Ten things not to do in church

                                  Do not pray 'fisherman' fashion

When in Lourdes recently I attended Benediction only to walk out after a few minutes before the service had even started.

I have been in auction rooms and beer gardens that were far more reverential than the hubbub caused by the faithful as they turned their backs on the tabernacle and shouted to each other.

But, you see, I am unworldly in the ways of the NO Catholic.

I have dubbed them as "sushi" Catholics - they pick up what appeals to them and reject what does not. They are blind to the rich variety of Christ's offerings that are laid before them.

So, just in the very unlikely chance that any sushi Catholic is reading this, here is a list of what not to do in church:-

1. Do not turn your back on the tabernacle - the True Presence is there.

2. No applause at any time, you are not in a theatre, you are in God's house.

3. Do not speak to anyone other than in a whisper and only then if necessary.

4. When praying, keep your hands together, it's incorrect, in the Roman rite to do the "one that got away" pose.

5. On entering your pew or passing in front of the Blessed Sacrament, do not bow. Go down on one knee (and I mean go down, none of this silly curtseying bit).

6. Restrain your children, in a kindly manner; take along plenty of children's religious books but, if infants bawl, don't worry - God prefers that even to plainchant!

7. Leave your shorts, revealing tops and uber casual clothes at home; remember, you are in God's presence.

8. Do not refrain from lighting a candle, before or after Mass but do not press a button to charge an 'electric' candle abomination.

9. Certainly do not stroll up to receive Holy Communion, this is a very frightening process, you are about to receive the Body and Blood of your Creator; keep your hands together and your eyes down - and walk with a purpose.

10. Above all else, do not chew gum or eat in church; get your hands out of your pockets and do the best possible exercise, let your knees touch the floor!

Now, who am I to flag up these points?

And why, indeed, have I not mentioned that men should not wear hats at Mass but that women should keep their heads covered?

To answer the first question, I am unimportant in the scheme of things but, out of love for my fellow man, I do wish as many of them as possible to be saved - and these are some of the preliminary steps towards that process.

Secondly, as far as the hats and veils issue is concerned....this will follow on naturally if you apply the ten point plan.

Never been to a Latin Mass?

You are in for a disappointment.

I mean, I do believe that sometimes those of us who adhere to the EF Mass really ramp it up too much.

We rave and rant about how mystical, reverent and inspirational it is and then - for the first time visitor it's so-ooo quiet.

And the priest has his back to the congregation so you feel just a little bit...er....ignored?

You came expecting the Latin, of course, but you have no idea when to stand, kneel or genuflect...and you just know that everyone is looking at you, waiting to see you make some fundamental mistake like sitting down when the rest of the congregation stand.

You come away bewildered and asking yourself what all the fuss was about.

 Next week it'll be back to the jolly old Ordinary Form, so much easier, and it's all in English (unless you happen to go to a Tagalog/Polish/Chinese/Urdu/Swahili Mass).

So let's dispel some myths.

First, don't feel unwanted just because there are no greeters on hand to give you a leery smile and an even leerier hug before you enter the church.

"I'm the parish greeter, but they won't have me at the Latin Masses!"

We at the traditional end of the Faith just happen to believe that you are grown up and should be treated like one, we are confident that you can find a pew in the church without some creep good soul guiding you to your seat.

Next, don't worry about everyone watching you - we are all so intently devout (ahem) that we would not notice if Noddy and Big Ears marched in to Mass.

And as for sitting, kneeling and standing......do nothing until you feel that you know what is what - and that may take quite a few visits.

Just sit and watch and pray.
You don't even have to follow the prayers of the Mass, you may pray to yourself or just meditate and soak up all that is taking place.

But, if you feel that the above advice is just a bit too laid back, here are a few key essentials that you may like to observe:-

1. Genuflect before entering your pew and, again on leaving when Mass has finished (not when you go up to receive Holy Communion or return).

