And another one bites the dust

I'm losing count of the number of multinationals who have backed away from anti religious or irreligious activities.

There was Tesco and their sponsorship of Gay Pride and a few more that I cannot bring to mind and now, bless 'em, Pret a Manger has joined the ranks so you may safely get your delicious sandwiches and organic smoothies once more - they are (according to one famous blogger) removing Virgin Mary crisps from their shelves.

Good for them and good for their CEO Mr Schlee and good for all those souls who phoned or emailed them to complain. It worked.

Power to the bloggers!

Rumour has it that the Mormons are a tad upset as well

Not Pret a Manger!

Deacon Nick on Protect the Pope blog has a post regarding the sandwich chain, Pret a Manger, featuring 'Virgin Mary Crisps' on their menu.

Tasteless, moronic and insensitive, (Pret a Manger, I mean, not the crisps, I'm sure they are very tasty).


Sometimes I wish we were like some other faiths and could express our feelings and outrage by chucking a petrol bomb through the doors of PaM's Head Office or by stringing their CEO up from the nearest crane, but that is not our way, nor should it be anybody's way.

Deacon Nick makes the point that they would not upset the Muslims in such a manner.
My mind immediately flashes to a menu that features Prophetburgers or offers a Mecca Milkshake, such things might upset the Shi'ites you see?

What is to be done? I can't, in all honesty say that I will bring them to their knees by boycotting their establishments, I don't think that I have ever darkened their doorways. Certainly, the nearest branch to me must be over 100 miles distant in Metropolitan Cardiff.

Didn't the Lord ask us to kind to our enemies? And that, by offering up our acts of charity and kindness it would be rather like heaping white hot coals on their heads?

That has a lot of appeal to me. I shall remember Pret and their 'Catholic' CEO in my prayers but I can think of even more charitable ways of following out Our Lord's instructions; we could have flash mobs turning up for coffee and really showing them the power of the Virgin Mary by singing Salve Regina or a few groups saying the Rosary outside their premises - it would be rather grand if Juventutem could lead the way here, except that, I suspect they will be girding their loins ready for the 40 Days for Life vigils.

Maybe a private Rosary is the best one can do; that and being ready not to eat at Pret a Manger.

And, of course, you can always drop them a polite and courteous line or even phone Clive Schlee, their CEO, he is very proud of the fact that he is ready to speak to his customers at any time, his direct line number is 020 7827 8000

Their online complaints service is HERE

Ash Wednesday draws near

A Professor friend who spent many years at one of Wales' leading Universities relayed this Ash Wednesday story to me over the phone yesterday.


We were talking about attending Mass and receiving the ashes on 13th February when he remembered an occasion when he was giving a lecture to some 150 students.

It was Ash Wednesday and, he planned to cut the lecture short so that he could attend Mass and receive the ashes.

He gave the students some study work and then explained that, as it was Ash Wednesday, he was departing early to follow the custom of good Catholics everywhere and receive the ashes of Protestants who had been burnt at the stake.

Stunned silence.

Sometimes the Catholic sense of humour can be a little dark, but I like that.

Signs of the Faith

The Angel in London's St Giles High Street, final stopping off point before Tyburn Road aka Oxford Street. During the Reformation period it was known as The Resurrection Gate.

It fell to my lot to be quizmaster at this week's pub quiz at The St Bride's.

An onerous task where you spend all afternoon researching the questions and then take a load of (friendly) barracking on the night itself.

One round of questions I compiled was on the origin of Pub signs, names if you will.

I must admit to my own ignorance here, and was somewhat surprised to find that many of the pub signs in Britain actually owe their origins to the Catholic Faith.

They are as follows:-

The Ship and Anchor - refers to the ark and the anchor of the Church, the Pope.

Lamb and Flag - the lamb representing Our Lord and the flag being the red cross of the St George and the Crusaders

The Bull - not the animal but the Papal insignia

The King's Head - in pre Reformation times these pubs were generally called The Pope's Head but were changed in fear of Henry VIII

The Bell - apparently local breweries sprang up alongside churches to provide for the churchgoers, a practice that faded away with Protestantism

The Angel - another reminder of the Catholic heritage (rather than Marks & Spencer)

The George & Dragon - featuring St George in what is believed to be an allegory of good conquering evil

The Star - being the star of Bethlehem

The Cross Keys - the keys of St Peter

The Hole in the Wall - a reference to a monastery nearby where food and goods were delivered and paid for via a hole in the wall system.

The Mitre - not a carpentry term but a reference to the bishop

The Hope and Anchor - takes its name from Letter to the Hebrews:

 "We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope."

                                      The Salutation Inn - referring to the Annunciation

The Three Crowns - the Magi

The Lion and Lamb, the lion representing the resurrection and the lamb being, Christ Himself.

