Wo-man

How I dislike so-called inclusive language! How excluded I feel by its use! You see, I belong to a group - if it is a minority, all the better, though I doubt it is - which is attached to the traditional polivalent sense of the word 'man', and when someone removes that word from a place where I am expecting to find it, I am hurt, and offended (and often incensed). But I'm not writing this to gain your sympathy, but to give you a weapon to use against feminist linguagitators (I copywrite that word). The dialogue should proceed as follows:
You: God became man... [or similar provocative lead-in]
She: No! God became human!
You: But 'man' includes both men and women.
She: No it doesn't!
You: Well, look, you don't have any difficulty with me refering to you as a woman?
She: No, woman is a good word. [Yes, feminists really like it. Ah, how they prepare their downfall!]
You: And I'm allowed to refer to myself as a man, right.
She: Right.
You: But don't you know that the word 'woman' is in fact a qualification of the word 'man'. A woman is a wo-man.
She: Huh?
You: Yes, for English, because man basically means 'human being', there can be a male man or a female man. When we need to mark it explicitly as female, we say 'wo-man'. The wo- bit originally meant wife: a wo-man was a man who could be a wife! Anyway, my point is simply that when you use the word 'woman' you are using the word 'man' in its generic sense, which you claim it cannot have.
She: Eh, I'll have to think about that...
You: [aside] phew!

Darkness Visible

The Church in Ireland is yet again being confronted with the sins of some of her priests. The bishops are full of apologies, and rightly so. Yet there is something lacking in their language - the spiritual dimension. This dimension is not absent from the language of secular comment. Journalists have spoken not only of evil, but of Satan. Refering to a lengthy legal report on child abuse by priests, one commentator said that the devil was in the detail - literally. If some good is to come from this mess, the bishops of Ireland must teach clearly that the devil is alive and active; and they must teach that his favourite targets are those whose mission is to destroy him - priests. He will use the foulest means to drag them down, and with them the whole of God's people. Priests themselves must be vividly aware of this fact, as must be the laity. Political or sociological rhetoric is not good enough, because it does not go to the root of the problem. Theology is called for, sound theology, traditional theology. Will the shepherds be able to deliver?

Latin in the Liturgy

Although the 50 Synodal propositions do no mention the Old Mass, they do give a fairly decent shot in the arm to the use of Latin in the Liturgy. They recommend, firstly, that Latin should be used at Masses during international gatherings, with the exception of the readings, homily and intercessions. In the second place, seminarians should learn to understand and celebrate the Mass in Latin, to use Latin prayers, and to value Gregorian chant. (Wasn't much in vogue in my day.) Finally, the faithful too are encouraged in this direction. Not bad.

Nil desperandum

Disappointment is being expressed over the fact that the Synod's message may not include any reference to the Old Mass. Needlessly. I never expected it would. That would be too dramatic a place, and in fact an inappropriate place, to do what needs to be done, which is simply to give full parity of esteem to the Mass of Blessed John. What we need is a short and discrete letter from the Congregation for Divine Worship, or even from Ecclesia Dei. Then just let us get on with it! No drama, no fuss, just truth!

Pujats is the man

As the Synod draws to a close, my prize for best contributor goes, without hesitation, to Cardinal Pujats of Riga. The runner up is Archbishop Lenga of Kazakhstan. You can access their interventions, and those of all the participants, by clicking on the title of this piece. I notice that Pujats was received in audience by the Pope this morning. Is something brewing? For more info on the said Cardinal, go to http://www.cardinalrating.com/cardinal_81.htm

Our Lady and Communion

Think of Mary several weeks into her pregnancy. She knows that she bears something wonderful within her. She knows he is divine. But she does not know exactly what he will be like when he comes into the world. How will he emerge? Daily she is full of expectant awe. So we too should be, when we receive Communion. Then the Lord of all is within us, as he was within his Mother. How will he emerge in our lives? How will we let him emerge?

Chastity for all?

