Julian Assange and his "admirable" backers

The Telegraph reports that the folk who stood bail for alleged sex pest Julian Assange have been ordered to stump up £93,500. It seems the judge has treated them rather leniently by reducing the amount they each have to pay and by giving them a month to come up with the money.

The bit that really caught my eye was this:

 Howard Riddle, Chief Magistrate, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday: “I say immediately that I have real respect for the way that the sureties have conducted themselves in difficult circumstances.
“In declining to publicly (or as far as I know privately) urge Mr Assange to surrender himself they have acted against self-interest.
“They have acted on their beliefs and principles throughout. In what is sometimes considered to be a selfish age, that is admirable.”

So a judicial officer thinks that it's "admirable" to back someone who has broken his bail conditions? I wonder if Howard Riddle would have been so lenient if it had been a common drunk or petty thief who had skipped bail. Somehow I doubt it.

Making the sign of the cross

Here's a snippet of the transcription of a fascinating talk given by Dom Cassian Folsom, prior of the Benedictine Monastry of San Benedetto and well known liturgical scholar:

... I had occasion to talk with a young Greek layman, who pointed out to me that Catholics make the sign of the cross backwards. That's not the most ecumenical way to put it! But there's something behind what he said. You know how the Byzantine tradition makes the sign of the cross: with the thumb, forefinger and middle finger held together and the last two fingers held together against the palm.
The three fingers symbolize the Trinity, and the two fingers symbolized the double nature of Christ: divine and human. Making the sign of the cross then, becomes a mini-catechesis, a self-reminder of the most basic mysteries of our faith.
But the way of holding your fingers is not the only difference. The eastern tradition makes the sign of the cross from right to left, whereas we make it from left to right. Why?
It's interesting to note that in the 13th century, Pope Innocent III (contemporary with St. Francis of Assisi) instructed the faithful on the meaning of the sign of the cross in these words: "The sign of the cross is made with three fingers, because the signing is done together with the invocation of the Trinity. This is how it is done: from above to below, and from the right to the left, because Christ descended from the heavens to the earth, and from the Jews (right) he passed to the Gentiles (left)."
Note that Pope Innocent is describing what the custom was in the West. In the 13th century the East and the West still made the sign of the cross in the same way. The pope goes on to say: "Others, however, make the sign of the cross from the left to the right, because from misery (left) we must cross over to glory (right), just as Christ crossed over from death to life, and from Hades to Paradise. [Some priests] do it this way so that they and the people will be signing themselves in the same way. You can easily verify this - picture the priest facing the people for the blessing - when we make the sign of the cross over the people, it is from left to right."
So the people, imitating the blessing of the priest, began to sign themselves from left to right. Be that as it may, centuries have gone by since then, and we in the West make the sign of the cross from left to right, with the palm open.

The whole, very interesting transcript is here

Hitler's Pope

I've long thought that the myth of Hitler's pope is one of the great slanders of our time. The lies of a few about Venerable Pius XII have encouraged every rag tag Catholic baiter to adopt the "cause" and accusePapa Pacelli of being, at best an anti-Semite, and at worst an active collaborator with Hitler.

The Telegraph today has an article about recently released documents that show the high regard in which Pius XII was held by many Jews:

“While in nearly all the countries of Europe we were persecuted, imprisoned and threatened with death because we belong to the Jewish people and profess the Jewish faith, Your Holiness not only sent notable and generous gifts to our camp through the apostolic nuncio...but also showed your fatherly interest in our physical and spiritual well-being,” they wrote in German.

“(You) intrepidly raised your universally venerated voice against our enemies – still so powerful at that time – to openly support our rights to human dignity.

“When in 1942 we were under the threat of deportation to Poland, Your Holiness extended your fatherly hand to protect us and prevented the deportation of the Jews imprisoned in Italy, thereby saving us from almost certain death.”

Unfortunately, of course, it doesn't matter what is or isn't released because the secularist liars and bigots will continue to peddle their calumny.

You can read the whole article here

Fulton J Sheen

'Nuff said!

A Thread for Weaving Joy

"A Thread for Weaving Joy" is the title of a talk given earlier this week by Philadelphia Archbishop Charles Chaput O.F.M. Cap. to some participants in the March for Life pro-life rally.

