Making a Bad Thing Worse...

The “presumption of innocence” in regard to someone accused of a crime simply means that the accused is not legally guilty until that guilt has been proven. That’s all. It doesn’t mean that that he or she is or is not innocent in fact.

I notice that over on the “aCatholica” website an editorial has been running about the Archdiocese of Sydney not providing the bail money for Fr Robert Fuller, a Sydney priest accused of “internet grooming” for under-age sex.

The editorial was written, according to Mr Coyne, by a "group of priests from the Sydney area", concerned that the Archdiocese – really Cardinal George Pell – was not exercising a proper concern for its priests by not paying their bail and not paying their legal expenses when accused of a criminal offence.

The Editorial opens thus:

“On August 14 the Archdiocese of Sydney's website carried a policy statement headed Catholic Church Not Paid Bail for Accused Priest. Actually, the purpose of the statement was a correction to claims in the local media that the "Catholic Church" had paid bail for Fr Robert Fuller who faces charges of a criminal nature. However the Archdiocesan statement failed to point out that it was the Sydney Church (rather than Catholic Church per se) which was responsible for the care of Fr Fuller who is a Sydney priest. More distressing was the revelation that the Archdiocese of Sydney employs a "consistent policy" which required "priests accused of a criminal offence are responsible for their own legal costs".”

Let us leave aside the nit-picking about “the Sydney Church (rather than the Catholic Church per se)”, although an ecclesiologist might have fun with it, and concentrate on the “distressing revelation” about legal costs. The Editorial continues:

“The problem with the policy as outlined by Ms Katrina Lee on behalf of the Archdiocese is that it is "consistent" rather than "compassionate". Whatever the charges faced by Fr Fuller surely at this time, such "allegations" are the domain of Courts and their process should not be pre-empted by Church administration. Fr Fuller is a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney and is entitled to expect the support of the Archdiocese which has a responsibility to uphold his right to natural justice founded in his human dignity. The dignity of the human person is the foundation of all Catholic social teaching and it is surprising to find the Archdiocese prepared to abandon Catholic teaching on justice when developing a policy for handling matters of extreme gravity such as the case of Fr Fuller.”

The argument advanced by the authors of the Editorial is that because Sydney priests are appointed by the Archbishop, the Archdiocese has a responsibility for them, and because priests are not paid the great amounts that lay people are, the Archdiocese ought to pay their legal expenses for them, so as to see that natural justice is done.

So, apparently, not only does a priest’s dignity as a person require the Church to provide him somewhere to live and enough income to keep him fed and clothed, but also to pay bail and lawyers to defend him from criminal charges.

Something’s wrong here: while shelter and sustenance are certainly a priest’s due in justice, it seems to The Cloister that there is no particular reason why the Archdiocese is bound in justice to spend Church money on either bail or legal expenses for a priest accused of crimes. With regard to bail, who in the general community would expect the Church to go surety for them? Many people seeking bail get help from friends or family to pledge the required amount, not having sufficient assets of their own. And with regard to other legal costs – well, priests are in the same position as other people on low incomes, surely? Except that most priests would probably know some lawyers who might be able to help them get suitable legal advice... and if not, they’re no worse off than other people on a low income.

If the accused doesn’t skip bail and is found innocent then he probably wouldn’t be too seriously out of pocket; if guilty, it’s his own crime, not the Church’s, after all!

No, this is not a neglect of natural justice. In fact, it might be considered unjust to use Church money for such purposes on behalf of a priest.

Indeed, the Editorial’s argumentation is not strong – but that’s not surprising, because the Fuller incident is simply a pretext for the authors to whinge about Cardinal Pell and a whole pile of internal Sydney priest-politics.

The following points are whinged about:

Money spent on Church offices in the CBD – a reference to the Polding Centre in Liverpool Street which replaced the old Polding House in Pitt Street. Maybe they’ve forgotten that it was bought by Cardinal Clancy, before Pell was appointed to Sydney; But we suspect its not so much the money that wrankles as the larger number of appropriately remunerated lay-people in the building under Pell;

Money spent on World Youth Day. Even after the event, some of these “pastors” refuse to see the pastoral value of WYD. Maybe it was too far outside their comfort-zone.

