Celibate Vocation; Paedophilia a worldwide issue; priest found dead in Mexico

Yesterday's link to Catholic Culture behaved badly so to reach these two interesting articles on renewal in celibacy and media treatment of the paedophile issue please use the Zenit link at the bottom of the bloglist sidebar here.

Father Z reports on the death and possible toruture of the priest in Mexico at WDTPRS.

Cardinal Newman Society delivers spiritual bouquet to pope

Irish Priests' Reform movement in process of being launched

Catholic Culture has the story and gives two further links to the Irish Press which indicate the complexion the movement is intended to take. The article from the Belfast Telegraph is particularly instructive.

By all means priests should have an outlet for their opinions but in the list of stated aims some very 'pointed' language is used. I'll leave it for readers to form their own opinion of what this micht lead to.

Fr. Blake's initiative: English and Welsh priests' open letter in support of Pope Benedict's visit to UK.

Father Blake first posted about this on July 23 at his blog St Mary Magdalen During that first post Father suggests that perhaps it would be possible to set up something similar to the 'Confraternity of Catholic Clergy' which has been successfully operating in Australia for many years. Fr Tim Finigan has posted on the Hermeneutic of Continuity in support of Fr Blke's move and his gives some very useful links.

Fr. Blake has posted again today and when I last looked 20 priests had signed the letter. If you are a priest listed in the English/Welsh Catholic directory and have not yet seen Fr Blake's posts, please do go over there and consider signing.
If you are an English or Welsh member of the lay faithful I implore you to approach your own parish priest about this initiative. If he doesn't have the Internet, I'm sure responses would reach Fr Ray Blake by writing to him 'snail mail' at St Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. Brighton.

In the meantime, God bless and strengthen Fr. Blake and all the priests who have already signed the letter. May there be many, many more before the dawning of September 16.

In Christo pro Papa

Please pray for the Priests and Faithful of England and Wales.

Up and down the two countries, Priests are having the painful task of allocating insufficient tickets for access to Papal Masses during the September visit. Many seem to be doing it by pulling names out of a hat at a gathering of their parishioners. In the circumstances, what else can they do? It seems that there are no guidelines as to how this ticlish matter is to be resolved in each parish in a uniform way. The priest has to make his own decision and find his own way. Batches of tickets have been sent to each diocese to distribute among their parishes. In one parish I know of 123 tickets are available; 133 people have signed up to say they want to go. So as not to prolong the agony, it seems that the priest pulled out ten names first, that is, those who would not receive a ticket. (I'm sure my informant will let me know if I've formed a wrong impression here.) The priest has assured the ten that he thinks in the end, they will be able to go, but the uncertainty and the waiting is far from pleasnat to contemplate.

It is constantly stated that there is no point in just turning up. You have to have a ticket, pre-pay at least £25.00 for the privilege, and travel in a Parish or Diocesan group, even if your Parish is in walking distance of the Papal venue.. It is now clear and has been admitted by the organisers, that Security is the priority that has produced this situation. I can understand that, but at the same time, the whole situation is galling (and I mean that in its proper sense). How terrible for a priest to have to enact such an artificial and restrictive separation of members of his flock. How sad and painful for him and them. How deeply troubling for us all.

Yes, security must be the main concern, but I find it absolutely impossible to agree with the official line being put out by 'the authorities', that this visit is going to make UK Catholics feel an increased confiedence that they are a free and accepted part of their society, if they have to be corraled, herded and protected in this way, all the time wondering about the very safety of their chief shepherd.

I beg you to pray for us.

In Christo pro Papa

Beginning to come round.....

Last night I was able to post on my other blog, The Oasis' for the first time in nine days. I meant to post here too, but time ran out. The post I did manage on the Oasis demonstrates a new and terrifying concern over the Pope's visit to the UK in September. We have the American National Catholic Register to thank for opening our eyes to what may be going on in the build-up to that visit. There is now a new site 'Protect the Pope' and I urge everyone to follow it. (links on the Oasis). The site is responsible, not interested in stirring up fear, but only concerned with circulating accurate information about what Catholicism in England and Wales is up against.

"Protect the Holy Father, through Prayer, Truth, and the Law."

Signing off for a while, but Father Mark gives plenty to pray about

I've decided to stop blogging at least until I get the results of yesterday's quadruple blood tests. The vertigo already mentioned, continues in spite of new medication and consequently I'm finding day to day chores difficult enough.

However, having read Father Mark's post today, about Priests who have come to hate their own Priesthood, (see Vultus Christi) I have more than enough to occupy me.

Tomorrow is St. Benedict's day. Have a happy and holy feast everyone. May St. Benedict intercede for all his sons and daughters, particularly for our dear Holy Father who bears his name, and for that dear Benedictine in Tulsa.

Will post again as soon as it seems right.

In Christo pro Papa

Papal Mass today at Sulmona

This will be televised live at 10am French time on kto
EWTN at 8am UK time (3.30am US ET with encore at 12 noon)

For interesting background to this Papal visit see:
http://thoughtsfromoasisinfrenchcatholicism.blogspot.com/

(The doctor failed to visit as promised on Thursday and has not contacted me. Am still not at all well and will be ringing him tomorrow.)