Defend Bishop Kieran Conry!

Damian Thompson has outrageously suggested that Bishop Kieran Conry was annoyed by the amount of Latin in the Westminster Cathedral Papal Mass during Pope Benedict XVI's joyously successful visit to the UK.

According to a correspondence, dated 23rd September 2010, that he has obtained between a 'traditionalist' and His Lordship, Bishop Kieran wrote...

'Thank you for your letter with regard to recent papal liturgies. Your experience seems to be different from mine. I have heard voices expressing dismay at the amount of Latin used. Moreover, the choice of Latin was not necessarily the Pope’s. So, for instance, it had been agreed that, at papal Masses, were the Kyrie to be in Latin (or Greek, of course) then the Gloria would be in English. However, it seems that the Director of Music at Westminster (and not the Pope or Archbishop) chose to ignore this and insisted on singing both in Latin.'

I have responded to Damian's scandalous suggestion and shameless quoting out of context by defending His Lordship against the slur that he was not happy with the use of Latin for large parts of the Mass.

'Well I am just shocked that anyone should suggest that His Lordship wanted less Latin in the Mass, even though its abundantly clear that His Holiness is trying with every liturgical action he makes to reassert the need for the whole Worldwide Church to embrace the holiness of the Church's tradition.

Outrageous. Scandalous. Everybody knows that His Lordship and our Beloved Pontiff are of one mind, and one heart, indeed, on ALL issues, moral, doctrinal, theological and liturgical. There is not a hair, even, between the theology of these two men.

You're reading the letter of the letter, rather than the spirit of the letter. The spirit of the letter from His Lordship clearly reveals his profound love of Latin and love for Pope Benedict XVI.'

Go over to Damian's blog and give him a good telling off for this total misreading of His Lordship's letter. Scoundrel!