Money spent on a new Cathedral altar. OK, in The Cloister we would have preferred just getting rid of the moveable wooden one and using the proper original altar. But we wonder how many of the authors of the editorial have deemed it necessary to put new altars into their own churches?

Money spent on religious art. Apparently these priests no longer find art and beauty to be useful to the spiritual life, unless perhaps the artists should donate it for free – what then of just recompense? If this is a “dig” at the announced programme of paintings for the chapel of the new “Australia House” in Rome (and obviously it is), why don’t the authors just come out and plainly say that they don’t think Australian Catholics should have the benefit of a pastoral centre in Rome?

But in case you should think it is just a case of money-envy, there is yet another prong to this attack: complaining about the Sydney Pastoral Plan, a game much loved by “Acatholica”. Our friends in the Primal See assure us that there is a coterie of priests there who have never forgiven the Archbishop for not letting them dictate the content of the Pastoral Plan but opening up the process to wider consultation, with LAY PEOPLE and so on in the process, and a bishop, not a presbyter, in charge. And so:

“Is this another shortcoming of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan that failed to develop suitable strategies consistent with natural justice and human dignity to address clergy burn out and to assure quality pastoral care to those who have succumbed to the pressures of ministry and personal weakness? The architects of the Pastoral Plan must explain their part in allowing the Archdiocese to abdicate its pastoral care of clergy”.

I take it we are to blame Father’s alleged on-camera self-abuse on the Pastoral Plan?

Anyway, after that the “Editorial” returns to the Fuller case, suggesting that:

“It is unbelievable that the Archdiocese failed to contact Fr Fuller's local doctor who would be in a unique position to advise the "carers" on the best course of action to assure Fr Fuller's present and ongoing wellbeing.”

That’s right: “ring, ring, hello Doctor Smith this is Cardinal Pell, please reveal to me Father’s private medical history”. Natural justice? They’ve got to be kidding!

Referring to the priest who did pay Fr Fuller’s bail, Fr Bell, the “Editorial” says:

“Indeed Fr Bell alone has emerged from this whole saga, as the one person who has demonstrated real pastoral leadership reminiscent of life in the Archdiocese prior to 2001.”

2001, of course, is the year Pell came to Sydney. And Fr Bell, as it happens, is “Episcopal Vicar for the Western Region”, which we presume includes Fr Fuller’s parish of Liverpool, so the Editorial’s desire that,”hopefully the Archdiocese will not gloss over these responsibilities by assigning them to Fr Bell or others” is just silly: of course the Episcopal Vicar would have a role in helping the Archbishop with this. And its a fair bet that Pell and Bell would be doing other things behind the scenes to offer compassion and support.

It should be noted- though the “Editorial” barely mentions it - that the Sydney Archdiocese is continuing to provide a place for Fr Fuller to live in, and, we presume, is paying him his usual stipend. That much is surely required by natural justice. Paying for Bail and QC’s is not.

Here in The Cloister we can certainly understand that the Sydney priests would be upset and confused by the charges against their colleague and friend. But the group responsible for this “Editorial” are very wrong to use this sad event as an excuse to white-ant their Archbishop.Their whingeing about Pell for the past eight years remind us of Luke 7.32:

They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another, and they say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

Simply Irresistible

Vox Clara and Friends...who's that over on the left?

Changes at Banyo

Banyo Seminary has a new.......

......wait for it......

...Chapel!
(sorry, not a new seminarian).

This has been in the works for a while and is presented online here.

With the Flat Earth Movement discussing the history of the proto-tabernacle (or hanging pyx). We thought it would be appropriate to discuss the aspects of this new QLD Public Architecture Award-winning 'Sacred Space.'

While the designer, Conrad Gargett, admits that before the project he 'didn't even know what a thurible was' (We wonder who in Brisvegas could have filled him in!) he seems to have made some stunning discoveries and nods to tradition.