The Five Ways - the five reasons for the existence of God (St Thomas Aquinas)


Many more inn signs would, of course, have been changed during periods of persecution and many more exist that are named after leading churchmen of the day. In my youth I used to enjoy a drink and a meal at The Stephen Langton in Surrey, named after a Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury who was in post from 1207 until his death in 1228.

And then, of course, we have The Square and Compass...ahem, much beloved by those who attend on the great master architect, our Freemason friends.
Enough said.

The Redemptorists - beyond redemption?

Some years ago our then parish priest sent off for a batch of Redemptorist leaflets for the Lenten preparations. He did not keep them long, he returned them with a note far more charitable in tone than if I had composed it.

They were weak and missed the point completely; if they had been produced by some obscure evangelical offshoot of a non conformist faith you might have said, "Yep, sadly misguided" and shot off a prayer or two for God to remove the blindfold.

But they came from a Catholic order or, as the Redemptorists prefer; "A Roman Catholic order".

The order is in the news again at present with the spoutings of Fr Tony Flannery and, I fear, the rot is deeply rooted.

As with dry rot, to remove it you must cut deep and burn all waste (not that I am suggesting any bonfires for the priests of that order, no, no, heaven forfend! (It is a thought though).

A visit to the Redemptorist website, the launchpad for their range of literature, books, posters, CDs and DVDs, is not inspiring.

I see their posters, every so often, when I visit a parish church where the parish priest must keep his brain in neutral gear. Why, oh why, do people drape them all over the sanctuary, like some gigantic classroom project?

And why do the posters all look as if they've been designed by primary stage three on ecstasy?

                             No, it's not hell, silly, it's a sign of Confirmation

I know it appears as if I am an old curmudgeon, constantly picking up on the bad things regarding the Faith....and it's true (although I draw a crumb of comfort from Mrs L who says that if we don't condemn we condone).

But, in reality, these posters and leaflets are as bad as The Tablet; they present the Church in a way that I cannot reconcile with the Faith that I was born into.

Of course, now that we have the reform of the reform underway, such literature is looking distinctly aged, old fashioned, even.

But who controls the Reds Redemptorists? Not the Diocesan Bishop? Not the Archbishop of Westminster? Then who?

There must be somebody in authority who could exercise a little burning control?

I guess it is their own Superior General or whatever title he goes under.

But that is really like asking an alcoholic to oversee a Beer Festival.

Time to stop talking about Gay "marriage"

Mary O'Regan of The Path Less Taken blog has a post offering great insight into the life and mission of the Archbishop of San Francisco, His Grace, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone.

It is always heartening to read more and more of the strong men and women of the Faith who are clear in their orthodoxy and who have a distinct perspective regarding the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Form of Mass Mass as the Archbishop says, when speaking of the Latin Mass:

"With that form of Mass you can hear the Church breathing through the centuries"

The Archbishop also points out that we should limit the usage of the phrase "gay marriage" in case we endow it with a permanence it does not command. I'm searching a blank mind for a descriptive phrase that does the task without mentioning marriage......any suggestions (polite ones, that is?)

The post is an excellent one, not only for the good news that it carries but also for its clarity and insight. Read and enjoy on The Path Less Taken.

Psst! Wanna saucy postcard?

Very cheeky, very saucy and, you can send it to David William Donald (Donald?) Cameron to tell him what he can do with his bright idea regarding making same sex "marriage" legitimate.

Thousands of said postcards opposing the proposed legislation on gay "marriage" were available at the back of Catholic Churches throughout the land this Sunday and, hopefully, many of the faithful will fill them in and send them to DC (not AC) via their local Member of Parliament.

Pembrokeshire and the surrounding area has three young, Conservative MPs who have  had promising careers ahead of them prior to Dave waking up one morning with a 40 watt light bulb protruding from his head.

All three MPs are anti gay "marriage" and all are highly likely to be signing on as consultants within the next couple of years if Dave has his way (becoming a consultant is the last retreat for those who cannot get honest work, I know that because I am one).

Hopefully, on Tuesday 29th January, the House of Commons will be awash with postcards from the Catholic electorate. MPs will have to traverse up the mountain of cards and abseil down the other side to arrive at their place on the green benches...well, one can but hope.

I still believe that we should march on Downing Street. The thing that politicians fear most is seeing people taking to the streets in great numbers a la the Paris march a few days ago.

Letters in the press may cause an hour or two of indigestion and the postcards may bring on a brief attack of the vapours in the Cameron household but now he is doing well in the polls, he is just going to dig his heels in and tough it out.

But a march, a Catholic march, even of modest proportions, would give him a severe dose of the screaming heebie jeebies.

And if we had a senior clergyman with some clout at the head of the march......you might witness our dear leader cycling like mad along Whitehall......backwards!

