Wishing you all a blessed and happy New Year.
Yet another New Year celebration sharpens the sense of life’s transience. This is not to be morbid but it does install a certain sense of urgency to life, a realisation that time is precious and must not be wasted. I find myself reminiscing, remembering events in my life even from childhood, more years ago than I care to admit! Which brings me to the first part of this post which concerns London, the city of my birth. The following short articles relate to the London of the 18th and 19th centuries, all exhibit a certain charm and even strangely, a sense of ‘deja vu’, and are taken from 'London is London' by D.M.Low, published by Chatto and Windus, 1949.
Shoplifting.
On Monday last, at noon, a woman, most handsomely dressed, and affecting the woman of fashion, went into the shop of a hosier in the Strand, and appeared (being without a hat) as if she had just stepped out of a carriage; and indeed this was the case. She asked to look at some silk stockings; several pairs were shown her; and presently in came a fellow in livery, who, with his hat off, said, “Sir Thomas is in the carriage, my lady.” She replied that it was very well, and she would be with him in a few minutes. She then paid for two pairs of stockings, went away, and got into a post-chaise, which then drove off. This latter circumstance somewhat surprising the hosier, he examined the different loose parcels of stockings that he had opened, and discovered that her ladyship had stolen nine pair.
From a newspaper quoted in W.Besant’s ‘London in the Eighteenth Century’
Underground
Yesterday, Mary Anne and I made our first trip down the ‘Drain’. We walked to the Edgware Road and took first-class tickets for King’s Cross (6d each). We experienced no disagreeable odour, beyond the smell common to tunnels. The carriages hold ten persons, with divided seats, and are lighted by gas (two lights), they are also so lofty that a six-footer may stand erect with his hat on. Trains run every 15 minutes from six in the morning till twelve at night (with some slight variation) and about 30,000 are conveyed on the line daily: shares have risen, and there is a prospect of a large dividend.
From ‘A Mid-Victorian Pepys’ – dated January 26, 1863; by William Hardman
Mr Pooter at Home
My dear wife Carrie and I have just been a week in our new house, ‘The Laurels’, Brickfield Terrace, Holloway - a nice six-roomed residence, not counting basement with a front breakfast-parlour. We have a little front garden, and there is a flight of ten steps up to the front door; which, bye the bye, we keep locked with the chain up. Cummings, Gowing, and our other intimate friends always come to the little side- entrance, which saves the servant the trouble of going up to the front door, thereby taking her from her work. We have a nice little back garden which runs down to the railway. We were rather afraid of the noise of the trains at first, but the landlord said we should not notice them after a bit, and took £2 off the rent. He was certainly right, and beyond the cracking of the garden wall at the bottom, we have suffered no inconvenience.
From ‘Diary of a Nobody’, by George and Weedon Grossmith (1847-1912 and 1852-1919)
True Christian Charity – England 1791
‘The influx of French refugees into England at the time of the French Revolution, is a remarkable although little known occurrence in English Catholic history. They began to arrive in the spring of 1791, when Mgr de la Marche, Bishop of Saint-Pol-de-Leon, and others who had earlier stood out against the French Republican Government, made their escape to England in smuggler’s vessels. By 1792 there were 3,000 French priests in England, 1500 of these in London, and many of the others in Winchester, Jersey, and other parts of the London District. By 1801 the numbers of French clergy in England alone had risen to 5,600 which included 30 Bishops and 50 Vicars General., and 4000 lay persons. The need of the poor exiles was indeed desperate. The priests in particular were often utterly destitute, with the French laity little better, and it is one of the most creditable facts in history, says Bishop Ward, that the Protestant English received these émigrés not only with hospitality, but with an open-hearted generosity. The King himself exempted them from the operations of the Aliens Act, with the Treasury making grants of £450,000, and all classes of society subscribing large sums for their support. Oxford University printed a Latin version of the New Testament for the use of the priests, followed by the four parts of the Roman Breviary, all as gifts. Clothing, living accommodation, and means were provided for the refugees, with a wing of the Middlesex Hospital given over to house the sick priests, and a chapel installed for those well enough to say or hear Mass. The English were impressed by the exemplary conduct and spiritual zeal of the French clergy, to the extent that Pitt declared in the House of Commons that such spirituality had not been equalled since the earliest ages of Christianity. The admirable deportment of the French clergy and their familiar presence on the streets of London, did much at the critical time of the Catholic Relief Bills, to break down prejudice and familiarise the public with Catholic services, chapels and ways of life. Many new chapels were opened , as well as schools, libraries, and even hospitals, due entirely to the courage, trust in God, and pastoral zeal of so many of the French clergy, supported by the generous charity of English Protestants.’
