The 'Renaissance' of St. Romain: Part 2

It is impossible to know how many people have been praying locally for the Mass to come to St. Romain again, but I am very well aware of how many of you have been praying for that very thing and want you to know how much we value your indispensable contribution, one that almost certainly could not have happened without the Internet.

As the church began its decline in the late 1980s, I started to build up our little house chapel, convinced that even should it be at a very distant date, Holy Mass would one day be offered in it. Twenty years later, again through a dear friend on the Internet who lives in the south of England, I was put in touch with an English priest who is carrying out his minsitry in France, only about 200km away from us. Through this mutual connection it was possible for him to come here and spend a weekend with us.

And so at the beginning of Advent last year, our prayers were more than answered. As you know we had two Masses on consecutive days, Holy Hour, Benediction and Confession. (If you missed these reports and photographs, please go back to posts from last December.) Ever since it was blessed in 1994, the chapel had always felt different from the rest of the house. Visitors always commented on it even though we never said anything. And then after Our Lord had been here last year, it changed and deepened yet again. Now when I go up to the chapel and then come down across the library and down to the kitchen, I remember in Whose footsteps I am treading..............Ever since then, the whole house has changed.

Whilst Father was here we explained the diocesan situation to him. He knew how difficult it was, and yet just before he left us, he turned to me and said, "Get the church open." It wasn't a peremptory command, more a request which, I found myself unaccountably believing, would in the event be simple to effect. I went indoors knowing I must write to the bishop, but what on earth was I going to say to him...........

Not much more than a month later the work began on the buildings opposite our house and the letter to the bishop immediately became an easier possibility. As soon as we knew the date for the opening of the new Mairie it would be possible to collect signatures in the parish and ask the bishop for a special Mass on that day if he could spare us a priest. Once the weather improved I would get cracking.............. During the fortnight before Lent began we heard that the Mairie date would probably be at the end of this year, or the beginning of next, so there would be plenty of time for organisation. We were not to know at that stage that Our Lord had other ideas, how beautiful they were to be, and that He would come to us in His Own church the day after Lent began. (See earlier posts here and on the Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog.)

When Pere Marchand was appointed, he could have left things as they were - alternate Sunday Masses in two, always the same two churches, whilst the others all around, including in St. Romain, remained empty, mostly locked and dead. I cannot help feeling that Our Lord had told His young priest, that this was not the way to do things, not the way He wants things done. It will be several weeks before He comes again, but He knows the joy and expectation this has put into our hearts. In place of the assurance of nothing, the promise of everything. Saint Romain has truly begun to live again with Christ Our Lord at its heart. The first renaissance of which I spoke in the earlier post is materially obvious, but known to the Commune authorities or not, it is of secondary and earthly importance. The most important Renaissance is the one that began in the church on February 18th, on which is celebrated the feast of St Bernadette here in France. (She too has her little shrine in our house chapel.)

Please pray for Pere Marchand and his huge charge of 24 parishes, spread it seems over at least a quarter of the Charente, which is like saying the whole of south west Devon. We spoke to him after the Mass and he is coming to see us once Lent is over. Father A., our English priest, hopes to come to us again in the summer, but he has not been at all well. He really has need of your
prayers too and I know you will offer them.

I will keep you posted as to how things go on.

Deo gratias

Third Sunday in Lent

Third Sunday in Lent: Polyphonic setting of Tract 'Ad te levavi oculos meos' (Mogens Pedersøn):

The 'Renaissance' of St. Romain: Part 1

For some time, two types of 'renaissance' have been growing stronger. Anyone (religious or not) who has known this village since before 2006 cannnot have failed to notice the continued and steady development of the first type, demonstrated in the building of dwellings up the road towards the cemetery, and the conversion into a village store, of one of the old barns, opposite and to the right of our front door. On the day we celebrated its opening in 2007, the Mayor announced that the next phase of building would involve the conversion of the huge barn directly opposite us into a new Mairie. The work began after the New Year just passed. Meanwhile, the church which presides over this part of the village, its true centre, has remained empty and locked, apart from on very few occasions as I have reported here over recent months. To the left of its west door is the new Mairie, at right angles to that and facing the church is the village store; to the right of the church west door is the road through the village and up to the cemetery. Our house faces the new Mairie, with the store to our right and the church to our left. In the centre of all this, enclosed by the mentioned buildings is a space the size of a large playground. Within a year it will again become the true 'Place de l'Eglise', the centre of St. Romain. The old village pump has been taken away for restoration and we are told that a small fountain will be installed in the middle of the 'Place'.

I do not for a moment suggest that the above works or changes, have anything to do with the appointment of our new Parish Priest. I could be wrong, and would be overjoyed if there does prove to be a connection, but at the moment, I strongly doubt it. I am however certain of one thing. This is not a question of coincidence. It concerns Providence, and the prayers of many, including those of my faithful commenters and other friends, that Our Lord having been here twice in recent months, knows that we cry for His permanent Presence, that we may have more frequent Mass and that in the meantime we may adore Him.

In my next post I'll try to describe and explain how it has seemed to me that the other, and supremely important second type of 'renaissance' has been unfolding.

Deo gratias!

Yesterday's Funeral in Saint Romain: Marie-Antoinette Bonnet R.I.P.

Less than a week after the church bell had tolled to announce the first Mass in the village for 17 years, at 9.45 yesterday morning, it tolled again for Madame Bonnet. Funerals in St. Romain are normally sparsely attended affairs. We knew this one would be different. For one thing the Bonnet family is woven into the history of St Romain like a bright thread in a piece of needlepoint, but for another, many of its members, of several generations, still live in the village and have not scattered to distant departements of France or to other countries, as is these days more usually the case..

Marie-Antoinette, aged 90 when she died at home last week after a long illness, was the matriarch of this family. She had five children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The patriarch, her husband Marc, survives her.

People had begun to gather on the parvis of the church even before the bell began to toll. The custom here is not to go into the church ahead of the coffin and the chief mourners. You wait outside no matter what the weather. As it happened yesterday was beautifully warm and sunny. It could have been late April or early May. Regular readers of this blog may have gathered that our house faces onto the parvis. At 10am, we stepped out and joined the throng, by then well over a 100 in number. At the same moment, out new priest Pere Marchand appeared at the church door vested in a simple purple cope. (My asonishment at this needs to be explained on another occasion.) After five minutes, the hearse came into view to those of us who were looking down the street to the east, although not visible to Pere Marchand and those directly in front of him at the west door of the church. Directly behind the hearse came Monsieur Marc Bonnet, being pushed in his wheelchair. And round the corner after him came the Bonnet family. There must have been at least 70 of them, including one of the granddaughters, a former student of mine who played the Princess of France in Shakespeare's Henry V, one of my productions when I was still running Shakespeare workshops here. She was 16 then and getting on for 30 now.

They were welcomed at the church door by Pere Marchand and I know that this is the first time such a thing has happened for I dare not surmise how long. Suffice to say that in the end, the church, which I think has a capacity of about 300, was not large enough to accommodate everybody. We remained just inside the doors which were open throughout the service. This lasted an hour and a half. During it were rehearsed the things we already knew about Mme Bonnet's life of hard work, running the local auberge until she and her husband retired about 30 years ago. Two things that Pere Marchand said moved me to tears, which were very close to the surface in any case: first he said that Marie-Antoinette had received her first communion in this very church about 80 years ago, and second that Monsieur Marc had telephoned him in time for him to come over and administer the Last Rites. Before the appointment of Pere Marchand I don't think this would have been possible. One would not know who the diocesan rota priest was or where he was to be found.

Madame Bonnet's funeral service was not a Mass, but it followed the Mass with the correct Liturgy of the Word right up to the Offertory. And just before the dismissal Pere Marchand announced that he would now incense the coffin containing the body of our sister Marie-Antoinette. I didn't think I would live to see that done or to smell incense in our parish church ever again. When my own mother was buried from the same church in 1997, we still had a very old parish priest based in Aubeterre. He sent the 'church lady' round to discuss the form of service with me. It was really left up to me and it was a freedom I did not relish. I sense with great joy that things are going to be very different from now on.

At the end of a funeral in St. Romain, there is one road left to travel. It is the straight road of about 500 yards from the church to the cemetery. The custom is that the mourners follow the hearse on foot the length of that road. And so it was yesterday. Holding back until the end I watched the procession make its way, and I remembered Madame Marie-Antoinette once saying to me how ludicrous she thought the new fanglement of 'nouvelle cuisine'. "Wouldn't keep my boys going for half an hour, leave alone the rest of the day's labour." I agreed with her then and still do. I'm sure that many of those who followed her to her final resting place also have cause to know that she was right.

May Our Lord welcome her to His heavenly banquet, and may He sustain her grieving relatives, particularly her poor husband Monsieur Marc Bonnet.

Saint Romain: Last Thursday Holy Mass; tomorrow a Funeral

Next post delayed until Wednesday evening. Explanations then. Please pray for the soul of Madame Bonnet R.I.P

Vespers Hymn for the Sundays of Lent

Audi Benigne Conditor:

(near English translation from St. Andrew Daily Missal 1962)

Audi, benigne Conditor, nostras preces cum fletibus,
Thou loving Maker of mankind, before Thy throne we pray and weep!
In hoc sacro ieiunio fusas quadragenario.
Oh, strengthen us with grace divine duly this sacred Lent to keep.

Scrutator alme cordium, infirma tu scis virium
Searcher of hearts! Thou dost our ills discern and all our weakness know.
Ad te reversis exhibe remissionis gratiam
Again to Thee with tears we turn, again to us Thy mercy show.

Multum quidem peccavimus, sed parce confitentibus:
Much have we sinned; but we confess our guilt, and all our faults deplore:
Ad nominis laudem tui confer medelam languidis
Oh, for the praise of Thy great name our fainting souls to health restore!

