18 March 2011

Advice to a new Protonotary Apostolic

As soon as you've unravelled all the complicated mystery
About what the Holy Office does, the Rota, the Consistory;
When you've studied more theology, and don't get quite so drowsy on
Attending learned lectures which discuss the Homoousion;
When you've somehow put behind you (with your poor command of French) a list
Of authors whose philosophy is known as Existentialist -
When your learning on a multitude of themes is less bucolic -
There's ne'er a Protonotary will be so Apostolic.

Acknowledgements not so much to Gilbert's and Sullivan's Modern Major General as to an earlier ex-Anglican Apostolic Protonotary who would have rejoiced to see the day of the Ordinariate.

7 comments:

motuproprio said...

First verse
I'm the sort of man they make an Apostolic Protonotary -
I've written reams and reams of prose, and quite a lot of potery [sic];
To walk on garden-rollers is among my minor glories,
And I used to be prevailed upon to write detective stories;
I can also punt canoes (or as they say in Greenland) Kayaks,
And had quite a flair at one time for composing elegiacs;
I can look up trains in Bradshaw, on occasions locomotary,
As undoubtedly becomes an Apostolic Protonotary.

(I believe the response of Mgr Ronald Knox PA to a letter of congratulation from the Very Rev'd Cyril Alington, sometime Dean of Durham.)

Osmund Kilrule said...

In short in matters prelatical, canonical and clerical,
He is the very model of a protonotary curial.

baah...

GOR said...

Bravo, Father!

William Schwenck Gilbert lives!

Maureen Lash said...

G&S. So pleased you've finally discovered some 'patrimony' to bring with you, Father.

Auriel Ragmon said...

I remember many years ago, a Roman Catholic priest of my aquaintance referred to the office of Protonotary Apostolic as 'mule bishops'!!

Rdr. James Morgan
olympia, WA
Probably my first post here

Fr John Hunwicke said...

Auriel: Welcome!

Fr Ashley Beck said...

Presumably you mean Mgr Knox. What's the evidence for your claim?

Fr Ashley Beck