Thursday 16 December 2010

How long, O Lord, how long?

Cardiff is the capital city of Wales and a very interesting and beautiful and modern Cathedral city it is. It is also an Archdiocese but...for nearly 9 months now it has been without an Archbishop....why?
Cardiff Castle, in the city centre
It was not exactly a hotbed of Catholic activity when Archbishop Peter Smith was the encumbent (he, now of Southwark Diocese). And, before him we had the amazing Archbishop Ward he of the many cases of priestly child abuse that were, apparently, ignored. He, who, when giving a sermon at the grave of St John Kemble in the Wye Valley, gave it casually standing over the buried martyr - talk about both feet in the grave!

Cardiff is important, obviously, but, of course we have had a Papal Nuncio who has suffered from ill health and who has now had to retire, so no action there. The Archdiocese must be languishing without a firm hand on the tiller. There is much work to be done - many convents full of nuns need admonishing and told to start wearing the habit and begin mentioning things like sin, hell, purgatory and redemption to their school classes.
Priests need to be told to get learning how to celebrate the EF Mass, Latin Classes need to be set up, the post of Choir Supremo for the Diocese is vacant and urgently needs filling with a brief to bring back the 'chant.
Joinery firms need commissioning to  make new Communion rails for all the churches and stone masons are needed to re-set the altars ad orientum!
Saturday morning altar server groups need recruiting and training, open to all between the ages of 6 and 21 and male!
A network of Legion of Mary organisers to be established for young girls and women, UCM clubs to be re-vitalised and energised, plans for recruiting vocations developed, Adoption Agencies hauled back into line and told to forget about homosexuals adopting.
Confessionals and confession to be re-established along with 40 hours adoration, Benediction, Vespers, Retreats for parishes; Catholic Schools to be allowed freedom to manage their own future and the syllabus for sex education scrapped.
Whole parishes to be re-assembled in groups a la Pope Benedict's observations so that priests may operate  in teams, on rotas, with a better sense of mission and purpose.
Targets need to be set, regarding conversions, Baptisms, Singalong funerals to be banned, pro life rallies planned.......heavens!
The new man, whoever he is, has a mammoth task ahead of him.

Or......he might not do any of the above........................ridiculous!

6 comments:

  1. Legion of Mary for women & girls & why would that be Richard?

    I will have a word about your proposals with my priest friend in Cardiff! No doubt someone will enlighten you as to who he is!

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  2. JP - it's a society for women and girls is it not? At least it was when my sisters were members. Tell me if I am wrong.
    I only know one priest in Cardiff Diocese and his initals are AW. Is your man ex SAS and over six feet tall? If so I might defer our meeting!

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  3. No..Richard.the Legion began with Frank Duff & is for both sexes..Alfie Lamb & other Legionaries have their cause for sainthood opened..there are many men involved with the Legion..often more than women..
    Well my Cardiff priest..SAS & over 6' tall - probably! But not those initials..ask Preecey!

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  4. JP - I stand corrected but...in the 50 s in Westminster Diocese it was all women and if a man had joined he would have been lynched!

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  5. Jackie Parkes 'priest friend' would be Fr. Gareth Jones...never been near the SAS in his life! I should know we grew up together!
    We are doing fine down in Cardiff, we have Mgr. Robert Reardon as our Administrator and everything will be in order when the new man comes.

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  6. Thank you Martin. I have Googled him and he has quite a chequered history apparently.
    I have also seen a photo of him and he is not over 6 foot and not ex SAS as you say. I feel quite relaxed about meeting him someday :)
    I hope when the new man comes that we shall see a proper response to the Holy Father's wishes re Summorum Pontificum!

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