Hyde Park Entertainment Masks a Church Embarrassed by Catholicism

I've read the 'Liturgies and Events' guide book produced by the Bishops Conference and it is thoroughly depressing.

For the 'gathering' prior to Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the presence of the Holy Father there is a, 'variety of groups [...] showing a rich diversity of styles and traditions which are all part of the Catholic community in England and Wales.'

There is RISEtheatre!, there is the Larondina Dance Group, More than Dance, the Zywiec Folk Song and Dance Group, the Doherty Academy (not to be confused with Pete Doherty's band) and Brooks Academy. Look all these guys up for a full round up of what we have in store at Hyde Park.

Thank God that the Holy Father will not be present to watch it. What one picks up from this dazzling array of performance artists, all perfectly wonderful in their own right, I am sure, is that the Church in England and Wales is bending over backwards to apologise for Catholicism, Catholic Tradition and the traditional devotions which have been the bedrock of the Church for 2,000 years.

It is a masquerade, a sham, a performance, an innovation-obsessed Church, a Church obsessed with the modern and presenting a modern face to the Faithful and to the World. It is a Church embarrassed by Her own tradition, desperate to gain respect and for 'keeping up with the times'. The Church in England is trapped in a timewarp - to be precise - the 1970s and it appears that those responsible for so much liturgy in the Church cannot move on, or delve deeper into the rich heritage of devotion, piety and traditional prayer of the Church.

A Church embarrassed by Her own devotions, a Church embarrassed by Her own teaching, a Church embarrassed by the orthodoxy of Her Pope, a Church, really, that is embarrassed by Christ and His Blessed Mother. It is a Church obsessed with man, rather than God, a Church that presents itself as a 'community group', rather than the Body of Christ who yearn for Him and who love His Gospel.

The Shepherds are there to lead the Priests and the Faithful closer to God, to lead them towards God, but they continually place obstacles in our way as if they are ashamed or embarrassed by Him. When the 'Son of Man returns will He find faith' in England and Wales? Or will he just find a load of men and women dancing about on a stage at the behest of the Hierarchy in England and Wales? It is another opportunity missed, that could have been seized, to show that English Catholicism is back and it has nothing to be ashamed of!