Yesterday I left the car behind and got the Metro into Newcastle for bishop Lindsay`s funeral. The snow had stopped quite a number of bishops from attending, including the cardinal, so the main celebrant was bishop Ambrose Griffiths. I won`t say anything about the music or anything like that but I enjoyed Fr Butters` sermon. Fr Butters had been with bishop Lindsay when he died. He painted a picture of a man who knew his weaknesses. One point stays with me. Once a bishop is retired he can speak but not vote at the meetings of the bishops` conference. Bishop Lindsay was said to have remarked that in his case he imagined the bishops wished it was the other way round!
The snow reminded me of the most significant day I had with bishop Lindsay, my ordination on November 19th 1988 when once again we had a day of snow. (The snow has vanished from Newcastle today, despite what the weather forecast had to say.) I must transfer the ordination video to DVD. I didn`t follow the sermon on the day and haven`t really digested it yet. All I remember was that it began with a story about a man in Jarrow who had a dog called Steve Cram.
May he rest in peace.
7 comments:
I had just read this report about ++CMOC celebrating this funeral Mass before reading your report:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-evening-chronicle/2009/02/03/top-clergymen-turn-out-for-bishop-s-funeral-72703-22842952/
My despair at the lack probity in broad sections of the media seems to grow with each passing day.
May +Hugh Lindsay rest in peace.
Sorry but that is an unfounded criticism of the Chronicle! Like many papers they often have to rely on press releases rather than actually have a reporter present at every event. I do not agree that it is/was a matter of probity, simply a mistake. The story was probably not the most important one of the day. Also, Bishop's House could perhaps have thought of informing the Chronicle of the change of celebrant?
Guess the music wasn't up to much (rather like that at the late bishop's consecration in 1969) - which is a pity given that the late bishop's father was organist at St Mary's in previous generations, when there was the magnificent 3-manual organ there. It had something of a chequered history, having been moved about a bit and suffering in the process. However, it was a magnificent instrument, in the days when the cathedral had a superb choir.
As a youngster, I was taught to play the organ using the late Dr Lindsay's methods: my teacher had been tutored in her younger days by the great man himself.
I didn't always see eye to eye with the late bishop on matters liturgical, but I am sure everything he did was for the best of intentions.
Requiescat in pace.
Re: the point made over my use of the word 'probity'.
As you took offence, I felt that I should reply. The news article gives the impression that a reporter was present, when this clearly wasn't the case, so I still think that the general comment regarding 'probity' was apposite following this, assuming it is a fairly typical example of standards in regional reporting based on the contents of a press release. They should not state as fact that which they have not verified. It would have been better to say''a diocesan press release stated that +Tom, Dick or Harry is expected to be offering the holy sacrifice of the Mass....
Modern journalistic conventions and standards are clearly to blame.
Not to worry, eh? :) Your loyalty to this paper is very endearing.
When you transfer your ordination video to DVD, can you do a copy for me too please?
Bishop Lindsay's funeral seems to have been a two-tone affair in liturgical colours.
Photographs show the 'posh' clergy in violet but the 'lower' clergy in white.
How bizarre!
Anonymous is incorrect; I did not take offence! I simply pointed out how a newspaper often does things. After all, it was not obliged to print anything about the funeral and probably/possibly would not have done so without Bishop's House sending that press release. Just in case, it was up to BH to correct the (probably unsolicited) press release if they wanted things to be done correctly. Really though I was saying that probity was not a word I would use in the context of the report. Perhaps the EC was caught out but to suggest anything else, as 'probity' suggests, is unjustified, in my opinion at least.
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