Shahbaz Bhatti: When is a Catholic NOT a Catholic?

Shahbaz Bhatti, Pakistan's minority affairs minister who was shot yesterday by Islamic militant was (is) a Catholic.

We might surmise that he is a martyr, though the distinction is for Holy Mother Church to decide.

One thing that shocked me isn't that Catholics get such a bad deal in Pakistan, for that is well known.

No, what surprised me is that the British media denied his Catholicism. On numerous reports it said he was a "Christian" but no mention was made of his being a member of the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Rome.

Is it too much to put Catholics in a good light?

Is it too much to show Catholics as the victims (even martyrs)?

Is it too much to show Catholics standing up for decency?

If this man had abusive tendencies, if he had robbed a bank, if he had committed a terrorist attack, you can be sure the BBC and the organised atheists would be screeching his Catholicism from the rooftops.

Yet a man was murdered for seeking the end of a law used to murder Catholics on made-up evidence, and his Catholicism is not newsworthy?

Is Catholicism (outside of a Papal visit) only newsworthy when it can be used to attack the Church and the Papacy?

It would seem so.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Shahbaz Bhatti.

I Hope my Fellow Welshmen can Forgive me!

I speak of course of the Welshmen of Cornwall.

The Cornish were known as the South or West Welshmen.

As Wikipedia says:

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles states that in 825 (adjusted date) a battle was fought involving the "Welsh", presumably those of Cornwall, and the Defnas (men of Devon). It only states:- "The Westwealas (Cornish) and the Defnas (men of Devon) fought at Gafulforda".

Westwealas clearly translates into old Saxon as West Welsh, meaning "West Romans/Foreignors."

There are, even today, many similarities between the Welsh and Cornish languages (numbers 1 to 10 are almost identicle).

So why am I apologising to the Cornish "Welshmen?"

Well, it was their patron Saint's day yesterday and, with one thing and another, I clean forgot to post greetings.

Mea Culpa.

So, belatedly - I'd like to wish all Cornishmen in Kernow and further afield:

Dydh Sen Pyran lowen

Happy St Piran's Day.

 

 

Pilgrimage to York in Honour of St Margaret Clitheroe

St Margaret Clitheroe was a real Catholic heroine, risking everything and giving up her life for our Holy Catholic Faith.

If you can make it to York please do so. It promises to be a tremendous occasion and will surely bring many graces to the people and nation of England, especially as more Anglicans look for their true home.

The Rite: An Honest Film Review by a (Welsh) Catholic

Braveheart: Is it cos I is Welsh? And who nicked Stirling Bridge?

Last Sunday I (and two young accomplices) attended my local multiplex 'World of Cine' to partake in the cinematic feast that is The Rite, starring that Welsh screen presence, Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Having purchased the tickets and carefully avoided the temptations of the foyer (i.e. overpriced sweets, hot dogs and sticky drinks) we hastened to take our seats, a mere 15 minutes early. Sorry, I mean half an hour early: don't you just loathe cinema adverts? And don't even get me started on trailers that give the entire story of forthcoming films away! I mean come on! I'm not American - neither do I watch Eastenders. You can advertise a film without showing me all the pertinent twists and turns.

I shouldn't even mention the highly suspect advert for a male deodorant with the tag-line "Angels will fall." Ridiculous.

 So onto the film.

What to make of it?

Well, this film suffers from what I shall call 'the curse of Braveheart.'

Yes, Mel Gibson, the Catholic who falls on his way to his own Calvary (just like the rest of us), made a wonderful film that really captured the imagination (especially in Scotland!) and certainly showed the faults of Scotland (and Ireland and Wales) in that cowardice, treachery, greed and heroism were present in equal share.

Yes we saw the heroic Scottish Hero Wallace (Catholic & Welsh: Wallace means "Welshman" most likely descended from the Welsh kingdom of Strathclyde) lay down his very life for his country, but in the shadow of the film the gainsayers were quick to quip: 'but it's inaccurate.'