Concede nostrum conteri corpus per abstinentiam; culpae et relinquant pabulum
And grant us, while by fasts we strive this mortal body to control,
Ieiuna corda criminum.
To fast from all the food of sin, and so to purify the soul.

Praesta, beata Trinitas, concede simplex Unitas;
Hear us, O Trinity thrice blest! Sole Unity! to Thee we cry:
Ut fructuosa sint tuis ieiuniorum munera
Vouchsafe us from these fasts below to reap immortal fruit on high.
Amen

Saint John Fisher, pray for us

Saint John Fisher, Bishop and Martyr, pray for the bishops of England and Wales, and for us their flocks.

Pope Benedict on Fasting (speaking as Cardinal Ratzinger in 1983)

Twenty seven Lents ago, our Holy Father himself gave the Meditations at the Lenten Spiritual Exercises for his beloved predecessor Pope John Paul II. Whilst waiting for this year's meditations to be published I've been reading the first part of 'Journey to Easter'. This was published in English translation by the then Cardinal Ratzinger in 1987. It reproduces all the Meditations he gave during that week in 1983. The short extract below is from the Meditation for the first Sunday of Lent on the Gospel text of that day dealing with the Temptation of Jesus in the Desert..

"Jesus' road begins with the forty days of fasting, as did those of Moses and Elijah. Jesus told his disciples that a certain kind of demon is not to be cast out in any other way than by prayer and fasting..................................

The primacy of God is not really achieved if it does not also include man's corporality.The truly central actions of man's biological life are eating and reproduction, sensuality. Therefore virginity and fasting have been from the beginning of the Christian tradition two indispensable expressions of the primacy of God, of faith in the reality of God. Without being given corporal expression also, the primacy of God remains with difficulty, of decisive moment in man's life. It is true that fasting is not all there is to Lent, but it is something indispensable for which there is no substitute. Freedom in the actual application of fasting is good and corresponds to the different situations in which we find ourselves. But a public and communal act of the Church seems to me to be no less necessary today than in past times, as a public testimony to the primacy of God and of spiritual values, as much as solidarity with all those who are starving.Without fasting we shall in no way cast out the demon of our time."

Eve of the Chair of St Peter

At 6pm this evening our Holy Father begins his week-long Lenten Exercises. This post represents fervent prayers for his well-being and intentions. May God grant him a holy, restful and fruitful retreat, and renew his strength throughout Lent and the demands of the Easter Triduum at its conclusion

First Sunday of Lent: "Qui habitat"

Josquin des Prez: "Qui habitat":

(Tract of the first Sunday of Lent, 1962 Missale Romanum)

First Mass in St Romain for 17 years, Thursday on the Feast of St. Bernadette; and Lenten blogging restrictions

For some details of Thursday evening's Mass in our church of St. Romain, please see Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog. More about this astonishing and totally unexpected occasion later. Deo gratias.

Beginning on Monday I will only post twice a week on both my blogs during Lent, once on Tuesdays and again on Saturdays. On Sundays appropriate Chant and polyphonic videos will be posted on this Oasis.

Prayers for a holy and fruitful Lent for everyone here.

Annulment of Marriage Part V: The Result; the Costs; the Aftermath

I believe that in an early post on this subject I stated that in the 1980s English results were delayed by 6 months as a result of having to go to the Appeal Court in Birmingham. (I think this mistake of mine probably stems from the fact that it felt like 6 months whilst it was being lived through.) I now see from the correspondence that only 3 months, five days elapsed between my being told of the necessary involvement of the Appeal Court, and the final result which arrived in a letter from my Advocate dated February 2, 1985. (He now signed himself as 'Dr.' not 'Mr'.)The Appeal Court had upheld the decision of the Westminster Tribunal and had issued the Decree declaring my marriage Null and Void. I would shortly be receiving an official document to this effect and also a note about cost. The Advocate ended his letter by wishing me every joy in the future.

The official document eventually arrived and was in my possession until 1988, when it had to go to Westminster Cathedral with all my other papers, in order to clear the way for me to marry in the Church. I should state here that at the time of the Annulment process there was no question of such a marriage. In fact at the time in question I was inclined to consider the Religious life should the Annulment petition be successful.

I wrote to the Advocate thanking him for everything he and the Tribunal had acieved on my behalf. I made a particular point of my appreciation, that although the process must of necessity be painful in its rigour, I had been very aware of, and grateful for, his efforts to be as kind as possible in the circumstances.

He replied on February 7th to thank me for what I had said. (For the first time I was addressed as Miss Mossendew as opposed to Mrs ******. ) On the subject of costs, my very much reduced circumstances had clearly been taken into account and the Advocat assured me as follows: "I would not think it wise for you to make any undertaking to pay any part of these (costs).The Tribunal does not expect people to put themselves into what can only be described as financially impossible in order to defray the costs." He then suggests that perhaps if I ever had the opportunity to make savings in the future that perhaps I might make a contribution at that future date but goes on to emphasese that first, I must provide for my future and my retirement and in the present circumstances this meant "not making any specific undertakings at the present time."

The generosity of this letter astonished me It completely dismantled everything I'd been led to believe in the press about the cost of annulment. When I told my parish priest of my surprise, he said, "Ah! The Press, the Press!" And then, " The Church is NOT in the business of making faithful people suffer privation when they have already been through enough trauma.

The Aftermath:
If anything this was more difficult to cope with. During the two years before being separated from my former partner, I had fought hard to save the marriage. It was only as the process towards Annulment unfolded that I began to understand the grounds on which its Nullity would eventually be granted, and to believe in that nullity myself. I endured the psycholigical and spiritual turmoil that this stirred up but did not at any stage seek priestly counselling, (outside normal Confession) nor was it offered or suggested to me. I've no doubt that had I sought it, it would have been available. Even before the process started I had battled with deep-seated resentment about my partner's attitude. Now the so-called marriage was officially null, I began to fight this again. He had entered the marriage contract under false pretences. He had effectively taken the precious child=bearing years that remained to me. I was 42 when the decree of nullity was issued. Added to this was the feeling of being duped. I had believed in the marriage at the beginning and during all the years it lasted. Had I known his feelings I would have refused to go through with it and had indeed refused to marry him unless in a Catholic Church.

Very soon after the Annulment, I took the matter of this resentment into the Confessional at Westminster Cathedral. In nearly half a century, I have never had a bad experience in that context. On this occasion I was particularly fortunate to encounter a priest who was able to make me believe that he understood my problems. Moreover, he was able to set me on the road towards what he called 'laying it down'. I say, 'on the road' because in actual fact the process was a long one, not just of dealing with the resentment but of coping with what it would become, namely a terrible and powerless mourning for the children I would never have. Some people may have preferred counselling in this situation and I'm not aware whether such a service exists within the Church. Perhaps it should at least by on offer, at least in the shape of Spiritual Direction if the person so requires. I did not have a Director at the time and did not know how to go about finding one. In any case Spiritual Direction was not as commonly talked about in those days as it is now.

Final comments on the Process itself.

Readers will probably agree that mine was an easy case from the Tribunal's point of view and will note the points, where in more complicated cases the process would take much much longer.
I was scrupulously honest in all my representations, but I expect readers will also spot the areas in the process that are open to dishonesty, or even collusion between the partners and/or their witnesses. One has no idea of the experience of one's advocate, and just has to trust that it is sufficient for him to get to the truth and root out any attempted abuse of the system. I've already said and still maintain that the Westminster and Birmingham Tribunals were completely free of corruption but repeat my acknowledgement that the process I have described is open to corruption, should the lawyers of a Tribunal be corruptible. This whole area begs many questions about how the Church monitors its Tribunals, and what right of redress if offers, or does not offer, to those who demand right of reply or appeal. The fact that cases are held with only the canon lawyers present does not help at all in situations where corruption is suspected or claimed.

Have Mercy on me, O Lord!

Allegri's setting of Psalm 51 (abridged), introduced by Barry Rose.

Annulment of Marriage Part IV: Evidence of Witnesses; more correspondence with Tribunal

Evidence of Witnesses:

My mother was interviewed and gave evidence at the Westminster Tribunal offices, and Fr ***** and my cousin by their local diocesan Tribunal. Their interviews also took about two hours. I was not present on any of these occasions and did not discuss with my witnesses the evidence they intended to give, although it would have been possible to do so. I've already described Fr *****'s role in my spiritual life and had every confidence that he would represent me accurately and fairly. I had equal confidence in my mother and cousin because both, particularly my mother, had separately witnessed the most distressing arguments between me and my then marriage partner on the subject of having children. Afterwards both relatives gave me a verbal account of what they had said and both remarked on how everything had been done to put them at ease. Neither of them was Catholic incidentally. As for Fr *****, I think he was interviewed at his presbytery. When I spoke to him afterwards, he could not of course give me any indication as to how my case was going, but said everything he could possibly say by way of encouragement.

As already stated, my marriage partner was interviewed at the Westminster Tribunal Offices.
All four sets of evidence were given in the late autumn and winter of 1983, there having been a two month gap between my supplying details of the witnesses I would wish the Tribunal to approach.

Further correspondence:
I heard nothing further until mid-January 1984.
On January 17 I received a letter from my advocate which told me that the evidence of 'main witnesses ' having been collected, my dossier had been examined by one of the 'Officials of the Court'. The Advocate then reveals details of the evidence given by my partner, and afterwards states that he feels it shows my partner as a respondent who had not only attempted to make a 'post factum' rationalisation of his own behaviour and attitudes but had also tried to indicate that I was a person of 'rather instantaneous enthusiasms' which I 'drop or grow tired of very quickly'. Having made it clear that he did not accept this judgment of me, the Advocate then asked me to send him a written rebuttal of my partners claims. I wrote the rebuttal and sent it in on January 25th. It was not difficult to write a defence. It was however extremely painful because it meant revisiting memories I was trying to forget, and it had to be lengthy (5 pages of typescript) because of the nature his accusations and the need to respond in detail. I mention it here to demonstrate that the petitioner is given every opportunity to defend his or her position, character and record, in every aspect of life including the spiritual.

