More on last night's 40 Days for Life vigil with Bishop Alan Hopes - The British press indulge in inaccurate reporting

I guessed that the Guardian and some other sloppy liberal news agencies would misrepresent last night's prayer vigil - and counter demonstration - outside the BPAS abortion clinic in Bedford Square. And, true to form, they seem to have done a splendid job in being biased, as usual. But I must confess that even I was shocked to read the seemingly inaccurate report on this event compiled by the Press Association - from which most other journalists will gather their information if they choose to cover this story.

In fact, I am so angry at the way the truth appears to have been twisted - either mistakenly or deliberately - by the Press Association, that I sent them two emails this morning asking them to amend what some would consider to be an inflammatory piece of journalism. In this age of mounting concern over press irresponsibility, it is quite depressing to see a once respected agency publishing an article that doesn't seem to have been checked or corroborated. In fact, it only took me a few minutes to discover that many acts of intimidation attributed to members of the pro-life vigil by the PA, had, in fact, been directed towards them by the pro-abortionists.

Here are a few examples of the most glaring misrepresentations of reality found in the Press Association report - which will now probably be used by many other news agencies, and which will spread throughout cyber-space.

By beginning with a sentence claiming that "protesters clashed with abortion advocates", the PA article appeared to fail on two major counts. Those who were at last night's event as 'protesters' were actually there to demonstrate against the pro-life vigil, not against abortion. So, one wonders how they managed to clash with themselves? (Seeing how chaotic their behaviour was, though, I am sure there may have been instances of 'friendly fire' within their hostile and confrontational camp.)

It seems to me that whoever wrote this story for the PA may even have wished to make attendees of the vigil appear as the violent ones, who "clashed with abortion advocates". As I recounted earlier this morning, there were no instances of violence or intimidation by those at the vigil - in fact, the opposite is true. Even this article on Demotix, which appears to have been written with a bias in favour of the pro-abortion protesters, corroborates the fact that: "the Catholics largely stood in silence or quietly made the responses in the service, many fingering their rosary beads and a few continually crossing themselves, many of the pro-choice protesters were in boisterous mood." (Boisterous is one way of putting it!)

The next piece of what seems to be unreliable reporting in the Press Association report is this: "500 activists on either side chanted at each other". Most people there would probably agree it was highly unlikely that there were "500 activists on either side". In fact, I would have put the number of pro-lifers at about 300, and estimate that there may have been about 200 - 300 pro-abortionists (their numbers seemed to fluctuate considerably during the evening - being joined at one point by a bunch of environmentalists on bicycles!).

But quibbles over numbers are a minor thing compared to the assertion that both sides were chanting at each other. Yes, the pro-abortionists were chanting, loudly and manically, at those praying - but those at the vigil never (as far as I could hear) chanted back at those who were harassing them (unless there may have been the odd lone wolf claiming to be a part of the vigil).

Those who had gathered to pray, simply did just that. And, if they were chanting, or singing (to be more correct), at anyone, then their voices were directed towards God and the saints, not the pro-abortion group. (In fact, I would have preferred some proper chanting, of the Gregorian sort, during the vigil - I wished last night's gathering could have ended with a sung Marian anthem, for example.)

Here, though, are what appear to be the two most serious possible errors contained in today's PA report on the pro-life vigil and the pro-abortion protest. At best, these parts of the report betray sloppy journalism, at worst they have been deliberately distorted, possibly even to create further problems or acts of intimidation towards pro-lifers - the ones who were actually being harassed last night.

Firstly, the Press Association article claims that: "Pro-life demonstrators shouted 'go home and pray' and sang the Lord's Prayer. Pro-abortionists responded by singing 'stop harassing women' and 'sit down if you hate women'."

I cannot for the life of me, though, imagine that anyone at the vigil would have shouted 'go home and pray' to those who were at the protest. In fact, such behaviour from a bunch of praying people wouldn't even make sense - surely the opposite is more likely? The truth is, though, that it appears that it was the pro-abortionists who were shouting 'go home and pray' to those gathered for the vigil. In fact, the Demotix report on the event contains several photographs, one of which clearly shows a pro-abortionist holding a placard that reads: "God is everywhere, so pray at home".

The PA story also seemed to omit the fact that 'stop harassing women' and 'sit down [kneel, was the word that was actually used] if you hate women' were by far the tamest of the chants from the pro-abortion advocates. One wonders why they forgot to mention the really heinous things that the abortion advocates were chanting?

Secondly, the PA report claimed that: -

A small number of minor scuffles broke out between the opposing sides who were then separated by police. One man taunted pro-abortionists by removing his clothes to reveal a crucifix shaved on to his chest.

If it turns out that there were 'scuffles', I doubt very much that men, women and children on their knees praying could have been responsible for them! The only people I saw being stopped (in an informal manner) by the police were extremely angry pro-abortionists, some of whom had managed to surround the vigil, ignoring the police cordon, in order to verbally intimidate people at prayer.

Claiming that the man who "taunted pro-abortionists by removing his clothes to reveal a crucifix shaved to his chest" was somehow part of the pro-life vigil also appears to be a bizarre misrepresentation of the facts. This man, in fact, was at the event to protest against the pro-lifers - though, I am not sure if he was affiliated with anyone bar himself. Anyone with a smidgen of common sense would realise how odd it would be for someone to commit blasphemy against the Cross of Christ in an attempt to rile those who also seemed to share the same hatred!

Thankfully, the Demotix article includes some comments about this same man, saying: "Also present was one man dressed in a black coat and hat and a white 'dog-collar' who had shaved a cross in his dark-haired chest. He described himself as 'Pro-Love' and wanted everyone to show rather more love for each other, although like the pro-choice protesters he wanted to see an end to the harassment of women by the 40 Days for Life campaign." So, in reality, it would seem to me that the PA story should have read: "One man taunted pro-lifers by removing his clothes to reveal a crucifix shaved on to his chest."

It is sad to see that even the Press Association seems lacking in journalistic integrity nowadays. As far as this story is concerned, it seems to me that the PA either could not be bothered to get its facts right, or even actually wished to publish an inverted story. Such action does little to restore the credibility of the press, and could even lead to further violence towards a misrepresented group of people - namely, those praying during the 40 Days for Life vigil.

But we should not be surprised by such articles, for truth - like everything good and holy - appears to be a devalued commodity in modern-day Britain.

(I have written to the Press Association, asking them to correct their article  - I urge you all to do the same, here. Who knows, after reading the PA story, some pro-abortionists may even take it upon themselves to attack people who have been represented as violent taunters?)

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do - Praying with a Bishop outside an abortion clinic in London

Yesterday evening's 40 Days for Life vigil in Bedford Square, London
(c) Diocese of Westminster - published under a creative commons
licence. (Source: Catholic Westminster on Flickr)

I have never prayed outside an abortion clinic before. In fact I have never knowingly been anywhere near one. But yesterday evening, prompted by a desire to show my support for Bishop Alan Hopes and for the 40 Days for Life in London event, as well as those who have been the victims of the abortion industry, I decided to go along to the much publicised and talked about prayer vigil outside the BPAS 'clinic' in Bedford Square, central London.

Last night's act of prayer and witness formed only one small segment in a forty day vigil organised by 40 Days for Life. It began over a month ago and will come to an end in the next couple of days. From 7.00pm - 8.30pm last night, Bishop Alan Hopes, an auxiliary bishop of Westminster, was present at to lead part of the Rosary and some other prayers and acts of reparation. By the time I arrived, those who had gathered to pray were half way through the Sorrowful Mysteries - I am rarely on time for anything!

From what I saw, those gentle men, women and children who had gathered to pray for life, remained extremely well behaved, quiet and charitable throughout the event. They seemed, above all else, to be motivated by genuine love and a real sense of justice for women and the unborn.

As I mentioned the other day, those who actively support abortion had planned a demonstration against the vigil once they discovered that a successor of the Apostles would be leading some of last night's prayers. From comments posted openly online, many of them appeared furious and / or rattled that a bishop was going to be present at the prayer vigil. Without realising it, in responding with such fear and agitation and in organising a campaign against Bishop Hopes' presence, these apparent enemies of the Church were actually witnessing in a most profound way to the power of the episcopacy!

