“Kasper’s encore: Either it happens as I say, or no synod”

This is my translation of an interesting post on Sandro Magister’s blog Settimo Cielo, entitled as above. I thought a few things were worth highlighting in bold.

.................

Cardinal Walter Kasper is very angry at the publication by Il Foglio on 1 March – and disseminated in additional languages by www.chiesa - of his report to the consistory on 21 –22 February, in favour of Communion for remarried divorcees. This may be because the daily newspaper edited by Giuliano Ferrara has ruined the scoop the cardinal was already planning with the approval of Pope Francis, with the publication of his own report in the form of a short book, to be published by Queriniana.

But on 11 March it was L’Osservatore Romano which was the second media outlet to anticipate the issuing of the booklet, publishing almost in their entirety two other unpublished texts of Kasper, taken from his participation in the consistory, at the end of the discussion.

It was a very lively discussion, with many first-rank cardinals speaking against the theses maintained by Kasper.

In his reply to the critics, the German theologian and cardinal called on the tradition of the Church in support of his theses, and on the Eastern principle of “oikonomia”, on the Western principle of “epicheia”, on the equiprobabilism of St Alfonso Maria de Liguori, on the concept of prudence in Thomas Aquinas, and on the “sensus fidei” of the Christian people considered by Newman.

And he concluded with an either/or. Either the synod on the family will produce a change, or else it will be much better not to convene it at all:

“Regarding this question of ours, there are great expectations in the Church. Without doubt we cannot respond to all the expectations. But if we were merely to repeat the responses which have already been given, presumably going back forever, that would lead to a very serious disappointment. As witnesses of hope we cannot let ourselves be guided by a hermeneutic of fear. Courage, and above all, biblical openness (parresia), are necessary. If we do not want this, then we should rather not hold any synod on this subject, because in such a case the subsequent situation would be worse than it was before.”

Re-thinking the Procession for Holy Communion

Here is a first-rate post from Fr Simon Henry on his highly-recommended blog, Offerimus Tibi Domine, entitled When was the last time you felt unable to go to Communion?

I venture, with some trepidation, to make a modest proposal.

In Clifton diocese the Holy Communion procession is a very neat arrangement, front to back, row by row. This results in those who do not go up to receive remaining rather conspicuously alone in the pew.

In contrast, I remember things as they used to be, both in my earlier years in Liverpool archdiocese, and as they were when we spent a good deal of time in a rural part of Ireland in the mid-2000s. What I recall is a bit of a scramble. All the communicants surged forward randomly, including those right at the back of the church. The people in the front pews sometimes had to wait quite some time before they could fit into a gap. In addition, some of the congregation liked to spend a little more time in prayer before receiving.

The “bun-fight” approach allowed for all sorts and types. It was untidy, but the very untidiness gave shelter to those who were unwilling or unable to receive. Nobody noticed what they were or were not doing. They could devote themselves to their own prayers and spiritual communions.

Really, it would be an act of charity to such members of the congregation. And, since the First Great Commandment relates to God, this giving of shelter and a degree of anonymity would also help to foster the respect due to the Blessed Sacrament.

Would congregations be willing to go back to the old, somewhat chaotic arrangement, if these genuine and very important spiritual reasons were put forward? Might it be feasible?



Image, via Google, from the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Wentworthville, New South Wales

Pope Francis and the Pearl of Great Price

Many of you will have read Rorate Caeli's post about the discussion between Pope Francis and the Czech Archbishop Jan Graubner, on the subject of the Traditional Latin Mass. The Archbishop reports the Pope’s opinion as follows:

When we were discussing those who are fond of the ancient liturgy and wish to return to it, it was evident that the Pope speaks with great affection, attention, and sensitivity for all in order not to hurt anyone. However, he made a quite strong statement when he said that he understands when the old generation returns to what it experienced, but that he cannot understand the younger generation wishing to return to it. "When I search more thoroughly - the Pope said - I find that it is rather a kind of fashion. And if it is a fashion, therefore it is a matter that does not need that much attention. It is just necessary to show some patience and kindness to people who are addicted to a certain fashion. But I consider greatly important to go deep into things, because if we do not go deep, no liturgical form, this or that one, can save us."

If the report is accurate, Pope Francis thinks the Traditional Latin Mass is a fashion to which some young Catholics have become addicted as to a passing phase. He has come to this conclusion, because, as he is reported to have said, he has searched “more thoroughly” into the matter.

