Mark Antony and other matters

I was at work today when all of a sudden it occurred to me that in all my reading about ancient Rome in the last year or so, I have not yet seen a recent - big - biography of Mark Antony. Last Christmas I read Anthony Everitt's 2006 biography of Augustus Caesar (The First Emperor) and Adrian Goldsworthy's 2006 Caesar about the man himself, but I am not aware of a similar treatment of their partner. A shame, because as a major player in the fall of the civil war between Caesar and Pompey and between himself and Octavian, he surely deserves it.
Meanwhile, a most difficult five weeks is coming to an end - to be replaced by a gentle lull until what will hopefully be a most glorious week or so in August or September. The BBC have been showing the second series of Rome at a rate of two episodes a week (apparently because seven days is too long to keep its audience which I find incredible to believe. If you enjoy something, surely you aren't going to forget about it within a week. Are people's attention spans that short these days?). Determined to watch the series on a nightly basis as I did with Series One last year, I have resolutely avoided the TV on Sundays and Wednesdays. A little hard when you know great entertainment is on. Speaking of which, one thing I have done is watch some of the episode clips at the BBC website. Among the latest is Mark Antony acting in an outrageously evil fashion. To see what I mean, click here and watch the Antony & Cleopatra clip. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, the DVD release of Rome comes out in America in August. I was seriously thinking about buying it until I found out the British release is just a month later, so I may hold out for that.

For all the reading that I have done, it hasn't of course been nearly enough to allow me to start speaking with any kind of authority about matters Roman, but it did occur to me today (I trust that I am not the only one who finds it easy to start pondering other matters when in the workplace) that one reason why the Republic fell was because members of the ruling elite (i.e. Pompey Magnus, Caesar and Crassus) became so rich that they - in a manner of speaking - grew more powerful than the state and so were able to bend it to their will. I certainly think this is what happened with Caesar. Fast forward in time to the present day and I wonder how it will be with globalisation. We now have multinational companies with profits bigger than small countries. In America, presidential candidates cannot hope to win the race to the White House without donations from the rich. It feels outlandish saying it, but perhaps one day in the future we will see our democracies if not fall (the Republic did not so much fall as morph, really) then bend to fit the wills of a new ruling elite.

The Tablet on the Tridentine Rite

This week's editorial in The Tablet, the 'Catholic' journal, ends with this comment about Pope Benedict: "A secret liberal at heart he is not. That much is clear." The editorial concerns the removal of the restrictions to the celebration of the Tridentine Mass of which The Tablet disapproves regarding it, in the words of the headline as 'a step backwards'.

There must have been great wailing and gnashing of teeth at the Tablet offices this week because the editorial justifies its assertion with the most incredible sweeping statement: "Those who have campaigned to recall the rite want the era back too, and all that goes with it." Really? Really?? That isn't true for me, and I don't believe it to be true of Fr Finigan, Fr Zuhlsdorf, the Mulier Fortis and the numerous other 'traddies' in the Catholic blogosphere who have supported the return of the old rite, either. I think we want it back because we believe in it.

The editorial continues but the impression that it leaves with me is that, like the pope, The Tablet is not actually liberal at all. Well, at least he has never made a pretence of being so. A truly liberal view of Summorum Pontificum would have been that although one did not like the Tridentine Rite, as it was a valid one, one would support its use.

But perhaps The Tablet does not believe in the validity of the Tridentine Rite. It must do so, because it does not argue otherwise. The same goes for the Very Reverend Mark Francis CSV who writes a very critical essay on the Tridentine Rite a few pages later. His criticisms are varied and are worthy of examination and response but I must confess that the less time I spend with it the better. Fr Francis is a professor of liturgy. And it is probably that which lead him to write with such sweet condescension, "Until now, the Pope, who is not a trained liturgist, has shown interest and sensitivity in liturgical matters." (my emphasis). So that's why he has got it wrong: Benedict doesn't know what he is on about! I assume, then, that it was another Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger who wrote The Spirit of the Liturgy. Heaven save us from people with qualifications who think that that means only they have the authority to pronounce on their particular subject.

One thing which made me laugh though was Fr Francis's belief that the Pope's lifting of restrictions against the Tridentine Rite shows that he has succumbed to liturgical relativism. He writes,

It is legitimate to wonder... whether the liturgy is being taken seriously by this motu proprio or being treated as just another choice available in the "Catholic cafeteria".

Well, if it is a choice between being the kind of Cafeteria Catholic that Fr Francis is talking about or a faux-liberal like him and The Tablet, I know which way I would go. And I reckon I would even find many Catholics, including the bloggers mentioned above and, of course, Gerald Augustinus, there already.

Tintin in the Congo - Hergé

The book contains "words of hideous racial prejudice, where the 'savage natives' look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles". And it is asked of Borders bookseller "How and why do [they] think that it's okay to peddle such racist material? The only place that it might be acceptable for this to be displayed would be in a museum, with a big sign saying 'old-fashioned, racist claptrap.'... It's high time that they reconsidered their decision and removed this from their shelves".

And what is the book in question? I almost daren't tell you in case I corrupt your morals, but unlike the Commission for Racial Equality, which made the above statement, I think people should be allowed to make their own minds up about whether a book is worth reading or not. So, step forward Tintin in the Congo.

That's right, the worthy CRE was complaining about a comic book. And one that no one takes seriously anyway. Egmont, the publishers of the Tintin books, made a defensive statement in response to the CRE's attack, but they and Borders must now laughing all the way to the bank. And I am pleased to say that after work yesterday, I helped them to do so. Having not read Tintin since the days of my youth (I always preferred Asterix) I decided to buy a copy of Tintin in the Congo to see what the fuss was about.

In modern terms, the depiction of black people in the book is at the very least simplistic and at worst, racist. They have big red lips, speak basic English ("White Mister! You come save us! King Lion, him getting very angry!") and are depicted as being a rather simple folk. One notable thing that they are not depicted as being, however, is savages. Ironically, that role is fulfilled by Tintin's enemy - who is white.