It would be true to say that many pro-abortionists seem to despise the Catholic Church, as well as the simple truth that a foetus is a human person or being. They have also been known in the past to resort to threatening behaviour and intimidation. For that reason, I was not looking forward to being on the receiving end of possible violence from some of the pro-abortion activists - mainly because I feared how I would react to it (I am not the calm person people believe me to be, and suffer from terrible temptations to anger and from a certain impulsiveness, when not at prayer). The possibility of being spat at or intimidated - with close-range filming, and so on - filled me with a certain sense of dread; would I be able to remain quiet in the face of such abuse? Would I betray the faith by my own weaknesses?

(This YouTube video demonstrates how engulfed in complete hatred some pro-abortionists can be, as well as how irrationally violent some of their tactics have been in other parts of the world.)

Where two or there are gathered in my name, I am there

I took one photo (right) of last night's event for the purpose of this blog, before joining the prayerful and peaceful vigil (at which no photos by the participants were allowed). The image shows supporters of 40 Days for Life gathered in prayer, and kneeling. They were being jeered at and abused by the heckling and screaming demonstrators, standing in the background. These anti-vigil protesters were also banging drums and playing pipes in a chaotic way (any residents must have been furious!).

All those who were there to pray acted in the most admirable way - as far as I could see, no one reacted to the extreme intimidation and hatred coming from the abortion supporters. On the other hand, as I was leaving, a policeman told me - after I'd asked him how to get out of the square - that they had found it difficult to contain the pro-abortionists and advised me to go down a side street to avoid them. It seemed as if the police were getting ready to move them on at that point.

In imitation of Our Lord, most, if not all, at the vigil were offering their prayers silently - and in tears - for those who have been victims of abortion, for those who work in the abortion industry, as well as for those who were mocking and abusing Jesus Christ, his mother and the Catholic faith. Auditory prayers were also constantly offered for women and the unborn, as well as for a greater appreciation of the dignity and sanctity of human life.

These words of Christ kept coming to mind when I looked over at the hate-filled demonstrators: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do (cf Lk 23:32). This verse became my prayer for the night. In fact, it actually seemed to me that these poor souls genuinely lacked any comprehension of how evil abortion is - of how it is the deliberate destruction of human life, often aided and abetted by medics who appear to have abandoned the Hippocratic Oath. (Of course, this prayer, Christ's prayer, was also being offered for me, who am an acknowledged sinner in need of grace and prone to regrettable behaviour.)

These same demonstrators also seemed to be spurred on by an overwhelming fear - and a dark form of fear at that (one that they themselves probably didn't understand). They reminded me of those demon-possessed types often seen in horror films, screaming obscenities at the sight of anything holy or good. In that respect, especially when we consider how angry they were at the presence of a bishop, another line from Scripture came to mind: What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time? (cf Mt 8:29).

Some of the chants and shrieking noises that were emanating from the pandemonium behind the police barrier were so heinous and bizarre, as well as unjust and fanatical, that I don't wish to repeat them here. Throughout the evening, though, the pro-abortion demonstrators kept chanting things like: "Stop harassing women!" Some even looked as if they had breached the police cordon, or had simply come over to the section where the vigil was being held, to continue this refrain, in an intimidating way, right next to those who were praying.

One angry woman (on a bicycle) even went up to several women, screaming in their faces: "Stop harassing me! Stop harassing women!" Knowing that it's pointless to reason with people in that state and through some grace of the Holy Spirit, no one - even if they had wanted to - responded to her. The prayers continued. At one point though, this same woman was stopped by a policeman - possibly because she herself was actually harassing those several women who had come there to pray. (Some pro-life women were obviously upset at being badgered like this, and one or two even appeared to leave in tears because of the tactics used by "pro-choice" protesters.)

At one point, a man even came up to those who were praying to mock them by implying that he wanted to have sex with some of the women (and men?). He said something like: "If you believe in love, why don't you join me in love-making?" (In fact, I believe his words were far cruder than that.) This man's seeming lack of respect made me realise that, for all their bluster, many pro-abortionists seem to have very little concern for women (or their rights)!

There seemed to be no sense of rationality or calmness about those who were there to protest against Bishop Alan Hopes and the 40 Days for Life vigil. The placards spoke volumes about them: "Keep your Eucharist off my uterus" and "Keep your Rosaries off our ovaries" were common slogans. These nonsensical phrases, though, demonstrated to me that these poor souls really were so consumed by fear or anger that they couldn't even pretend to be rational or reasonable. They feared holy things that made no sense to them. They also seemed to arrogantly believe that their arguments were beyond any rational criticism, whereas in reality some of their catchphrases were simply just beyond parody.

Two specific events will stay in my mind from yesterday evening's vigil.

The first was the extreme hatred shown by some pro-abortionists towards one particular woman, namely Mary, the mother of Jesus. It seemed that whenever Our Lady was mentioned, many of the abortion supporters would make weird noises, bang drums or jeer and mock; though, at other times they seemed subdued and completely quiet at the mention of the Virgin Mary. This behaviour really did strike me as being quite odd, the kind of thing one would expect to find in a book by Father Gabriele Amorth!

The second thing that struck me during the events of last night happened during the Stations of the Cross. When the 12th Station was announced - "Jesus dies on the Cross" - a most bizarre shrieking noise, a terrible mocking shrill, rose up amongst the protesters. It was spine-chillingly horrific - blasphemy in its truest and most heinous sense. It was at that point that I began to weep, not for myself or the others with me, but for those poor souls behind the police barrier - those men and women so consumed by hate, so lost ... so unaware. Duped, tricked, resentful and restless - Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

For various reasons, I often find it difficult to leave my house after dark. Going to Bedford Square, then, was quite a Calvary for me. Yet, I wanted to be there to pray with a successor of the Apostles for an end to abortion as well as for the salvation of all men and women, whoever they may be. Going along was well worth it, as the event was one of the most prayerful and profound experiences of my life - despite the cries and shrieks of hate. In fact, without realising it, those who had come to protest against God and the vigil were a great aid to prayer. I felt compassion for them. I wanted to offer my life for them. For a few minutes last night, the Beatitudes - which were read out at one point - became for me a living, present and overwhelming reality.

It was also good to meet some friends at yesterday's vigil, including some who had helped organise the 40 Days for Life event, some young people from Juventutem (London and Bristol), The Bones, Joseph Shaw (LMS Chairman), John Smeaton, and many others. I also know that Bara Brith was there, as well as Blondpidge, and Auntie Joanna. (Many of these bloggers have already written far better reports on the event than this one.)

It was particularly good to see so many joyful young people at the vigil, as well as many priests and seminarians - a sure sign of hope for the future. As for numbers present, I'd say there were about 300 pro-lifers and probably the same amount - if not slightly less - in the pro-abortion camp.

One phrase will stay with me from last night, though. It is quite an apt one for this holy time of year: Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. In that sense, praying the Stations of the Cross last night, which happened to be Friday in Passion Week, really did help me to walk a few steps with Our Lord along the Via Dolorosa.

Did you know that a Requiem was held for Eva Perón at Westminster Cathedral soon after her death in 1952?

Eva Peron - in the public domain
(source: Wikimedia)

The Falklands War began on 2 April 1982, which will be 30 years ago next week. Needless to say, this conflict marked a low point in the relationship between Britain and Argentina - one it is hoped will not be revisited, despite the sabre-rattling of more recent weeks. For that reason, then, it's probably good to remember that things were not always so strained between both nations.

This year also happens to mark the 60th anniversary of the death - on 26 July 1952 - of that iconic First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón, more famously known as Evita (she of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's musical). But did you know that on 26 August 1952, exactly a month after she'd died, a Requiem Mass was offered in Westminster Cathedral for the repose of Evita's soul?