I am sure the Pope genuinely believes that his research has been thorough; but that does not necessarily mean it is so.

The evidence that the love of Tradition is a deep-rooted development lies not only in the slow but steady growth of the Traditional Mass in many parts of the world, but most dramatically in the vocational fruitfulness of those priestly and religious congregations who have embraced it. It is not for a fashion that young people give their entire lives to the Lord: it is because they have found the pearl of great price.



Image from Rorate Caeli's post on the recent subdiaconal ordinations of the FSSP

A Traditional Latin Mass on New Year’s Day

Since the promulgation of Summorum Pontificum in 2007, the Traditional Latin Mass congregation of Cheltenham has been very fortunate in regard to the good priests who have regularly offered the Holy Sacrifice in the ancient form. Father Tom Smith, now at Warminster; Father Alexander Redman of Dursley, and now Father Ian McCarthy of Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water: they have each been a great blessing to us.

Because of various disruptions, I had been unable to attend the monthly TLM at St Gregory’s for a little while. I missed it very much. Yesterday evening, by means of a lift there and a taxi back, I had the quiet joy of being present at the first Low Mass of the year.

There is something very powerful about being part of a congregation that unites itself with the priestly workman as he goes about his Task. Yesterday, unusually, there was no altar server, and the congregation spoke the responses, with unostentatious dignity.

The number has shown a slow but steady increase over time, and at the end of a day of almost unremittingly vile weather about thirty people had made the effort to attend. They included quite a few newcomers, I think. It was very impressive.

As I knelt and prayed and observed Father going about his work at the altar, I tried to fathom out what it is about this form of the Mass that always goes to my heart in a way that the Novus Ordo form does not. At one time there is a particular reason; at another, a different one. Last night, the idea of normality came to me very strongly. If I had my heart’s desire in these things, I would wish to attend the Traditional Mass as my normal Mass.

I particularly wanted to write this post, in order to record an exchange I heard after the Mass, while waiting outside the door for my taxi to arrive. I heard a young woman say, as she came out, “That was beautiful”; and her companion agreed.

After that, I have no more words, except to wish my readers many blessings for the year ahead.

"Where Dialogue Stumbles"

In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis writes with warmth and sincerity about the Church’s relationship with the followers of the religion of Mohammed.

Calmness is an important quality, in this matter as in others. Sandro Magister’s Chiesa has published this calm assessment of the relevant parts of the Apostolic Exhortation. It is written by Father Samir Khalil Samir, a Jesuit and an Islamologist. According to Magister, Fr Samir “examines them one by one. And he criticizes their limitations.”

Do Traditional Catholics consider themselves better than others?

GloriaTV has a constantly-updating list of links to posts from various sources. Some of them are real gems. Highly recommended.

I have just found this beautiful post , written by Fr Peter Carota on his blog, Traditional Catholic Priest. I encourage you to read it: it is food for the soul in these times.

A happy and holy Christmas to all ...

... from a very quiet blogger. Heads held high, as we face whatever oh-so-strange things are in store for Holy Mother Church in the coming year.

God bless us, and guide us, and keep us safe.

Choosing Life: Donating to The Good Counsel Network

May I urge you to read this extraordinary report from The Good Counsel Network, about a mother’s desperate efforts to save her baby from abortion.

At the end of the report, they make this heartfelt plea for funds:

… we are completely broke at the moment and for the most of the "40 Days for Life" campaign, our staff have had to put up with wages coming weeks late, which is more than tough when you are on a low wage and are doing very frontline work!!

Please help us to raise money to reach out to and support Mothers with Counselling, Advice, Financial help, Practical Support, Mother and Baby Goods, Housing and Friendship.
During the 40 Days for Life Campaign, the pro-abortion group 40 Days of Choice has launched a "Pi** off a Picket" Campaign (sorry!) which has raised £508 for the pro-abortion group "Education" for "Choice". We are also running a fundraising campaign, Our Lady's Pocket Fund to raise £5,000. Please support this campaign and show that Pro-Lifers Give Double during 40 Days for Life. (For other ways to donate)

God bless all my readers who have visited here during my break from blogging. My husband’s health has been of concern lately. Happily, he is recovering well, but would you be so kind as to say a prayer for him?

Cheltenham TLM returning: same day, different time

Good news from Canon MacDonald, parish priest of the church of St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham. This is from the parish newsletter for Sunday 13th October 2013:

I’m pleased to announce that Fr Ian McCarthy of Stow on the Wold has kindly agreed to take on responsibility for the monthly Latin Mass in the older form of the liturgy. As before the Mass will be offered on the first Wednesday of the month, recommencing on 6th November. Please note that the time of these Masses has been moved from 6.00pm to 7.00pm.