The altar and 'hanging pyx tabernacle' are on a central axis! Egads! Who would have thought. How imposingly vertical!

This hanging pyx is most interesting. It is surprising that they have gone for an even more traditional mode of reservation than a central tabernacle and they have at least made it of a precious metal. Nevertheless, while avoiding any Majories Bird jokes this time, Br Jasper couldn't help but remark that it reminded him of the days of his youth when he used to shoot pigeons with a slug-gun. The website states that the plinth beneath the silver pyx-dove is to 'provide a place to handle the sacrament.' While 'handling the sacrament' is not how we would put it, perhaps the altar is the best place for such rituals.

And just for fun I thought it worth doing a comparison between the Banyo hanging pyx and this one. It seems that the aCatholic idea of the altar and ambo as 'dual tables' has been abandoned. It has been replaced with a more traditional monastic arrangement.

That said apparently "The Ambo greets the visitors to the space. It holds and presents the word from scripture." I thought that was the role of Elizabeth Harrington's 'greeters' and 'ministers of hospitality.' Oh well, apparently a wooden plinth can do the job just as well.

The website describes the photographs of the celebrant's chair as follows "These views show the Presider, a seat for the presiding priest."

This had me wondering . In line with the role of furnishings taking on ministerial functions and considering the personal name of the seat, will this chair also be celebrating mass? Perhaps Brisvegas has discovered a more novel way of dealing with a shortage of priests.

The chair was given the title The Presider in a style reminiscent of the names given to X-Men characters and popular wrestlers so I wondered if it came with it's own theme music until Sr. Magdalen sternly reminded me that listening to banjos at Banyo could ruin everyone's lunch!

The use of 'collegiate seating' puts the Banyo seminary arrangement closer to the more traditional seminary style seating than " The Not St Patrick's College " Seminary in Homebush and Corpus Christi in Carlton. But on that note it is also is evident that the New Banyo Seminary Chapel is much smaller. Were they perhaps concerned about too many empty seats?

Speaking of sedilia, the website states that the chairs in the seminary chapel "were designed with historical references to Church architecture." While I was scratching my head to see how this was so, I stumbled across other chair designs by Mr Garget and understood that it could have been worse!

So all things considered it seems that the architecture is a shift towards a more traditional 'space,' without even a hint of a 'pool of reflection' and for this we congratulate Mr. Garget. Nevertheless we cannot hide that we were upset the chapel was so Eurocentric. Shouldn't it now have more of an African flavour so as to make the seminarians feel more 'at home'?

Sack Ponting

We haven't customarily commented on sporting matters, but now that the younglings have been admitted into the "big" Cloister, our level of sporting interest has increased beyond Mr Public Opinion's dalliance with the "Papal Bulls".

Therefore I am emboldened to call for the immediate sacking of Ricky Ponting from the captaincy of the Australian test team.

He's been coddled for far too long in spite of loss after loss and weird decision after weird decision. Surely he cannot think that he deserves ANOTHER chance to loose the Ashes? Nor should he be given any more opportunities to preside over the further diminishment of Australia's test ranking.

Go, Ponting, begone!

New vestments a bitter pill to swallow

The team at Watts & Co with one of the new chasubles

Few would be surprised that Britain has its own Brian Coyne’s and aCatholica in a publication called The Tablet. (Wasn’t there an old joke about Catholic women who wanted to take the contraceptive pill being told just to take The Tablet?) At any rate it would appear that noses at The Tablet are out of joint due to the cost of new vestments which were recently produced for the inauguration of Archbishop Vincent Nichols as 11th Archbishop of Westminster.

The Bitter Pill, as the publication is known in some circles, is apparently excised by the fact that some $20,000 was spent on these new vestments, which were designed in the Byzantine style with lashings of gold thread.

