Who is to Blame?

The Second Vatican Council has yielded strange fruit

 According to ITN News...

'Most British Roman Catholics disagree with their Church's position on issues including contraception, abortion and homosexuality, a survey has found.

But as the Pope prepares to travel to the UK for the first Papal visit in 28 years, respondents expressed firm support for Benedict XVI despite saying they believed the Catholic Church was permanently damaged by child abuse scandals.

Just over one in 10 of Catholics polled for ITV's Tonight programme agreed with the doctrine that abortion should only be allowed as an indirect consequence of life-saving treatment.

A further 44 per cent believed it should also be permitted in cases of rape, incest and a severe disability to the child, while almost a third (30 per cent) said abortion should always be allowed.

Asked about contraception, 4% agreed with the Catholic Church that it was wrong and should not be used compared with seven in 10 (71 per cent) who felt contraception should be used more often to avoid disease and unwanted pregnancies.

(Oh my! How did that clip get there?! Must be a virus!)

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said it was entirely up to couples whether they used contraception, the survey found.

More than a quarter (28 per cent) of respondents said it was up to adults to do what they wanted in private and 41 per cent claimed both gay and straight relationships should be celebrated.'

Meanwhile, Fr Ray Blake has picked up on Andrew M Brown's blog for The Telegraph picked up via The Daily Mail, with this absolute gem from the organisers of the Papal Visit. Interestingly, The Daily Mail has missed out Eccleston Square's bungling lay bureaucrats and singled out our beloved Lordships for criticism, for allowing this 'helpful terms' guide to be distributed, insulting, as it is, to the Pope, the Church, the Faithful and to the intelligence of non-Catholics, who it was thought this awful guide would benefit! Hmm...Is there perhaps, hidden somewhere in this 'helpful' glossary, a hint as to the real reason why belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the Sacred Role of the Successor of St Peter, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Sacred Liturgy and Catholic Doctrine as a whole are all given scant respect in modern times within the Church?

Helpful glossary or catechesis material?

Well, not long to go before I'm off to see the Pope at Hyde Park. Can't wait for it. They say there'll be a large crowd for the gig, you know. I've got my ticket for what will be, I hope, a hugely uplifting and enjoyable day. It will be such an honour to gaze upon a piece of bread on the table with the headline act in attendance! If only I were a VIP, I could get backstage and meet some of the performers!

My fiancee asked me why it is that they could not have arranged that, at the Hyde Park event, the Holy Father comes earlier in the day, like 2pm, and then people can stay and watch the other 'performers' if they wanted. Then, people would filter out at different times during the day and some would stay to enjoy the 'entertainers', thereby stopping a rush for trains and coaches at 8pm.

I think that going by what I've read about the entertainment, it may be that Health and Safety Executive would have had serious concerns about that kind of itinery, because, in such a scenario, I can imagine a very sudden stampede to the exits! No, its probably for the best that we're forced to sit through it. At least the Pope is spared this embarrassment...

How on earth are we going to endure this liturgical entertainment without alcohol?!