Dress code for the Guild meeting

News has reached me that members and guests at the proposed Guild of Blessed Titus Brandsma meeting due to be held at Blackfen on 30th November are to be asked to observe a dress code.
.
Ordinary members and guests should all wear cravats (if male) and burkas (if female).

The Chairman and officers of the Guild will be expected to wear the special regalia as shown below.

The ordinary form of Guild regalia, the extraordinary form
is more elaborate
 

 

Any priests attending are expected to conform with the special clerical garb of The Order of Guild Chaplains as shown by these previous chaplains...

 

 

 

Rumour  also has it that a brother blogger will make an appearance although, it is said that he wishes to remain anonymous.

I have something of a scoop in what I believe is the only known image of this blogger, although, this picture has not been verified as being totally accurate.

Although calling himself 'Bruvver' he could well be a she and, in reality a Sista!

Who can tell from the photograph below?



 

Good news, bad news

                      The Director's chair at the CES - soon to have a new occupant


The good news is....the Catholic Education Service (CES) has made an appointment to replace Oona Stannard.

The bad news is........they've appointed Paul Barber as their new Director.

My apologies to Mr Barber and Mrs Barber and all the little Barbers if there are any, I'm sure they must be rejoicing at the news. But, that this plum job has fallen into the hands of the man who was at the centre of the row over The Cardinal Vaughan School and its desire to keep its Catholic identity and independence is somewhat disturbing.

Mr B was Archbishop Nichol's Director of Education and, leaving out a great deal of detail, he wanted to implant governors onto the school board, taking all control for their appointment away from the school and the parents.

It was, some say, a hamfisted, small minded attempt to ride roughshod over the views and feelings of the Catholic staff, pupils and parents but those good folk at the Vaughan swung into action most professionally and ran a very successful campaign that meant the Archbishop had to back down, give in, capitulate.

So, it does not exactly auger well for the poor old CES that must bear the brunt of the criticism for the dire state of most Catholic schools in this country; just as they thought it was safe to go back into the water....

I find this sort of news extremely depressing but must refer you to Damian Thompson's post (the Telegraph has much better litigation lawyers on their side than I have).

This is the recruitment ad that the CES ran last October, I do hope that Mr Barber will live up to the ideals stated therein:

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is seeking to appoint a new Director for the Catholic Education Service. The CES is the agency which represents and promotes the national education policy of the Bishops in relation to the 2,300 Catholic schools, colleges and university colleges which the Church is responsible for across England and Wales.
The Conference is looking for a practising and committed Catholic who is capable of giving strategic leadership and strengthening relationships at a senior level nationally to promote the interests of Catholic education with the UK and Welsh Governments.
You will:
• Be motivated by your love for Christ and the teachings of the Catholic Church;
• Have a passion for, and a secure understanding of, the distinctive nature of Catholic education;
• Have substantial senior management experience and demonstrated inspirational leadership;
• Possess highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to win respect and trust at all levels.

Looking under stones and Padre Pio

It happened in his lifetime when he was accused and rejected and, of course, it was bound to happen after his death and canonisation.

An Italian journalist has done an investigation into the stigmata of the Saint and, in turning over stones, has dug up some murky alleged facts.

It is a sad fact that any journalist of any competency, and, most especially, Italian ones, can create a nuance out of innocence, weave a prejudice into a belief, distort the truth with half truths.

Damian Thompson has the full story and speculates that the real harm done by this latest accusation, will be the fall-out that will only add to the other snide cases made against the holy and not so holy.
I am thinking (as is Damian, I believe) of the Nazi slurs against Pope Pius XII (holy man) and the paedophilia scandals (not so holy men).

You may read his report here and then pause awhile to read Paul Priest's comments which are, as always, so very sound.

A Prayer

 

by Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

  

May Jesus comfort you
     in all your afflictions.
     May He sustain you in dangers,
     watch over you always with His grace,
     and indicate the safe path
     that leads to eternal salvation.
     And may He render you always
     dearer to His Divine Heart
     and always more worthy of Paradise.   