The London Daily Telegraph ran a story in their online edition regarding the making of the vestments and the Tablet’s subsequent reaction. The following day a blogger replied as follows:

What a lovely story! And it is so heartening to see the Church putting Beauty back at the core of its divine worship. It’s typical of those mean-minded old hippies over at the Tablet to be spinning negatively on this. What else can they do? They are being out-manoeuvred at every turn. They have finally lost the battle for the English Church’s soul. Their pathetic dream of creating a schismatic, liberal, English Catholic church, a kind of Anglican church mark II, with priestesses, gay vicars and the whole shamboodle, BUT with valid sacraments, is now once and for ever finished. More Anglicans and liberal protestants read the Tablet than Catholics do. The are the vanquished…

The Tablet... Remind you of anyone?

Priory closes its doors... Prior sent to hermitage!

Well gentle pilgrims, affairs in the Coo-ees Priory have taken on some concerning developments of late especially with its inclusion in the Archdiocese of Sydney's website as, of all things, a 'news' source!

While everyone was flattered (Hi Katrina!), such collaboration has not been witnessed since the days of Jim Hanna and World Youth Day. It was remarked that such displays lend a certain credibility for which Hardman was simply not prepared!

Accordingly, it was widely agreed at the recent Coo-ees Chapter meeting that Br Prior had lost more than his hairshirt! Relieved of his responsibilities, Thaddaeus has departed for the hermitage where we hope our dear friend will find some repose and reflection.

A warm welcome to Brothers Pelagius, Jasper, Momus and the lovely Sister Magdalene to their new cells here in The Cloister! The extensive Priory Archive built up over the last year has as you will see been amalgamated with our exisiting holdings for the reference of pilgrims. They all now bear my name as author but that has something to do with archives management according to Br Librarian, but I am sure their original authors will become apparant as time endures.

And so it's business as usual... though not in an 'aCatholica' way!

Oremus Pro Invicem!

Loyalty to Magisterium not big with 'Aus Bishops'... just ask Brian Coyne!

This rather amusing insight into the minds of the Australian Catholic Bishops was recently offered by that self professed 'fairly good authority' Brian Coyne over at 'aCatholica' and was referred to us by one of our 'episcopal' pilgrims...

Interestingly I heard recently on fairly good authority that about half the Aus bishops like what we're doing at Catholica and the other half detest what we're doing and think it a scandal. (Surprise, suprise, not, the big man doesn't like Catholica.) Also in the same feedback they almost universally detest the work of Cooees in the Cloister — and that is also interesting. The feedback would seem to confirm the feedback I pick up from other sources and I take it as a compliment and a sign that somehow or other we are close to "hitting the mark".

So there you have it pilgrims... according to that self professed 'fairly good authority' Mr Coyne - 'aCatholica' on balance affirmed... Coo-ees universally detested!

Apparently, 'hitting the mark' is more important than advocating the Magisterium, promoting the work of the Second Vaticon Council or simply having a good Catholic laugh! Tell the people what they want to hear... afterall, it's a serious business!!

Thanks again to our episcopal pilgrim...

Bishops in Transition?

In obedience to Br Prior's edict on Fr Witthoos, we find ourselves at a loss for fun before dinner. While we are yet to consult with Br Prior, the least offensive idea we arrived upon was to 'track' the Australian Emeriti.

What a list we have! Until we compiled the list, we would never had thought there'd be 26 retired Australian bishops - that's one for every geographical diocese!

[Drum Roll...] In alphabetical order we bring you...

