No damage last night but the weather alert remains in place for later today. If I suddenly stop, you will know why.
Follows, part of a letter I wrote last night to a beloved friend in Our Lord. I know my friend will not mind my sharing it with you all here. (Anything in brackets added during the re-type here.)
"Should anyone ask me now, to express what has happened about the lifting of the excommunications, as opposed to what I have felt over the past few days, I would say, 'Williamson thought he had dug the pit into which the Holy Father would fall. Instead Williamson has fallen into it himself.' I'm convinced it's true. Until the man came out on Swedish TV with these views, many Catholics would not have known who he is, never mind the wider public and media who are largely ignorant of the SSPX. Now, everyone knows who Richard Williamson is and what he thinks. Even though they don't understand the complications (or know the history) surrounding the situation of the SSPX, and even though, certainly, British society is largely atheist (or non-Christian, and its (secular) media largely motivated by less than noble aims, the outrage (it foments)will be genuine at core. There is a shred of morality left in my poor dear country. The Holy Father has in effect FLUSHED WILLIAMSON OUT. Much better from Pope Benedict's point of view that all should know now what the man is, rather than later, when he could really be an abominable (and continual PR liability, and an obstacle in the discussion which the Holy Father wants to promote (with the SSPX). Bp Fellay's interview with the Swiss newspaper, see Rorate C. is considered and sound. (i was impressed at its outset by his refusal to be led by the interviewer into the use of the word, 'condemn'.) The thing has the flavour of, 'Well now he's taken himself out of the way, we can get on.'
"Even for people who should know better, (including myself!)it is easy to forget that Benedict knows all the players. None of them, in living memory, prelate, dissident, 'integriste' alike, has ever had to deal with the phenomenon of a Pope who knows who and what they are. From all accounts, never did a man spend 24 years in a job he did not really want, bear the brunt of unjustified media vilification, and yet shoulder it all. And continued to do so after three attempts to resign it (partly because of his own poor health). And all out of obedience. Interesting, that three. Never did a man for all his gifts and brains, not understand why God was doing this to him, and yet unfailingly said 'Yes'. In humility, I think this is why he accepted the Papacy with happiness. He had never sought it, but the fact that God laid it upon him that April day, at last explained to him what his whole life had been about up to that point. (I think as I write this now, that This is possibly the reason why he speaks and behaves as Pope, with such confidence, determination and firmness, not to mention gentleness, humility and love.)
"During the conclave that elected him, he must have seen the possible, then probable moment approaching when Jesus might say to him, 'even in your old age I have formed you to carry the Cross until the end of your life, that the world may believe.' He says this to every Pope of course and each case is different. However, with Joseph Ratzinger, the difference is that so much was publicly exant about his spiritual and theological journey, for many years before it was thinkable that he may one day be Pope. In the story of Benedict's (whole life and vocation), Our Lord has given the West (an unmerited) glimpse as to how He forms a Pope. (May the world, and Catholics particularly, learn from that glimpse. May we accept and follow with joy the precious gift that He has given us in Pope Benedict XVI.)"
We cannot always understand, but we should trust him, just as he himself has trusted the Lord, these long years, and trusts Him even more now. The election to the Papacy, deepened even further, an already profound faith.
Trust his Holiness, in two senses of that expression.
In Christo pro Papa
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