Sunday, September 12, 2010

English Bishop's Office Waste Even More Money!


I thought Papal Visit Office could only go up after producing Heart Speaks Unto Heart but I was wrong look at this little piece of nonsense produced for policemen, technicians etc who are assumed, not only not to be Catholic but also stupid.
I agree with Andrew Brown there is a frightning waste of money by Eccleston Square, our bishops must realise money is not there to wasted. I spend my time making as many economies as possible and my people have to work damned hard for every penny they give to the Church and those people produce this tripe. And more, some committee of our bishops have approved it. Anyone know who? Or is that another bit Eccleston Square bureaucractric cover-up?

It makes me so angry!

44 comments:

Dilly said...

It does say at the bottom that if you have any further questions, to email them.
Perhaps the question "Who thought this up - and do they expect me to put my hand in my pocket for a second collection later this year to subsidise this sort of patronising idiocy? might be in order.

Anthony Dickinson said...

I'm four square behind you Fr. The madmen seem to be running the asylum.

Volpius Leonius said...

What's even worse in my opinion is that they probably think of the two sides as been equivalent.

They do think of the laity as a mere audience. They do think of the Mass as a show. They do think that the spiritual only in terms of enjoying themselves etc. etc.

They take the sacred and make it profane.

Clare@ BattlementsOfRubies said...

Oh how profoundly sad and disappointing. How incredibly patronising and naff.
I feel so badly let down.
Just this evening my I was chatting with my friend who, like me, has tickets for her whole family to attend the beatification mass. We were so excited. With her 9 children and my 6 ( and both of us have babies in arms) Although we saw it as something of a penance because it will not be easy to be coralled here and there with sleepy children and perhaps to have to stand in a rainy field, we remained determined to be there.
But to expect us to be at our coach collection point at 1.30 am, with the knowledge that when we arrive in Birmingham with our sleeping children while it is still night time ( we live in London so it's not a terribly long drive)we will have to get off the coach and walk rather than let them sleep it off.
And who knows how long we will be standing around AFTER the mass waiting for our call to our allocated coach.
It's inhuman to expect breastfeeding mothers,babies and toddlers, not to mention the feeble and elderly to manage that.
Actually it seems to me that they DON'T expect us to come. I think they don't WANT us to come.
There is NO mention in our "pilgrims passport" which gives some suggestions for parents of young children. It's as though we haven't occured to them.

Although I am willing to go ahead in a spirit of penance, I am beginning to realise that it may be unreasonable to inflict a penance on the smallest children also.
My penance may be to stay at home and miss it.
Tonight we have reluctantly accepted that perhaps that is what we must do.
Football matches and pop concerts move big crowds of people all the time. Why does THIS visit have to present so many obstacles to the catholic family wanting to see the Holy Father?

This morning we paid for, and picked up, our pilgrim packs. A lot of money to pay for 8 string bags and 8 CD's .
I didn't get tickets for Hyde Park because I thought we'd have to get an early night before the trip to Birmingham.
I could cry.

Clare@ BattlementsOfRubies said...

Oh how profoundly sad and disappointing. How incredibly patronising and naff.
I feel so badly let down.
Just this evening my I was chatting with my friend who, like me, has tickets for her whole family to attend the beatification mass. We were so excited. With her 9 children and my 6 ( and both of us have babies in arms) Although we saw it as something of a penance because it will not be easy to be coralled here and there with sleepy children and perhaps to have to stand in a rainy field, we remained determined to be there.
But to expect us to be at our coach collection point at 1.30 am, with the knowledge that when we arrive in Birmingham with our sleeping children while it is still night time ( we live in London so it's not a terribly long drive)we will have to get off the coach and walk rather than let them sleep it off.
And who knows how long we will be standing around AFTER the mass waiting for our call to our allocated coach.
It's inhuman to expect breastfeeding mothers,babies and toddlers, not to mention the feeble and elderly to manage that.
Actually it seems to me that they DON'T expect us to come. I think they don't WANT us to come.
There is NO mention in our "pilgrims passport" which gives some suggestions for parents of young children. It's as though we haven't occured to them.

Although I am willing to go ahead in a spirit of penance, I am beginning to realise that it may be unreasonable to inflict a penance on the smallest children also.
My penance may be to stay at home and miss it.
Tonight we have reluctantly accepted that perhaps that is what we must do.
Football matches and pop concerts move big crowds of people all the time. Why does THIS visit have to present so many obstacles to the catholic family wanting to see the Holy Father?

