The Eponymous Flower has a post concerning the appointment of Father Bruno Alfonso as the man now in charge of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, a man reputed to be opposed to the Latin Mass and all that follows in its wake (piety, reverence, adherence to doctrine, clear moral authority).
It is hard, very, very hard, to see a good sense of purpose in this move to "discipline" this devout, orthodox and successful order.
And if the move is not good then, it is something else.
Those readers 'young' enough to recall the novella, 'Catholics' by Brian Moore and the subsequent film of the same name, will, doubtless be struck by the similarity between a remarkably prophetic work of fiction and the events unfolding in Rome today.
In the book/film, an order of monks in Ireland, is refusing to say the new Mass and continues to celebrate the Latin, much to the delight of the faithful.
Rome despatches a modern young priest to kick the Abbot and his monks into place...sounding familiar?
Watch this clip to see fiction become reality.....
And now for something totally different.
I am taking the rest of the week off for a period of reflection and prayer. I no longer smoke so I cannot crush a cigar in the manner of Don Camillo when he wished to undergo a penance so I will have to think of something in its place.
A blogging interlude seems a good starting point.