Imagine a bishop standing up and expounding Catholic teaching. Imagine a bishop talking about what is required to be a Catholic. The cheek of it!

Catholic public officials who take God seriously cannot support laws that attack human dignity without lying to themselves, misleading others and abusing the faith of their fellow Catholics.  God will demand an accounting.  Catholic doctors who take God seriously cannot do procedures, prescribe drugs or support health policies that attack the sanctity of unborn children or the elderly; or that undermine the dignity of human sexuality and the family.  God will demand an accounting.  And Catholic citizens who take God seriously cannot claim to love their Church, and then ignore her counsel on vital public issues that shape our nation’s life.  God will demand an accounting.

and then there is this:

Evil talks about tolerance only when it’s weak.  When it gains the upper hand, its vanity always requires the destruction of the good and the innocent, because the example of good and innocent lives is an ongoing witness against it.  So it always has been.  So it always will be.

While the speech is was delivered to an American audince, the points the Archbishop makes are equally valid on this side of the Atlantic.

Read the whole thing here.

O Emmanuel

The last of the seven great Antiphons, O Emmanuel



Latin:

O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,

exspectatio Gentium, et Salvator earum:

veni ad salvandum nos, Domine, Deus noster.

English:

O Immanuel, you are our king and judge,

the One whom the peoples await and their Saviour.

O come and save us, Lord, our God.

Isaiah prophesied:

"The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and shall give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

Immanuel means "God is with us". 

O Rex Gentium

The King of the Nations,  or O Rex Gentium, O Antiphon number 6.


Latin:

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,

lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:

veni, et salva hominem,

quem de limo formasti.

English:

O King whom all the peoples desire,

you are the cornerstone which makes all one.

O come and save man

whom you made from clay.

Isaiah tells us:

"For there is a child been born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace." (Isaiah 9:5)

"He will wield authority over the nations, and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war." Isaiah 2:4

O Oriens

O Antiphon number 5, O Oriens or O Rising Sun (Sunrise)

Latin:

O Oriens,

splendor lucis aeternae, et sol justitiae:

veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

English:

O Rising Sun,

you are the splendour of eternal light and the sun of justice.

O come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Isaiah tells us:

"The people that walked in darkness has seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone." (Isaiah 9:2)

O Radix Jesse

The third of the O Antiphons, O Radix Jesse or O stock of Jesse

Latin:

O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,

super quem continebunt reges os suum,

quem Gentes deprecabuntur:

veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

English:

O stock of Jesse, you stand as a signal for the nations;

kings fall silent before you

whom the peoples acclaim.

O come to deliver us, and do not delay.

Isaiah says:

"A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots." (Isaiah 11:1)

and

"That day, the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples. It will be sought by the nations and its home will be glorious." (Isaiah 11:10)

Jesse was the father of King David, and Micah had prophesied that the Messiah would be of David's line and be born in David's city, Bethlehem (Micah 5:1)

O Adonai

The second of the O Antiphons, O Adonai 

Latin:

O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel,

qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,

et ei in Sina legem dedisti:

veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

English:

O Adonai, and leader of Israel,

you appeared to Moses in a burning bush

and you gave him the law on Sinai.

O come and save us with your mighty power.

In Isaiah we read:

"... but [He] judges the wretched with integrity, and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land. His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless, his sentences bring death to the wicked. Integrity is the loincloth round his waist, faithfulness the belt about his hips." (Isaiah 11:4-5)

"For the Lord is our judge, the Lord our lawgiver, the Lord our king and our saviour." (Isaiah 33:22)

O Sapienta

The first of the O Antiphons. O Sapientia or O Wisdom.

In Latin:

O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,

attingens a fine usque ad finem,

fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:

veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

In English:

O Wisdom, you come forth from the mouth of the Most High.

You fill the universe and hold all things together

in a strong yet gentle manner.

O come to teach us the way of truth.

In the prophecy of Isaiah we read:

"On him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." (Isaiah 11:2).