This morning we paid for, and picked up, our pilgrim packs. A lot of money to pay for 8 string bags and 8 CD's .
I didn't get tickets for Hyde Park because I thought we'd have to get an early night before the trip to Birmingham.
I could cry.

Left-footer said...

Blessed Sacrament, Holy Communion = Bread and Wine.

Is this what Catholic Martyrs died for?

gemoftheocean said...

Amazing. I don' think the people who produced it could poura certain bodily fluid out of a boot if the instructions were on the heel.

This "guide" is mind blowingly stupid.

Clare@ BattlementsOfRubies said...

Oh dear, aplogies for the only marginally post related rant, and for posting it TWICE ( which was Bloggers fault, not mine)

Some amusing suggestions in the comments:

They missed off a couple of other helpful items:

Introibo ad altare Dei = Yo! Main Man, what's cookin'.

Ite missa est = Time to split.


And this one:

Church = Club.
Altar server, acolyte = Bouncer.
God = Impresario, Simon Cowell character.
Mgr Summersgill = Clown, Buffoon, Village idiot.
Cardinal Newman = Ancient star, Mick Jagger character.
Beatification = Awards ceremony.


If you didn't laugh you'd cry.

Clare@ BattlementsOfRubies said...

I have never written a letter of protest before ( I suppose I imagine they just get binned) but tonight I sent off a couple of emails.

To be humiliated BY OUR OWN TEAM is just too much. They are an expensive embarrassment.

pelerin said...

They can't sink any lower - can they??

And how sad to read of the problems Clare @ Battlements has in getting to Birmingham with her family. The powers that be seem to have made it as difficult as possible for the average pew sitter to attend the Beatification.

If I see one comment in the press afterwards that it was not well attended I shall explode!

When I first heard about it I made up my mind that I would travel to Birmingham the day before by train and stay overnight. But then we heard that it was not possible to do the journey alone - it had to be done on a coach. And why do those living in London have to leave at 1.30 in the morning? I went to Birmingham for the day from Brighton by car a few years back arriving at 9 in the morning and certainly did not have to leave anything like as early as that. When I phoned my husband to tell him I had arrived he was astonished that I had got there so soon.

I was talking on the telephone this morning to a friend who was nearly in tears as she had put her name down for the Hyde Park vigil, and paid her £10 in advance (before it was reduced) and yet was told today that the tickets had not arrived and perhaps it was best to watch it all on the tele.

There were rumours some time ago that some of the Bishops did not really want the spectacle of enormous numbers of people cheering the Holy Father and so it has been made as difficult as possible for people to attend. I am beginning to wonder if there is any truth in those rumours.

Peter said...

In the Pilgrim Passport for the Mass at Westminster Cathedral we are told that the visit of "the Queen during centenary celebrations in 1995 - [was] the first visit of a sovereign to a Roman Catholic liturgy since the Reformation."
I suspect that the author forgot about Queen Mary and James II. Oh dear.

epsilon said...

Clare - please come:| The kids will survive!

I heard them saying on the radio that pensioners couldn't make it because of a 4.30am start!

I've now discovered that only *one* priest from this diocese is allowed to go to Hyde Park! It's bad enough that they're trying to stop the laity from going - but priests!

Well I'm going up to London on Friday night. My daughter is coming down from Nottingham and I'm praying to Saint Therese and all the saints that my son will come with us to Hyde Park. After that I'm going back down to Southampton to catch the coach for Crofton Park at 3am and I'm a pensioner! - Come on guys, we can't let them beat us!!

I especially love:
Ite missa est = Time to split
and
Beatification = Awards ceremony

justin said...

Fr Ray -

Do you actually have anything at all to say to get the people who read your blog excited about this visit?

Like for example, the fact that the music at the Masses will be reverent and of a high standard - Byrd at a Papal Mass!! (He would have been soo happy)! That Latin will be used extensively. That new musical commissions for Mass settings and a setting of the Tu es Petrus have been written. That the choirs have been practicing hard. That the 20 young Catholics at Catholic Voices are to be praised for going and winning the intellectual argument against professional anti-Catholics like Hitchens et al.

Or do you just display no enthusiasm for the Apostolic visit at all?

