Friday, February 05, 2010
Pope to Scottish Bishops
Today the Pope met the Scottish bishops on their Ad Limina visit. Here is is exhortation.
It is worth comparing to that givern to the English and Welsh bishops. He speaks of dangers of euthanasia, the risks of confusing lay ministry and the lay apostolate, he seems to actually praise Scottish Catholic schools.
The Scots escaped any rebuke, just gentle encouragement, in the video the Scots look a little more relaxed than their southern brothers.
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10 comments:
Re "risks of confusing lay ministry and the lay apostolate".
As I have come across scores of enthusiastic women (it's always women, isn't it?) in trousers and anoraks besieging the sanctuary just before Holy Communion in at least three London parishes where I occasionly attend Mass, the EMC problem in Scotland must be even worse.
Hmm.
Compare and contrast the following:
Cardinal O'Brien;
"This year
also marks the 450th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in
Scotland." (No mention of St John)
His Holiness
"It is a happy coincidence that the Year for Priests, which the whole Church is currently celebrating, marks the four hundredth anniversary of the priestly ordination of the great Scottish martyr Saint John Ogilvie. Rightly venerated as a faithful servant of the Gospel, he was truly outstanding in his dedication to a difficult and dangerous pastoral ministry, to the point of laying down his life. Hold him up as an example for your priests today". (No mention of celebrating the horrors of the Scottish Reformation)
CO'B
"As part of the public provision of education Catholic schools
represent a special locus wherein the Catholic Church and the State are full partners."
HH
"That task requires a readiness to grapple firmly with the challenges presented by the increasing tide of secularism in your country….If the Church’s teaching is compromised, even slightly, in one such area, then it becomes hard to defend the fullness of Catholic doctrine in an integral manner….. special emphasis on the quality and depth of religious education"
These examples plus the points you have mentioned about the role of the laity speak volumes. It is also no secret that the lack of vocations is a major concern - and HH's directions on how to achieve them through school and laity catechesis. Catechesis is mentioned repeatedly.
Looks like they've all been told to make sure they look like they're paying attention while the cameras are on.
Father, does this mean that someone there has been reading this blog?
Fr. Ray, you report that Pope Benedict appears to praise Catholic Schools in Scotland.
I wonder if the Holy Father is aware that the Scottish Catholic Education Service in conjunction with the Archdiocese of Glasgow have announced the forthcoming visit (with study day for catechists and evening lecture open to all) of notorious dissenter Professor Thomas Groome of Boston College to Glasgow. Hosted by the a city centre hotel (the study day costs £75 per catechist), and St. Aloysius Church (the evening lecture), I wonder if the faithful Catholics of Glasgow can expect a reprise of the Professor's dissent regarding women priests and homosexuality?
Aside from the delicate issue of Summorum Pontificum, I think the Scottish bishops are really rather good.
Cardinal Keith O'Brien - I have a lot of time for him. He's provided some great leadership over life issues. He's a friend of poor, mistaken Margo Macdonald's and has spoken movingly about her and assisted suicide.
Like our beloved Patrick O'Donohue he's both orthodox - strongly right to life - and politically left wing - firmly against the renewal of Trident. And that's no accident, I'm sure.
ihom, these sorts of issues are always cropping up. A few weeks ago a group called Catholics for a Changing Church held its Stand up for Vatican II meeting at the Westminster Thistle Hotel. They'd tried to book Westminster Cathedral Hall but were, uh, blocked.
The bottom line her is that if we value things there are times when we have to make a fuss about them. Hence, my advice to you about Professor Groome is this: first get in touch with the Scottish Bishops Conference and put your concerns to them. If nothing happens blog about it.
The Pope was praising catholic schools in Scotland for overcoming sectarianism:
"You can be proud", he told the bishops, "of the contribution made by Scotland's Catholic schools in overcoming sectarianism and building good relations between communities. ... "
Whereas he was gently nudging them to improve in the area of teaching The Faith:
"As you encourage Catholic teachers in their work, place special emphasis on the quality and depth of religious education, so as to prepare an articulate and well-informed Catholic laity, able and willing to carry out its mission".
As ever, he is more than aware of what's going on!
Boston College is truly a pox on the Church.
My own bishop, + Philip Tartaglia of Paisley said "I am not alone in hoping that the revised English translation of the Roman Missal, to be published sometime in 2011, will help to make the liturgy more uplifting and have a beneficial effect on liturgical practice. In fact, the suggestion has been made that the Holy Father might use the new texts at the Masses he will celebrate in his forthcoming visit to the United Kingdom."
No what if we said "just wait" in our diocese then.
This letter from James MacMillan in yesterday's 'Scotsman':
Oh dear, oh dear! So some people think the Reformation was a tragedy, do they? How very uncivil. How very divisive. How very, very dare they. Not all people here view Scottish history and culture through the one smug, complacent and myopic lens.
JAMES MACMILLAN CBE
London Symphony Orchestra
St Luke's
Old Street, London
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