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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Guild of Ss Cosmas & Damian
Blog: http://cma-midlands.blogspot.com/
Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_168517593196645&ap=1
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Mother Teresa on Condoms
In a reply by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, to questions about Sex, she defers to the writing of a knowledge Jesuit:
"By the very nature of contraception, at least one of the spouses must manipulate self to destroy the power to conceive. This self-manipulation necessarily turns attention to self (i.e. is narcissistic), whereas, to be an expression of love, the marital act should turn attention to the spouse. To posit any act which, in its very nature, turns attention to self, falsifies the marital act and is, therefore, an abuse of a gift of God, which can never be morally justified...
"...never distinguish moral evil from physical evil. The use of a condom for whatever reason is a moral evil, i.e., the violation of the Sixth Commandment, whereas, death as such, even from AIDS, is a physical evil. The Catholic will accept the Church’s official teaching that, knowingly and willingly, to violate any of the Ten Commandments always involves personal sin. Basing herself on the true sense of the infinite evil of sin inasmuch as it is an offense against the Infinite God, and also basing herself on the witnessing of the martyrs, the Church teaches that no good end can ever morally justify the violation of any of the Ten Commandments."
The letter is then signed by Fr Lawrence Abello, S.J.
Below this is added in handwriting: I will pray for you God bless you M Teresa MC
H/T Clare McCulloch
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"By the very nature of contraception, at least one of the spouses must manipulate self to destroy the power to conceive. This self-manipulation necessarily turns attention to self (i.e. is narcissistic), whereas, to be an expression of love, the marital act should turn attention to the spouse. To posit any act which, in its very nature, turns attention to self, falsifies the marital act and is, therefore, an abuse of a gift of God, which can never be morally justified...
"...never distinguish moral evil from physical evil. The use of a condom for whatever reason is a moral evil, i.e., the violation of the Sixth Commandment, whereas, death as such, even from AIDS, is a physical evil. The Catholic will accept the Church’s official teaching that, knowingly and willingly, to violate any of the Ten Commandments always involves personal sin. Basing herself on the true sense of the infinite evil of sin inasmuch as it is an offense against the Infinite God, and also basing herself on the witnessing of the martyrs, the Church teaches that no good end can ever morally justify the violation of any of the Ten Commandments."
The letter is then signed by Fr Lawrence Abello, S.J.
Below this is added in handwriting: I will pray for you God bless you M Teresa MC
H/T Clare McCulloch
Published by Blogpress for my iPhone
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Birmingham in 3D on Google Earth
View Larger Map
Here is the Birmingham Oratory! I guess you may need the correct plug-in to see this, so I've done a freeze frame!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Funeral
Graeme le Monier, one time representative of the LMS in Birmingham and continuous supporter of the Traditional Liturgy, died last week.
His funeral will be Wednesday 16th February at 11.30am and may be a Missa Cantata. The coffin will be received into Birmingham Oratory the night before. Let's pray for him.
Requiescat in Pace
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His funeral will be Wednesday 16th February at 11.30am and may be a Missa Cantata. The coffin will be received into Birmingham Oratory the night before. Let's pray for him.
Requiescat in Pace
Published by Blogpress for my iPhone
Sunday, February 06, 2011
'Job Changes'
http://www.birmingham-oratory.org
CHANGES AT THE ORATORY
Job Changes at Home
February is often a time for job changes in the Oratory and there will be one or two changes this year. These will come into effect straight away.
Fr Anton will replace Fr. Guy as Parish Priest. Fr. Guy has been Parish Priest for the last ten years and done a tremendous job. He now has a new task, to set up a school of liturgical music at the Oratory. We hope to be able to do this in conjunction with Maryvale. Care for the music and worship of the Church is a strong element of the Oratory’s mission and an area in which Fr. Guy has a particular expertise. Fr. Guy will also be spending some time researching a book as a part of this project. We hope this book can be turned into a doctorate.
Although Fr. Anton is relatively new to the Oratory he has considerable expertise as a Parish Priest and Hospital Chaplain in the diocese. He will bring many great pastoral gifts to his new role.
Fr. Paul will resume his work on the Cause of Blessed John Henry as the Vice-Postulator but Fr. Richard remains the Actor (promoter) of the Cause since that job goes with being the Provost.
Fr. Philip Cleevely
Fr. Philip has been resident at the Toronto Oratory since last September, teaching philosophy and spirituality to the students in the seminary run by that community. He has found this work very satisfying. Full use has been made of his intellectual gifts in the tasks assigned to him. He has in consequence asked for a definitive transfer from the Birmingham Oratory to the Toronto Oratory. The Fathers in Canada, recognising the contribution he can make to their community’s life and work, have agreed to his request.
We would like to thank Fr. Philip for his contribution to the life of the Birmingham house over the last twenty years. We would also like to thank the Fathers of the Toronto Oratory, their Provost Fr. Jonathan Robinson, and Fr. Martin Hilbert and Fr. Daniel Utrecht who were such a support to us in the preparations for the Papal Visit. Our two houses retain close fraternal bonds and we look forward to continued close collaboration in the future.
Published by Blogpress for my iPhone
CHANGES AT THE ORATORY
Job Changes at Home
February is often a time for job changes in the Oratory and there will be one or two changes this year. These will come into effect straight away.