There are so many things that you can do to get us even more excited, even more receptive to the message of the Holy Father and to make us proud to be Catholic.

Report the negative yes. But also report on the great many positives and hard work of the UK Church, and her faithful are doing to prepare for this visit. And maybe, just maybe be hopeful.

Otherwise your ministry of blogging will end up becoming just like the press in its reporting of Catholic issues - reporting only the sins of priests, but never the glories of the Church.

Now is the time to rally Catholics behind the Pope and the Bishops in communion with the Pope. The post-mortem can come later and there should be one. But on this joyous occasion - a new Beatus for the English Church, the HF stepping foot on this land, now is the time to urge Catholics to be proud of their faith, vocal in support and to give them a reason to be joyful.

Anonymous said...

Clare I could have written your post almost word for word. We have had to pay £25 for our 9 month old baby who is still being breastfed. I was dismayed to realise that there would be no seats at Cofton Park. I know this is naive but the last time a papal visit took place I was 4 - the logistics hadn't occurred to me and given our coach leaves at midnight I too am wondering whether to go, but this visit comes at such a significant time for us as a family, we feel compelled to attend. I am in the throes of dreadful morning sickness so I guess it will be my penance too.

I wrote a similar blog entry voicing identical sentiments a few weeks back. All I can say really is that the graces received will be more than worthwhile.

Disgruntled of Orkney said...

@Peter. Not to mention Edward VII, who sat on the sanctuary at St James, Spanish Place, for a Portuguese royal funeral.

Like Clare, I have decided not to take up my place at the Beatification Mass. I live on an island off the north coast of Scotland (quite a long way from Glasgow), and as I am, in my own small way, a Newman scholar, I thought that I would go to Birmingham rather than Glasgow. I was warned that I would have to make my own way to a 'pick-up point', but as of this weekend I have still been sent no information as to where that pick-up point might be or when I might need to be there. I suspect I would have had to go to Glasgow to get on a coach; transport from here to there is cripplingly expensive if you book it at short notice, and I would certainly have needed to spend at least one night, possibly two, in accommodation which again I would need to book at very short notice. There was never any question of putting my three year old daughter through this ordeal. Instead, we will take her to Rome one of these days and go to a stress-free General Audience!

disgruntled but still excited of orkney said...

@Justin. You are quite right, the Visit is a huge grace for this country & many people will reap great benefits from it. I just think the organisers could have made it a little easier for families.

@asnailinmypocket. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din. Say a prayer to Blessed JHN for me!

Fr Ray Blake said...

Justin,

One positive thing The Pope is coming.

Yes, there will be Byrd at Westminster, and presumably clean sheets in Nunciature. I am sure both of these things have nothing to do with the Eccleston Square. From them we have cock-up upon cock-up and contempt for ordinary Catholics - read the other comments here.

As Andrew Brown points out we have CV because the bishop's Communications Office is so ineffectual.

Am I to praise that? Or am I see it as a deeper sign of the Bishop's HQ's inability to organise a party in brewery, let alone bring the Catholic Faith to this country.
It is the same rot that is behind the Church here cosying up to Nu-Labour and producing the vacuous statements and policies of the CES.

It is all indicative of the ineffectuality that ultimately leads to the loss of souls!

Fr Ray Blake said...

Justin,

One positive thing The Pope is coming.

Yes, there will be Byrd at Westminster, and presumably clean sheets in Nunciature. I am sure both of these things have nothing to do with the Eccleston Square. From them we have cock-up upon cock-up and contempt for ordinary Catholics - read the other comments here.

As Andrew Brown points out we have CV because the bishop's Communications Office is so ineffectual.

Am I to praise that? Or am I see it as a deeper sign of the Bishop's HQ's inability to organise a party in brewery, let alone bring the Catholic Faith to this country.
It is the same rot that is behind the Church here cosying up to Nu-Labour and producing the vacuous statements and policies of the CES.

It is all indicative of the ineffectuality that ultimately leads to the loss of souls!

aF said...

I first saw this over at Rorate Ceali and commented there that this is the loss of a teachable moment for the Bishops. Having descriptions of common Catholic terminology would be helpful for anyone present that may be unfamiliar or long out of the fold. Rather than go in that direction they choose instead to focus on material comparisons which will guarantee that those unfamiliar will remain in the dark.