Tintin in the Congo is a product of its time (1930s) and may be enjoyed in that knowledge (although I have to admit I found it too slight and episodic for my tastes). To speak of banning it is dangerous nonsense. Where would it end? Evelyn Waugh's Black Mischief and Scoop contains worse racism. The CRE may think it is taking a potshot at a peripheral member of the western canon of literature, but it is actually striking at its heart. It doesn't realise this because of it has put ideology before truth.

A compromise might be to not ban offensive books but amend them - such as what happened when Agatha Christie's Ten Little Niggers became Ten Little Indians. I am firmly against such a measure. When I read a book, I want to read what the author wrote, not what some editor years down the road thought was appropriate. To change an author's words is a reprehensible measure that is worthy only of a dictator. The CRE should learn some common sense or else consign itself to the dustbin of history. We did not get rid of two great dictators in the twentieth century just for it to boss people around like some little Hitler.

The Inquisitive Cow on Nasal Mucus, Bistros and Iron

dúnadan: Hallo from a field somewhere in central Dorset! It is the weekend and so that means an interview with the perpetually inquisitive cow. Hullo Gerrie!
inq. cow: Mooh!
dúnadan: Now then, I hear it has been quiet in these parts for the last few days, but Poole Harbour has been the scene of a great naval battle.
inq. cow: That is correct. As you know, Bertie Pig and Tecumseh Squirrel's naval battle began a few days ago. After the initial skirmish, Bertie's fleet made its inevitable bid for freedom with the little red baron not far behind him. Well, this week, the pair of them entered Poole Harbour where their second encounter took place.
dúnadan: Which ended with Tecumseh boarding Bertie's ship.
inq. cow: And with them fighting each other with cutlasses. That might have been that, because Tecumseh is far more proficient with a sword than Bertie, but during the fight, their heads banged together, and what do you know, but that they have now assumed each other's personality! Tecumseh Squirrel was last seen heading south into the open sea with a fiery tempered Bertie Pig in hot pursuit!
dúnadan: Well I never. Who would have thought such a thing could happen? Let's move on. What has been making you inquisitive this week?

inq. cow: The day after winning the auction for the fields north of his farm, Farmer Bill came down with a cold. That got me to wondering why humans get runny noses when they have a cold.
dúnadan: Ooooh. Are we going to be talking about bogey and snot?!
inq. cow: Behave, dúnadan. This is serious. The first question is - what is the substance that dribbles from one's nose during a cold and why does it dribble so? I can tell you for I have discovered that it is nasal mucus.
dúnadan: Bogey!
inq. cow: I shall slobber over you in stereotypical cow fashion if you continue like this!
dúnadan: Sorry!
inq. cow: As I was saying, the runny stuff is nasal mucus. Mucus is a secretion that traps particles such as bacteria and dust to prevent them entering and damaging the body. When one gets a cold, one's nasal passage becomes congested. And that is not all, mooh! For the cold also makes the body start producing more mucus. And with the nasal passage blocked it can't go back. The only way is forward!
dúnadan: Is it true, Gerrie, that there really is no cure for the common cold?
inq. cow: I am afraid it is!
dúnadan: Well, it is a good excuse not to go near Farmer Bill later! Now then, you received a postcard from Jenny Wren today.

inq. cow: Oh, yes! As we discussed a few weeks back, Jenny flew to Paris to give birth to her chicks in the 16th Arrondissement. She has sent a postcard to let us know how well they are getting on. The chicks have fledged and are now fluent in French and English!
dúnadan: Clever birds! I understand that Jenny found time to answer a question for you...
inq. cow: Indeed: The meaning of the word 'bistro'. We do not have them in the Wood, and there are none in Little Wimple, but my city cousin, Georgie Cow, wrote to say that she has fallen in love with them in London.
dúnadan: So you will know then that a bistro is a café.
inq. cow: Of course. But why are they called bistros? Curious! Jenny Wren made some enquiries for me and she has learnt from her friend M Sarkozy that a bistro is so-called possibly because bistro comes from the Russian бы́стро meaning quickly!
dúnadan: Now, what on earth can Russia have to do with this?!
inq. cow: Remember that Russian soldiers occupied Paris after the Napoleonic Wars ended. Naturally, when off duty, they would go to a café for some food. And would they want their food served slowly? Of course not! So they would shout бы́стро! бы́стро!
dúnadan: I see!
inq. cow: Having said all that, and as you might expect, there are other possible origins of the word 'bistro' but I am rather attached to that one.
dúnadan: I am still marvelling at your knowledge of Russian, although given that you can speak ancient Greek, perhaps I should not be surprised! Another thing that does not surprise me is the knowledge that after the auction on Monday, you and Country Solicitor Heelis went away talking about how iron is produced!

inq. cow: It is true that we in the Wood have no use for iron. Take Augustine Squirrel's palafite, for example; it is made entirely out of wood and rope. But that is no excuse for not wanting to know what iron is and where it comes from.
dúnadan: And what did you find?
inq. cow: Well, iron comes from a material called iron ore. Iron ore is placed into a furnace which is so hot, it melts the iron ore so that its impurities, the non iron bits, can be removed. The best iron, however, is not pure iron, but that which has been alloyed with other materials! Moo!
dúnadan: Like what?
inq. cow: Well, carbon, for a start.
dúnadan: A final question: What is the periodic table number for iron?
inq. cow: Oh, dúnadan, you don't test me hard, you know. It is Fe. If you want to find it on the periodic table, it is to the left of Cobalt - Co - and to the right of Manganese - Mn.
dúnadan: Wasn't he the first person to circumnavigate the world--- hey! Stop slobbering over me! Well, we must leave it there. Gerrie, thank you! I shall see you again next week!
inq. cow: Moooh!

index of interviews with the inquisitive cow
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Enough is Enough: No More Misrepresentation!

