Fr Blake and A Tale of Two Cardinals

Fr Ray Blake at Fr Ray Blake's Blog has the following post  Far be it for me to correct Cardinal Nichols but...

The full text of Cardinal Sarah's address can be seen at http://www.sacraliturgia.org/2016/07/robert-cardinal-sarah-towards-authentic.html

Meanwhile Zenit on July 13 had Press Office Clarifies Cardinal’s Remarks About Priest Facing East During Mass but then today there was a scathing piece from Richard Cipolla at RORATE CÆLI
which can be seen at  Contra Cardinal Sarah: The Bitter and Noxious Fruits of Ideology
 
Which simply makes me wonder just who IS calling the shots in the Vatican?

Praise for the Norbertines - and others

Fr Blake has an illustrated account on his blog of what was clearly a very successful Passiontide retreat at his parish in Brighton. He is full of praise for the two Norbertines who conducted it - Fr Stephen Morrison and Br Gregory Davies. 

I commented on his post that they are young men I know well - Fr Stephen was at Oriel, and Br Gregory assists at the Oratory in Oxford in term time whilst he studies at Blackfriars. I would agree that they are excellent men, and good indicators of the vitality of their community in Chelmsford.

I also added the point that St Mary Magdalen's Brighton is a splendid parish - and a splendid church too I should add - and, most importantly, that it has an equally splendid parish priest in Fr Blake himself. 

His post can be seen at Hope.

My own visits to both Brighton and Chelmsford have indeed filled me with hope for the pastoral and liturgical life of the Church, and I pray that both communities continue to be blessed by such faithful ministry.

Fr Blake on the Franciscans of the Immaculate

Fr Blake in Brighton has a post, written after meeting some Sisters of the Order, about the continuing controversy around the visitation of the Franciscans of the Immaculate. It can be read at I'm praying for the Sisters of the Immaculate, and the comments on it are also worth perusing. The link from Fr Blake's post does not open properly on the computer I am using, but readers doubtless have better hardware than I do.

This is a story which has lain low for a while, but the questions and deeper issues underlying this enquiry remain unresolved and unexplained. The longer the matter drags on the more harm it does to the Franciscans of the Immaculate and to the wider Church, for whom it raises a real sense of worry about the way some officials act in the name of the whole.

New website for St Mary Magdalen Brighton

The excellent Fr Blake in Brighton and his parishioners have launched their new website for their parish as can be seen in Fr Ray's recent post St Mary Magdalen's New Website.

I have always enjoyed my visits to the church and the welcome one receives there from priest and congregation. I also appreciate the range of things it does and offers - it is a church well worth going to find it if you are visiting Brighton, or indeed, a good reason in itself for going to Brighton.

 

Fr Blake on Fr Byrne's appointment

There are further comments on the blogosphere about Fr Robert Byrne's appointment to the episcopate - in this case from Fr Blake in Brighton. His post can be read at Congratulations to Bishop Robert Byrne.

Shrovetide

Fr Blake has, as so often on his blog, an intersting set of ideas about the Septuagesima season - or, as he thinks we should call it in the traditional English usage, Shrovetide. His thoughts can be read at Pancakes and Excess.

Understanding Pope Benedict aright

As we come to the end of the year which saw Pope Benedict XVI's abdication the always thoughtful Fr Blake has an interesting reflection on the Benedictine pontificate which can be read at  Fleeing from the wolves.

Love and Mercy

Fr Blake has an interesting reflection on his blog about the Pope's emphasis on Christ's Mercy in his homilies rather than using the word Love, and on what it means if one chooses to reject that proffered Mercy. It can be read at Implications of 'Mercy'

Understanding the Pope

The Catholic part of the blogosphere has been more than usually busy following the publication of the two recent interviews the Pope has given, with vigorous comments both for and against what the Pope has said or, perhaps more importantly, is thought to have said.

I have good friends who not happy at all with what they read and see, others who are cautious or positive in their reactions. I know those who might well be described as traditionalist, or indeed as Traditionalist (there is a difference) who are very positive about things the Pope has done or said. Others are dismayed and fear the worst. On occasion one person can express both sets of attitudes in the same or following conversations.