Funny old world

                                     Liberal Catholics wail and shriek

During the reign of Pope John Paul II, liberal Catholics would wail and shriek that they were in the grip of a traditional conservative who wanted to stamp out all that was warm and cuddly in the Faith.

Now, they look back with affection at Blessed John Paul II and recall "the good old days" while they wail and shriek that they are now in the hands of a traditional, conservative, Pope Benedict XVI.

Just wait till we get a real, conservative, traditional pope a la Pope
St Pius X......then we could all wail and shriek.

How Catholics should march

                                        "Let's go Lord......................."


        MARCH FOR LIFE PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GUADALOUPE

Our Lady of Guadalupe,

we turn to you who are the protector of unborn children and ask that you intercede for us,

so that we may more firmly resolve to join you in protecting all human life.

Let our prayers be united to your perpetual motherly intercession on behalf of those whose lives are threatened,

be they in the womb of their mother, on the bed of infirmity, or in the latter years of their life.

May our prayers also be coupled with peaceful action which witnesses to the goodness and dignity of all human life,

so that our firmness of purpose may give courage to those who are fearful and bring light to those who are blinded by sin.

Encourage those who will be involved in the March for Life;

help them to walk closely with God and to give voice to the cry of the oppressed,

in order to remind the world of its commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people.

O Virgin Mother of God, present our petitions to your Son and ask Him to bless us with abundant life.

Amen.

Without the enemy within

Father Simon Henry has an excellent post on Offerimus Tibi Domine that encapsulates beautifully, the main issue facing the Catholic Church today, that of the enemy within.

Those who in OTD's words: hate the Church as it has manifested itself for hundreds of years, certainly hate the Pope, hate Rome and hate the Tradition which has been the vehicle of transmitting the Faith and the Scriptures down the generations.

And Father Ray Blake makes the same approach from a different aspect HERE.

It set me thinking as to what our Catholic lives would be like if we did not have that element of the demonic. 

What difference would it make to our Faith, our spirituality, to be free of Bishops who persecuted any of their priests who showed a desire to celebrate the old rite of Mass, or priests who advocated abortion and same sex "marriage" or laity who were not spiteful in their attitude towards anything that smacked of reverence?

I think that I can give a fairly accurate assessment as to what life would be like without the enemy within, here is a broad brush picture:-

1. Mass Ad Orientum - in every church

2. The Tridentine Latin Mass available in every parish on Sundays and Holydays of Obligation

3. Benediction, Plainchant, May Processions and more in every parish

4. Reception of Holy Communion only by kneeling and mouth

5. Catholic Education with integrity and rigour

6. Head on conflict with the State over Adoption, Abortion, Same Sex "Marriage" and more

7. Seminary intakes up dramatically

8. A return of those who have "left" the Faith

9. An increase in Baptisms and Church weddings

10. Full churches

A pledge for modern Catholics?

There is much written about how so many Catholics today have either forgotten the basic facts of the Faith or consciously erased them from memory.

                                               Body of Christ, not bread

Attend any Mass in Great Britain and the chances are that you will see blatant disregard for the normal proprietaries of behaviour when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.

The major breaches of protocol for me are the loud chatterings before Mass, no genuflections, strolling across the sanctuary with no regard for dress or manner and a general air of disinterest.

What is that symptomatic of?

A loss of belief in the True Presence, a disregard for the authority of the Holy Father and ignorance of the teachings of Christ.

So, just as we have a renewal of our Baptismal vows why not instigate an annual renewal of our "Faith" in the form of a pledge of obedience.

Who would not wish to align themselves with Church teaching and the Holy Father by the annual renewal of their "Faith" vows?

This is my stab at how they might appear:

"I pledge my belief that the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God is truly present under the appearances of bread and wine.

I believe in the authority of the Holy Father (Pope Benedict XVI) and undertake to follow his guidance and counsel at all times.

I undertake to always give due reverence when in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament whether revealed or in the tabernacle.

I remember that this church is, at all times, the House of Almighty God and must be treated as such"

Hmm, I know we say as much in the Credo each week but by renewing this on a once a year basis maybe, just maybe, it would impact on the masses - and the Masses.

What's with this bowing business?

                              Only to be found in a salvage yard, not in a church

I rarely (if ever) attend a Mass in the Ordinary Form so, on the odd occasion when I arrive at a church to attend Sunday Mass and find an OF in progress, I observe with increasing amazement.

It was after the 'excommunications' back in 1988 that my wife and I took the decision to withdraw from what was then the Novus Ordo.

It, or rather the circus acts that accompanied it, was disaffecting our children and I could not answer their questions as to why the priest insisted on sitting down throughout the Mass with half a dozen small children sitting on his lap, yes, really.
Or why we no longer knelt to receive Holy Communion from a priest but queued to receive standing from a lay person.

