St Philip and Vatican II

As we celebrate St Philip Neri's feast day, some thoughts.  His life and apostolate were revolutionary - indeed at the time he was held in deep suspicion, as are many innovators.  He was thought to hold unorthodox ideas, as was his spiritual son Blessed John Henry Newman.  He was, of course, strictly kosher and orthodox in faith, he was just a little unorthodox when it came to evangelisation.  You might say novel, but that implies novelty, and though he was always good for a laugh and quirky, St Philip could never be described as a novelty.  Indeed, while he loved good humour, he had no time for buffoonery.

Was St Philip a man ahead of his time?  He was a gift to the Church in his time, helping the reform of the Church following the Protestant Reformation, and a major figure in the Counter-Reformation.  His Oratory was ingenious - gathering the faithful to pray and study doctrine, Church history, the lives and writings of the Saints and other catechetical material.  It is an idea which still holds wonderful evangelical possibilities and one which could be taken up again in these days of the New Evangelisation. 

Indeed St Philip would be most at home in this period of time as a priest of the Church following Vatican II.  Knowing him, he would have been a fan of Blessed John XXIII - he would have understood what the Pontiff was trying to do.  If he was alive today he would have been a great help to Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI.  Like all of these Pontiffs, he realised that the Gospel may need to be preached in different ways to attract the attention of modern men and women.

Interestingly, despite his innovative approach, St Philip seems always associated with a more Traditionalist view of the Church which, to my mind, is not really what he was all about.  Ironically it was the Traditionalists of the 16th century who most disliked him and tried to undermine his work, even going as far as making accusations against him to the Pope himself.   

Yet, as I think about it, given the devotion Traditionalists have for him, and his Oratories are centres for the celebration of the Extraordinary Form, St Philip could be a figure of reconciliation and harmony in the Church in these times.   He would make a good patron of liturgical reform as he would be of the New Evangelisation.  St Philip does indeed have much to say to us today.

This Joyful Feast

Today is the feast of St Philip Neri, the apostle of Rome and apostle of joy.  Founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, he was filled with an evangelical spirit which led him to assist the Church in the process of reform in the 16th century.  He recognised that true reform began in the individual soul, and so his life was dedicated to the renewal of men and women, bringing them back to Christ and enkindling a spirit of devotion, intellectual pursuits and Christian cultural activities. 

He reminded the people of his time of the importance of the sacraments, especially confession which had fallen into disuse following the Renaissance and the divinisation of man.  His celebration of the Mass was, literally, mystical, reminding those who participated in it, that it is no mere service, but the sacred sacrifice of Christ. 

We need St Philip back again, especially in Ireland, so my prayer today is that God may raise up for us in Ireland another Philip Neri to help us in the process of renewal.  Please join me in that prayer today.

As today is one of my favourite feasts in the whole year, I intend to celebrate big time, so as you join me in prayer, join me in the feast.  No fasting today, but raise a toast to the great apostle of joy, Good St Philip!

Buona festa a tutti!!

The Incorrupt Body of St Philip

Litany of St Philip Neri

(Composed by Blessed John Henry Newman)

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God,
Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary,                                       pray for us
Holy Mother of God,                          
Holy Virgin of Virgins, 
                             

St. Philip,
Vessel of the Holy Ghost,
Child of Mary,
Apostle of Rome,
Counsellor of Popes,
Voice of Prophecy,
Man of primitive times,
Winning Saint,
Hidden hero,
Sweetest of Fathers,
Flower of purity,
Martyr of charity,
Heart of fire,
Discerner of spirits,
Choicest of priests,
Mirror of the divine life,
Pattern of humility,
Example of simplicity,
Light of holy joy,
Image of childhood,
Picture of old age,
Director of souls,
Gentle guide of youth,
Patron of thy own,

Who didst observe chastity in thy youth,
Who didst seek Rome by divine guidance,
Who didst hide so long in the Catacombs,
Who didst receive the Holy Ghost into thy heart,
Who didst experience such wonderful ecstasies,
Who didst so lovingly serve the little ones,
Who didst wash the feet of pilgrims,
Who didst ardently thirst after martyrdom,
Who didst distribute the daily word of God,
Who didst turn so many hearts to God,
Who didst converse so sweetly with Mary,
Who didst raise the dead,
Who didst set up thy houses in all lands,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

V. Remember thy Congregation.
R. Which thou hast possessed from the beginning.

Let us pray

O God, who hast exalted blessed Philip, Thy Confessor, in the glory of Thy saints, grant that, as we rejoice in his commemoration, so we may profit by the example of his virtues, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A New Saint?

