Characters of the Reformation - Hilaire Belloc

Characters of the Reformation, Hilaire Belloc, TAN Books, 1992 (orig. 1936).

Belloc was an English Catholic author who wrote prodigiously in the first half of the 20th century. His book on the Reformation covers many historical figures – both Protestant & Catholic, some well-known & others we may never have heard of – that had significant & often surprising influence on the outcome of the Christian revolt of the sixteenth & seventeenth centuries: the dividing of European Christendom into two camps, the Protestant North & the Catholic South, which remain to this day.

Belloc analyzes the motivations, actions, & results of whole slew of amazingly complex characters. Included among this cast are Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Thomas Cromwell, St. Thomas More, Pope Clement VII, Cramner, Gardiner, Mary & Elizabeth Tudor, William Cecil, Mary Stuart, James II, Cardinal Richelieu, Adolphus Gustav of Sweden, & even guest appearances from Paschal & Descartes. Belloc’s premise is that the Reformation would never have “succeeded” if it hadn’t been able to establish a sovereign toehold in England. This success in England came about by a wholesale seizure of Church lands & property by minor lords, whose newly-acquired wealth allowed them massive influence on the English monarchy. At this point, the argument of religious doctrine ceased & all action on part of the Protestant parties was simply to maintain their ill-gotten riches & political influence, which they certainly were not willing to give back (I know, I thought the same thing, too: Surely not!).

One may be surprised to find that Luther himself is not one of the biographed figures in this book, but that is only because he is the cover boy for the companion book, How the Reformation Happened, which I haven’t read yet, but is on the list. Belloc is a sharp-edged writer, unapologetically Catholic, but presents the complex & intertwined story lines in a very engaging & readable manner.

Belloc works from the viewpoint that Protestants are not “other churches,” but rebels & defectors from the One Church. It is interesting to read this book in light of Pope Benedict's overtures of reconciliation toward various Christian groups with the Catholic Church, especially the Anglicans & the Orthodox. We can only guess at what Hilaire would think of this.

H.E. Rating: 4 shakes

Doing what it says on the tin...

A former English diplomat comments on the new Anglo-Catholic Ordinariates, but ties it to the richness of Catholic Tradition, & throws in a great one-liner:
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"Now, the sort of traditional Anglicans the Pope is trying to attract are the sort who wouldn’t mind the Latin Mass in the slightest. I like it myself. When travelling abroad – most recently in Budapest and Copenhagen – I have attended Mass on a Sunday. While prepared for a completely unintelligible service [ed.: in the local vernacular], I was on both occasions gratified to sit in on a service which I understood (a lifetime of choral singing has left me well acquainted with the Latin Mass). This was the Catholic Church doing what it says on the tin."

He goes on to talk about the musical legacy of the Church (which American Catholicism has largely chucked), but you can read the whole thing here at the UK paper, The Telegraph.

Pontifical High Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

...for the first time in 40 years (albeit in the Sacrament Chapel)! Deo gratias! The celebrant was Abp. Raymond Burke. I so look forward to the day when Pope Benedict XVI himself celebrates a glorious High Mass on the main altar at St. Peter's. [I understand that the rubrics for that would require bringing back the papal tiara. Now that'd be cool!]
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Check out the entrance procession at this Mass! Bet they aren't dancin' their way in to Gather Us In or All Are Welcome. I would so much love to hear a recording of the music.

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Also note the manner of receiving Holy Communion. Fed by God. This is the perfect expression of actuosa participatio, IMHO.

Things are changing, folks. Corrections are being implemented.

Now, go back to Bp. Nickless' letter & compare what you see at the New Liturgical Movement site to the bishop's instruction on what true worship of God entails, esp. Article IV, sec. 1. The demon of the spirit of the council is being exorcised.

In a similar note, Sr. Mary Michael, O.P. who led our diocesan catechist certification class last weekend said in regards to liturgical reform, "I'd start with the music... because the music sticks with you." Well said, Sister; well said.

Ecclesia Semper Reformanda

Please read this pastoral letter from the Most Reverend R. Walker Nickless, Bishop of Sioux City, Iowa.

I believe this is an extremely important document that could give form to a very important discussion that the Church needs to have with itself & could serve as a banner for genuine renewal of Catholic Christian life. It is also guaranteed to draw hideous screeches from the heterodox dopplegangers hiding under the Catholic canopy. It is exactly the right thing at the right time.

Having been told, oh, about fifty-nine gazillion times that, "Oh, that's pre-Vatican II; we don't do that any more" or my favorite actual quote, "You're stuck in the past; I'm interested in the future," I cherish this statement:

"The so-called "spirit" of the council has no authoritative interpretation. It is a ghost or demon that must be exorcised if we are to proceed with the Lord's work."

The Bible III: Inspiration of the New Testament

Another installment in the series on the Bible taken from the KOC newsletter...