2. Wear a mantilla, hat or scarf (if you are a woman) and if you wish to do so - it's a personal choice and no one will condemn you for going bareheaded.

3. Receive Holy Communion kneeling (if you are able, by all means stand if you are infirm) and by mouth. If you have not done this before just close your eyes and open your mouth reasonably wide with your tongue resting on your lower lip. The priest is adept at placing the Host gently on your tongue.

And that's just about it, really.

But don't expect to love the old Mass immediately. It takes time to establish itself in the hearts, minds and souls of those who have not experienced reverence, piety and peace in church before.

But there is one other effect from attending a Latin Mass that our old priest always emphasized when he sat round the dining table after a meal.

"The Latin Mass" he would say: "Brings special graces to those who attend"

And he was right.

The Franciscan Friars......just following the Pope by saying the Latin Mass

This 2010 video clip shows Fr Pellettieri of the FFI explaining that they follow the example of St Francis when it comes to obedience to the Pope.

Trouble is......which Pope?

Fr Pellettieri is referring to Pope Benedict.

He also explains that the Order is not solely focused on the EF Mass and that it celebrates the OF Mass according to custom and to the wishes of the local Bishop.

It all sounds so very temperate and sensible.

 

"Have you been........?"

H/T to Catholic Memes



Mass in a hidden chapel

Today we attended a Latin Mass in a tiny chapel one mile off the main road and set half way up the side of a combe in glorious Devon.
What, in Wales would be called a Cwm, a valley, in other words.

The celebrant was an elderly, frail and venerable priest.

A man bent almost double with paralysis and to whom every movement is an immense effort.

A November Mass for the Dead

Yet, the Mass that he offered had a wonderful, translucent quality about it, it was not quite of this earth.

That is partly because this priest celebrated the Mass with great dignity despite his physical restrictions.

And partly because pure goodness emanates from him.
He is also, one might say, 'untainted' by the modern Mass.

He elected, in 1970, not to continue with the incoming changes of offering the Mass in the vernacular (as we called it then) and wrote his Bishop a letter stating that: "The changes that you are implementing are aimed at destroying the Church".

Strong words from such a mild mannered man.

Since then he has tirelessly travelled Wales and England, celebrating the Mass of Ages for those who requested it.

Hearing confessions, catechizing the children, anointing the dying.

He ministers, today, to a tiny flock who attend Mass in his private chapel and he counsels seminarians and priests who are troubled by the continuing storms that affect the orthodoxy of the Faith.

While we were there he received a phone call from a very prominent priest who wished to visit him.

This is the 50th year of his priesthood and he maintains that he will continue in his ministry as long as he has the strength to do God's work.

As the Mass proceeded it seemed to me that we were transported back to the time of the Recusants and that, at any moment, we would hear the thunder of approaching hooves swiftly followed by sword hilts hammering on the door.

Such events would not have phased this priest.

After Mass we chatted over cups of tea and he mourned the fact that young priests are not following the path that he chose, the lonely one of only offering the Tridentine Latin Mass.

"They lack Faith" said Father.

"And courage, Father" we replied. "You need both Faith and courage to leave all and follow Him".

Sadly, those two qualities appear to be lacking today.

Perhaps the prospect of losing one's pension scheme overrides the prospect of losing one's soul.

M = Server F = Serviette

H/T Catholic Memes

Which Mass does Jesus Christ want?

I mean, it has got to come down to this, surely?

There are two basic types of Mass in the Roman Church, the Ordinary (OF) and the Extraordinary (EF).

Please do not say at this stage: "But all Masses are the same". They are evidently not.

One is in the vernacular and is missing many of the key elements that Quo Primum stated quite clearly, should be preserved and the other is a reasonable representation of the Mass that gradually evolved over the four or five hundred years after the death of Our Lord - in Latin.



The OF Altar

Some may say that both Masses are the same because the outcome, in the manner of the renewal of the sacrifice of Calvary in an unbloody fashion, and the subsequent changing of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ are identical at both forms of Mass.

