unions are wrong and should be opposed by Catholic legislators. In public office, Mr Blair has supported abortion, embryo experimentation and homosexual civil unions. Conversion to the Catholic faith would imply that he now accepts Catholic teaching and is willing to witness publicly to it. I pray for Mr Blair's conversion to the Catholic faith. It would be wonderful if...

Yesterday evening, "The Bread of Life", a new book for first Holy Communion by Fr Martin Edwards (pictured above with Fr Andrew Wadsworth) was launched at the St Wilfrid's Hall at the London Oratory. The book as introduced by Fr Ignatius Harrison, the Provost of the Oratory. Fr Martin Edwards then spoke about the book, emphasising the doctrinal content of the book as well as the pedagogical features which are designed to help teachers convey Catholic teaching to young children. "The Bread of Life" is published by Gracewing and can be ordered from their website ("new titles"). The photographs which illustrate the book feature Fr Ronald Creighton-Jobe of the London Oratory, at the (eastward-facing) altar of Fr Edwards' Church of St Mary Magdalen in Wandsworth. As Fr Edwards said, the book is "MP-ready" and the photographs will be suitable for parishes that use the older or newer form of the Roman rite (or both). Fr Ronald was also present ...

I have carried out a Baptism once or twice using the older form and preferred it greatly to the rather didactic and plodding ceremonies of the newer rite. Looking through it again today confirmed me in the view that it is so much more, well, "pastoral". It is a relief to drop the liturgical re-education necessary to prevent the mother handing the baby over to the Godmother for the ceremony. The "exorcism" in the newer rite is as bland as possible in contrast to the older rite's determined exorcisms, warning the devil in the name of Christ to get out and stay out. The "come on now, you renew your baptismal promises" element of the new rite was criticised by Cardinal Ratzinger in "Principles of Catholic Theology" (page 42, footnote) when he lamented the disappearance of the idea of representation. As he said, the statements now designated as acts of remembrance have no inner relationship with the baptism of the child that is presently taking ...

The Times today carries an article called Blair will be welcomed into Catholic fold via his ‘baptism of desire’ , a title which provides further justification for John Allen and Jimmy Akin's remarks about religious reporting in the British press (see John Allen on the British Press ). Fr Michael Seed is cited as authority for the prediction that Blair will "declare himself a Catholic" upon leaving office. Then apparently he also expressed doubts as to whether Blair would be "formally" received into the Catholic Church. Gledhill et al. provide some obfuscation at this point showing that they have heard of the RCIA but have no idea what it is: "To do so he would have to take part in a ceremony called the rite of Christian initiation for adults, followed by confirmation and taking the sacrament of Holy Communion." Errr, no. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults includes the celebration of the sacraments of initiation. Before that there is a process ...

There is a most helpful article on Zenit regarding a request from some 10 year old girls to receive the sacrament of Confirmation in a diocese where the policy is to delay Confirmation until the "sophomore year" that is the second year of College or High School, I think, so about 13-15 years old. (Could someone from the States clarify this?) Fr McNamara refers to a letter from the Congregation of Divine Worship to an English-speaking bishop: protocol No. 2607/98/L, published in Notitiae 1999, pages 537-540. In response to a similar case, the letter points to the basic principle in canon law that pastors may not refuse the sacraments to the faithful who ask for them and are properly disposed. The Bishop was directed to confirm the girl.