Our All Hallow's Eve Costumes...

Some in The Cloister wanted to share with you our Halloween costumes for this year. Usually the Warden insists that costumes take the discernible shape and fashion of saints but this year we were able to appeal to his inner rebel with the suggestion that costumes should resemble a 'professional liturgists' of choice. He agreed on the basis that they represent some of the most horrifying monsters of our present times.

I, gentle pilgrim, chose something truly horrendous in Sr. Carmel Pilcher complete with 'stole' like neck-scarf - formerly of Sydney but now presiding in the Diocese of the Big Drain.

Mr. Public Opinion thinks he knows a thing or two about liturgy and so it really came as no surprise that he elected to come as Archbishop Denis Hart who it is well known likes to manage liturgies ex-cathedra which is scary in itself!

Sr Magdalene has chosen that good old spine-chiller - Rev Dr. Elich from the Brisbane liturgical commission.

She said that notwithstanding the Elich stigma she felt that in choosing a male character she was lending a certain authenticiy to one of the more frightening aspects of liturgical life... nuns trying to be priests!

Br Jasper opted for an overseas personality by the name of Trautmann, his choice may yet prove an ineffable success. Chairman of the US Bishops' Committee on Liturgy, Trautman once remarked that "inclusive language is a necessity in our American idiom and culture today. It is necessary in Scripture, in the liturgy and in catechetics."

Br Pelagius, true to form, decided to go all out and break the mold. He has decided to come dressed as Kevin07. The Warden was initially furious and pointed out that he was not a professional liturgist but his fury soon turned to horror whe Br Pelagius replied "I know, but imagine if he was!" At which point the Warden conceded that it was an appropriately horrifying thought!

Hound of Heaven in trying to be clever drew the ire of the Warden.

He attempted to come dressed as Dr George Cardinal Pell complete with Cappa Magna and cardboard cutout of Fr Withoos to accompany him. The Warden has confined him to his cell for the duration of the festivities for what he termed "pure insolence!"

As the Warden pointed out, even the good Cardinal himself has indicated that he is no "professional liturgist".

True to pattern, Hardman Window has chosen perhaps the classiest costume and perhaps even most terrifying....

But it seems The Warden, will likely take first prize as everyone who has heard of his costume intentions were most distressed and when he answered his door earlier this afternoon while trying on his costume it caused those present to literally curled up in terror.

Making it worse? How could it be worse?

Cathedral Churches have long been the scene of some of the greatest and most vivid works of fiction. On this All Hallowe's Eve, former Choir Director of Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral will launch yet another story in this genre. Although he will insist the account is no fiction and the consipiracy of silence detailed in the book nothing short of frightening, the question begs why write the story at all?

Dismissed in 2003 by the recently outed candidate for Supreme Pontiff, Mons Anthony Doherty, Russell joined the St Mary's Cathedral Choir in 1953 before being ushered on his way in 2008. He served as Director of Music for almost 33 years and enjoys many accolades including for his Mass in A flat which has been considered in some quarters as Australia's missing nineteenth century opera.

Our Sydney spies tell us that the Russell matter is one which has been handled poorly on all sides including Russell's. His actions to make public the litigation proceedings against the Sydney Church lost him more 'Catholic' supporters than it earned and created a situation where a more pastoral posture fast became impossible.

David is by all reports a charming and decent man but with the media and in particular the ABC, Gay, Lesbian and other anti-Church groups keen to use him as a vehicle to continue their attacks on the Catholic Church, the book seems unlikely to sustain interest beyond any initial noise.

Here in The Cloister we could see some parallels with this famous seen from Python's Life of Brian...

Should the fellow be stoned? Probably not! Will he be stoned? Yes! Especially if he keeps screaming Jehovah!