But that still leaves the question hanging in mid air; the two are different in format - so which one does Jesus Christ want?

Many would claim that He wants both kinds but that does not wash; let me change the question to: 'Which Mass does Our Lord prefer?' Which one does He believe will benefit us the most?
Which Mass attracts the most grace?

                     The EF Altar                     (Civitas Dei)

My conclusion, which, of course,  I believe to be perfectly logical, is that Our Lord prefers the Mass that is closest to the one that His Church first created; the one that was so greatly influenced by the Apostles who loved and served the Lord.
 The Mass that is the more comprehensive of the two, more demanding of the celebrant (and of the server) and requiring a greater demonstration of reverence and piety from those attending.

The Mass that is not divisive in areas where a variety of tongues are spoken, a Mass that is, as the Faith itself, universal.

A Mass that is basically unchanged since early times and ratified by The Council of Trent in 1535.

A Mass that does not allow for personal liturgical expression by the priest or the laity; a Mass that is easy to follow (if you have a missal) and easy to meditate at if you haven't.

So why is this Extraordinary Form of Mass so ignored by the priests?

I can understand the episcophobic issue, the Bishop might well come down heavily on any priest wishing to introduce the EF Mass.

I can understand, also, the fear of upsetting the liberal parishioners who, quite frankly, have no concept of the matter other than an irrational dislike of the Latin.

But some priests also come up with the corny line: "I just don't speak Latin"

That is a copout. They quite merrily take their holidays overseas and indulge in café French or Italian as the case may be. To learn to read and pronounce Latin is not hard.

As a child, all altar servers in our parish had to be able to give the Mass responses in Latin by the age of seven. Hard at that age but far from impossible.

So, we come back to the question as to which Mass Our Lord wishes us to take part in.

The answer seems plainly clear to me.

What's the difference..............

....between an egg and a Latin Mass?



An egg.......

A Latin Mass 

You can beat an egg...

If you were arrested for being a Catholic......

......would there be enough evidence to convict you?

H/T to The Canon's Stall

Paris, definitely worth a Mass!

I seem to be constantly banging on about the Latin Mass and also how a Mass celebrated in a church under the rule of the priests Society of St Pius X is, truly, extraordinary.

Why should that be?

Because the SSPX churches only ever host the Latin Mass; the sanctuary is untainted by odd bods who stroll across at various times during the day, no Eucharistic ministers (ever) no female servers, no 'Shine, Jesus, shine' only sacred chant that catapults us back to the plaintive chants of the Jewish priests in the temple.

No one gives a bow when crossing in front of the tabernacle, communion rails are in place - all is  right and proper.

The altar servers are young and competent, the priest reverent and practising full custody of the eyes.

This video clip is from the SSPX church in Paris, St Nicolas du Chardonnet.

A beautiful church and a fitting house for Almighty God - allow yourself an hour or so to pray and enjoy this most moving Mass..........

One of the Youtube commentators makes the following statement:

"If this church in Paris is occupied by the SSPX, GOD BLESS THEM !!! I'd rather go to a Traditional Latin Tridentine Mass like theirs than the diocesan approved Novus Ordo "Mass" in my local parisn in Florida, U.S.A. I don't even go there anymore. The church looks like an auditorium - no statues, a wooden table for an altar, the tabernacle is hidden away in a little corner and their music is worldly and boring. Also, most people go to church wearing shorts and flip-flops. It's just horrible!"

Time to change the Credo?

Change? Change? A word that can produce apoplexy in traditional circles (but not magic ones).

Of course, I am not proposing any change to the wording of the Credo, that is beyond my remit somewhat, light years beyond, in fact.

But, having travelled the country attending Sung EF Masses rather a lot over the last 12 months, I observe that the choir and the people are not as one.

It is, as you know, the practice for choir to commence the Credo with the congregation taking over for the second tranche and it alternates from then on.