In the same letter, and strangely, I did not note that it was indicative at the time, the Advocate tells me that my partner had not as yet provided any witnesses and states his intention of writing to him again about it. Reading this letter now, it seems likely that the case would have gone ahead without further evidence.

Further and late evidence:
At some point between January 25th and February 2nd further evidence must have come to the Advocate, from my partner's best man at the wedding. For some reason there is no written record about it in my file. This may be because it was the most shocking and painful piece of evidence and one that even I did not expect. Or it may be that in my memory is engraved an occasion when the Advocate repeated it to me face to face which means I must have gone to the Tribunal Offices a second time. I remember being so distressed that I must have since blotted out all other detail of the occasion. All the evidence so far had been based on what happened after and during the marriage, not before it. Now, the Best Man had sent written evidence to the Tribunal stating that my marriage-partner-to-be had said the following words to him on the eve of the wedding, "Well if she thinks she's going to have children, to fill the pews of the Catholic Church, then she's got another think coming!" Neither had been under the influence of alcohol when this was said, the 'stag' night having taken place on the previous evening.

I had to come to tems with the fact that my former partner had lied to me, had lied to the priest who prepared us for marriage, and intended to commit the ecclesiastical equivalent of perjury before the altar during the wedding. In a strange way this realisation was more painful than all the rows and wrangling that had taken place between us during the marriage itself.

Further cprrespondence and the waiting begins:
On February 2 1984, the Advocate advised me by letter that the case was to be read by another canonist and I would be informed as to how things progressed. If there were other letters during the next 8 months I didn't keep them.

Initial result from the Westminster Tribunal:
On September 28 1984 the Advocate wrote to inform me that on the previous day the Westminster Tribunal Judges had met to hear my case and had been satisfied that nullity of marriage seemed to be indicated. He then explained that two concurring decisions in my favour were needed before a decree of nullity could by granted. The dossier would have to go to the appeal court, that is the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. That court would decide whether it could grant a decree without further investigation, or whether it must consider the case at greater length. If the latter should happen, I would be sent another form to sign by which I would re-appoint my Advocate. It was implicit at this point that if it proved necessary, the whole thing would begin again. In either case the period of waiting for the Appeal Court's decision would be at least three months.

Next, and I hope final, Annulment post on Friday: The Result, the Costs, and the Aftermath.

Annnulment of Marriage Part III - Interview; Evidence; Witnesses

The letter mentioned in the previous post, and which was accompanied by the instruction sheet, was received about 6 weeks after the first approach to them and offered me an interview at the Tribunal Offices about a month ahead. I was asked to accept the appointment and send in the account of marriage within two weeks of receipt of the letter. This would give the Tribunal a fortnight to study what I had written. (Had it been impossible for me to attend, another appointment would have been made.) The letter also informed me that if my case was accepted for investigation, I 'may expect the whole process to take a minimum 0f 18 to 22 months, although it may take longer if there are any special difficulties'. Whilst I was already impressed by the thoroughness of the Tribuanl's approach, I also noted from the central paragraph that they made every effort to avoid unnecessary prolongation of cases by giving firm instructions to reply within a give time frame and explaining clearly why they did so. The letter was signed by the Tribunal Secretary who was female. I was not informed as to who would interview me.



The Interview

Confidentiality and privacy:

This was so scrupulous as to border on the surreal. I cannot remember whether there was a reception desk, but I do know that the only person I saw in the Tribunal building was the person who interviewed me. On the way in and on the way out, I went through a series of interconnecting rooms and it was explained that this was in order, that I should neither see, nor be seen by anybody else. Clearly this was done to obviate the risk of people recognising each other. I appreciated that but could have believed that there was nobody else in the totally silent building. On the other hand the idea that it was full of other people hidden behind closed doors was a little unnerving, particularly in an already stressful situation. There was not much else they could do about it to preserve one's privacy but the effect was of being hermetically sealed off from the world and the rest of humanity.



The Interviewer

We were alone in a tiny office. He was wearing lay dress. This surprised me as I had been told in the earlier stages that I would be interviewed by a Tribunal priest. At the time I did not know this man was to be my Advocate. He was very kind and gentle. In subsequent letters he signed himself as Mr. not Fr. I had not known that the Tribunal employed lay Canon Lawyers. Since the matter under discussion is so personal and intimate details of a marriage are to be spoken about, I should have much preferred a priest, or even a laywoman over a layman. I have since wondered whether they used 'Mr' in letters to make one feel more comfortable. Initially that didn't work with me and it took considerable time for me to feel at ease. At the stage of the first interview, I didn't know what he was, but because of his dress assumed he was a layman.



Content of Interview:

1, Recording my evidence

The Advocate had my 'account of marriage' on his desk. He questioned me further and thorougly on certain points. Then he announced that with the help of the account and the notes he had made on my answers just given, he would speak a composite of the two into a tape recorder. I was to listen carefully and if he made any mistakes or left anything out I was to interrupt and tell him what was wrong. I can only remember making one such interruption. He stopped the tape, listened to what I had to say and then restarted the recording and inserted the correction.

2. Witnesses

i. For the Petitioner

I was asked to approach witnesses (as soon as possible) who would be willing to give evidence to support my account of the marriage and who had knowledge of my marriage partner's attitude to the having of children. I think it must have been at this point that I mentioned my former parish priest in the area of the country where I had lived with my former partner. I may remember it incorrectly but I think I was told that Fr **** would be approached in any case. I know for certain that he was approached and was pleased and relieved because he had been my Confessor, Director and also mentor in a Catechetics course I had been doing just before the marriage finally foundered.

ii, The Respondent

I was asked to approach him (also with the least possible delay) and let him know that I was petitioning the Church for Annulment. I was to ask him if he would be prepared to be interviewed by a Tribunal lawyer and whether he too would supply witnesses.



The interview took at least two hours and was gruelling but I have to repeat that every effort was made by the Advocate to keep the stress to a minimum.



Just under a month after the interview I was able to write to the Advocate with the names of my witnesses and to let him know that my former marriage partner had agreed to be approached, and then interviewed at the Tribunal offices. He had agreed to bring witnesses, although they would both prefer to give evidence by letter. All three of them lived in the quite distant part of the country where I had lived with him during the marriage.

My witnesses were my mother, and a cousin; his were his superiof at work and the friend who had been his best man at the wedding.



Next Annulment post on Tuesday: The Case proceeds: Evidence of the Witnesses; further correspondence with the Tribunal Advocate



No post tomorrow.

Defend the Pope's visit to England: Pray the Rosary this afternoon

Thanks to the two commenters who have corrected me about the timing of the demo. described below. It will take place, tomorrow Sunday 14 February and not today as stated here. Never mind, we can never pray the Rosary often enough! C. and I will do again tomorrow exactly as we did today!

At 1pm today Catholics will gather peacefully ourside Westminster Cathedral to pray a silent Rosary in the face of demonstrators against Pope Benedict's forthcoming visit to England. Within the next hour, if we still lived in London, Colin and I would be taking the short bus ride down Buckingham Palace Road in order to be present. As it is, we will pray the Rosary together, here in our French home and in spirit will be with our Catholic brothers and sisters. We are praying that they will fill the Piazza. This is an opportunity not only to stand up for the Pope, but also for our Faith and for the Church of Christ. If you can't get there, please pray the Rosary this afternoon.

If you go, please let me know what happened via the combox. We do not have UK TV and in any case there is no guarantee that the event will make the news today.

Father Mildew has suggested that 'Full in the panting heart of Rome' be sung. I think 'Faith of Our Fathers' would be more appropriate!

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for us.


In Christo pro Papa

Annulment of Marriage Part II: Grounds and early procedures

Possible grounds for Annulment are:
1. Inability or refusal to consummate the marriage
2, Bigamy
3. Duress
4. Illegality (Marriage ceremony not peformed according to Canon Law)
5. At the time of the marriage, one of, or both partners under the influence of, or addicted to a chemical substance
6 Mental incapacity, i.e. being unable to understand the nature and expectations of marriage
7, Lack of knowledge or understanding of marriage as a life-long commitment with priority to spouse and children
8. Psychological reasons, including misrepresentation or fraud (i.e. concealing the truth about the capacity or desire to have children, existence of a previous marrriage, felony convictions, sexual preference, or having reached the age of consent

My own petition was based on the 8th ground. I did not know of its existence until the procedure began but I now gather that possibly most annulments petitions are based on it, that is that the Advocate for the Petitioner makes out a case to the Tribunal that canon 1095 has been violated, in my case by the respondent as having concealed the truth about his desire not to have children.

It is possible that the conduct of cases may have changed in its detail in the 25 years since my own Annulment, but am certain that its proper aims will have remain unchanged. Also I'd be grateful if readers would be aware that I report on the procedures as they involve this 8th ground. I know nothing about possible differences in procedure when one of the other grounds is being investigated.

