Reds Under the Bed

St Andrew's College: Was a seminary, now a nursing home...

Not so Bonnie Scotland

For an enlightening insight into the life of the seminary in the UK in the 1970s, do read today's Daily Mail article on St Andrew's College, Drygrange, Scotland.


EF Pastor Emeritus makes the good point that after the headlines about Cardinal Keith O'Brien, now we are hearing a reporter at least ask the question, 'Why has this been revealed after 30 years?'

Reds Under the Bed

I've also been given a very interesting book by a friend called, 'AA-1025': Memoirs of the Communist Infiltration Into the Church.' Basically, in the 1960's, a French Catholic nurse, Marie Carre, attended an auto-crash victim who was brought into her hospital. The man lingered near death for a few hours and then died. With no ID on him but the contents of his briefcase, he had a set of quasi-biographical notes. The nurse kept the notes and read them, and because of their important content, published them.

The book 'AA-1025' is the result. 'AA-1025', of course, was the Communist infiltratror's 'number'. He claims in the book to be one of a thousand infiltrators into the Catholic seminaries in the period of the 1960s. In order to test the seal of Confession held as sacred and inviolable by the Church, Her pastors bound to secrecy, he confessed his true agenda to one Priest, who was, of course, unable to reveal what he had said. The Confessor asked him, "What do you expect to gain by entering Holy Orders?" The man replied, quite simply, "To destroy the Church from within."

I read the whole of the small book in an evening and it is very, very disturbing. Obviously, it goes without saying that it is not provably genuine or authentic, but when you read it and survey what has happened in terms of the great collapse of vocations and the health of the Catholic Church across the West, the 'agenda' that the infiltrator wants to pursue is eerily close to what has taken place. The infiltrator does of course, suggest 'women priests' and an end to clerical celibacy to destroy the priesthood, as well as consistent promotion of the attacking of the Pope.

Basically, whatever The Tablet recommends now, 'AA-1025' recommended it first. It forms quite a manifesto when you read it as a whole and, interestingly, while the infiltrator is aggrieved by the actual outcome of the Second Vatican Council, he is very, very enthusiastic about what has so far, and he hopes will be, achieved through the 'spirit of the Council'. The infiltrator looks forward immensely to 'Vatican III'.  All in all, a bit like Hans Kung really. And Tina Beattie. And Catherine Pepinster. And Mark Dowd. The gates of Hell shall never prevail.

The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone

Pope Emeritus: Feeding the fish

At the Traditional Latin Mass on Friday, the first reading was from the book of Genesis. It was the day after the resignation of the Pope Emeritus came into effect and concerned the story of the man named Joseph who is betrayed and sold off by his brothers. There was no technicolour dreamcoat mentioned, but this passage later reminded me of the kind of attitude that has been shown to the Pope Emeritus.

Basically, my interpretation was that the brothers of Joseph Ratzinger are the Cardinals and Bishops around the World who despised him and wanted the 'dreamer' to abandon all projects he had begun for the good of the Church. I have every confidence, however, that the enemies of the Pope Emeritus will be utterly confounded when the new Pontiff is elected. Let us pray that this is the case.

For the Gospel of St Matthew was concerning Our Lord Jesus Christ being the new Joseph, the true King who would be worshipped by the sun and the moon and  should be by every man on Earth. This was the Parable of the Tenants. The Lord, pointing to His own rejection by the scribes and chief Priests and Pharisees, having told them that the Kingdom of God would be taken from them and 'given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof' asks what the Lord of the vineyard will do to the husbandmen who sought to kill the heir.

'They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end; and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, that shall render him the fruit in due season.'

 The Lord replies to them:

'Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes. Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them.'

The stone the builders have rejected is of course, the Pope Emeritus and the Lord Jesus Christ of Whom he was Vicar on Earth. Who are the builders? Those who consistently betrayed and undermined him and who sought to thwart the will of the man who was Peter.

What kind of stone, I ask you, is heavier than the Rock, St Peter, upon whom the Church was founded by the Lord Jesus Christ?

The answer is, of course, that there is no stone heavier, nor mightier than the Rock of St Peter. It is this Rock that shall fall upon the enemies of Joseph Ratzinger. As I said, I have every confidence that the enemies of the Pope Emeritus will be utterly confounded when the new Pontiff is elected. Let us pray that this is the case. When it happens, they can't say they didn't deserve it, even if they never saw it coming.