Donal Blaney is a presenter on 18 Doughty Street. He is a right wing Conservative and is not a man to mince his words. He has a blog called Enough is Enough on which he publishes elements of his 18DS programme, Up Front. One of those elements is 'Today's Hero and Zero'. Yesterday (11.7.07), Mr Blaney's 'Zero' was none other than Pope Benedict. Here is the reason why:

Today’s Zero is…the Pope, who has announced that Protestants and other non-Roman Catholics are not true Christians because they fail to follow the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. At a time when Judaeo-Christian values are under vigorous attack from the twin perils of Islamism and secularism, it is grossly irresponsible of the Pontiff to divide Christians rather than to seek to work for Christian unity. It is also an arrogant interpretation of the Bible to aver that only Roman Catholics are true followers of Christ.

The current Pope has shown that he is much less of a statesman than his predecessor. Irrespective of the supposed theological or scholarly basis for his bigoted remarks, which many millions of good Christians will object to, the fact is that Islamist and secular forces are growing at far faster rates than Christianity. It is that which should be the Pope’s concern, not a self-indulgent desire to flex Rome’s muscles.

I am publishing Mr Blaney's post here because although I left a comment on his blog early last night, as of tonight, it has not yet appeared. It may be that he has been too busy to pass it; on the other hand, he may have read it and decided not to do so. However, Mr Blaney's charge is not one that is unique to him and for that reason needs to be faced and answered as openly as possible.

Therefore, not knowing blog etiquette for reproducing whole posts from other blogs (okay, as long as you link to them?), I have done so that I might give the full context for my reply here:

"Today’s Zero is…the Pope, who has announced that Protestants and other non-Roman Catholics are not true Christians because they fail to follow the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church."

This sounds awful. It also sounds very suspect. And no wonder, because this is not what the Pope, or rather, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), has actually said.

In the first place, the CDF's Responses do not refer to who is or isn't a 'true Christian'. That is a non-question as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.

What the Responses do say is that the Church which Christ founded subsists in the Catholic Church because it is the Catholic Church that has (a) a valid episcopal succession from the Apostles to present day bishops (b) a valid Eucharist.

The Responses also say that the Church of Christ 'subsists' in the Catholic Church because the spirit of Christ is also present in other churches. Therefore it cannot be said to simply be the Church that Christ founded, without qualification.

The Responses do not 'divide Christians': unfortunately, we already are divided. The Catholic Church does seek unity with other Christians, but does not believe that a unity based upon hiding awkward doctrines is worth having. For that reason, the Church will not hide from other Christian churches how she sees herself. Neither will they do likewise. That is where the conversation between the two is at - as processes such as the ARCIC shows.

Finally, one may believe that the Responses are 'a self-indulgent desire to flex Rome’s muscles' but it is my understanding that responses such as these are issued in response to questions sent to Rome by bishops. They are, therefore, clarifications of Church teaching, given to prevent misunderstanding and incorrect teaching. Does this constitute a flexing of Rome's muscles? If so, the same may be said of any church, or indeed, organisation, that outlines or clarifies what it stands for.

UPDATE: My comment has now appeared and Mr Blaney has responded. To read what he said, click here.

William Wilberforce - William Hague

I finished reading Hague's William Wilberforce a few days ago, but I must mention it here as it was a fine read which deserves to be given a place on anyone's bookshelf.

This year, everyone knows about Wilberforce. Or rather, they know that he is the man who put an end to the Atlantic slave trade two hundred years ago this year when his bill to that effect was passed by the House of Commons.

That, however, is by no means the whole truth of the matter. For while it was indeed Wilberforce put forward the motions in the Commons to abolish the trade, he did not, of course, work alone. People like Thomas Clarkson, Granville Sharp, James Stephen, Zachary and Thomas Macauley and even politicians such as William Pitt the Younger and George Grenville also played their part and deserve credit for it.

Just as there is more to the abolition movement than Wilberforce, so there is more to Wilberforce than his struggle to end the slave trade. Following his conversion to Evangelical Christianity in 1887, Wilberforce had two great 'objects' in life: one was to end the slave trade, the other was to improve Britain's morals. He practised what he preached: unlike many other MPs of his age, Wilberforce was a very conscientious Member of Parliament, firstly for Hull and then the county of Yorkshire. He gave large portions of his personal fortune away. His kindness and generosity extended to keeping on servants who had long since ceased to be able to do their job well. He maintained friendship with his political rivals. This list goes on and on.

Despite his evident holiness, Wilberforce was never dull or narrow minded. Quite the opposite, in fact, as he had a reputation as a wit and was well known in Parliament for being able to analyse arguments from every possible viewpoint.

In short, William Wilberforce was a saint. I have no doubt that if he had been a Catholic he would have been canonised by now. Of course, none of this is to say that Wilber, as his friends called him, was not without his faults. But what made him so saintly was that he knew them and all through his life sought to suppress them. Also, he regarded success and failure not so much as frauds but as divinely given opportunities to grow in the grace of God.

William Hague has written a biography but I think one could profitably read his book for spiritual inspiration. If, however, that is not your thing, then be assured that the book also offers some interesting insights into late eighteenth and early nineteenth century life and, of course, Parliament. I strong commend William Wilberforce the person and the book to you.

Two Memes

On either side of raising the ire of the National Suckers Society, the Catholic Mom of 10 has tagged me, so let's get down to business.

Six English and Latin Hymns.

This is going to be very difficult as I am not a hymnal man. I sing along as I can but I don't remember them well afterwards.

English

1. The Lord is my shepherd
2. Be Thou My Vision
3. Amazing Grace
4. Be Still My Soul (Katherine von Schlegel)
5. Kyrie Eleison (as written by the Venerable Bede)(Update: See combox for correction)

Latin

1. Adeste Fideles
2. Dies Irae (W. A. Mozart)
3. Regina Caeli
4. Salve Regina

Five Things I Love About Jesus

1. He is cooler than Neo. So Neo can lean backwards to physically impossible degrees and learn all kinds of cool stuff in an instant. Jesus could walk on water in real life and was in perfect communion with God who knows everything.