• Archbishop Brian James Barnes, O.F.M., Archbishop Emeritus of Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Bishop Raymond Conway Benjamin, Bishop Emeritus of Townsville
• Bishop William John Brennan, Bishop Emeritus of Wagga Wagga
• Archbishop Francis Patrick Carroll, Archbishop Emeritus of Canberra-Goulburn
• Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Roman Curia
• Edward Bede Cardinal Clancy, Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney
• Bishop Jeremiah Joseph Coffey, Bishop Emeritus of Sale
• Bishop Edmund John Patrick Collins, M.S.C., Bishop Emeritus of Darwin
• Bishop Austen Robin Crapp, O.F.M., Bishop Emeritus of Aitape, Papua New Guinea
• Bishop David Cremin, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney
• Bishop Hilton Forrest Deakin, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Melbourne
• Bishop Patrick Dougherty, Bishop Emeritus of Bathurst
• Archbishop Leonard Anthony Faulkner, Archbishop Emeritus of Adelaide
• Bishop John Joseph Gerry, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Brisbane
• Bishop Bede Vincent Heather, Bishop Emeritus of Parramatta
• Bishop Joseph Hitti, Bishop Emeritus of Saint Maron of Sydney (Maronite)
• Bishop John Jobst, S.A.C., Bishop Emeritus of Broome
• Bishop Myles McKeon, Bishop Emeritus of Bunbury
• Bishop Desmond Charles Moore, M.S.C., Bishop Emeritus of Alotau-Sideia, Papua New Guinea
• Bishop Ronald Austin Mulkearns, Bishop Emeritus of Ballarat
• Bishop Joseph Peter O’Connell, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Melbourne
• Bishop Bernard Cyril O'Grady, O.P., Bishop Emeritus of Gizo, Solomon Islands
• Bishop Geoffrey James Robinson, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney
• Bishop John Steven Satterthwaite, Bishop Emeritus of Lismore
• Bishop Christopher Henry Toohey, Bishop Emeritus of Wilcannia-Forbes
• Bishop Douglas Joseph Warren, Bishop Emeritus of Wilcannia-Forbes

So do send us sightings of bishops to share.

We'll simply start procedings by pointing out that Bishop Geoff Robinson's website http://bishopgeoffrobinson.org/ was last updated over 12months ago on the 3rd July 2008. But the Br Prior does say the good bishop has been busy Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church.

That said, another wise man once noted:

"Bishops tend to have long lives. Apparently the Lord isn't that keen for them to join him".

Sir Humphrey Appleby.

Search for the lost hairshirt...

Br Belvedere remains at large with my lost hairshirt. I have enlisted help to recover it and commenced the process of releasing the wayward Belvedere as a matter of some priority...

I am reliably informed that he was witnessed participating in something resembling this...

So sad really... I liked the boy!

Lost in (Liturgical) Space...

It is some time since our last 'Lost in (Liturgical) Space' which aims to challenge the imagination in identifyingthe more abstract examples of those things which clutter our liturgical environs in Churches and Cathedrals around the world.

The challenge dear Pilgrim is to identify the pictured item, its purpose (if any) and provide your insight as to its location (ie country, diocese, church/cathedral) in Christendom!

Let us give you a hint of what and where it isn't...

Mrs Doyle has cracked the code! Well Done!

MC Papa

Well he might not take the rapping world or be the next biggest DJ but the Holy Father is set to release an albumn in time for Christmas.

It's reported that it will be a selection of litanies and chants in a range of languages but The Priory won't be convinced unless there is a track of the Pontiff performing a rendition of Edelweiss.

Priory Motivationals XI

This is not an original Priory motivational poster, but an old one that was emailed to us recently.

Apparently Br Pelagius has never seen Star Wars (he must have been 'sick' during that class on spirituality) so the scene will be lost on him. However we are sure that the more cultured pilgrims among us will appreciate this.



Something for The Age and Fairfax in general to take note of perhaps?

The More Obscure Traditional Rites and Usages No. 8

The Game of Gregorian Chairs.

There is nothing at all 'gay' about the way they covet marriage!

Much is again being said about same sex marriage in the latest push to have the disordered fetishes of some labelled a marriage.

Just last week, two nuisances were claiming assault after being removed from Parliament House while protesting at the National Marriage Breakfast. They seem to feel that the breakfast, organised by a number of groups to celebrate the institution of marriage including the Australian Family Association, was in some way 'anti-gay'.

The breakfast, part of the inaugural National Marriage Day celebrations, was labelled by our nuisances as "the biggest anti-gay protest group since the marriage ban was implemented in 2004". Not surprisingly the Greens have called for the breakfast to include a variety of different views on the institution of marriage. "Today's National Marriage Day event could have been a more inclusive celebration by taking the commonsense step of supporting the rights of all couples to marry," Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said in a written statement.