From ‘Catholic London’ by Douglas Newton.( Published by Robert Hale, London. 1950)
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Now to the present, where here on Stronsay in Orkney, we have our own chapel, ‘Our Lady’s Chapel’, which has been subject to considerable renovation over the past few years. It now looks very smart on the outside, having recently been re-rendered and dashed, and very welcoming and devotional inside. We have a beautiful, marble/stone main altar with the image of Our Lady of Lourdes carved into the stonework beneath the altar-top, and facing the congregation.
'Our Lady's Chapel' - main altar
An impressive filigreed dark oak Communion rail, with carved figures of pelicans and fruits of the vine, divides the sanctuary from the body of the Church, which has dark , traditional-style wooden pews and kneelers divided by a narrow centre aisle. Recently a fine older set of the fourteen Stations of the Cross was fitted, each Station about 34”x28”, and together taking up virtually all the wall space around the chapel, yet looking really striking and quite appropriate. Last summer, the interior of the chapel was completely re-decorated by the Brothers, under the artistic direction of Brother Nicodemus, with innovations such as a dark- blue ceiling with delicate gold stars thereon, and other discreet gold embellishments , creating a very beautiful chapel.
Our Lady of Victories
Add to this the several magnificent statues, particularly that of Our Lady of Victories, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima on the sanctuary, the large Pieta situated inside the chapel above the main portico, and the statue of the Divine Infant of Prague, and still others, and you have an idea of how fortunate we are.
Our Lady of Fatima
We are indebted to Fr Michael Mary (F.SS.R) and Fr Anthony Mary (F.SS.R) from Golgotha Monastery, Papa Stronsay, who look after our spiritual needs, with the traditional (EF) daily Mass and the Sacraments, weekly Benediction, and when possible a sung High Mass on Sundays and feast-days. We also regularly enjoy the company of the F.SS.R Brothers, with their devotion and cheerfulness, friendliness and willingness to help in any way. Courage is an essential part of their armoury, and this includes the Fathers, for occasionally the crossing from the monastery to Stronsay on a wild day, in their tough but quite small boat, is daunting to watch, let alone undertake!
Pieta
When the monks first arrived here, ‘Our Lady’s Chapel’ did not exist, it was merely a stone outbuilding originally used as a salt and fish store, then as a general store for hardware, general parts, and tools, and was part of the monk's main house on Stronsay, now known as St Magnus. In 2002 Fr Michael Mary took the decision to convert the building into a chapel as an act of reparation to Our Blessed Lady for a blasphemous description of her Divine Motherhood - equating this with the status of a modern, unmarried mother, which was included in a Christmas greetings letter distributed from the Stronsay Kirk.
The Divine Infant of Prague
I am sure that Our Lady has looked with great favour on her Chapel, which has recently been the subject of two fine poems on the website.
First, a poem by David Welch, posted November 28th, 2011, on his web-site 'These Anointed Ruins' :- http://anointedruins.wordpress.com/
Our Lady’s Chapel, Stronsay
In a chapel far away
Where North Sea storms
batter the humble wooden frame’
divine treasures elude my touch:
Latin hymn book, rose edged,
Hard, narrow, blessed bench
Communion rail, wood filigree,
Scent of hands in folded beads,
And above them winter sun,
held between finger and thumb;
Corpus Domini Nostri Jesu Christi
Custodiat animam meam.
© 2011 David A. Welch
Next, a poem by our resident 'litterateur':-
Our Lady’s Chapel.
Stronsay’s Bethlehem, the dwelling of Jesus:
Once the Salt Store supplying to Herring drifters
Thereafter the island’s hardware shop; source for hammers and nails.
