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| Arguably the most beautiful Catholic Church in England |
1. My favourite church?
That would have to be the chapel of Our Lady Queen of English Martyrs at Chideock in Dorset. It is small, romanesque and it carries a rich Catholic history from the Reformation period. Sadly, no Latin Masses are celebrated there but it is a blank canvas for some orthodox group to embrace it on an annual pilgrimage basis. http://www.chideockmartyrschurch.org.uk/
2. What non doctrinal element of the Faith would I like to see changed?...
.....that's too easy, it would have to be an instruction for the old rite Latin Mass to be celebrated in every church throughout the world on every Sunday. Not much to ask is it?
3. My favourite saint...
....that's a hard one. It would have to be St Thomas More, witty, erudite and sound in the face of his enemies, a saint for all seasons.
4. And the greatest threat facing the church?
My vote goes to Islam. The spread of Islam is taking place at a terrifying rate and, while most Muslims are good people, there is an inherent layer of violent intolerance attached to both the Koran and the Hadith.
5. My most admired priest?
Another difficult one to answer, so many to choose from. But, in the final analysis it would have to be Fr Donald Proudman OP., RIP.
I went on several boat holidays up the Thames with him and a gang of followers. Every night we would moor up at a pub and the younger ones (of which I was then one) would spend a happy evening drinking Brakspear bitter.
In the morning I, being the only one who could serve Mass in the Dominican Rite, would rise with Fr Donald, at some unearthly hour and tramp several miles cross country until we came to Henley or Marlow or Dorchester, where we would seek out the local church and I would be server and sole member of the congregation.
Those were selfish moments, early morning Mass with just the celebrant and me...and the Body and Blood of Christ.
I know this is off-topic, but this evening I was half-watching the Beeb's historical soap-opera 'The White Queen' which showed the death of Edward IV. There are a number of sundry relatives and courtiers around the deathbed, but they withdraw and the king expires in the arms of his queen. In reality the dying king would have had a lighted candle placed in his hand and been given the full rites of the Church before, during and after his death. When it was clear that the soul had departed, the Subvenite would have been chanted and the bells tolled. What was the reason for this omission?
ReplyDelete1. The writers/producers had no idea of how a Christian would have died in late medieval England.
2. The romantic version would appeal more to 21st century sensibilities.
3. They couldn't be bothered to do the research (and they could have used the Rituale Romanum if they didn't want to dig out the Sarum books).
4. Secular values are now so dominant that religion must be airbrushed from history unless it can be shown in a negative light.
I have posted a mild rebuke on the BBC History website.
I have posted
John, I think all of your answers could have applied.
ReplyDeleteAw, I love your answer to question 5.
ReplyDelete