Thursday 24 October 2013

More must be less enthusiastic

"The 1535 Society? Not one I would like to join"
The reports of the Archbishop of Westminster (Catholic), the Bishop of London (Protestant) meeting in the cell of St Thomas More within the Tower of London to mark the founding of a group called "The 1535 Society" (you couldn't make it up), must have caused the martyrs of England and Wales some amusement.

Stephanie Mann has two posts on the event HERE.

Now St Thomas More was a man who did not mince words. He was, after all, a lawyer as well as a wit and a man of letters.

He must have been looking down on the gathering of Bishops in his cell with a wry smile on his lips and, possibly, a puzzled frown.

"Why, oh why" he must surely be saying, "Are those who put me to death now recognising me as a martyr for the one true Faith and forming a society that has a most awful date connotation?"

Leaving the presumed thoughts of St Thomas on one side, I left a comment on the Supremacy & Survival blog, adding what I thought would be a scrap of modern history to the St Thomas More cell story.

I recollected that, many years ago, a Catholic group had met in More's cell every Friday night where a Mass was celebrated and that, when HM the Queen got to hear about it she panned it tout suite!

A certain Captain Alan Parsons commented that my account was untrue - humph!

That sent me scuttling to my press cuttings file only to discover, shock, horror, that the Captain was correct and that I was wrong (this must be a first!).

The fact of the matter is that a journalist, by the name of Julian Large (ring any bells?)...should do, he is now an Oratorian Father and Provost of the London Oratory, had written a report about a secret Mass being celebrated in the Tower of London.

But, it was not a Mass celebrated in memory of St Thomas More but St John Fisher!

Silly me, getting those two muddled up.

The full story was written up in 1994 in the Daily Telegraph and the Queen intervened only when the Mass was moved from the martyr's cell to the chapel of St Peter ad Vincula within the precincts of the Tower.

So I was partially right and partially wrong (is that possible?) and I owe Captain Alan Parsons an apology (grit teeth).

But the main thrust of the story is really the fact that Holy Mass was celebrated in the Tower of London from 1991 to 1994 when the Queen bashed it on the head.

The instigator of these Masses was a Peter Bearcroft, described as a retired railway executive (that means anything from CEO to a guard these days).

The force in the Tower at the time was Major General Tyler (what a lot of military titles flashing about today) who was, I believe, a Catholic.

I did post on the Queen's apparent anti Catholicism in the matter a couple of years ago, you may read it on the link below:
http://linenonthehedgerow.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/is-queen-anti-catholic.html

So, Captain Alan Parsons, I unreservedly apologise for mixing up St Thomas More and St John Fisher, but there were Masses held in the Tower of London which, I think was at the heart of your comment.

Yours

Lance Corporal Richard Collins 

10 comments:

  1. Sadly, I must admit - and I say this with a great love for England which I look upon as my second home - that any respect I may still have had for the Queen was washed away when she signed the Poof Marriage Bill recently. I would have thought that, despite everything, her innate sense of simple decency would have prevented her from so acting.

    We had to watch in great anguish as she would confer Knighthood on such worthies as Elton John and other weirdos but always thought that in the end she would not lower herself to sign such a monstrosity.

    I pity her more than anything.

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    Replies
    1. @ Aged Parent
      Joan Veon helped me a lot to understand the royal family´s strange behaviour. What she found out while attending 103 UN and UN-related conferences is really unbelievable. But everyone should know it.
      http://www.wnd.com/2000/08/6270/

      All the promoting of Homosexuality and Transgender comes from the UN. Most people don´t realise these facts.
      http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=45503&Cr=lesbian&Cr1#.Umo91PlFXqU

      Joan Veon answered the question : Who is behind the decisions of the UN and what is the overall goal?
      http://www.womensgroup.org/

      Her findings are all on youtube.

      BTW, Pope Francis promised the UN to help them reach their Millenium goals.
      http://www.undispatch.com/photo-of-the-day-ban-ki-moon-and-pope-francis

      Delete
    2. Two additional links:
      http://www.ukcolumn.org/article/multiple-paths-lead-one-world-government
      http://the-tap.blogspot.de/2010/11/foundation-x-is-prince-charles.html

      Delete
  2. That 1535 society makes no sense to me!
    Sorry Guv.
    Private Morris.

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  3. You can not keep these ecumaniacs down. There everywhere, even in the Tower of London. By the time I was old enough call up had finished. So I never even rose as high as a private. I know my place and its definitely not in the 1535 society.

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  4. I have just finished Evelyn Waugh 's biography of St Edmund Campion. my resolve to be Catholic has been quickened ,to quote Wesley "my heart was strangely warmed". Waugh makes the point that when the LOng persecution of Catholics took effect,they no longer attended Mass on days of obligation out of habit nor attended Confession for the same reason ,but they began to practice their faith in earnest.
    I think the persecution of the Catholics of England was camouflaged by the Marian perdecutions.at a bloody lot those Tudors were.
    I agree , there needs to be forgiveness over who martyred who and accounting before the Throne of Christ. and prayers in the Cell occupied by St Thomas More very just and apt. I hope the ArchBishop of Westminster hears the Bishop of London's confession .LOL
    As for the Queen squelching the Mass at the Tower, this only adds to my resolve to vote for the Republic of Australia when that plebiscite occurs-perhaps after her passing.( I too say this with a great love for England -for I am of Sussex yeoman,Channel islander and Scottish descent-being a first generation Australian.) but it shows me that anti-Catholicism is indeed the last legally recognised prejudice

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  5. Reference "The 1535 Society".

    What happens when it gets round to 4 O'Clock ?

    Do they all break for tea and buns ?

    Lance-Corporal Tiddly-Push (9-Mile Snipers (Failed)).

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  6. Dear Aged Parent
    No type of immorality will ever come between the Royal Family and their protection of maintaining the throne for the next heir in line. Anyway Kate was expecting little George, so...

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  7. BTW, Pope Francis promised the UN to help them reach their Millenium goals.
    Martina - well the Pope's best mate is a pro-homosexualist Rabbi.

    ReplyDelete