tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post7711303494119971794..comments2023-10-18T14:53:28.622+01:00Comments on Forest Murmurs: Ascension Thursday: a canonically correct but unfortunate clarification.Fr Michael Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15320336535138538635noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-10318320132038558252008-05-02T11:04:00.000+01:002008-05-02T11:04:00.000+01:00There is, by accident, one small benefit of this c...There is, by accident, one small benefit of this change.<BR/><BR/>The Sundays after the Epiphany, Ascension and Corpus Christi will regain a certain flavour of when they used to Sundays within their respective Octaves. Epiphany will become more like it was before the feast of the Holy Family appeared (where one wonders will PCED place that now - on the free January 6th?) Most signficantly Corpus Christi will have the following 'green' Sunday back into 'white' as it happily used to be before Pius XII's liturgical cuts. In 1913 Corpus Christi ceased to be a holyday and was moved to the following Sunday by Pius X. It was Benedict XV who restored it as a holyday in 1917.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-88584583600646655732008-05-01T21:57:00.000+01:002008-05-01T21:57:00.000+01:00I understand that, for the NO celebration of Ascen...I understand that, for the NO celebration of Ascension Thursday Sunday, offical approval from Eccleston Square has been given to a change to the words of verse 2 of the popular High Anglican Hymn 'Alleluia, sing to Jesus' - sung with such underwhelming gusto in many Catholic parishes.<BR/><BR/>Forthwith, the words of the sixth line of that verse are to be rendered as: "When the forty-three days were o'er'. The amended words can be effortlessly accommodated within the metre of the traditional tune 'Hyfrydol'.<BR/><BR/>Morever, the President of the Eccleston Square authorities has decreed, with all due solemnity, that such a significant change to familar words must be accompanied by suitable catechesis from the ambo. <BR/><BR/>The purpose of that catechesis is to explain to the bereft laity (whose feelings are fully understood by the Eccleston Sq pastoral minstry co-ordinators) that better pastoral care is demonstrated by not confusing the laity into thinking that the old words ('forty days') have any scriptural or ecclesial significance within England and Wales. As is well-known (and will be explained by a pastoral letter to the 'Universe' from the Emeritus Major bishop of H and N), special dispensations apply here (and a few other remote areas of the globe) and it is better to recognise the Brittanic signficance of the forty-three days rather than the quaint, simple acceptance of the old forty-day dispensation. Such sound catechesis is to be given without delay and is to be accepted by all simple folk without rancour.<BR/><BR/>Please bring news of this important announcement to the masses (who might be expected to attend Ascension Thursday Sunday Masses) as a matter of the utmost urgency.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-36329568759874383712008-05-01T18:01:00.000+01:002008-05-01T18:01:00.000+01:00These changes most dangerously advance secularism ...These changes most dangerously advance secularism because they seem to push open religious observance into a few restricted hours on a Sunday morning. <BR/><BR/>The traditional place of these feasts was a means of bringing Catholic practice into what is otherwise an ordinary and secular week. By changing these feast days, Catholicism is seen to be withdrawing into a club for Sunday mornings. <BR/><BR/>What is more, by making Sunday the day of celebration for these feasts, we devalue Sunday's own rightful place in the Church's calendar as a 'little easter', a feast in its own right.Augustinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02874922973165634505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-61203919373616304622008-05-01T13:18:00.000+01:002008-05-01T13:18:00.000+01:00"Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy father..."Remove not the ancient landmarks which thy fathers have set." PROV. xxii. 28.Volpius Leoniushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10273209983337706262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35539648.post-77714541364664136552008-05-01T10:16:00.000+01:002008-05-01T10:16:00.000+01:00Dr Reid is as lucid and sensible as ever. One furt...Dr Reid is as lucid and sensible as ever. One further thing he could have mentioned is that the old Missal also allowed for transferring the 'external solemnity' of a major feast to the following Sunday. As I understand it, what this meant is that (for example) all Masses on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday would be Masses of Corpus Christi, but that the main high Mass on the Sunday would also be the Mass of Corpus Christi, with the procession. Other Masses on that day would be Masses of the Sunday.<BR/><BR/>This is a bit of a bodge, but at least it caters for both those who can and those who can't get to Mass on a weekday.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, the only bishop who will respond to Dr Reid's article will be the retired bishop of your own diocese, Bp Lindsay. It would be nice to think that some of the serving bishops are concerned about the pastoral fall-out of their games with the calendar, but so far they show no evidence that they have even noticed what Dr Reid rightly calls the 'impasioned debate' on this subject.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com