Oremus September 2020

September 2020 | Edition Number 261 | FREE

Westminster Cathedral Magazine

Canon Christopher Howard Joseph Tuckwell Administrator of Westminster Cathedral 2008 - 2020 May He Rest in Peace.

OREMUS IN OUT-PATIENTS/ ART REVIVAL

Spotted!

Getting your Fix Royal Academy Coronavirus has played havoc with many planned artistic events, not least among them exhibitions at the Royal Academy. Latest news is that from 5 August the RA has been open from Wednesday to Sunday, 11am – 5pm.

There will be free admission, but tickets for entry need to be booked, with face coverings and social distancing mandatory.

The revised programme is as follows: – Léon Spilliaert opened on 5 August to the public and Friends of the RA. – Gauguin and the Impressionists: Masterpieces from the Ordrupgaard Collection opened the public on 7 August.

Thanks go, not least, to the reader who had the thought to leave the magazine there.

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– Summer Exhibition 2020 will now open on 6 October.

– Tracey Emin/Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul will open on 15 November 2020.

– The highly anticipated Marina Abramović exhibition will be postponed until autumn 2021.

– Rita Angus: New Zealand Modernist will be postponed.

– Angelica Kauffman and Cezanne: The Rock and Quarry Paintings unfortunately have been cancelled.

Oremus

September 2020

© Rept0n1x

We know that Oremus is passed around and read in some unusual and distant locations. Praed Street, London W2 is not far for the magazine to travel, but an email arrived recently with this message: 'I spend more time in hospital than I would like to, although I am young and it is not covid-related. What a joy yesterday to find this magazine in one of the waiting rooms at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. It made my day - yes, God is always with me.’

CONTENTS

Inside Oremus

Oremus Cathedral Clergy House 42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW T E W

020 7798 9055 oremus@westminstercathedral.org.uk www.westminstercathedral.org.uk

Oremus, the magazine of Westminster Cathedral, reflects the life of the Cathedral and the lives of those who make it a place of faith in central London. If you think that you would like to contribute an article or an item of news, please contact the Editor.

Patron The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster Chairman The Administrator (Awaiting appointment) Editor Fr John Scott Oremus Team Tony Banks – Distribution Zoe Goodway – Marketing Manel Silva – Subscriptions Berenice Roetheli – Proofreading Ellen Gomes – Archives

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Cathedral Life: Past & Present Oremus in Out-Patients

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An Arrival on the Bench – Marko Sever

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Cathedral History: Cardinal Bourne had a Dream

by Patrick Rogers

12 & 13

Canon Christopher Tuckwell, Administrator of the Cathedral 2008 – 2020, Requiescat in pace

14 – 17

Cathedral History in Pictures: Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Mass in the Cathedral by Paul Tobin

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A Fond Farewell at a Last Lunch

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Features

Design and Art Direction Julian Game Registered Charity Number 233699 ISSN 1366-7203 Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor or the Oremus Team. Neither are they the official views of Westminster Cathedral. The Editor reserves the right to edit all contributions.

Publication of advertisements does not imply any form of recommendation or endorsement.

Unless otherwise stated, photographs are published under a creative commons or similar licence. Every effort is made to credit all images. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.

Art Revival – Exhibitions Open

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On Endurance

by St John Henry Newman

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A Cross Restored

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No Benefits for Larger Families by the Catholic Union

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Our Lady of Sorrows by Francis Clark

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The Word of the Lord, Renewed

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The UK Government and the Persecution of Christians

by Bishop Philip Mountstephen, Part 1

10 & 11

‘What is Man?’ – Learning from the Catechism, Part 2

20 & 21

The Litany of Loreto Expanded

by Vatican News

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Befriending in Need

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A Hard Choice for Widows

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A Book Taken to an Execution

by Dr Jan Graffius

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The Way the Scots do It – Priest School 31 This undated image shows Canon Christopher in a quiet moment on one of the many and popular pilgrimages which he led during his time of service at the Cathedral.