 Amen 

 

Sorry - you can't have eggs/bread/milk/EF Mass....because......

.......THERE'S NO CALL FOR IT!

Do you suffer from the same syndrome as me? When you go into a shop or a restaurant and ask for something that should be available on a daily basis and the blood pressure rises when you get the response: "Sorry, there's no call for it".

Nothing is guaranteed to produce a fit of the vapours faster than some jobsworth stating this to me. I have just b****y well called for it! And it's not like asking for, you know....well, buffalo eggs or a Spanish cucumber.....it's an item that should be available.

I think that His Grace, Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow might need a wee nudge in the direction of responding to customer demand the call of the laity. He has just issued, in an Ad Clerum to his clergy, a statement to the effect that no one wants the Extraordinary Form of Mass. H/T to Damian Thompson for this.

Here is how the Archbishop phrased his strange statement...

"Some have argued that the options opened to those who hark back to the old Mass provide an example of how personal preferences can be indulged. The Holy Father and those who advise him have decided to make the old Mass, the so-called Tridentine, or pre-Vatican II, more available to the faithful for pastoral reasons; that is something we must respect. However, even with the most recent instruction from Ecclesia Dei, there is no requirement or indeed encouragement for any of us to promote the so called Extraordinary Form. I venture to suggest that there is no call for it, or pastoral reason to change what has become the settled practice of the Archdiocese, which I read as contentment and indeed appreciation of the pastoral advantages of Mass in the vernacular, and in a form which is less mysterious than at least some aspects of what my generation can recall of the “old” Mass. There is, and I now speak frankly, a difference between mysterious and mystery. The mystery of the Mass is, to the wonderment of the priest and people, the presence of God in the sacrificial offering of the Body and Blood of His Son’s humanity, effective through the ministry of those called to be priests, ministering at the altar where the gifts of the faithful of bread and wine are laid. The awesomeness of the holy exchange can be manifested in the way in which we celebrate the Mass, avoiding all that could triviliase the sacred, without any extravagant gestures, but on the contrary taking advantage of the rich potential within the rites themselves to enchance the significance of what we do by way of the dignity of our actions, the singing of those parts of the Mass which are marked for song and wearing vestments of noble simplicity".

It is a masterclass in damning with faint praise (the highlights are Damian's by the way).
This man must have been made from the same mould as Bishop Burns of Menevia, he's excellent at innuendo and double entendres also.

I find it offensive, disloyal and disobedient.

If His Grace ran an ice cream parlour, would it just sell vanilla?

Archbishop Mennini, get out the birch please!

A few options to the Kiss of Peace!

Father Z posted on it and now Damian Thompson has carried it...what is it?
A post titled How to avoid the Kiss of Peace!

I believe that 100% of the orthodox will run a hundred miles rather than have to shake hands with their pew neighbour, I certainly would. I find it disruptive right at a stage of the Mass that is critical, the few seconds remaining in which to compose one's soul before receiving Holy Communion.
And, if only it were a handshake; now it has become an embrace, a hug and even a kiss on the cheek type of thing - not at all British! And, despite guidance from the Pope, some priests still insist on going round to every member of the congregation, shaking hands and laughing like they've just won the box of mixed fruit at the Christmas Bazaar.

Damian's comments box reveals some interesting options. There's Annie who is all for a Red Indian Native American type of "How" salute. I like this. In fact, I like it quite a lot.
I shall try it when I next attend an OF Mass (some years hence).
We are in the throes of a swine flu epidemic and just saying "How" removes that germ spreading human contact bit. It is also quite funny.
At Latin Masses we could have a two fingered salute whilst uttering "Pax" - I see nothing funny in that?

Kiss of Peace Maori style

Now what if one went to Mass in Alaska? Would we have to do an Eskimo  Inuit nose rubbing job? That's none too hygienic. Or when in New Zealand would we jump into the aisles to do a little powhiri dance?

 Or, we could adopt the peace sign of the Kikuyu tribe and slit the throats of a few chickens. The possibilities are endless.
But, wait just one minuto! I have the answer!
Only attend EF Masses then you won't have to give it. Simple.