Today then, yet still a salt store for the Fisherman’s sons
Where daily the sounds of hammers and nails strike to the stars
and resound in the Heaven beyond, boding
Sacrifice renewed, Fish flesh, living Bread and salty savor.
Ave verum corpus natum de Maria virgine.
Rejoice store of salty tears, O Maria!
Rejoice little house of God, small cave of Bethlehem
Old shed, old shop and humbled house of tools and salt
you will not now rust away but be yourself preserved and exalted:
Tabernacle, Store of Wondrous Delight,
Ark of Salvation over the wild sea
bearing on your Mast the crucified Son fixed by hammer with nails
passage us to our Homeland,
Unite us to His wounded Side
Wash us in His Blood and Water and draw
as by miracle of Moses’ Rod
tears of salt and sorrow for sin
through the Intercession of Our Lady Mother and Mistress Mary:
Salve Regina Mater Misericordiae.
Fr Michael Mary F.SS.R
Thank you David, and Fr Michael Mary, for these fine poems. We look forward to more, when you can find the time!
Our Lady of Aberdeen, pray for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, our Bishop Dom Hugh Gilbert OSB, the ‘Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer’ (F.SS.R) Community, and all the faithful in our diocese.
Not long ago I came across the following website:-
'These Stone Walls -Musings from Prison of a Priest Falsely Accused'
The author, Fr Gordon Macrae, is now serving his 17th year in an American prison having been falsely accused and unjustly convicted of sexual offences against minors.
'Christ before Pilate' - Munkacsy (1844-1900)
To anyone who goes along with the ‘where there’s smoke, there's fire’ theory, I strongly urge you to read just some of Fr Macrae’s posts. I find the whole saga truly shocking, not because of Fr Macrae, but because of the apparent failings in the American judicial system, particularly the impression I have that justice is really only available for those who can afford to pay for it.
Unfortunately there have been many genuine cases of child abuse by priests and religious, but I suspect that there have also been many cases where prejudice and anger, and indeed greed, have combined to distort the truth, resulting in grave injustice.
The peculiarly American practice of ‘the settlement game’ with substantial sums of money paid to ‘victims’ in lieu of court cases, has inevitably guaranteed a huge number of abuse accusations, the majority probably untrue and many going back decades, often with the accused long dead.
Certain Church leaders have acquiesced in this injustice, almost certainly through misguided intentions, preferring to keep matters quiet and out of the Courts, and paying out vast sums of money in ‘compensation’ regardless of the truth of the allegation, and apparently mindless of the character assassination of the accused.
Recently a new book has been published highlighting the experiences of six priests falsely accused and convicted of abuse. To quote from Fr Macrae’s latest post:
http://www.thesestonewalls.com - (see also link on my sidebar)
"A Book Every Priest Needs to Read: Catholic Priests Falsely Accused
‘Catholic Priests Falsely Accused: The Facts, The Fraud, The Stories’ is a new book by David F. Pierre, and a Corporal Work of Mercy for the Church and priesthood.
If you’ve been wondering what might make a thoughtful and practical gift for your parish priest this Christmas, consider arming him – and yourself – with the truth. It might seem a strange thing to give the priests you know a book about every priest’s worst nightmare, but doing so – and reading it yourself – could very well be an act of generosity, justice, and mercy.
The book documents the stories of six priests who have suffered under the millstone of false witness over the last decade of scandal in the Catholic Church, and their arduous trek to exoneration. Having lived in this nightmare for close to two decades, I could not put the book down.
But David Pierre also included a seventh account that has not – not yet, anyway – had a happy ending, and it made my hands tremble. It’s Chapter 20 in his book, and it’s entitled “Guilty or Falsely Accused? The Disputed Case of Fr. Gordon MacRae, Diocese of Manchester, NH.”
I could feel my anxiety rise as the chapter title jumped off the ‘Table of Contents’ at me, and I braced myself. I have seen the words “the case of Fr. Gordon MacRae” abused and manipulated in the mainstream media far too often to expect anything just and fair. What makes the case “disputed” is the fact that I was convicted in a 1994 trial, and, in covering that fact, most in the news media have overlooked the devil in the detail.