Preliminaries
- First communication from the Tribunal.
This took the form of 1) an invitation to attend the Tribunal Offices for a first interview on a given date. Ample notice was given. 2) an instruction sheet. This sheet apologised for the delay in contacting me and explained that this was because of the large number of cases being dealt with, and for that reason too, I was asked to let them know at least a fortnight before the appointment if I could not keep it. This, so that the slot could be given to someone else 'in the queue'. The same sheet then asked me to do the following:
a) Fill out a basic fact sheet - personal details, date and place of marriage etc
b) On a separate sheet to prepare an account of the marriage under investigation, covering the following details.
i) The first meeting with your partner date, place, circumstances
ii) The courtship
iii) The engagement - dates, any special circumstances, whether broken off at any time.
iv) The wedding - any significant details at the ceremony of reception
v) The course of the marriage
vi) Deterioration of the relationship
vii) Breakdown of the marriage.
c) Obtain copies of my Baptismal certificate, Marriage certificate, and Divorce Decree absolute. These would have to be supplied eventually, but it was hoped I would bring them with me to the interview.
d) Send the completed fact sheet and account of the marriage to the Tribunal, if possible two weeks before, but not later than one week ahead of the interview date.

The instruction sheet concluded with helpful advice as to who to contact in case of difficulty with filling in the sheet or preparing the account. I was asked to note the reference at the head of the accompanying letter and to use it in all future correspondence with the Tribunal. After all these years, I have only just noted that the reference includes the figures 83/186. These would seem to indicate the year and probably that mine was the 186th case to be investigated in 1983.

Next post on Sunday 'Interviews at the Tribunal Offices; giving evidence, spoken and written; the bringing of witnesses."
On other subjects, on Saturday.

Our Lady of Lourdes

G. P. Palestrina, Alma Redemptoris Mater

Holy Mary, 'Mother of Priests', pray for us.

For those of you who may not have picked it up, I repeat here, yesterday's post from the Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog.

"I think it was January 4 this year when I posted that I intended to write to the Holy Father begging him to sanction a new invocation into the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Loreto), which would honour Our Lady as Mother and Queen of Clergy. Other matters have in the meanwhile intervened to prevent the writing of that letter. But I have never forgotten it, and during the last month Father Mark Kirby has let me know that he thinks this would represent a worthy plea; and then at last Sunday's Angelus, Pope Benedict himself referred to Our Lady as 'Mother of Priests'. I will now write the letter, hoping that it will reach our Holy Father on or before the feast of St. Joseph. I will be gladdened and strengthened by any support you may sendvia comment or email, and when the letter is written will here reproduce its relevant parts.

The major impetus in this plea to the Holy Father, is the fervent desire that the spirit of this Year of the Priest should be perpetually represented before Our Lady in her Litany."

I don't expect to be here again until Thursday when (DV) there will be a musical offering to Our Lady of Lourdes, and the second post on the Annulment of Marriage. In the meantime have a happy and holy Saint Scholastica's day!

Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes on kto tv and EWTN.

Both these channels will broadcast live coverage of the Holy Father's Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at 9.30am UK time on Thursday, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of prayer for the sick. EWTN will repeat the broadcast at 11.30pm UK time. EWTN has also scheduled documentary programmes on Lourdes, one on the Feast itself and another on Saturday February 13th.


This evening a relic of Saint Bernadette will arrive at the Roman Basilica of St. Mary Major for veneration by the faithful ahead of the Feast. When I last looked Vatican Radio was saying that Thursday is St Bernadette's Feast. Does this mean that in the Diocese of Rome, she shares the day with Our Lady of Lourdes, February 11th being the anniversary of the day when Our Blessed Mother first appeared to her?

When Bernadette was canonised in 1933 her feast day was set for February 18. I can vouch for the statement on Wikipedia that this date is still kept in France. It's a custom I favour because it is so close to Our Lady of Lourdes. However Wikipedia also states that everywhere else in the Church, St Bernadette is commemorated on April 16, the Anniversary of her death.

I pray to her on many days of the year, but speciffically on April 16 for Pope Benedict on his birthday.

St. Bernadette does not appear at all in the calendar at the front of the 'new' English Breviary (1974). This would indicate that she is not listed in our National Calendar which I feel is a very sad omission.

Annulment of Marriage: Part I - Statement of Intent

In an earlier post I said that your responses to me on this issue fell into two broad categories. In the first are those of you whose lives and/or allegiance to the Church have been terribly damaged by the way the Annulment process has been conducted, particularly in USA. On February 1 this year, after the Holy Father addressed the Roman Rota on January 29, Fr Z had a post about it. There were 65 comments, several of which alleged deep-rooted and longstanding corruption amongst the USA diocesan tribunals. As I also said earlier, we had a hint of this in the early 1980s when the results of English cases were delayed because of Pope John Paul's worry that too many 'easy' annulments were being granted in the USA. From the comments on Fr Z's post, on my own, and from your emails, it would seem that many of these annulments were granted, and are still being granted, against long and repeated defences by Catholic and non-Catholic respondents who believed, and still believe in conscience, that their marriages are valid, and that their spouses, with the cognizance, approval and encouragement of the local clergy and Ordinary, have been living, and continue to live, adulterously. These respondents have been faithful to their marriages and it is the unfaithful partner who has been granted the annulment.(The respondent in a case, is usually the partner who defends the marriage as valid. The petitioner is the partner who brings the case.) I thank Anonymous for giving me the link to Fr Z's post and the comments it drew. Here it is.

In my second category of commenters are those of you who are partially or totally ignorant of the Annulment procedure. Many people do not even know of the different grounds that can be claimed. It is these people, and only these people, that I can hope to help in this and subsequent posts on the subject. As an English woman whose Annulment was granted by the Wesminster Tribunal, I am not qualified to make further comment on the situation in the USA, or on the cases that have been described to me. Much as these unsolicited descriptions are the cause of profound sympathy for those involved, and painful anxiety about the apparent conduct of matters, I must now confine myself to the PROCESS as I experienced it, and as far as possible eschew personal details of the case itself.

At the outset I will state my unshakeable conviction and testimony that there was absolutely no corruption in the conduct of my own case which began early in 1983 and concluded in January 1985. You will note the shortness of the intervening period, which in hindsight indicates to me, that from the Tribunal's point of view, mine had not been a difficult petition to uphold.
In 1981, I was not to know that. In fact I knew very little at all, in common, as I suspect, with many Catholics. In that year at the insistent prompting of a close Catholic friend, I first went to see my parish priest on the subject. I went with the commonly held pre-conceptions about annulment - the only grounds were non-consummation, lunacy, or having been forced into the marriage 'at gun point'; it was impossibly expensive for 'ordinary' people; it took absolutely ages. I was not disabused of the first of these notions until my first interview with a Tribunal priest in 1983, and not of the second or third until the process concluded. The other thing about which I did not become clear until the process began, was the difference between Annulment and Divorce. I was under the impression that the former was just a Church version of the latter. In many ways, the truth is more serious and painful because whereas divorce 'dissolves' a marriage that the State acknowledges to have existed, in an Annulment, the Church seeks to prove that such a marriage never existed and is therefore null.

In that first interview with my Parish Priest, I had been startled by his announcement that the Church would not even look at my case until I was divorced. I had been living separately from my marriage partner for 18 months and in keeping with Church teaching had not even considered divorce. Count me naive if you like. I'm sure my PP thought me so, when I said to him in shocked tones, 'But Canon, the Church doesn't accept divorce''. I quote his reply from memory:

"My dear girl, we are not the established religion in this country. Imagine how it would be if the Catholic Church went around handing out annulments to people whom the State still regarded as legally married to each other. It simply would not be workable, not for the couples, not for the Church and not for the State."

After further discussion and questioning, he sent me away to get a divorce. After that had been achieved in 1983, I went again to the new Parish Priest, the Canon having died in the meantime.
The whole process of questioning had to be gone through again. It was not lengthy because I was well known to the parish clergy as a member of the choir. This time I was told the name of the head of the Westminster Diocesan Marriage Tribunal and that in the first instance the PP himself would write to him on my behalf. I would then be contacted by the Tribunal.

Both Canons had been very kind but neither of them gave me any real understanding of the nature of Annulment, nor any clue as to the process I was about to face. I hope this preparatory phase has been improved since my time.

From now on and in my next post on Annulment I will date and order the way things evolved from the correspondence I have kept. The next post will include a description of possible grounds for Annulment, and a statement of the one upon which my own was founded.
I conclude today with a clarification of the role of the respondent. In a 'mixed marriage' such as my own, it is probably very unusual for the respondent to want to defend the marriage. I only know that my marriage partner did not in any way defend it in his evidence, or private remarks to me. However, as in all cases, having taken everything into account provided in written and recorded statements from both partners and their witnesses, the Defender of the Bond should seek to prove the validity of the marriage. It is really an ecclesiasical court case with the marriage itself in the dock. The petitioner's advocate seeks to prove it does not exist and never has done, and the Defender of the Bond, seeks to prove the reverse. Neither the Petitioner nor Respondent, nor their witnesses are invited to appear in court. At least, we were not, and I think that is the usual practice.

At no point were we told exactly what these two tribunal lawyers actually said, and although in my own case, I did not need to know, I think perhaps the Church exercises undue secrecy here in keeping information from the people whom it most closely affects. If there is a will to corruption, it can only be encouraged in such an atmosphere. That said, I never asked to see transcripts and so do not know what happens if you do.

Next post on Annulmen on Thursday.
And on other subjects tomorrow.

'Catholic Voices' for the Pope's Visit to UK; and news of my intended posts on Annulment

I have been studying my annulment file and hope to publish the first of a series of posts on ANNULMENT on Monday afternoon. I hope not to post again before then.

In the meantime, I found this a couple of days ago at Zenit:

"UK CATHOLICS LEARN MEDIA SKILLS AHEAD OF PAPAL VISIT"
See here. You can reach the site of this newly formed and independent initiative at:http://www.catholicvoices.org.uk/ The President of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, Lord Brennan, and the Abbot of Worth are the projects patrons. It is independent of the Bishops Conference although apparently that body endorses it.