The Battle of Stirling Bridge (the topic of the Corries quite superb song of the same name), was bridgeless! The idea that the Queen of England's daughter was Wallace's. All this and more stretched the credibility and plausibility of a genuinely moving and heroic story.

What were we to believe? Did Wallace kill the traitor Lords? Did the Irish mercenaries switch sides to join the Scots? We (unless we are experts, unless we take a year off to read all the history books, or unless - and this is stretching it a wee bit - we were there) just can't say for sure what was fact and what was a bit of Hollywood license.

We can try to make educated guesses, but what then of the uneducated viewer? Will he dismiss it all as a story with a mere toe dipped in the truth? Or will he swallow it whole just as some people think all homosexuals are loving, caring, monogamous etc. following storylines from TV soap operas?

And therein lies the problem for The Rite.

I enjoyed the film, and as so often is the case with a good film, enjoy the cinematography, the scenes in which the action is set etc. Just seeing the Vatican and Rome in a film that isn't wildly anti-Catholic was a treat, albeit just a glimpse now and then of the Mass would have been "nice" -- but that's not to detract from the wonderful Catholic 'feel' of the film.

My problem however is going away and wondering "was that bit real/true."

I won't give too much away in case you haven't seen the film yet, but there is a major part of the film in which (let's say) a 'famous' person is possessed by a demon (Baal I believe). Now I know the actual person the film character is based on, and I'm sure I'd have read somewhere, or heard from someone if he had been possessed.

It just left me wondering too much and, for me, undermined the premise of a quite wonderful film with a powerful message: i.e. that Satan does exist (and thus proves the existence of God).

The priest, on whose story the film is based (Fr G Thomas), says that all the film is spot on, bar his character being a deacon and having doubts about the Faith. Which leaves me wondering if much else in the film was an absolute faithful transcript of events (some of the 'happenings' being quite extraordinary).

So,all in all I would give the film a thumbs up. It is enjoyable. It does make you think. It may convert the occasional soul. The last image of a Catholic going to Confession was very powerful.

But, personally, I would have preferred a powerful Catholic film without the 'opt out' available to atheists etc. of "most of it isn't true."

Despite my "purist" grumblings I would still give it a healthy 9 out of 10, and before chatting through the pros and cons of the film (so as not to cloud their judgement) my two young minders (helping me avoid any elderly stumbles on uneven floors) gave it 9 out of 10 too.

Two Things to Look Out For:

• The Welsh writing/graffiti on the wall in the final exorcism scenes.
• The moving last rites scene as the girl on the bicycle dies.

It's St David's Day! Rejoice!

I keep this prayer card in my wallet

I can put it no better than the correspondent to this blog, R Wyn Jones who sent a message saying:

"The sun is shining the daffodils are out and its a good day to be alive in God's own country."

Amen to that. St David performed many miracles and carried out many mortifications including standing neck deep in cold water for hours on end.

Well, the sun shining today feels like a miracle, because for the last month or two it's felt like I've been neck-deep in water!

But in all seriousness let us celebrate! Celebrate our national Saint, celebrate a wonderful man of God, celebrate a Priest who offered the Sacrifice of the Mass, celebrate a great Monastic who kept (the Celtic parts of) these lands Christian through the Dark Ages, keeping the Catholic and Roman Faith alive after the disintegration of the Roman Empire.

And in realising that St David was a truly great Briton and a Catholic, should remind us that the very roots of civilisation, law and all that was/is good is founded in Catholicism.

Remember: you don't have to be Welsh to celebrate and venerate St David.

Happy St David's Day to one and all.


P.S. Go to St David's in Pembrokeshire! It is a beautiful place. You can see the place where St David was born (St Non's Chapel) and remember: two pilgrimages to St David's is worth one to Rome.

Welsh and Catholic and Humble about it!*

There's a great website I came across some months ago which sells Catholic clothes (T-shirts, hoodies etc.) called Catholics With Attitude.