From the Depths of the Cloister Kitchen

Well, I'm a glutton for punishment, as they say, or to put it another way I never learn from my mistakes, so at the risk of another kitchen nightmare like the one three years ago, I'm going to take over the Cloister cucina this weekend in preparation for All Souls Day and try another batch of ossa dei morti.
I've found several recipes online, including the following couple: (source "About.com" )

First Recipe: 1 2/3 cups (200 g)
flour, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar , 1/4 pound (100 g) almonds, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 egg, Lemon zest, vanilla extract, or orange water

Second Recipe: 1/2 pound (225 g)
almonds, 1 cup (100 g) flour, 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 egg, Lemon zest, vanilla extract, or orange water

Method for the two recipes: peel the almonds and grind them to half the size of a grain of rice with the sugar. Mix them with the flour and the remaining ingredients, adding enough rosolio (a mild, sweet liqueur) or aquavit to obtain a soft dough. Break the dough up into pieces the size of fava beans; you should obtain between 60 and 70. Put them in a greased and floured copper pan and brush them with egg yolk. Bake them in a 375 F (185 C) oven, keeping in mind that they'll cook rapidly because they're
small.

I'm not sure yet which I'll try - since our Mr Public Opinion became Cellarer the orange water has been in short supply, not to mention the acquavit. It is rumoured he uses them in his favourite post-Vespers cocktail. And we impart the usual disclaimer should yours turn out to be a disaster as ours were back in 2006.

Fr Donovan's Talents Recognised at Last!

In a surprise move, the Pope has appointed Fr. Daniel Donovan as Coadjutor Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle. The appointment was announced viva voce by Pope Benedict XVI at the end of an Audience today.

The Holy Father said “I have been reading Fr Daniel Donovan’s writings with great intensity, and have decided help ease his sense of being unappreciated by three Archbishops of Sydney by appointing him to assist our beloved brother, the Most Reverend Michael Malone, in the hope that between the two of them they may formulate at least one worthwhile idea.

In particular I have appreciated Fr Donovan’s repeatedly articulated misery about the Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of Sydney, and his long years of work educating the vast majority of primary school religion-teachers in the Province of New South Wales – a work which has borne fruit in such a dramatic and obvious way – and his recent on-line venture at literary criticism in which he has shown himself impervious to suggestions that the Church should look beyond the insights of twentieth-century development-theory, the ecclesiological bon mots of Fr Teilhard de Chardin, and the fanciful 'Jesus of History'."

In a separate press-briefing, Bishop Malone said; “I am looking forward to having a friend in the Diocese.”

Former Sydney Dean outed in bid for top job!

All this talk of new Monsignori and imminent Vatican posts...

No we didn't miss this photo in the Sydney Morning Herald of former Dean of Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral, Monsignor Anthony Doherty getting campaign tips from former NSW Premier Bob Carr in the lead up to his push for election as Supreme Pontiff!

Curial Curiosities

It seems that the Australian has been reading the Priory and the Cloister. Today it reports that the Good Cardinal may be be off to Rome permanently, reigniting the rumours which echoed in these corridors earlier this year. Whether or not the only person interested in the Cardinal having the job is the Cardinal himself remains to be seen.



Considering the state of the Australian Episcopal College, if this good monk was forced to deal in such circles he would be looking for a way out as well!

While the college may continue to block the highest ranking Australian prelate from election to the lofty heights of President of the Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference, they may perhaps change their minds, condsidering what would happen to their plans to keep the Catholic Church in the 1970's if the mighty Pellican takes total control of their appointments.

Mordor renders another Monsignor...

The Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Monsignor John Usher, has been made a Prelate of Honour of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, and the former Dean of St Mary's Cathedral, Monsignor Neil Brown, has been made a Chaplain of His Holiness.

Monsignor Brown who was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Gilroy in 1962, returned there in 1970 to teach. He went on to studiy moral theology at the Gregorian University in Rome from 1972-75, before returning to the Manly seminary where he held a number of senior appointments before being appointed President of the Catholic Institute of Sydney at Strathfield in 1993 before the Seminary was closed and moved to Homebush.

Some have suggested that the state of certain sections of the Sydney clergy is in no small way attributable to the influence of the Brown administration at the Seminary. It is widely understood that prior to his appointment there as Dean, Monsignor Brown had a history of referring to the Sydney Cathedral as 'Mordor'...

One wonders if feeling this way, he will be refusing the honour which comes as fruit of his time there!

