Thank you, Scots

I want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Catholics of Scoland who turned out insuch great numbers on the streets of Edinburgh to welcome the Holy Father to our shores. You have done us all proud. I pray that we can match you when he comes south. After the anxieties and the constant carping in the media it warmed the heart to see so many there for Pope Benedict. Bizarrely, on the One o'clock news a dimwit was suggesting a lower than expected turnout at Bellahouston Park. There are four hours to go! Let's see what happens!

This is the day...

Preparations

...continue. Although I have yet to find a papal flag, today I got my English flag - also known as St George's Cross. Part of the Holy Father's mission is to remind us of our Christian heritage so the red cross on the white background responds to that. It's origins as England's flag are obscure. Some have suggested that it is the Papal Vexillum carried by William Duke of Normandy when he invaded in 1066. Others claim an association with Richard I and the Third Crusade. In any case it is present in the Wilton Diptych which seems to commemorate Richard II's consecration of his kingdom to Our Lady - as seen above.

Stating the obvious

If one needed any evidence that the enemies of Christ's Church are the enemies of truth one need surely look no further than the response to Cardinal Kasper's statement about the experience of landing in this country.

BBC Olds

On "Midlands Today" this evening the unfortunate victim of an abusing priest was featured requesting an apology from Pope Benedict for the abuse he had suffered. I seemed to remember something and so, later, did a bit of googling. The priest concerned had been imprisoned in 1998 and subsequently laicised by Pope John Paul in 2001 before dying in prison that same year. All this was recorded in a BBC news article from 2004 in which the authorities of the children's home in which the crimes had occurred were recorded as formally apologising to victims, one of whom, using the same pseudonym as was used in this evening's programme, said that the apology (2004) meant "closure" and "the end of it". I rather suspect that the obsessive focus of so much within the media upon the abuse issue may be re-opening wounds for many of these unfortunate souls.

It's getting closer!

Despite the negativity still floating around in the media this "Pilgrim" (regd Trade Mark 2010) is beginning to get quite excited. My preparations are under way. At the weekend we got some lightweight deckchairs - reduced to only £5 at Black's - and today I acquired a decent rain cape for only £6.99 at Lidl. If I can occasionally sit down, keep dry in the event of rain, and have sufficient water to drink then I think that I should be able to survive the rigours of Cofton Park.

Now a great deal of fuss is being made about the numbers involved and security and health and safety. At least these are the reasons that have been trotted out for the peculiar arrangements with everyone being bussed in and coralled. Driving past The Hawthorns- the West Bromwich Albion football ground- the other day made me wonder how the numbers involved at a big football match would compare. I did a quick check on Wikipedia and learned that the capacity of Albion's ground is 28,000. St Andrews, the Birmingham City stadium holds 30,700, while Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa holds over 42,000.

All of a sudden the projected numbers for the Beatification Mass at Cofton Park begin to look less unusual both in terms of movements of people and of the levels of policing necessary. On a Saturday with all three teams playing at home there is a potential for something like 100,000 souls converging on those grounds in an already busy urban environment. Of course comparisons begin to fail here because Catholics, unlike the gentle passive and docile football fans are well known for their boisterous, aggressive and often violent alcohol-fuelled behaviour. And their rivalries! Police will doubtless be stretched to the limits keeping Legion of Mary supporters well away from the SVP. And if the Charismatic Renewal were to clash with the Tridentinists...need I say more!
.Thankfully we will have the West Midlands Police force to sort that lot out! Their extraordinary track record of looking after Catholics - especially Irish ones- is legendary and their enthusiasm for confessions is said to far exceed that of some south coast bishops. Since we now have Extraordinary Ministers of Communion why stop there? Extraordinary Ministers of Confession next? And who better to get it off to a start?

Wow!!!

So it is really happening!
Today I received my "Pilgrim Pack" for Birmingham.
It came in a big white envelope with my name on it!
And wasn't I thrilled!
I could hardly wait to tear it open but with a massive effort of self discipline I resisted the temptation until I got home.
The delayed gratification, I am sorry to have to report, was distinctly underwhelming. Perhaps they had forgotten something in mine?
No. The rest of the family found identical contents in their packages when opened.
Never mind, I thought, at least I will be able to learn the music of the James Macmillan Mass from the CD. Alas, this was not on the disc. It may be a wonderful disc but somehow it doesn't appeal to me. Can any attentive reader guess why?
In fact I may just use it as an alternative penance on Friday so that I can treat myself to a steak.

And as for the "Pilgrim Passport"!
It contains such gems as "A pilgrim is a person who undertakes a journey to a sacred place or event as an act of religious devotion."
Now what highly paid half-wit thought that someone who had forked out twenty-five quid would need to be so instructed?
Indeed one wonders why the term "passport" was chosen since one of the more practical points of information it carries is the fact that it will be necessary for one to bring one's real passport or some other form of identification including a photograph.

And! Wonder of wonders! We even have a card advising us to "Share the joy of your pilgrim journey with others" by text messaging, facebook, twitter etc..

Am I alone in suspecting that this material has been produced by people who believe that we Catholics are really as stupid as the Dawkins's of this world take us for?

BUT, BUT, BUT!

The "Magnificat" booklet of the Papal Visit is absolutely magnificent! Whoever put that together should be knighted, enobled or even beatified!

I'm back...

... and here is the "Notre Dame de la belle verriere" window from Chartres Cathedral as photographed by yours truly shortly after mass on Sunday 15th August 2010 and at the beginning of what was to be a somewhat dramatic family holiday.

The Transfiguration of the Lord

Raphael's painting of The Transfiguration, now in the Vatican Picture Gallery. was comissioned in 1517 by Cardinal Giulio de Medici and appears to have been intended as an altarpiece for one of his cathedrals, Narbonne, in southern France. I do not know why he meant to favour this see because he was simultaneously Archbishop of Florence and Bishop of Worcester both of which had fine cathedrals! (Note, the original and real Worcester in England!) Unfortunately Raphael died before he could fill in all the colours and the delay in its completion resulted in the picture's remaining in Rome. The patron, however, was on an upward trajectory, being elected Pope as Clement VII in 1523. His was a somewhat eventful pontificate during which he, very properly, denied Henry VIII the annulment of his marriage to Queen Katherine but also saw the virulent spread of the Protestant heresies and Henry's mischief.

Some three hundred years later, in 1837, a near life size copy by an English artist named Furse was given by one of the Earls of Shrewsbury to Saint George's Catholic Church in Worcester where it is to this day. Perhaps it is as well that the original was not sent to the cathedral there given the vicious iconoclasm that was unleashed by wicked men like Hugh Latimer.

Raphael's painting skillfully combines the narrative of the Transfiguration (Matt.17, 1-8) in the upper half of the picture with the story of the disciples' unsuccessful attempt to cure the epileptic demoniac(Matt.17,14-21) in the lower half. This both heightens the dramatic impact of the image and provides a contrast or counterpoint to the revelation on the mountain. From the Gospel text we might easly infer that the artist has sought to represent the scene as it might have appeared but not so. The main figures in the upper register are easily recognised - or are they?

Besides the figure of Christ we observe Moses (with the tablets of the Law) and Elijah. Fallen on the ground we see the three Apostles, Peter, James and John. Immediately to the left, however, are two other figures who, kneeling, look upon the scene- one of whom is clearly wearing the dalmatic of a deacon. These are believed to be the martyrs SS Felicissimus and Agapitus whose commemoration coincides in the traditional calendar with the feast of the Transfiguration on 6th August. There is more to Raphael's "Transfiguration" than meets the eye.

Ave Maris Stella

In honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major.