Choir = good  

Choir + Congregation + alternate = bad

Choir + Congregation + unison = good

Even pre the Second Reformation, the congregation was not good at getting it right; there was always a bit of a fudge at the handover point, rather like a relay runner passing the stick on to a colleague who is not too sure when to grab it.

The result is a shade dirgey, a small tower of babble that picks up again when the choir re-asserts its authority.

So - I have a suggestion to make.

Let us all sing the Credo together, choir, people and priests. It is a most wonderful piece that calls us all to attention and points out precisely what we should be concerned with and then...and then....we come to the resounding "et unam sanctam Catholicam....." bit. This should be belted out with chests out and heads held high - and...in unison. The rafters of the church should shake and set Satan quaking in his boots.

What would Our Lady wear to Mass?

There has been some debate recently (again) regarding the wearing of the mantilla. Mary O'Regan of
 The Path Less Taken has a sound and well reasoned post on the subject as does Dorothy B of
An Honour and a Responsibility, Annie of the Arundel & Brighton blog and Joe Shaw of LMS Chairman. - so I feel quite safe at throwing my two penn'orth into the ring.

I think that all of the bloggers who have commented so far have been at pains to point out that there is no obsessive disorder involved here; if women wish to go to Mass bare headed, sobeit. That is their decision.

So, I would like to take you back in time, not so very long ago, maybe seventy or eighty years or so.
To the age when both men and women wore hats as part of their everyday headwear.
No male over the age of ten would have walked the streets without a cap of some kind on their head and every female from pram stage onwards would have done likewise.

Off to Mass? Where's your hat Albert?

So what happened when the Catholics among them entered a church?

Well, of course, the men would remove their hats and the women would keep them on; it was the custom, the culture, if you like.

And today, the custom has not changed for men; we still remove our knotted handkerchiefs, bowlers or derbys when we enter where God Himself is present.

Would it cause dissent if I strolled in wearing a rather natty (if frayed) Panama? I rather think so.

It's easier than skiing - celebrating the Latin Mass

I posted earlier in the week stating that celebrating the Latin Mass was not exactly easy but neither was it hard.

Now, after scratching around in my press cuttings file I find a letter that was published in The Catholic Herald that makes it quite clear that it is actually easy - the author of the letter?

None other than Father Julian Large, Cong. Orat., new Provost of the London Oratory.

Fr Large must have written the letter at least six years ago and I hope that he does not mind me bringing it to the light of day but, some young seminarian may draw great comfort from it.

Here it is...........

"Sir - I never passed a driving test, I do not ski and I can hardly swim.
My violin teacher advised me to give up all hope of learning to play any musical instrument on my second lesson.

I failed Maths O -level twice, and my French makes Parisian waiters wince.

I did, however, manage to teach myself how to celebrate the Traditional Mass (report, February 22nd).

It took one week reading J O'Connell's 'The Celebration of Mass' and practising on the desk in my room, and an hour's dry run with a patient priest the day before my ordination in 2003.

It can't be so difficult."

Great! Now it just requires that a Bishop upon reading my blog (extremely unlikely) takes the initiative (a word seldom found in or around Cathedrals) and orders 50 copies of this wonderful book and instructs orders his priests to do as Fr Large did and learn it, pdq!

And here's another example of a 'Distance Learning' resource that is also available (aka training video).......credit to the FSSP....

                                      The EF Mass - "It can't be so difficult"

The man who has done more to keep the Latin Mass alive in England and Wales...

...more, in fact, than any single person over the past 40 plus years.

Not a Pope, not a Bishop, not, even a Monsignor, he is, a humble priest. The most humble of priests who asks to be described as being "Nothing really, totally unimportant except as a servant of God"

He was given the accolade in the headline when attending a wedding at the London Oratory some two years ago. After the Nuptial Mass this priest stood quietly to one side as the guests spilled out and photographs were duly taken, when an Oratory Father approached him and said:

"Father I just want to thank you for the wonderful work you have done over the years in keeping the Mass alive in this country. You have done more than anyone and we all owe you an enormous debt of gratitude".