2. He is richer than Mr. Darcy. He may have had £10,000 a year but he still had to impose himself on Elizabeth before she ever accepted him. In His earthly life, Jesus had nothing and never made anything more than a proposal to people yet they still came to Him with all that they had making Him very rich in a different but much better way.

3. He was more of a rebel than James Dean. But without being rebellious - not an easy trick to pull off.

4. He is more inspiring than Bob Geldof and Steve Redgrave put together. Credit to them but no one will be singing their praises in 200 years.

5. He puts up with me. For which I will be forever grateful.

Hmm. Who to tag? SisterEvs, Paul Burgin and Fr Nicholas!

The inquisitive Cow on English Auctions, Harpsichords and Actinomycetes

dúnadan: Hallo from Dorchester! The Durnovaria Walk is over - although Farmer Gill and Will have still not left the pub - but we are back in town, this time for an auction! Gerrie Cow is talking to some ladies from the Rotary Club so Country Solicitor Heelis will explain what is about to be sold.
country solicitor heelis: Hallo again, dúnadan. Well, it is land that is up for sale. Two fields next to Farmer Bill's. He is biddin' for them, as are any number of other farmers and, I am sad to say, developers.
dúnadan: I should explain that we are in the gallery of the village hall. The auction is not due to start for a few more minutes, but it is already packed out. How do you think it will go?
country solicitor heelis: Well, if them developers get the land, my heart will bleed more than when Tecumseh Squirrel wrecked my Constitution for the Wood, I can tell you! Dorset wants to keep its greens.
dúnadan: Farmer Bill is determined to buy the land, which is to the north west of his farm and so touches upon the Wood.
country solicitor heelis: Aye, but has he got the money?
dúnadan: I can see him at the front of the hall. He looks confident as he chats to the other auction goers... even sharing bottles of home brewed cider with them! Ah, here comes Gerrie. Hallo Gerrie!
inq. cow: Good afternoon! Have you started without me?
dúnadan: Indeed. Let's get down to business before the auction starts: what has been making you inquisitive this week?

inq. cow: Well, up until this week, I had only a dim idea of what auctions were about, so I thought I would make some inquiries ahead of today! And what would you know, but, mooooh! there are different kinds of auctions. A Chinese Auction is a raffle. In a Sealed-Bid, First-Price Auction you submit your bid and the highest offer takes all. An English Auction, however, sees the participants bidding against each other until no one is prepared to bid anymore. Very exciting!

country solicitor heelis: Did you know, Gerrie, that there is such a thing as the Samuel Pepys Auction. Then, bidding only takes place until a candle has worn down.
inq. cow: My goodness, that would be exciting!
dúnadan: I think e-bay must be the modern day equivalent of that! Now, it has been a busy week in the Wood.

inq. cow: That is right. I have been supervising the building of a birthday present for Mr Otter, who made me my cameo. We are making a harpsichord for him.
dúnadan: A harpsichord for Mr Otter?
inq. cow: Indeed.
dúnadan: Um, is he proficient in the art of music?
inq. cow: Not at all, but we discovered last week that as a youngster, he liked to run up and down Farmer Bill's piano and so now that he is in dignified middle age, we thought we would build a more dignified instrument for him to rediscover his youth with!
dúnadan: Well, that is very decent of you. I trust you have been looking into the history of the harpsichord as well as its mechanics.
inq. cow: I have to admit, dúnadan, I got so carried away with my designs for our one that I very nearly didn't! I only realised my error when Professor Mrs Learned Owl asked me if it was going to be a Flemish or Italian!
dúnadan: And...
inq. cow: We have gone for Italian as I have found out that it was they who mastered the production of the harpsichord in the 1500s.
dúnadan: I see. I have heard harpsichords being played. They are beautiful and make a lovely sound. How do they work?
inq. cow: In an ingeniously simply manner, of course-! The player presses the key. That raises the jack which has a plectrum at its top. The plectrum plucks the string. If that is all there was, the sound of the harpsichord would be very undistinguished. It gains its richness by the vibration of the string being picked up by the bridge at its other end, which then transmits the sound to the appropriately named soundboard. Our soundboard - following the Italian fashion - will be made of cypress. It is the soundboard that transmits the sound of the string to the air.
dúnadan: Interesting. Will there be a pattern on your harpsichord?
inq. cow: Horace has offered his services and we have accepted.
dúnadan: This is Horace the unemployed Suffolk Punch who now spends his time painting in the style of the impressionists.
inq. cow: Indeed. And does it very well, I should say.
country solicitor heelis: Aye. I have ten of his paintings at home. Look, Mr Perceval-Monk is climbing onto the stage. It looks like the auction is soon to begin!
dúnadan: Look at Farmer Bill's friends. They are laughing much too loudly. I think they have drunk too much.
inq. cow: They aren't his friends: they are the developers!
dúnadan: Hmm. Let's continue quickly.
inq. cow: I would like to talk about actinomycetes. As incredible as it may seem, I never really wondered why the Wood - or woods in general - smell so good after a rainfall. However, after a shower this week and a deep sniff, Moohh!, I thought I must look into where that smell comes from.
dúnadan: And what did you find?
inq. cow: Well, hidden in the soil is a flamentous bacteria called actinomycetes. When it is dry, it stays there. But when it rains, the rain throws it into the air. Unsurprisingly, actinomycetes have an earthy smell. And it is that smell that we breath in and find so pleasant.
dúnadan: There is lots I could ask you about this matter, but Country Solicitor Heelis is motioning to me that Mr Perceval-Monk is about the begin the auction so we will have to stop there! Gerrie, thank you for your company this week!
inq. cow: Thank you back!
mr perceval-monk: ... and first on the list tonight are two prime fields. Two prime fields. Reserve price: £2000. Do I hear an offer? Thank you Bill! Any advances on £2000? Anyone? The gentlemen from London? Yes, you, sirs! Oh dear, can someone help the gentleman who has just fallen off his chair! Do I hear any further offers? No, then it is going... going... gone!