An amazing photo of the Requiem was published soon afterwards in the Westminster Cathedral Chronicle. It was republished in this month's Oremus - successor to the Chronicle. (Oremus has a monthly section that republishes rarely seen historical photographs of events held in the Cathedral.) Not wanting to reveal all here, I urge you to buy a copy of the March issue of the magazine to see this historic photo.

This Requiem for Perón was sung by Mgr Cuthbert Collingwood, the Cathedral's Administrator, and the image found in this March's Oremus was taken during the Absolution of the Dead - a rite which was lost during the post-Conciliar liturgical changes. Needless to say, Eva Perón's body was not present - she was represented by a catafalque, which is clearly shown in the photo.

The congregation at this Requiem included the Earl of Cromer (representing HM The Queen), Dr Wilfredo Brunet (chief mourner and Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Argentinian Embassy), and a representative of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Also present were the Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rab Butler, as well as other cabinet ministers and many members of the diplomatic corps. (Many of these mourners can also be seen in the above mentioned photo.)  At the same time, another Requiem was being offered for Perón in Paris, by that city's Archbishop, the future Cardinal Maurice Feltin.

And now for the plug... Those who would like to buy Oremus, should visit the Westminster Cathedral Giftshop, or look for the magazine stand at the back of the Cathedral (or contact the publication's office). The Cathedral's monthly magazine includes fascinating articles, as well as rarely seen photos such as the one mentioned in this post. It has been in existence, in one shape or another, since before Westminster Cathedral itself had even been completed in 1903.

The next issue of the Oremus could be of interest to those of you who have often wondered what may become of the mother church of England and Wales' unfinished ceiling...

(Disclosure: I sometimes volunteer - in a relatively minor role - at the magazine's office)

New Provost elected for the London (Brompton) Oratory

The Brompton Oratory
This image has been released into the public domain
(source: Wikimedia Commons)

Many congratulations to Very Rev Fr Julian Large CongOrat, who was elected Provost of the London (Brompton) Oratory today. He replaces Very Rev Fr Ignatius Harrison CongOrat, who continues - I believe - to hold the office of Provost of the Birmingham Oratory. Until today, Fr Harrison was Provost both of the London and Birmingham Oratories.

Fr Julian Large, who worked in the print media before joining the Oratory, is an excellent priest, known for his love of and support for traditional Catholicism. Like St Philip Neri, who founded the Oratorians, Fr Large is also known for his ministry amongst young people - many of whom are drawn to the Brompton Oratory because of its apostolate of beauty and truth.

According to the Catholic Herald, "Fr Julian, 43, is a former gossip columnist for the Daily Telegraph, and a convert from Anglicanism." He was raised in Merseyside before going up to Oxford, where he studied at Mansfield College. As a student, Fr Large also ran the university architectural society.

It was also announced today that Rev Fr George Bowen CongOrat was elected Vice-Provost of the Brompton Oratory.

I offer my prayers for Fr Julian Large's intentions, as well as for the work and ministry of Frs Harrison and Bowen and the whole community at the London Oratory.

St Philip Neri, pray for us

Pro-abortionists are becoming more militant as their cause rightly comes under scrutiny - Please support Bishop Alan Hopes and the 40 Days for Life vigil this coming Friday

Pro-abortionists outside Westminster Cathedral yesterday -
holding placards that claim that Bishop Alan Hopes is
"a bully" and asking Catholics to "keep your rosaries off our
ovaries". Image kindly provided by "LC"
(Thank you for sending me the photo!)

Will you be in London this coming Friday, 30 March? If so, please consider joining Bishop Alan Hopes and other supporters of the 40 Days for Life campaign as they hold a peaceful prayer vigil outside the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bedford Square, WC1B 3HP) at 7.00pm. In case you're not aware, BPAS advertises itself as “the UK’s leading abortion specialist.”

In recent weeks, there have been several stories in the British press suggesting that many abortion providers are flouting even the UK’s extremely lax laws on pregnancy termination (see the Telegraph, 22 March 2012: "One in five abortion clinics breaks law"). As a result, the Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has asked the Care Quality Commission to investigate abortion providers so that any breaches of the law are properly reported to the General Medical Council and the police. In response to this proper action by the Government, today's editorial in the left-wing Guardian seems to be demanding further liberalisation of the laws surrounding abortion so that "a foetus with a cleft palate, or one that is the 'wrong' gender" may be aborted if that is what the mother (referred to as "the woman" throughout the piece) wants.

Needless to say, the revelations in last week's Telegraph as well as the fact that it is now established that children in the womb feel pain and trauma well in advance of birth, have succeeded in putting pro-abortionists on the back foot. As a result, it seems that some members of the abortion industry are – in the words of 40 Days for Life organiser, Robert Colquhoun (see the Catholic Herald)  – beginning to feel “rattled”. In that sense, they now seem far more militant in defending 'legal' termination of life (or as they would put it "a woman's right to choose") - hence pro-abortion protests like the one pictured above, which took place outside Westminster Cathedral yesterday.

Those who stand outside abortion clinics to keep prayerful vigil and to witness to the sanctity of life already know that some pro-abortionists can resort to intimidation and threats in the face of peaceful opposition to their industry. But it seems that because Bishop Hopes has decided to join the pro-life vigil this Friday – and possibly because of the bad press that pregnancy termination clinics have received in the past few weeks – some abortionists will be trying to make things even more difficult for the 40 Days for Life supporters this coming Friday. In fact, a "counter-demonstration" organised by a group called Abortion Rights has been organised to coincide with the arrival of the Bishop at 7.00pm.

One of Our Lady's sorrows: Mary receives the body of her
Son in her arms; a detail from "The descent from the Cross,
the arms of Mary" - photo taken by Vincent Desjardins
and published under a creative commons licence
(source: Wikimedia Commons)  

Those Catholics who follow the traditional (extraordinary) Roman Rite will know that this coming Friday, being the Friday in Passion Week, is also kept as a commemoration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Most of us can only imagine the sorrow that must consume the lives of those women who have had an abortion, but who later came to regret their actions. I personally know one woman in such a situation – who lives everyday in mourning for her own sin and for the loss of her child. Given proper counselling – the kind offered by Catholic charities, for example - she would probably never have gone ahead with the termination. Our Lady – the Mother of us all – has great compassion for victims of the abortion industry. She also, I'm sure, waits by the gates of Heaven to meet every unborn child who has been violently rejected whilst in the womb.

Bearing these things in mind, then, I urge as many of you as possible to follow John Smeaton’s call to action, specifically by: -

• showing your support for Bishop Hopes by attending the vigil on Friday 30 March, 7.00pm – 8.30pm, north-west corner of Bedford Square, London WC1B 3HP
• praying for Bishop Hopes and all those involved in 40 Days For Life
• praying for all those who work at BPAS, that God will turn their hearts away from death to life
• praying for all those women who visit BPAS, that God will strengthen them to protect their unborn children.

If you are still looking for something to do as an extra act of charity during Lent and you're able to get to Bedford Square on Friday evening, then please do go along to this vigil to show your support for Bishop Hopes, for 40 Days for Life, for the unborn and for their mothers (and fathers). The time really has come for abortion to be seen as the horrendous and hugely destructive and traumatic act that it is.

Pope appoints Bishop Walter Mixa to the Pontifical Council for Health and Pastoral Care - Is this wise considering this man's controversial resignation two years ago?

Bishop Walter Mixa
Attributed to Dr Christoph Goldt
Published under a creative commons
licence (Source: Wikipedia Commons)

It was announced yesterday that Pope Benedict XVI had appointed Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier OFM, Archbishop of Durban, and Bishop Walter Mixa, Emeritus Bishop of Augsburg, as a members of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. Many people reading this news would probably think to themselves "so what?" Others, though, may remember that Walter Mixa controversially resigned as Bishop of Augsburg only two years ago in what many would agree were rather bizarre circumstances.

At the time of Mixa's resignation fiasco, Anna Arco wrote an excellent comments piece in the Catholic Herald entitled "Augsburg's confessions: the strange case of Bishop Mixa" (2 July 2010). In it, Arco tried to make sense of some of the allegations that had been levelled against Mixa, summarising the rather odd and tragic events that surrounded this man's protracted resignation.

