Sunday, 21 March 2010
Visitations...
Fr Hunwicke, the Anglican clergyman from Oxford, has once again spoken with more sense than many who are accounted ''traditional'' in the Catholic blogosphere. See here for his succinct post on the Apostolic visitations and the Papacy. He is very right about the Papacy you know. While I uphold the dignity of local churches over nasty little oligarchies (S.R.Cs and Consiliums) and tyrants (bad Popes), Fr Hunwicke rightly says that these Apostolic visitations are exactly what are needed because this is what the Papacy is for - to strengthen and encourage the brethren, to discipline those who are clearly at fault, to depose, to excommunicate etc. We often forget St Paul's connexion to the Papacy, but I fail to see why; whenever a Feast of St Peter is celebrated, there are Prayers also to God through St Paul...
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As someone who has the priviledge of knowing Fr. John Hunwicke as a friend I can only endorse the sentiment in your post.
ReplyDeleteAs to the commemoration of St. Paul surely this is because Rome was founded on both SS. Peter and Paul.
Rubricarius is right (see St Irenaeus), apart from the preposition "on"! The Roman Church was founded on Christ, and has enjoyed the additional lustre of having been taught directly both by the First amonght the Apostles and the Apostle to the Gentiles, and then of being the place of their martyrdom, and the shrine of their holy relics. In the canonical iconography, as in the Liturgy, SS Peter and Paul are almost always represented together.
ReplyDeleteIn due course, as we know, Rome succumbed to the temptation to "develop" that "lustre" into Something Else; if you "seek the monument" to that, look around you...
I am commenting from my iTelephone and I am not sure whether it is going to work...
ReplyDeleteAh Moretben, as Wren said of his Baroque museum? I believe that the 20th century was the worst century in the history of civilisation, extending even into ecclesial circles (and not only Roman ones). I may espouse some "quasi-schismatic" (as someone, not necessarily a friend, said) but I am entirely convinced of the Petrine claims, nor "looking around"even to behold the desolation of dragons (the New Rite, and its committee authors), does there seem much doubt to me as to which is the True Church. Perhaps God has let Popes err in order to say: "don't get above yourself!" ...?
Moretben,
ReplyDeleteMea culpa! - Yes 'on' was not a good choice of wording.
The collect for the Vigil of SS Peter and Paul is illuminating as 'rock' is used in the context of the profession of the Apostles' faith.