Some random notes on a scan of The Catholic Herald

In the latest number of The Catholic Herald, the best Catholic news weekly in the UK, there are some interesting stories. 

I see the online edition, which is really useful!

I’ll just do a stream of first impressions about things that catch my eye.

They have a nice format for this paper.

First, the engaging Anna Arco writes above the fold on the SSPX maelstrom.  I like the subtitle: "Dramatic move draws criticism from Jewish groups but is praised by leading European bishops".   Yes!  Let us not forget that some think that Church unity is a good thing!

Also, Mark Greaves reports (p. 1) that Tridentinum, which made the historic "St Charles" vestment for Pope Benedict, will also make one for you!  For 5000 euros.  I’ll take … four.

On page 2 I read that a new memorial to the Tyburn Martyrs is being planned, at the site of the infamous gallows, "Tyburn Tree", on Oxford Street in London.  What happened to the old one?  Ideas about the form are being debated.

Ironically on the same page is a story about a C of E theologian preaching at St. Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham and it is noted that there will be a training day for priests to celebrate the TLM 20-23 at Ushaw College, Durham.

More on the SSPX thing on page 3, this time Mark Greaves focusing on Catholic Jewish relations.  There is a prominent photo of Rabbi David Rosen … gesticulating. You can move down the page to a story on Williamson and his opinions and then… my my… an excerpt of something I wrote for this blog, a little Q&A on the status of the SSPX now that the excomm’s are lifted.

I note with interest that they advertise that you can follow the Catholic Herald on Twitter: @catholicherald.  Do that right after you start following @fatherz

Page 4… I am starting to sound like Paul Harvey… Edward Pentin has a note on the Vatican’s "gamble".   There is also a comment on the economic pinch in clerical shops in Rome.

They picked up for page 5 a story by CNS’s Cindy Wooden on the use of modern tools of social communication to "spread the faith".  Okay.  Count me in.  Furthermore, they let people know about the Vatican’s new YouTube channel.

The new fine editor of L’Osservatore Romano, Gian Maria Vian, is featured on p. 7.

On page 8, in advance some a new appointment to the See of Westminster, which Fr. Tim Finigan would handle very well, thank you, there are profiles of past Archbishops of Westminster.

I learned on p. 10 that Archbishop Nichols plays the French Horn and that a medieval chapel in Wales has been restored.  Cool photo.  I should visit Glastonbury.  Never been to Wales.

Page 10 also writes of a Catholic Studies program at Hope University in Liverpool.  There are Catholic Studies programs being implemented in the USA too, sometimes, ironically, at Catholic schools.  Good trend.

Will Heaven’s Notebook on p. 12 talks about the Church waking up to Web 2.0.  Oh?  Evidence?
 
Also, Alcuin Reid’s piece on the SSPX is reprinted in full.  The blogosphere has had it for a while.

Page 14 sports a review of a new movie, Revolutionary Road. and on p. 15 I saw an ad for a book I don’t know about: Pius XII: The Hound of Hitler by Gerard Noel.

Since I am quite interested in Shakespeare, I noted on p. 16 the piece on

"Bringing the Shakespeare of architecture back to life" to discover that it was a review of a book about the St. John Vanbrugh.  Might be worth a glance.

Also there is a note on the BBC production out on DVD of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. I have been looking at their productions of the Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility as well as Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, which were good.

Page 17 has an interesting feature: Prayers of the Week.  This time it is Prayers to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  They also give the liturgical calendar for both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form!

Next, page 18, we find boxes on Magisterial Teaching (a bit by John Paul II) and a saing (St. Bridget).  At the bottom at the bishops’ engagments.  You might be interested to know that tomorrow, Feb 6, you can find Bishop Roche in Horsforth.

Stuart Reid, who has written about yours truly in the past, has a column on guess which SSPX Bishop.  He recounts having meet then Fr. Williamson in the 1970’s for a drink along with a friend.  Hijinx ensued.  Reid pretty much laughs off the kooks among traditionalists, mentioning in passing that his son has a workmate who thinks that the world is rule by lizards.  Then Mr. Reid suggest kindness and mercy.  

Just a few notes as I scan through the paper.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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10 Comments

  1. puella says:

    “But Father! But Father!” ;)

    The “current” memorial of the Tyburn Tree in London is a small round plaque in the middle of a traffic island. Officially there’s no proper access to it: you have to hop over some railings at the pavement, make a dash for it across a couple of lanes of London traffic, hop over more railings at the traffic island…and there you are. That’s it.