Initially, it seems that the Bishop of Augsburg was accused - in early 2010 - of having physically assaulted some children in his care. By the end of this saga, though, his own brother bishops were allegedly accusing him of drunkenness, financial impropriety and of having made past sexual advances towards seminarians and priests. The former Bishop of Augsburg was subsequently accused of other forms of child abuse, though these latter allegations proved to be baseless.

At first, the German prelate - who happens to be a close friend of Pope Benedict XVI - denied that there was any truth to these accusations against him. Within a few days, though, he seemed repentant and even willing to accept that he had made mistakes in the past. Later on, Mixa appeared to claim that he had been targeted by other members of the Church hierarchy in Germany, who used these allegations against him as a means of forcing him out of office. (His supporters suspected there may have been some kind of plot to remove him, for many "liberals" - and the German hierarchy seems to be full of them - did not care for his shoot-from-the-hip form of orthodox Catholicism.)

Eventually, Bishop Mixa conceded that he may have given some children a "clip round the ear" at an orphanage run by nuns several decades ago. He highlighted, though, that this form of punishment wasn't out of the ordinary at the time. He also admitted that some aspects of his financial dealings on behalf of the same orphanage were regrettable. Soon afterwards, Mixa resigned as Bishop of Augsburg, writing: “I am and have been conscious of my own weaknesses and I am very conscious of that in the face of those to whom I was unjust and all those to whom I gave sorrow”. Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation.

Soon after he had relinquished his Diocese, though, Mixa claimed that he had been pressured into resigning by some of his brother bishops, even suggesting that men like Archbishop Reinhard Marx and Archbishop Robert Zollitsch had put him through "purgatory". It also appears that he moved back into his episcopal apartments and then sought to withdraw his resignation. He even met with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss his future. After this meeting, though, the Holy See announced that: “Bishop Mixa will retire for a time of silence, meditation and prayer and, following a period of cure and reconciliation will, like other bishops emeritus, be available for pastoral duties, with the agreement of his successor.”

In concluding her article two years ago, Anna Arco hoped "that this will be the last we hear of the bizarre case of Bishop Mixa." Although it seems that Mixa may have been pushed rather too hastily from his Diocese, and may even have been unfairly treated by more "liberal" members of the Church, I felt at the time that Arco's concluding words were more than reasonable. I shared the same hope; even if I believe that Bishop Mixa's overall contribution to the Church will one day be shown to have been a positive one.

If a person resigns, then they should have the good grace to go - even if they belatedly think their initial resignation may have been misguided. Also, for all the good that he had done during his ministry, the numerous allegations levelled against Mixa and his way of dealing with them seemed to be damaging the Church. For that reason, then, one wonders whether it was wise for the Holy Father to appoint this Emeritus Bishop of Augsburg (as orthodox and traditional as he may well be) as a member of the Pontifical Council for Health and Pastoral Care? Often, it may indeed be best to let sleeping dogs lie.

One of Britain's best kept secrets - Was this 5th century Anglesey church built by the great St Patrick himself?

(A few weeks ago, I visited the graveyard where most of my family have been laid to rest. It was a beautifully sunny day when I was there, and I should have taken some photos at the time. But instead, I silently asked St Patrick to intercede for me, that I may find a place next to my ancestors... One day, God-willing, I, too, will rest with my loved ones on those holy rocks where the wailing gulls keep a constant vigil on the breeze - This post is an edited version of one I published on here two years ago.)

Llanbadrig church and graveyard
(Source: Half Light Locations)

A large number of my family can be found buried in one place – surrounding an ancient church on the most northerly tip of Wales. The small hamlet is called Llanbadrig - which is the Welsh (or ancient British) for “church of St Patrick”. The church was founded in AD 440, possibly by the Apostle to the Irish himself.

As a child, I would often visit the grave of my recently deceased grandparents, who are buried in Llanbadrig's churchyard. Since then, they have been joined by several other members of my family - uncles and aunts, amongst others. Gathered together in death, all their graves seem to cling to the edge of a steep cliff that overlooks the Irish Sea. On a clear day, those who visit here can even see Ireland to the West and the Isle of Man to the North.

Llanbadrig is always a spiritually atmospheric place, and the weather never seems less than exaggerated - when he sun is out, its rays fill the sky, but woe betide the man who walks through the graveyard on a windy day! Nothing appears to have changed since the time of St Patrick himself - with the exception of a nuclear power plant in the distance, the scenery would be familiar to our pre-Reformation ancestors. The grey power plant only adds to the often grim and mystical air of the place.

Those who are baptised can enter Welsh churchyards via
the gate - the unbaptised should climb over the stile (left)

The church itself is fascinating for many different reasons. It is a very ancient British church, founded well over a century before St Augustine of Canterbury came from Rome to convert the English. In fact, the church was built well before the English, as a people, had even come into existence.

It is generally accepted by historians and archaeologists that there was a Christian place of worship on this site by 440 at the latest - at least 150 years before Augustine set foot on the Isle of Thanet. This leads me to the second remarkable fact about this holy site – it is commonly believed that it was none other than St Patrick himself who founded the church. If this is so, then Llanbadrig would be the unique - the only church in Britain to have been erected by the Apostle to the Irish.

Screen shot from the video below

Patrick (Patricius, or Padrig) was a Romano-Briton, and therefore, in effect, what we would nowadays refer to as Welsh (or Cornish, Cumbrian or Breton). He was descended from the ancient peoples of Britain, the Brythoniad, as well as from Roman nobility.

When the western Roman Empire collapsed in the early 400s and the legions left Britannia, most of the island spoke the ancient British language, the ancestor of modern Welsh. St Patrick, who lived possibly around Cumbria (or even Yr Hen Ogledd, modern day Scotland; or modern day West Wales), would have identified strongly with these people, who were noble, civilised, and Christian (Catholics in communion with Rome) – as opposed to the pagans of Ireland to the West, or Germany to the East.

Of course, as we all know, some Irish pirates – who were prone to plunder the western coastline of Britain after the Roman occupation - kidnapped Patrick as a 16-year-old boy. He was taken to Hibernia (Ireland) as a slave and was forced to look after livestock. It was during this time that the young Patrick underwent a spiritual conversion of life, and began taking his Catholic faith seriously for the first time. Somehow, after several yeas as a slave amongst the pagans, he managed to escape. Once home, though, he became deeply convinced that God was calling him back to the barbarians he’d just left – in order, this time, to capture them for the Gospel!


Scenes from around Llanbadrig churchyard - with Demi Moore gazing at
my grandparents' grave - around 1:30min into the video
Local history clams that on one of his trips from Britain to Ireland, Patrick - by then a bishop - was shipwrecked off the coast of Anglesey. He landed on a small island, which is now called Ynys Badrig ("Patrick’s Island" – though the English name for it is “Middle Mouse”, for the rock looks like - you've guessed it! - a little mouse) and then swam the short distance to the mainland.

There's an ancient well, called Ffynnon Badrig ("Patrick’s Well"), near the spot where he landed (Porth Padrig, "Patrick's Cove"). Many claim that Patrick used this well both for his own drinking water and as a natural baptismal font. (My grandmother would visit this well often, seeking a cure for her arthritis - cancer cured it in the end.) The path leading away from the well looks as if it's been embedded with someone's footprints, which the locals refer to as “ol traed Sant Padrig”, or “the footprints of St Patrick”.

St Patrick is said to have lived in a nearby cave, called Ogof Badrig ("Patrick's Cave"), which is believed to have been used as a temporary home by my great-great-great grandmother, who, by coincidence, had come from Ireland - escaping the Great Famine of 1845 - 1852.

In thanksgiving for surviving the shipwreck, it is commonly believed that Patrick founded the church which now bears his name. In the Middle Ages it was a popular place of pilgrimage, and there was a small hermitage  for women just along the coast (Llanlleiana - "the nun's church").