Have a look. It's really quite interesting and perhaps an opportunity for some of our best bloggers to put themselves forward for training, that is if they have not already signed up!

Petition to support the Pope in the UK; and many thanks for all your prayers

Here is the link to sign the petition. Father Blake had a post earlier today subtitled 'Pray and Pay', which reminds us that these are the best ways to support our Holy Father. I agree wholeheartedly but still think it important that we sign this petition. You have to be a UK citizen to sign it, but you do not have to be Catholic, or even Christian to do so.

The National Secular Society's petition is against the Pope making a STATE visit and at present has 14,340 signatures. The petition to support his journey has 720. There seems to be some confusion about what kind of visit it is actually to be.The Catholic Herald does NOT refer to it as a State visit, although it naturally acknowledges that the initial invitation was made by Gordon Brown. Ruth Gledhill did refer to it as such in the Times last week, I believe.


I think the Holy Father referred to his upcoming 'APOSTOLIC VISIT' during the ad limina visit of the E & W Conference. (I will check that.) However it is the normal practice in countries receiving the Pope for the cost to be shared by the local Church and the Government concerned. If the local Church cannot afford its full share, the Holy See helps out. Officially, as the Herald reports, matters are proceeding smoothy and normally between Holy See, local Church and Govt. Already the BBC Director General has been in consultation with Rome about TV coverage.(How I do wish we had an independent Catholic TV channel, like the French kto which, although endorsed by the French bishops, is not run by them, and certainly does not seem to be under their control. You can buy the package for TV viewing, but it is completely free 24/7 via the internet. Now such a channel would be well worth helping to set up by financial as well as spiritual support. More about this in a later post.)

The Catholic Herald states that the local Church is worried because the visit of Pope John Paul left it heavily in debt. Without mentioning the reasons why, nearly 30 years on, many of its dioceses are currently in debt, I think we can rely on our Holy Father to do everything he can not to worsen their situation. Fr Blake's comparison between his style and that of his Venerable predecessor, is absolutely on the button. Pope Benedict prefers Liturgy in holy places and limits huge outdoor arena Masses as far as he can. Where the latter are desirable because of the number of faithful wishing to attend, these open air liturgies are conducted in the most dignified and deeply recollected manner. I have watched every single one since Autumn 2008, live on kto of course.

What constitutes a State visit in any case? Two external features are known to most of us. These are a trip down the Mall in an open carriage with HM the Queen, and a sumptuous Banquet at Buckingham Palace in honour of the guest being received. The Holy Father declined both of these very early in the negotiations. The Queen will meet him in Scotland and will not have to return to London for the occasion. I'd say that not having the first two has already saved the British government rather a lot of money.


I wish the HOLY SEE would make a CLEAR STATEMENT as to what kind of visit this is to be. If Apostolic, then the petition of the NSS is totally unnecessary. On the other hand, any petition that asks us to support our Holy Father is worthy to be signed.


God bless , and thank you all so much for your promise of prayers via emails, ecards and comments here. They were a great comfort to Russell when I told him about them on the phone last night, and to me too.

Sad personal news this morning

I will not be posting again until Friday. Have been deeply shocked to hear from one of my oldest and dearest friends of the death of his mother Joyce on January 25th. She too was a beloved friend. More details are at the Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog. (Russell is a Canon Emeritus of Wells Cathedral.)

Of your charity, please offer a prayer for Joyce's soul, and for Russell in his grief.

Snowdrops and Candlemas

Today, I'd been hoping to explain the rich European and Marian Lore regarding the snowdrop and today's feast. Maybe there will be time tomorrow evening, if not it will have to wait until next year. In the meantime, please sign the petition mentioned in previous post.

God bless all here.

Petition to support Pope's visit to UK: Please sign

Link to sign petition at 'Catholic Church Convservation'. Link in my sidebar here. It's new. There were only 7 signatories when I signed a few minutes ago. We have just over 7 months to make a really big statement. You don't have to be Catholic or even Christian to sign it.

More later. In a rush to get to Papal Vespers mentioned earlier.

Candlemas greetings;notice of Papal Vespers this evening

A happy and holy candlemas everyone. As you see, I've had trouble 'wrapping' the promised gift. Please scroll to find it two or three posts below. I'll be so upset if you miss it.

The Papal Vespers with be broadcast live on kto from St Peter's Basilica at 4.30 UK time. EWTN may be covering it as well.

Advance notification: Holy Mass of Ash Wednesday celebrated by the Holy Father, Feb 17 at 4pm (UK time) live on kto.
For dates and times of all Papal liturgies between now and the end of May please Google 'Prefecture of the Papal Household'.

The E & W ad limina is over; and more news on that Dove

Late VIS NEWS (Friday's email not received. There is no email on Saturdays.)

The remainder of the E & W prelates saw the Pope in separate audiences on Saturday and this morning. Speaking to the Conference about his projected September visit to England, and of the assurances the bishops had given him about the faith of English and Welsh Catholics, the Holy Father remarked during his address: 'I shall be able to witness that faith for myself'.

Cardinal Pell was also received separately this morning.

That Angelus dove: (see earlier post)
According to VIS, much to the amusement of the Holy Father, the dove flew back into his study before he eventually managed to release it. This must have happened after the kto coverage concluded.

Annulment: Interim response to your comments and emails

Thank you very much for taking the trouble to send these in.

So far they come from two major groups. First there are those of you who are in almost total ignorance of the Annulment process and who would welcome more information. Theirs is a sincere and definitely not an idle curiosity. Second there are those who have been badly hurt by their experience of how the Church deals with these cases, particularly in the USA. These souls have been deeply and permanently injured by it, to the extent of bitter denunciation and rejection of the Church, her bishops, canon lawyers and the Pope.

I wish to answer the first group as far as I'm able, but the fact that my own experience took place in the UK, does not qualify me to speak on the experiences of commenters from the USA. I can however let readers know the perceptions of people in this second group. On the whole, I think the matter should be thoroughly aired and only one commenter out of 17 so far thinks that I shouldn't open it on my blog. My intention is to wait at least another week to allow time for more comments/emails before posting again on the subject. Aside from that, I need to study what the Pope said to the Roman Rota and to dig out the folder containing all my own annulment correspondence, depositions etc. in order to make sure that everything I may say is completely accurate. Please pray for all commenters, and for me, as I continue to pray and deliberate about what to do.

N.B.
A special note for 'another anonymous'. I would publish your comment except that I cannot, for reasons connected with the dedication of this blog, see description in banner under the blog title, and my own oath which appears in the sidebar. I would however, with your permission, be willing to quote your experience in any eventual posts on the annulment process. I would much appreciate your response by email at:
probenoit16@live.com

A little gift of music for Candlemas:"When to the Temple Mary Went" J. Eccard

• Johannes Eccard (1553-1611) was German and a one-time student of Lassus. This piece is a motet for 6 voices (SSATBB)
• Before you listen to the recording, unless you already know the piece, I suggest a glance through the words first. To my ear they are beautiful and Eccard's setting matches them perfectly. The acoustic of St. Paul's is unhelpful to anyone who values enunciation, which is particularly important with the second half of the English version of this motet. The words and more details about the piece apppear below the video.

"The Presentation of Christ in the Temple" - translated from the German by Rev. J. Troutbeck

When to the temple Mary went and brought the Holy Child,
Him did the anged Simeon see, as it had been revealed.
He took up Jesus in his arms and blessing God he said;
In peace I now depart, my Saviour having seen,
The Hope of Israel, the Hope of Israel,
The Light of men.
Help now thy servants, gracious Lord
That we may ever be
As once the faithful Simeon was
Rejoicing but in Thee;
And when we must from earth departure take
May gently fall asleep,
May gently fall asleep
And with Thee wake.

I learned the piece in the mid 1980s. It was one of the few sung in English by the RC church choir to which I belonged. The version we used was from 'Select Vocal Part Music of Various Schools' Edited (and marked for use of the Bach Choir) by Otto Goldschmidt. Our MD was a member of the Bach Choir and I think he got it from the Bach Choir Magazine No.2. It's probably more easily available these days. Perhaps Leutgeb could tell me whether this is the composer Goldschmidt, who married the 'Swedish Nightingale', Jenny Lind. I think it's reasonable to assume that Rev. Troutbeck is the well-known Anglican translator who was once Precentor of Westminster Abbey. He died in 1899.

SSPX group attacks FSSP chapel in Mexico; White dove of peace refuses to leave Pope Benedict's presence

For more details of the first story see:
http://papastronsay.blogspot.com/ and http://wdtprs.com/blog/

WDTPRS is Fr Z's blog and extremely well known.
The first link above leads to the site of the Transalpine Redemptorists who live at Papa Stronsay in the Isles of Orkney. They may not be so well known but they run this beautiful blog frpm there, variously describing their community life , through words and striking photography, and offering wise and gentle spiritual counsel to commenters when the need arises. They are a group who returned to full Communion with Rome some time ago, having previously been connected with the SSPX. At least I believe that detail is correct. In any case they do follow anything that has to do with other groups of Traditional priests in full Communion, and also the SSPX which of course is still outside it.

This Mexican news is distressing, and if the accounts given here are correct, the behaviour of the SSPX group is to be deplored. I'm sure we will all pray that the matter may be amicably resolved and that it won't have any adverse effect on the talks going on in Rome between the Holy See and the SSPX. (I'll probably have more to say about the incident later in the week when I finally get round to Bishop Williamson's recent interview with an extreme right wing French politician.)