Or why my wife and I constantly had to re-brief the children on what the priest meant in his sermon when he said that all Catholics should, as a matter of conscience, vote Labour or when he continually referred to the teachings of Gandhi.

And now, I find that what I witness at an OF Mass really bears little resemblance, in any shape or form, to the OF and EF Masses we attended pre 1986.

Above all else there is the total lack of reverence. You could be sitting in a pub if you closed your eyes and listened to the clamour around you.

With the destruction of the communion rails came a total disregard for the Body and Blood of Christ truly present on the sanctuary; the barrier that provided a dividing line between the profane and the sacred was gone and with it vanished all the inhibitions of reverence.

It seems to me that all sorts of odd bodies wander on and off the sanctuary before Mass as if it's a sort of circus arena that requires the tables and chairs laid out in readiness for the clowns to appear.

Above all else, what I notice more than anything, is the disappearance of the genuflection.

No one, priest, nun or layman, bends their knee any longer when they cross in front of the tabernacle.

Why?

I know why.

 It is because they no longer believe that the Son of God is present in the form of bread in the tabernacle.

Holy Communion has become an unholy reunion when they adopt the Protestant theology of it being an occasion of remembrance rather than of commemoration. How sad.


And when they do cross the aisle or sanctuary, they bow, and it's an awful sort of an apology of a bow, a bob of the head, a nod and a wink. 

Give them a few more years and the bow will have disappeared also and all and sundry will stroll around, hands in pockets, gum in mouth.

                      The Japanese know how to bow, maybe a few lessons are needed

Muslim vigilantes arrested

Following recent coverage of Muslim males invoking Sharia Law on the streets of London, two men have been arrested under suspicion of public order offences and have been bailed while further investigations take place.

                            "Do not dress like that in a Muslim area"

 Their actions have been described as 'homophobic' by the various homosexual organisations but this is only partly true. The alleged accused are also heard quite clearly demanding that passers by carrying alcohol should pour it down the drain and some did, in fact, comply.

They can also be heard demanding that women should observe the dress code of some Muslim females and "cover up".

I do not think that any group whether Catholic, Jewish or, even, homosexual, should take  pride in claiming that they were a target under these circumstances.

Precisely 100 years ago my own parents were stoned routinely (also in the East End of London) when they took part in the May processions with other parishioners of St Margaret's, Canning Town. Their attackers were, in the main, Orangemen but my parents were always at pains to dismiss lightly such assaults.

We should have little difficulty in dismissing the vigilante activity of a few Islamic fundamentalists except that, there is a growing undercurrent of unrest in the Muslim communities across Europe.

In the past 12 months there has been a spate of attacks on Catholic churches and events in France and Spain and this will, undoubtedly, spread to Britain.

What to do?

The Government needs to get some backbone and provide a service to the  mosques that counsels, educates and informs young Muslim men and women, as to the rights and wrongs of Islam and the social structures of the west and respect and tolerance for those of other faiths.

That would be a start.

We are entitled to carry these weapons.......

                       

........don't let the state take them away!

1. Rosary beads
2. The Scapular
3. Miraculous medal
4. Roman Missal

Not forgetting................

                                                 

Cardiff joins the Forty Days for Life

Wales capital city, Cardiff, will be included in the forthcoming 40 Days for Life prayer vigil.

The BPAS abortuary Elgin House, 106-107, in St Mary's Street, Cardiff will be the venue and all are asked to contact the organisers via the link HERE - it is important to log in for a specific slot so that the organisers may plan accordingly.

YOU can help save lives!
From February 13 - March 24, our community will be one of many cities joining together for the largest and longest coordinated pro-life mobilization in history -- the 40 Days for Life campaign.

40 Days for Life is a focused pro-life effort that consists of:

• 40 days of prayer and fasting
• 40 days of peaceful vigil
• 40 days of community outreach

We are praying that, with God's help, this groundbreaking effort will mark the beginning of the end of abortion in our city -- and throughout the UK.

Take a stand for life

While all aspects of 40 Days for Life are crucial in our effort to end abortion, the most visible component is the peaceful prayer vigil outside the local abortion clinic.

You can help make a life-saving impact by joining our local vigil outside:

bpas clinic
Elgin House
106-107 St Mary's Street
Cardiff
CF10 1DX

Sign up to participate in our local 40 Days for Life vigil by clicking the "Vigil Schedule" link at the top of this page.

Contact us

To learn more, sign up for specific vigil hours, or let us know how you feel called to serve God in this effort, please contact the local 40 Days for Life leadership team:

Clare Jackson

Phone: 07580275698

Email: clare40dfl@gmail.com

Get the latest updates

Be sure to sign-up for updates and prayer requests using the form at the top right of this page, and browse through the rest of this site to find out how YOU can help make a lifesaving impact as part of our local 40 Days for Life campaign.