Anyone who has read the history of the Reformation in England would be mightily impressed by Katherine of Aragon, the wife cast off by Henry VIII.  In the midst of all her troubles and sufferings, she maintained a serenity and resourcefulness which most obviously emerged from her Catholic faith.  Sometimes depicted as a religious fanatic, even a quick survey of the reality of her life and personality reveals such depictions to be biased and lacking foundation.  The question which emerges is: was Katherine of Aragon a Saint?

With an interest in the English Reformation, I have discussed that with many people down the years, and just last Saturday a friend and I were talking about it on the way to Belfast.  Most agree that there is a good chance that she was, and it seems one man, Gregory Nassif St John, is determined to do something about it ( Read this article for more information). 

As I read this, while I see some Church figures are open, I sense hesitation: there must be devotion to her, they say.  Yes, that is true, and there is some evidence. But should there be overwhelming, universal devotion to a figure before a Cause can be started?  No.  First of all there must be the fama - a reputation for holiness: that is vital.  With that you can start.  The advice Mr Nassif St John was given is sound: start making her known: bring her to people's attention and then see if devotion begins. 

I hope a Cause begins for Katherine - many people in the Church and the world today would benefit from the example she offers us.  In particular I think of those who, though they devoted themselves to their marriages, were abandoned by a spouse who sought pastures new.  Katherine's holiness, I believe, came as the fruit of her fidelity to her marriage vows and her heroic prayer for the conversion of her husband.  If Henry VIII made it to Purgatory it was because of Katherine's prayers.

In the Anglo-Irish world we seem very cautious of Saints and Causes, indeed, without being negative, I sometimes think there is an aversion.  I certainly know that in the minds of some bishops and priests saint-making is an unnecessary distraction from real pastoral concerns.  Whenever I have spoken to bishops/priests about opening the Cause for a particular person I have been told that the "Irish Church"(sic) has more important things to be doing.  I find that interesting since the glorification of holy people from a particular local church is always the best sign of how healthy that local church happens to be.  No candidates for beatification/canonisation, or at the least if there are a few but not making any progress, may reveal a local church in spiritual stagnation or crisis.

I am always heartened by the Italians, the Poles, the Spanish, French and now the Americans and their attitude to saint-making (I note Mr Nassif St John is an American) - they see the value of it - both spiritually and pastorally.  Saints bring life to a local church, and a progressing Cause can bring people along with it, touch the lukewarm and help people rediscover faith.  A local Beatus or Saint, or someone on the way to being one, reminds people that holiness can be found in the here and the now, even in the midst of ordinary life.  Isn't that what we as priests and bishops ought to be teaching the faithful (and trying to live ourselves)?

One problem we have in Ireland, one of our national vices, is our begrudgery.  One of Ireland's great virtues is informality and hospitality - we treat everyone the same, and all receive the same warmth and kindness - we saw this with the royal visit last week.  But the downside of that is that sometimes we do not like to see other people exalted.  We have no honours system in Ireland - there have been attempts to introduce one, but all have failed.  When those proposing it reminded us that other Republics have honours systems, that argument got nowhere.  I think it is the same with saint-making - we cannot single out a certain person and seek to raise them above everyone else - that might offend people and, God help us, if there is one rigid pastoral law in Ireland it is "Do not offend anyone".  

But if we are Catholic we have to participate in the full life of the Catholic Church, including the saint-making process.  We have many holy men and women in Ireland and in the UK - we just need to start taking them seriously and making advances.  In Ireland we await the beatification of 42 martyrs, including the first Irish Carmelite (well born in England, but lived and died in Ireland), but no move - we need only a declaration of martyrdom - the work is already done: but not a dickie bird.  If every time an Irish bishop went to Rome, or a representative, they popped into the CSS HQ with the same annoying question: "Well Head, how are the martyrs getting on?" you would find some frustrated official would eventually send the messenger boy up to the Pope: "Get Benedict to sign that Decree, the Irish are driving me crazy".  That's how it works.  If all is in order you have to torment them to get a move on.  You see, with so many Causes to deal with, if there is no pressure being applied, individual cases slip further and further down the line.  Now if there is a miracle its another story, but then again if it is perceived there is no interest, CSS has enough to be getting on with...  