Not so for David F. Pierre. He presents in this new book a factual analysis of my trial, and what he calls “an alarming opposite side…that has not been widely told.”
David Pierre did his homework, and captured well “the Twilight Zone” aura around my trial, exposing how spectral wisps of rumor and innuendo were reshaped by a prosecutor to get a conviction with no evidence at all.
David Pierre simply took the story that has been hiding in plain sight, and stated it in plain speech. The result could rival the legal thrillers of John Grisham and Scott Turow. Sometimes real life makes for the most gripping drama."
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This book is available through Amazon (£11.84 from Amazon.com. - £21.00 from Amazon.uk) Both these prices include postage, but delivery takes about 1 month from the USA.)
'Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill' (Sermon on the Mount - Matthew 5:6)
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Figure of Justice, Old Bailey, London
Whilst on the subject of Justice, I think it right to express a muted appreciation of Tesco PLC, for their reply to my recent letter criticising their support for the London Gay Pride parade. I think that their reply, reproduced below, speaks for itself:-
'Dear Mr ...
Thank you for your letter ........ We took a decision to support World Pride with a small donation of £30,000.00 following a request for help earlier this year from our Out at Tesco network for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender staff. We believe that everyone should be welcome at Tesco, whether as a customer or a member of staff, and decided that agreeing to a small donation to the event would be a tangible way of demonstrating that we respected and supported our colleagues.
We do understand that this decision is not supported by everyone, and indeed that it has aroused some strong opposition as well as some support. It is never our intention to upset our customers, and I am very sorry that our decision to support the event has moved you to write to us to express your concern.
I do hope that over time, you will be able to see this small donation in the context of our much wider support for many hundreds of charities and local communities. Over the past year we have contributed over £64 million in total to charities and good causes in the UK and across the world. For example, we raised £7.2m for children with cancer last year, helping Clic Sargent fund specialist care at home for children. We are set this year to raise over £5 million for our current Charity of the Year, the Alzheimer’s Society.
Once again, I am very sorry that our donation to World Pride has shaken your confidence in us. I hope I can reassure you that we take your views very seriously and that, through all the work we do for good causes as well as through our core retail business, we do indeed strive to be a company in which you can place your trust.
Y.S. Tesco PLC.
The tenor of this reply suggests that the efforts of all those who contacted Tesco PLC criticising their support for the Gay Pride event, were worthwhile. I must admit to some surprise that their involvement was a modest £30,000, not a large sum by today’s standards, and assuming there are no ‘hidden extras’, hardly suggests major support for the event. Many consider that any support is too much, and I suspect that the significant adverse public reaction it incurred will not have gone unnoticed - ‘Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam’.
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Immaculate Conception - Zurbaran 1598-1664
‘No man can choose his mother; but should such a thing ever be granted to anyone, who is there who, if able to choose a queen, would wish for a slave? Or, if able to choose a friend of God, would he wish for his enemy? If, then, the Son of God alone could choose a mother according to His own heart, we must consider, as a matter of course, that He chose one becoming a God. And as it was becoming that a most pure God should have a mother free from all sin, He created her spotless.’
'Thoughts from St Alphonsus, on the Immaculate Conception
of Mary' (Compiled by Rev C McNeiry, C.SS.R)
The global economy is in a mess. The press and media regale us with doom and gloom; world stock markets are down; Governments bail out commercial banks; bankruptcies, unemployment, homelessness, civil unrest; health and social services cut back; astronomical hike in fees for university students; fuel, gas and electricity prices rising, with spin-off effect on food, heating, and travel costs. But hold on, I can hear you say, what's new about this, we've heard it all before ........!
Allow me to quote from an interesting and revelatory book – ‘Pope Pius XI and World Peace’, by Lord Clonmore, published in 1938 by ‘The Catholic Book Club’. Although dealing with the relationship of the Catholic Church and State some seventy-five years ago, I have a feeling that the words of Pope Pius XI have as much relevance to our own times as they did then.
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Pope Pius XI (1857-1939) (Pope 1922-39).
