The Papal Fanon

Lourdes seriously flooded

Thanks to my dear friend Pelerin for alerting me to the fact that the Grotto is closed and under a metre of water. Nothing in our local paper, except about flooding in northern Spain. We expect something in the Sunday paper tomorrow. Will update you if so.

Our weather has been awful. It has rained incessantly for 36 hours and the roof is leaking!.

Next post in preparation for Sunday: Why I posted the 'Don Guido' video'

It is taking time because I have to be careful not to upset anyone. There are however several important reasons that I would like to explain.

In the meantime, congratulations to Paula Luckhurst, the creator of this excellent montage of Don Guido at the work he so obviously loves to the exclusion of all else. Primarily it is not really about Don Guido himself, but about the source and summit of our faith, the Holy Mass. This  is the secret of its beauty, and the beauty of its secret..

Don Guido

Reuter's recent article 'The Struggle for Poland's Soul'

I accessed the article via my regular email, usually every day, which lists 'Catholic World News headlines and links to further details of each one. This one from Reuter's News Agency reports that even in Poland, the Church is losing her influence. Since 2005 weekly Mass attendance has dropped from 58% to 52%. The reasons given are mounting secularism, political debate over homosexuality, in vitro fertilisation and tax-payer financed healthcare and pensions for priests. Among many others, I have often wondered why Mons Konrad Krajewski frequently looks so unhappy. Most of us do not know many other Polish priests apart from this one, who does sterling and devoted work for the Holy Father and his Liturgy, as probably the most frequently serving member of Mons. Marini's team of Liturgical Masters of Ceremony. He seems to be the 'Head boy', second only to the Maestro. He goes home to Poland whenever he can and frequently joins pilgrimages there. I wonder if the increasingly secular and threatening atmosphere in Poland is a constant worry for him, and preoccupies his heart and soul, without of course, in any way adversely affecting his efficiency and devotion at the Papal altar.

There is an appreciation page for Mons Konrad on Facebook.

Please pray for him and for Poland, its Clergy and Laity. For that dear and faithful country to be sliding from its conquest of Communism into the clutches of poisonous secularism within a generation, is simply tragic.

Pope Benedict XVI Gives Exclusive Interview for Documentary

ZENIT - Pope Benedict XVI Gives Exclusive Interview for Documentary

Lord Carey on redefining marriage

Slight earthquake 15 km from Lourdes yesterday morning

The quake registered 3.9 on the Richter scale and affected two local settlements near Lourdes, - Arge-les-Gazost and Arthez d'Asson. No serious damage was done and there were no casualties. A Resident was quoted as saying that such mild quakes are quite frequent in the area. One woman said she had been woken by her house trembling and her bed moving. (From this morning's Sud Ouest newspaper.)

For the Year of Faith: Chants we should know and love:2

The 'Eldest Daughter' to rise on Sunday January 20TH WITH A GREAT MARCH FOR LIFE AND FOR THE FAMILY

First notice of this French initiative has just come through the 'Salon Beige' site and I am heartily glad of it. I will keep details posted as they develop.

Spiritual Mothers of Priests CR NEWS 22 - Gabriele's Confessor Says He Stands By "Family of Friends"

ZENIT - Gabriele's Confessor Says He Stands By "Family of Friends"

An unhelpful, and I hope a wongly founded rumour concerning the Liturgical Office of Papal Liturgy

This rumour began this morning when VIS sent out an email stating that the Holy Father had appointed a new Master of Ceremonies. Note that little word 'a'. There are usually 12 MCs. One more is only one more. I think that VIS should have made plain and beyond confusion, that the office of Maestro, which is held by Mons. Marini, is quite a separate and very special thing. Anyway  I thought they had given up these emails. If they cannot be expressed beyond confusion, I think it better that they stop. Of course they cannot be blamed for people's ignorance, but the thing could have been spelled out more carefully.Same old Vatican problem I hear you say.

God bless Monsignor Guido Marini and long may he remain in post, looking after our Holy Father with such loving concern..

An Arabic speaking representative at the Papal GA tomorrow

This is publicised in today's VIS news and will be a permanent feature of General Audiences from now on. It is a sign that our Holy Father wishes to mark his visit to Lebanon in earnest, and in a practical way.to show his concern for the Christian minority in the Middle East.  It is bound to increase our prayers for this intention. Deo Gratias.

Profound thanks to our Holy Father Pope Benedict, for making possible the celebratory spirit of the last two posts, on the occasion of his pronouncing St.Hildegarde a Doctor of the Church

HILDEGARD von BINGEN - JAINKOARI KANTARI - GOTHIC VOICES&KIRKBY.wmv

Hildegard of Bingen, Spiritus Sanctus

A Huge and Heartfelt thank you to the commenters on my Guardian Angel post of last night

The post was unlike me in that it was very personal, a cry from the heart. I hardly knew what I wrote, except that I desperately needed my Guardian Angel to hear it. I am now convinced that he did. Thank you for the four comments, three from known and valued very dear friends, and the fourth from someone who has just discovered the Oasis, and is now its 62nd Follower. Welcome Sarah and thank you so much for your prayers. Brian, Dorothy and Sandy, there is nothing on this earth so valuable as friendship like yours. The words 'thank you' are a poor recompense in all four cases, but I offer them still, with the assurance of my reciprocal Prayers for your own intentions..

God bless you, and as I often say, God bless all here. And now, onward, upward and forward to the Year of Faith..

Sacra Liturgia 2013

Something to look forward to at the end of June next year and an exciting new addition to the sidebar at sacraliturgia2013.com The list of speakers is amazing and the conference will take four days (June 25-28) The programme will include Masses according to both the EF and the NO.

Thanks to Rorate Caeli for yesterday's headsup.

Prayer to my Guardian Angel: Please take me home to Portsmouth

Thanks to a link on Fr Ray Blake's blog I  have just listened to Bishop Egan's interview on Vatican Radio. I spent my student years in the Diocese of Portsmouth, and the last crushing years in the Diocese of Angouleme. I love my fellow French Catholics, and France 'I love thee still with all thy faults' , but oh I long for home. I beg my Guardian Angel tonight to smooth out all the obstacles and enable me to go there, to the Water Meadows at Winchester and other beloved places in Hampshire. Whatever remains in my strength to do, I want to offer to help this new bishop of that particular English Diocese.. There isn't a great deal I am likely to be able to do here.  I don't want to spend my last years being of no use. But the longer I stay, the more likely it is that this will happen . My dear Guardian Angel knows what must be done. I am only touching 70. Surely God has work for me to do in the imminent Year of Faith. Please, my Angel dear...................

Saint Therese of Lisieux

A very holy and happy feast day to all my readers.
Sainte Therese priez pour nous.