They just dont get it... do they!

Cheers to Mrs Beamish

The swine flu debacle and the state of the Holy Roman Catholic Church around the world got us thinking about the role of the 'kiss of peace' and it seems that Pope is doing the same. Then came Catherine Deveny's mindless and somehow publishable rant in The Age which mentioned that there would be no 'sign of peace' at a Mass she attended because of the Swine Flu.

We had hoped that she would run into this video's Mrs Beamish and then get the dressing down she deserves.

Well Beamish is not ours Catherine, and not even from our Church, but we endorse the sentiment.

On the RISE around the country

A recent rise in the number of ‘dating and sexual morality’-titled youth groups, societies and talks has come to the attention of The Priory. We would thus like to put the following question to our pilgrims: ‘how much is too much'?

Just a few I have stumbled across lately –

“Passion, Freedom, and Fearless Love” (RISE, Brisbane)

“The Lost Art of Dating and Courtship” (RISE, Canberra)

“Dating and Courtship according to the Pope of Love” (Theology on Tap, Sydney)

But this is only August!!

Not even Adelaide is an exemption to the rule, and commenced its own love-in-the-pub session last month with “Sex in the Sacred City”.

Faith-on-Tap has also risen with the spirit with my particular favourite - titled “Preparing to be Mr & Mrs Right! - "Male & female HE made them".

I must confess I am a little curious about the choice of the name RISE for a Sexual Integrity Group. Surely it must be an acronym, but who thought of it?

So, dear pilgrims, I put it to you. Has it ‘gone too far’? Or is too much of a good thing never enough?

This one's for you, Catherine Deveny

Lest there be any doubt about the media war against the Catholic Church, Catherine Deveny's article in this morning's Age speaks volumes. Anti-Catholicism, that last unchallenged prejudice, was served hot this morning. Who needs segues anyway? Apparently not Catherine Deveny:

"The priest said there would be no "sign of peace" because of swine flu and instead of shaking hands we should just nod to each other. I couldn't help drawing a comparison with the Vatican's refusal to endorse the use of condoms to prevent the spread of AIDS in Africa."

This was another of those special moments helping me not to digest the Warden's gruel:

"Time for Communion, when bread and wine is turned into the actual flesh and blood of Christ by the priest. Because he's special. They call it transubstantiation; I call it bullshit."

Catherine, you're not above the disrespect of which you would accuse the Church. This one's for you.

Pilgrims beware the media war...

What with the liberalisation of the abortifacient RU486 this week and the debate over religious exemption from Victorian discrimination legislation there seems to be a concerted effort by the Fairfax media to overshadow those with various drummed up scandals. These are directed at the Archbishop, whose leadership and credibility Fairfax is hoping to call into question in the minds of their readers.

Yesterday the Age spluttered at the behaviour of a Melbourne priest who had been sexually harassing a male teenager and was warned of a police investigation into possible criminal activity, which fed the now dormant discussion of the Church’s handling of sexual abuse by clerics. Today the Age and the Sydney Monring Heratic plastered over their pages the story that a woman who visited the Archbishop of Melbourne at his home in the middle of the night to protest her alleged abuse by a priest received verbal abuse, for which the Archbishop apologised ... back in 2004!!! Still earlier, the Age reported on the Archbishop’s doing a runner from Collingwood parishioners over plans to redevelop the site of their burnt out church.

In an attempt to reduce casualties The Cloistered here present you with paper grenades to launch at Fairfax – they come in assorted colours, but sadly not Roman Purple.

That's Fr Withoos thanks!

As Prior it is my function to maintain order in this place. I have given considerable latitude in the past but this whole business with Br Belvedere has me reviewing the manner in which some here are conducting themselves...

High on my list of infractions of the Rule are the deplorable series of posts committed to Where's Withoos?. That's Fr Withoos please! I am today placing a moritorium on any further posts in this line with serious sanctions being considered for those responsible - the hairshirts are freshly brushed!

Fr Withoos has been spending too much time in the Priory of late and needs to return to the important Curial matters for which he is engaged at great expense.

