The General and the Constitutional Lawyer... Coup d'état Anyone?

Australian Catholic University (ACU) bestowed former Australian Chief of Army and Chief of Defence Force, General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC an Honorary Doctorate (honoris causa) in recognition of his outstanding leadership and service to the Australian and international community in times of peace and of conflict in 2009. Now just over a year later The Australian reports that Cosgrove has been announced to take up in November 2010 the post of ACU chancellor.

A Companion of the Order of Australia recipient, General Cosgrove served in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Military Cross, and more recently led missions in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a major contributor to the restoration of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy in 1974. In East Timor, he led the UN taskforce that restored order to the territory in September 1999. He was also involved in the rebuilding of the Indonesian province of Aceh after the 2004 tsunami.

With its vice-chancellor, Greg Craven, one of Australia’s most noted authorities on constitutional and public law and possessing what The Australian terms a greyhound writer's racy turn of phrase the question begs is this prominent aCatholic institution set for a little orthodox revolution?

Professor Craven was Foundation Dean and Professor of Law at the University of Notre Dame Australia, and served as Crown Counsel to the Victorian Government from 1992-95. He was a leading advocate of republicanism in the leadup to the 1999 referendum on the proposed change in Australia from being a constitutional monarchy to a republic.

Craven is also noted as a key Australian Catholic layman opinion on most important issues. In November 2009 he wrote an opinion piece for the Sydney Morning Herald that attracted some controversy, criticising what he described as the new radicalised and militant atheist movement which has sprung up in the western world. The article was well received here in The Cloister for its wit, humour and ideas.

So the General and the Constitutional Lawyer... Coup d'état anyone?

"Where's Hilarion," or, "That Would Be An Oecumenical Matter"

The Russian Orthodox Church's head of inter-Church relations, Metropolitan Hilarion, has been "on tour" in Italy. Not only was he present at concert of Russian sacred music in the presence of the Pope at the Vatican, but the concert included a performance of one of Metropolitan Hilarion's own musical compositions.

The Catholic Church in Rome and Italy has gone to great lengths to do nice things for the Metropolitan, in the interests of strenghtening bonds with the Moscow Patriarchate.

In the Cloister we noticed - not without envy we admit - that this non-Catholic prelate has been allowed to celebrate the Eucharist at St Peter's Basilica, in front of the Holy Shroud in Turin, in the Basilica of St Ambrose in Milan, and in the church of S. Appollinare in Classe, Ravenna.

We presume the hospitality would be reciprocated, should Cardinal Kasper visit Russia.

Ravenna

Turin

Milan

Vatican

News Flash from the Land of the Bleeding Obvious

Liturgical Scholar and Cardinal both give papers at a Liturgical Conference!!!!!!!

Vatican officials write Forewords to scholarly books!!!!!!!

Artful Dodger Borrows Common 60's Antique!

Coo-ee pilgrims... Mother Mirabilis here again!

Someone it seems has 'borrowed' an important 60's artifact from the wall of The Cloister kitchen. The item is part of a set left there by my predecesor Mother Nagsus who remains working even now in the Congo.

Perhaps we have the culprit... 

Now where is his address so we can reunite him with the rest of the awful set!

Indicative of the Mood for Change... We Should Hope Not!

There was much speculation about changes in Parramatta with the arrival of Bishop Fisher but...

Doppelganger or just Brother Bishops?

The tale of two Inghams...

One is the Bishop of Wollongong, Australia; the other, Bishop of New Westminster, Canada.

One is Bishop Peter Ingham. One is Bishop Michael Ingham.

Brothers? Well, its all 'relative' really!

What's More than a Sub-deacon, but Less than a Priest

Middle-aged Catholic men in Sydney will be over the moon to learn that the Sydney Archdiocese is recruiting more permanent deacons from among their ranks.

According to the Archdiocesan statement of 5 May (tip of the cowl to Mr Schutz) , the programme for aspiring deaons will be under the direction of Bishop Julian Porteous, supported part time by the Education officer of the Life, Marriage and Family Office, Mr Bernard Toutounji, who is actually a Melkite Catholic Sub-Deacon and formerly a seminarian for Latin Parramatta.