The publication of the Vatican decree about the use of the 1962 Missal by the Franciscans of the Immaculate and its implication for the application of Summorum Pontificum was seen by some as the thin edge of a very large wedge. Others saw it as a fairly technical regulation of one specific religious community, and who pointed out that permission for use of the 1962 liturgy had already been readily forthcoming.

For many I know, and thus not just for those who work in the media, the Pope's direct homely style has great appeal, although his daily Mass homilies are, I suspect, often not such as to appeal to Tabletistas who would otherwise enthuse about a South Americal Supreme Pontiff.

Some of the blogs I see, such as Rorate Caeli have posts which are definitely hostile or critical, whilst others seek to see a Hermeneutic of Continuity with Pope Benedict XVI - as for example in this piece by the head of the Knights of Columbus which a friend forwarded to me, and which can be read here.

Now we have Bishop Fellay from SSPX  making his views clear as reported by Rorate Caeli in For the record - Bishop Fellay: "we thank God, we have been preserved from any kind of Agreement"

All this fuels debate, but also confusion. The always insightful blogger Fr Blake has been led to ruminating in his series of recent posts Disconcerted by Francis? , Disconcerted by Francis #2, Disconcerted by Francis #3  and Disconcerted by Francis #4 and also returning to the theme in his post Joseph Shaw on Pope Francis, with its links to Dr Shaw's blog and his recent set of posts on Traditionalism and the present pontificate on his LMS Chairman blog. This too seeks to see common ground between Traditionalists and the Pope, as opposed to those whom Dr Shaw describes as Neo-Conservatives.

On a slightly different, but related, tack Fr Blake has another good post at 'Clericalism' which refers to what the Pope has said about some clergy attitudes. 

 

I am sure we are going to see a lot more electrons temporarily inconvenienced as the speculation and interpretation continues, as this is an important debate both for the Church as an institution, indeed as the Body of Christ, and for communities and individuals.

Personally I simply watch the situation and wait - as the saying goes "Them's as lives the longest will see the most."

The patronage of St Mary Magdalen

 

Were today not a Sunday it would be the feast of St Mary Magdalen. For churches dedicated to her it is, of course, still their patronal feast, and gives me an opportunity to say my prayers for as well as sending my greetings to the splendid Fr Ray Blake and his people at St Mary Magdalen's in Brighton, a church which this year is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and about which I have posted beforehand.

 

 

 

St Mary Magdalen Brighton.

The phortograph was taken befiore the present restoration programme started

 

Image: Flickr.com

 

If St Mary Magdalen Brighton is one of my favourite Catholic churches of today then there are others from the middle ages of which I am also very fond. St Mary Magdalen was a popular medieval patron saint in England, particularly after the development of her great shrine at Vezeley in France during the twelfth century. Here are three of my favourite medieval churches dedicated to her:

 

Campsall church is a few miles from my home town and has some fine Norman work as well as later alterations, and a fine rood screen:

 

 

Campsall church

 

Image:geograph.org.uk

 

The parish church at Newark is justly famous, not only for its architecture - notably the tower and spire, which was copied for Salford cathedral in the nineteenth century - but also for its medieval glass, woodwork and brasses:

 

 

Newark parish church

 

Image: Flickr.com

 

Gedney church in south Lincolnshire stands out as exceptional even in an area rich in medieval churches as a result of the wealth of the area in the later middle ages. it sails like a great ship across the Fenland landscape:

 

 

Gedney church

Image:Genuki

All four churches are very well worth visiting if you are in the area - if you have not already done so, discover the joys of church crawling!

Back to the future

Fr Blake has a very interesting and hopeful post today about the latest liturgical trends and straws in the wind which is very heartening to read. It begins with news about the US Ordinariate calendar and its adoption of traditional nomenclature for seasons and the inclusion of Ember and Rogation days, as well as the Octave of Pentecost.

From that starting point Fr Ray proceeds to examine the way things appear to be moving within the Church as a whole as well as in a sector such as the Ordinariates. I think that if the provision for the Ordinariates serves as a catalyst or agent for such renewal then that in itself justifies the provision for former Anglicans and the patrimony they have retained.

Fr Blake's post can be read at Rome Restores... A New Missal.

Celebrating 150 years of St Mary Magdalen's

Last night I was in Brighton for the Solemn High Mass of the Holy Spirit to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the completed church of St Mary Magdalen in 1862.