Regulars From the Acting Administrator Diary and Notices

Printed by Premier Print Group 020 7987 0604

September 2020

Oremus

5 24 & 25

Crossword and Poem of the Month

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In Retrospect

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ST JOHN HENRY NEWMAN

Join the Companions ... and help us to keep publishing Oremus free of charge Although we earn income from the advertising which we carry, Oremus relies on donations from readers to cover its production costs.

The Companions of Oremus was established to recognise those who give generously to support us. Open exclusively to individuals, Companions’ names are published in the magazine each month (see page 7). All members are invited to one or more social events during the year and Mass is offered for their intentions from time to time.

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Thank you for your support.

On Endurance

© Another Believer

St John Henry Newman There is an inward world into which they enter who come near to Christ, though to men in general they seem the same as before. They hold the same place as before in the world’s society; their employments are the same, their ways, their comingsin and goingsout. If they were high in rank, they are still high; if they were in active life, they are still active; The statue of Newman if they were at the Brompton Oratory wealthy, they still have wealth. They have still great friends, powerful connections, ample resources, fair name in the world’s eye; but if they have drunk of Christ’s cup, 4

and tasted the bread of His Table in sincerity, it is not with them as in time past. A change has come over them, unknown indeed to themselves, except in its effects, but they have a portion in destinies to which other men are strangers, and, as having destinies, they have conflicts also. They drank what looked like a draught of this world, but it associated them in hopes and fears, trials and purposes, above this world.

They came for a blessing, and they have found a work. They are soldiers in Christ’s army; they fight against ‘things that are seen’, and they have ‘all these things against them’. To their surprise, as time goes on, they find that their lot is changed. They find that in one shape or other adversity happens to them. If they refuse to afflict themselves, God afflicts them. One blow falls, they are startled; it passes over, it is well; they expect nothing more. Another comes; they wonder; ‘Why is this?’ they ask;

they think that the first should be their security against the second; they bear it, however; and it passes too. Then a third comes; they almost murmur; they have not yet mastered the great doctrine that endurance is their portion.

O simple soul, is it not the law of thy being to endure since thou camest to Christ? Why camest thou but to endure?

Why didst thou taste His heavenly feast, but that it might work in thee? Why didst thou kneel beneath His hand, but that He might leave on thee the print of His wounds? Why wonder then that one sorrow does not buy off the next? Does one drop of rain absorb the second?

Does the storm cease because it has begun? Understand thy place in God’s kingdom, and rejoice, not complain, that in thy day thou hast thy lot with Prophets and Apostles. from Volume V of Parochial and Plain Sermons Oremus

September 2020

EDITORIAL

From the Acting Administrator It is hard to know where to begin this brief message. I think the first solemn duty is to make mention of the late Canon Christopher Tuckwell. His death, at the end of June, came as a great shock to many, and a huge sadness for us all. As I have written elsewhere, he faced the end of his earthly life with characteristic courage and good grace.

The Lord was with him, and he knew it so well and rejoiced in the gentle presence of the Lord, Our Lady, and the Saints. This edition of Oremus carries several tributes to the late Canon; I hope they enable you to give thanks for him, and to continue to remember him in your prayers. Thanks go to the editor and all the contributors for compiling such a fitting memorial in these pages.

The last few months have brought many challenges and surprises. At the Cathedral we have been faced with making decisions we had never thought would face us and we are not alone in that. In all that we have done it has been our priority to maintain the worshipping life of the Cathedral in one way or another, with live-streamed Masses, which we are now working hard at continuing and improving, and by opening the doors of the Cathedral once it was prudent and legal to do so. Little by little the life is returning – baptism, weddings, funerals can all take place again, albeit with limited numbers in attendance. Gently and carefully we are beginning to piece back together the unique character of Westminster Cathedral, including its precious music. But it will take time, so I would ask all of us to be patient and understanding, and to pray for those special gifts at this testing time.