Anyway, we hope the training of any future deacon candidates is of a better quality than the Archdiocese’s statement, which uses sloppy terminology, telling us that the deacon: “is entitled to carry out carry out baptisms, celebrate marriages and officiate at funerals... However he is not permitted to celebrate Mass and the Holy Eucharist, nor is he permitted to hear Confessions.”

“Entitled” to baptise and marry?
Deacons cannot baptise and marry at all in the Eastern Catholic churches, and in the Latin rite usually only can with the permission of the local Parish Priest. Deacons are not “entitled” to anything much except Christian burial.

“Not permitted” to celebrate Mass and hear Confessions?
It’s not a question of “permission”: even of the Pope himself gave a deacon “permission” to say Mass, it would not be a valid Mass because deacons lack the sacramental capacity to celebrate the Eucharist (or penance, or the anointing of the sick). They could put on chasubles and make the gestures and pray the prayers, and at the end of it you still don’t have a Mass, any more than if the local Imam or Swami did it.

“Permission” has nothing to do with it, and might lead people to think that ordination as a deacon meant some sort of ordination to priestly office and all he needed was “permission”, rather than priestly ordination, in order to celebrate the Eucharist. A deacon is a sacred minister, ordained to service, not to priesthood.

Let’s hope that the “four years of personal, spiritual, theological and pastoral formation, including a theology degree from an approved Catholic institution” will help the deacons to know what they are capable of doing, sacramentally.

The Cloister has a word of advice to the bishop in charge: it is probably a good idea if the deacons-to-be learn their theology at the same “approved Catholic institution” as the priests-to-be, so that everyone is singing from the same hymn-book, so to speak. Otherwise we foresee trouble ahead.

Speculation Surrounds Porteous Rome Post...

Coo-ee pilgrims... Mother Mirabilis here again!

Well with the bishop away for last weeks ACBC plenary and this weeks Federation of Oceanic Bishops gathering the opportunity presented to catch up on those rumours which don't relate to Cardinal Pell's imminent appointment to a high level prefecture.

Our attention turned to the Andrea Tornielli insight that Pope Benedict will soon publish an apostolic letter announcing the creation of a Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization. The usually well-sourced Vatican correspondent for the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, reported in April that the new council’s aim will be to help rekindle the faith in the West, with the United States, Europe and South America being the main focus of the new structure.

Pontifical Councils are widely considered less influential than the older 'Congregations' which exercise a delegated decision-making authority in some specific area but this one could be a little different. The new dicastery is expected to be headed by Archbishop Rino Fisichella who Tornielli says would resign his current positions – as president of the Pontifical Academy for Life and rector of the Pontifical Lateran University – to assume the new post.

The Cloister has heard another name of significance to those who like to make a SCENE mentioned in relation to this new dicastery. It seems there is some talk that a certain quietly achieving Sydney auxilary may be offered the post of Secretary...  

Yes pilgrims, Bishop Julian Porteous, Episcopal Vicar for Renewal and Evangelisation in the high flying Archdiocese of Sydney could be Rome bound too!

And what about this 'New Evangelisation'... could it be that some, even here in The Cloister, will need to embrace this most obscure phenomenon?

What did we miss?

It must be the level of Christology that the Warden has been lecturing me in but I don't seem to have much energy these days.

I even fell asleep while watching old episodes of Yes PrimeMinister last night. Or was it live BBC News?

So I ask the question based on this snippet from CathNews, have I missed something recently?

Don't shoes generally come in pairs... even the ones that give you blisters!

The Archdiocese of Sydney have labelled as "completely unfounded and speculative" suggestions that the Archbishop of Sydney may lead the apostolic visitation of the Catholic Church in Ireland announced by Pope Benedict XVI in March.

But nothing so direct on the rumours of interest to Australian Catholics that the Holy Father has appointed him to the highly influential Prefecture of the Congregation for Bishops.

While the Sydney Morning Herald reported that Cardinal Pell last week refused to confirm those rumours, saying during a break from the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference meeting: ''Either these journalists are misinformed, or they are better informed than I am.'' But this is nothing anywhere near as official and direct as the scotched Irish rumour.

La Ciguena de la Torre and Andrea Tornielli, both of whom have proved right in the past about Vatican appointments, are stating that Cardinal Pell's appointment as Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops has now been decided and will be announced in the coming weeks.