In February 1862 Pope Pius IX still exercised temporal rule over Rome and a reduced Papal State, Cardinal Wiseman was Archbishop of Westminster, Newman yet to write the Apologia, let alone get his Cardinal's hat, and the First Vatican Council had yet to be summoned. Queen Victoria was still in the immediate aftermath of the death of the Prince Consort the previous December, her Prime Minister was Lord Palmerston, whilst across the sea that laps the southern boundary of the parish Napoleon III ruled France and Bismarck had not yet been appointed Minister-President of Prussia.

As Fr Ray Blake pointed out in his notes in the service booklet the Catholics of Brighton showed great confidence in building a church that looked like a church and which was designed to promote an awareness of the Church by the beauty of the building and the worship offered within.

It proved to be a splendid evening - liturgically, musically and parish bun-fightwise - and the church was packed. Being Fr Blake's parish there was a high blogger count in both sanctuary and nave. The reception was a good occasion to meet up with freinds and acquaintances from the parish, and to sample a fine selection of Lenten celebratory fare that bore witness to the diverse and generous nature of the parishioners. The occasion was also a good one to see that further progress had indeed been made in the restoration of the church interior, which is very gratifying to see.

The Solemn Mass at St Mary Magdalen

Image: Fr Ray Blake blog

Fr Blake's initial account is at Processing the 150th, and he has now followed that up with two more posts Our 150th Pictures and Tom Bennett's Tu Es Petrus

Fr Tim Finigan was Deacon and preacher and he has posted his sermon at The Holy Spirit, soul of the Church and another post about the Mass at Evangelisation at Brighton.

The choir blog from the church about the Mass is here, and Mulier Fortis gives her impressions and pictures in At St. Mary Magdalen's..., A Closer Look At The High Altar... and Just Back... I would endorse all their comments about what a good occasion the evening was, but it was more than just a historic commemoration, it was a spiritual and holy event.

St Mary Magdalen's is a really splendid church in all senses - architectural, liturgical, musical, but also in those intangibles which are what the Catholic faith is about - and to be commended to anyone at all interested.

There are details of the rich variety of events the parish is putting on to mark the anniversary by clicking on the image below:

Continuing renovation in Brighton

Fr Blake has a post about the latest progess he has made in the restoration of his church in Brighton which can be read at Renovations at St Mary Magdalen. This continuing cleaning and remnovation in the church is really very good news for that church and parish, and for the wider Church - Fr Blake and his parishioners have shown what can be done with faith, determination and fundraising. It is a project I commend to your pockets as well as your prayers, and should, of course, be viewed in situ, and when in use liturgically.

An Hellenic perspective

Writing about Fr Blake reminds me to share this image which he had been sent and shared with his readers. Like him I found it amusing. Classicists, Historians and Theologians with doubtless appreciate it, and hopefully PPEists...

You may need to enlarge it to see it clearly.

Supporting Fr Blake

Not everyone, it would appear, appreciates the splendid Fr Blake and his blog, as can be read, with an introduction through Fr Tim Finigan's blog, in Fr Ray Blake under fire.

I urge you to look at that, follow the link to Fr Blake's blog, and then express your support for him in the comments box, as I have done. He is an excellent and faithful priest, who runs a lively and civilised parish.

Recommended reading

Fr Blake in his blog has two good pieces which I think are worth sharing with others - not, mind you, that his blog is not always worth reading.

Looters is about the recent troubles in some inner city areas, and finds him in strange company.

Pell on rejecting cafeteria Catholicism is an extract from an address by the Cardinal Archbishop of Sydney, with a link to the whole text. In the piece quoted on the blog the Cardinal addresses the issue of priestly formation.

Further reflections on Confirmation and First Communion

The discussion in the blogosphere about when Confirmation should be administered and First Communion received has been taken up by Fr Blake and quite a few of his readers. The whole post makes for thought provoking reading. You can read their views here.

The Pope and Dei Genetrix

On Tuesday Fr Blake of St Mary Magdalen, Brighton, whose blog is always worth looking at, posted this, which I am happy to forward to others:

" Yesterday, in an unscripted address to the synod of the Bishops of the Middle East Pope Benedict spoke of Our Lady as Theotokos, Dei Genetrix in the most beautiful and profound words that I think I have ever read on her. Sandro Magister offers an immediate translation and Rorate highlights a few selected paragraphs but this is worth reading and re-reading again and again."