How can the Church expect the general body of the faithful to live by the ideal of chastity? It may be appropriate for a small number who are called to the religious life, or the priesthood, but how can millions of men and women, young and old, married and single, be expected to life chastely? In reply I would point out firstly that chastity is an ideal after which we strive, and to which few, if any, of us ever fully attain. Even if we achieve a certain physical chastity, our thoughts can often let us down. And even if they are not explicitly sexual thoughts, there are other wayward thoughts which are connected to the realm of sexuality: selfish thoughts, thoughts of domination. And even if we are wonderfully chaste in every way for a week, or a month, or a year, shall we so persevere to death? All the faithful, then, are one in not attaining perfectly, and constantly, to the ideal. In the second place I would point out that within the Church there is a continuum of those who are striving to be chaste, ranging from those who are – by the grace of God – more or less successful, to those who are – alas – far therefrom. But it is a continuum, an unbroken line, and even the greatest sinner should know that he has his place along that line, albeit the lowest place, and to that extent is united with those whose place is higher. Yes there are those – thank God – who live as angels in this world. They are religious, they are secular priests, they are married persons, they are single. They are few, but they exist. They occupy as it were a sanctuary in the life of the Church. But in that Church everyone has a place. It may not be a place in the sanctuary; it may rather be a place at the altar rails, or in the pews, or perhaps at the door, or on the very threshold. All look in the one direction, all fix their attention on the one object, so that no matter how distant from one another they may be, they are all united on a common course. The sinner gazes at the distant saint, and his heart is full of admiration, as it is of shame. He knows, however, whither he is called, and that, with God’s grace, he can advance. That is how it should be. The tragedy is when the ideal is abandoned; when I decide that the problem lies not with me, but with the Church’s teaching; when I give up the struggle. Or when I think that my sins put me outside the Church, into a separate category which has no point of contact with that of the saints. It is not so. It is precisely sinners who most need the Church, who most need the example of her saints. This ideal is set before everyone, without exception. Chastity is to be held in the highest regard by all. And, curiously, few will ever admire it more than those who have attained it least.

Ex ore infantium

Last Saturday Pope Benedict met with children who had made their First Holy Communion. At the end of the encounter they asked him some very basic and interesting questions, and he answered them, quite impromptu. (The text is on the Vatican website in Italian; I have a translation of it which I would be glad to e-mail to anyone interested.) This was a delightful episode. The Pope had clearly not prepared his replies. His Italian was inelegant and repetitious, but how wonderful to hear the Pope speak to the children, himself a child! How wonderful to hear the great theologian trying to express great thoughts in simple language, and being generally successful (although he couldn't resist a few rather weighty terms). I especially liked his reply to the question of whether we should go to confession before every communion, even when we always have the same sins. The Pope laughed heartily. Then he replied in two points. (The professor speaks -- students like their information in point form!) Firstly, you only have to confess if you are in mortal sin. (Yes, the Pope used the word when speaking to the bambini.) But secondly, regular confession is very useful. Now here's the bit I really liked. We clean our houses once a week to keep them in good order, even if the dust is always the same; likewise, regular confession keeps our souls in good order, even if we always have the same sins. This exchange with the children, like nothing else, brought out how beautiful a man our new Pope is, how humble, how relaxed, how accessible, and how 100% Catholic! Viva il Papa!

Ignatius of Antioch

I have just re-read the seven short letters which Ignatius wrote. They are full of teaching. What stands out most is how vital a part of the Christian life for him is recognition of the hierarchy of the Church, and submission to it. Again and again we hear of the bishop, the presbyterate (priests), and the deacons, and how all depends on acting in unity with them. Today we are anti-hierarchy, having been persuaded that the structures of the Church came about late in time, and so are unessential. Well, Ignatius died in AD 107, and had known the apostles, so he had a better idea of what was essential than we, or our indoctrinators. It is truly amazing how early on the basics of the Church were firmly in place, and how they have not altered over two millenia. I hope to make it an annual exercise to read the saint's letters on his feast day, since they are most instructive, and rather brief!