However, as some of you have mentioned, I do not see this as patronizing. It could be there is someone working for the Bishops office whose understanding of the Catholic faith is so superficial that this is the best they were able to come up with. If that is the case then this is a different animal entirely.

justin said...

Fr Ray -

I know you are a devout and holy priest and that you too must be looking forward to this visit as much as anyone.

But I do think that there is an element of negativity about this visit on your blog that does nothing to enthuse your readers.

For example, you have posted some of the truly awful music at Hyde Park. For balance, could you not then have a post about some of the wonderful music at Westminster Cathedral and Cofton Park (especially given that these two are actual liturgies)? Highlight the difference and show an example of good practice?

I'm so excited about this visit I could burst. But everytime I come on this blog and read about it, I feel nearly as bad about this visit as when I read an article in the Independent calling for the annihilation of the Pope!

Yes the Bishops conference has failed. But lets support their meagre efforts for now and stir up the Catholic faithful and have the postmortem later. We're not separate from our bishops. We're all in this together and if we have to save their asses, for the edification of the faithful, then that is our duty surely.

This visit is too big to fail. We can't let it fail. Lets put aside the criticism for the time being and we need to encourage, to enthuse, to stir, to rally, and we need to use all sources possible to do so.

Tony Wallace said...

My email to papalvisit@CBCEW.org.uk:

I have been shown the glossary of terms published by your office pending the visit of His Holiness.

Given the elements of hostility regarding the expense of the Papal Visit, I am astonished that your office has seen fit to squander funds on an exercise as fatuous as this glossary. As a practising Catholic who has contributed, as far as my means allow, to the pastoral aspect of Pope Benedict's visit, I am outraged by the profligacy exhibited in this utterly pointless waste of my money.

I shall be watchful for future appeals at retiring collections in my parish church which state your office as the beneficiary. They will receive not a penny from my pocket.

Babs said...

Justin,
I think you would want Fr Blake to cover up child abuse.
Isn't what you are suggesting exactly what happened in Ireland. I mean, priests ignoring the the failure and rot produced by bishops. Saying bad is good!

I thank God for priests who are willing to admit weeds and roses grow in the garden, it saves us from the more dangerous aspects of clericalism.

Ma Tucker said...

They forgot to define parasitical heretic.

gemoftheocean said...

Tony: Best move ever. Hit them in the wallet. Then even monumentally stupid people will understand that "The little people" are upset for some reason or other, and maybe it might be best to hold a post mortem before too many other things putrify.

georgem said...

Justin, let’s start at the beginning. Pope to visit the UK. Hooray! Just the kind of fillip we beleaguered Catholics need. When, where, how can I get to greet him? Advice from the hierarchy: Better to stay at home and watch it all on TV. Oh. £25 per man, woman, child, babe in arms for the beatification Mass, Hmmmm, don’t think I can afford that. The “great” and the “good” get a free pass. Que? Oh, well, keep shelling out through parish collections. 200,000 at Coventry Airport. Whoops, forgot to book it. Still, the bishops get their nice, self-congratulatory lunch with the Pope. No need to go on. We all know the rest of the script.
You couldn’t be more wrong in assuming that Fr. Blake is forming or swaying opinion. He is merely articulating what many of us are already thinking. He has the courage to come out and say it; at some risk to himself, I would have thought.
The overwhelming view expressed in this blog over the past few months has been one of great loyalty and respect for Benedict XVI, the desire to see him, but sheer frustration at the incompetence of the bureaucracy surrounding the EWBC with each side blaming the other for the mess, yet continuing in the same old way. They are simply incapable of learning from their mistakes.
This latest effort makes one want to weep. It also confirms my view that the overriding characteristic of the terminally stupid is to judge everyone more stupid than they are.
Yes, the liturgy at the beatification Mass and at Westminster Cathedral will be quite something, thank God; but only at Cofton Park after tussles with the Shine Jesus, Shine brigade and the intervention of the Papal MC. No such problems at Westminster Abbey where, I am sure, the Pope will feel quite at home with what will be on offer there.
And I take my hat off to those Catholics in the pews who have worked tirelessly to make the visit a success, which I believe it will be.
I am determined to greet the Pope, but will do it under my own steam. As a former national newspaper journalist I could have pulled strings and used contacts to get a press pass to most of the events and in some comfort. But I’ll do it the hard way, as will thousands of others, and make it a personal pilgrimage because, as they say in the ads, he‘s worth it.