My grandparents' grave - I hope to be
joining them sometime soon.
My grandmother's brother was a well-known
bard in Wales, and he composed a beautiful
englyn  (a type of Welsh poem) for this stone

Llanbadrig church is full of relics from its ancient Catholic past - a medieval holy water stoop rests on the floor in the porch, for example, whilst the baptismal font is 12th century. Another medieval feature is the saint’s niche near the altar, which once contained a statue of St Patrick of Ireland – carved snakes can still be seen along its sides (evidence that pre-Reformation locals believed that their Patrick was also the Patrick). Inside the church there is yet another fascinating feature - a strange black tombstone into which a 'wheel-cross', commonly used by early Christians, has been carved. Some have suggested that this stone was brought to Llanbadrig by Patrick himself, after he had visited Rome, for it resembles stones from the catacombs. Others, though, point out that it probably dates from the much later 9th century.

The historian and realist in me is compelled to understand the myths surrounding the Apostle of the Irish and Llanbadrig in the light of modern or well-researched scholarship.

For some time now, it has been widely held by hagiographers that the stories concerning St Patrick’s life are an amalgamation of five different saints' lives, all bearing the same name and all from the same period – it was quite a popular name in 5th century Britain!

According to the classic Lives of the British Saints; The Saints of Wales, Cornwall and Irish Saints by S Baring-Gould and John Fisher, the various saints that are often confused and amalgamated into the one St Patrick were: Palladius (sent to Ireland by Pope Celestine); Padrig Mawon (or Patrick Magonius of Wales); Padrig Mac Caplurn (Patrick MacCalpurn – author of the Confession); Padrig nephew of the former, and son of St Sannan the Deacon; and Padrig ab Alfryd (Patrick son of Alfryd).

Some now argue that it was this last Patrick - Padrig ab Alfryd - who founded the church where my ancestors worshipped and around which so many of them have been laid to rest. Maybe so, but will we ever know for sure. One thing is for certain, for centuries the people of that part of Anglesey have identified their saint with the cult of St Patrick, Bishop of Armagh and Apostle of Ireland, even to the point that the parish's patronal feast day has always been kept on 17 March.

Another member of my family scurries like a ghost to take
shelter in St Patrick's porch 

Now, if that weren't enough… One of the most interesting aspects of this old British church, which was possibly founded by one of the greatest Catholic saints, is that inside it looks a bit like a mosque!

In the 19th century, the local landowner - The 3rd Lord Stanley of Alderley (whose nephew was Bertrand Russell, the philosopher) - converted to Islam. In fact, he was the first Muslim peer ever to sit in the House of Lords.

When Llanbadrig church was in need of some renovation in the 1840s - around the time when my ancestor was living in St Patrick's Cave - Lord Stanley offered to pay for the work. But, seeing that "nothing comes from nothing", the Muslim peer insisted that blue Islamic tiles be used to decorate the church's walls! He also designed and paid for Islamic patterns in the new stained-glass windows. So, the interior of this hunched-up little church is decorated in a style more suited to the palace of a 19th century sultan than an oratory of a rugged British saint!

As a small boy, I remember the scandal and pain caused when some local juveniles decided to vandalise the building by setting it alight. It was my great-uncle Owen (affectionately known as Yncl Now) who helped restore the roof and who also campaigned for the church to be recognised as an important historical site. It is a wonderful place – well worth a visit if you ever happen to be in that part of the world, and / or have a devotion to St Patrick, or even seek to advance Christian-Muslim relations!

A Japanese story that meditates on the Holy Face of Jesus - Have you ever read Shusaku Endo's great novel Silence?

Something quite out of the ordinary happened to me recently. Having discovered my newly found devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus, an Archbishop very kindly lent me a novel – Silence by Shusaku Endo - which happens to be, amongst other things, a profound reflection on the Holy Face. Last night, I finished reading this book – having enjoyed Endo's story right till the very last few pages, which - either in a good or bad way (I haven't decided, yet) - left me with a sense of gutted deflation.

It’s with some justification that the late Shusaku Endo is often referred to as the “Japanese Graham Greene”. Silence, which is his most acclaimed novel, is saturated with Catholicism and doubt, and filled with courageous men and cowards. It is also a study of human resilience and love, and a reflection on the realities of suffering, despair, anger, jealousy and temptation in the face of severe trauma – the story is set during the horrific persecution of Christians in 17th century Japan, and includes references to real characters and events.

Endo's novel, which was first published in 1966, is ultimately a literary meditation on the silence of God in the face of evil. It follows a Portuguese Jesuit priest, Sebastião Rodrigues (based on the historical figure Giuseppe Chiara), and his fellow missionary, Father Francisco Garrpe, before and during their mission to Japan - at which time they also try and find their old mentor, the apostate Father Cristóvão Ferreira (based on a real character, too). All this provides for an extremely exciting and psychologically charged story – full of adventure and suspense.

As Silence is set during the anti-Catholic Japanese persecutions of the mid-1600s, the novel reminded me so much of our own Reformation priests and martyrs – men such as John Southworth, who himself was brutally executed for the Faith in 1654. It also reminded me of Greene's The Power and the Glory, which follows a cowardly whisky-priest as he flees from the Communist persecution of the Church in 1920s and 1930s Mexico. Whilst reading Endo's book, I kept wondering whether there are any novels out there based on the life of a 16th or 17th century English recusant Catholic priest? If not, maybe someone needs to write one.

Despite the deflation that I felt at the end of this novel, I am very grateful to have been introduced to it and for having been lent it. It was definitely suitable reading material for Lent – especially as the tale of Father Rodrigues is intimately connected to the Passion and death of Christ. It is also a story that dwells on the themes of temptation, whilst the on-going references to the Holy Face also provide a sensitive meditation on the awesome mystery of the human face of God - an example of which can be found in these lines: -

"The clouds disappeared from the water and instead there appeared the face of a man - yes, there reflected in the water was a tired, hollow face. I don't know why, but at that moment I thought of the face of another man. This was the face of a crucified man, a face which for so many centuries had given inspiration to artists. This man none of these artists had seen with his own eyes, yet they portrayed his face - the most pure, the most beautiful that has claimed the prayers of man and has corresponded with his highest aspirations. No doubt, his real face was more beautiful than anything they have envisaged. Yet the face reflected in this pool of rainwater was heavy with mud and stubble; it was thin and dirty; it was the face of a haunted man filled with uneasiness and exhaustion."

In many ways, Silence is a reversal of Greene’s The Power and the Glory. In one, a brave man is reduced to cowardice, whilst the other sees the transformation of a drunken failure into a Christian martyr. Yet, the profound feelings aroused at the end of Silence were, for me, far more moving that those I felt when I finished reading The Power and the Glory many years ago. As opposed to Greene, who often held out some hope of redemption, Endo’s ending appears to offer little light or victory. No great drama – just the mundane reality of our human need to fail.

The Hollywood film director, Martin Scorsese, is in the process of adapting Endo’s book into a celluloid study on faith, persecution and apostasy - his film should be released next year. He won’t be the first to turn this novel into a film, for Masahiro Shinoda also used it as the basis for his 1971 movie, Chinmoku (see this YouTube clip).

Head of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation criticises Tony Blair - whilst Rowan Williams will speak at the Catholic Church's Synod of Bishops in October

Archbishop Rino Fisichella
(c) Rei Momo  published under a creative commons
licence (source: Wikimedia Commons)

The man appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to oversee the Church's 'New Evangelisation' project has spoken out against Tony Blair's recent dissent from Catholic teaching on marriage. Archbishop Rino Fisichella (pictured), President of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation, criticised the former British Prime Minster for his public declaration of "strong support" for same-sex marriage over the weekend.

According to La Stampa's Vatican correspondent, Archbishop Fisichella said that Blair - who is, bizarrely, a Catholic convert - was "in error" concerning his enthusiastic support for same-sex marriage. The head of the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelisation went on to say: "If newspaper reports are correct, Blair, I think, should make a serious examination of conscience and understand how to be consistent with the content of faith and the practical action that politicians need to take."