A few of the designs didn't "float my boat" but then you can't have everything.

I was looking for Christmas presents for my children and noticed they sold Scottish Catholic, English Catholic and Irish Catholic. But guess what?

No Welsh Catholic. Oh woe, woe and thrice woe.

But fear no longer oh vagrant wanderer of the internet! Look! They new have a range with "Welsh Catholic" emblazoned across it!

Bravo!

Just don't go buying one for a Bishop: that isn't the done thing.

On the other hand those of you with children, I'm sure they'll love them (check out their Vatican All Stars design too - I liked that one. They do some nifty Pro-Life shirts too).


And if you are Scottish, Irish or English you have my permission to wear the relevant shirt too. Just remember, it's long sleeves and smart attire for Mass! Let's not have any creeping liberalism... ;-)



*I was going to put proud as the headline, but thought better of it.

The Athiest Religion and its Leaps of Faith

Atheism: from self-pride to mass murder

In a conversation this morning with "the missus" on atheism, prompted by some talking head on the radio, she made the sublime intervention:

How can atheists not believe in God?

Very straight and to the point dontcha know.

This got me thinking. And as I replied to " 'er indoors," it's not so much that they don't believe in God that's amazing (though it is, in and of itself, barmy), what's truly astounding is what they do believe in.

Let me cherry pick some of the most pertinent ones (as I can see you're busy!):

• Evolution. Tell me how the atheist believes something as complex, intricate and awe-inspiring as the human eye (out of thousands of examples) "evolved" from a bit of mud. When they cannot find the "missing link" all these theories are nothing more than a Faith.
• Conflict. Atheists always say that religion causes war. Before the reformation, England, France and 'Spain' were almost always at war. Nearer to home England invaded Wales, Scotland and Ireland. All these nations were Catholic. After the Reformation we are told that religion had a role in European wars. Northern Ireland is an example. But English involvement in Ireland pre-dates the Reformation. In Europe the Flemish want to be free of Belgium/the Francophile Walloons. Both peoples are Catholic. The huge battle between the Nazis and Soviets was a clash of two atheist ideologies. Very often atheists attach a religious label to wars that are political, national etc.
• Death and misery. Extreme atheists state that religion brings misery or blind loyalty to evil or oppression (that we accept the wrong things in this world, because we are promised heaven). The Church does not of course (even if lukewarm or ignorant Catholics might) and has condemned the maltreatment of workers, espoused Social Teaching and condemned both atheistic Communism and the kind of individualist Capitalism that saw workers shoved into slums. Needless to add we can say that atheists have brought terror and mass murder ever since the French Revolution and in the 20th Century alone it was atheists that killed probably well over 100 Million people.
• Abuse. The atheists key card in latter years is the paedophile abuse by priests. This is a genuine reason for Catholics to be ashamed. However, we must remember that this was an extremely small percentage of priests. Furthermore, the change in Church outlook meant that the very liberalism and homosexuality that the atheists want the Church to embrace has in-turn led to priests with those inclinations (once banned in the Church) being accepted in: and we have witnessed the terrible results. Furthermore, the atheists overlook all the awful abuse (mental, physical and sexual) that happens in atheist (e.g. local council run) care homes which has been pretty much endemic. The atheists also overlook the huge charitable bodies run by the Church and by individual Catholics too. Short of a relative handful of abusers, the vast majority of them homosexuals (whose rights the atheists support), the Church is an agency for charity, education and good in society.
• Women's rights. Many atheists say the Church 'oppresses' women. Of course it isn't just Catholics (or "horrid men") who have problems with much of the feminist agenda and how it seeks to "divide and conquer" the sexes on behalf of militant atheist ideologies. How can a body that gives the Virgin Mary such an esteemed role be accused of being anti-women? The whole idea is preposterous! The key "wymmin's right" is of course abortion. They fail to see the irony that 50% of the killed babies are female! So the feminists promote the mass murder of girls as well as boys. Furthermore, all their excuses (often a mask to abort so people can afford a second car or their annual holiday) smack of the greed they claim to oppose. How can one claim to want to end poverty by killing the poor? One may as well claim to want to 'clean-up' London for the benefit of Londoners by dropping a nuke on the city.