This group of Irish martyrs, our second, should be beatified by now, indeed, all our martyrs should well be on the way to canonisation.    And we have others: Matt Talbot, Edel Quinn, and Fr John Sullivan - amazing people - all in a state of stasis.  We should be pushing, knocking doors and dropping prayer cards all over the world in the hunt for miracles.  I think it is time to get the finger out.  Anyway, rant over.

The Lighter Side

I heard all about some of the photoshop images of the Queen of England which some geniuses came up with during her visit here last week.  With all due respect to Her Majesty, it's a lighter side of the visit.  I love this one - the Queen arriving with a Lidl bag!! 

Those of you who have been to Dublin will know and perhaps have seen the Viking Splash Tour: seems Her Majesty had it included on the itinerary - she even got the souvenir postcard:

The Ash Novena

Well, here we go again.  Another Icelandic volcano has decided to heap woe on Europe.  Flights to and from Scotland have been grounded, Ryanair is up in arms saying the IAA is being too strict: are we in for a repeat of last year? 

I was just thinking, apart from last year and today, I do not remember disruptions to flights from Icelandic volcanoes - was it the case that there were no eruptions - but I would imagine there would have been.  Or is is a case, as Ryanair suggests, aviation authorities are being too strict - health and safety gone mad.  Though, to be honest with you, when it comes to flying, I have no problem with a lunatic caution - it eases the nerves to know that not even a smidgen of risk is taken.

So we're back to the dynamic duo, St Januarius and St Agatha, the patrons of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions.  In the good old Catholic tradition we can to pray to the Saints for assistance.  With one eye on our pilgrimage to Fatima in a few weeks, I am offering you a little prayer to the two martyrs for help in this time of volcanic eruptions (came to me during my Holy Hour this morning).  Call it the Ash Novena, spread it wherever you want, so all may be safe, our travel plans may go ahead, but in all things that we may accept the will of God and grow in the virtues  of abandonment and patience.

Novena to St Januarius and St Agatha

Patrons of Volcanoes

(Ash Novena!)

Blessed Martyrs, Januarius and Agatha,

you who offered your lives in witness to Christ,

into your hands we entrust all who are in danger.

Take into your special care those threatened by volcanoes

and the hazards of the natural world,

that the Lord may preserve them,

their homes and their livelihoods.

Guide all who travel and those who seek refuge,

may they find shelter in the Heart of Christ

and in the charity of their brothers and sisters in faith.

O holy Saints Januarius and Agatha,

courageous bishop and devoted virgin and bride of Christ,

commend us to the intercession of the Mother of God

so that we, like her,

may abandon ourselves to the will of the Father,

for the sake of the Son

with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

We Are Still Alive...For Now

The fact that I am writing this, and you, dear reader, are reading it, means the world did not end on Saturday last at 6pm.  Now we do have strong winds and torrential rain here in Ireland, and another Icelandic volcano is erupting but, as one wit said to me, that is probably because Obama is coming. Quite.  Anyway, apparently the prophet who predicted the end, Harold Camping, is very confused these days and is at a loss for words.  But I suppose he'll come up with something: you can't keep these evangelical preachers down, nor do their minions lose faith.

While the media people were laughing, I always get the sense they feel a little nervous because, though they do not believe, they are not quite sure either and there is always a chance something might happen.  G.K. Chesterton once wrote than when you stop believing in something you end up believing in anything.  How true that is: modern man rejects God, but then runs around worshiping nature, feeling the power of crystals (aka bright stones) and reverently consulting their horoscopes or tarot cards.

For us Christians, we are reminded of a few things.  First, we will not be able to predict the coming of the Lord - the end of the world.  There will be signs, as Jesus said, but his coming will be sudden.  It will take many by surprise, but it should not take us by surprise: following Jesus' words, we have to be ready at a moment's notice.  The end, the Second Coming, will be our moment of triumph when we look up and see Our Lord and Saviour.

Second thing: we must be aware that death can take us at any moment, and that our lives must be in order so as to go as Christians, faithful servants of the Gospel.   There should be no leaving things until tomorrow for, as Garth Brooks once reminded us, what "if tomorrow never comes"?    And we shall die as we live now:  sudden death bed conversions are rare. 