Index of interviews with the Inquisitive Cow

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A bit of rugby and lots of wool

rugger!

I don't watch much TV these days, but on Sunday I do try to make an effort to watch Countryfile. One of the things I enjoy very much is the events up and down the country that the programme features. For example, today looked at the Melrose 7s. I didn't even know a tournament was played there, let alone that it had such a long and venerable history, beginning in the 1883.

Watching the report was like being hit for a very pleasant double whammy - Melrose is a town in the Scottish Borders. I have had the good fortune to visit that area a few times and can certify that it a beautiful, beautiful place. To see it again was as delightful as it was unexpected. Whammy No. 2 was watching the rugby players training. For a moment, it was like being at the Stoop again! Alas, the new Rugby Union season does not begin for another two months. Sigh. But I am already wondering what the chances of getting a ticket to see the Melrose 7s are...

For Queen and country!

The second report on Countryfile was from Tetbury in Gloucestershire where they have an annual woolsack race. The woolsack weighs four stone. You throw it over your back and then charge up a steep hill. They showed archive footage of some old races, including a man who fell forward at speed. I think he was lucky not to knock himself out. Instead, he tumbled forward, rolled over and sprung back up again!

I don't know what possesses men to put themselves through such labours, but I am glad that they do, for it makes for a diverse and whakily wonderful country!

Summorum Pontificum II

Having received yesterday an invitation from 5MinJim and Our Man (Formerly) In the Army to go and see an art exhibition this afternoon, I attended Mass this morning. It is amazing what even just thinking about holy things the night before (and at a rather late hour!) can do because being at church today felt different; more meaningful. I would write more about this but I can't explain it, so I will just have to leave the matter there.

As for this post, I would like to write a little more about the Tridentine Rite of the Mass, or rather, my experience of it. As far as I am aware, you have to go to one of the central London churches in order to attend this Mass. As I like my Sundays to be as free as possible, I do not attend a Tridentine Mass. All those that I have been to, however, have been in the Little Oratory of the London Oratory in Kensington.

On each occasion that I have been to the Oratory, the Tridentine Mass has been a well attended service. Over at Holy Smoke, the blog of Catholic Herald editor in chief Damien Thompson, a poster who goes under the pseudonym 'Traditionalist', laughably claims that this statement of Benedict's in Summorum Pontificum's explanatory letter is, if not a lie, then certainly 'pure spin' to cover the fact that the return of the Tridentine Rite is actually a control measure:

It has clearly been demonstrated that young persons, too, have discovered this liturgical form, felt its attraction and found in it a form of encounter with the mystery of the most holy Eucharist particularly suited to them. Thus the need has arisen for a clearer juridical regulation which had not been foreseen at the time of the 1988 motu proprio. The present norms are also meant to free bishops from constantly having to evaluate anew how they are to respond to various situations.

I think Traditionalist ought to change his name to Ignorant. Having attended Tridentine Masses I know very well that young people as well as old attend. They are also present in the Catholic blogosphere*. And are there not groups that are dedicated to young people who love the Tridentine tradition of the Church - Iuventutem springs immediately to mind.

As for the Tridentine Mass itself, on each occasion that I attended it, the atmosphere was very prayerful. A criticism of this Mass is that the faithful are pretty much left to themselves while the priest (inaudibly) celebrates it at the altar with his server. But is it really necessary for things to be happening, or the faithful to be doing things, in order for Mass to be meaningful for them? Of course not, otherwise, Exposition would be a waste of time. With that said, although one can either say one's prayers or follow the Mass in one's prayerbook, I did feel a little at sea during the service.

This feeling of not quite knowing where one was cannot only be said to be a result of the way in which the Mass was said. I am a child of the age of immediate gratification and though I may rebel against it the very fact that I rebel indicates that it is in some way a part of me. It would seem to me then that in order to really understand and be a part of the Tridentine Mass one has to be trained in it. This is certainly the case for me, I would not wish to speak for anyone else.

Quite aside from the fact at Mass (in whichever rite) we on earth meet with those in heaven, what I like most about the Tridentine Mass is its dignity, solemnity and loftiness. Jesus is our brother, but He is also our Lord. In the modern age, I think we are prone to forget that. At Mass this morning, Fr Nicholas referred to a rather self-indulgent form of Christianity called Shelaghism, named after someone who in the 70s said that their faith to them was about loving themselves a bit more. The Tridentine Mass takes us away from ourselves and in a very immediate way back towards God.

I have gone on longer than I meant in this post. I am going to try and get back to the Oratory in the next week or two and attend a Tridentine Mass there. I will then post my updated thoughts here.

Summorum Pontificum I

It is commonly said that blogs are a kind of on-line diary, but, of course, they are more than that. Diaries are usually written with only one reader in mind: the author. Blogs, however, may have many readers. This can make writing them difficult because the blogger may not know (indeed, more often than not, will not know) who his readers are and why they read his blog, that is to say, what they find most interesting about it. For my part, and I would recommend this approach to anyone thinking of starting a blog, I simply write about what I find interesting to write about. It may mean that I do not get as many hits as others, but at least I am being true to myself. In this post, however, I am going to break that rule. The reason for it has to be something special, and, I believe that it is: the Pope's long-awaited Motu Proprio on the liberalising of the use of the Tridentine Rite of the Mass: Summorum Pontificum. Perhaps you are a Catholic who is wondering what the fuss over this document is about, or perhaps who aren't a Catholic at all who is asking yourself the same question. Either way, this post is for you. (NB: If you are a Catholic or are au fait with this subject, please feel free to let me know any corrections to mistakes I may have made!)

What is a Motu Proprio?
The words 'motu proprio' are Latin for of his own accord. It is the name given to any document that the pope writes because he wished to do so not because he was asked or advised to do so by anyone else.

