The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Norumbega is "an online feuilleton and news portal collected from a traditionalist perspective" (see here for an explanation of "Norumbega" and "Feuilleton" ). Edited by Andrew Cusack, the heart of the publication is a series of readable, thought-provoking articles which will sometimes be controversial - but because they are original and intelligent, not simply because they set out to "shock". Andrew Cusack sent me notice of a recent article: An Architecture of Continuity which looks at the Universidad Laboral, constructed from 1946 in Franco's Spain to provide a second level institution to teach vocational and technical skills, supported by communities of the Jesuits and the Poor Clares. of the architecture, Cusack comments: The Universidad Laboral presents us with an architecture that is a continuation of history, rather than a rejection of history. Its components exhibit a classical symmetry but, like the human body itself, are arranged...

The Association of Catholics in Education (ACE) was recently founded to support Catholic teachers and governors, and all Catholics working in education, whether in Catholic or non-Catholic, state or private schools and colleges. The aims and objectives of the Association include: promoting the spiritual well-being of members inspiring the whole practice of the profession with Catholic principles providing Catholic ethical/moral guidance to members in an increasingly secular environment drawing members together for mutual support, occasional lectures, networking, days of recollection etc. The second lecture arranged by the Association will be given by Fr Luiz Ruscillo, co-author with the Bishop of Lancaster or the excellent "Catholic Schools - Fit for Mission?" The lecture will be on Monday 19 May at 7.30pm in the new Pastoral Centre at St Joseph's, 1 Montem Road, New Malden, Surrey. KT3 3QW. The Church is a short walk from New Malden Station (frequent trains from Waterloo...

Fr George is working hard at Lourdes to make the TLM available for pilgrims. He is having to "make do" to a certain extent. At the moment he can't get hold of a maniple - but is having new vestments made; and various other requisites are still needed. Here's an idea. If you are in Lourdes, why not ask Fr George if there is anything he needs and get it shipped over to him? Yesterday, he celebrated a Missa Cantata in the Immaculate Conception Basilica and has posted some photos taken by a young father who was present with his wife and children. See several posts at TLM Lourdes for 11 May. Father makes the pertinent comment: If I remember correctly, we had pilgrims from England, Ireland, Germany and USA. The language for the Mass was no problem, since everyone wants Latin! Isn’t that innovative in a place where, including all the pilgrims, there may be well over one hundred languages present?

Yesterday, the Holy Father spoke at the international congress promoted by the Pontifical Lateran University on the 40th occasion of the encyclical Humanae Vitae. Here is a link the the text of his address (Italian) Rorate Caeli has posted some extracts in translation . The Holy Father says of the encyclical: Written under the light of an excruciating decision, it constitutes a significant gesture of courage in the confirmation of the continuity of the doctrine and of the Tradition of the Church. That text, often misunderstood and distorted, caused much discussion, also because it was set at the dawn of [an age of] strong dissents which marked the life of entire generations. and further on, The truth expressed in Humanae Vitae does not change; rather, in light of the new scientific findings, its teaching becomes even more up to date and induces reflection upon its intrinsic value. I spoke this morning about the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, leading her into the fullness of t...

Pilvi Listo playing the organ at Kallio Church in Helsinki, Finland. May 9, 2008. I was entertained to a most enjoyable dinner at Pilvi and Marko's place on my visit to Helsinki after Easter.

Please pray for the repose of Jimmy Mizen who was killed earlier today while defending his fellow workers from an attack in the bakery shop where he was working. ( Daily Mail report ) Jimmy was an altar server at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Lee. He was in the same class at St Thomas More school as Amy Curran and Georgina Fox who died on New Year's Day. Please remember Jimmy in your prayers. Please also pray for his family (his father, Barry, is vice-Chair of Governors of the school) and his classmates who will suffer further grief because of this awful tragedy.

Take a look at the magnificent new website for the St John Cantius parish in Chicago .

Fr Z has picked up on two important recent interviews: Cardinal Hoyos with the magazine Jesus and Mgr Guido Marini with Il Giornale . From the interview with Cardinal Hoyos: If in a diocese priests are lacking and only three or four faithful request the extraordinary rite, it’s a matter of common sense to think that it is difficult to satisfy this request. However, since it is the Pope’s intention, his mens , to grant this treasure for the good of the Church, in a place where there are no priests the best option would be to offer a celebration according to the extraordinary rite in one of the parish Sunday Masses. It would be a Mass for everyone, and everyone, including younger generations, would benefit from the riches of the extraordinary rite, for example, those moments of contemplation that have disappeared in the Novus Ordo . As a parish priest I found this very encouraging. There are inevitably a few people who complain about the use of Latin or facing Eastward to celebrate Mass...

The Vatican website has a new section Documenta Latina . H/T Fr Ray Blake

The second of our first Holy Communion Masses was celebrated today at Our Lady of the Rosary. May God bless all our children who have now received our Blessed Lord for the first time. It was good to welcome Fr Kieran from Liverpool who generously travelled down to give Holy Communion to a young relative, Aaron. Once again, God blessed us with a beautiful day so that the photographs could be taken outside in the sunshine. (There were more girls last week!) Earlier, we had a TLM Low Mass for the Vigil of Pentecost followed by confessions. Later, there were more confessions and the Saturday evening Mass, followed by the final day of our Pentecost Novena with the singing of "Come Holy Ghost" which, I take it, suffices to gain the plenary indulgence for singing the Veni Creator Spiritus on Pentecost Sunday. In any case, we will be singing the Veni Creator in Latin after the Latin Mass tomorrow.

During the recent Apostolic Visit to the USA, the Washington Post published this interesting and perceptive article: Between Medieval And Folk, Two Mass Audiences . A sample: Imagine a bizarro world where all the 25-year-olds want Mozart and all the 60-year-olds want adult-contemporary. The kids think the adults are too wild. The backlash against "Kumbaya Catholicism" has anyone under 40 allegedly clamoring for the Tridentine Mass in Latin, while the old folks are most sentimental about Casual Sunday (even more rockin', the Saturday vigil Mass), and still cling to what's evolved from the lite-rock guitar liturgies of the 1970s. It is significant that this should come from a secular source with no particular axe to grind in favour of traditional liturgy. H/T Valle Adurni