The man he was addressing was none other than Father Peter Lessiter, once of Southwark Diocese and well known to many hundreds, if not thousands of Catholics around England and Wales.

God's humble servant- Father Peter Lessiter

In many respects, Father Lessiter is another St Jean Vianney - he mirrors this French patron of priests so very closely. He works among those most in need of the Latin Mass, he catechises the young, teaches the potential convert, baptises the infants, offers the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony to couples and yes, finally celebrates a Requiem Mass for them when they die.

And, like, the Cure of Ars, he takes the Sacrament of Penance to the needy and, at times, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction; travelling many hundreds of miles, often late at night in the process.

He is especially in demand from priests who are nearing death and who, in extremis, desire the traditional last rites despite having apparently accepted all the changes of modernism in the church during their priesthood.

How did this priest come to serve the Lord in such a manner?

We must go back to those confused and ugly days following the interventions of the 'periti' after Vatican II.

Fr Lessiter was a young priest, fresh from the seminary and going about his duties as a curate (we had them in those days) with vigour and integrity.

I remember those times and, in fact, was even a willing particpant in some of those changes, many were duped and fell under the spell of obedience to the Bishop at any cost.

But Fr Lessiter had made his vows to Almighty God, not to a Bishop and after eight years of attempting to reconcile his inherent belief in the teachings of Holy Mother Church he made the momentous decision to 'go it alone'.

There was never any element of wishing to abandon his vocation; Fr L is a man made of sterner stuff.
He resolved to place his trust in God and His Divine Son and to continue his mission in life, that of saving souls - surely the ambition of every priest.

He had spent eight years as curate at St Osmund's, Barnes and when he left in 1973 it must have been like stepping off a cliff. He launched himself out into a void and he knew not what would become of him. Whether he would starve or whether he would be abandoned by those who had professed support for him.

Those early years could not have been easy and Father chortles today when he recounts how so many people reviled him back then but are now saying to him: "Father, you were right after all"

He commenced his mission by travelling the country, taking the "outlawed" Latin Mass to the few faithful remaining. He travelled a circuit that would have exhausted many a lesser man. from London to Leicester, to Derby, Nottingham, Birmingham, Somerset, South Wales and beyond and then, the next week the same circuit again.

The 'Recusant' priest, celebrating the EF Mass
in homes, church halls, and makeshift chapels

Wherever he went he took his good humour and his love of Christ and His Church with him.
"We must pray for the priests and their Bishop's" he would say. "They are the innocent ones in need of our prayers".

And when things got rough as they so often did and his parishioners became bitter and twisted over the actions of a Bishop or priest he would tell them:
 "Don't get involved in the politics of the changes; go to Mass, receive Holy Communion and do your best to bring your children up in the Faith. That is all you can do as a good Catholic in these times. It will only drag you down if you become embroiled in the controversy".

He was called upon, on several occasions, to present himself before a Bishop and to give an account of his activities. Invariably, he would face not only the Bishop but a couple of his Monsignors also and then the interview would turn into an inquisition.

But Father L always remained cool and calm and answered all calumnies against him equably.

For a brief period he worked with the Society of St Pius X but soon withdrew because they had no concept of pastoral care; their priests would celebrate Mass and then take off for the next venue (they still tend to do this today). There is merit in this approach but they left a great many people cold behind them, 'no time for Confession, must dash!'

For the past ten years or so, Father Lessiter has lived in Axminster, one of the first bases for the Latin Mass post Vatican 2.

There he has built up an embryo order and  a small community around him, two nuns, a sizeable congregation and many lay workers scattered around England. The constitution for the order is a work in progress and, one day will be presented to the Bishop of Plymouth but, until then, he still tours the country albeit on a reduced circuit.

He is a little infirm these days but his spirit is still strong.