Papal visit - Day II

Day II of the Papal visit, and I am going off to London to see the Holy Father.

Of course I had not allowed for the traffic disruption caused by the visit - and so a long frustrating wait in the Oxford Tube on Park Lane, convincing myself that I was going to miss seeing His Holiness etc...

A very brisk walk along Victoria Street took me to Westminster and the crowd outside the abbey. There I spotted Fr Tim Finegan complete with camera recording events for his blog. I found the friends I had arranged to meet opposite the north transept and outside the old Middlesex County Hall(aka the Supreme Court),and was promptly provided with a yellow and white flag to wave. Indeed I had no sooner arrived than I was asked why I had come by a journalist from the Financial Times for their online comments. I granted them an interview, saying I had come as a Catholic both because the Pope is the Vicar of Christ and because I have enormous admiration and respect for the Pope as a leader and thinker. I was also asked about the media coverage. I said much has been negative but that it seemed to be improving.

After a while we began to see assorted Catholic and Anglican prelates walking into the abbey north door, and shortly after the Popemobile, and much more importantly, the Pope came into view. Yes, the journey had been worthwhile.

As the Holy Father moved on the crowd began to move and re-form. Hearing a loud cry of Viva il papa behind me I turned to find a family of friends from Oxford and the London Oratory. Shortly afterwards I came across Kevin de Athaide, another Oxford friend and now a seminarian at Allen Hall. who having seen the Holy Father at Twickenham he had walked down to Westminster. I also ran into another freind who is currently an Anglican seminarian.

Moving along Broad Sanctuary and into the area with both vociferous Catholics and the Protestant Truth Society some of my friends attempted to engage in dialogue with the latter. This, from experience at Walsingham, I realise to be largely futile - "proof texts" are quoted in a random and way as slogans, with no attempt to expound a case. Mind you there was one "Mad Catholic" lady who outdid them in volume and, possibly, eccentricity...

Looking around I saw Laurence England, author of That The Bones You Have Crushed May Thrill, and whose account of the afternoon you can read here. We greeted one another and I congratulated him on the piece I linked to in my last post. I then met up again with his parish priest, Fr Ray Blake from St Mary Magdalen, Brighton. His description of the event is here. Fr Blake was having some success in talking to one of the Protestants - at least they were talking, and along the way the issue of indulgences came up. Fr Ray was saying we wanted an indulgence; I suggested to him that given who was just across the road we should ask for a Plenary Indulgence. So a few of us started the chant "What do we want? A Plenary indulgence! When do we want it? Now!"

Two Spanish speaking girls were meanwhile making valiant efforts to hold their long banner bearing the text "Heart Speaks to Heart" or something similar in front of the Protestant Truth Society's banner. The whole sensation of being in this jumbled crowd was slightly unreal, but it was a case of "Tis good Lord to be here", even though it did mean missing live coverage on television of the Papal address in Westminster Hall or the service in the abbey.


Meanwhile inside the abbey:



(Image source: Getty Images/Daylife)



(Image source: Papal visit)



(Image source: Associated Press/Daylife)

From these pictures it appears that the Abbey authorities has uncovered the marvellous thirteenth century Roman cosmatesque Sanctuary pavement for the occasion - a very dignified and gracious compliment to the Pope.

We saw the west doors opening and then the abbey bells started pealing and the pope and Archbishop emerged into the fading light. We cheered and waved our flags again.

(Image source: Reuters/Daylife)

The Papal party departed and three of us made our way up Victoria Street amidst a crowd of pilgrims and the remaining protesters, and not a few archbishops and bishops scattering outwards from the abbey.

I reflected afterwards that one of the Protestant protesters had had a placard citing the 39 Articles that the Mass is a "blasphemous fable and a dangerous deceit." Having seen the Holy Father and hearing his message over the years my answer is to say, kindly, but firmly, to Anglicans "Tear up the 39 Articles - you know you want to. Rome is the answer."

Paix Liturgique British survey

Fr Blake has an interesting account of the survey of British Catholics undertaken by Paix Liturgique. You can read his post here, and from it there is a link to the full report. It is in many ways an optimistic assessment, or should I say a not unoptimistic assessment, of attitudes towards liturgy and worship in this country, and more positive than many European, and outwardly Catholic, countries. It is of particular interest to those of us favourable to the Extraordinary Form of Mass.