On November 4, the Archbishops of Westminster and Liverpool wrote again about the proscription, in the parts East of Offa's Dyke within this Kingdom of England, of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
I would have no real objection to their words "it is important that we, as responsible citizens, observe [the regime's] Regulations, which have the force of Law", were they not followed by a NT quotation (Titus 3:1). The problem with citing Holy Scripture can be that, given human nature, it encourages the cheerful bandying of texts; one bangs the ball back across the net with Acts 5:29.
I groaned to read again the grim old Utilitarian justification for Worship: "the essential contribution made by faith communities to the well-being, resilience and heath of our society."
But it was the next words that floored me. "It is also important to recognise that these Regulations are not an attack on religious belief."
I just can't throw off the feeling that those words are, if you unpack their doctrinal import, exactly and precisely wrong. The regime's Regulations are what the archbishops say they aren't; at attack upon our belief. The regime permits various things deemed 'necessary' or 'essential' still to happen, but categorises Worship with such activities as playing golf. Its assumption is that Christian Worship is a private hobby which is harmless when it exists on the margins of social life and provides a bit of comfort to some odd people. The Sovereignty of Christ is thereby pitchforked out of the the central affairs of human existence. There is no understanding that the Most August Sacrifice of the Mass is the central action of all human community, of all existence, the most important thing which happens each day, each second, on this planet. Sadly, our episkopoi have again failed to take the opportunity to explain any of this. All they are capable of dishing out to feed their flocks is a covert appeal to the ethical teaching of Saint John Stuart Mill.
Even Boris Johnson must surely have picked up enough of the Catholic Faith, before he apostatised, to wonder if these two Archbishops might be selling the Faith short. The chairman of the back-bench 1922 Committee said in the Commons debate how very surprised he had been, last time round, that 'the Churches' had knuckled under so fast.
In the Obamachronos, I remember feeling miffed, as an observer from afar, when he replaced 'Freedom of Religion' with 'Freedom of Worship', because he wanted to exclude Christianity from the public forum and confine it within the four walls of ecclesiastical buildings. But things are worse, not better, over here under the Johnson regime: even our poor little tolerated enclosure on the edge of the zoo is now under close police supervision.
Come back to us, Diocletian, we have taken you for our God. We are killing the babies and fawning upon the sodomites and barring the way to the Eucharist. What other simple duties, Master, will you require of us next?
Our Pastors keep on assuring us that your Regulations have the force of Law, so that, as responsible citizens, we must observe them.
But citizens, S Augustine might have asked, of which Civitas? Whence, according to Philippians 3:20, is our politeuma?
Do we need to ask ourselves these ancient questions anew?
9 comments:
Are unjust laws purely penal and not binding in conscience?
Brilliant post, Father. Spot on!
It would seem that, notwithstanding the Bishops, who themselves become increasingly marginal, a great majority of practicing Catholics regard these laws as neither just nor binding.
I find myself asking, upon reading this excellent post and so many others in similar vein, why is it that bishops have so much power? Can you tell me, dear Fr. H., if in your opinion such power is part of the deposit of faith and essential in the economy of salvation? If yes, then it's one of those things, I guess, we have to grin and bear. But if not, checking this overweening power of bishops would be the order of the day.
I am in complete agreement. The government are not against religious belief so long as it is confined to the mind of the believer and NOT acted upon in the physical world and certainly not publicly. In the United States there are casinos in Las Vegas that are permitted greater capacity/occupancy than any Church in that jurisdiction. One wonders what comes next. More is to follow, with even more punitive restrictions as success breeds more activity and weakness is provocative. The episcopacy should be opposing with all their might this terrible repression.
It seems to me that the hierarchy are behaving precisely as in 1530 and 1559, giving way to the diktats of the state. It took centuries and many martyrs to restore open Catholic worship.
During the long tyranny in eastern Europe much of the church both Catholic and Orthodox went underground to continue to function, and have a rich harvest of martyrs.
I believe, here in the UK, ministers of various denominations are openly preaching defiance. It is time for Catholic clergy to prepare for the same, and the laity should be ready to support them
Brilliant! You sir are a genius.
The insularity is the most frightening. We have truly become the English church - not as in the days of Augustine, Becket and Fisher, but tainted with the clammy insularity of the CofE.
At this time the French bishops are (finally) waking up and fighting through the courts, and winning (albeit so far only modest) victories. But they are fighting. They too had tried to pretend they were one with the State establishment, but they are not.
Nor are our bishops. Nor are we ordinary Catholics. Nor do we wish to be. Wake up Nichols! Wake up before it is too late for us all, and, too late for you.
Thank you Father yet again, for putting into words the truth that is so agonising!
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