After a series of strokes, two years ago, he was found lying semi conscious, having collapsed in his cottage one evening and lying for 12 hours overnight with one side of his body against a blisteringly hot radiator.
Lying in hospital, semi delirious, he insisted, when visited by the two sisters, on saying Mass, albeit a 'dry' Mass.

He lay on his bed, eyes closed and word for word, went through the Latin of the Holy Mass and, at the Hanc igitur he brusquely told the sisters to "Kneel down the King of Kings is coming!".
Even unconscious, he knew his duty in life - to say the Mass and to lead his flock.

Over the years, he has taken great joy in counselling seminarians especially and many of the clergy still seek his good counsel today, including one or two of the hierarchy.

He has been chaplain to my family ever since we 'jumped off the cliff' and became followers of the 'Mass of all Time'.
In 1989 he paid us an initial visit in remote West Wales and he kept on coming as our children grew in the faith.
Every month or so, the house would be readied for Father's visit and, in time we converted a room in our old schoolhouse to become a dedicated chapel. It was the least we could do for the sake of Our Lord and His good servant Father Peter Lessiter.

In 2012 Fr Lessiter will celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination.

NOTE:
Fr Lessiter and his community live totally on the charity of those whom he has loved and served over the years. He has not asked me to make this appeal but, if anyone would like to contribute to his good works please send a cheque payable to Father Peter Lessiter.

The Community of Our Lady of Victories,
Mount Carmel,
Lodge Lane,
Axminster, EX13 5RT

Let's stamp on this lie now!

It is just not true but it is well on the way to becoming embedded in the Catholic pysche, so much so that a traditionalist priests actually related it to me quite recently and I was duty bound to correct him.

What is the lie?

               The Latin Mass took 6.8 seconds this morning!

That pre Vatican 2, when all was Latin and not a stain of the vernacular in sight, priests babbled through the Mass.

What? You mean they gabbled and babbled and rushed through the Latin at a helter skelter pace so that Holy Mass in its Tridentine Latin form was completed, quite regularly in 6.8 seconds!

Amazing!

Well, it would be amazing it it was true but it ain't (lapse into a bit of Americanese just to show what a worldly chap I am).

So, it is not true; I am sure that there were some priests who gabbled on occasions, like when they had an urgent sick call to make immediately after Mass but as a general rule...no.

How do I know?  Well...I was there and, what is more, I served at multiple Masses offered by a very cosmopolitan variety of priests...an explanation.

We lived less than one hundred yards from the parish church of St Michael's and  St Martin's, in Hounslow, what is now one end of the main London Heathrow Runway.

Because of our proximity to a) the church and b) the airport (then Hounslow Aerodrome) it was encumbent on me to serve many weekday Masses before school and these were, in the main, celebrated by priests who were arriving or exiting Britain and using the parish as a staging post.

So, at a rough estimate, I must have, in a period of ten years, served at something like 1500 plus Masses.
Not a bad poll figure on which to make a claim.

Now what are the reasons for this high speed Latin Mass myth?

I have a hunch that many people, who are not overly familiar with Latin, fail to comprehend it when it is spoken at a normal talking speed. A little like practising one's French before the holiday and yet, when you step off the plane   the locals seem to be speaking in sentences where the words have all become merged into one.

In pre Vatican 2 Britain, all priests spoke Latin as if it were their mother tongue - and why not?

I also seem to recall that there were very specific time limits set by Canon Law, outside of which, a celebrant would have been guilty of fault; for a Low Mass I believe there was a twenty minute minimum...for High Mass....I cannot remember.

As a young altar server I am afraid to say that I would have welcomed a twenty minute Mass with open arms but they did not often come my way.

Instead, I would be treated to a moderate, reverent and clear 40 minute delivery of the holy texts and, who knows, some of the graces received from those 1500 Masses may have stuck with me in later life.

So please, unless you are as old as Methuselah and can challenge me on this point, let's hear no more of it. And when you hear a priest, nun or parish commissar state this lie...correct them, gently and charitably.

Why in Latin?