Changes are afoot dear pilgrims and justice will be swift!

Novice Doppelganger XV

It's got absolutely nothing to do with the Holy Roman Catholic Church, but we do occasionally get time to watch some television.

The tennis ace Roger Federer


and the 7pm Project's Charlie Pickering.

The 8/8...

... isn't just the 100 anniversry of the death of Mary MACK and the feast of St Dom nearly everywhere else.


It is also The Priory's birthday. No important enought to break the Great Silence, we are celebrating it with pilgrims today.

'Tis an excuse to look back over the archives from August 2008 when we were still just a Novice Wing.

Do leave us some birthday wishes in the comments if you like!

The More Obscure Tradional Rites and Usages, No. 7

The Inspection of the Right Feet during the First Vespers of St Crispin's Day.

This rite was known by Shakespeare - more evidence that he was a Catholic - and alluded to in the King's Speech in Henry V:

" He that shall live this day, and see old age, Will yearly on
the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian.' Then will
he strip his sleeve and show his scars, And say 'These wounds I had on
Crispian's day.' Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember,
with advantages, What feets he did that day. "

Lost... One Hairshirt!

Br Belvedere appears to be missing...

I know something is being hid from me as Br Pelagius changes the subject on each occasion I enquire and Sr Magdalene is frequently seen weeping into the un-ironed linens. The groundsman tells me Belvedere was last seen with an unknown monk headed for the library in search of a book written entirely in Greek!

All I know is that I have been down a hairshirt for sometime now and they are so hard to come by these days! I am understandably annoyed! Not grumpy!

Any help pilgrims could offer in locating it would be greatly appreciated.

Feasts and Vocations

Today we celebrated the feasts of both St Jean Marie Vianney and St Dominic.













Why, you might well ask? In Australia, we also have the feast of Blessed Mary Mackillop on August 8, making the first week of this month rather complicated.

So given the beautiful chapel at our use and the sheer number of us (which presents the possibility and benefit of both the Ordinary and Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite) we are celebrating St Dominic's feast all the way through the week on the 4th, 5th and maybe even the 8th - in sympathy with the rest of the world.

It's very appropriate that this be National Vocations Awareness Week, but besides a video released by Archbishop Mark Coleridge in Canberra-Goulburn, has anyone seen anything from another Archdiocese? It seems they are all relying on the ACBC projects, particularly OZ Vocations.

The general consensus in The Priory is that the NVAW places far too much emphasis on marriage and the single life and not enough on the life of the priest and religious in Australia.

We looked long and hard but were not aware of a link to the Coo-ees congregation anywhere.

Perhaps next year our examplary brothers and sister will be asked for some input. The offer has been made.

Trumpeting a tolerance which is observed in the breach...

Church Resources is a charitable trust, established by the Bishops of the Catholic Church including a communications initiative which it refers to its flagship publication known to the rest of us as CathNews. The Cathnews website is allegedly a daily purveyor of Catholic content even though they insist when ctritiqued that they merely assemble the items offered. But many including the Cloistered are asking themselves why an instrument established by the Bishops of the Catholic Church is so frequently assembling anti-Catholic content.

This week it was Exemptions bind feet and don't promote equality found on the ABC website. As if the ABC's fondness for all things Catholic isn't already well documented, Cathnews is out there promoting the usual left leaning ideology globally accepted as the mantra for Cafeteria Catholics everywhere. The article speaks of...

"Removing the religious exceptions would open up discussion and allow a line to be drawn between those religious practices that can be accommodated in a fair and functioning society and those which cannot."

It might be inquired what secular practices the writer would afford religion the same right of veto? No, they reap where they have not sown...

"A society that is committed to equality should listen to and respect the needs and interests of religious bodies and individuals and recognise that many religious groups do important work which contributes to social inclusion and promotes equality. However, the law should not pay undue deference to religious groups by providing a free licence to discriminate."

All this is code for 'you can have your hospitals, schools and churches but please dont trouble us with your insight or morals. This is one way tolerance pilgrims, practiced more in the breach and even then, infrequently!