Tony Blair's conversion to the Catholic faith only six months after leaving office in 2007 was and is a cause of concern for many traditional and orthodox members of the Church. Another Catholic convert and politician, Ann Widdecome, openly complained at the time that many of Blair's policies as Prime Minster clashed with Church teaching. Not only had he introduced civil partnerships during his term of office, but he had also been a vocal supporter of abortion throughout his political career. He had also led the UK into a dubious, immoral and possibly illegal war against Iraq - an act that resulted in today's open persecution of the ancient Christian Churches of that land.

It seems, though, that the Church was willing to accept him as a member without requiring him to renounce his previous policies and make a public act of repentance. At the time, even Pope Benedict XVI's spokesman, Father Federico Lombardi SJ, said that Blair's conversion "can only arouse joy and respect". But since becoming a Catholic, Tony Blair seems to have become a vocal critic of the Church, adding his voice to the numerous modernist public dissenters, who were already undermining her message from within. It is therefore good to note that Archbishop Fisichella is willing to publicly object to Blair's dissent, seeking the former Prime Minster's fuller conversion to the truth.

It was also recently announced (see this CNS report) that Pope Benedict XVI has invited the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to address October's world Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelisation. I must confess that I had to do a double-take when I first read about this - asking myself, why would the Pope seek advice on evangelisation from a man whose own communion is teetering on the brink of self-destruction? If even Tony Blair turned his back on the hyper-liberal Church of England, what can the leader of that organisation offer the Catholic Church in her efforts to re-evangelise Europe and the West?

During the recent debate about the UK Government's proposals for "gay marriage", it would seem that most Anglican leaders - many of whom support homosexual unions anyway - have kept ineptly quiet. Some leading members of the Church of England, including the Bishop of Salisbury, have even openly supported homosexual marriage! Many (if not most) Anglicans actually make the odd Catholic dissident - such as Tony Blair, the modernists who belong to "We Are Church", or those who organise the Soho Masses - seem conservative in matters of faith and morals! So what on earth can Rowan Williams, a man who has overseen the the practical disintegration and disunity of his own Church (mainly over homosexuality and woman priests / bishops), teach the Catholic Church about evangelisation?

I can only guess that this invitation to the Archbishop of Canterbury was an act of kindness or magnanimity by Pope Benedict XVI. By being invited to address the Synod of Bishops, Williams - who has said that he is "extremely honoured" to be asked to attend this important event - may grow closer to the Papacy. He is already a man whose ecclesiology is "Catholic" to some extent, so being invited by the Pope to address this Synod may work to confirm his respect for the Church of Rome and the Petrine Ministry. Eventually, this may even lead to his own personal conversion or to a hastening of the inevitable union between Rome and those members of the Church of England who wish to be in communion with the Holy Father. After all, this is why Pope Benedict XVI established the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in the first place... It is a structure that is ready and waiting for that time when the liberal wing of the Anglican communion finally disintegrates and those who are left seek a home within the true Catholic Church.

But, I am just a strange little man with a keyboard - I know very little about Church politics and the stresses that come with being in a position of leadership. All I do know, though, is that I trust Pope Benedict XVI - so if he has invited Archbishop Rowan Williams to address the October Synod of Bishops, I am sure it'll prove beneficial in the long run. As for Tony Blair, I, along with many others in the Church, hope and pray that he will one day humbly accept the authority of Apostles in all things, including matters concerning human sexuality.

(Oh, by the way, the Coalition for Marriage petitionhas now gathered over 185,000 signatures, making it one of the most successful petitions in British history! If you are 16+ and live in the UK and are yet to put your name to this petition, please do so now! Thank you.)

Two people gather outside Westminster Cathedral to protest against the Church's teaching on marriage - whilst over 131,000 have registered their opposition to "gay marriage"

10.30am outside Westminster Cathedral this morning -
One lone protester (later joined by another young man)
claims the Church is scared of same-sex marriage

Despite the vociferous calls in various comment threads from members of the militant gay lobby, which explicitly asked people to disrupt the reading of Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Peter Smith's Pastoral Letter on Marriage in Catholic churches today, it seems the call to arms went unheeded. This photo (left) shows the extent of the protest against our Catholic bishops' defence of marriage as seen outside Westminster Cathedral at 10.30am this morning. One young man and a placard.

To be fair, this pro-gay (or anti-Catholic?) demonstration had doubled in size - to two - by 11.45am. Contrary to the implied threats made by various "gay marriage" campaigners (such as the ones made by some in the comments thread in this Pink News story), there were no protests during the Mass itself (Update: a rather judgemental character did stage some kind of protest inside a Devonshire church, though, and posted this video of his stunt on YouTube). Seeing that Westminster Cathedral is the mother church for England and Wales and that it normally attracts weekly protests from various elements of the lunatic fringe - like the ones in favour of women priests, for example - one would expect that any demonstration against today's pastoral letter would have happened there, of all places. But, no... Nothing, bar two young lads and their placard, which bizarrely claimed that the Church was "afraid" (or "scared" - I can't remember the exact wording) of same-sex marriage.

Though disagreeing with their protest, on the human level I admired the bravery of the young men who were protesting outside the Cathedral. Considering they were out-flanked not only by well over a thousand Catholics but also by several Big Issue sellers who were out on Westminster Cathedral's Piazza after the 10.30am Mass, it seemed to me that the two "gay marriage" supporters at least had the courage of their convictions (wrong as they may be). It was also good to see that many members of the congregation went up to them after Mass, to chat in a friendly way. Whilst I am sure that one or two misguided souls possibly offered them their support, it's also probably true to say that a few Mass-goers presented these lads with the realities of Catholic teaching and with the Church's reasons for opposing so-called "gay marriage".

Unlike some other protesters that have appeared outside Westminster Cathedral over the years, these two men seemed civil and polite. Needless to say, those Catholics who approached them did so with apparent kindness and concern, too. (Despite the fact that some homosexual Catholics insist they need their own ghettoised Mass in order to feel "welcomed", the Church has always been welcoming to all - whatever their sexual orientation may be.) My hope is that, after encountering some of her members, the two protesters who were on the Cathedral's Piazza this morning may now have a different view of the Church to the one so often promoted by her enemies. Who knows, one day, they may even become full members of her themselves?

So there was no big protest by the homosexual lobby against today's defence of marriage by the Catholic Church. But should we be surprised by that? No, of course not.

Seeing that hardly anyone was demanding "gay marriage" until David Cameron decided last year to legalise it, is it any wonder that even the majority of active homosexuals can't be bothered to support same-sex marriage? In fact, until as recently as the end of October 2010, the main pro-gay lobbying organisation in the UK, called Stonewall, wasn't even campaigning for "gay marriage" - aware, as it was then, that civil partnerships give homosexuals all the partnership rights they need under the law. (For more on this, see this archived article on the Pink News website).

Since the UK Government took the initiative last year to radically redefine marriage, the whole issue has now suddenly become an urgent "gay rights" campaign. But it appears to me that ordinary (or politically active) homosexuals weren't actually the ones to demand this proposed change in the law, even if they now feel obliged to back it. No, the whole same-sex marriage campaign seems to rest on the shoulders of one man and one woman alone (to the exclusion of all others, so to speak!) - the Prime Minster, David Cameron, and the Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone.

Yesterday, I mentioned that the Coalition for Marriage's petition had already secured over 125,000 signatures - by this lunchtime the figure had reached over 131,000. Today, it seems that even pro-gay activists cannot be bothered to live up to their own rhetoric over Archbishop Nichols and Archbishop Smith's pastoral letter and turn up to protest outside (or inside) our Catholic churches. Over 130,000 people have signed a petition asking the Government not to play politics with marriage; whilst, on the other hand, two young men raised a placard outside Westminster Cathedral as a protest against the Church's right to speak up in defence of natural marriage. Need we say more?

It seems to me that David Cameron's desire to see "gay marriages" become legal by 2015 is not shared by the majority of concerned Britons, including most homosexuals themselves. For that reason, those who are concerned not only for society but also for democracy need to make their voices heard over this issue!

