“So It Begins”: Anglicanorum Coetibus Bears Its First Fruits

Faith Of Our Fathers, living still...

This is what we have waited to see for almost a year.
As you can read here, in Maryland an entire community of Episcopalians (“Mount Calvary Episcopal Church”) has decided to enter the Ordinariate. This will happen already in October after their sister community of Episcopalian religious sisters (the “All Saints sister of the poor”) have been received into the Only Church last year.

One is reminded of that scene of the “Lord Of The Ring” movie, when the battle of Helm’s Deep approaches and at the first volley King Theoden says …… ” So it begins”….

The warmest welcome to our brothers and sisters now united to the Only Church.

Mundabor

“A Cross Between a Socialite and a Socialist”: Portrait Of The Modern Clergy

This delicious snippet from the excellent “Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister” TV series (possibly the best TV series ever produced, certainly the favourite of Baroness Thatcher) is, as almost every word in this series, perceptive and profound whilst always managing to be suavely entertaining.

A quarter of a century after the episode, and with two of their three main actors going to their eternal (hopefully) reward, we can reflect that on the one hand the so-called church of England was already in an advanced state of decay and – more worryingly – that there is almost no sentence coming from the wise mind of Sir Humphrey (a hero of our times, and still underestimated…..) which could not – to an extent, if not always literally – be applied to the Catholic hierarchy here in Blighty.

“The word modernist is code for non-believer”

“When they stop believing in God they call themselves modernists”

“The c of England is primarily a social organisation, not a religious one”

“….significant religious events, like the Royal Garden Party”

” the Church is trying to be more relevant”. “To God?”. “No, of course not, Prime Minister!”

One listens to this refined dialogue and understands that it is not the fruit of parody or comic exaggeration, but acute and critical reflection of everyday reality. I would love to tell you that such devastating criticism does not apply to the men currently leading the Catholic church in England and Wales but if we are honest, this just doesn’t seem to be the case.

Say a prayer, if you want, for Nigel Hawthorne, the unforgettable “Sir Humphrey”. I do hope he managed to save his soul in the end.

Mundabor

Jewish Philosopher Defends Catholicism

Ad multos annos!

ICN reports about the French philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy coming to the defence of Catholicism in general and of Pope Benedict in particular.

Mr. Lévy’s assertions are of a certain importance due to his notoriety and reputation. Also please note that he is a Jew, but he does not indulge in the anti-Catholic self-victimhood so typical of some liberal Jews (to be clear: of those who don’t believe in God and are enemies of religion anyway).

His point about the desecration of Catholic cemeteries are in my eyes particularly relevant. In his words:

“In France there is much talk about the desecration of Jewish and Muslim cemeteries, but nobody knows that the tombs of Catholics are continually desecrated. There is a sort of anti-clericalism in France that is not healthy at all.”

I’d add that this unhealthy anti-clericalism is alive and kicking in the UK too and probably worse than in France. Here in Blighty you can build your notoriety on savage anti-Catholicism, though a strong attitude towards Islam (eg in Oriana Fallaci style) would be frowned upon and probably lead to security concerns.

Kudos to Monsieur Lévy then, as one of the so-called “intelligentsia” who has the guts to defend the Pope is not so easy to find nowadays. I’ll pray for him and for his conversion.

Mundabor