The Extraordinary at St Peter's but Where's Fr Withoos

The excitement about the recent celebration of a Solemn Pontifical Mass at the faldstool in St Peter's Basilica has not yet died down. One would suppose that such a momentous occasion would attract a certain presbyter of high repute who is a favorite of ours. However, scientific scouring of all available images and videos fails to produce the would be prelate in question.


This has caused me, on pain of bread and water for a month, to urgently pose the query... Where's Fr Withoos!?!

aCatholic Charity

Predictable to see aCatholics are not open to real ecumenism when it counts. Here is a sample of comments from CathNews:

Will this agreement bind these Anglican priests in the future to submit to
obligatory celibacy? If not, where is the justice for Catholic men who wish to
be priests but would still want to get married?

Posted By: Rob

Since hearing the news of this announcement, I was wondering when someone would see it in a left versus right way and Michael Bernard has done just that. His
contention that "going down the leftist, modernist, progressive, feminist,
gay/lesbian, contracepting path to self-destruction" is designed to continue the
rift, but it is counterproductive.
Pope Benedict XVI is a conservative man
and extending an invitation to disaffected Anglicans is not surprising. His
failing is that he appears to be unable to offer a similar gesture to Catholics
(his own people) who seek a dialogue that runs counter to some traditions within
the church. Traditions are not sacrosanct, as some would have us believe, and a
reassessment of them is desirable, productive and necessary.


Posted
By: Jeff Kevin

How can the non-celibate situation of the married priests
be accepted so readily when it seems to contradict the reasons given by the
Church for celibate priests? It seems like a desperate attempt to increase the
number of priests. It also proves that married priests can represent Christ - as
we already know. Where is the justice for the celibate priests?

Posted
By: Jan Tully

Why do women bother to stay with the Catholic Church? It
is obvious that women create problems with the Church orthodoxy - so to save
those men who obviously feel that because of their gender only they can know the
mind of God - from feeling even more tainted by the thought of women's
ordination, I suggest that women leave the Catholic Church.
Never mind
women's feelings on this matter by the way, we don't have an opionion that
matters to Rome anyway so what we say doesn't count.
There, problem solved!

Posted By: Helen

I agree with Gloria Healey. Definitely NOT a
good reason to convert to Catholicism.

Posted By: Marie Dwyer

What a nice encouraging welcome to all those Anglo-catholics who are really about to swap their tag around and become Catholic Anglicans.

The Anglican Communion redesigned

As if poor old Archbishop Jensen doesn't have enough problems, what with all his hard-earned cash going down the gurgler and a variety of disaffected Anglicans baying at his doors, the Pope has just made life a whole lot harder for him.

According to a press release from the Vatican, Pope Benedict is setting up special provision for Anglicans, including married clergy, who want to convert to Rome together, preserving aspects of Anglican liturgy.

The Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for this corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony.

The new provision also allows married Anglican priests and even seminarians to become ordained Catholic priests -- much the same way that Eastern rite priests who are in communion with Rome are allowed to be married. However, married Anglicans will not be able to become Catholic bishops.

This will make it a lot easier for disaffected Anglicans to enter the fold and give them a genuine alternative to the increasingly bizarre rites and rituals of their former church - and the Vatican is expecting thousands to take up the offer.

You have to feel sorry for Rowan Williams. He thought long and hard before exchanging his Druid's robes for the poisoned chalice that was the Archbishopric of Canterbury. We suspect that it may not be long before he returns to his beloved Welsh Hills.

Doppelgangers

This is too good to miss and we thank Fr Z's blog and Chiralcapers for drawing it to our attention.

The Anglican Communion

Everyone's got a theory about what will be announced at the forthcoming Vatican press briefing on relations with the Anglicans, and at the press conference to be jointly held by the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and the Anglican Archbeard of Canterbury.

Here in the Cloister we think it is related to the recently reported financial collapse of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney: we think the "Traditional Anglican Communion" are going to buy out the Sydney Anglicans, the Primate of the former, Archbishop Hepworth, having proven more shrewd in financial matters than Archbishop Jensen.

Sydney Anglican lay-women will, to their undoubted chagrin, find themselves unable either to become priests or "lay presiders", and all forms of Anglicanism, "Traditional", "Evangelical" or otherwise, will be able to decently drift off into well-deserved obscurity and the Sydney housing market will be flooded with former rectories just ripe for conversion into flats. Everyone's a winner, really.