Contrary to expectations, it seems that most people who attended Mass in England and Wales today weren't asked to sign the Coalition for Marriage's petition - no priest mentioned it at the two Masses (OF and EF) that I attended. So, I will (again) highlight the need to sign this petition - please sign it (if you haven't already) and please print off forms from its website, so that others (who may not have a computer) may also be given the opportunity to add their names to this grass-roots document in defence of natural, traditional and true marriage.

Coalition for Marriage petition receives over 125,000 signatures - will this weekend's Pastoral Letter add more?

Screen shot taken from the Coalition for Marriage e-petition website
at 2.00pm this afternoon

Those who attend Mass at Catholic churches in England and Wales this weekend will hear Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Archbishop Peter Smith's joint Pastoral Letter on Marriage, published in response to the UK Government's desire to legalise "gay marriage". Needless to say, a handful of militant homosexuals, so-called 'humanists' and others amongst society's disaffected left-wing, will probably try and disrupt the reading of this letter at some Masses - especially in those churches that are well-known - claiming some kind of democratic right to do so.

But, not only is the Church doing her duty by proclaiming the objective and simple truth in and out of season by defending the profoundly important natural definition of marriage, it seems that she is also truly speaking up for Britain's silent majority, most of whom (according to a recent ComRes/CatholicVoices poll) do not want the Government to change the profoundly important meaning of marriage.

At the time this post was published, the Coalition for Marriage's petition calling on the UK Government not to play politics with marriage had gained over 125,000 signatures. A competing petition (in favour of so-called "gay marriage"), called Coalition for Equal Marriage, had only mustered around 23,600 signatures - despite the fact that many pro-homosexual websites, including one run by an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist in the Diocese of Westminster who is also an active member of the Soho Masses Pastoral Committee, have been encouraging as many as possible to sign it.

Some homosexual rights activists have tried to undermine the Coalition for Marriage petition by accusing its supporters of having signed it more than once (see - if you can stomach it - the overwhelmingly vile comments thread attached to the story about this weekend's pastoral letter on the homosexual Pink News website). But as someone who has both signed the petition and been in contact with the organisers concerning the way signatures are recorded, I am more than certain that most if not all those 125,000 people who have so far supported the C4M petition can be accounted for - those responsible for collecting the names have gone to great lengths to ensure that individuals only sign it once. On the other hand, one wonders whether all those who have signed the Coalition for Equal Marriage petition have been registered properly? Even if they have, it would seem that five times as many people have bothered to sign a petition in defence of the traditional and natural definition of marriage than have done in support of so-called "equal" (i.e. homosexual) marriage.

As far as petitions go, the Coalition for Marriage's 125,000 signatures since its launch just over two weeks ago is an astounding achievement, yet hardly any newspaper or media outlet has reported on this great success for the defenders of marriage. On the other hand, when an e-petition was created a couple of years ago asking the Home Secretary to pardon Alan Turing (a British mathematician convicted of gross indecency in the 1950s), the papers were all over the story for weeks, even though the petition only gained 31,600 signatures (it is still open, apparently). Currently, the highest ranking petition on the 10 Downing Street webpage which hosts petitions to the Government has over 175,000 signatures  - it asks the Government to "Drop the Health Bill". There are three other petitions on the same website that have collected more names than the more recent Coalition for Marriage e-petition (which is hosted on its own website), but the vast majority have not even reached the 10,000 signatures mark.

Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Peter Smith have asked those priests reading this weekend's pastoral letter to also urge Catholics to support the C4M's online petition. If priests and laypeople respond positively to this invitation, then another million names could / should be added to the petition. Of course, many others - from Christians and social conservatives to atheists and those who innately know that the sexual relationship between a man and a woman and that between two men or two women is different - will also sign the C4M petition in the coming weeks. Let's hope that neither the news media nor the Government ignores them.

Needless to say, if the Coalition for Marriage petition were to gain five or ten times as many signatures as it already has, the Government would have to reconsider its bizarre determination to destroy the proper and natural definition of marriage.

If you are yet to sign the Coalition for Marriage petition and you live in the UK, please do so here. To read my earlier post on the Coalition for Marriage, please see here.

The Christian vocation of the Choir: The Sistine Chapel Choir to perform at Westminster Cathedral, whilst Westminster Abbey's Choir will sing at important Papal liturgies in Rome

Westminster Abbey
From the roof of Methodist Central Hall

The Holy See has invited the Choir of Westminster Abbey to sing at St Peter's in Rome for the liturgies of the Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul. The Anglican choir will sing alongside the Cappella Musicale Pontificia "Sistina", the Sistine Chapel Choir, at First Vespers in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on 28 June and at the Papal Mass in the Vatican Basilica (St Peter's) on the morning of 29 June. This will be the first time in its more than 500 year history that the Sistine Chapel Choir has joined forces with another choir - let alone one from another Christian communion.

According to Westminster Abbey, this invitation, which is ultimately ecumenical in nature, came after Pope Benedict XVI visited the Abbey during the Papal visit to the UK in September 2010. At that time, the Pope attended and ecumenical service of Evening Prayer at Westminster Abbey and also prayed at the tomb of St Edward the Confessor with the Archbishop of Canterbury.

In preparation for this event, which will witness the singing of choral music from the Anglican tradition at the beginning and end of both Papal liturgies, the Cappella Musicale Pontificia will visit Westminster Cathedral on Sunday 6 May to perform its first ever concert in Britain. This historic event will take place at the Cathedral on 6 May at 7.00pm. It will be free and no tickets will be required. Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and is also situated only half a mile down the road from Westminster Abbey. Both Abbey and Cathedral choirs have often collaborated over the years, especially during annual ecumenical services.

According to the Diocese of Westminster, the concert at Westminster Cathedral will include "music historically used in the Papal Celebrations, taking the audience on a journey through the Liturgical Year. Gregorian Chant will feature along with Palestrina and Perosi." As well as marking the last Papal visit to the UK, the concert will also coincide with the 30th anniversary of Bl Pope John Paul II's visit to Britain, which took place at the end of May 1982. Both pontiffs celebrated Mass at Westminster Cathedral.

Whilst in Italy, the Choir of Westminster Abbey (a church dedicated to St Peter) will also perform at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (home to the late Monsignor Dilwyn Lewis), and at Santa Maria sopra Minerva (the titular church of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster). It will also visit the great Abbey of Montecassino, where the Choir will join the monastic community in the singing of Vespers and Mass at the original site of St Benedict's burial (his bones were translated to the Abbey of Fleury in St-Benôit-sur-Loire during the 6th century). This last event will mark the fact that Westminster Abbey hosted last year's lighting of the Torch of St Benedict.

Welcoming the news that Westminster Abbey's Choir will sing during two Papal liturgies, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, said: "This is a wonderful invitation, a fruit of the memorable visit of Pope Benedict to Westminster Abbey, when the Abbey choir played its significant part in the ecumenical liturgy. I am heartened by this sign of the Holy Father’s wish to receive from the rich Anglican tradition that informs the daily worship at Westminster Abbey. It is more than ever important that Christians of different traditions pray together and receive from each other."

Westminster Cathedral
Prior to the Papal visit (2010)

Noting the fact that Westminster Cathedral will host the first ever British concert by the Sistine Chapel Choir, the Cathedral's Administrator, Canon Christopher Tuckwell, said: “It is a tremendous honour for Westminster Cathedral to have been chosen to host the first public concert to be performed by the Sistine Chapel Choir in Britain. The Pope’s personal choir can be sure of a warm welcome from London’s Catholic community and music lovers during this historic visit. As the home of Westminster Cathedral Choir, the Catholic musical tradition is at the heart of our liturgical life. The performance by the Sistine Chapel Choir will be an opportunity to further extend our knowledge of the beauty and glory of Catholic music and to experience for ourselves their musical style.”

According to the Diocese of Westminster, the Director of the Cappella Musicale Pontificia "Sistina", Monsignor Massimo Palombella, referred to the May concert with these words: “I am looking forward immensely to singing in the Mother Church of the English Catholic community, building on the communion between the Holy See and the English Catholic Church, in the footsteps of the Holy Father’s visit in 2010. I have long admired the quality and precision of the English sound and it will be a joy, too, to be able to develop closer ties with Maestro Martin Baker, whose magnificent work cultivating the place of the choir at the service of the liturgy is exemplary.”