Anthony Dickinson said...

Justin,
I am guessing you are a younger man, with a younger man’s optimisim, which is of course always to be applauded and encouraged.
However, I would suggest that Fr Ray has not been negative and he has simply articulated the feelings of those many concerned people particularly over how badly this Visit has been handled. Especially by those who should know better.
One only needs to look at the interview with Bishop Conry on last evening’s Songs of Praise. Truly cringeworthy! My 80 year old mother who is not the sharpest of knives said of Conry “he’s not genuine”. That’s quite interesting coming from someone with little interest in the Church save for her Sunday duties.
The UK Bishops do not want the visit and they do not want this Pope - if the truth be told. There are many good and holy people out there – yes the Pope’s own people, who wish he were not visiting. I am one. These include many priests.
I have spent many months now defending as best as I can – mainly against fellow Catholics - all the media hype and lies against this good and holy man. But it will have been to no avail as for everyone one of me there will be 10 or maybe 20 practising Catholics found to contradict me. In modern terms – objectivity 0; subjectivity 1. The majority has it.
You then say about the music – yes the word “some” I agree with, a very small “some”. The majority is, to be honest, at best Anglican and at worst unworthy.
You go on to say that we should be stirring up the faithful. What faithful? There’s a half-empty bus going from my local Pastoral Area but the names on the list are all those who openly dissent when anything remotely Catholic is said. The Church I attend has held devotions and benediction each week for the last couple of months to pray for the intentions of the Visit. There has been no increase in attendance no matter how hard the priest has tried. My home Parish has had or done nothing – apart from a perfunctory 2 minute mention at the end of one Sunday Jamoboree/Eucharistic Celebration (!) and that was to inform them that after the 10.30 a.m. Mass next Sunday the Children are going to be entertained by Coco the Clown – I’m not joking – Oh and anyone who can bake bring a cake! Mine will have a file in it!
No, Fr Ray is right to sound the trumpet of concern, there is too much gilding of the lily and false bon hommie surrounding this visit. You mention that we should leave the post-mortem till afterwards. No! There should be no need for one as it should have been a jubilant celebration of English Catholicism. The warning bells were being sounded early on in the proceedings for the incompetent misfits charged with organising the events to be dismissed but no, they were allowed to carry on and indeed bend things back to their own ideas. A shameful display of the worst kind of mismanagement I have ever had the misfortune to see.
I am not bursting with excitement at the prospect, to be honest I am dreading it. I will pray for the health of the Holy Father and for the major successes of his visit, namely his standing firmly in the public square of English, Welsh and Scottish Politics and preaching the Gospel of Life. The ceremonies he (and some of the faithful) will have to endure will be of little of no importance to me as a practising Catholic.

nickbris said...

It is a very loud comment on the standard of education in this country

Peter said...

@ Disgruntled
Well done. There are also the offspring of James II, the old and young pretenders and Cardinal Henry IX to consider.
I too live on an island, Jersey, but luckily have a brother in London and was already due to go to London for another event.
Your point about travel is quite right. I would add that the notice to apply was in our Sunday bulletin with a deadline of the following day. I was lucky.
I think that our fellow commenter Justin misses the point: the faithful have not had life made easy for them and some of the publicity seems rather unclear as to the intended audience.
Sadly there will be an avoidable loss of confidence in the local Church leaders. The chance to boost the confidence and faith of many through the visit will be mostly lost. What we must do is make the best of what chances we have. Fr Ray is doing that.

Delia said...

Clare & co.: do try and come! I'm sure lots of people will lend a hand and the children will remember it for the rest of their lives. Not excusing the useless arrangements, but I think you'll be glad you went.

Lucy said...

My jaw hit the floor. So the Headline act from Rome is coming to do a gig on stage where he will do some stuff with bread and wine on a table. Smashing. Glad that is cleared up then.

OOh it is so sad and infuriating.

Adulio said...

I would have thought describing the Novus Ordo as a "gig" is only logical because that is what is looks like in a lot of Catholic churches

justin said...

"I think you would want Fr Blake to cover up child abuse."

I think thats a scandalous and unfair suggestion. Libellous even.

I never suggested that Fr Blake should avoid covering reports of things that are going amiss. I am suggesting that there be a balance in reporting though.