Previously, we looked at the inspired character of the Old Testament. Now we turn our attention to the New Testament, specifically, how can we know that these writings are inspired by God & belong in the collection of Christian Scriptures called the Bible?

In the early days of the Church there was not much discussion over what texts were inspired – it was obvious to those who had immediate access to the Apostles & their immediate successors; but eventually the canon of the New Testament had to be settled, because: 1) those more removed from the Apostles wanted to ensure that the accounts of Jesus & the writings of the Apostles were accurately preserved for teaching, preaching, & evangelization; 2) the faithful were being led astray by various semi-Christian heresies that not only brought their alternative “gospels,” but also used the Christian scriptures to support their beliefs.

To further complicate the situation, around the Roman world, different local churches accepted different lists of books; some included The Shepherd by Hermas, The Epistle of Barnabas, or The Revelation of Peter, while some rejected the Revelation of John or other Epistles of Paul, Peter, & John. What about the “extra” endings of Mark’s Gospel that may have been added later? The Letter to the Hebrews seemed very “Paulish,” but because some were not sure if he actually wrote it, should it be included?

While there was vigorous debate over all of this, the Spirit of God worked through the Church to definitively state what He had inspired & what He had not; that is, what really belonged to Sacred Tradition. The councils of Hippo in 393 A.D. & Carthage in 397 A.D. took up the task of defining the canon of the New Testament & produced the list of 27 inspired Christian writings which comes to us to this day. It is interesting that, although Protestants only accept the authority of the Bible, it is only by way of the Catholic Church’s authoritative voice of Sacred Tradition that there is something called the Bible at all. Next, we will look at the role of the Church in defining & teaching the Scriptures.

A provocative statement of St. Francis

All of us lesser brothers, useless servants, humbly ask & beg those who wish to serve the Lord God within the Holy Catholic & Apostolic Church & all the following orders: priests, deacons, subdeacons, acolytes, exorcists, lectors, penitents & youths, the poor & the needy, kings & princes, workers & farmers, servants & masters, all virgins, continent, & married women, all laypeople, men & women, all children, adolescents, young & old, the healthy & the sick, all the small & the great, all peoples, races, tribes & tongues, all nations & all people everywhere on earth, who are & who will be, to persevere in the true faith & in penance for otherwise no one will be saved.

- Earlier Rule to the Friars

Our Lady of Victory

[Update!] Quit reading this drivel & go read This Article by Abp. Chaput, O.F.M., Cap. who actually has something meaningful to say!

True enough, today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, yet St. Pope Pius V instituted this feast to celebrate the Blessed Mother's intercession in the decisive naval battle between Christian & Muslem forces at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. Having sacked "New Rome", Constantinople, the Turks were eager to complete the job by acquiring old Rome, as well. The Pope accredited the victory to the Rosary vigil kept during the days leading up to & during the battle.
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If you look closely, you can see a Rosary in the hand of the Pontif in the mosaic at the top. These photos were taken at the Basilica Notre Dame de Fourvier at Lyon, France.
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You should also now be able to enlarge the above photo.

The Beatitudes of St. Francis

Where there is charity & wisdom,
...there is neither fear nor ignorance;

Where there is patience & humility,
...there is neither anger nor disturbance;

Where there is poverty with joy,
...there is neither greed nor avarice;

Where there is rest & meditation,
...there is neither anxiety nor restlessness;

Where there is fear of the Lord to guard an entrance,
...there the enemy cannot have a place to enter;

Where there is a heart full of mercy & discernment,
...there is neither excess nor hardness of heart.

- Admonition 27

St. Francis

Though the feast day of our favorite saint fell on a Sunday this year, I've no doubt that it is well with him that his day be eclipsed by the Sunday Mass. I am reading a little book of excepts from the writings of St. Francis, which I will share with you over the next few days.

All my brothers, let us pay attention to what the Lord syas: Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you for our Lord Jesus Christ, whose footprints we must follow, called his betrayer a friend and willingly offered himself to his executioners. Our friends, therefore, are all those who unjustly inflict upon us distress and anguish, shame and injury, sorrow and punishment, matyrdom and death. We must love them greatly for we shall possesseternal life becuase of what they bring us.

It's not easy to think about the people who hate us & wish us harm as occassions of grace & salvation. Certainly a reversal of expectation. The question hidden in this passage is: How big - or little - is our love?

Chant Workshop at the National Shrine

I've been away for a while, & though I'm back in town, I still don't have any time to blog. Still, I wanted to point you to recordings made at a Saturday Votive Mass for the B.V. Mary in the crypt church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C., the culmination of a weekend workshop on Gregorian Chant sposored by Musica Sacra

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The recordings can be found HERE.

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The Ordinaries are sung by the students of the workshop - about 150 people. The Propers are sung by a schola made up of the instructors & lecturers. The motets are sung by the choir from a local parish.

I hope you enjoy this beautiful sacred music & a few of the many photos of the mosaics found in the chapels & ceilings all around the Shrine.

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