Coined Anew

Today's novus ordo gospel urged us to render unto God what belongs to God. So what belongs to God that I must render unto him? In the case of Caesar I owe a thing which bears his image - a coin. Now what bears the image of God? Genesis chapter one tells us it is myself, made in the image and likeness of God. What God wants from me is my very self. St Augustine, in treating of this gospel, points out that just as the image on a coin may get worn away by use, so God's image in us may be damaged by sin. But Christ comes as a 'minter' to coin us anew. Lord, stamp me once again with your image, that I may make a worthy offering of myself!

In Tridentine Denial

The Old Mass isn't an issue, Arinze claims. Boy, is he in denial! Or perhaps just totally out of touch. The Old Mass is precisely where it's at, as they say. It is the touchstone. In the classic liturgy we see all we had, and have lost; we rediscover who we truly are, as nowhere else. Why has none of the Synodal fathers mentioned it? Too shy, intimidated perhaps? No, I return to the thought that they are simply out of touch. But never mind. We can wait. Day by day more people, more young people, are discovering the inheritance of which the silly 60s liberals have deprived us, and day by day we love it more. Benedict, if you read blogs, or if your minions do, we beg you: give us the freedom to celebrate the ancient rite where and when we will!

Silly synodal voices

Reading through the interventions in the synod hall I can discern three categories: the good, the bad, and the vacuous. Unfortunately the good are few, and the majority are either inane or plain bad. I detect in several speakers a certain cheekiness. It is as if they feel they can express before the mild Benedict what they had to keep hushed before the stern JP. And at this point an interesting thought occurs to me. Is this Big Ben's plan? Has he set a grand trap (no reference to Soligny) for these pathetic prelates? 'Ja wohl, zat vas a fery inzeresting inzerfention, ve'll not be infitink you again, or making you a carzindal.' His mills grind slowly, but may they grind fine.

Conservative is good

This blog has a rather conservative title. Not just because it's in Latin, but because of what the Latin means: fidem servemus, let us conserve the faith! This is an exhortation to do what St Paul claims he did, in 2 Tim 4:7: fidem servavi, I have conserved the faith. The faith is a thing which demands a conservative response. It is a precious and fragile gift entrusted to us for conservation. We have no right, or even ability, to modify it, or to be 'creative' with it. No, we just conserve it. And as we do, we gradually discover what a wonderful treasure we have. We can only be liberal with the faith if we have been conservative of it; that is, we can only share it generously with others if we have kept it safe with ourselves. So let us be liberal, but only if we are conservative! Let us conserve the faith, as St Paul, the original conservative, did.

Targeting the symptom, not the malaise

Sorry, this is another comment on the promised Vatican document on homosexual candidates for the priesthood. Although there has been a great deal of discussion about it before its appearance, as soon as it comes out (excuse the pun) it will be dead in the water, as all Vatican documents have been of late. Like Juvenal's probity, chastity will be praised and left to grow cold. The document seeks to target one symptom of many which characterise the diseased state of our seminaries, but what we really need is a thorough-going reform which will tackle the malaise at its roots. Too great a task? Not at all, if only there were the will, papal and episcopal, to undertake it. The following approach is recommended:
1. Close down the existing seminary, and send all the boys home.
2. Reopen after a decent interval, and a thorough lustration, under new management.
3. The said management to be recruited from the priests of the diocese and religious who are totally katholikoi; Opey Dopies and sound laity to be co-opted as necessary.
4. The new rule of seminary life to be published; to include early rising, meditation, Mass, serious study, Latin from day one, soutane wearing, fasting, etc. Yes, folks, the way it used to be. All to be conducted, of course, in a spirit of love of God, of one another, and of the Church.
5. Applications to be invited.
6. Just watch true vocations materialise.
Having healed the illness at its source, the various symptoms will also disappear. You see, if you have a homosexual disposition, over seven years of strict seminary life you will either leave, or learn, with God's grace, to live chastely.