    Enthusiastic spitting distance away is Tyburn Convent, in whose crypt quite a few relics of the Tyburn martyrs are kept. You can make a booking for a group and one of the sisters will show you round – I did it two years running with the Confirmation groups I taught…yes, followed by a mad traffic dash to visit the actual site (I made sure I had parental permission from all of the kids!). I recommend it to anyone in London. Just be careful when crossing the road.

  2. Emilio III says:

    Puella, is the “current” Tyburn memorial back? I read in His Hermeneuticalness’ blog sometime ago that it had been accidentally removed by a road repair crew.

  3. irishgirl says:

    Wow, that’s quite a scan there, Father!

    “Ushaw College”-I have a priest-friend from the Salford Diocese who is an alum of that seminary. He was ordained by John Paul II in 1982, on the last day of his [one and only] visit to Britain. I met my friend while on a pilgrimage to Fatima, Portugal in 1988-it was one of those ‘chance’ meetings. We’ve been corresponding-and occasionally calling-ever since. I’ve only seen him three times: 1987 (he said Mass in the crypt of Westminster Cathedral for a pilgrimage group he was leading-it was the ‘last stop’), and in 1997 and 1999 (at his current parish in the northern fringe of Salford Diocese, a town called Wigan).

    “Gerard Noel”-I have one of his books: “Ena-England’s Spanish Queen”, a biography of Queen Victoria Eugenia, granddaughter of Queen Victoria who married Alphonso XIII of Spain. I bought this in the book department of Harrods’ department store in London-they had a big section of books on royalty!

    “Tyburn Tree”-I remember the stone roundel set in the pavement that marks the site of the gallows. I also went to Tyburn Convent on all seven of my trips to England. I loved going to the crypt below their chapel and seeing the relics of the Martyrs.

    You must have seen the same BBC productions of ‘Wuthering Heights’ and ‘Sense & Sensibility’ that have been on PBS! I borrowed the “Sense & Sensibility” DVD from the library and have watched it twice. I love the way the Brits do films based on their classic literature! The scenery is wonderful, as well as the costumes….and the actors who play the characters!

    Any news on who will be the new Archbishop of Westminster? My Salford friend thinks it might be Nichols of Birmingham. I’d like to see Fr. Finigan-‘His Hermaneuticalness’ himself in the position! [well, I might be prejudiced-my last name sounds like his, though spelled differently!]

  4. Patricia says:

    Father Z, I cannot believe that you continue to promote the Catholic Herald despite the evil editorial on Bp Williamson – not even the worst heretics are given that treatment. Think of that bishop’s beautiful and humble apology. How can people hate him so? Or is it the traditional Faith that they really hate? I know what I think.

    I’m amazed that you mention, without comment “a story about a C of E theologian preaching at St. Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham” – are you not appalled at this? This story was in the same edition of the CH that the editor let rip about the lifting of the SSPX (unjust) excommunications but was not even given a footnote mention in that scandalously uncharitable editorial. So, Protestants preaching in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament and the local Bishop with the latter’s full approval (but not, I repeat, not the approval of Our Lord) is passed over in silence while a traditional bishop is insulted and pilloried for…. expressing a minority opinion on a historical matter!

    Truly, you could not make this stuff up.

  5. Dewi says:

    “I should visit Glastonbury. Never been to Wales”.

    Well, Fr. Z, you won’t find it in Wales – try Somerset, England. There is a difference beteeen England and Wales. Though I’m sure the Welsh will welcome you in the hillsides.

  6. Peter says:

    Great paper. Doesn’t arrive in my door until Monday after publication and by then I’ve got all the news from blogs. But Mary Kenny and Stuart Reid and other regular items are interesting.

  7. Regarding Fr. Finigan in Westminster he says “It’s not going to happen”.

  8. Tom says:

    We know that Fr Finigan won’t get Westminster (or, more to the point, Westminster won’t get Fr Finigan), but it’s something for us to dream about – the alternatives are dire.

    Priests of Fr Fs calibre (and there are others) have no chance whatsoever of being made bishops in England – the liberal, anti-magisterial stranglehold is too great.

  9. Bobby Faradat says:

    There are many good things about the Herald. Alas, it’s editor in chief is not one of them. Damian Thompson has been seriously embarrassed by the stories he has latched on to over the appointment of a new Archbishop of Westminster. He has been revealed as being firstly poorly informed and secondly scheming and nasty.

    -The ‘Jan 2nd’ story
    -The Hugh Gilbert Story
    -The Malcolm MacMahon story
    -The cruel and obvious attempts to discredit the front runners in the race

  10. Tridentinum says:

    I’ll take … four

    We processed that order this morning Father.
    It shipped FedEx. The invoice is enclosed.
    10 days FOB

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