Learn more about the international 40 Days for Life campaign.

There are old Catholics and there are bold Catholics......

......but there are no old, bold Catholics.

I'm sorry to snaffle the old aviation joke but it rings true for the state of the Catholic laity today.

A phenomonen occurred in the wake of Vatican II; seemingly orthodox and conservative Catholics became, within ten years, rabid left wing liberals.

They embraced the new religion much as, in Reformation times, the population embraced Protestantism.

The mantra went up a la Animal Farm, 'New good, old bad' and that has now become so embedded in the liberal psyche that many modern Catholics will challenge the Holy Father and Church Doctrine on all matters that, fifty years ago, would have been obediently accepted.

Old Catholics at Mass

Two comments that I have heard in the past couple of years from liberal Catholics;

"I don't like the Pope"  and, "The Pope's an idiot"

Both are unacceptable and the latter is most certainly untrue. But what is it that provokes such antipathy?

We could now debate the decline in moral values and increase of relativism but that is not really my point. The fact is that those who stand up for the Faith today are not the children of the sixties but the new generation; children of the 80s and 90s.

Modern Catholics at Mass

(Latin Mass Society picture)

Look at the increase in home schooling and then look at the average home schooling family; young, traditional and loyal to the magisterium.

Look at the 70 and 80 year old liberals and you see bitterness, regret, paranoia and the sins of Adam and Eve reflected in their faces; pride, envy and jealousy of God. All are gateways to disobedience.

And, most poignant of all, it is those who follow the liberal theology who are now classed as old fashioned and outdated.

Dancing on the sanctuary, standing to receive in the hand, obliteration of the Sacrament of Confession, chattering in Church, extraordinary ministers - all look as topical as flared trousers and men's ponytails.

Reverence, humility, obedience and the old rite of Mass are all cutting edge.

What did you do in the Great Apostasy Daddy?

Well my child, I, um....I err.......prevaricated. That's it, I prevaricated!

In fact, I even got a medal for prevarication. You see when the changes began I decided that I should go along with all that was proposed, I was even one of the few who ripped out some beautiful old wooden communion rails in an undercover operation.

And then, after the first year or two I really got stuck in and stormed my parish church in an attempt to remove this bulky old marble altar. 

Along with a few other brave lads we managed to establish a foothold on the sanctuary where we placed this very plain wooden table affair in place of the old altar. 

Cor lummy, did we take some flak over that!

I think it's fair to say that when I was made up to lay reader, I felt that it was no more than my due and that really signalled our assault on the liturgy itself when we attacked Gregorian Chant and replaced it with some really crappy secular stuff........that showed 'em who was who.

I have to be honest and say that, at first, we had things easy, nothing could withstand our forces but then the civvy population began to catch on and then we had snipers and rockets coming at us from all directions. 

But we gave as good as we got and before long I was made up to special forces....yes, I became a Special Eucharistic Minister.

Of course, I couldn't tell you kids what was going on - all top secret stuff you understand? Me and your mother managed to keep all of that nasty hermeneutic of continuity stuff well away from you.

You've got a lot to thank my generation for; keeping schtum about the richness of the Latin Mass, making sure you never laid eyes on a catechism, keeping all the essential truths from you.

Blinding you to the fact that, without the true teachings of the Faith you could well end up in H**** (we don't use that word compris?).

I pride myself on being the main one in our household to forbid the 'sin' word. 

After the Great Apostasy I felt that we should be more tolerant so anything remotely resembling sin was banned and we began to put our lives back in order and living comfortably alongside Abortion, Contraception, IVF, Euthanasia, Homosexuality and all our other new allies.

It was me who told you that it was OK to miss Mass on Sundays and that, in no way was it a mortal sin to do so, or that, in all probability it would condemn you to hell that place. 

And you can also thank me for telling you that it was OK for you to shack up with your boyfriend and live as man and wife. After all, it's love really and that is what being a Catholic is all about. Love.

As long as you love things nothing else matters; there, that's my word on the matter, pass me my old magazine will you?......that's it, The Tablet, the best bit of propaganda we had in those dark days in the benches.

Welcome to BPAS your friendly abortion provider

                                    You won't see this picture on the BPAS website

The BPAS website is a gem of wholesome, nursey type guidance and advice. 

Little would you suspect that what the kind Doctor and gentle nurses want to do is kill the infant in your womb, cut up the body and remove it piece by piece ready for a dignified ceremony known as 'Burial by flushing away'.

The preparation procedures for an abortion are described in the sort of language one might find if you picked up your Great Aunt's copy of  The Lady magazine; refined, restrained and....ermm...discreet?

