... is one of my favourite Cardinals. What a shame the Armada, perhaps the greatest Ecumenical venture ever planned, was unsuccessful! What a loss to the Ecclesia Cantuariensis!
In Westminster Cathedral, a large church in a Byzantine-derived style near Victoria Station, there are big brassy brass lists, dating from the pontificate of Cardinal Vaughan, erected to demonstrate the links of communio between successive Roman Pontiffs and the heads of the Catholic Church in England. (I have written about them before; my suspicion is that they are intended as an attempted counter-blast to Anglican claims of linear succession from S Augustine's quite successful little Church Plant from the Caelian Hill.)
What I want to know is: Why is Cardinal Allen not on that list?
Was he not appointed Head of the English Mission on September 18 1591 by Gregory XIV (an admirable pope who was a friend of S Philip Neri and of S Charles Borromeo, perpetuator of our own dear Cardinal Pole's Counter-Reformation).
What has the Ecclesia Westmonasteriensis got against William Allen? Or against Gregory XIV?
Was Vaughan in Lord Burley's pay?
A toast to the Glorious Memories of Popes Gregory XIV, Benedict XIV, and Clement XIV! And of William Cardinal Allen!!
His family's shield/coat of arms of the three white rabbits (coneys ?) was and is an integral part of the arms of my own Alma Mater at Ushaw. His foundation of Douai College, from which Ushaw emerged in 1800, was always remembered with great affection. Wed always wondered why he was never considered for beatification let alone canonisation.
ReplyDeleteTerry Middleton
Interesting point although I am ashamed to say I had never noticed the omission on the brass plate. I hope someone comes up with the answer.
ReplyDeleteI presume Allen Hall Seminary in London is named after Cardinal Allen. It was amusing to see it named as Alien Hall on one of the London tourist websites!
Strengthen the hands of our gracious Sovereign Queen ELIZABETH, and all that are put in authority under her, with judgement and justice, to cut off all such workers of iniquity, as turn Religion into Rebellion, and Faith into Faction; that they may never prevail against us, nor triumph in the ruin of thy Church among us: but that our gracious Sovereign and her Realms, being preserved in thy true Religion, and by thy merciful goodness protected in the same, we may all duly serve thee, and give thee thanks in thy holy Congregation, through Our LORD Jesus Christ thy Son, Who Livest and Reignest with Thee in the Unity of the Holy Ghost, One God, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ReplyDeleteLet it not be forgotten that he was a canon of York Minster - perhaps some of the old York ritual survived the Sarum onslaught, and he participated in it liturgically.
ReplyDeleteThat previous article on the brass memorial seems to be deleted. A posting from the end of August 2015 refers to it and states a precise title and date - and there is nothing with that title or date ...
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a former resident of Westminster diocese, Allen Hall always struck me as an extravagance. Shut it down and go back to the continent where there is more value and better food.
ReplyDeleteFirst point, William Cardinal Allen was a Cardinal Priest. Although he was nominated to become a bishop to the See of Malines it never came to pass. Having been made stateless by his adherence to the Roman Catholic Faith he had no geographical See unless the papacy and another country would give him one. Alternatively, he could see revolution in his own time and the re-establishment of a Roman Catholic state. That was tried and it failed with the 1588 Armada. England had broken with Rome. English Law made it illegal to be Roman Catholic. The implications of that meant you were not considered English anymore if you wished to remain Roman Catholic. Priests, religious and clergy suffered particularly in that respect and they paid with their lives as martyrs along with many lay faithful. Allen was a spiritual and physical exile. You can have Cardinal Bishops and Cardinal Deacons as well as Cardinal priests. It is true most Cardinals are bishops. The main point is that Cardinals are 'hinges' to the doors of the papacy and they are clergy drawn from ordained deacons, priests or bishops of Holy Orders. Originally, cardinals were the parish clergy of Rome. For that reason, even today each Cardinal is assigned to a church in Rome when he receives the cardinalate. So no, Cardinal Allen is not on Vaughan's list because he was a Cardinal but never a bishop. Never a bishop, never cited in Apostolic succession. Bishops only are successors to Apostles. St Peter the Apostle, was the first bishop of Rome as St Thomas the Apostle was the first Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. These two churches are in full communion with one another together with a further twenty two churches that trace their descent from Apostolic foundation direct from Christ. They form the 'Catholic' church or church of all those with Apostolic succession in communion with one another. Second point, Father, Apostolic succession is very important. Hence Cardinal Vaughan's list in Westminster Cathedral. With respect, any Anglican claims are irrelevant here in the sense that Vaughan is addressing Roman Catholics and assuring them of their patrimony. Rightly, he has concern for Roman Catholics only as a Roman Catholic Cardinal Archbishop. Anglicans made it clear in the past that the Roman Catholic Church has no business teaching them and they are correct. It must however teach Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church treasures its Apostolic succession from the See of Peter. It treasures it in its sister Apostolic churches. Do read John 17 to see what is meant. In that chapter of the gospel it is quite clear that Christ prays that the Lord God keeps the Apostles safe. Christ asks His Father to save those who treasure the teachings of the Apostles and keep them faithfully without deviation. If there is any deviation from the Apostolic succession and its teaching that means deviation from Christ. Such faithlessness allows salvation to be lost due to a failure to keep the teachings of Christ handed on from Christ through the Apostles down the ages. Apostolic succession is a sign of our salvation, our history, our patrimony, our connection to Christ directly down the ages. That's why we say in the Creed 'I believe in one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic church.' Not only the Roman Church but all those in communion with her. Our unity, our faithfulness assures us of salvation provided we have not deviated one jot from His teaching given to us through His chosen Apostles. So, we thank Herbert Cardinal Archbishop Vaughan for doing his job faithfully.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr Paul
ReplyDeleteSo how do you account for the fact that Vaughan's list does include the Archpriests, who were not in episcopal orders?
Are the Archpriests Vicars Apostolic? Vicars Apostolic are usually bishops by another name. Vicars Apostolic are appointed by the Papacy directly and report to it. Vicars Apostolic have responsibility for a geographical region covered by the Roman Catholic Communion which is considered to be Mission country. A 'mission country' does not have an autonomous Roman Catholic hierarchy or dioceses recognised in the political and spiritual spheres typified by stable relations. Usually where the relations between a given area and the Holy See are unstable, very small, or under prohibition. Penal times England 1534 - 1829 was one such instance. That continued until 1850 in England where Vicars Apostolic organised ministry to the faithful. Relations between England and the Holy See stabilised and a hierarchy of bishops was restored in 1850 subsequent to Catholic Emancipation in 1829. The hierarchy brought new dioceses, so Southwark instead of Canterbury. Salford, Shrewsbury and Liverpool instead of Chester.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr Paul
ReplyDeleteYou continue to shower me with facts of all of which I am well aware. Let me give you facts of which you seem unaware and which you seem to have trouble grasping.
Your first comment argued that Cardinal Allen was not on the list because he was not a bishop. I then informed you that the Archpriests WERE on the list, although they, also, were not bishops. THEY WERE NOT BISHOPS BUT THEY ARE ON THE LIST.
I don't know how I can put it more clearly in English. I will say it in Latin: Archipresbyteri in tabula nominantur, sed episcopi non erant.
This is all very interesting, Cardinal Allen was married in 1559 to Annie Ardleigh Allen (born Mehewe) in Ardleigh, Hertfordshire, England. She died in 1590. He had 1 son, Symon, born 1560. His great-great-great grandson was a Puritan who came to the American colonies in the 1650's. He's my direct ancester 15 generations.
ReplyDelete