What is the Tridentine Rite of the Mass?
Between 1545 and 1563 the Catholic Church held a council in the northern Italian city of Trent. This council clarified and confirmed various teachings of the Church, particularly those that had come under attack from the Protestant Reformers (Martin Luther et al). Before the Council of Trent, the Catholic Mass existed in numerous forms. As a result of decisions taken by the council, Pope Pius V codified the forms of the Mass to produce what has here been called the Tridentine Rite (Tridentine after Trent). It is also commonly called the Old Rite of the Mass or the Mass of St Pius V. For simplicity's sake, I shall stick with Tridentine.

Why does the use of the Tridentine Rite need liberalising?
Between 1962 - 1965 the Catholic Church held another council, commonly called Vatican II. This council made a number of decisions concerning how the Mass should be celebrated. As a result of these decisions, Pope Paul VI introduced the Novus Ordo (New Order) of the Mass in 1969. In so doing, he suppressed the Tridentine Rite so that it could no longer be said freely by priests. This rule did not last long. Within a couple of years, an exception was granted to the bishops of England and Wales. This exception was then made world wide. I should add that this exception did not mean that priests could celebrate the Tridentine Rite freely but that they could if they got the permission of their bishops. Unfortunately, this did not always happen. In 1988, Pope John Paul II issued a Motu Proprio called Ecclesia Dei in which he asked bishops to be more generous in the granting of permission for the Tridentine Rite to be celebrated. He did this for traditionalist Catholics who were not comfortable with the Novus Ordo Mass.

That does not answer the question of why the Tridentine Rite needs liberalising
Don't worry, I am coming to the point! Unfortunately, Ecclesia Dei was not seen by traditionalist Catholics as going far enough. And it was certainly not enough to induce traditionalist Catholic priests who had left the Church with the priestly fraternity of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) in 1988 to rejoin. I should say here that the SSPX would say that it is still a part of the Catholic Church. For my part, I fail to see how a group that is in direct disobedience to the pope can claim to be still a full part of the Church. Anyway, Pope Benedict has always had a care for the Liturgy of the Church and was very concerned by the suppression of the Tridentine Rite. He - as John Paul before him - is also keen to reconcile the SSPX to the Church. Given that one of the complaints of the SSPX has been the unjust suppression of the Tridentine Rite, he has now chosen to liberalise its use.

What exactly is meant by 'liberalise its use'?
Well, as I mentioned above, Pope Paul VI suppressed the Tridentine Rite, only allowing it to be celebrated with permission. With his Motu Proprio Summorum Pontificum Pope Benedict has now reversed that decision by saying that priests can celebrate it freely - without getting the permission of their bishops - again.

I should add at this point that at this point, Summorum Pontificum is only available on the Vatican website in Latin. I hope to write about it more fully when I have had a chance to read it for myself.

In my next post, I will talk about the Tridentine Rite from a personal perspective.

With Family and Friends

Amidst all of the vicissitudes of life, I have not often wondered what it must be like to be a man about town, but today I got to play that part, albeit in a slightly different fashion.

After doing some work at home this morning, I headed into the west end of London to do some shopping. A very tedious business if it does not involve books, but when your shoes develop holes and your socks go missing permanently, something has to be done. At first, however, I thought my expedition was going to end in failure: three shops yielded no suitable footwear candidates. My fortunes changed when I bumped into the wife of the Venerable Bede. No, I am not going mad and being historically scandalous, I am talking about K.'s wife. We had a nice chat before going our separate ways.

Minutes after leaving Mrs K., I entered a sports shop (J. D. Sports) wherein I found some shoes - casual but quite smart - that fitted my feet and my bill to perfection. My first objective had been achieved.

The second followed soon after when I visited the Oxford Circus Next store. Minutes after doing so, my sock problem was now over.

From Oxford Circus, I strolled down to Westminster Cathedral to pick up this week's Catholic papers. On the way, I cut through Pall Mall which was getting ready for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

Kenwood House

An unfortunate side effect of Le Tour is that the underground was very busy. That I was now armed with two shoe boxes (having also purchased some work shoes from the Clarkes store near the Cathedral) did not help matters much. Despite this, I managed to catch a train to take me to Hampstead Heath, where I joined my family and friends outside Kenwood House for a picnic in honour of SisterEvs and Gilrain's birthdays. It was often cloudy but a sunny day besides and we had a splendid time.

This evening, after depositing my luggage at home, I was back into town again for a meet up with Paul Burgin, Tim Roll-Pickering and Andrew Regan of the Bloggers 4 Labour website in the cozy confines of a pub on the Strand called the Cole Hole. The guys are all political bloggers, so as you might expect, the conversation revolved around that subject. Of course, we also talked about politics in general, with one of our party coming out with some rather juicy gossip about certain senior M.P.'s! Apart from that, I should say that Tim had spent the day campaigning in Ealing for the Conservatives and thinks that they will win the by-election there. To do so, the party will have to overturn a 11,000 majority so we will have to wait and see what happens. Anyhow, it was a good evening and I was glad to have been apart of it.

The Wilberforce Family

I am greatly enjoying William Hague's biography of William Wilberforce at the moment and hope to write more about it anon. In the meantime, I have discovered this excellent website that has allowed me to indulge in a passion that normally doesn't pass beyond the page of Tolkien's books - genealogy. This website covers the whole Wilberforce family, from their earliest known ancestor, Ulgar of Eggleston, who fought at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, through to William and the present day:

William and Barbara Wilberforce had five children, one of whom was the Venerable Robert Isaac Wilberforce. Three of Wilberforce's children converted to the Catholic faith, something of an irony given that their father was no ally of the Church. Robert Wilberforce is buried in the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, which is Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Conner's titular church. If memory serves, St Catherine of Siena is buried under the altar there. But let's go to the eldest son (and a fellow convert), William Wilberforce Jr (pic. below). In 1820 he married Mary Frances Owen. He died in 1879 at the ripe old age of 81. The name William had a long history in the Wilberforce family, and it continued with William Jr's first son, who was born in 1821. At this point, this line of the Wilberforce family could have ended because William's only other sibling, his brother Robert, who was born in 1824 died the next year. However, William lived to marry Rosa Elizabeth Jones in 1849. They had two children, William Basil and Mary Rosa. I wonder if Basil comes from the saint? What a shame that not more Catholics name their children after saints - Athanasius or Perpetua, anyone?