Church music often knows no barriers when it comes to ecclesiastical differences or schism. Many Protestant churches use ancient Mass settings during their Sunday or weekday services, whilst one of the motets sung at Westminster Cathedral's Solemn Mass last Sunday was by Henry Purcell (the Anglican 17th century organist, who happened to have been based at the Abbey). There are positives and negatives to this, of course. Some would argue that many Catholic churches no longer use the Church's music (such as Gregorian chant) during Mass, preferring banal hymns from other traditions instead. On the other hand, the spiritual value of the music of a Lutheran composer such as J S Bach can and should be welcomed and appreciated by Catholics and Protestants alike.

In noting the relationship between church music and Christian Unity, Pope Benedict XVI specifically asked that arrangements for the June collaboration between the Choirs of Westminster Abbey and the Sistine Chapel be made in such a way as to reflect the "Christian vocation of the Choir". According to the Abbey, the Pope also desired that the ecumenical event may "encourage the enriching mutual exchange of gifts between the two liturgical and cultural traditions."

As much as I am looking forward to the fact that the Pope's choir will soon be performing at Westminster Cathedral, I am slightly saddened that this will take place during a concert, and not at Mass or some other liturgical event. As wonderful as this historic concert is bound to be, it is my firm belief that church music is best performed within sacred liturgies - as an aid to prayer and in helping the worshipper to give due praise Almighty God.

Catholics, a series with no axes to grind by the award-winning film-maker, Richard Alwyn - Thank you, BBC!

The beautiful Bowland Fells, where this week's Catholics
was filmed. Screen shot from the BBC programme 

Last week, BBC4 broadcast the first programme in a series called Catholics. It was entitled "Priests" and followed the day-to-day routines of a handful of seminarians at the Diocese of Westminster's Allan Hall. I decided not to comment on it, as several other bloggers and writers had already done so. This week, the series moved on to explore the lives of Catholic "Children", specifically a handful of seven and eight year olds who were preparing for their First Holy Communion.

The programme's director, the award-winning documentary film-maker Richard Alwyn, spent from the beginning of Lent into the summer of 2011 based at St Mary's RC Primary School in the village of Chipping, Lancashire. Whilst there, he gently observed the lives of the school's children, teachers and parents, as well as the life and ministry of the local parish priest, Father Anthony Grimshaw. As a result, we were given an unique insight into a rural Catholic community based around the Bowland Fells - a stunningly beautiful area, which also has a rich Catholic history. We were offered dramatic shots of the Lancashire countryside during spring-time, which complimented the programme's light, naturally humorous and yet quietly profound human interactions.

Children say the funniest things!

One of the documentary's funniest and most endearing moments happened early on, during the school's French lesson. A teacher was seen asking the children, in French, how they were feeling. A couple of boys answered in impeccable French, and then the teacher went on to ask a little girl, "Ça va, Victoria?" She answered in a way that only seven year-old girls can: "I've got a spot on ma 'ed!" No time to translate that urgent message into French!

Needless to say, there were several other instances of unintentional humour throughout the programme. At one point, during a lesson on the Stations of the Cross, a teacher asked the children why they thought Jesus hadn't just run away from his executioners. One little girl, looking at the image of Our Lord laying down to be nailed to the Cross, piped up: "Maybe he was tired?" In another scene, the pupils at St Mary's school were offering some intercessory prayers. One boy asked God to: "please help get the telly fixed". He went on, adding: "I like watching telly and I want to watch the Simpsons. Amen." Another child, whilst reading the Gospel account of the Temptation of Christ in the Desert, told her classmates that Jesus had commanded, "Be off, Stan!" - instead of the more recognisable: "Be off, Satan!"

The children weren't the only ones to bring a smile to my face. The parish priest, Father Anthony, possessed a naturally relaxed sense of humour, too. He was often filmed darting about the village on his mobility scooter, whilst also holding rather eccentric conversations with passers by! At one point, as he was reading Winnie the Pooh to a class of enthralled youngsters, the priest's phone went off. Embarrassed, he stopped the story to answer his phone, only to discover that it was merely a reminder to keep an appointment with his dentist! In another scene, during a discussion with the children on the reality of Hell and the Devil, one child asked Father Anthony what would happen if someone decided to stop believing in God and believed in Satan instead. After some thoughts, the priest went on in a wonderfully down to earth way to say that: "it's not recommended for anyone to go into that area!"

A time to be serious: exploring controversies and the realities of life

Having dwelled on the more humorous aspects of this evening's BBC4 documentary, it's also important to note that there were some serious moments. It was reassuring, for example, to see how earnest some mothers were in preparing the children for their First Holy Communion. I also felt very privileged to share in some intimate moments as Father Anthony took communion to the sick and housebound - who were filmed reverently received the Body of Christ.

The children, too, were obviously fascinated by the Chrstian faith and the person of Jesus. In one scene, we heard a movingly stark poem about Christ's Crowing with Thorns, composed by one of the little girls. Her words were truly profound - Our Lord's phrase immediately came to mind: "Out of the mouths of children and of babes you have perfected praise" (cf Mt 21:16).

The cameras were present during the various important liturgical celebrations at the parish - beginning with Mass for Ash Wednesday and ending with the First Holy Communion Mass. At one point, I was impressed to note that Father Anthony Grimshaw used the more traditional formula during the imposition of the ashes on Ash Wednesday: "Remember you are dust and unto dust you will return." He even placed some ashes on the cameraman's head, after preaching what seemed to be good Lenten sermon.

The priest and people: Eucharist as source and summit of our ecclesial lives

Father Anthony Grimshaw discusses the priesthood
during this evening's Catholic programme on BBC4.
Screen shot taken during the broadcast.

Father Grimshaw is obviously a man who takes his faith seriously. He did not feel embarrassed to pray the Hail Mary whilst driving, or to tell the film-maker that Catholics believe that in receiving the Eucharist, we receive Christ, "whole and entire in his divinity". He also went on to add that holy communion was "not symbolic to us!" A love for the Eucharist was also something that the parents in charge of catechises had - in one scene we saw a mother speaking about holy communion with a sense of awe and respect.

The issue of clerical child abuse came up briefly. Father Grimshaw was as flabbergasted about the whole thing as the rest of us - he just couldn't understand how a priest could have done such things. But it was obvious that the recent priestly scandals haven't affected the relationship between the parents and children of Chipping with their parish priest. In fact, Anthony Grimshaw came across as a fatherly (or grand-fatherly) presence in the lives of his flock. At one point, he himself even suggested that he saw himself as a stand-in dad to many of his flock, saying: "Many kids don't have fathers", and adding, "it's nice to be called that title, and we honour it."

I am sure that it was no coincidence that Richard Alwyn moved to a shot of sheep grazing straight after a scene in which Father Anthony had been offering pastoral care to his people. Like some of the farmers in the village, Anthony Grimshaw came across very much as a shepherd to his spiritual flock.

In the past, I have often criticised the BBC, especially for its sometimes biased religious programming. But this latest BBC4 series, examining the lives of Britain's Catholics, really is something deserving of praise. As a film-maker, Richard Alwyn allows his subjects to speak for themselves - without trying to comment or impose his own views on the matter. There was no agenda, here, or so it seemed. And for that, we can be truly grateful.

Having said that, I couldn't help but think throughout this evening's programme whether Catholicism would have seemed even more attractive or awe-inspiring had Alwyn filmed this programme in a traditionalist parish (even if Chipping seemed far more rooted in its Catholic faith and traditions than many another parish in England and Wales)? Who knows? But I did think that tonight's episode on "Children" was far more engaging, humorous, and gladdening to the spirit than last week's one on "Priests". One wonders what the final programme will be like? Called "Women", it is being billed as the most controversial in the series. We shall have to wait and see...

For more information on Richard Alwyn's series, Catholics, or to watch the first two episodes on iPlayer, please visit the BBC4 website.