This prophecy is especially significant read with the Gospel of St John chapter 1, where we read in verses 1 - 3 "In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things came to be, not one thing had its being but through him."

and in verse 14 "The Word was made flesh, he lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Isaiah's Lips Anointed with Fire

The O Antiphons

As we enter the last week of Advent we begin to use the great "O" antiphons at Evening Prayer. Over the next few days I'll be reproducing a post for each day that I wrote two years ago. Here is the first:

On 17 December we enter the Octave before Christmas and we use, at Vespers, the seven "O Antiphons". Each day until 24 December has a different one of the seven O Antiphons preceding the Magnificat.

Fr William Saunders at Catholic Education says

The exact origin of the O Antiphons is not known. Boethius (c. 480-524) made a slight reference to them, thereby suggesting their presence at that time. At the Benedictine abbey of Fleury (now Saint-Benoit-sur-Loire), these antiphons were recited by the abbot and other abbey leaders in descending rank, and then a gift was given to each member of the community. By the eighth century, they are in use in the liturgical celebrations in Rome. The usage of the “O Antiphons” was so prevalent in monasteries that the phrases, “Keep your O” and “The Great O Antiphons” were common parlance. One may thereby conclude that in some fashion the “O Antiphons” have been part of our liturgical tradition since the very early Church.

The "O Antiphons" are important for two reasons. Firstly, each antiphon highlights a title for the Messiah, and secondly each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah telling of the coming of the Messiah.

I hope to post the O Antiphon of the day, in Latin and English, each day from 17 to 24 December. The Latin will be as per the Breviarium Romanum and the English as per the The Divine Office translation as approved for use in England (and most other English speaking countries bar the US). Quotations from scripture will be as appear in The Jerusalem Bible.

Why I won't be wearing a poppy

I have two grandparents that fought in World War II and at least one great-grandfather that fought in WWI. I'm told that they, and their comrades, fought and died in those wars because they were opposed to fascism.
 
So why am I obliged to wear a poppy? Who are the Royal British Legion and their fascist supporters who insist that I wear their poppy?

Why am I viewed as some kind of screwball for pointing out that the history of the "British" Army is lined with the millions of corpses of British colonialism from Ireland and Scotland (nearly a century ago) to modern day Afghanistan and Iraq? 

Why should I wear the bloodstained poppy and support their poppy appeal when the money from their collection tins goes to line the pockets of the Bloody Sunday murderers?

Help for Heroes indeed!

Why should I accept that my children will be brainwashed at school into accepting their "Poppy Day" myth?

Their meaning of "hero" seems to be very different to mine and that difference seems to increase every year.

The jingoism that has accompanied the debate this week between FIFA and the English FA sums it up. In short, the poppy is a symbol of the collective acts of the British Army that would "shame all the devils in hell".

If you have to wear a poppy wear a white one.

After all, if Margaret Thatcher has expressed her "deep distaste" for the white poppy it must be the right thing to do!

St Malachy

Today is the feast day of the saint after whom this blog is named - Malachy. So, from the archives of this blog:

St Malachy, who was he?

Malachy died on 2 November 1148 but his feast day is kept on 3 November to avoid a clash with All Souls Day.

source: Patricia Drury at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Malachy

As an aside, it's also the feast day of St Martin de Porres

Of archbishops and stolen property

The T*blet of 17 September has an editorial about one Revd Nolbert Kunonga who has declared himself the Anglican "archbishop" of Harare and who has seized church property including the cathedral. The link is here. Caveat lector - reading The T*blet places one in spiritual danger.

I'm not sure I see the problem. Surely the good reverend is simply following a 450 year old Anglican tradition by seizing Church property and by awarding himself an ecclesial title?

I would have thought The T*blet would have approved. After all, that magazine is Anglican in all but name any way...

Our Lady of Sorrows

At the cross her station keeping

stood the mournful Mother weeping,

close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,

all His bitter anguish bearing

now at lenght the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

was that Mother highly blessed,

of the sole-begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,

she beneath beholds the pangs

of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

'whelmed in miseries so deep,

Christ's dear Mother to behold?

Can the human heart refrain

from partaking in her pain,

in that Mother's pain untold?

Bruised, derided, cursed, defiled,

she beheld her tender Child

All with scourges rent.

For the sins of His own nation,

saw Him hang in desolation,

Till His spirit forth He sent.

O sweet Mother! fount of love!

Touch my spirit from above,

make my heart with thine accord.