There is much more of course, one thinks of the condom/homosexuality issue where the atheists have accused the Pope of being a "mass murderer" when the statistics show that Catholic countries that do not promote condoms have lower infection and death rates than those that do (abstinence and family life being 100% guarantees of safety - condemns fail regularly so spread both death and disease, especially as they promote promiscuity).

So, let us recount the leaps of faith atheists make in their daily discourse attacking our Faith:

Evolution. With no missing link or evidence.
Conflict. When wars were just as (or more!) common when all sides shared the same faith.
Death and misery. When atheism has caused many millions of deaths and untold hell-on-earth in the guise of Communism or Mammon.
Abuse. When atheist establishments are rife with it, and they promote the homosexuality that caused most of it in the Church.
Women's Rights. When atheists support the mass murder of baby girls.
Condoms. The church's teaching saves lives and prevents infection, it is the condomaniacs who kill millions.
Homosexuality. Of course its promotion has led to abuse of male minors, and the spread of AIDS, the homosexuals being perpetrators and victims of the death-cult.

The more I read on the sound, traditional teaching of the Church (as opposed to what heterodox Sister X or Father Y may preach in opposition to the Church), then the more I realise that the Church is the vehicle for Truth in all respects.

Of course the Church does not promise Heaven on earth, because it knows man's fallen nature makes that nigh on impossible.

The difference is that the Church works with man to make the best of a bad situation, in all ages, as empires, kingdoms and states come and go, having the same Truths yesterday, today and tomorrow as its foundations in all matters. Whereas the atheists sole unifying factor is hatred of Christianity, the Church, and more precisely the Roman Catholic Faith, Church and Magesterium.

The Church fights in all spheres to make the best of bad situations because of man's fallen nature; the atheists on the other hand mock the Church for offering paradise after death, as if that negates all the good work they do to make society, systems and so on better and more conformed to Christianity.

The atheists meanwhile offer heaven-on-earth, whilst all too often merely delivering hell on earth, or at the very best slavery to banks and demagogues.

You don't believe me? The millions of victims of atheistic aggression in the 20th Century scream otherwise, as would the little baby girl (if she still had her voice) pulled apart, burnt and sacrificed on the altar of Mammon in an abortion "clinic"in the last minute- pick the the time and place of the murder at your convenience.

I think it's time Catholics took the "battle" to the enemies of the Church, for they offer nothing but slavery, debauchery, and murder; no matter how "intelligent" and "charming" they make their message appear in this media age.

A land without the Grace of God quickly moves to evil (whether post-Reformation England with its dark Satanic mills, enclosed land and slum housing, or post-Revolution Russia with its collectivism and gulags).

The presence of Christ's Church and the Sacraments (especially the Blessed Sacrament) protects lands from the worst excesses of man's greed and base nature, for as long as the Faith of the people stays strong enough to protect the Church and her Sacraments.

Is Iain Duncan Smith the Best Example of a Catholic Politician?

Is Iain Duncan Smith the archetypal Catholic politician?

He is pro-life, pro-family (typically "right wing") yet very sincere in his belief that social justice is a good thing and the effects of poverty need tackling (typically "left wing").

I have long found right-wing MPs to be pro-banks and don't care about communities, etc. whereas left-wing MPs seem to be screamingly pro-homosexual, pro-abortion etc.

What is a Catholic to do?

I would like the input of you, patient peruser of my humble blog.

What other politicians fit the Catholic mould? Ann Widdecombe? What about from the "left wing" side? Are there any genuine pro-life Labour MPs?

Link:
A Catholic Interview with Iain Duncan Smith

Plans For the Weekend? Go See Anthony Hopkins in The Rite

The Rite, released tomorrow in the UK

We are making plans to see the new Anthony Hopkins film The Rite this weekend, so I'm quite excited.