Fr Clement Tigar SJ was a great priest and a great writer on all matters theological. For many years he was Rector at the seminary for late vocations, Campion House at Osterley, West London and, as a very young man, I often passed him in the street but he was distant and aloof; his mind was ever on a higher plane (certainly higher than mine).

One of his lighter (but no less interesting) books is called Papist Pie, a collection of questions and answers about the faith published in 1945.

Here is the chapter on "Why in Latin?"

"Why are all your services in a language no one can understand?

They are not. The evening service always contains prayers in English.
The Mass, which is the central act of worship, is in Latin, for many reasons. The Catholic Church is not just the church of this or that country, it is world-wide. Its members feel at home, because they can take part in the same service, in the same language, all over the world.

Again, Latin being a dead language, is free from those changes in the meaning of words, inevitable to a modern language, and is therefore more suitable for expressing with exactitude those doctrines which never change, because eternally true.

Catholics attending Mass do not need to follow every word of the Mass. They understand that it is the official act of sacrifice, instituted by Christ, which the priest offers up in the name of Christ, for the people. They can either follow English translations in their prayer books, or join their own private prayers, in their own private way, to the official prayers of the priest.

The Mass is an act rather than a prayer.

It is both reassuring and good to see the clarity of Fr Tigar's reasoning and, though basic, the teaching is as true today as it was then.

Mass in Polish is divisive!

And in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog or whatever other tongue is used for the celebration of Mass in Great Britain today - I do not include Latin here as it was and is most definitely inclusive.

 St Paul's letters to the Phillipinos!

My point is really that Mass in Polish, is of course, intended for the Poles. If an Englishman or Englishwoman attends one they are likely to feel about as at home as a pork pie in a synagogue. They will not comprehend much of what is going on; they will not be able to - (wait for the magic word) - participate.

We criticise the Warwick Street Masses because they are tailored for the homosexual Catholic community but we turn a blind eye to all the 'language' Masses that proliferate. A Catholic Mass should be a drawing together of the laity of the parish - as one, in harmony with each other and God. That way a parish builds up its infrastructure of social welfare and charitable works that binds the people together and strengthens them.

When in Madras (Chennai) a few years ago I was told by Catholics there that, since Mass in the vernacular was introduced, the parishes had become divided;  divided by the undercurrent caste system.
When once Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam and other language speakers gathered under one roof for Mass in Latin, they are now segmented by race and the caste system has been reinforced by Masses only for Tamils or only for Hindus.

So now, if you live in Slough or Hayes or somewhere equally salubrious, you will not know your fellow parishioner as you will attend separate Masses - you will be poles apart (oh so sorry)

And if you are an unfortunate Chinese type person, the situation becomes even more stupid. If you are a Cantonese speaker (from Hong Kong or Southern China), you will probably find a Mass in Soho celebrated in your language.
But, if you speak one of the 85 other Chinese languages you are well and truly scuppered as they say in Shanghai. My guess is that it would be quite hard to find a Mass celebrated in the main Chinese language of Mandarin (Putonghua).

Tomorrow, (11th September) is  Racial Justice Sunday and while the EWBC warbles on about human slavery it, of course ignores all other racial justice issues. Such as...having Mass in Latin! Encouraging inclusivity rather division.

And please remember that I am part of the ethnic community, I have my rights too, I am an Englishman living in Wales - an endangered species!
Give us a Latin Mass Guv!

What do you fancy? An Indian or Chinese?

Mmmm.....well, I had an Indian last Sunday so maybe I'll go for the Chinese. No, silly, I am not talking about take away meals....it's the Mass! You know, the one where back in the 70s there was all that fuss about how you must have Mass in the vernacular and how Latin must be kicked into touch? Got it?

I really am sorry to raise this again especially as I posted on it recently but I have received reports that indicate that more and more overseas priests are being appointed to parishes left right and centre and that they bring with them, their own language (and culture) Masses.




Indian curry, Yes! - Indian Mass - No thanks!


