17 July 2022

S John Henry Newman, and the Psalms (2)

 So who d'you think wrote this:

"In the early ages of the Church, the Psalms were so familiar to the laity, that it was found impossible to adopt the better version, made by St Jerome from the Hebrew, for all had the older version by heart. In these days the Psalms are littler used in the private devotions of lay Catholics; and forms of prayer which have no authoritative sanction, and which are often little recommendable either for sentiment or expression, are often used instead of those which have been dictated by the Holy Ghost. The reason of this notable change in the practice of the faithful must be that they do not understand the Psalms.".

No; not Father Faber; how indignantly he would have repudiated these disdainful comments on the sort of Italianate devotions he favoured at Brompton! 

Nor, indeed, Dr Newman.

But the writer was a very close friend of Newman's: David Moriarty, Bishop of Kerry.

Most people are aware that S John Henry had a lot to do with the foundation of a new University in Dublin; perhaps not so many are aware of his wider Irish connections ... particularly in the 'wild' and 'Celtic' South West. But it is remarkable how many of the Ascendancy, Anglo-Irish gentry Newman influenced. For example: the learned, antiquarian convert Lord Dunraven, who was to build the fine Catholic church at Sneem in the County Kerry. 

And one of Newman's closest episcopal friends was Bishop Moriarty.

Moriarty was a remarkable man. He had a lot to do with the erection of a 'Pugin-Salisbury' Cathedral at Killarney, with its 'Close' including episcopal residence and seminary. Perhaps most significantly, he was ... apparently ... one of only two Bishops who never quite got round to subscribing formally the Definition of Infallibilty of Vatican I. He was fairly extreme in his opposition to 'Fenian', Irish Nationalist, violence. He seems, accordingly, to have been the British Government's favourite Irish Catholic bishop. I have found myself wondering if that may be why he was ... as far as I know ... never subjected to bullying by the ultrahyperpapalists who surrounded Pio Nono.

Remarkable, isn't it, that the Vatican I Decree on papal Primacy and Infallibility, which seemed a step too far for 'inopportunist' Vatican I bishops such as Moriarty, now seems to many of us a precious and valued protection against our current papal regime and its excesses!

It all goes to show how extreme our current disorders have become!!

And that we should trust Providence and decline to panic.

To be continued.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Father,

Is this Bishop Moriarity the same priest as the Father Moriarity whose attempts to convert A. Conan Doyle caused the latter to name his arch-villain after that pesky priest?

Matthew F Kluk said...

" and decline to panic." There is much panic happening these days, caused by those in authority. Some days it's harder than others to remain calm and unpanicked, but with Grace and courage, somehow we can go forward. Most Precious Blood of Jesus, wash us. Our Lady, pray for us. Saint Michael, pray for us. Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons, drive them away.

Iudex said...

Lest any of your readers might decide to visit Killarney Cathedral be warned! You will be impressed by its exterior which is quite magnificent. So too was its interior until the disgraced Bishop Casey got his hands on it. His wreckovation programme was pursued with vigour leaving the interior in a truly dreadful mess. All in the name of the spirit of Vatican 2 of course! One might be able to forgive Bishop Casey’s sins of the flesh and venality but it is hard to forgive what he did to his then cathedral.

PM said...

The eclipse of Lauds and Vespers in popular Catholic consciousness is puzzling. There are records of well-attended Vespers in medieval England, and indeed Alan Harding's history of English law has the sad story of a village rector who spent two week in the episcopal prison in Hereford for failing to celebrate Lauds and Vespers in his parish. Can anyone familiar with post-Reformation history trace the disappearance?

Albrecht von Brandenburg said...

It likely has something to do with the Counter-reformed/Jesuit-inspired design of probably the vast majority of post-Tridentine cburches - they do not lend themselves to proper, liturgical celebration of the choral divine office.

P.S: Father, if you could remember in your prayers a certain Oxford lady ...

AvB.