Here is an extract from their advice as to what the day holds for the woman who is intent on putting herself through this procedure................I've had to zip up the colour of the copy as what I have shown as blood red is, in fact, pink on their site and the blue is a pastel shade also. So calming, pastels. My comments in green.

Can I bring someone along with me? (Well, an infant in your womb would be useful)
We’re happy for you to bring someone along if it helps you. If you are going to have a procedure where you are put to sleep or under sedation, it is advisable to have someone with you who can take you home. Space is a little limited though, so please make sure it’s only one person.

There aren’t any facilities for children (but, I thought that all of the facilities were for children all those shiny scalpels and probes and things) at our clinics so please make arrangements for childcare if necessary.

If you are under 16 (now I'm getting confused; one minute you say 'no children allowed' and then you say you are treating children)
You will need an adult (someone who is 18 or over) to escort you home after your treatment. We are happy for a female adult (this is nothing less than discrimination, what about the poor father, doesn't he have a support role?) to stay with you throughout your treatment with us.  

Muslims impose sharia law on the streets of London

PLEASE NOTE: Since posting, the video clip has been withdrawn by Youtube. It showed young male Muslims policing the streets of London, barring the way to women whose dress code was deemed inappropriate and stopping anyone from carrying alcohol. Another version at present may be viewed on the Youtube site HERE


I have long held the view that, whilst there are undoubtedly good Muslims, the faith itself is unbalanced with its focus on retribution, revenge, violence against non believers and the imposition of Sharia Law.

The hidden agenda, in every country with a Muslim population, is for a Caliphate administration to be ultimately imposed.

Britain needs to wake up to the fact that large portions of its Muslim population are fed a propaganda diet that opposes the British way of life, our religious beliefs, rational thought processes and our social behaviour.

 Freedom of belief is a good tenet. What is not good is for young British Muslims to receive this barrage of misinformation encased within an agenda that embraces actions that go beyond the norm, forceful imposition of their laws.

In particular, British Universities are the seed bed for much of this ideology to be broadcast and for young men and women to become disaffected with what is now their country although, I guess, most would lay claim to the country of their parents' generation.

I do not know if this video clip is genuine or whether it is a cunning bit of black PR by the English Defence League.

But, it looks amateur enough to be genuine. If that is the case then parts of London's East End are being controlled by vigilante groups of Muslim males.

They demand a dress code from women and no alcohol to be carried past their mosque.

What will be next, Catholic priests barred from going about their business? Removal of Rosaries hanging from the rear view mirror of cars?

How far away is Heaven? As the crow flies

                                              The road atlas 

In the throes of planning a business trip to the North of England I checked the distance online.

The result came back as 4 hours and 53 minutes in terms of time but the distance was only 186 miles - a mere bagatelle to anyone living in Wales.

Further investigation showed that the 186 miles was estimated as a direct line, as the crow flies.

The road mileage was actually almost 300 miles, A mix of A roads, B roads and motorways.

The analogy leapt into my mind instantly; isn't that what the Mass in the Old Rite gives us?

A direct route to Heaven? 

Of course, there is the service station 'Purgatory' for many of us en route but anything that is classified as 'Extraordinary' must have extraordinary outcomes.
By its very nature, it must be 'extra' in some capacity.

Of course, I am not arguing that the OF Mass is invalid, merely that it is 'Ordinary'. 
It is bland and unchallenging when placed alongside the Mass of all Time, the Tridentine Latin Mass.

This sort of statement brings us to the issue of Grace and how Almighty God apportions it.

We cannot know how He does this for sure but let us say, come up with a scenario involving two men who are both good and honest citizens.

One man says one fervent Hail Mary each morning after getting out of bed.

The other also prays after rising but he says the whole Rosary plus a litany or two.

Who receives the most Grace?

No, Prime Minister

Dear John Dave,

I don’t know how to put this but, since you seem obsessed with pushing through legislation allowing homosexuals, transsexuals, transvestites, lesbians and others to get “married” in church, I find that we no longer have anything in common.

My affection for you has faded and I think it is now time for us to call off the relationship.

I had high hopes for us but you have cruelly dashed them with your blunt disregard for my feelings.

From now on I shall not be voting for you or for your once great Conservative Party.

With deep regret

The Catholics of  Britain

EF Mass for Portsmouth!

St Agatha, patron saint of breast cancer sufferers and bell ringers

A commentator (John-of-Hayling) has flagged up the fact that the TLM is returning to Portsmouth City as of this coming Saturday 19th January. Many thanks JoH.

The Mass will be celebrated at St Agatha's Church at 11am and will be offered on every third Saturday of the month.

St Agatha's is part of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Definitely a hooray, hurrah and huzzah, thank you Bishop Egan.

