BBC Radio Oxford and the FCO Memo

Yesterday I had a brief live interview on BBC Radio Oxford with Louisa Hannan, on the subject of the Foreign Office memo about the Papal visit. I had prepared myself for some aggressive questioning but we had a very amicable chat, even when I drew the parallel with the leaked BBC memo of 2006 in which it was acknowledged that it would be acceptable for a television show guest to throw a Bible in a bin but not a Koran. You can hear the interview for a few more days here.

I pointed out that such a memo would never have been written about a non-Christian faith, and that far from being entirely a joke, it made clear that the authors had a problem with the Pope simply because he disagreed with current Government policy: on adoption, condoms, abortion and, interestingly enough, on the ordination of women. You can see the famous list in full here.

My interviewer asked me whether I thought that jokes about religions should be allowed at all. I was able to point out that it was the Government, opposed by Christian groups, which had tried to suppress criticism of religious beliefs and ways of life, in recent legislation. They clearly had Islam and homosexuality in mind: when it comes to Catholicism different rules come into play.

The Latin Mass Society is asked from time to time to provide people to give interviews; recently a Committee member was part of a television panel as a result. This is the third time I've been on the radio; on this occasion they got my name off a University list of people willing to talk to the press. I'm glad the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales have got a list of young people willing to talk to the press during the Papal visit, although I am concerned that the clumsy attempts by Austin Ivereigh to exclude 'controversial' figures have not only generated a lot of bad publicity, but will have left the list of 'Catholic Voices' looking rather bland. The list does rather give the impression of being a university CathSoc committee - a lot of theology graduate students, and few people with experience of the media, the hierarchy, or dealing in a practically way with the issues they are likely to be asked about. But if the media aren't impressed by them, they will simply go elsewhere for Catholics to talk to.

Why I won't be voting for David Cameron

[Update: Fr John Boyle has posted in a similar vein here.]

I happen to live in the constituency of David Cameron, 'Witney'. It is a 'safe' seat, so he has nothing to fear from me, but I just thought I'd share this: h-t Peter Hitchens.

Paxman: "You're in favour of faith schools being able to teach sex education as they like". Cameron:"Not as they like. That's not right. What we voted for was what the government suggested in the end, which is proper sex education..." Paxman: "Should they be free to teach that homosexuality is wrong, abortion is wrong, contraception is wrong?" "No, and the government discussed this and came up with a good idea , which is to say that we wanted a clearer path of sexual education across all schools, but faith schools were not given any exemption but they were able to reflect some of their own faith in the way that this was taught. But no, you must teach proper lessons in terms of gay equality and also combat homophobic bullying in schools, I think that's extremely important."

The Latin Mass Society, I'm glad to say, has always attracted people from accross the political spectrum. One early supporter was the founder of the Welsh Nationalist party; a founding member, the convert Hugh Ross Williamson, was once deselected as a Labour candidate for being too left-wing. My involvement in party politics, in the past, was with the Tories: I canvassed for them in the 1987 election, while I was still at school, and was a party member for a few years after that.

But I won't be voting for Dave on 6th May. He clearly doesn't believe in the right of parents to bring up their children according to their beliefs (a right enshrined in international law, for what it is worth), and regards the beliefs of Catholics with contempt, indeed as worthy of legal suppression. I hope that all Catholics consider the views of their local candidates with care, and that whatever party ends up dominating the House of Commons there are more MPs there who will support the right of Catholics simply to live in accordance with their religion. It's not much to ask: just let us exist!

Polyphonic Mass at St Birinus for the Ascension of Our Lord

Another in the series of polyphonic Masses in St Birinus, directed by Andrew Knowles.

And when I say 'polyphonic', Andrew has found polyphonic settings even for the propers of the Mass. This is a unique glimpse into what the liturgy must have looked like in many places before the revival of Greogorian Chant in the late 19th Century.

Extraordinary Rite Celebration of

High Mass for the Solemnity of the

Ascension of Our Lord and

Saviour Jesus Christ

St Birinus’ Roman Catholic Church

Dorchester-upon-Thames

Thursday 13^th May 2010

7.30 pm

This Mass will feature soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists accompanied by two violins and organ in

Franz Schubert’s

Missa in G (D. 167)

Introit

In conspectus angelorum Georg F. Wolf 1761-1814

Offertory

Benedictus Deus et Pater Samuel S. Wesley 1810-1876

Communion

Laudate Dominum W. A. Mozart 1756-1791

Sortie

Regina Caeli Laetare Ferdinand Schubert 1794-1859

Music directed by Andrew Knowles MA FRCO

Sunday Mass at SS Gregory & Augustine's, Oxford

A very happy parish Mass at SS Gregory & Augustine's last Sunday at 10.30am.