Fr Anton will replace Fr. Guy as Parish Priest. Fr. Guy has been Parish Priest for the last ten years and done a tremendous job. He now has a new task, to set up a school of liturgical music at the Oratory. We hope to be able to do this in conjunction with Maryvale. Care for the music and worship of the Church is a strong element of the Oratory’s mission and an area in which Fr. Guy has a particular expertise. Fr. Guy will also be spending some time researching a book as a part of this project. We hope this book can be turned into a doctorate.
Although Fr. Anton is relatively new to the Oratory he has considerable expertise as a Parish Priest and Hospital Chaplain in the diocese. He will bring many great pastoral gifts to his new role.
Fr. Paul will resume his work on the Cause of Blessed John Henry as the Vice-Postulator but Fr. Richard remains the Actor (promoter) of the Cause since that job goes with being the Provost.
Fr. Philip Cleevely
Fr. Philip has been resident at the Toronto Oratory since last September, teaching philosophy and spirituality to the students in the seminary run by that community. He has found this work very satisfying. Full use has been made of his intellectual gifts in the tasks assigned to him. He has in consequence asked for a definitive transfer from the Birmingham Oratory to the Toronto Oratory. The Fathers in Canada, recognising the contribution he can make to their community’s life and work, have agreed to his request.
We would like to thank Fr. Philip for his contribution to the life of the Birmingham house over the last twenty years. We would also like to thank the Fathers of the Toronto Oratory, their Provost Fr. Jonathan Robinson, and Fr. Martin Hilbert and Fr. Daniel Utrecht who were such a support to us in the preparations for the Papal Visit. Our two houses retain close fraternal bonds and we look forward to continued close collaboration in the future.
Published by Blogpress for my iPhone
Saturday, January 15, 2011
New Catholic Ordinariate
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| Catholic Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham |
Today marks a historic moment in the English Church. I have known for about six years of the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Walsingham; a pre-reformation medieval devotion which has been revived in the last century by both Catholics (left) and Anglicans. After a visit there as newly-weds, it had far reaching effects in our lives. Indeed, it led to my (then-Anglican) wife's conversion to Catholicism, and my own decision to believe in a personal God once again, and to practice the Faith of my childhood. It so happened that the weekend we decided to visit my cousin/aunt, was the same weekend Dr Rowan Williams was leading a Marian pilgrimage there!
So it is with great joy I learned today that the new Ordinariate for disaffected Anglicans has been named after Our Lady of Walsingham. This is a subject I have prayed for many times before. As an extra firm link to our Anglo-Catholic history, it has also been placed under the Patronage of the recently proclaimed Blessed John Henry Newman, which makes it look even more like his intercession has spearheaded this initiative. It came directly from the Pope, in answer to a plea from prominent Anglicans who couldn't see a way to continue in communion with Canterbury in good conscience.
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| Today's Ordinations (Offertory) |
Today, en route to an LMS meeting, I absolutely had to pop in to Westminster Cathedral to see the historic event whereby three ex-Anglican-bishops were ordained to the Catholic Priesthood. They 'defected' from the Anglican church late last year, converting on January 1st this year, and have been fast-tracked to the Priesthood so that they can help establish the new Ordinariate, which promises "will enable members ... to preserve within the Catholic Church those elements of Anglican ecclesial prayer, liturgy and pastoral practice (patrimony) that are concordant with Catholic teaching and which have nurtured and nourished their Christian faith and life." It certainly reflects how my wife found the journey to Catholicism; being drawn into a fullness of Faith rather than being repulsed by Anglican traditions.
I quote above a press release from the Bishops Conference of England & Wales (BCEW) which also mentions "The Ordinariate will not be a Ritual Church; that is, the Ordinariate will not be principally defined by the liturgical rites it uses." Of course this is a special interest of mine, since I am devoted to the traditional Latin Liturgy of the Church. It seems like they'll be able to use the 'Anglican Use' established in America, but also that "the Ordinariate will always be able to use the Roman Rite" which means, yes, the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite will be accessible and hopefully offered for the good of traditionalists in the Catholic pond.
Better still, they will not be subject to the same sort of adverse pressures that Roman Catholic Clergy are, since the Ordinariate is a personal body of the Holy See and not answerable to the BCEW, but rather to a Governing Body (where at least half the membership will be comprised of new 'Anglo-Catholic' Priests). However, the press release does mention that £250,000 has been invested from the BCEW, and that the new Ordinary of the Ordinariate (mouthful? Basically means the office and power to govern, like a Bishop in his diocese) will be an ex-officio member of the BCEW, and expected to "take a full part in its discussions and decisions" and will "implement the resolutions taken by the Conference within the life of the Ordinariate". Sounds like the BCEW are being control freaks to me!
Rev Fr Keith Newton is the 'Ordinary' despite never being able to be a full Catholic Bishop (while his spouse is living): He was a married Anglican-bishop and received into the Church with his family this month and ordained today (Anglican orders are 'null and void' according to Pope Leo XIII's Papal Bull Apostolicae Curae in 1896). By Tradition, although it is known for Priests to be married, it is unheard of to have married Bishops. Today Fr Newton announced "I hope the Ordinariate will be a gift to the Catholic Church and that I, together with those priests and people who join the Ordinariate, will be of service to the whole Church." I hope this statement bears fruit, and that rather than marginalised or ghettoised, these new Catholics will teach us more about our own Faith than has been passed down to my generation.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Epiphany House Blessing
During what was once the octave of Epiphany, we took advantage of a passing Priest and had our first traditional Epiphany House Blessing. I thought I'd make the text available below.
Epiphany Blessing
Epiphany Blessing
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