Now for the pacific and touching evidence of the behaviour of that dove.
Every year on the last Sunday of January, with the assistance of two adolescents who join him at his window for the Angelus, the Holy Father releases two doves into the skies above the Vatican.
Today, the second dove flew off and quickly disappeared. The first one however was evidently reluctant to leave Pope Benedict's presence and returned immediately to perch on his window sill. The Holy Father and the young people had noticed the bird was still there and instead of disappearing from view, turned their backs and appeared to be talking to someone in the room beyond. I wondered whether they were discussing whether or not they should recapture the dove for later release in a less daunting environment, a quiet corner of the Vatican gardens perhaps. The kto coverage ended at this point so I don't know whether recapture was attempted. Anyway the incident sweetened the sour taste left by the first story in this post.

Off now to report news of interest to the Spiritual Mothers of Priests on my other blog. After that I'll complete preparation of a little Candlemas surprise which will be posted here tomorrow on the eve of the feast.

Annulment of Marriage: Seeking your opinion

Over the past week an alarming number of subjects has built up, and with which I had hoped to deal. I made a short list off the top of my head just now and hope that the coming days will afford the time to deal with the following issues at least: the strategies of Bishop Williamson; the false Twitter and Rome's reaction to the discovery of its existence/ the Pope and the digital planet; an assessment of the role and efficacy of kto tv in France; and of course the thorny old issue of Media slant.

For tonight, I simply want to ask your advice in connection with Annulment of Marriage. Last night I posted the news that the Pope had discussed this with the Roman Rota during Friday morning's Audiences. It now appears that both myself and one of my commenters have experienced the process of Annulment (see combox on that post).. Regardless of the details of our cases, or whether we were granted an Annulment or not, the term 'easy' is entirely inappropriate. Spiritually and emotionally, if you are a faithful Catholic, it is the most harrowing and painful experience, although in my own case I have to say that my advocate at the English Tribunal of Westminster did his utmost to reduce the inevitable trauma as far as he possibly could.

Now, my question is this. Many people go into the Annulment process with little, or as in my case, no pastoral preparation as to what they will experience. Things may have changed during the past 20 years, but would it perhaps help others if I described my own experience and at least answered the basic questions about cost, the length of time it takes, and how matters are conducted? Certainly, I wish someone knowledgeable at parish level, had taken me on one side and explained a few things before the process started. I am happy to do this, or if anyone prefers to email me about it, to share my own knowledge with them through that medium. This is not a facile offer, but as a qualified Counsellor, I am trained not to let my own past traumas impede in exhanges with those I seek to help.

I will of course be praying about the way forward in this matter, and also appeal for the guidance and opinion of my friends in this Oasis.

God bless,
J
email address probenoit16@live.com

Warning to Blog authors and commenters: Comments written in Chinese characters

I've just received another one of these this morning, the fourth one I've had. It may be genuine because it also contains a complimentary phrase in English. However, I did not publish the others and won't be publishing this one. The reason is as follows:

On receipt of the first such comment, I didn't publish it simply because I could not understand it and it made me suspicious. Then a few weeks ago Fr Mildew did publish one of these Chinese comments. One of his commenters investigated the content via one of the internet translation sites and found it to be an advert for a pornography site. Of course Father removed it straight away.

So, if you're a blog owner, it's safer not to publish comments in Chinese, even if , as in my most recent case, there is a pleasant English remark, which could be just a ruse to get you to publsih.. My advice is, unless you know what the Chinese is saying, DON'T PUBLISH

If you're a genuine commenter who understands and writes Chinese, don't include any Chinese characters when commenting on English blogs. I for one will not publish you if you do.

I don't know how widespread this problem is, but thought it worth posting about. We don't want a situation in which it's known in China, that pornographic adverts can be found on our English speaking Catholic blogs.

There won't be time to post again until this evening. Will do my best then to get back to normal after the dubious excitements of the past few days!!

Easy Annulments major topic at today's Audience with Roman Rota

I found this news tonight at catholicculture.org/ My VIS email did not come through this pm or I'd have been able to publish this sooner. You can probably find the Summary report at the Holy See's site - vatican.va under Benedect XVI Audiences. It seems Pope Benedict, like John Paul II is concerned that too many easy annulments are being granted, particularly by Tribunals in the USA. I know this because in the early 80s, English Annulment cases had to go before the Westminster and Birmingham Tribunals and we were told that this was because of the Pope's worries about the USA. This delayed our results by six months.

I'll try to put up more links tomorrow but my pc system is playing havoc at the moment.
Goodnight, and God bless all here.

ps. I wonder if they discussed the case of Susanna Maiolo.

English/Welsh ad limina: only three bishops in private audience today

1. +Arthur Roche of Leeds
2. +Drainey of Middlesbrough
3. +Brain of Salford

They were followed by
4. +Stankiewitz of the tribunal of the Roman Rota
5 College of Prelates of said Roman Rota

Buckfast Wine and Monks' toe nails

There is a long list of things I ought to be posting about but feel the need to 'lighten up' a little.

My friend 'Pelerin' has reminded me that Buckfast wine was in the news recently as being a favourite tipple of 'yobs' north of the border. Apparently someone complained that there were 'bits' in it, and elsewhere it is suggested that these bits are monks' toenails, left in the winepress after weary hours of monastic grape treading.

All I can say is that the Buckfast quality control must have slipped since I lived in Devon about 15 miles from the Abbey. There were no bits in it that I recall. In those days (1970s) I was teaching in Newton Abbot and used to keep a bottle of the concoction in my staff room locker against the occasional times when things got too much and I needed medicinal fortification. A dear colleague of mine (on the same staff) reads this blog. I hope it amuses him to remember those far off days when we were young enough to recover quickly from the daily rigours of the 'chalk face', with or without the assistance of Buckfast tonic wine.

Don't worry, a bottle lasted me ages and it can't be more than 30/40% proof. I never drank it at home. Benedictine/Chartreuse it certainly isn't, the flavour being marginally less repulsive than other proprietary tonics. As to the bouquet, if I was conscious enough to notice it, then I knew I was not distressed enough to need it.



As for the yobs, on the eve of his feast: Saint John Bosco, pray for them.

Vatican Radio: Abbot Power; Bishop McMahon; Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate

None of these items will tell you why our Bishops were not present at the Vespers, but the interview with Abbot Power of the Benedictine Community at St Paul Outside-the-Walls, makes one wonder even more about their absence. All the items are dated Monday January 25

Abbot Power refers to the said Vespers as the 'culminating event of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity'. He refers to the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul as a 'great celebration' and to St. Paul as 'the most important ecumenical figure in the history of the Church'. He explains this by using the symbolism of the presence of St Paul's basilica 'outside-the-Walls'. St. Peter, he says, had to be persuaded by St. Paul that the Gospel of Christ is for all men, not just the Jews. Paul knew this from the beginning and went 'outside-the-walls' as a result. Father Abbot was refreshingly honest in answer to the question as to why this great ecumenical service always took place at Vespers and not at 'the Eucharist'. He said that whilst there are still disagreements about the meaning of the Eucharist, between the different denominations, it is not possible for the Church to share that Eucharist. But what we can share, is prayer.
This interview was timed at 4,43pm, that is before the celebration of the Vespers.

Another item reports the event up until the end of the Holy Father's Homily. This is timed at 6.51pm, that is when the Celebration was almost over. It states that when he arrived at St. Paul's, he was greeted by Rowan Williams' representative in Rome.and by the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarhate's representative to Italy, Metropolitan Gennadios. Maybe the second lesson was read by him perhaps I imisnformed you in an earlier post. My apologies in that case.

The contribution of Bishop McMahon about the ad limina, is timed 6.55pm. It is not an interview and sounds rather like a pre-recorded message. Why, of all our bishops, he was chosen, I've no idea. If he is spokesperson for our Conference of bishops, why did he speak only about his own diocese of Nottingham. This seemed a very narrow and restricted remit for such an important subject and on such an important day. There was no mention of St Paul, or the Vespers as I recall. The other two items highlighted their importance.

If any of us had been in Rome, would we have stayed away? No, I think we would have gone there expecting to see all our prelates in full assembly. After all. they in Rome to represent the state of their flocks to the Pope.

They are thought to have been invited. One cannot seriously imagine the Holy Father asking them to stay away. I cannot see other ecumenical meetings going on at the same time as more important than a public show of solidarity with our Pope. The Liturgy comes first, and an invitation to a Papal Liturgy surely should be at the top of anyone's priority list, bishop or not. Illness is the only excuse, and I sincerely hope they have not caught some dreadful 'bug'.

It's highly unlikely that we will be given an explanation as to why our bishops were not present. For this reason it is also highly unlikely that I'll post again on the topic. (btw, the English experts at Vatican Radio, can't spell 'receive'!)

A happy St. Thomas Aquinas day to everyone.

E & W ad limina: Private audiences today

++Kelly of Liverpool; + Regan of Wrexham; +Rawsthorne of Hallam (Sheffield more or less);
+ Cunningham of Hexham and Newcastle; + Campbell of Lancaster.

Report later on Vatican Radio's recent offerings on the end of the week for Christian Unity, the importance of St Paul and the Vespers of Monday evening, and Bishop of Nottingham on the ad limina. Must have some lunch.

Sandy, as well as being an s.o.s., I'm also according to another Holy Smoker 'a fierce old trout'.
It's rather funny really.

Bollettino: Interim non-news

12.30 French/Italian time. Nothing there yet.
One could be forgiven for beginning to wonder just what has happened to our Conference of Bishops!

When the gates of Auschwitz were opened

Yesterday was the sixtieth anniversay of this event. The Holy Father spoke of it at the end of yesterday's General Audience. If you haven't already watched it, the video clip is at Vatican's Channel, link towards end of bloglist in sidebar here. For once, the commentary is a translation of the Pope's words, and not a resume.

'Sour old snapper' gets over 500 pageloads in one day. "It's a mad world, my masters."

