Posts

Cardinal Hoyos at CELAM

Image
Fr Z has a post on Cardinal Hoyos' speech to CELAM . He was giving a report on the work of the Ecclesia Dei Commission. This is of particular relevance because of the arrangements made for Bishop Rifan and the Diocese of Campos. A few points are repeated there - the traditional Mass was not abolished, the Holy Father wants to extend the option of celebrating it to the whole Church, the two rites can co-exist peacefully. He asks for prayers that this wish of the Holy Father can be put into effect for the sake of the unity of the Church. The translation ( not by Fr Z) is not good. Here is the original text in Spanish .
Read more

More "Blair to become Catholic" news

Image
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 ...
Read more

Down's syndrome - declaration of interest

Image
By way of keeping to the Nolan Standards in Public Life, I hereby make a declaration of pecuniary or other interest ("other" actually) in the matter of Down's syndrome. To save going into detail, here is a picture of my nephew Damien: Since Damien goes to Mass at the Birmingham Oratory, he knows many of the responses and chants in Latin. A favourite game when we meet is for me to sing "Dominus vobiscum", for him to respond "Et cum spiritu tuo" and for me then to ruffle his hair while we both shout "Aaaargh!" You could tell me that Damien's life is not worth living or you could start trying to chew a brick. Either way you will lose some teeth.
Read more

Down's syndrome and the dark forces

It was at the exhibition in Lourdes dedicated to Jérôme Lejeune that I first found out the horrible statistic that in Britain 90% of all children with trisomy are now killed before birth. It is routine to offer pregnant women one or other pre-natal test for Down's syndrome with the sole purpose of offering an abortion if the test is positive. Here's a story. The parents of a severely handicapped child made a heartfelt case for the child to be given a merciful death. The Government agreed and then set up a committee to register such serious disabilities and to allow others a legal route to end the suffering of such children. Shortly afterwards, the ministerial department required health care professionals to report cases of severely disabled children under three years of age. It was particularly stressed that children with Down's syndrome or hydrocephaly should be included in the statistics. Some Catholic parents were suspicious of this initiative. The Government told the pa...
Read more

Jérôme Lejeune

Image
The Curt Jester today references a very good post from MercatorNet, Saintly scientists: Hate the disease, love the diseased . This is about Jérôme Lejeune who discovered the genetic reason for Down's syndrome and spent 40 years of his life trying to find a cure for Down's syndrome or trisomy. The Jérôme Lejeune Foundation continues his work. They seek a cure while others limit themselves to detecting the syndrome early in order to offer abortion as a solution. I was delighted to hear that the Archbishop of Paris has introduced the cause for his beatification. Subject to the judgement of the Church, pray to the holy doctor for a miracle at the intercession of this great and good man.
Read more

Parenting video

Funny toddler tantrum that starts and stops depending on whether there is an audience: H/T Dilexit Prior
Read more

Birmingham Oratory's "Siege of Jericho"

News of the Birmingham Oratory's "Siege of Jericho" which began on Monday. Each day the Siege begins with Mass at the Oratory at 3pm, and continues with a procession of prayer around the grounds of the Calthorpe Abortion Clinic in Arthur Road, Edgbaston. On the final day, Sunday 20th May, a Solemn Blessed Sacrament Procession will begin at 2pm in Arthur Road. This will involve solemn Benediction outside the abortion clinic with a portable altar, incense, and the Fathers properly vested. If you are anywhere near Birmingham, this is something not to miss. The rest of us can unite our own prayers and sacrifices to this pro-life campaign.
Read more

Servant and Steward

Image
Fr Daren Zehlne is a young priest in Effingham Illinois who has a blog called Servant and Steward . At the time of writing, his top post is on a book called The Catholic Priesthood and Women: A Guide to the Teaching of the Church which looks interesting. Father has some photo albums at Webshots . These are well worth browsing (the above is one of his scenic views on Oahu). Any good recommendations for web photo album hosting thingies? I'm going to need one sooner or later. Do you just use Picasa or is there a better option?
Read more