EU rules that you may wear a cross in the workplace provided.......

              .......that it's discreet!

See Protect the Pope for the full story

The Latin Mass is back!

There is an excellent piece by George Neumayr in Crisis Magazine on how the return to orthodoxy of the Faith and the Tridentine Latin Mass is being led by young people.
You may read it HERE.

It is the reform of the reform; it may not be taking place at such speed in Britain but in the USA and other parts of the world, it is accelerating at a pace that must cause a few heart murmurs among those Cafeteria Catholics challenged by the advances of biological time.

The message is clear - a new era is coming:-

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.”

There is also plenty of evidence on the blogosphere; more and more young people are blogging on orthodoxy, here are just a few selected at random:-

From the Ordinary to the Extraordinary    http://blog.yankehome.com/

Sursum Corda  http://habemusaddominum1.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-call-of-tradition.html

A Hand Maid of the Hand Maid http://handmaidofthehandmaid.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/daily-gospel-xviii-luke-5-12-16.html

Paddling Upstream http://againstthetide-cat.blogspot.co.uk/ - another blogger from Wales!

Good news.......very good news.....from Rome

 The Holy Father is watching you Eccleston Square!

I have received some up to the minute information on goings on in Rome and, in particular, how Rome views events in England and Wales.

I am not going to disclose my source for obvious reason.

This information is not tittle tattle or gossip; it is the observation of an eye witness; one who has seen and been told certain facts at first hand.
I am sorry for this build up, I do not wish to make this all sound pompous and cloak and daggerish but there are one or two people who read this blog with the sole intent of distorting the facts,  spreading dissent and causing concern.

What is more, the observations are not, in themselves, "hot news", rather they confirm the hopes of many of us and will contribute to confounding those liberals who oppose the Church and Christ's Vicar on earth.

And they come from a variety of different sources; those who closely advise, inform and counsel the Holy Father.

1. On several days that my source attended Mass at St Peter's the EF Mass was the one most in evidence (on one day 10 out of the 12 Masses being celebrated were Tridentine Latin Masses).

2. Also, for further evidence of the Pope's guidance towards the hermeneutic of continuity (as if it was needed), on the Feast of the Epiphany, the seven acolytes each brought a vestment to him in preparation for the Mass and he recited the prayers for each of the vestments from the Pontificale Ceremoniale - that's worth a huzzah or two.

3. Rome is particularly watching events in England and Wales with discerning interest

4. Archbishop Mennini is somewhat concerned over the title "Magic Circle", well, not so much the title but more by what it involves - watch out for parcels of fish wrapped in newspaper being delivered to Eccleston Square (that's my interpretation).

5. There is a great deal of interest in the brouhaha surrounding the Soho Masses; there was also great concern expressed when they learnt that they had not stopped but, in all likelihood, been transferred).


So, at times when the future seems bleak, there is always a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

Not that the future for the Latin Mass worldwide is at all bleak, in fact, it is coming back* and coming back in force; led, largely by the young, hungry for real meat as opposed to bread and water. Hooray! Huzzah!

* A link on this tomorrow

Anyone for a march on the capital?

Time for the Church Militant?

There is no doubt that the letter from British priests, Bishops, Abbots and leading Catholics will have hit home with PM David Cameron and it is heartening that so many of our clergy have stepped up to the mark.

But a letter alone, even in the Daily Telegraph, is not going to be enough to bring about a re-think in Government circles.

It is an unfortunate characteristic, of certain men who have been educated at Public School, to be so totally convinced in their own ability to be right that they fail to see the obvious. 
Pigheaded is another way of putting it.

At least, I hope that it is the obvious. I suspect that the average Catholic man or woman in the Thornton Heath pew cares little about Gay "Marriage" except to think that it is a rather Christian thing to allow freedom in such matters.

If this is the case, Cameron will surge on with his plans and, come General Election time Mr & Mrs Media Cattolico will place their electoral cross against 'Conservative.' 

They could also place it against 'Labour' for that matter. Mr Miliband and his "red belt" are undoubtedly for homosexual "marriage" or any other kind of "marriage" for that matter.

So more is needed not just to bring Cameron to the stage of recognising he is acting undemocratically but also to galvanise the Catholic masses, the Catholic electorate.

Would a march round Westminster Square do the trick?

Possibly. Depending on turnout. And that depends on the Parish Priests and some of the Bishops.

Let's try to do the sums:

Take 1000 parishes with, say, an average of 300 Catholics per parish. 
1000 X 300 = 300,000
Equals 300,000 people

Anticipate a minimal response rate (to the call to march) of 0.5%

= 1500 parishioners + 1000 parish priests = 2500 potential marchers 

Now multiply that figure times an estimated 20 million people who would witness the march and subsequent debate on television and in the newspapers and you begin to build a picture of just how effective we could be given the wherewithal.