The parish choir was supported by the Schola Abelis for the occasion.

A few more photos here.

Prinknash Abbey

I managed to post a little photo of the Mass at Prinknash Abbey I attended on Saturday, from my IPhone; here are some (slightly) better ones, though the lighting was difficult. Mass was said for us by Fr Mark Hargreaves; there is Low Mass every Saturday at 11am, and on the first Sunday of each month at 3pm. Mass takes place in the monastery chapel, which has a special transept for visitors, who observe the liturgy from the Gospel side.

Prinknash is a continuation of the Caldey Island community, a group of Anglican monks who became Catholic en masse in 1913. (There are still monks on Caldey, but these are Cistercians who took over the buildings after the earlier community had been forced sell up: there is even an LMS pilgrimage to the island, which had a monastery on it in the Middle Ages).

The Caldey community was a favourite retreat for Mgr Ronald Knox in his Anglican days - he converted not long after they did. As Anglicans they had endless problems with the hierarchy: being a 'Catholic' Anglican before the Great War was a dangerous game. Knox quotes a friend as saying the 'a stranger listening to the conversation [at Caldey] might have imagined "bishops" to the name applied to some secret band of criminals.' (A Spiritual Aeneid, p70).

Like many English religious communities, the monks of Prinknash had a period of enormous growth in the mid 20th Century, which came to an abrupt end in the 1970s. At the end of that time they built a new monastery, complete with Abbey Church, and turned the old one into a guest house. A couple of years ago they moved out of the 1970s building and back into the old monastery, and it was in the old chapel that Mass took place. The 'new' monastery is now derelict - from an architectural point of view it is not a great loss.

At Mass we met up with the LMS Rep from Birmingham, Matthew Doyle, and the assistant rep for Cheltenham, Damian Barker, for a picnic lunch. We ended up staying all afternoon, looking at the extensive 'Bird Park', which also houses tame deer, goats, ponies and much else. It is a lot of fun with small children, and I recommend it. It is best to take plenty of 20p coins, since these release portions of food for the different kind of animal you encounter.

There are a few more photos here.

Mass at Prinknash Abbey

There is a Mass every Saturday, and once. Mi th on Sundays, at the lovely Abbey of Prinknash in Gloucestershire. We were there today.

More photos to follow.

-- Post From My iPhone

Server Training Day and launch of Servers' Sodality

I posted before on the 'Master Class' we are having for altar servers; this is taking place on Saturday 15th May, in Blackfriars, starting at 11.30. Contact me if you would like to come.

On the same occasion the Latin Mass Society will be launching a new sodality for those who serve the Traditional Mass, or want to learn:

The Society of St Tarcisius (website)

This will be a sodality under the leadership of the Latin Mass Society's National Chaplain; the Secretary will be David Forster. Email him to join.

The objects of the Society are to be:

1. To promote the dignified, devout, and accurate service of the altar in the traditional Roman rite.

2. To promote the spiritual formation of altar servers, in the spirit of St Tarcisius, who accepted death rather than allow the profanation of the most holy sacrament.

3. To disseminate information on the correct service of the altar, and arrange from time to time training events for servers.

4. To maintain a list of those who are willing and able to serve at the traditional liturgy, and provide this information to those organizing traditional events, where needed.

The Society is specifically committed to the traditional Latin liturgy of the Catholic church, in a form no later than that promulgated in 1962.

Membership

1. Full membership will be open to any Catholic boy or man who is able correctly and devoutly to serve low mass in the traditional rite. Where applicants for membership are not known to the secretary, the signature of an existing member, or of a priest, that this condition is fulfilled is needed.

2. Those not yet able to fulfil the requirement for full membership may be admitted as probationary members.

3. Others who wish to do so may join as supporters.

Membership is on application to the secretary.

It is not intended that there should be any fee or subscription for membership.

St Tarcisius was carrying the Blessed Sacrament to Christian prisoners during a persecution in 3rd Century Rome, when he was set on by a mob. Refusing to give up the Blessed Sacrament he was holding, they stoned him to death. Here's his Wikipedia entry.