The Church: a hostelry or a field hospital? Or both?

Today is the feast of St Catherine of Sienna, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, and one of the six co-patrons of the continent of Europe. It is one of those feast days the celebration of which is enriched by my having visited St Catherine's Shrine in Sienna a number of years ago.

I am reminded of St Catherine's image of Christ as a Bridge that joins earth and heaven, a way across which we must walk to gain salvation. Part of the saint's description of the Bridge is headed by this introduction:

How this Bridge is built of stones which signify virtues; and how on the Bridge is a hostelry where food is given to the travellers; and how he who goes over the Bridge goes to life, while he who goes under It goes to perdition and death.

The section of the following passage that describes the hostelry reads:

His also is the Hostelry in the Garden of the Holy Church, which  keeps and ministers the Bread of Life, and gives to drink of the Blood, so that My creatures, journeying on their pilgrimage, may not, through weariness, faint by the way; and for this reason My love has ordained that the Blood and the Body of My only-begotten Son, wholly God and wholly man, may be ministered to you. 

As I am reminded of this image of St Catherine, I am also prompted to think of Pope Francis' characterisation of the Church as a field hospital. The two images strike me as being entirely complementary to each other.

As I briefly re-read St Catherine in order to write this post, I notice too her emphasis on the Blood of Christ - in the passage referred to above, she describes it as moistening the mortar binding the stones of the Bridge. When our post-pandemic practice allows a return to receiving Holy Communion in both kinds, St Catherine would make valuable reading to inform that renewed practice.

All the Cathedrals (12): Lichfield

 Zero and I are once again taking up our visits to Cathedral towns (aided at the moment by the half price rail fare offer - we made it to Lichfield and back from East London yesterday for the ridiculous price of £6 each!).

The website of Lichfield City Council has an informative page on the Cathedral: Lichfield Cathedral. The Cathedral has its own website here. Wikipedia provides a detailed account of St Chad, with the section on "Cult and Relics" indicating how his life is marked in the history of Lichfield Cathedral: Chad of Mercia. In the present day Cathedral, an icon showing St Chad stands as a shrine, positioned above the point where St Chad was buried behind the high altar of the original cathedral. The relics of St Chad are now located above the high altar of the Roman Catholic cathedral in Birmingham. Again, Wikipedia includes an account of how the relics come to be in the possession of the Catholic diocese.

As you visit Lichfield Cathedral today, you see a unified Gothic cathedral that dates from the mediaeval period. The shrine to St Chad which was previously to be found in the apse behind the high altar was removed at the time of Henry VIII's reign, though the present day building does not show any destructive signs of the dissolution of the shrine. The years of the Civil War, however, led to much greater destruction due to war damage and troop occupation. Where another town might have had a castle that would have been a focus for defence and attack, it was the Cathedral and its close that played that part in Lichfield. After the end of the Civil War, and the restoration of the monarchy, Bishop Hackett and his collaborators undertook a major repair of the damage, so the present day cathedral again does not readily show the destruction that occurred.

Highlights to see: (1) The Lichfield Angel - the account here also indicates something of the two previous Cathedral buildings that exist underneath the present Cathedral, but which are not apparent to the visitor to today's Cathedral; (2) the St Chad Gospels. (3) The stained glass windows in the apse of the Lady Chapel - known as the "Herkenrode glass", but I can't find a convenient link for this. We were unable to take part in a tour of the Cathedral, but I suspect that the tour would have given us a fuller impression of the history of the Cathedral.

Lichfield is also the birth place of Samuel Johnson. The town house in which he was born is now the Samuel Johnson Birthplace, Museum and Bookshop. The museum is well worth a visit - we took particular interest in leafing through a (replica) copy of Samuel Johnson's encyclopaedia next to an original copy enclosed in a glass case. The museum enables you to get a feel both for Samuel Johnson himself and for the climate in which he lived and wrote. His life's work reads something like that of a present day newspaper columnist and author, with his eventual "fame" being akin to what we today would call "celebrity". Not surprisingly, a couple of charities have good bookshops on the same street as the Samuel Johnson museum!