That's a sum that even a schoolboy at Slough Comprehensive could work out.

Join SPUC in opposing Cameron's anti Catholic drive

A large proportion (25%) of our priests have stepped up to the mark with today's letter in The Daily Telegraph and many of the laity have signed the petition against Gay "Marriage" and now we can all take one step further by attending one of SPUC's many sessions around the country (even in Wales).

Here are the details as sent from John Smeaton (via GM)

"I am writing to you ask for your support for a series of meetings that SPUC are holding in the coming weeks. I would be delighted if you could both attend one of these meetings yourself and encourage others to do so too – particularly, but not exclusively, the clergy.

SPUC are hosting information days all around the country as part of our campaign to oppose the government's plans to redefine marriage. We have organised the meetings such that there is at least one in every diocese and have sent personal invitations to all clergy in England and Wales. The events are being held between Monday 21 January and Thursday 21 February. Most are taking place during the day, but some are in the evening. A light meal will be provided at all events. To book a place at one of the events please contact Paul Smeaton on 020 7820 3126, or email him at paulsmeaton@spuc.org.uk  

Of necessity these meetings have been organised at short notice, due to the government unexpectedly announcing in December that they plan to try to push through legislation early this year.

Given the short notice of these meetings, the response to our invitations have thus far been quite small. But, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate, the need to mount opposition to the proposed legislation is very urgent. Please remind your priests that SPUC have written to them about these important meetings and ask them to attend one of the events.

It is very important for our organisational arrangements that all those wishing to attend a meeting, whether clergy or laity, book a place as soon as possible".

Event	Attending	Guest
Monday 21 January, 11.30am - 3.15pm, St John the Evangelist Catholic Church, 3 Springfield Road, Horsham, RH12 2PJ
Tuesday 22 January, 11.30am - 3.15pm, St Peter's Pastoral Centre, Jewry Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 8RY
Wednesday 23 January, 11am - 2.30pm, British Legion Hall, 58 Fishers Lane, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, CB1 9HR
Wednesday 23 January, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Saint Alban’s Catholic High School, Digby Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4 3NJ
Thursday 24 January, 11.30am - 3.15pm, Westminster Cathedral Hall, Ambrosden Avenue, London, SW1P 1QH
Friday 25 January, 11am - 2.30pm, Holy Ghost Fathers, 6 Woodlands Road, Bickley, BR1 2AF
Friday 25 January, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Saint Gregory’s Catholic Church, 22 Park Avenue North, Northampton, NN3 2HS
Thursday 31 January, 11am - 2.30pm, Cathedral House, St Chad’s Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6EU
Thursday 31 January, 6.30pm – 9.15pm, Holy Trinity Community Centre, London Road, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1LQ
Friday 1 February, Chigwell Convent, 803 Chigwell Road, Woodford Bridge, Essex IG8 8AU
Monday 4 February, 11am - 2.30pm, St. Wilfred’s, Witton Street, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 5NP
Monday 4 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Centre for Evangelisation, Croxteth Drive, Liverpool, L17 1AA
Tuesday 5 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Schoenstatt Shrine and Pastoral Centre, Manchester Road, Kearsley, Bolton BL4 8QQ
Tuesday 5 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Lancaster Cathedral House, Balmoral Road, Lancaster, LA1 3BT
Wednesday 6 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, St Andrew's Catholic Church, 1 Bondfield Road, Teesville, Middlesbrough, TS6 9BA
Thursday 7 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Saint Robert's, 151 Cedar Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 9PH
Thursday 7 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Hallam Pastoral Centre, St Charles Street, Sheffield, S9 3WU
Friday 8 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 280 Southcoates Lane, Hull, HU9 3AP
Friday 8 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Rosmini Centre House of Prayer, 433 Fosse Way, Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, Leicestershire, LE7 4SJ
Monday 11 February, 11.30am – 3.15pm, The Conference Centre at St Cuthberts, Buckfast Abbey, Buckfastleigh, Devon, TG11 0EG
Thursday 14 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Sacred Heart Parish, School Road, Morriston, Swansea. SA6 6HZ
Thursday 14 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm, Pastoral Resources Centre, 910 Newport Road, Rumney, Cardiff, CF3 4LL
Friday 15 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Downside Abbey Pastoral Centre and Bookshop, Downside Abbey, Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Bath, BA3 4RH
Friday 15 February, 6.30pm - 9.15pm in Oxford
Tuesday 19 February, 11.30am - 3.15pm,Wrexham Cathedral Clergy House, 47 Regent Street, Wrexham, LL11 1RB
Thursday 21 February, 11am - 2.30pm, Wheeler Hall, Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8BE