Pope Benedict

When Pope Benedict was elected, I remember sitting on the sofa in amazed disbelief, before leaping off it and whooping loudly with delight, and we cracked open a bottle there and then in celebration.

I could not have predicted then how much the Holy Father would do personally for me. It's not exagerrating to say that he transformed how I worship. What do I mean? Well, there's Summorum Pontificum for one, the Ordinariate the other. I am now free, theoretically at least given the lamentable provision for the Latin Mass in our Diocese, to assist every Sunday at a traditional Mass. I can worship with the Ordinariate, which is orthodox and Catholic in a real sense.

When the announcement of His Holiness came I won't deny it was horrible shock. But I trust the Holy Father. I don't have to like his decision, but I trust him, and that he was called to this by God.

We were given a tremendous Pope by the Holy Spirit last time. I believe we shall be blessed with another this time. But I'll really miss our wonderful Holy Father. I pray he has many years still to be with us, and that he enjoys some peace.

Thank you, Holy Father.

I've got me a Cardinal

Oh yes I have.

He was found for me on Adopt a Cardinal, a link I followed from A Reluctant Sinner on the sidebar.

My Cardinal is Odilo Pedro Scherer from Sao Paolo Brazil :

I think this is a great idea, everyone should adopt a Cardinal, and pray for them to be inspired by the Holy Spirit  at the Conclave.

Mass at Westminster Cathedral

There will be a votive High Mass (Votive Mass for the election of a Sovereign Pontiff) offered by Monsignor Gordon Read, at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday 2^nd March at 2.00pm.

If you can make it, it would be great!

Question :

Why is The Tablet still allowed to call itself  'Catholic'? Anyone else would surely be done under the Trades Descriptions Act.

It might have been utterly predictable...

...but it's no less galling for that.


Yes, the media and Pope Benedict. Where would we be without the intelligent, factual, balanced, reporting of the last eighteen or so hours?

 

The wilful ignorance displayed (I'm assuming the ignorance is wilful, reporters are supposed to be fairly intelligent, aren't they?), the choicest anti-catholic catholics cherry picked for interview, it's all too predictable. Disgruntled ex nuns, someone called Odone, Kung the Destroyer, they're lined up, yawn.

I watched one interview where, as usual, the interviewer asked questions, ignored the answers following the usual agenda, and bashed on regardless. It's pathetic. All we need now are the prophecies of St Malachy to be given a good Dan Brown-ing on prime time news and we're sorted.

So, I'm giving up all secular telly news for Lent (the Biased Broadcasting Corporation was jettisoned some time ago). I don't yell at the internet news in quite the same way as I do at the TV, so I think I'm on safer ground there.

Here is an interesting Vortex report on the media and His Holiness:

On a much happier note, I am very much looking forward to the pancake feast this evening, and I've said it before, Lent. I love Lent.

Prayers for His Holiness

For the text of His Holiness's address, please click here. God bless Pope Benedict.

Our Lady of Lourdes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have just read a beautiful reflection on Our Lady over at the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary website. Go over and have a read!

Mass at OLOC, West Grinstead...

...is most definitely 12.30 pm, and NOT 3.00 pm. Please ignore the listings, and write it in your diary!

A Mass in Basingstoke

A little out of our patch I know, but please, if you know someone who might know someone in the area, who might be desperate for a Latin Mass or is curious to see what they are like, then please encourage them to support this Mass at St Joseph's, Basingstoke. Click HERE for a map.


From Adam Pettigrew:

 

 

Traditional Latin Mass

For the Second Sunday of Lent

 

We are pleased to welcome Fr Phillip Harris who

will celebrate the "Mass of Ages."

 

6pm on Sunday 24^th February at

St Joseph’s church

St Michael's Road

Basingstoke

RG22 6TY

 

Ample Parking Available

 

 

 

 

When we were married...

...the registrar skulked in the sacristy where she could hear and peep round the door, because I was adamant we weren't going to have a stranger with her officious little fold up table alongside the front pew at our Nuptial Mass.

We would have enjoyed pitching up at the Registry office for the legal bit with a witness or two, while keeping the real ceremony wholly religious.






Separating the religious from the secular would be absolutely fine by me.

All shall be well

I've been despondent about the potential loss of marriage as we know it in this country for a while now. Our Lady and St Michael have been appealed to rather more frequently than usual over the last weeks, and I was glad to see that E F Pastoremeritus posted the St Michael prayer. I can't recommend the St Michael prayer highly enough, it's one of my go-to prayers for most things.

Yesterday and this morning, though, I've been having a bit of a Julian of Norwich moment. All shall be well. We know what true marriage is, and we'll carry on regardless of what faddy popularity grabbing politicians tell us.

Thank you, Our Lady and St Michael.

'Tis he, then.

Richard of York may have given battle in vain, but there's no reason why he can't have a decent Catholic reburial.

There's a petition online, so fight the good fight, sign up and may he rest in peace. Thanks to Eve for the link.

Gotcha

From the Coalition for Marriage (C4M) archive, a nice little reminder of why it's wise not to put your faith in the powers of this world, especially when they're called Dave.

Pants on fire, as they say in the playground.