Reginald Cardinal Pole

Fr Anton Guziel preaching about Cardinal Pole following the Mass

Last night the Birmingham Oratory, along with several other churches around the country including Magdalen College in Oxford, hosted a Traditional Latin Requiem Mass on the 450th anniversary of Cardinal Pole's death. The following is an extract promoting Michael Hutchings new book, "The Last Archbishop of Canterbury" (click here to order from Southwell books) Also available directly from St Joan Press for £15.49 and on sale at St Pauls Bookshops in London, Birmingham, Leeds and York.

Reginald Cardinal Pole was the son of Sir Richard Pole, a cousin of Henry VIII, and Margaret Plantagenet, Countess of Salisbury. He was a potential claimant to the throne. In 1549 Ple narrowly missed election as Pope.

Studying at Magdalen College Oxford and the Carthusian monastery at Sheen, Pole was widely respected for his scholarship. He left England for Padua to study, angering Henry by his opposition to the 'divorce'. Pole's continued intrasigent opposition to Henry led to the execution of his mother, Blessed Margaret Pole (pictured left), at Tower Hill in 1541, having been held prisoner at Cowdray near Midhurst.

After twenty-three years in Italy, Pole returned to England as Papal Legate in order to absolve England from schism. This occured on 30 November 1554, a day later decreed to be held in thanksgiving in perpetuo. Pole instituted a Synod for the restoration and reform of the Church in England. He prepared the ground for the establishment of seminaries, thereby anticipating Trent.

His hopes for England were cut short by the sudden death of Queen Mary. His own death occured hours later, on 17 November 1558. He was the last Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury.

I served at our humble Missa Cantata and with Father Anton Guziel's permission took a couple of photos of the Mass. I was not bold enough to hold up the camera, so this is actually taken 'blind' at hip level! It is the incensing of the altar at the offertory. I was asked by the organisers of this nation-wide commemoration to try and take some snaps, and I hope these efforts will be useful!

For more on Cardinal Pole see Fr Nicholas Schofield's complete sermon.

Let us pray:

O God, who didst raise Thy servant Reginald Cardinal Pole to the dignity of bishop and cardinal in the apostolic priesthood; grant, we beseech Thee, that he may be joined in fellowship with Thine apostles forever more. Through Christ our Lord,

Amen