I think my eldest is more frightened of being seen out in public with his poor old dad than any scenes in the film ;-). No, he's a good lad really.

Quite a few people have popped by this blog on searching for info on the film, its star and the relevance of Catholicism to both.

I'm sure it won't be to the extent of The Passion of the Christ, but as I always say when the power of the film industry can be used to promote Catholicism and Catholic Truths, then more souls will be prompted to seek out the Truth.

In a world of chaotic opinions and instant "experts" I do believe Catholics should promote their Faith with the talents God has given them.

Watch this space for a review.


P.S. Why is it in this review of the film, the person who pours cold water on the fact of diabolical possession is "John Allen, writing in the National Catholic Reporter?" As many faithful Catholics have said, Satan's agenda is to make people think he doesn't exist, therefore allowing atheism and false pride to rise (witness modern society).As the review itself states:

Above all the young man grapples with what Fr. Lucas keeps repeating: to disbelieve the devil is what the devil wants. C.S. Lewis, writing in “The Screwtape Letters”  (1942), states this well: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

Pope's Visit Generated at Least £14m More than it Cost Taxpayers

 The Pope Arrives in Scotland

A Reluctant Sinner has pulled together various sources to prove that not only did the National Secular Society get it woefully wrong when it said the Pope's visit would cost the taxpayer £100 Million (as it actually cost circa £6.9 Million), but that even without the figures for London (so in truth it would be much higher), the visit generated £20.75 for the UK economy.

Might we expect an apology for the (let's be charitable) terrible miscalculations and hysteria whipped up by them against the Pope's visit.

Will they now congratulate the Church and the Holy Father for generating more money for the UK economy than the visit actually cost the taxpayer?

The next time a Pope visits can we expect the secularist lobby and organised atheists to welcome the Holy Father for the economic boost he undoubtedly brings to our hard-pressed economy?

Or will the rationalists be irrational and the liberals be illiberal (again)?

Trads to the Back of the Bus

Another great piece from Linen on the Hedgerow which highlights the dreadful way the Tridentine Mass is treated in all too many dioceses, despite the Pope's wishes.

We are all, as Catholics, missing out on a wonderful gem from Heaven's treasury by sidelining the beautiful 'event' that is the Tridentine Mass.

Even non-Catholics like Agatha Christie recognised its beauty and cultural importance.

Of course for us Catholics it means so much more, raises our very minds, hearts and souls to Heaven and in its most profound form (solemn High Mass) in a traditional setting or in the ruins of a former Catholic shrine etc. it makes one realise, most profoundly, how connected we are to the rest of the Church (Militant, Suffering and Triumphant) and that, in that very real sense, we are just one small part of the Church which is much bigger and leads inexorably to heaven and the Beatific Vision, which calls all of us, despite our fallen nature, to be Saints.

Coming to Mass? Bring your Tambourine and copy of Socialist Worker

Please. Please dear God! Have mercy on us.

What is this? A roller-rink? A social workers' conference? An exhibition on whirling dervishes?

Where is Our Lord? Where is the deference to the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord in His Tabernacle? Where is the Tabernacle?

Who is the social worker condemning sexism, who talks over the priest as he declares Ite Missa est (I wish)?

I am scandalised by this! I do not wish to be presumptious, but the Holy Father must surely act to close down these monstrosities pretending to be Masses?

Are these the scandalous Masses the kind that gave rise to heresy, pride and division before Luther took advantage of them to promote his dreadful ideas, on the back of some geuine grievances?

If we do not act as the Church acted to codify the Mass at the Council of Trent, to stop the liturgical abuses (one cannot help but think of the Soho Masses) and other scandalous actions/inactions of Bishops and priests (albeit, as ever, a minority) then it is the Church itself that is damaged, and souls that are lost by falling away from Holy Mother Church.