Warm thanks to the following for their kindness and all their good work:

- to Canon MacDonald, for making the church available
- to Fr McCarthy of Stow, who has offered the traditional Mass at St Gregory’s on a number of occasions before this new arrangement
- to Fr Redman of Dursley, who has offered it until now

- and particularly to the sacristan, Heather, who makes everything ready and welcoming for the steadily-growing congregation.

God bless, one and all!

What does “Lesus” mean?

When the news broke of the misprint of the name of Jesus on the new papal medals, one of my first reactions (and a rather frivolous one) was to wonder if the word “Lesus” meant anything.

The same idea had evidently occurred elsewhere: a commenter on another blog mentioned that someone in Mexico (I think) had discussed the meaning. The commenter did not pass it on, apart from the clue in her spelling of it, which was “L(a)esus”. I thought I would check it out in my Latin dictionary, thinking, of course that it might mean something rather apt.

“Laesus” is the past participle of the verb “laedo” – I hurt, wound, injure, damage. Its figurative meaning is: trouble, annoy, vex, injure, insult, offend, afflict, grieve, hurt.

Latin diphthongs are often simplified, as you know. It is interesting to see that the English word “lesion” comes from the same verb.

Of all the meanings it might have had …

Cheltenham loses its Traditional Latin Mass

Sadly, Fr Redman of Dursley can no longer offer the monthly Traditional Latin Mass at St Gregory's church in Cheltenham. At present there is no information as to whether another priest could offer the Mass in his place, so we have to assume that this situation will continue for the foreseeable future.

Many thanks to Fr Redman for looking after our little congregation.

"When Paul Corrected Peter"

Next to the daily news report on gloria.tv there is a constantly updated list of news stories and articles, some of which are worthy of much wider dissemination.

Here is one which caught my eye: The American Spectator has published an article by George Neumayr, entitled When Paul Corrected Peter.

I have been hoping for some time that one or more of the Vatican-based Cardinals will speak to Pope Francis as candid friends. Who knows, perhaps they have done so already.

He needs many prayers, offered up in a spirit of love.

Fog and Uncertainty

I'm reluctant to add my two-penn'orth to the swirl of reactions to Pope Francis's recent interview. On both sides, excellent Catholics, both clerical and lay, have made their contributions to the debate.

I have the impression that the work of stressing the positive elements has been rather laboured, relying very much on hope and on interpreting things in the best light. On the other hand, the work of pointing out the negatives, and of drawing worrying conclusions from them, has appeared more analytical and logical.

As for me, I hope the Pope never attempts to put these expressions of his thought into an official, magisterial pronouncement.

Young Catholic Adults: 18-20 October, 2013

During the weekend of the 18-20 October 2013, Young Catholic Adults will be running a national weekend at Cold Ash Retreat Centre just up the road from Douai Abbey (which was booked up this year).

* It will be include the following speakers:- Fr Goddard FSSP, Fr de Malleray, Fr. Pearson O.P. and Br. Gabriel O.S.B..

* There will be a Marian Procession, Rosaries, Sung/HighMass, Low Mass, Confession and socials.

* Gregorian Chant Workshops will also be running, this year led by the Schola Gregoriana of Cambridge

Weekend rates: £99.00 for adults, £69.00 for Students and U/E ( weekends starts on Friday evening with supper and finish on Sunday after lunch.

Saturday night only - £60.00 for adults, £50.00 for Students and U/E Full Board

B & B - £35.00 for adults, £30.00 (for student - U/E) per day

Non - residential and full board - (Friday & Saturday) - £45.00 for adults, £40.00 for (for student - U/E) per day

Non residential (includes meals) - £30.00 for adults, £25.00 (for student - U/E) per day

Non residential & no meals - £20.00 for adults, £15.00 (for student - U/E) per day.

To download a booking form please see :- http://www.youngcatholicadults.co.uk/events.htm

For general enquiries about the weekend please ring Margaret on 07515 805015 or Damian on 07908105787.

How to get to Cold Ash Retreat Centre (near Thatcham, Berkshire)

Car - Roughly halfway between Reading and Newbury, Cold Ash Retreat Centre is within easy reach of these towns as well as London, Oxford, Bracknell, Winchester and Basingstoke. The A4 (Bath Road is a couple of miles and the M4 is just 4 miles away.

