After last evening's good news about the Telegraph Group, I went to bed and had a reasonably peaceful night. But at the back of my mind there remained a sense of affront about the way attendance at the Papal events has been 'organised'. Ever since we were told that ordinary Catholics would be charged to exercise their right to be with the Holy Father, but that so-called VIPs would not, I have been battling to control my feelings. Nevertheless I thought I would be able to continue today with my series of positive posts in the lead-up to Pope Benedict's arrival. Well, what actually happened?
At the Office of Readings in church this moning, I found myself struggling NOT to give a current interpretation to the first reading from Micah 3: 1-12, The second reading from Theodore of Cyr was equally challenging but I will not labour its point here. After the Office I came home to find James Preece's post about the further shrinkage of numbers at the Beaticication Mass. from 80.000 to 65,ooo. On the whole James' commenters seem unable to decide whether the Catholic Church authorities in England and Wales have deliberately set out to make it seem that British Catholics are insufficiently interested to make the Papal visit a resounding success. So now they preside over a situation in which, whilst publicising the reduced number, tickets are now being handed out more freely. The other obvious interpretation is that they couldn't run a drinks party in a place where real ale is brewed.
I think there is probably an elemtnt of truth in both readings, but I still maintain that the security issue has played into the hands of people who do not much like our Holy Father and what he continually attempts to teach the flock. Whatever the truth, I pray it will be made manifest to him.
It is the idea of hypocrisy that really sickens me. That people who are against him will be presented to him, have smiling photographs taken with him, will receive Holy Communion from him, kneeling and on the tongue, without having seen the inside of a confessional for longer than dare be mentioned. In the meantime orthodox catholics will largely be kept from these privileges.
But in spite of all the above, and in spite of Dawkins' C4 rant against Faith schools, the following news managed to pierce the gloom: the Kentucky law suit against the Vatican has been dismissed as unsound; and at home Mulier Fortis informs us about the new blog of the Southwark Papal Visit team.
We live to fight another day. Prayer IS the only answer. As Pope Benedict himself recently said, the proper reaction to attacks on the Church is to draw closer to Christ. And let it be said, that is the exact effect of this situation, and of Benedict's Petrine ministry.
(News permitting will return to Positive Post series tomorrow.)
On the whole, I'd say: Benedict 16 - Media channel 4
In Christo pro Papa.
6 comments:
Jane - There's a time for blogging and a time for prayer. Last night I had a special time for prayer with people who meet every Tuesday evening and now one family of them, it turns out, lives within a couple of miles from me, even though they go to a church the other side of town. They have introduced me to the talks of Marino Restrepo. I feel strongly that "in my house there are many rooms" so applies, that it is very sad to see the B3 supporters are so into their own cause that they are becoming more and more abusive to everyone else. There are many priests around the world who are innocent of all wrongdoing but they have been in (state) prisons for many years. No suffering in the Name of The Lord is wasted!
On the matter of cost, ordinary people think nothing of paying £150 to see their favourite rock band - complaining about £10 / £25 shows only meanmindedness imo.
Epsilon:
I'm, not familiar with Marino Retrepo so will look him up.
btw, I deliberately did NOT mention the B3!!!!
I am not complaining about the cost itself. It is the way it has been handled that disturbs me.
I agree with you about priests, particularly about the group you mention.
As I said in the post, prayer is the only answer...to the extent that I often feel like giving up blogging altogether.
Don't give up blogging - we need to hear the voices of reason, and we need the reminder to turn to God in prayer when things look grim.
Chin up... you encourage more of us than you'll ever know
Thanks Mac,
I'll admit that I was considering 'jumping' after the Papal visit, even before I wrote this post and prayed specifically about it yesterday afternoon. The precise timing of your comment would seem to indicate that for the time-being I should stay on board!
Love and God bless,
J
Mac is totally right - even if people don't respond with comments I'm sure your very thoughtful blogs are spiritual nourishment to many on the internet who might otherwise have never considered this path before!
The guys name is Restrepo btw - not for the feinthearted!
Thanks Epsilon
Sorry for the misspelling - realised it when i was checking earlier today - having frightful trouble with the compute at the moment . It needs a good clear out. And it makes me nervous. So if I'm absent for a while you'll know Monsieur Techni-Service has been to call and is doing his bit.
God bless
J
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