I just concluded a visit to Buckingham Palace. Very few people. Fascinating. Some of the most beautiful rooms have seen. Well worth the effort if you are here at the right time if year.
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Beautiful!
Britain is my favorite country. These photos simply reinforce my love of the island on the other side of the pond.
I am pleased you have enjoyed your visit to Buckingham Palace today. You may be interested to know that on today’s Daily Mail website there is talk of allowing a first born to become monarch even if she is female! However, many comments have been against allowing a Catholic to inherit the throne which it appears will also be allowed one day. At present it is forbidden although other faiths are not forbidden and it is sad to see so many anti-Catholic comments here.
I had the delight of actually seeing the Queen at Buckingham Palace, once!
It was a somewhat random visit during a random 10 days in 1992, and we had our noses perssed against the gate, looking at the guards. Suddenly lots of people began collecting around us, and then…we just happened to be standing by the drive, so got to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty as she drove through the gate.
Sigh…I miss Europe. Thanks, Fr. Zuhlsdorf, for posting pictures and stories about your travels!
How great you’re taking in the sights, Father. Wonderful, especially Buckingham Palace. LOL Of course, no one’s home at the moment. I think the Queen is at Balmoral this time of year. She hosts the Gillies’ Ball there around this time also.
Pelerin, it was always my impression the first born always had been able to be Sovereign ( hence Her Majesty Herself, etc. ) although a boy is “preferred.” As far Catholics not being able to inherit the Throne, it seems quite bigoted, but as for those of other religions, while on paper it’s possible, in reality it won’t happen, period!
The front page headline article in today’s “the Guardian” newspaper, is “End of the Anglican crown – 300 year bar to be lifted – Reforms would allow non-Protestant heir and end male priority”. To read the article and see the vitriolic anti-catholic sentiment in the comments check out the Newspaper’s website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/25/anglicanism.catholicism1
Matt Q
Males are always preferred (Cognatic primogeniture). A female becomes monarch when she has no brothers – hence Elizabeth II became Queen in 1952 after the death of her father George VI.
Yes it would be wonderful if a bill is passed allowing Catholic’s to become Sovereign, although it would
mean the dis-establishment of the Church of England bringing about a complete change in the British Constitution.
Paul wrote:
“Yes it would be wonderful if a bill is passed allowing Catholic’s to become Sovereign, although it would mean the dis-establishment of the Church of England bringing about a complete change in the British Constitution.”
)(
Yes, Paul, and this is why I don’t like the idea of anything being tampered with at this point. It does affect the British Constitution and hence the entire British Commonwealth. As the Empire devolved into the Commonwealth, various rights and prerogatives were granted to the various nations, especially those who still acknowledge the Sovereign as Head of the nation.
It’s not a matter of mere procedural change in the law as it would be here in the United States. The entire Commonwealth has the right to vote on this issue or any other affecting the Constitution and therefore could precipitate a crisis. If the Commonwealth rejects the change, Great Britain thus remains bound to it as well, so no change and would remain so into the foreseeable future.
At the moment, I don’t believe a Catholic not being able to inherit the Throne–while being senselessly punitively discriminatory–is a critical issue. Other than this, there is nothing which prevents a Catholic from living his daily life to the full. A Catholic has more to dread from his bishops–so much in evidence.
Anything which may cause countries to further disassociate themselves from the Crown is to be discouraged. Such an event as this would further fan the fanaticism of political correctness, just as we have all these bishops and priests who disassociate themselves from Summourm Pontificum and continue to make our lives one more greater act of penance by buggering us with all this “Vatican II” weirdness. Kim Jong Mahony Il as an example.
I am sure you heard the news from the Vatican today:
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13894
Things are really getting interesting!
Father Steve:
Thanks for the notice on the new appointments. Very interesting. Prayerfully, this will lead to a wider and more concrete approach to the Tridentine Mass and the reform of the Novus Ordo.
Just a few bits of information about Fr Paul Gunter. He was the assistant priest at the church of St Gregory the Great in Cheltenham, England, in the 1990s. It was a Benedictine parish before being handed over to the Diocese of Clifton. Father Paul received permission to revert to his baptismal name from his name in religion, which was Joachim. He remained in the parish for some months after the transfer, to support the incoming diocesan parish priest.
Fr Paul offered Mass with great care. At the main Sunday Mass he would chant the Novus Ordo in Latin; he paid strict attention to the rubrics and achieved a very high standard of beauty, dignity and solemnity. His homilies were the most erudite I can ever remember hearing; and he combined this with solid spiritual guidance for his congregation.
At the time of Pope Benedict’s election, my son was watching the television. People in St Peter’s Square were being stopped by the reporter and asked their opinion. My son said afterwards: “I’m sure I saw Fr Joachim (Fr Paul) being interviewed; he looked really happy!” While Fr Paul is not as well known as Fr Lang, I think the Holy Father has definitely picked another good’un.