According to one 'cumanus' on Holy Smoke I 'come across as a sour old snapper'. And then 'JohnHenry' chimes in and says perhaps it should be monkfish. I suppose the latter knows that monkfish are so ugly that their heads are cut off by the fishmonger before they are placed on the slab. I've examined my comments on Holy Smoke and really can find no justification for cumanus' claim that I am sour, or old or a snapper. Well yes, I'm fairly old, but I don't think he knows that.

I'm grateful to Damian for advertising this blog. And I accept the above insults although I think they are totally unjustified. However, there are some nice people there, for instance Mystic Mouse. When most of the commenters on Holy Smoke began to make light of the issue of our bishops' absence from the ecumenical Vespers, I thought Damian should close the thread. Instead I made the mistake of commenting about the lack of seriousness displayed in his combox. And boy, have I suffered for it.. Just because there is no news, it should not mean that the matter cannot be debated as to why our bishops were absent. Never mind, maybe a few of the 500+ pageload people today, will stick with me, because I tell you, it will be a long time before I am tempted out of the Oasis again!

btw on Holy Smoke I'm 'Donanobispacem'

God bless all here.

General Audience day in Rome: No ad limina news

Perhaps tomorrow. Will follow the Bollettino which usually comes up after 11am, and then the VIS email at 3pm-ish . (Both Italian/French times)

The audience was wonderful - on St Francis of Assisi.
Have a new student coming for prelim. visit this pm. May post this evening, but if not tomorrow, as indicated above, DV.

Thank you for your readership and comments which are much appreciated.

Vatican DVD "Year for Priests"

For full details of content and how to order, please see Spiritual Mothers of Priests blog. Link in sidebar left. Excellent value at 9.90 euros (which you can pay by credit card). Available in Italian and Spanish as well as English. I'll be ordering a copy as a souvenir of the year, and a couple of extra copies as gifts!

The conundrum of last night's Papal Vespers and the 'absence' of English/Welsh bishops

A few facts:

1. I watched the whole celebration of last evening's Vespers live on kto tv, and aside from being exasperatedly amused that the French commentator referred to Dr Rowan Williams as Mgr. Williams, was dismayed that not one of our English/Welsh bishops appeared to be there, not even Archbishop Nichols, unless he and they were hiding behind pillars for reasons one dreads to contemplate.

2. Fr Blake stated on his 'Saint Mary Magdalen' blog, that he understood that all the members of the English and Welsh Conference, present in Rome for the current ad limina visit, had been invited to attend.

3. I've so far been unable to verify, a) whether they were there or not and b) that Father's understanding is justified. As to a) visual evidence tells me they were not there. As to b) it is impossible to know.

4. To orthodox catholics this was an important ecumenical occasion at the Holy Father's behest, and if the E & W bishops failed to turn up, then I am deeply depressed, distressed and disappointed in them, not the least because of the bad manners they thus displayed towards the Holy Father, but also because I had longed with all my heart and soul to see my compatriot pastors surrounding Pope Benedict and giving a show of solidarity. I pray that tomorrow I'll wake up to find that my disappontment in this has all been a bad dream.

5. I said earlier that I'd read that Rowan Williams was going to be there. He most definitely was not. And yet he was the only English/Welsh person mentioned in the commentary. His representative from the Anglican Centre in Rome read one lesson, whilst for the Orthodox, the Maltese Patriarch read another.

I will wait in the hope of gleaning more before writing further. My husband says that if they absented themselves, they intended a deliberate snub to the Holy Father and that perhaps they still don't realise that the rest of us, via the internet, may come to realise this.. Is it the case that there are now two ecumenisms, the Pope's and theirs, and that whereas he has made it clear in words and action that he continues to suppport theirs, they are not prepared to do the same in regard to his?

I pray it is not so. I want to be told something that will make us both eat our words in public via this blog.

Lord have mercy on our Pope, on our bishops, and on us all.

English/Welsh ad limina: No private papal audiences today.

Not according to Vatican Info. Services email received a few minutes ago (2.45pm Italian time).
Nothing anywhere else about the apparent absence of the E & W Conference from Papal Vespers last night. Thanks to a tip from Pelerin, I read 'Holy Smoke' earlier in the day than usual. DT's latest post is indeed about said Conference, but he does not mention the matter of last night's Vespers. Surely he must have overlooked it because I'm sure he would have found it significant enough to include in his account. More later, and if not about this, then about other matters mentioned in previous posts.

Archbishop Nichols on Vatican Radio; Fr Blake understands bishops all invited to Vespers

Zenit has full text of the interview. See here
Thanks to Fr. Blake for his understanding (posted on his Saint Mary Magdalen blog) about the bishops having been invited. Father's post was not there when I last posted on the subject at 8.42pm last night, nor when I went to bed about 10-pm UK time. Had it been, it would have served only to increase my misgivings, as it most certainly does this morning!

If our prelates were invited and chose not to attend the Vespers yesterday evening, then at the very least they are guilty of extremely bad manners. Their lack of high profile attendance sends all the wrong messages about Unity, within the Church, let alone outside it.

If anyone knows that they WERE there, please comment to that effect and I will retract and apologise for my remarks. I will continue to follow whatever can be gleaned about the ad limina, and let you know.

Vatican Twitter is NOT Vatican Twitter

Neither Father Lombardi, nor anyone at the Vatican to whom Fr Z spoke today knew anything about it, or who was behind it. Don't touch it.
For further details see Fr Z on his blog 'What does the Prayer really say'.

This evening's Vespers: No English/ Welsh bishops, no Rowan Williams?

If anybody else watched the Papal Vespers, can you comment and say whether you spotted anyone. I'm sure I read somewhere that Rowan Williams was going to be there. As it was his Roman representative read the lesson. I should have thought that if Archbishop Nichols had been there the camera would have lighted on him at least once. Nothing that I saw. Or do ad limina bishops go into retreat whilst in Rome? Education, someone please?!

In the meantime, please remember last night's Litany.

Received by the Pope today in separate private audiences:

For the record:

1. Archbishop Nichols with his Auxiliaries Mgrs Stack, Hopes and Arnold

2. Bishop Lang of Clifton

3. Bishop Noble of Shrewbury with his Co-Adjutor Mgr Davies

4. Archboshop Smith of Cardiff

5. Bishop Burns of Menevia

I'll be looking out for some familiar faces at Papal Vespers tonight, to be broadcast on kto at 4.30pm UK time. Apparently Dr Rowan Williams will be present.

Archbishop-elect Leonard: 'Salt & Light TV interview

There's a sidebar link here to 'Salt and Light TV' but it's probably quicker to go to the kto programmes page and click on video to the left. The interview, conducted by Fr Rosica, is in French. It is worth watching even if you don't understand what is being said. The personality of the Archbishop-elect simply bursts through the language barrier. It is an extremely warm and good-humoured interview, both parties being totally at ease, and it completely reverses the impression one may have formed via other media, that Bishop Leonard is simply a rigidly formal ritualist and nothing else. He emerges as one with a great love for the Word and evangelisation, for the Eucharist, for our Immaculate Mother, and for the Church. Like Pope Benedict, he too, first thought of the call to priesthood in early childhood. Unlike the Holy Father, he did not have the strong guidance of his father, who died during WWII before he was born. He pays tribute to his mother, a woman of simple faith, who brought him up 'normally' as a Catholic. He also speaks at some length of his relationships with Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI and tells us that he preached the Vatican Lenten spiritual exercises in the Jubilee Year before Pope John Paul. He shares how he felt on hearing the news of Pope John Paul's death, and his joy at the election of Benedict.

It is said that the Vatican has two primary questions about any bishop who is being put forward for higher status within the Church. One, is he loved by his priests and two how many seminarians are in his seminary. Well, in the case of Bishop Leonard I don't know the answer to the first question, but I learn from another source that of a total of 35 training for the priesthood in the whole of Belgium, 17 come from the diocese of Namur, which he is about to leave for Malines Brussels. This probably answers the first as well as the second question. I also read, or perhaps it is in this interview, that he stresses the importance of regular visitations to all the parishes of his diocese, and that he is assiduous about this. If only all bishops to whom this presents no difficulty, would take this leaf from his book.

May God bless Archbishop Leonard and strengthen him in the hard work that lies ahead of him. He is 75 but looks strong and healthy. Ad multos annos!

Next post should be a reminder about the new invocation for the Litany of the Blessed Virgin. I still intend to write to the Holy Father about this, but the letter has been delayed by other matters, both on and off blog. Bishop Williamson after that, Linguistics of Journalism after that, and after that, and after that..................!?

Conversion of St Paul

(image: Brooklyn Museum)

Eve of the English Welsh ad limina: Prayer before Punditry:

I composed this Litany just after the Holy Father appointed. Archbishop Nichols to Westminster and mistakenly thought I'd posted it in February last year. It is highly appropriate for the eve of the Ad limina and is published here with slight adjustments and additions. I invite you all to pray it with me tonight and throughout the coming week.

FOR OUR HOLY FATHER BENEDICT AND FOR OUR BISHOPS

Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy

Christ have mercy
Christ have mercy

Holy Spirit have mercy
Holy Spirit have mercy

Prayer for the Pope
Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy on your servant Benedict, our Pope. Guide him in your wisdom, and lead him in your goodness on the way of eternal salvation, so that, with the promptings of your grace, he may desire what pleases you and accomplish it with all his strength. Grant him health, fortitude and courage, and protect him from his enemies and from all dangers. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord Amen.

Mary Mother of the Church, pray for him..
Mother of Good Counsel, pray for him.
Virgin most Prudent, pray for him.
Seat of Wisdom, pray for him.