Peter: witness to the Resurrection

 In his homily at the Easter Vigil last night, Pope Francis preached on the three words that describe the behaviour of the women who first arrived at the tomb early on that first Easter morning: they saw, they heard and they proclaimed. The Holy Father ended his homily thus:

Let us make Jesus, the Living One, rise again from all those tombs in which we have sealed him.  Let us set him free from the narrow cells in which we have so often imprisoned him.  Let us awaken from our peaceful slumber and let him disturb and inconvenience us.  Let us bring him into our everyday lives: through gestures of peace in these days marked by the horrors of war, through acts of reconciliation amid broken relationships, acts of compassion towards those in need, acts of justice amid situations of inequality and of truth in the midst of lies.  And above all, through works of love and fraternity.

Brothers and sisters our hope has a name: the name of Jesus.  He entered the tomb of our sin; he descended to those depths where we feel most lost; he wove his way through the tangles of our fears, bore the weight of our burdens and from the dark abyss of death restored us to life and turned our mourning into joy.  Let us celebrate Easter with Christ!  He is alive!  Today, too, he walks in our midst, changes us and sets us free.  Thanks to him, evil has been robbed of its power; failure can no longer hold us back from starting anew; and death has become a passage to the stirrings of new life.  For with Jesus, the Risen Lord, no night will last forever; and even in the darkest night, in that darkness, the morning star continues to shine.

In this darkness that you are living, Mr. Mayor, Parliamentarians, the thick darkness of war, of cruelty, we are all praying, praying with you and for you this night. We are praying for all the suffering. We can only give you our company, our prayer and say to you: “Courage! We are accompanying you!” And also to say to you the greatest thing we are celebrating today: Christòs voskrés! Christ is risen!

When the Pope celebrates Mass in St Peter's Square on the morning of Easter Sunday, a first act is a witness of the Holy Father to the resurrection, modelled on that of St Peter at the tomb. As the doors covering an icon of the Holy Redeemer are opened, the deacon sings, alternating with the three fold Alleluia of the choir and congregation:

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia. 

The Lord has risen from the tomb, who hung on the cross for us. 

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.  

(At this point the deacon turns to face towards the Holy Father.) 

The Lord has truly risen, and has appeared to Peter.

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.  

 And the Successor of St Peter venerates the icon representing the risen Lord.

Numbers

 I was in central London yesterday, Good Friday, for the passion play in Trafalgar Square and for the 3pm liturgy. Extinction Rebellion were evident at Trafalgar Square and, credit to them, as they walked round the outside of the square at one point during the 12 noon performance of the passion play, they did so in silence and without beating their drums. They did get media attention, and prompted the deployment of the police helicopter with its attendant use of fossil fuels, though the headline on the Evening Standard website strikes me as a great exaggeration compared to the experience of many in London yesterday: XR did not bring London to a standstill.

So far as I could judge, the numbers who participated in the two performances of the Wintershall passion play will have far exceeded those taking part in XR protests yesterday. We can add to that the number of people who will have attended the 3pm liturgy in central London churches yesterday, or taken part in processions or other services to mark Good Friday. 

Which of these events is really the most worthy of news coverage?

Pope Francis on two signs of the times

There are a couple of things said by Pope Francis in recent months that have caught my attention, though they are only one part of a more wide ranging speech. The first comes from Pope Francis' address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See at the beginning of January (I have added the italics):

The diminished effectiveness of many international organizations is also due to their members entertaining differing visions of the ends they wish to pursue. Not infrequently, the centre of interest has shifted to matters that by their divisive nature do not strictly belong to the aims of the organization. As a result, agendas are increasingly dictated by a mindset that rejects the natural foundations of humanity and the cultural roots that constitute the identity of many peoples. As I have stated on other occasions, I consider this a form of ideological colonization, one that leaves no room for freedom of expression and is now taking the form of the “cancel culture” invading many circles and public institutions. Under the guise of defending diversity, it ends up cancelling all sense of identity, with the risk of silencing positions that defend a respectful and balanced understanding of various sensibilities. A kind of dangerous “one-track thinking” [pensée unique] is taking shape, one constrained to deny history or, worse yet, to rewrite it in terms of present-day categories, whereas any historical situation must be interpreted in the light of a hermeneutics of that particular time, not that of today.