Moving quickly on, William Basil married Margaret Moody in 1889. He died on the eve of the Great War in 1913. Margaret Wilberforce lived until the eve of the second, 1937. War now plays an important part in the life of the Wilberforce family because their eldest son, William Basil Samuel Joseph A E Wilberforce became a Colonel in the British Army. Alas, he was killed in action in 1943. He was a hero, winning the Distinguished Service Order medal.

William Wilberforce DSO married Cecilia Mary Margaret Dormer in 1926 - happy days. They had two children, the eldest of whom was William John Anthony Wilberforce who was born on 3rd January 1930 - Tolkien's birthday! Like his father, William John served in the army. In August 1953, he married Laura Lyon Sykes. Their son, William Howard Wilberforce, was born in 1958. And with William Howard and his children we reach the present day. So, not only is the Wilberforce family still alive and kicking but that blessed name is also still in active use.

The Wilberforce family website has been put together by one of its scions, Sam Wilberforce, and features further information about family members and photos from the past and present - including a whole bunch from a party at Parliament to mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade.

New Fangled Stuff

Eliot Carver and his new weapon of world domination

Technology is good but I would happily live with a book, a pen and a notepad in an eighteenth century cottage (preferably in Dorset or Gloucestershire). In contrast, my friend Iain, is a complete technophile and has just been to New York to see the new Apple iPhone and has posted an analysis of it on his blog. The report contained a few unfamiliar words (Do you know what Samsung's Blackjack, h264 video or DivX players are?) but is very interesting to read. The iPhone looks a snazzy piece of kit but is not without some operational shortcomings. My favourite part of the review, however, is when the reviewer reveals what he thinks of what must be the cinderella feature of mobile phone's nowadays - its actual phone capabilities...

Alan Johnston's Release

I woke up to good news on the World Service this morning - BBC Journalist Alan Johnston has been released by his captors in the Gaza Strip. Ironically, it seems we have the terrorist organisation Hamas to thank for securing Mr Johnston's freedom.

Alan Johnston has been very fortunate in that his employer looked out for him so well during the last three or four months, even to the point of placing his image on the main page of its website and organising a petition calling for his release. I do not know if the BBC's work had any influence at all on the kidnappers, but it was better that the BBC stood up for their man rather than doing nothing.

And yet, even as more details of his release come through on the radio, I do feel a little reserve. Over the last few months, I heard absolutely no criticism of the BBC's constant advocacy of Mr Johnston's cause. Yet, within a week or two of Madeleine McCann's disappearance, certain newsprint journalists were criticising Mr and Mrs McCann for doing just that. Do journalists/media organisations have a special rule when it comes to their own? And all over the world, there are hostages who do not have a large media organisation to look out for them, or a family which is able to keep searching for them. Recently, I heard that a terrorist group in Colombia (?) called FARC has been holding some hostages for five years. Let's not forget those people. I wonder if the BBC might use Mr Johnstone's release to advertise their cause.

Berrydict and the Act of Settlement

Berrydict was confused. It didn't take much to make him confused, but usually he was confused in a light, gentle way that was easily overcome by some biscuits and a rest. Now, however, he was really confused. Cardinal Cat O'Brien had come from Scotland with some bad news: Mr Tortoiseshell, the new Prime Minister of the United Kittendom, had decided not to repeal the Act of Settlement. Upon receiving this news, Berrydict had purred and hmmd just like a wise cat should but as soon as the catinal had gone, Berrydict took his secretary, Monsignor Cätswein, into his study.

"What is the matter, Berry?" Cätswein asked, as the cat flap swung slowly to a halt behind him.
"A number of things, Georg," Berrydict admitted, "first of all, what is this business of the U. K. having a new prime minister?"
"Well, Mr Blair had been in the job for ten years."
"John Purr was the papal cat for twenty seven years!"
"But he didn't have to face an election every four." Berrydict had no idea what an election was. "Imagine being declawed not once but periodically." Monsignor Cätswein said, not very helpfully. Berrydict could not imagine any such thing and would not wish to even if he could.
"I can't believe I was roused from my sleep just to meet someone who wouldn't even be in his job a few days later!" Berrydict moaned, rather unchivalrously.
"Your Furriness, you were only napping. And anyway, Pony Blair wants to become a Catolic, remember?"
"Well, he can't. He's a horse."
"That's just a nickname. At the moment, he is an Anglicat."
"Oh, whatever." Berrydict said, "Speaking of the anglicats, Cardinal O'Brien, was very upset about them because they did not support the repeal of the Act of Settlement. I think he has lost his mind. Mr Tortoiseshell is quite right to leave it in place."
"Why would you say that?" Cätswein asked.
"Well, what is more pleasant than an act of settlement?"
"Your Furriness, I do not quite follow you." Berrydict sighed loudly.

"Georg, you work too much. Follow me over here." Walking over to his cat basket, Berrydict stepped onto the fur encrusted blanket inside it. "When one wishes for a sleep, one steps carefully into one's basket." Berry said, affecting a faux posh-moggie accent, as if he was an intellectual teaching someone from the lower orders. His owner would not have been impressed had he seen Berrydict do this. "And one does so with great delicacy so as not to disturb the contours of the blanket. Despite this, and depending on one's style, one will pad the blanket until it feels just right to sleep in."
"Berrydict, why are you telling me this?" Cätswein asked, plaintively, "I know how to get ready for a sleep."
"But don't you see?" Berrydict replied, "this is what an act of settlement is! How can Cardinal O'Brien be upset that it remains in place? Good for the United Kittendom, I say!"