St. Joseph, pray for him.
St. Peter, pray for him.
St Benedict, pray for him.
St. Corbianus of Friesing, pray for him.
Pope John Paul II, servant of God, pray for him.

Prayer for England and Wales:

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God and our most gentle Queen and Mother, look down in mercy upon Wales, upon England thy dowry , and upon us all who greatly hope and trust in thee. By thee it was that Jesus our Saviour and hope was given unto the world and He has given thee to us that we may hope still more. Plead for us thy children, whom thour didst receive and accept at the foot of the Cross, O sorrowful Mother. Itercede for our separated brethren, that with us in the one true fold they may be united to the Chief Shepherd, the Vicar of thy Son. Pray for us all dear Mother, that by faith fruitful in good works, we may all deserve to see and praise God, together with thee in our heavenly home. Amen

Immaculate Mother of God, Mediatrix of all graces, pray for our Pope and our bishops.

Queen of Apostles, pray for them

Mother and Queen of Clergy, pray for them

Mother of Perpetual help, pray for them

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for them

Queen of Confessors, pray for them

Queen of Martyrs, pray for them

Queen of Peace, pray for them

Our Lady of Good Hope, pray for them

Our Lady of Trust, pray for them

FOR OUR BISHOPS

Our Lady of Walsingham, pray for them; Our Lady of Cardigan, pray for them

St David, Patron of Wales; St George, Patron of England, pray for them

St Alban, protomartyr of England, pray for them; SS Julian and Aaron martyrs of Caerleon, pray for them

SS Hilda of Whitby and Bede the Venerable, pray for them;

SS Beuno and Winefride, pray for them

SS Augustine of Canterbury, Edmund, Edward Confessor, pray for them

SS Boniface of Crediton, Dunstan, and Thomas a Becket pray for them

Saint John Fisher, pray for them. May you not say of them "the fort is betrayed, even of them that should have defended it."

St. Thomas More, pray for them; Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, pray for them

Blessed Dominic Barberi and John Henry Newman, Servant of God, pray for them

All Saints of England and Wales, pray for them

Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Come O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love, send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. O God who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen

Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us O Lord.

Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us O Lord

Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Amen

Next post tomorrow evening on various 'matters arising'.

St Francis de Sales

St Francis de Sales, pray for us!

(image: Heimsuchungskloster, Oberonning, Bavaria/Wikimedia Commons)

Today's Papal audience update.

Just arrived by email from Vatican Information Services:

Pope Benedict today presided a meeting of all Dicastery Heads in the Bologna Hall and this evening will receive Cardinal Levada (CDF) in private audience.

Two days before the Ad Limina visit of the E & W Bishops Conference, these meetings may be coincidental, but I hope Laurence finds them comforting, as do I!!!

Oasis very busy today: a few recent tidbits though

From Vatican News Services yesterday:
1) The nuns of St Cecilia's convent weave the wool for the pallia. I seem to remember that's the name of the convent at Torre de'Specchi.
2) Bishop Rodriques, prelate of Opus Dei was in private audience with the Pope yesterday. Interesting in view of recent posts here and on Holy Smoke.
3) Cardinal Ricard, Archbishop of Bordeaux has been appointed to the Pontifical Commission for Christian Unity. (There's an excellent interview with HE on kto first aired last Sunday before the Angelus, I think recorded before the new appointment. Anyway, well worth watching. The Cardinal speaks French much more slowly than Fr. Keith Beaumont! The programme is in 'The Life of the Dioceses series.)

From Zenit this morning:
Benedict XVI not letting Cardinal Bertone retire. Zenit article 28122

From Pope Benedict XVI blog - link in sidebar, Pope's second book on Jesus of Nazareth ready to print

Fr Tim Finigan (Hermeneutic of Continuity) - again link in sidebar - recommends a new compendium of Pope Benedict's writings on the Eucharist, available from Family Publications. I believe FP is the UK outlet for Ignatius Press, so USA readers try IP first.

NEXT POST ON SUNDAY EVENING. WON'T HAVE TIME UNTIL THEN. MORE TO SAY ABOUT THE INSIDIOUS LINGUISTICS OF MUCH MODERN JOURNALISM, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO THE RECENT MATTER OF SCHONBORN/MEJUGORGE; AND AN ASSESSMENT OF THE RECENT INTERVIEW OF BISHOP WILLIAMSON WITH A RIGHT WING FRENCH POLITICIAN.

Pope Benedict blesses the Lambs

(video from Vatican Radio)

St. Agnes: A further note on the 'Pallia' and a short reflection on today's saint

Most of us know that the wool from the chaste white lambs, blessed by the Pope for St. Agnes' day, is woven into the Pallia for new or 'translated' Archbishops. That is why Archbishop Nichols received a new one this year as he had been 'translated' to Westminster from the Archdiocese of Birmingham. I last checked this subject when writing my first book 'Gardening with God'. In the entry for St. Agnes' day I state that it is the nuns of Torre de'Specchi in Rome who traditionally weave the wool into Pallia. I'm not certain whether this is still accurate. However, I think it is remains the case that within three months of his confirmation each new metropolitan archbishop must beg his pallium from the Pope. Before it is sent to him it lies for a night on the tomb of Saint Peter. Strictly speaking, he may not exercise his full archepiscpacy until he receives it, either from the Pope himself or from another Archbishop. Where at all possible, Pope Benedict certainly seems to do these investitures himself, and now that countless millions of us can see these being done via TV and internet, it certainly shows us how, and with what solemnity, the Apostolic Succession is handed down. For it to be done by the Successor of Peter himself, underlines the message and makes it such a moving, significant occasion, not just for us, but even more so for the Pope and the Archbishops themselves. No Archbishop may hand on his pallium to his successor, for it will be buried with him. I'm not quite sure whether that means, for instance, that Archbishop Nichols will eventually be buried with two Pallia. Can anyone shed light on this?

A short reflection on Saint Agnes - part of today's entry in 'Gardening with God':

"St. Agnes is thought to have been only thirteen when she was martyred by the sword for consecrating herself to Christ.............................Although little is known for certain, her existence is verified by her inclusion in the Roman canon, and by the praise accorded to her in the writings of other saints, notably Ambrose, during whose lifetime she was martyred. In his 'Treatise on Virgins' (Book 1, Chapter 2), he marvels especially at her extreme youth. This should have meant that she could be only a learner, but through her chastity and faith she becomes our teacher. She is perhaps the supreme demonstration that age and erudition do not automatically bring wisdom or fortitude. Like all the saints, she shows the way to the door beyond which they are to be found. Without humility and becoming "as little children", we cannot even reach the door."

(copyright 2002 Jane Mossendew 'Gardening with God' - Continuum)



"

St Agnes

St Agnes, pray for us!

Opus Dei priest appointed spokesman on Newman before/during Pope's Visit to Britain; kto programme on Church in Great Britain

I learn from Damian Thompson (Holy Smoke) that the Opus Dei priest Jack Valero (a Spaniard?) has been appointed spokesman for the cause of Cardinal Newman before and during the Pope's visit to Britain this coming September. (Do we know exactly who appointed him?)

Damian makes no secret of the fact that he's not keen on Opus Dei. Now, let me make it plain that I am not a member of Opus Dei. and have absolutely no intention of such an allegiance. But I have reason to be deeply grateful to one of their London priests as a holy confessor on more than one occasion. I'll be honest and tell you, that influenced by all the brou-ha-ha about Opus Dei, and I might add, well before Dan Brown's excuse for a well researched novel, I was reluctant and a bit scared to go to him, as advised by my spiritual director, who isn't Opus Dei either. I was half-afraid they would try to recruit me. No such matter. My director was informed later, that there was no need because I already had a well-formed Benedictine spirituality This was meant in the sense of the Rule of Saint Benedict, and not our Pope, who at the time, was at least two years away from the Chair of St. Peter.

Damian's implication seems to be that Opus Dei is rich and can afford to back the kind of campaign we may well witness as September draws near, whereas our bishops can't. You know, some sort of deal has been done. Possibly it has, but I can tell you that I believe it's not so much about money, as about will, that is, known and proved will to support what the Holy Father is doing. And when it comes to the crunch, that's what Pope Benedict needs in this British situation. Opus Dei can be relied upon to provide that unswerving support. Why?

It is not just that Pope John Paull II made Opus Dei a personal Prelature. It goes back to their founder's loving support for the Papacy, see Pro Pontifice Maximo in the sidebar here. It doesn't matter what you think about Opus Dei, or their founder's fast-track canonisation, the fact is that they are loyal to the Pope, and to Benedict that matters hugely in the present circumstance. Since the SSPX business the media have largely forgotten about Opus Dei. They are not maniacal traditionalists. They are just carefully obedient.

I will never be a member of Opus Dei, nor do I wish to be. It has aspects with which I am certainly not comfortable, but I have to say I'm relieved that dealing with the Newman matter in the coming months has been put in their experienced, determined and reliable hands.

The kto programme on the Church in Great Britain?

This indicates to me that kto is gearing itself up for the Pope's visit. They really are trying to get to grips with our crazy situation. Not before time. Most ordinary French don't know the difference between a Catholic and an Anglican. In many rural districts, including my own, Anglicans have been allowed to conduct their liturgies in local Catholic churches. That is fine but nobody tells the catholic faithful that these are not Catholic Masses.

Anyway, unless you speak French, the programme won't enlighten you much, and even if you do, the interviewee Oratorian Fr Keith Beaumont speaks French so fast as to put your average native Francophone to shame!. I saw a few minutes of it tonight and he'd just got on to Elizabeth the First! The interviewer already had a glazed look! Know how you feel mon cher, in either language!

I found the interview just before supper and decided to leave a proper consideration until tomorrow, after which I'll post anything of specific interest to Anglophone readers.

In Christo pro Papa