So can it be that it remains for the other shoe to drop...

Here in The Cloister we won't be surprised if it takes a while whatever the outcome, it has afterall so far to fall!

More of the same...

A Traveller in Rome

The Cloister takes no part in the spreading of unfounded rumours.

Fatten the goose!

'Tis not regularly that the former Cloistered venture back for a visit from their new form of life. So much thanks and welcome to the former Br Momus who popped by in the early hours of the morning to deliver us news that Age columnist and Catholic Church-hater Catherine Deveny has been sacked.

Sacked, it seems, for something they call 'tweets' during the Logies. In his new life Br Momus has something called and Iphone and tried to explain the meaning of 'tweets' and 'twitter' but all we got were 'twits' and 'twats' and he left us to head to work.

Good riddance, but let's just hope Deveny isn't picked up by Aunty.

Thrice to Slay the Slain... Scene II

Coo-ee pilgrims... Mother Mirabilis here again!

Last year we heard about it too late which, given that it takes place outside of our home See was not surprising, although many in Sydney were denying any knowledge at the time and some have suggested to The Cloister that this was reflected in the numbers attending.

It is the Sydney Congress Embracing the New Evangelisation or SCENE and it claims to be a celebration of Catholic life and a statement about the vitality and mission of the church in Australia. Modelled on the International Congresses of the New Evangelisation which have been held in European cities in recent years, Vienna (2003), Paris (2004), Lisbon (2005), Brussels (2006) and Budapest (2007), in "Sydney CREDO hopes to emulate the model once again by presenting SCENE in 2010". The congress runs July 12 - 16 and registrations opened last week!

While we give it a plug here because our much favoured Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett will be speaking on Thursday July 15 (Day Registration - Adult $40.00; Concession: $25.00; Couple: $50.00) some in The Cloister have been overheard mumbling...

To twice slay the slain,

By dint of the Brain,

(Thus Huxley concludes his review)

Is but labour in vain,

Unproductive of gain,

And so I shall bid you 'Adieu'!

"Monkeyana" from Punch, May 1861

Nevertheless, if you are passing through Sydney in July try to be 'scene' if just on the Thursday Morning!

Sea of Migrants Welcomed to See of Westminster!

There seems to be an interesting divergence of opinion occurring in Britain at the moment.

Just days before the General Election, where the three main parties are neck and neck, all three leaders have been at pains to say that they will respond to the feelings of the electorate and do something about the apparently non-stop flow of migrants pouring in to Great Britain. Let's face it - at least one member of The Cloister, who was allowed a special pass to travel to the isle of St Augustine and Thomas a Becket, noticed that on entering any place of hospitality (that's a pub to the non-Cloistered!) he was served by a Polish immigrant. Same in most of the restaurants. Not an Britain in sight. The hotel room was cleaned by an Irish woman, the bus was driven by an Indian, the ticket collector at the tube station was a Pakistani, the taxi driver was a Nigerian... and so on.


This very day the worthy Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster held a mass in Westminster Cathedral to welcome over 2000 migrants currently working in London. To quote his very words: "The Catholic Church is your home. Here you are appreciated, treasured and indeed welcomed."

Worthy Christian sentiments indeed. We wonder, however, how all this has gone down with the politicians just days before voting begins.

Ho hum!

Villiage Idiot Shown a Red Card...

Here in The Cloister we like our fun and it is not unusual for the barbs to fly about as pilgrims gnaw on the meatier issues. We provide for a lot of latitude but as with all things there is a limit.

The villiage idiot offered the following comment earlier today:

Your little missive has no particular internal consistency -- the title and the first three lines are about 'who you are gonna call and it ends with who you ain't gonna call -- and is not responding to any specific issue raised on Catholica.

Do we truly need to be specific... Perhaps it may have sounded better in latin but our care-factor is nevertheless limited as is our patience with the pilgrim in question!

It's so painful when the villiage idiot takes himself and his associates so seriously isn't it.

Thanks for dropping by but please don't let us keep you from your friends!

Who ya gonna call?

When I want a medical diagnosis, I consult a doctor.
When I want legal advice, I go to a lawyer.
When I want to know what crops to plant and how to care for them, I consult an agricultural scientist.

So when I want to know about Christology, I don't take advice from "[a]Catholica".