The Way of Beauty: in Catholic Answers

Brand new Altar Rails at St Mary Magdalen's, Wandworth (London),
replacing those destroyed many years ago.

My latest on Catholic Answers.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote twenty-one years ago,

[We should not] overlook the positive contribution made by the wise use of the cultural treasures of the Church. . . . Artistic beauty . . . a sort of echo of the Spirit of God, is a symbol pointing to the mystery, an invitation to seek out the face of God made visible in Jesus of Nazareth (Ecclesia in Europa 60).

This observation would not have surprised Catholics in previous centuries. When John Paul II said it, however, it was an intervention into a highly controversial, and sometimes embittered, debate, which still rages today.

Read it all there.

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Mass in Dundee

On Sunday 14th I had the privilege to attend Mass in the Lawside Convent in Dundee. Different parts of the complex now house the Marian Franciscan Friars and Sisters. Mass was celebrated by Fr Philomeno.

 

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Conversation with 'Learn Latin'

The other day I had a live conversation with Diego of @latinedisce Learn Latin, on a Twitter 'space'.

@latinedisce promotes Latin, and has created free online resources to learn it.

This was a wide-ranging conversation, introducing the Traditional Mass, its history, and the way people engaged with it. If you missed it, here it is on YouTube.

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LMS Annual General Meeting: photos

Annual General Meeting are notoriously dull but the Latin Mass Society's are a bit different, and this year's was rather fun. It took place on the feast of SS Peter & Paul on 29th June; things have been so hectic since then I have only now got round to processing my photos.

We are especially grateful to the Fathers of the Birmingham Oratory for hosting us and for the beautiful Mass which preceded the meeting proper. 

Two more petitions to save the Traditional Mass: in the Catholic Herald

My latest in the Catholic Herald.

Sir James MacMillan, Catholic , published on 3rd July in a British newspaper, The Times, calling on Pope Francis not to impose fresh restrictions on the Traditional Mass. I have commented extensively on this petition and the petitioners: see here.

Today, in part responding to this petition and to the persistent rumours that Pope Francis is planning these restrictions, perhaps even to be published this very day, two other letters have been published with the same intention.

First, a letter from a retired Mexican Cardinal, Juan Sandoval Iñiguez, which had been sent to Pope Francis a week ago, has been published, together with a 'Letter of Adherence' from personalities from all over the world.

Second, a petition organised by the American poet Dana Gioia, has been published with eleven signatures, representing American Catholic artists and academics.

Read it all there.

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48 Public figures support the Traditional Mass: materials

The Latin Mass Society's Annual Requiem in 2023, in Corpus Christi Maiden Lane

This post is to gather together links to materials on this subject.

You can see the petition and signatories here. You can sign an open petition supporting it here.

The Latin Mass Society's press release is here.

News reports: The Tablet, The European Conservative, The Pillar, The Catholic Herald. 

Commentary by me: in The European Conservative, in The Catholic Herald, in OnePeterFive

Chairman's Briefing on the petition. 

Response to Fr Raymond de Souza in Crisis.

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