The search for a Catholic spouse

I was looking up Fr Daren Zehlne's blog (more about that in a mo') and found an article about Meeting Online at the Ride of the Rohirrim blog. With a name like that you have to go and look. Daniel met his girlfriend Catherine through CatholicMatch.com and they are planning to get married once they have finished what Americans call "school". To be honest, when I followed the link, I expected to find a post saying how dreadful Catholic online dating services were. Instead, Daniel makes a thought-provoking case for their value in proper and prudent discernment. I just looked up CatholicMatch and found that it is endorsed by Fr Frank Pavone and Michael Rose among others. It seems to be regarded as a real step forward in helping young people to found families that will rebuild the culture of life.
Read more

What I'm reading meme

Ages ago, The Kid Sister of Blessed Imelda tagged me with a "What I'm reading" meme. This has to be something of a confession since I have a bad habit of starting other books before I have finished the ones I am reading. Books for meals I have a pile in the kitchen on the breakfast shelf type thingy where I take my meals. The one that I am focussing on finishing is "After Asceticism" - I have to review that this week. In the pile down there is also Trochu's life of the Curé of Ars which is nearly finished. I want to read the whole lot because there are so many excellent nuggets about the Curé that I don't want to miss any. Lower down is "Londonistan" by Melanie Philipps, a journalist's take on the rise of militant Islam in Britain - not such a priority read. Underneath is Colin Harte's "Changing Unjust Laws Justly" which I must return to and finish. This makes a thoroughly argued case for preferential treatment for the weakes...
Read more

DTI interference in the Church

Image
The UK Government's Department for Trade and Industry apparently set up a "Clergy Working Group" in 2004 to look at the working conditions of the clergy. In March this year, they came up with a Model Statement of Good Practice (Word document) This says that we should have job descriptions, there should be a "clear procedure" for resolving disputes, there should be personal support and "ongoing development" and individuals should be kept informed of and consulted about changes affecting them. My answer to that would be to supply the Department for Trade and Industry with a copy of the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law. A note could add that further information could be found at www.vatican.va I don't deny that clergy are sometimes treated unjustly and sometimes have poor working conditions. These things should be addressed within the Church, not by a secular Government. To insist that clergy are not "employe...
Read more

Popular posts from this blog

Congratulations to Paul and Catherine

Image
Married today at Our Lady of the Rosary Father, keep them always true to your commandments. Keep them faithful in marriage, and let them be living examples of Christian life. Give them the strength which comes from the gospel so that they may be witnesses of Christ to others. Bless them with children and help them to be good parents. May they live to see their children's children. And, after a happy old age, grant them fulness of life with the saints in the kingdom of heaven. from the Nuptial Blessing
Read more

1962 Missal pdf online

The Church Music Association of America and Jeffrey Tucker of the New Liturgical Movement have made available the 1962 Missal online in pdf format (72Mb). The file is hosted at Musica Sacra , the website of the CMAA, thanks to a generous gift from Fr Robert Skeris While you are at it, take a look at the articles clarifying the rules for music at Low Mass and music at High Mass .
Read more

Saint Gabriel

Image
The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai...
Read more

Original thought

St Josemaria Escriva said that we are called to the heroism of finishing each particular task. I fail on this in the matter of reading books - there always seem to be half a dozen in progress. My aim is to have just two - one for spiritual reading and one for educational reading. The book for spiritual reading does not have to be finished if it turns out that something else is appropriate. For example, I have recently begun again to read St Therese's "Story of a Soul." At Parkminster today, I explained to the Novice Master that this was my latest enthusiasm. He told me that one of the Fathers had spent decades on the study of St Therese; in doing so he had reached conclusions that went contrary to those of many other scholars of the little flower. This made me chuckle and I certainly want to find out what he has said. Since he is Spanish, this would give me a chance to improve my knowledge of that important language. I recalled a story that Fr Holloway once told of an eld...
Read more