Thursday 28 April 2011

A small victory for Catholic blogging

Coughton Court - a haven for Recusant Catholics but not assassins!


Some weeks back I posted on the National Trust property and Recusant house of Coughton Court in Warwickshire. I was concerned that one guide in particular was claiming that the Pope issued a decree to all English Catholics "to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I".


Also, other guides were 'dumbing down' the effects of the Dissolution of the Monasteries by using terms such as "Henry VIII closed the monasteries" - some closure!
Well, a stout hearted blogger, one, Umblepie, decided to take the matter up with the National Trust and, as a result, has received a letter promising a review of the interpretational literature and a promise that the issue will be discussed at the next team meeting of the guides. 
A good result I would say and a not insignificant victory for Catholic bloggers. Next issue.......more EF Masses! 

Here is the Trust's response:

Dear Mr ...............
Thank you for your letter dated 6 April and your interest in Coughton Court.  Our Administrator has passed your letter to me so that I may reply to you, as I lead the team who support our room guides.
We are keen to provide an accurate and balanced interpretation of the house, the people who have lived here or who have been associated with it, together with the times in which they lived. Your comments regarding the 'Reformation' and the comments made by my colleagues will be presented at our next interpretation work group meeting. I have also passed a copy of your letter to our Interpretation Officer who is responsible for the presentation material for the house.
We always welcome discussion about our presentation and thank you for taking the time to share your views.
Yours sincerely,
Julie Brunton,
Volunteer Support and Development Team Leader,
Coughton Court.

5 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Well done! The lie is, alas, still abroad and only yesterday I came across a website asserting that Pope S. Pius V called for Elizabeth's assassination.The text of Regnans in Excelsis may be checked at
    http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Pius05/p5regnans.htm

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  2. Well done! Biased and innacurate tour-guiding is endemic I'm afraid, and it is often anti-Catholic. Guidebooks and signs about dissolved monasteries can be dreadful.

    I was gearing up to write to 'The Oxford Story' to protest about its claim that Medieval philosopers thought the world was flat, but it closed down...

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  3. I got into a bit of a fight once, at Baddeseley Clinton, next to a priest's hole. A chap was attacking the papacy. Caught me, on a bad day.







    -

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  4. Am I alone in thinking that the inverted commas around the word 'Reformation' betoken a certain mindset?

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  5. Pattif - very observant, you are right I am sure.

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