Now, in case there is any confusion about how to put together a "worship service" for the Sydney Anglicans, recourse can be had by TAC priests to the Sydney Anglicans' special website, http://www.bettergatherings.com/, which offers helpful suggestions. Here's a glimpse of the sort of advice the TAC clergy taking over Sydney need to receive:

"Some recent eucharistic prayers create difficulties for Evangelicals because they are too long and complicated: the simplicity and power of the first form (5.1) is easily lost. They can also obscure the central importance of the redemptive work of Christ by adding words or phrases implying eucharistic sacrifice or transformation of the bread and wine in some way."

We are not yet certain what effect the "TAC" takeover of the Sydney Diocese will have on the latest Sydney Anglican plan to allow non-Christian couples to be married in Church (see this article in the Australian), but as we've previously observed (see here), Archbishop Hepworth apparently does a nice wedding.

Meanwhile, the Times Online reports here that the Archbeard of Canterbury was outspent by the Witch-King of Ebor last financial year.

You know, we have problems in the Catholic Church, but it could be worse!

Art imitating life... a loss of the sacred!

A sexually explicit 'illustrated' Book of Genesis by the controversial artist, Robert Crumb, featuring biblical characters engaged in acts of intercourse and "gratuitous" depictions of violence, is drawing fire from some religious groups.

Released this month, it is deliberately described as "scandalous satire" by the publishers and carries the warning "adult supervision recommended for minors".

Crumb, who is on record as not believing the Bible is the word of God says "They're great stories. But for people to take texts as something sacred, handed down from God... that's pretty backward." How convenient for him!

A spokeswoman for the Bible Society said she had not seen the book but reviews had suggested Crumb had "really engaged" with The Book of Genesis. "It may surprise people but the Bible does contain nudity, sex and violence, because it contains real stories about real people."

Here in The Cloister not much surprises us. Oscar Wilde's remarks that “life imitates art far more than art imitates life” come to mind and would seem to have application here. Crumb's attempt appears to be a poor imitation of art but his art speaks volumes in it's imitation of life.

Let's face it gentle pilgrim, the 'sacred' is under attack in more places than obscure comic books... just visit your local parish! At least Mr Crumb had the good manners to include all the chapters whether he agreed with them or not!

St Therese goes home

A piece of news just to hand demands the breaking of curfew for a moment…. Today St Therese of Lisieux returned to France after a month-long holiday in England and Wales.

Secular commentators in the British Press (isn’t that most of them?) expressed surprise that more than 286,000 people had visited the 19th-century French saint’s relics – portions of her thigh and foot bones – during the time the casket was in Britain.

95,000 people alone made the pilgrimage to Westminster Cathedral in London, our spies tell us, where the jacaranda wood casket has been on display since the beginning of this week.

In his closing homily, Archbishop Vincent Nicholas reiterated the Catholic Church's opposition to assisted suicide, saying that St Therese had suffered greatly but urged the sister who cared for her not to leave any poisons nearby. In his address, Archbishop Nichols said:"She too experienced suicidal thoughts of ending the pain and the overpowering sense of futility."

He added: "She argues, as we do today, that reason, in the context of our relationships, must acknowledge life as a gift and not an individual possession and, at the same time, embrace death when it comes."

O Purest of Creatures...

Being fans of Lizzie Harrington, The Cloister is has always been a devoted reader of The Catholic Leader. We are even fortunate enough to receive early copies – I don’t know who is responsible, perhaps a Guardian Angel.

I cannot help drawing your attention to an article in the latest which caught my eye.... a complete profile of the spiritual life of Miss Jessica Langrell of Notre Dame Uni, Sydney. You might know her brother Pat, of whom The Cloister has enjoyed a passing interest. Jessica is also current host of Sydney Theology on Tap, to which our cloistered state sadly prevents us from ever attending on any regular basis except on those odd occasions when the frugle Warden is inclined to part with a bus fare to Sydney.

