COMMENTARII DIURNI

I thought I might use this occasional heading for occasional brief notes on Matters of the Day; particularly when it's just a matter of saying that X or Y has put something ten times better than I could have done.

1. Bishops A quite wonderful letter to the Tablet by Bishop Drainey, who very wisely decided to write while he was still feeling angry at the way that periodical just bins the monthly newsletter he goes to the trouble to send them, and then insults his people by sensationalising their responses to the coming Synod. Nice, fierce, words about the Tablet and its own 'agenda'.

2. More Bishops A good brush-off by the Bishops collectively to an unreflective campaigning group which wanted them to dump the new Translation of the Missal. This is no trivial matter: the old translation effectively cut the plebs sancta Dei off from their rightful liturgical inheritance by making no attempt to give them, in English, the riches of the original. The new Translation reconnects ruptures and prioritises continuity.

3. Presbyters and Deacons A fine piece by Fr Ray about relationships between a Bishop and his clergy. One of the best examples of what Father advocates was the praxis of Eric Kemp, long-time Bishop of Chichester. It also reflects the style of episcopacy we got used to in the C of E when we had the Flying Bishops.

4. Canonisation Very interesting piece by Sandro Magister about Canonisations. Devoted and really keen readers of my blog will be reminded by it of the pieces I published earlier this year. I remain convinced that what Benedict XIV wrote still applies; that until the Holy See decides otherwise, we are not bound to give canonisations the absolute assent de fide which it is commonly suggested they demand.

5. MPs Man to watch: Sir Edward Leigh, Conservative, a Catholic. A rare and interesting voice who doesn't just go along with the facile unreflective consensus. He actually ventured to suggest that we should try to understand the Russky viewpoint! Horror of horrors!!