“It is patent that in our days not only wealth is concentrated, but immense power and despotic economic domination are concentrated in the hands of a few, who for the most part are not the owners, but only the trustees and directors of invested funds which they administer at their own good pleasure. This domination is most powerfully exercised by those who, because they hold and control money, also govern credit and determine its allotment, for that reason supplying, so to speak, the life-blood to the entire economic body, and grasping in their hands, as it were, the very soul of production, so that no-one can breathe against their will. The accumulation of power, the characteristic note of the modern economic order, is a natural result of limitless free competition, which permits the survival of those only who are strongest, and this often means those who fight most relentlessly, who pay least heed to the dictates of conscience” (Pope Pius XI)
‘This power, against whose will ‘no-one can breathe’, is what may briefly be called the ‘Money Power’. In the Middle Ages usury was unable on the whole to flourish; plenty of attempts were made, but the discipline of the Church, which hates usury as one of the gravest sins, was almost always too strong for the would-be money lenders. With the break-up of Catholic Europe following the Reformation, the usurers were able to start on their work of enriching the already wealthy at the expense of the poor. In England it was the ‘Money Power’ which brought Charles 1 to the block, and what was known as ‘Dutch Finance’ came over once and for all with William of Orange. One of the conditions necessary for this destructive and parasitic system to flourish is that there should be free competition, which means in fact, cut-throat competition. The present system of cut-throat competition places the borrower at the mercy of the lender. There is no doubt that the State has almost everywhere played into the hands of the money-lenders, to whom it has made over what was once the King’s prerogative, the right to issue money’ (Lord Clonmore - Pope Pius XI and World Peace)
“The State, which should be the supreme arbiter, ruling in kingly fashion far above all Party contention, intent only upon justice and the common good, has become instead a slave, bound over to the service of human passion and greed. As regards the relations of people among themselves, a double stream has issued forth from this one fountain-head; on the one hand economic nationalism or even economic imperialism; on the other a no less noxious and detestable internationalism in financial affairs, which holds that where a man’s fortune is, there is his country” (Pope Pius XI)
Cardinal Achille Ratti, Archbishop of Milan, prior to election as Pope Pius XI
‘An example of this capitulation by the State to the ‘Money Powers’, were events in England in 1914 when war was declared. Due to unprecedented money demand, with the Banks running out of money, the Bank Act was suspended and a moratorium was declared. This would have been a very good moment for the King to reclaim his office of issuing money; to bring this about, it would merely have been necessary to issue treasury notes for the national expenses which had to be met in English currency, and to open State credits with producers on agreed terms. Unfortunately the ‘Money Power’ recovered all too soon from its first panic, and was able to prevail on Parliament, by then in a state of alarm, to issue the treasury notes through the banks, and ‘to borrow in order to pay for the war’. (Lord Clonmore - Pope Pius XI and World Peace)
“The King was prevented from exercising his office of issuing money to his people, and was forced to pay the banks and their clients, high rates of interest upon book entries. The King was forced, that is to say, to pledge the products and labour of his people for generations, in exchange for that which belonged properly to himself, and at the moment when the bankers’ inability to pay in gold had just been revealed” (Dr McNair Wilson)
“Christianity alone can supply an efficacious remedy for the excessive solicitude for transitory things, which is the origin of all vices. When men are fascinated by and completely absorbed in the things of this world, Christianity alone can draw away their attention and raise it heavenwards. And who will deny that this remedy is now urgently needed by society?” (Pope Pius XI)
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Satan tempting Christ
Today, in virtually all walks of life, more and more power is concentrated in the hands of the few. Financial institutions have been taken over by more powerful competitors, which themselves soon suffer the same fate. We know from experience the power and influence they wield, to the extent that in the event of severe fiscal problems, governments are prepared to bail them out with tax-payer’s money, rather than let them fail. They seem to be a law unto themselves, with profitability the acid measure of success. Money equates with power, and in our world in which so many do not know God and do not want to know Him, it is not really surprising that the acquisition of wealth and the power this engenders, will be used to satisfy worldly ambitions usually far removed from the spirit and indeed the letter of God’s laws. Power is an influence for good or evil, and without God’s help our fallen human nature is incapable of resisting the attractions of the world, the flesh, and the devil. There is a saying that ‘power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely’, and we only have to look at world history of the 20th century to realise how true this is.