The wording is, as one might expect of its context, couched in a diplomatic way; but I think Pope Francis' intention is clear. And it is not only international organisations that have come to be taken up by an LGBT+ agenda that does not really belong to their aims; there are many trade unions, commercial enterprises, and employers that have allowed the same to happen to them. By speaking out against a "mindset that rejects the natural foundations of humanity" - that is, a mindset that denies the nature of human persons as biologically male or female - Pope Francis allows others to take up that conversation in the public realm. There is also a useful warning about the nature of identity. Today it seems a truism that the LGBT+ person should be able to express that identity in their lives, and there is some merit in this when it is considered at the level of the individual person. But when viewed at the level of society as a whole, where the question is one about the impact for others, Pope Francis warns about an undermining of all sense of identity affecting society as a whlole. We have yet to really see how this works out in the years to come, as a younger generation grows up with a predominance of this mindset.

The second observation came during Pope Francis' visit to Malta, when he met with the diplomatic corps, the local authorities and representatives of civil society. Again, I have added the italics.

If the complexity of the migration issue is to be properly addressed, it needs to be situated within a broader context of time and space.  Time, in the sense that the migration phenomenon is not a temporary situation, but a sign of our times.  It brings with it the burden of past injustice, exploitation, climatic changes and tragic conflicts, whose effects are now making themselves felt.  From the poor and densely populated south, great numbers of people are moving to the wealthy north: this is a fact, and it cannot be ignored by adopting an anachronistic isolationism, which will not produce prosperity and integration. From the standpoint of space, the growing migration emergency — here we can think of the refugees from war-torn Ukraine — calls for a broad-based and shared response.  Some countries cannot respond to the entire problem, while others remain indifferent onlookers! 

What has caught my attention here is the suggestion that the question of migration is a permanent feature of our times, and a feature that should not be considered as limited to certain countries and not others. In other words, an accomodation of migrants should be of the essential make up of more prosperous societies, both in a legal sense and in the provisions of actors in civil society. 

Film Review: The Phantom of the Open

Yesterday evening, we went to see the film The Phantom of the Open. It is one of those films that has the descriptor "based on a true story" and, though the film portrays Maurice Flitcroft in a very endearing way, the true story, at least as presented on Wikipedia (here), suggests a somewhat different character.

When it was shown at the London Film Festival in October 2021, the Festival described the film as follows:

At the age of 46, happy-go-lucky crane operator and all-round lovable family man Maurice Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) feels it’s time to try his hand at something new. Deciding on a whim that golf is his new calling, the budding sportsman sets his sights on mastering the game. But Maurice is not a man to do things by halves, and in a turn of events that you just couldn’t make up, he secures a coveted spot in the qualifying round of the 1976 British Open. With the enduring support of his loving wife and disco-dancing sons, Maurice borrows some books, buys the clobber and gets hold of a set of clubs. There’s only one problem; he has never played a round in his life. Adapted by Simon Farnaby from his book ‘The Phantom of The Open: Maurice Flitcroft, the World’s Worst Golfer’ (co-written by Scott Murray), Craig Roberts’ film is a heartfelt celebration of an eternal optimist who never let his sporting inadequacies stand in the way of his dreams. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. All hail the underdog!

The title sequence to the film offers a beautiful account of how Maurice and Jean Flitcroft meet, with Maurice observing to Jean about the son she already has out of wedlock that "he has a father now" (as the film observes, this was a much bigger thing at that time than it would be now); the couple buying a terraced house in Barrow in Furness; and showing the children growing up. It was so lovely to watch that I completely missed the names in the title sequence.

There are a couple of subtleties in this family story that those who were young in the 1970's and 1980's might spot. The eldest son goes to university and gains a degree, later being employed in senior management at the Vickers shipyard where his father worked as a crane operator. For many working class families at the time, young students at university were the first from their families to have the chance of higher education, so this echoes with those of us for whom that was the case. The threat of redundancies is also shown overhanging the shipyard, though Maurice is described by Wikipedia as retiring from the yard rather than being made redundant as the film portrays. Again, in the industrial areas of the north of England, job losses were a major feature of the 1970's and early 1980's. 