Trains - The nearest railway stations are Thatcham and Newbury, with a regular service on the line from Reading to Taunton. It's just c. 45 minutes from London Paddington. The local railway station, Thatcham, is a couple of miles away (and has plenty of taxis available). Timetables and other information are provided by http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

Buses - Weavaway operates a bus service from Newbury Town Centre via Thatcham Broadway to Tilehurst, which stops at Cold Ash along the way.

Does Pope Francis have an Identical Twin?

I hope you like the tabloid headline. More about that at the end. First of all, thank you, Pastor Emeritus, for your kind message following my most recent post.

A mixture of technical problems and a draining away of inspiration has prevented me from posting for some time. I’ve found a way round the problems. But as to the lack of inspiration, I think it was due mainly to a reluctance to say what I have been feeling about the new papal regime under which we are living. I’m glad that others have felt able to articulate their views.

Pope Francis says some beautiful, inspiring things, but he also says really awful things which it is pretty clear are emboldening those who reject major elements of the Church’s teaching. This is horrible.

And as for the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Immaculate, and the appointment of the man alleged to have been the chief dissident to the post of Secretary General of the order …. well! In a way, the thing that I found almost more chilling than his appointment, was the statement that for the period of the commissariamento this man would be the sole spokesman of the order. That is grim.

Thank God for the academics who have set out, with such precision, their case against the decision of Pope Francis to forbid these Franciscans to exercise (without permission) their right of offering the Holy Mass in the ancient form. Sandro Magister has the details here.

I think it was the FFI bombshell that “emancipated” me. I know what I think and feel about all this. But I have been searching for a word to describe it that is as little emotionally charged as possible. We need cool heads. I will make do – and, I stress, make do - with the word “exasperated”. The acknowledgment to myself of even this somewhat underpowered expression of my feelings has, rather oddly, liberated me from a sense of oppression. Some people refer to the pope as Francis the Confusing. He has moved on, for me, to Francis the Exasperating. If he continues like this, a stronger adjective may be in order, even from me.

The title of my post comes from those silly, spooky films where Good Twin has an identical Bad Twin, locked away in secret in the attic, but escaping at frequent intervals to cause confusion and mayhem. At last, when all is revealed, everyone starts to wonder: Which Twin was responsible for what? And more to the point, which one is this Twin?

Oh, I think I need to get out more!

A report that Mgr Ricca has resigned

In a comment on Fr Ray Blake’s blog post concerning the Ricca affair, Deacon Augustine refers readers to a report that the Monsignor has resigned from all his posts. The report is publicised by a Swiss Catholic site, the name of which I can’t make out, and the news is said to originate from the French agency I.MEDIA. Here is my translation:


Caught by revelations about his homosexuality, Mgr Ricca is said to have presented his resignation to the Pope.

After the revelations in the Italian weekly I’Espresso about his homosexual activities, Mgr Battista Ricca, recently named prelate of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), is said to have presented his resignation to Pope Francis, the I.MEDIA agency in Rome has learnt.

The Italian prelate, who spoke with the Pope on 20th July, is reported to have given up all his responsibilities at the Vatican, including the management of the guest-houses for priests in Rome. On the 18th July, L’Espresso published many details about the homosexual relationship of the prelate with a former officer of the Swiss army when he was working at the nunciature in Montevideo, from 1999 to 2001. The Vatican responded by asserting that these revelations were “unreliable”.

(I have decided not to translate the final sentence of the report.)

The Bishops, too, are Sheep

This program is from ChurchMilitant.TV

It has been some time since I have been able to compose anything on my blog.  The cursor refused to appear - goodness knows why.  Suddenly it is back again, I'm happy to say.

Supertradmum of Etheldreda's Place has linked to this wonderful video from ChurchMilitant.TV, in which Michael Voris interviews Bishop Athanasius Schneider.  I strongly urge you to set aside the 35 minutes or so, make yourselves a cup of something, and sit down to savour Bishop Schneider’s words. As you will no doubt recall, he is the bishop who has urged that a new kind of Syllabus of Errors be published, formally setting out the correct and incorrect interpretations of certain passages in the documents of Vatican II.

These are some of the gems, with rough timings. I haven't noted the source documents for most of them, but I’m sure most of you will recognise the sources.

7:44 onward: The bishops, like us, are sheep; and Peter is their shepherd as well as ours.