Titled Jessica's devoted to holiness, the article is a somewhat detailed insight into the life of a pure 19 year old. "We do not want hook-ups”, Jessica says, “instead we aspire to a way of life that is pure, chaste and satisfying that results in strong marriages and healthy families and in the end, a culture that flourishes”. What a girl! She could be St Philomena herself. The article goes on, ‘so devoted is Jessica to holiness she signs emails and letters with her name and "IMHM+SMA" - saying it depicts her "personal devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and personal devotion to St Michael the Archangel". With such esteemed role models Jessica's "life mission" is to be a witness of purity’. Or even St Maria Goretti.

In fact, Jangrell reminds me of myself at 19. I shan’t go into confessional detail but let's say that I'm a cloistered sister for a reason. ‘In terms of her own vocation Jessica said she is "open to the will of God". Oh this brings tears of joy to my eyes! She adds, "Jesus Christ himself is the perfect example of (a) man fully alive”. You go girlfriend!! But I think by comparison I just went down about 3 notches in the queue for Heaven...

Make sure you pick up a copy of the Catholic Leader at your local parish this weekend.

Are we not equally undeserving?

Considering that the credibility of Nobel Peace prize is now almost entirely obliterated, I thought we should perhaps take a flashback to a time when our good friend in heaven, Mother Theresa, gave them all a talking to when she was given the award in 1979.

"I feel the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a direct war, a direct killing — direct murder by the mother herself. And we read in the Scripture, for God says very clearly: Even if a mother could forget her child — I will not forget you — I have carved you in the palm of my hand. We are carved in the palm of His hand, so close to Him that unborn child has been carved in the hand of God. " (One wonders what she would have said to the Obamagod if she ever met him.)

Of course, the above speech was a bit much for the sensibilities of the Nobel Peace prize thought police. In light of recent developments, it is also worth remembering John Paul II, hammer of communists, was strategically and outrageously denied the award in 2004. They instead gave it to an African environmentalist.

In light of the fact that now people seem to be able to get a Nobel Prize for doing anything or nothing, surely The Cloister is as undeserving as anybody else. Perhaps 'for services to dialogue between Catholics and aCatholics.'
Dear Warden, perhaps a plebiscite of our pilgrims could resolve the matter? If they're just handing them about...

Pink

I light of recent posts I just had an overwhelming desire to put these images together. Not a contrast or comparison. Not a doppleganger. Just some photos from our library, no more, no less.

Comments? Queries? Suggestions?

Taking responsibility...

The Cloister congratulates pharmacist Trevor Dal Broi on his initiative in removing from sale condoms from his East Griffith Pharmacy and emergency contraception morning-after pills.

That misguided feminist bat NSW Deputy Premier and Health Minister Carmel Tebbutt said "health professionals know the very important role that condoms play in the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases"... so does abstinence Minister!

News reports allege another Griffith pharmacist said he was also a Catholic and had no qualms about providing contraceptives. "But I have my thoughts and I think the Church is losing the plot if it encourages this sort of thing." With some five chemists serving the 16000 strong Griffith community it shouldn't be hard to identify him though and shop elsewhere!!!

Family Planning NSW are reported as saying that "Without access to condoms and contraceptives, particularly condoms, we have high rates of unplanned pregnancies and high rates of sexually transmitted infections. "These rates will be much higher if access is cut off." Surely they are not suggesting that the town of Griffith is rife with sexually transmitted disease and overly fertile women!

One Griffith graduate of the local state run social engineering facility Alison Dance said women in the town (which at 18 she only marginally qualifies) were outraged. "A pharmacist is a bit like a doctor. They have a responsibility to look after you. They are someone whose advice you're supposed to trust. To be [refused] service because it's something he doesn't personally believe in is wrong" she said. What of your responsibility to look after yourself Miss Dance!

So gentle pilgrim let's sum up the situation

1. Our hero pharmacist Trevor Dal Broi has made an informed decision not to dispense a particular group of products namely contraceptives.


2. Everyone is concerned by his actions as they will lead to a pandemic of sexually transmitted disease and hard to explain pregnancies.


3. Young inexperienced children also are concerned that, by not giving them access to what they in their extensive wisdom think is best for their condition, Trevor is acting contrary to his obligation of responsibility for their well being.