Thirdly, while Mr Camping was wide off the mark, he does remind us that we need to think about the Last Things.  At one time Catholics were aware of the Last Things, priests preached on them, retreat directors included them in their talks and pious spiritual exercises led us to meditate on them.  But no longer, a presumptious people do not like to be reminded of such negative things, nor do they accept the reality of purgatory and hell.   When I was teaching, just up last year, my students (Secondary/High School students) knew nothing about the Last Things.  Despite having had years of Catholic formation, been prepared for and recieved the sacraments, they knew nothing about basic Christian doctrine. 

In my years with them I tried to remedy that, and they were interested.  They loved the Last Things.  Brought up believing that there is only heaven and everyone goes there the second they die, they were challenged by the concept of Judgement - they had signed up to the modern Catholic concept that no one, not even God, is allowed judge you or your actions.  Purgatory was problematic - though they could see the logic of it.  As for hell - they did not believe it existed and did believe.  This is the interesting contradiction which we find in contemporary Christians - they do not believe hell exists because of a loving God, but then evil people do not go to heaven, they go to....hell.

Of course all of this betrays a dismal failure in catechesis, and the resolution of this requires solutions far beyond the classroom.   So time to address that.

The Crucible

Arthur Miller is one of my favourite playwrights.  He had an deep insight into the human person - our nobility, but also our vulnerability and weakness, and, dare we even say it, our sinfulness. He was a gifted writer who could write like Shakespeare modulated for the time and place in which his dramas were set: be it the husky New York longshoreman in A View From The Bridge to the almost poetic expressions of the residents of Salem in The Crucible. 

This latter play is my favourite work by Miller, though it is not an easy play to watch. As you watch the innocent fall victim to vengeance and the law become a pawn in the hands of a lustful young woman, your sense of justice cries out.  The development of characters is remarkable as hidden frailties and even strengths gradually emerge as the play tumbles towards its tragic climax. 

I went to see the play recently with some friends, and reflecting on the subject matter live, you are led to see how applicable it is to many situations.  Miller wrote the play in the context of the McCarthy witch hunt of socialists and communists in 1950's America.  Now no friend of communism here, Miller's play is still a powerful exposition of hysteria and the willingness of gullible people to believe the most unbelievable.  It is also an interesting tale warning us how easy it is for some to manipulate the law for their own purposes.

Themes: the willingness of some to believe the accusers without question is problematic - surely they would not lie?  They do not need to meet the usual rigors of evidence.  No one is safe, all are suspect.    Those accused are assumed to be guilty - if they confess, there is mercy, if they maintain their innocence, then they must be guilty and are to be condemned.   Freedom and rights can be suspended in order to get to the truth - those who criticise the new process may be suspect themselves.   This last point is particularly disturbing.  In the third act as Proctor and others seek to defend the accused and question the way the trials are going, they are immediately accused by the judge of contempt: this is the process, you are not allowed to question it otherwise you are suspected of covering something up.  Unquestioning cooperation is the only option regardless of misgivings or even justice.

Miller is also anxious to reveal that there are people who are willing to make hay of difficult situations.  As Abigail Williams seeks revenge on Goody Proctor because she cannot have John Proctor, Thomas Putnam uses the situation to grab his neighbours' land.  The accusations are not only false, they are the means through which some seek to settle scores, intimidate, undermine, destroy and benefit financially.

Yes indeed, there is much to think about thanks to this play.  If you have not read or seen the play, do so.  Recommend it to your friends, and yes, your bishop and priests as well.

Zombies And The End Of The World: It's All Happening This Weekend

No sooner had we waved off Her Majesty with an invitation to please come back ringing in her ears, than we have a packed weekend to look forward to.  No I am not talking about the visit of Barack Obama to Ireland - but close!  The world is going to end on Saturday, and the American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention have decided to give us tips on what to do in the case of zombie attack.  I love whacky weekends! 

It seems an American pastor has predicted that the world is going to end on Saturday at 6pm.  This prediction is the fruit of Harold Camping's fevered research into the Book of Revelation.  Now I know Jesus said we will not know the day or the hour, and that he will come when we do not expect, that that hour will overtake us like a thief, but it seems Mr Camping has one up on Jesus and we all for it tomorrow.  So now people, time to get the rosaries out, light the blessed candles - seems the three days of darkness won't be happening, but just in case.  Proclaim a fast, lock the doors and assume a humble aspect for the Lord he doth cometh on Saturday at 6pm - just in time for his tea.   