In the 'media' world, the international interests of the Murdoch organisation, reflect enormous political and social power, not to mention wealth; yet it seems that this is never enough. Commerce is exactly the same with companies amalgamating or being taken over, eventually all becoming absorbed into one giant conglomerate. Tesco’s, now a multi-national company, is in virtually every major town in the UK, posing a permanent threat to local family shops many of whom cannot compete and are forced to close down. ‘Might is right’, is unfortunately the name of the game.
Central government and the Civil Service offer real opportunities for attaining positions of power. Elected Members of Parliament, once established in ministerial positions, assume power and authority commensurate with their job. Problems arise when they exceed their remit. An example of this in my opinion, is the recent decision by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, to refuse aid to a certain African nation due to their uncompromising opposition to homosexual practices. This suggests that the life-threatening needs of the starving, sick, homeless, and unemployed, are of no consequence when measured against the 'promotion' of homosexuality, a lifestyle which is totally opposed to the religious beliefs and social traditions of many third-world countries
Unfortunately today’s materialistic and secular culture has confused the true meaning of 'charity'. Charity is defined as 'the love of God above all things, and the love of our neighbour for God's sake'. The provision of contraception and abortion facilities, contrary to God's law - which includes the Natural law, is not 'charity', and to force unwilling poor countries to accept this particular condition, under threat of depriving them of essential financial aid, is tantamount to moral blackmail and an abuse of political power.
The Tribute Money (George Hayter 1792-1871) - 'Render to God the things that are God's, and to Caesar the things that are Caesar's'
One wonders if there is a hidden agenda shaping the UK ‘Aid’ programme. With ‘population control’ a major platform, is it that the financiers, politicians, commercial and industrial interests, who hold the reins of power in the west, fear expansion in the third-world, as a threat to their monopoly of power. Both the Prime Minister and Andrew Mitchell seem very keen to assure members of the House that ‘the whole of our development budget is spent in Britain’s national interest, and a large chunk of it goes to support our own security and prosperity here at home.’
The tragic and terrible irony in this matter, is that much of UK aid will be used to deliberately kill babies still in the womb; tens or even hundreds of thousands of innocent lives terminated before they see the light of day. Additionally the promotion of contraception, will effectively restrict that population increase so necessary for future development. Truly an example of misuse of power resulting in an enforced culture of death and evil...
Alternatively, when aid is used to enhance life, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing health and medical services, financing education and creating job opportunities, and other positive ventures, it is truly a power for good, offering real hope for present and future generations...
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On this subject, a few quotes from Hansard, 26th October 2011;
Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson (DUP): 'The Prime Minister has warned African countries that unless they improve gay rights, he will cut their aid, yet in many African countries where we pour in millions of pounds of aid, Christians face great persecution and destruction of churches, lives and property. Here in the UK, anyone who displays a Bible verse on the wall of a café faces prosecution. Was Ann Widdecombe right when she said that in the 21st century hedgehogs have more rights than Christians?'
The Prime Minister: 'Ann Widdecombe is often right - not always right, but often right. The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point. The way we judge our aid decisions is to look at human rights across the piece. That means how people are treating Christians and also the appalling behaviour of some African countries towards people who are gay'.
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Mr Mitchell - ‘Over the last year there has been an increase in many countries support for development, which is quite right and in accordance with the commitments that they have given. Britain has been in the lead in that regard. All our spending is in our national interest, and large amounts of it support our security, and indeed our future prosperity’
Mr Mitchell: 'The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. The whole of our development budget is spent in Britain’s national interest, and a large chunk of it goes to support our own security and prosperity here at home'.
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Just two questions:-
1. How has the government reacted to those African nations that are murdering and persecuting Christians?
2. In what way is the whole of our development budget spent in Britain’s national interest, and how is it that a large chunk of it goes to support our own security and prosperity here at home?
Know the answers, please share them in the 'comment' box.
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Finally,a reminder of Christ's words to the Apostles regarding wealth and possessions:-
"Amen I say to you, with difficulty shall a rich man enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew.Ch 19 vs 23/24)