I am not a xenophobe, honest, it's just that nothing gets a Bishop in a tizz quicker than asking for an Extraordinary Form of Mass to be provided. "A what?" he roars "Doncha know that it's anti women and unchristian and, anyway, there's no call for it?"
Funny the way people always say "there's no call for it" just when you are asking them for it!
"B-b-but Bishop" one stammers, "you have parishes with Mass in the Malabar Rite, in Putonghua, Tagalog, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Yiddish (well, maybe not the last one) why can't we have it in a universal language like, err, like Latin?"

"Listen you elitist racist scum just you forget about all that fancy Latiney nonsense and forget about having it in English too, or Welsh for that matter. With the lack of vocations and the way Rome treats us Bishops you are very lucky to have a Mass at all!"
"Sorry Bishop, what about Erse?"

Now an innate and rare sense of fairness compels me to tell you that Kate at
Australia Incognita disagrees with me. She has a case to state and you may read it on her excellent blog. But I am adamant in my stance.
The world is surely set on its head when we no longer even have an English Mass to attend.

Oh, and by the way, from now on this blog will be available in Serbo-Croat, Ket and Shqip. Howda?

Patricius is a naughty lad! He loves to tease us so....

Patricius (he the lover of Hobbits and Middle Earth) loves to pull our legs from time to time and to spin us a few googlies just to see our blood pressure rise and then sink again as we realise it is "Just Patricius".
This is no bad thing. We "Orthos" (rather than "Traddies") do get a bit hog tied with our own minimus mundi and, often, can see no further than the Pre 1962 Missal in front of us.
His latest post, entitled "Latin or English?" poses the question of the vernacular over the Latin. And y'know what? I disagree with him. No surprise there perhaps but may come as something of a surprise (to Patricius as well as others) is that I believe that, in many respects,  Latin is not as vital as the essence of what is being communicated. And, of equal importance, the phraseology that is used.
I do believe that the 1962 or Pre 1962 Mass is just as beautiful in English as it is in Latin. What is more, what orthodox or traditional Catholics yearn for is a return to the moral clarity and doctrinal certainty that we used to enjoy. The Latin Mass is only the tip of a very large iceberg. It just happens to be the mast that we have nailed our colours to since Vatican II....we also want much more besides!

But,  there is one small flaw with the vernacular Mass. That is, not everyone speaks English...astonishing I know, but true. That means that quite a large part of our "universality" goes out the window faster than a magic circler can say "boaz". It also means that you become totally lost and mystified at the Mass you are attending if it is in a non English speaking country. A couple of years ago I missed my connection for Turkey at Schiphol Airport; it was a Sunday and I had a 14 hour wait for the next flight so I went into Amsterdam and found a church. Mass had already started (I knew it was going to be a Novus Ordo but I thought it would give me a chance to pray and observe) and it was in Dutch (just single Dutch, that is confusing enough).
Of course, being The Netherlands, the main altar had been abandoned and the priest conducted proceedings using a green baize folding card table. All took place on this table, including the Consecration - but, never mind, I am drifting off the point. The point being that I had no idea what stage we were at and had some difficulty throughout the rest of the Mass. This is not a one off, it's happened to me in many countries worldwide, partly, admittedly, because in the NO (as it then was) it appears that a priest or his Extraordinary Ministers or any Joe soap can get onto the sanctuary and do all sorts of semi liturgical prance abouts. There is no set format or, certainly not one that is adhered to.
Whoops, it's that westerly breeze again! To sum up. I love the Latin Mass but could live with it (an orthodox translation) in English if need be.
What I cannot live with is my fellow Catholics believing that the only reason I have swum against the current for the past 22 years is because I desire the return of the Latin Mass only!
I also would like a return to spirituality, recognition of the Holy Father as Christ's Vicar on Earth, re-instatement of plainchant with the folk group elements consigned to wherever it is they deserve and a bit of peace and quiet before and after Mass.
But, perhaps I will only find all of those things in Lothlorien.