For Catholics, certain issues are beyond discussion as they involve intrinsic evils that government can never legitimately authorize. Abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human cloning, and same-sex marriage are such non-negotiable issues and all Catholics are obliged, as Catholics, to agree. On these subjects there is but a single legitimate 'Catholic position' requiring no discussion.

Some in The Cloister are growing tired of Cath'views' trumpeting every pathetic attack on the Church it can Google. It's not as if this agenda of redefining normality isn't getting enough coverage? Catholics have an obligation to form their consciences according to the teaching of the Church. Cathnews could be assisting with this work which begs the question of when will the Bishops act to remove this clearly defective limb of the 'Body'.

Don't blame us... He's from Barcelona!

With WYD Madrid at the forefront of Catholic consciousness the question on everyone's lips seems to be... How's your Spanish? It had better be good if the website for the Madrid World Youth Day in August 2011 is anything to go on.

The Cloister congratulates the Spanish on their efforts to ensure that pilgrims leave WYD Madrid with more than just spiritual advantages. And, ever helpful in these matters, we have taken the step of bringing in a well known linguist to guide us as we brush up on our Classical Spanish.

Given our recent experience, we think cheap and keen are perfect qualities when approaching most WYD activities and trust our logic here is anything but Fawlty...

Do They Grow Bananas in New Zealand?

Do the grow bananas in New Zealand?

....we ask because of a report in the “NZ Catholic” online journal that the Marist Fathers are leaving Taranaki, and one of the Marists is quoted, regarding the move, that “Marists are used to moving on to a new mission area. It is 'banana box' time again.”

Banana box? We thought that there would be plenty of old wool bailing material around for packing purposes, but banana boxes in the Shaky Isles?

At first glance it doesn’t seem that the Fathers in Taranaki have been TOO busy: one of them is described thus: “still plays three holes of golf a day - on good days - and is an avid reader, tends to orchids”...

Which sounds a bit indulgent until you read that he’s 93 years of age!

Ad multos annos, Fr. Kerins! (Is that pronounced “Kiruns”, or ”Kurens “?)

Let’s hope he doesn’t have to pack and carry his own banana box.

The Marists are the great pioneers of the Faith in New Zealand, so we’re sorry in the Cloister to hear that they are having to withdraw from places, presumably because of few vocations. It cannot be long before the Marists face more hard choices in Australia, too. So all pilgrims are invited to stop for a moment and say a prayer for vocations to the Marist Fathers.

50,000 pilgrims and a suprise!

We will be having a little celebration in The Priory today and a Te Deum has just been sung. It's quite a milestone to have 50,000 visitors in 12months.

Sr Magdalene, however, has been especially exhausted. Cooking gruel for that many visitors has left her somewhat tired and Br. Jasper is totally overworked constantly preparing the guesthouse.

Br. Belvedere still is nowhere to be seen. The pressure of hearing so many confessions has obviously taken its toll.

We checked the system to see if we could recognise the 50,000th pilgrim and to our great suprise the IP address tells us that it came from the Vatican City itself.



"May we extend a great welcome to our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. Do come again and pull up a throne soon!" cried Br Momus with glee.

Pr Prior quickly scolded him, "It's probably just a few bored seminarians from the North American College or an Australian clergyman on holidays."

But Br. Prior has been quite grumpy of late and prone to pessimism.

Regardless, we would like to extend a very warm hello to our friends at the Holy See!

NASTINESS-FREE ZONE

It has been ages since it was necessary to invoke a Nastiness-Free Zone in Coo-ees, but the time has come. This relates especially to that matter which the Warden unfortunately drew attention to last week. Pilgrims seeking to leave comments must be on their best behviour.

The New Flat Earth Movement

This just in from New Flat Earth Movement:

The rest of the article [on the Catholic chaplaincy to Antarctica] will be of general interest to our readers, given its rare glimpse into a chaplaincy existing on the edge of the world.

Thank you, NFEM, for confirming everything.