9:14 onward: The government of the Church by the college of cardinals is not continuous, it is extra-ordinary. Continuous government by the college is not the structure Christ gave us. At times, the Church went for some centuries without a council being convened, and the Pope continued to govern the Church during those times.

10:45 onward: The assertion that Christians and Moslems believe in the one God must be clarified. Two substantially different levels of belief are involved: natural faith, which is theirs, and the supernatural faith which comes to us by revelation.

17:00 onward: Lumen Gentium states that the summit of creation is Man. But in fact the summit is God. The idea and practice of anthropocentrism are dangers for humanity and for the Church. The sin of Adam and Eve was anthropocentric.

Just a few notes, but I hope they will whet your appetites.

For the record: Today I heard the P-word.

It may be useful for Catholic bloggers to keep a tally of their sightings - or rather, their hearings - of the Pelagianism word in the wild.  I heard it today, somewhere in deepest Gloucestershire. The speaker was a priest. He was expressing his pleasure at discovering the Vatican Information Service's extracts from the Pope's homilies, delivered at his Masses at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. 

He liked the fact that Francis was inclined to deliver his homilies unscripted.  He had noted the Pope's comment in one of the homilies that the Catholic Church had made mistakes in the past.  He had also been struck by what he understood to be Francis's reservations about meditation.  According to the priest, the Pope had suggested that meditation could be an expression of, or be influenced by, Pelagianism.

I remember Pope Francis's scenting of possible Pelagianism on the part of the kindly Argentinian Catholics who had presented him with a spiritual bouquet of Rosaries.  But I have not heard of any other links made by him, in other contexts.  I'm reluctant to wade through all the homilies since the Pope's election, but I'd be interested to know if any readers have heard the P-word other than relating to the Argentinian incident.  I don't necessarily expect a comment if you don't feel like posting here, but I'll look out for any posts on this subject in the Catholic blogosphere.  I have a feeling that Pelagianism - or some caricature or misrepresentation of it - is going to be the new stick with which to beat the more orthodox or traditionally-minded Catholics.

I suspect the roots may lie deep in the past, in an episode of "Father Ted", when a parishioner said "I hear you're a Pelagian now, Father .... "


Picture from 127project.net, via Google Images

The Thoughts of Pope Francis

Whoever would have thought to see a picture of Chairman Mao's Little Red Book on a Catholic blog?  Our good but somewhat variable Holy Father astonishes us time and again with a pithy phrase which goes to the heart of very important matters.  Such is the case with his recent exhortational homily at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, reported in the Catholic Herald.  In a situation of sin, or even faced with a temptation to it, "Run away and do not look back!"

Repeatedly, the Holy Father's concentrated words offer us spiritual and moral wisdom in a very practical form. This is a pope whose epigrammatic sayings could prove most edifying when gathered together in a little book.  Or do you remember those desk calendars some people used to have on their office desks, with a motto for each day?  People still like a proper calendar: not everything is better for being online.

Catholic Truth Society, over to you!



Picture from Google Images

A busy Sunday afternoon

First, to Prinknash Abbey, where the Traditional Latin Mass is offered by Father Damian at 3pm on the first Sunday of every month.  Beautiful weather for the drive there and back, through the glorious intense greenery of Gloucestershire as spring turns into summer.  The road sweeps in great curves round the scarp-face of the Cotswolds, climbing higher and higher. Thick woods rise up on one side. I looked up at the gap among the trees where the famous Gloucestershire cheese-rollers had churned up the grass last Monday.  On the other side, the ground falls away steeply, to the different beauty of the great Vale of Gloucester.  Beyond that, the Forest of Dean, and even farther away, the hills of Wales.   At last, we turn off and plunge in a series of zig-zags through the grounds of the Abbey.

After Mass, to Cheltenham, and the Holy Hour in union with Pope Francis.  Plenty of people there.  At intervals, Deacon McDonald - top of the range, they are very fortunate to have him - gave uplifting talks, or led us in prayer, or in a hymn.  Then he and the servers processed round the aisles, the thurifers immediately preceding him walking backwards, with great care.  Benediction, chanted in English, and very well, but it made me a little sad, because I know he chants the Latin Benediction with great skill.  However, he must have had his reasons.  O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo in English too; but as I recall, we sang all the verses, which was good.  Finally, the Salve Regina - in Latin - and the prayer for England.  Altogether a moving and very worthwhile experience, enhanced by the knowledge of others sharing that time with us throughout the world.



Picture of Prinknash Abbey from cotswolds.info, via Google Images.