'Same-Sex Marriage' Bill Not Yet Law, Police Chaplain Already Removed for Marriage Opinion

Rev Ross served as a volunteer chaplain to Strathclyde Police for 3 years 

Courtesy of The Telegraph

'Rev Brian Ross said he was summoned to a meeting with a senior officer and told that postings on his blog on the subject of marriage did not fit with the force’s equality and diversity policies. Campaigners against same-sex marriage claimed that the case was “just the start of things to come”.

They said it backed up warnings that chaplains in hospitals, prisons and the armed forces as well as teachers and other public servants could be dismissed legally from their jobs if they take what they consider to be a stand on grounds of conscience over the issue. Ministers have repeatedly insisted that no one should be sacked from their job for voicing opposition to same-sex marriage and have built in special “protections” for clerics into the Government’s Marriage Bill. But in a written submission to a committee of MPs revising the bill in the House of Commons Rev Ross claimed that his case was “typical of the kind of situation that could, and would, arise” once gay marriage becomes law.'

For the full article, click here. It goes without saying this is just the start of the purge of Christians and others who do not accept the redefinition of marriage from public life and employment in the public sector.

You can view his blog here. Why not go over and offer him some encouragement and say a prayer for him. As far as I can see, he's just being posting the 'Marriage Minutes' produced by the Coalition for Marriage. In the new political order, I guess speaking the truth is a revolutionary act, as Orwell said. Rev. Ross was a volunteer chaplain. Oh, only a volunteer? Oh, well that's alright then! Hang on, are we saying those who don't subscribe to the new definition of marriage can't even 'volunteer' in the public sphere?

This time a Scottish poem on abortion

The Porter by Edwin Morgan

This poem is the last of five in a sequence about an abortion. It sounds best out loud in Scots. 

     Ah know ah tellt them lies at the enquiry. 

     Ah sayed ah thought the wean wis dead 

     when ah took it tae the incinerator. 

     Ah didny think the wean wis dead, 

     but ah didny ken fur shair, did ah? 

     It's no fur me tae question the doctors. 

     Ah get a bag fae the sister, right? 

     She says take that an burn it. She's only 

     passin on the doctor's instructions, 

     but she seen the wean, she thought it wis dead, 

     so ye canny blame her. And the doctor says 

     ye canny blame him. Everybody wants 

     tae come doon on me like a tonna bricks. 

     Ah canny go aboot openin disposal bags - 

     if ah did ah'd be a nervous wreck. 

     Ah passed two electricians in the corridor 

     and ah tellt them the wean wis alive 

     but they thought ah wis jokin. Efter that 

     ah jist shut up, an left it tae the boilerman 

     tae fin oot fur hissel - he couldny miss it 

     could he? The puir wee thing wis squeelin 

     through the bag wis it no? Ah canny see 

     ah had tae tell him whit wis evident. 

     - Ah know ah'm goin on aboot this. 

     But suppose the kiddy could've been saved - 

     or suppose the boilerman hadny noticed it - 

     mah wee lassie's gote a hamster, ye ken? - 

     and ah fixed up a treadmill fur it 

     and it goes roon and roon and roon - 

     it's jist like that. Well, ah'm no in court noo. 

     Don't answer nothin incriminatin, says the sherrif. 

     And that's good enough fur yours truly. 

     And neither ah did, neither ah did, 

     neither ah did, neither ah did.

H/T to Ben at Countercultural Father whose idea it was to publish poems on abortion throughout the 40 Days.

Security Stepped Up in Rome

Security has been stepped up at St John Lateran as fears increase that either Hans Kung or Bishop Williamson could gain access to the Chair of St Peter and refuse to get off before the beginning of the Conclave.

A figure resembling Hans Kung has been seen in and around Vatican City over the last week.

Reports, however, are so far unable to confirm whether it is actually Hans Kung, or the statue of himself that he keeps in his garden. The Faithful who will be keeping vigil at times over the coming weeks are advised to be vigilant and to report any behaviour they see in the vicinity that is suspicious.

Richard Dawkins for Pope?

              
                      Sorry Dawkins, this is destined for a holy man


Mwah, mwah, mwah....time for those nice men with the sleeveless jacket.

But, in fact, the bookies, Paddy Power have him listed as being a contender. Yes, really.

And the odds?


666-1 (had to be)

Another poem on abortion

Courtesy of Counter Cultural Father and 'Uncomfortably Glum'



And a small tribute to St David of Wales (and, especially Pembrokeshire)

St David, Ora Pro Nobis

Mary the Mother of our God - Pray for Wales - Pray for us all

Our Lady of Cardigan - Ora Pro Nobis

The Call to Martyrdom