Make me feel as thou hast felt;

make my soul to glow and melt

with the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through,

in my heart each wound renew

of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with thee His pain,

who for all our sins was slain,

who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,

mourning Him who mourned for me,

all the days that I may live.

By the Cross with thee to stay,

there with thee to weep and pray,

is all I ask of thee to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!,

Listen to my fond request:

let me share thy grief divine;

Let me, to my latest breath,

in my body bear the death

of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,

steep my soul till it hath swooned,

in His very Blood away;

Be to me, O Virgin, nigh,

lest in flames I burn and die,

in His awful Judgment Day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,

by Thy Mother my defense,

by Thy Cross my victory;

While my body here decays,

may my soul Thy goodness praise,

safe in paradise with Thee.
Amen.

What kind of Catholic are you?

A bit of a fun quiz. What kind of Catholic are you? I'm:

You Are a Daily Rosary (Very Traditional) Catholic
You'd like the church to revive the time-honored devotions, liturgical practices, and strong institutional discipline that prevailed before the Second Vatican Council—and you're hoping that Pope Benedict XVI will lead the church in exactly that direction. Your favorite hymn is probably a traditional Latin composition such as the "Panis Angelicus," and your favorite pope is probably a pioneer of the Church's great liturgical tradition such as Gregory the Great.

Take the quiz by clicking here

PS: this is my first post from an iPad. Not altogether a simple task!

The new English translation: day 2

The new English translation: day 1

Nada, nothing, zilch, zip.

Same old, same old lame duck 1973 ICEL version.

How disappointing.

Senseless and Backward Thinking

Here is the text of a letter that appeared in the official bi-monthly publication of the Diocese of Portsmouth, The Portsmouth People:

In 1984 the Church decided, after consultation, to encourage Catholics to become more autonomous and to take greater responsibility for the practice of their faith. This resulted in an individual, personal choice with regard to a Friday sacrifice and there is now a plethora of good practice that is positive and far more meaningful than the old meat abstention, for example the practice of partaking in a smaller meal with the savings going to Cafod's work with the hungry poor. I now understand that there is about to be a revival of the prescriptive meat-free Fridays. This is a retrograde step, a return to introverted pre-occupation rather than the healthier looking-outward to make our sacrifice helpful to others, whether on a Friday or another day of the week.

Many people wonder why the Church in this country is now trying to reestablish a practice that has long since been dead and buried - and walking backwards is always fraught with danger. People surely will no longer respond to a one-size-fits-all negative practice that the Church saw fit to abandon 27 years ago. Has there been any consultation with lay people this time? If so, I certainly missed it. Do the authorities remember that one of the reasons for abandoning this practice was the difficulty it could cause in inter-denominational or inter-faith marriages?

Catholics no longer want to put up with being treated as wayward infants in need of rules and regulations imposed from on high, a kind of ecclesiastical ‘elf and safety’. We are quite capable of finding ways to witness to our faith, depending on our own individual circumstances, be they within schools, parishes or other faith (and non-faith) communities.

Over the past 27 years we have been enriched by joining with other Christians so that together we can bear witness to our Christian identity. To our great benefit, we have become less defensive and much more proactive in going out to the world, as Jesus asked us to do: ‘Go out and bear fruit’.

The days are surely gone when we can in any way justify those small egocentric ‘holy huddles’ and esoteric practices whereby Catholics tried to defend themselves against the wicked world.

If we are not careful, we will be in danger of isolating and alienating ourselves once again under the doubtful notion of re-establishing ‘Catholic identity’. Let's think again because, at the end of the day, most of us won't take a blind bit of notice of such senseless and backward thinking.

The writer gives her name but I won't put that up here.

There is so much that is wrong in this letter there is no point in "fisking" it. A good riposte though is, I think, to call to mind the words of Pope Benedict in his address to the Bishops of England and Wales during their 2010 ad limina visit when he said:

In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognize dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate. It is the truth revealed through Scripture and Tradition and articulated by the Church’s Magisterium that sets us free.

Pity our bishops. How can they lead us towards a revitalised Catholic identity when we have a bossy laity with a "grown up" attitude like this?

PS: If there was one word you knew would be in this letter it is surely "Cafod"