Like the BBC who only cover the bad aspects of the Catholic church, Fr Blake seems to be mainly focussing on the negative aspects of the Papal visit without giving due recognition to many many positives. Case in point, he has seen fit to mention the awful music at Hyde Park without mentioning the fantastic music that will be sung at Westminster Cathedral and Cofton Park.

shane said...

Marxist atheist Brendan O'Neill has an excellent article in Spiked today;

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/9548/

Anthony Dickinson said...

Justin,

There is "some" half decent music at each of the events.

You mentioned a comparison ear;ier so take the Westminster Cathedral Mass.
1. Why use the Anglican tune “Diedamata” to the opening hymn when Sir R Terry’s original “Corona” is just as good and better known to Catholics.
2. Why change Cathedral norms and introduce a Psalm when the Choir normally sings the Gradual and Alleluia.
3. Use of Byrd for 5 and Credo III, Offertory by Bruckner – excellent.
4. Roman Canon - fabulous
5. Communion Motet and O Bread of Heaven – wonderful
6. Why then stick a Methodist hymn at the end? Yes I know the people of Wales are to to be blessed by the Holy Father but I’m sure that the hymn to St David or Faith of our Fathers would have been as accessible. The Catholic people of Wales are not Methodists – think St Winifred, St Beuno. I love some Charles Wesley hymns – he’s actually a very catholic hymn writer (better than Estelle White) – but Love Divine gets trolled out for anything and everything and the tune appears more than once in the Papal Liturgy booklet – like there is a dirth of good tunes out there.

I’ve picked the least contentious occasion to comment on. Why are we using the Evangelical Protestant Bishop Dudley-Smith’s hymns? The writer-Bishop even altered his own words to the Magnificat to avoid being accused of succumbing to Romish Marian Dogma. Where is Fr Faber Cong. Orat. and the beautiful hymn O Purest of Creatures? Where is Newman’s great friend Fr Edward Caswell’s O Godhead Hid with music by Sir R Terry. No – all these have been sidelined because they don’t fit in with the perceived musical progress of the nu-church brigade. But they were good enough for the 1982 Papal Visit.

I've looked at Sunday morning programme for Cofton Park and all I can say that musically it is pedestrian. I love the Stanford 'Beati' but it needs to be sung in a 'swimmy' indoor accoustic not outdoors brodcast over a sound system. The choice of hymns for Communion is, to be quite blunt, shockingly bad.

universal doctor said...

What ON EARTH is this utter garbage??? Is this evangelising? Is this bringing Christ to non-believers? Is this the synthesis of faith and reason? Or is it absolutely a complete disgrace to the Faith? I agree with Fr in drawing our attention to this- to my mind iot reflects really what CBCEW think of ordinary Catholics who are left to defend the faith in the face of ever growing hostility and strident post-modern rationalism. I have always refused to contribute to the catholic media / communication collection. Whoever produced this does not deserve our money.

PaulineG said...

Having watched the plans for the papal visit unfold I find myself as concerned as anyone here about the poor management of the whole thing and, particularly, the apparent inability of the organisers to get us all to and from Cofton Park without having to endure a protracted and unnecessary degree of discomfort. And I like you, Father Ray, despair at the initiatives such as you highlight here which serve not so much to celebrate the faith as to undermine it.

But I also find myself sympathetic to the sentiments expressed by Justin and I am sorry he has been so roughly received here. That applies especially to Babs whose comment is, in my view, quite unconscionable.

At some point, and I think that point is already past, it is time to leave aside one's concerns and just get on with doing everything possible to make this visit a success. Just let the criticism rest for now and join together in hope, in joy at the Pope's presence among us and in prayer.

Please.

Jonathan Marshall said...

georgem,

Well said - a sensible and balanced piece with which I agree entirely.

Volpius Leonius said...

Well this fiasco just gets better, my two brothers were going to see the Pope, were told they were fine had tickets etc, now they get a phone call today telling them that actually they don't have tickets after all as there has been some kind of mix up, they don't read Father Blakes blog nor anyone else's really and even they are saying its as if they don't want people to go to see the Pope.

Anonymous said...