4. The NSW Health Minister is a silly bat and has never heard of abstinence which seems a pre-requisite for the portfolio as her predecessor was forced to resigned his office on account of his own failings in this regard.


5. Family Planning NSW have information that Griffith has a particularly fertile population and is a known hotspot for sexually transmitted disease.

Again we ask... has nobody heard of abstinence!!

Pretty in Pink

Speaking of 'types of priests' here is another reason clergy should stick to clerical wear. Pink ties generally don't make you identifiable as an administer of the sacraments.

A Type of Priest

If you want a snapshot of how the National Broadcaster views the priesthood, you can go to the ABC's "News" webpage and search for "priest".

I found the following:

Not quite the full range, I think.

It gets more grim:

Oh, well.

Not fit to take your horse into...

Just last weekend, five Melbourne Catholics were given the legal right to ride their horse into a Cathedral.

Yes pilgrims, they were invested as knights and dames of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one of the two remaining and oldest crusader orders formed in 1099. The order's Grand Master, American cardinal (and voice of Christmas) John Foley is in Australia on visitation and appears to be on an investature spree and our Sydney spies tell us that this weekend it is Sydney's turn.

Some in The Cloister are asking whether there are any churches left in this country into which one might want to take their horse!!

Certainly not +Mannings Warehouse...

Even if it does resemble a barn!

Perhaps pilgrims can suggest some others...

A None Story...

Dear pilgrims. I have been run off my feet with cleaning and the other domestic duties associated with moving the Priory over the last month. I have a minute to sit down and thought I'd update you with a short report on the literature I'm currently reading!

Sacred Hearts by Sarah Dunant is a typical historical fiction novel, and is set in a 16th century Italian convent. I am absolutely enthralled! But even more enthralling is the insight provided into the secular view of both nuns and the Catholic Church through history.

A strong scent of feminism wafts across the pages; the main theme being the control men have over women’s lives and futures (even those inside the convent), and women’s unwillingness to be controlled. The story that unfolds is a tale of the punishment and unhappiness which ensues when women attempt to defy men.

Yes, the religious life – the life of a cloistered nun – is portrayed as a punishment. It is true that many cloistered nuns in the 16th century were not there by choice, but many were. Who is to say that Our Lord did not gradually change many of the hearts which were originally unwilling? By choosing to tell the story of Serafine – who is placed in the convent as punishment by her father for not submitting to his choice of husband, and Zuara – who enters because she has had an education and is therefore unmarriageable, Dunant makes clear her intention – which is, simply, to make a subtle connection the dominance of men and the Catholic Church.

Both characters enter the convent full of bitterness towards the men in their lives. What an awful view of the unspeakable joy of a religious vocation! Aside from this intention, it is nevertheless an interesting portrait of the views of non-Catholic historians.

As a sidenote, I am an unsure as to the opinion of my brothers as regarding my reading of this novel... so have been browsing its pages in my cell by candlelight in the early hours of the morning!

Art Wars indeed!

Br Pelagius is frequently out of step with the mainstream church...

The Lepanto Victory over the Moslems was won by the faithful praying the Rosary. The Battle of Lepanto was at first celebrated liturgically as "Our Lady of Victory." Later, the feast of October 7th was renamed "Our Lady of the Rosary" and extended throughout the Universal Church by Pope Clement XI in 1716 (who canonized Pope Pius V in 1712). Blessed Padre Pio tells us "The Rosary is the weapon"! St Dominic describes it as the most pleasing prayer to God. Appearing in Fatima, Our Lady when asked her name said: "I am the Lady of the Rosary"

Br Pelagius will be reflecting on John Paul II's Mysteries of Light this evening for his impertinence and in the hope we might encourage him into the post conciliar church. For the rest of us Happy Feast!

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

Art Wars Returns - Lepanto

I'm claiming the battle already won, but I challenge my brethren to argue for a better picture to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Victory.

Paolo Veronese
The Battle of Lepanto 1573

At the Observatory

And here, Your Holiness, you may just be able to see all that remains of the Fairfax newspapers' credibility in religious journalism.