Now, just one question for Fr Z (peace be upon him) - as a priest, seeing as the end of the world is coming at teatime Saturday, am I bound to First Vespers for Sunday????  Is it too early for the Sunday, or just in time???

As Fr Z is munching over that, the rest of us can be swotting up on what to do when the zombies come knocking on the door - which it seems, according to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, is a distinct possibility. Now, to be honest, I am a little disturbed, because it fails to advise on combat techniques should we get caught.  According to the news reader in the cult movie Shaun of the Dead we aim for the head, but what do we do in the real world?  So now we'll have to ask Fr Z again (PBUH):  "Father, do we aim for the head of the zombie when being attacked, and where do we stand morally?"  The Church of the Third Millennium does indeed face some new challenges and moral dilemmas.

Blessed Lucy of Narnia

 

Not her....

Her!

Thanks to Fr Finigan, I have just discovered that there is a Blessed Lucy of Narnia!  This is for all you Narnia fans out there!

She is, more correctly, Blessed Lucia Brocadelli of Narni, in Italy, here is the wikipedia biography.  She was a Dominican and had a fairly troubled life. 

Did C. S. Lewis base his Lucy on her? Possibly, though one would have to wonder if an Anglican Oxford don would be aware of an obscure Italian Beata.  But then again, the Holy Spirit can do all things.   That said, I believe the Lucy figure in the Narnia books represents Our Lady - she who was pure and so open to believe. 

Do you notice, the Dominicans tend to have some of the most interesting Saints? 

Celibacy In The Clear

Karen Terry of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice releases their report

on the causes of clerical abuse of children

A major study into the causes of the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church has just been released. Entitled The Nature and Scope of the Problem of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests and Deacons in the United States and commissioned by the US Bishops, an objective party, the John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted the research.   The report is to the Bishops to inform them and so is not a release from the Bishops.

The study, which took five years to complete at the cost of $1.8 million, has yielded some very interesting conclusions, one of which is that neither celibacy nor homosexuality were the cause of the abuse committed by some priests.  This will confound the arguments of those who want to get rid of celibacy and have been using the scandals as their trump card, and it will also confound the argument of those who maintain that homosexuality was the cause - this was too simplistic.

There are a number of causes, the report says, among them various vulnerabilities in individual priests, poor monitoring and stress. The report also points out that to refer to abusing priests as "paedophile priests" is inaccurate since less than 5% of abusers exhibited behaviour consistent with paedophila.   

Interestingly the report finds that the majority of abuse cases occurred in the period from the 1960's to the 1980's - a era when there was a loosening of sexuality morality and efforts to undermine the Church's traditional teachings on sexuality and sin.   It also corresponds with a certain generation of priests, religious and laity who have had numerous difficulties with regard to many areas of the Church's moral and doctrinal teachings.  I am not saying the crisis was caused by this generation - sexual abuse has always been with us and will always be with us - it is an evil which burrows itself into the fallen nature of man and woman.  But it is interesting to note that the worst period of the crisis was in the years a certain approach to faith and morals was in the ascendent.    The report suggests that perhaps some priests were caught up in the forces of the sexual revolution and that may have contributed to the crisis.

The report is a major contribution to our understanding of what has happened in the Church over the past twenty years or so.  Because it has been conducted by an objected party using up to date critical research methods, it carries weight.  Of course the usual suspects will regard it as a cover-up sponsored by the Church - such a position undermines the integrity of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, so we'll see how far those allegations will go (Lesson 1: don't mess with lawyers!).   I say the proponents of the sexual revolution won't be happy either, those that are still alive that is.

Here is the text of the Report.

Some reactions.  Archbishop Dolan of New York, always a sane voice, has issued an official statement.  The New York Times is frantic and trying to undermine the report.   The ever "reliable" Guardian is on the warpath, the sting is hurting it seems.  The Irish Times is struggling to be objective.  And as one would expect, the National Catholic Reporter is trying to distort the findings to blame an "autocratic papacy".  And the Boston Globe is delirious.   As you can see, most of the secular press are not happy - the conclusions were not what they wanted. 

The US Bishops have the done the Church a service in commissioning this report, we can all learn from it.  I hope our Bishops will sit down and read it and digest its contents - with everything else, it will also prove a valuable document in the reform of our seminaries.