For a moment, Monsignor Cätswein thought he had misheard Berrydict. But when the papal cat continued to look at him earnestly, he realised that - incredibly - he had not. So he laughed.
"What is so funny?!" Berrydict asked. There is an old tradition during the rite of confirmation in the Catolic Church whereby the bishop cuffs the newly confirmed person. Berrydict liked it. This time, however, he unsheathed his claw just so that Monsignor Cätswein got the point. His secatary did, but he still smiled broadly.
"Berrydict, Cardinal Cat was not talking about that act of settlement!" he exclaimed, "Rather, the one that bars Catolics from becoming the king or queen of the U.K."
"Oh!" Berrydict replied. And feeling rather foolish, he blushed underneath his fur.
"Don't worry," Cätswein said, "the Catican doesn't even officially recognise the U.K. as one country in terms of her ecclesial status. That's why we have the bishops of England and Wales, Scotland and of Northern Ireland not of the U.K."
"Well, good," Berrydict said, "shall we send a message to Mr Tortoiseshell: if he repeals the bad Act of Settlement we'll regard the U.K. as the U.K.?"
"No need to, Your Furriness. The Catolic Church takes the long view, remember? In time, the U.K. will dissolve, the king will forget what true religion is and Parliament will see no need for the monarch to be a Catolic, Anglicat or anything." Berrydict purred and hmmd but no cat ever sat on his bed without thinking of sleep and the papal cat was no different. The politics flew over his head and in a few minutes, he was very settled indeed.

more stories with Berrydict the papal cat

From Brown to Varus via Boris

So, a week less a day has passed since Gordon Brown became prime minister. With the car bomb attacks in London and the Glasgow airport attack he and his Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, have really been thrown in at the deep end. I have to confess that I have not watched too many news reports but it must be to Mr Brown's credit that no one in the (Tory) blogosphere is calling him out for a lack of leadership.

Speaking of Jacqui Smith, she was an extraordinary surprise in the formation of Brown's first Cabinet (it was NOT a reshuffle as everyone said as he did not have a Cabinet before to shuffle again!). I have heard one or two good reports on her reaction to the London - Glasgow attacks so that bodes well for her future. Let's hope it gets a bit easier for her.

Yesterday, David Cameron reshuffled his Cabinet. I have to admit, the only Conservative politician I pay any mind - beside Cameron - is William Hague, and that is on account of his books on Pitt the Younger and William Wilberforce, the latter of which I am currently reading. I am glad, therefore, that he is still the shadow Home Secretary.

One name that was missing from the shadow cabinet, however, and perhaps not surprisingly so, was Boris Johnson. After a visit to Borders after work, today, I now have a copy of his book The Dream of Rome in front of me. I am glad to see that he speaks pretty much as he writes. For upon opening it to the first page, I read:

No one knows the exact moment when Publius Quinctilius Varus realised what a colossal idiot he had been, but when the barbarians on either side of him started uttering their war cry we must assume that the penny finally dropped.

Indeed!

An ordinary day at the office

The other day, I suppose during a quiet moment in the office (or maybe I was daydreaming during a busy one), I got to wondering who the last senators of the Roman Empire were, or the last vestal virgins, and how they must have felt on the day that the senate or temple closed for the last time. It must have been a very sad moment. Especially for the virgins. After all, tending the sacred flame was their life. Failure to do their duty was punishable by death. The senate, by contrast, when it closed somewhere in the late fifth century AD, had been losing power for the last four hundred plus years. The last senators must have known for some time that the game was up.

Further to the above, according to Wikipedia, the last vestal virgin - Coelia Concordia - was evicted from the temple of Vesta in AD 391 and went on to convert to Christianity a few years later. So all's well that ended well. Unfortunately, Wiki does not include a source for this.

Today, my thoughts moved on from thinking about the last senators and vestal virgins to wondering why the eastern Roman empire lasted until 1453 whereas Rome (and therefore the western empire) fell in 476 along with the deposition of Romulus Augustulus. I was interrupted in my thoughts by a manager, and, as it happens, a former boss, who came over to ask 0 of all things - what John Newton had meant by grace in his hymn Amazing Grace! Apparently, my ex-manager and two of his colleagues had been discussing this question and none of them knew.

So, how do you describe the indescribable? I gave it a shot, saying that grace was like spiritual food. I didn't call it the nectar of the gods, though I was tempted! An interesting discussion followed where I talked about grace and he about how in Hinduism (his religion) there was no such concept of being changed by the gods. You pray, sacrifice, etc, but you don't change until the end when you will be reborn according to how well you did in life. This reminded me of something I think C. S. Lewis said which was that grace was indeed unique to Christianity.

The Race for a Pig and a Squirrel 2007

dúnadan: Right, Gerrie, are we ready?
inq. cow: We are, dúnadan.
dúnadan: So, just to get it straight, it's ten times round the field behind Farmer Bill's house to...
inq. cow: To raise money to pay the RNLI to rescue Bertie Pig and Tecumseh Squirrel when they come to blows again on the open sea.
dúnadan: Of course. At dawn this morning Tecumseh finally got bored of waiting and opened fire on Bertie's ships of the line even as they were being christened and launched into the Frome. Bertie returned fire before doing what we all knew he would and sailed for freedom with the Tecumseh in hot pursuit.
inq. cow: I feel Farmer Bill could have taken it all a bit more seriously rather than call all his friends and following the ships with a picnic and lots of cider, but at least he offered to get help if we do these laps!
dúnadan: But do we really need to run? I mean, it is very cloudy overhead and I had a late night with all the farmers after the Durnovaria Walk...
inq. cow: If Lola can do it, dúnadan, so can you!
dúnadan: And that is why we are really here.
inq. cow: Yes. Well done to Lola for running the Race for Life 2007 in aid of cancer research today. Mooo!
dúnadan: Yes. Congratulations to her! Gerrie, that was a very deep and resounding moo!
inq. cow: It was my best. A deep moo for a good cause. Now. Let's go!