Is this "Mass" really what the Saints and Martyrs lived and died for?

Medjugorje: The Church Says IT IS NOT MARY

So many times I have heard well-meaning Catholics talk about Medjugorje in the most glowing terms. Many have been and/or will go there on pilgrimage.

Many priests praise Medjugorje, allow it to be promoted in newsletters or on parish notice boards.

As such I was interested to read an article on the Catholic Herald website, by Francis Phillips, which contained the following gem:

what I think as a private person, or what the late pope wrote in a private letter to two friends who had sent him literature about Medjugorje, or indeed what the saintly Mother Teresa is said to have said, is neither here nor there; it is what the Church thinks that matters. What the Church thinks about alleged apparitions is left to the local Ordinary to investigate and pronounce.
Four years after the Lourdes apparitions of 1858, and after a lengthy investigation, the local bishop pronounced them authentic. In the case of Medjugorje, both Bishop Zanic of Mostar and his successor, Bishop Peric, fully investigated the phenomenon and decided that nothing supernatural was taking place.

(emphasis mine).

The Church having pronounced what some friends have labelled MegaForgery as "nothing supernatural" is damning in the extreme.

The best course of action for Catholics (lay and religious) is to leave the site and the seers especially, well alone.

Again, to quote from the article, a Canadian priest says:

“The Devil doesn’t mind a few thousand people becoming better Catholics after going there if, as a result, he’s got millions of Catholics being disobedient to the authority of the Church.”

Redemptorists Promote Relativism and Religious Anarchy

Remember the Redemptorist Publication Sunday Plus? In a recent post I showed how it was used to promote Buddhism, horoscopes and make young Catholics feel that their Faith was unnecessary.

Well I just came across another edition of Sunday Plus, again by the Redemptorists and again from October 2010 (I think I must have stuffed it in a pocket in disbelief and forgotten about it).

There relevant section in this one is again the "Meet" section. In the last one we met Amy, who was embracing horoscopes and Buddhism, whilst all but denouncing Catholicism. A great example for the Catholic children where this bilge was dished up.

In this other issue of Sunday Plus we get to meet Hannah. Here instead of Buddhism and horoscopes we have relativism in all its cafeteria Catholicism scope - just the kind of relativism the Holy Father attacked on his visit here last September.

Hannah, well as it says:

• She's not sure about the the need for an organised religion.
• She... is happy to pick and mix the bits of her Catholic upbringing which still make sense to her.

Got that?

Now the Redemptorists are promoting religious anarchy.

Who will ensure the Sacraments are there for us? Who will ensure we have priests to Consecrate the Sacred Species? And even if Catholicism survives this free-for-all that Hannah proposes, we are still free to "pick and mix."

That's what Woolworths specialised in - and we all know what happened to them.

Yet again all this is given over without proviso, without a Catholic defence of the Church (i.e,. organised religion) and all of her Sacraments, Sacramentals, the Creed etc. which we are not free to "pick and mix."

This kind of insidious propaganda is designed to weaken the faith of our young, to plant seeds of doubt and rebellion against Holy Church, the Blessed Sacrament, the Papacy and all we hold dear.

It's high time the Redemptorists were made to print Catholic material or told to shut up.

Souls are at stake - even, but not just, Amy's and Hannah's. But at least they can plead ignorance. The Redemptorists responsible have no such defence.

New Film out Soon: The Rite, Starring Anthony Hopkins

An interesting new film is out late February (it's already out in America).



This film looks like a must for Catholics aged 15 and over.



I had to put these trailers up after reading an interview with the priest (Fr G Thomas - sounds Welsh!) on the sublime Linen on the Hedgerow blog. The link with the Vatican exorcist Fr. Amorth means a solid Catholicism is assured in these matters and when Fr Thomas says the film is in all essentials true to his book, which is factual, then we can look forward to an interesting film (perhaps in the vein of The Exorcism of Emily Rose).



P.S. Anthony Hopkins: now he is Welsh! ;-)