Two interesting posts to which I would like to draw to your attention. The first from Christopher McCamley on his Catholicus blog concerning possible changes to the structure of Irish dioceses. He says he has heard that the aim will be to reorganise the Church in Ireland into two metropolitan provinces: Armagh and Dublin, and eleven dioceses - five in the province of Armagh, six in the province of Dublin. I presume Armagh will remain the primatial See. If this is true then that is good, I think this is the way to go. I had thought of twelve dioceses in two provinces, but eleven is even slimmer.
The second post is from Fr Gabriel Burke on the new Missal - his arrived yesterday. I have to say my heart dropped when I read what he had to say and plummeted to the depths when I saw the pictures. I feared that Veritas would make a dog's dinner of the Missal and I think my fears may have become a reality. Those pictures look ghastly - the quality deplorable. A real 60's-70's production Fr Gabriel says: why should I be surprised! I saw the CTS Missal when over in London and it is a beautiful volume - beautiful art, good quality - a book designed with great care for a sacred purpose.
I am a good customer of Veritas; over the years I have, perhaps, spent too much of my money on books - I am addicted to books. I know some of the staff there and a finer group of people you will not meet. But the quality of Veritas publications is very poor. They seem to be stuck in a cheap 60's/70's mode and cannot get out of it. I'm sure it can't be that they can't afford better quality books - they publish the national catechetical programme (the dismal Alive-O), so they are making lots of dosh on that. I don't know....
I have ordered three Missals for the parish - we have three churches, but I think I will buy a CTS version (chapel edition) for my own personal use. I know some have waited to see the quality of the Irish version, I think they are going to opt for the CTS and hold on to their green A4 paperback supplement to cover the Proper of Irish Saints. That said I find myself asking the question once again: when will we ever get to grips with beauty in the Church in Ireland? Must we forever labour under the ugly and purely functional?
Art from the Irish Missal: the Resurrection???
Art from the Irish Missal: the Crucifixion
Art from the CTS Missal: The Crucifxion
Art from the CTS Missal: the Annunication
I held off ordering a copy from Veritas as I didn't have confidence in them as a liturgical publisher, and also because they managed to pitch the price very significantly above what I'd seen quoted online for other publications of the Missal. V glad I did now! LyndaI held off ordering a copy from Veritas as I didn't have confidence in them as a liturgical publisher, and also because they managed to pitch the price very significantly above what I'd seen quoted online for other publications of the Missal. V glad I did now! Lynda
ReplyDeleteAny chance that when we get new bishops for these new dioceses we might get a new liturgical publisher? Or even just ask CTS to take over Veritas I believe CTS had offered to supply the Irish Missal, but they were turned down and told we can do it ourselves. Ah yes, good old Irish pride which rejects the good and the beautiful for the sloppy and make-do. We have never been part of the universal church at all - we were always sinn fein here - "we ourselves", and we have always been the losers.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if Veritas amalgamated with CTS - would definitely be the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThere should be no need to change dioceses. In fact, if we were to follow the practice of the early church we would have smaller dioceses, so we should have many more. If we followed the practice of the early church we would have married bishops, male and female. It is only when we go back to that pure form of church that catholicism will recover relevance. If Mr Kenny decides to do this and take the Irish church from the old men in Rome, this should be the way to go. As for the new missal, not needed. Our priest says he will not use it and the people are behind him!
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ReplyDeleteWhay don't you save yourself the bother and join the Church of Ireland. That way you get everything you want! You could even take your parish priest with you!
Ghastly and thoroughly disappointing. How hard can it be to follow by the example of CTS? Even Collins seem to be on the right path with their lay Missal, though time will tell. The illustrations on the Collins lay missal are described as 'Romanesque'.
ReplyDeleteMr Kenny is now being quoted by the Chinese government. Way to go Kenny! You give the Chinese another excuse to persecute Catholics.
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