Most of the humour revolves around Maurice's attempts at playing golf and trying to get a foothold in the golfing environment. Neither are very successful. A highlight is perhaps Maurice's conversation with a young Seve Ballesteros in the locker room before his first appearance in qualifying for the Open, which ends with him observing that his golf is much better than his (very makeshift) Spanish.

Through the course of the film, there is a very interesting portrayal of a relationship between husband and wife, and of their relationship with their children. The behaviours, with their ups and downs, are reflective of working class life, though perhaps a little stereotyped. It is these relationships that provide the very moving points in the film, and give a positive view of a family life even when it is lived in difficult times. The older son, Michael, as he has risen in the Vickers shipyard, has distanced himself from his father because of the ridicule surrounding him and potentially adverse effect for his career. But at a key moment at the end of a commercial pitch to Japanese investors, when his boss jumps in to deny that Michael is related to Maurice Flitcroft because he thinks it will cause an adverse outcome, Michael owns up. He then uses the plane ticket provided for a visit to America to join his other family members there... a very moving reconciliation of a prodigal son.

The nostalgia is provided with great care throughout the film. Manual typewriters (not a computer in sight), lunchtime sandwiches at work, old fashioned telephones (not the slightest hint of a mobile phone), smoking, television sets of the time, home furnishings and fashion very much of the time.

There are excellent performances from Mark Rylance and Sally Hawkins, and their twins are portrayed very well by Christian and Jonah Lees. Altogether a film that is very well worth seeing.

Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

This afternoon we joined the congregation at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, the cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Eparchy in London, for the prayer of consecration of the entire human family, and particularly Ukraine and Russia, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Cathedral was pleasantly full, with a congregation made up of both parishioners of the Cathedral and people like ourselves who had come for the particular occasion. The ceremony was presided over by the Bishop; representatives from the Church of England and the Ukrainian embassy were present.

There were two points about the service that struck me. The first was the three-fold prostration and signing of themselves with the sign of the Cross undertaken by the faithful as they came in to the Church. The Roman Rite single genuflection appears very half-hearted in comparison. The second was the way in which the whole service (with the exception of the homily) was essentially sung, or at least said in a style of chant. So, where the Roman Rite might have prayed the prayer of consecration by saying it, here it was prayed in a style of chant, using just two tones in reflection of the sentence structure.

Therefore, Mother of God and our Mother, to your Immaculate Heart we solemnly entrust and consecrate ourselves, the Church and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.  Accept this act that we carry out with confidence and love.  Grant that war may end and peace spread throughout the world.  The “Fiat” that arose from your heart opened the doors of history to the Prince of Peace.  We trust that, through your heart, peace will dawn once more.  To you we consecrate the future of the whole human family, the needs and expectations of every people, the anxieties and hopes of the world.

Through your intercession, may God’s mercy be poured out on the earth and the gentle rhythm of peace return to mark our days.  Our Lady of the “Fiat”, on whom the Holy Spirit descended, restore among us the harmony that comes from God.  May you, our “living fountain of hope”, water the dryness of our hearts.  In your womb Jesus took flesh; help us to foster the growth of communion.  You once trod the streets of our world; lead us now on the paths of peace.  Amen.

Writing to the Bishops throughout the world to invite them to join with him in making the act of consecration, Pope Francis wrote:

This Act of Consecration is meant to be a gesture of the universal Church, which in this dramatic moment lifts up to God, through his Mother and ours, the cry of pain of all those who suffer and implore an end to the violence, and to entrust the future of our human family to the Queen of Peace. I ask you to join in this Act by inviting the priests, religious and faithful to assemble in their churches and places of prayer on 25 March, so that God’s Holy People may raise a heartfelt and choral plea to Mary our Mother. I am sending you the text of the prayer of consecration, so that all of us can recite it throughout that day, in fraternal union.

The full text of the prayer of consecration can be found at the Holy See website: here. The ceremony from St Peter's Basilica can be watched on Youtube - the act of consecration occurs from 1:35:00, having been preceded by a penitential service with individual confessions.