I'm too ill to go, though my dh and 3 oldest are going at a cost we can't really afford, but think it will be worth it.
Ages ago on this blog I offered to put together some worksheets and a booklet for the event if people wanted it for their children and parish.
NOT ONE person responded.
I am not going to bother. Not even you Father.
My children will know about what's happening.
Moaning about the Ecc Sq brigade is fun- but I am just as angry at the lack on real interest in doing something about it.
Did anyone really expect it to be handled bette than this?

If I had received even three comments saying yes and please include a, b, c, I would have done it, despite how ill I am. But no one did.

Fr Ray Blake said...

Mum6Kids,
My appologies,
BUT...
I didn't know how competant you would have been at producing such material. I, and most other readers here have never seen any previous catechetical material you have produce.

I suspect we are all rather wary of bad material which is either heretical or not suitable to the ages of particular children.


My prayers for your recovery.

Tom said...

Anthony - well said. I've been thinking these very thoughts myself about the music at these 'gigs', particularly casting aside 'Corona' and the use of other Protestant fill-ins.

Sir Richard's Terry's music (he was after all Master of Music at Westminster Cathedral) would have been most appropriate - but I suspect that 'unity is the most important' aspect of what Westminster is all about.

BTW - has anyone else spotted among the many typos in the Magnificat booklet, the change of key for the Credo? Another typo - or a modern rendition to raise the tone for the final few stanzas? Musicians unused to plainchant but well-able to read music may think it's the latter!

In the final analysis, I guess we should be grateful for what we're going to get. There are a number of good thimngs, as you rightly point out - and at least we've been spared the excrutiatingly dreadful 'Coventry Gloria' our late Holy Father was subjected to on his visit to Coventry.

Clare@ BattlementsOfRubies said...

Mum6kids
I missed that!
I would definitely have begged you to do us a leaflet!
I LOVE the resources you put up on your site. The Precious Blood one was fantastic, and beautifully done. It's incredibly generous of you to share your work freely with us.
Have you considered putting a tipjar on your blog?
I think many of us would be happy to have the opportunity to say thank you in that way. Especially if it would help to defray the costs of your family's trip to see the Pope.

It is indeed very expensive. I am galled that we are now out of pocket since we can't use those tickets.

I'm so sorry that your illness prevents you from going. That you manage to provide resources for other parents on your blog, despite your daily battle with fibro is a testament to your heroic generosity and goodwill.
Please don't be discouraged!

Anthony Dickinson said...

I'm sorry Fr

One final thing before I close my mouth and open my prayerbook for the Visit and this makes me really angry.

Why have the organisers 'mucked' about with the Litany of the Sacred Heart?

The following have all been deleted:
Heart of Jesus, king and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Divinity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father is well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us.

In their place:
Heart of Jesus, source of healing, sharer in our sorrow, safeguarder of the vulnerable, friend of the betrayed, companion of the ignored, face of the misjudged....

Why is this done? Do they have the right to alter the Litany?

I understand some of the terms can be unclear such 'desire of the eternal hills' yet when I read that particular one I am usually filled with a great warmth even though (lol) I don't really understand it.

Why do our betters persist in this nonsense?

justin said...

Anthony:

Have you read your post? Its when the tone became suffused by nit-picking on whether the hymn tunes were written by Catholics or Protestants. It's like...ermmm...as long as they're good and in keeping with liturgical principles who cares who its written by?? Some of the very finest Mass settings, like RVW's Mass in G and Franck Martin's Mass for double choir, were written by non-Catholics, while some of the very worst like the so called Coventry Mass were written by Catholics.

And you failed to mention James MacMillan's Tu es Petrus to be sung as the Pope enters the Cathedral (a new commission which is noteworthy), and Bruckner's Ecce Sacerdos Magnus (when was that last heard in this country?) for the end of the Mass choosing instead to focus on whether or not, Love Divine is suitable - when that isnt even part of the Mass!

Also - your comment on the psalm in place of the gradual. This is a votive Mass of the Precious Blood - therefore if the choir is singing it as they usually do on a weekday mass where there is one reading, followed by the Alleluia Tract (which the choir is singing) then the Gospel. They haven't subtracted or replaced anything but rather added a psalm in between (as is liturgically permissible). This psalm, the psalm tones of which are used every Maundy Thursday at the Cathedral, is exceedingly beautiful and a very welcome addition.

The Lord’s descent into the underworld

At Matins/the Office of Readings on Holy Saturday the Church gives us this 'ancient homily', I find it incredibly moving, it is abou...