Westminster Cathedral Cathedral Clergy House 42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW Telephone 020 7798 9055 Service times 020 7798 9097 Email chreception@rcdow.org.uk www.westminstercathedral.org.uk Cathedral Chaplains Fr Daniel Humphreys, Acting Administrator Fr Julio Albornoz Fr Michael Donaghy Fr Andrew Gallagher, Precentor Fr Hugh MacKenzie Fr Vincent Mbu’i SVD Fr Rajiv Michael Fr John Scott, Registrar Also in residence Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories Music Department Awaiting appointment, Master of Music Peter Stevens Obl. OSB, Assistant Master of Music Marko Sever, Organ Scholar Cathedral Manager Peter McNulty Estates Manager Neil Fairbairn Chapel of Ease Sacred Heart Church Horseferry Road SW1P 2EF

I had some time off in August, and, for fear of quarantine, abandoned hoped for foreign travel in favour of the north east of England. There, in mercifully cool conditions, I was happy to visit sites of considerable Christian significance – Durham, Jarrow and Hexham, for example. In each of those places it was clear to see that others are trying to do the same as we are here – keeping the show on the road, so to speak. These travels brought home to me the considerable responsibility we all face at this time: to be faithful to the heritage and tradition we have received through maintaining the life of the Church, whilst at the same time being aware and respectful of the need to be cautious and wise at this time of pandemic. It is not an easy tension, and we are all aware of the stresses it can create.

Thank you to all who have prayed for us, and supported us through this time; and we look forward to happier and more socially joyful times in the future. Meanwhile – enjoy Oremus!

Fr Daniel Humphreys September 2020

Oremus

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THE RESTORATION CONTINUES/ THAT TWO-CHILD RULE

Arts and Crafts at Shrewsbury A stunning wrought iron cross has been restored and returned to the roof of Shrewsbury Cathedral, as a fuller restoration of the building continues. The cross, which adorns the bell tower, is a fine example of the early work of the Arts and Crafts movement that was anticipated by Augustus Welby Pugin, the architect who designed the Cathedral.

The cross was installed in 1856, the year the Cathedral was first opened, and was in dire need of restoration because of rusting and damage, having never been taken down and repaired for more than one and a half centuries. It was removed for the first time since its installation to be repaired and repainted by M Salt Ltd., a specialist conservation firm which this year also undertook a project to repair and restore John Henry, the Cathedral’s bell. The Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, said: ‘In this year of global pandemic, it seems especially appropriate to see the Cathedral cross restored as the sign of hope in the victory of life and love. Raised high above the Cathedral, this cross will continue to shine

on the skyline of Shrewsbury for generations to come’.

There is no documentary evidence to show who designed and commissioned the cross, although architects suspect that it was A W Pugin's son, Edward, who took over the responsibility to finish the Cathedral after the death of his father in 1852, working together with John Hardman Powell, who supplied the metalwork to other parts of the church, including the font cover, tabernacle, high altar crucifix and six candlesticks.

Mike Salt of the conservators described the cross as ‘a lovely example of Arts and Crafts work’, not only in its design, but because it uses wrought iron for the main body with charcoal iron to form ornate acanthus leaves and water (ivy) leaves. He suggested that the forging and use of charcoal iron points to the cross being an example of the revival of the repoussé work of the 17th century, the so-called golden age of British blacksmithing under the inspiration of Jean Tijou, a French ironworker who created much of the ornamental metal work for Hampton Court Palace in that century. One of the main objectives of the Arts and Crafts movement was to rediscover and revive lost practices, among them ornamental blacksmithing and repoussé, a technique of creating patterns by hammering metal on the reverse side. Mr Salt said: ‘In my mind, therefore, the cross is historically important not only because it demonstrates the best in the movement’ work, but also because it demonstrated that it was still possible to reproduce Tijou's work in a modern environment. I would like to think that its repair and conservation has continued that theme’.

Campaigning for Equality The Catholic Union has called on the Government to scrap the two-child limit for childcare support for those on low incomes and the unemployed. The policy, introduced in 2017, limits the childcare element of Universal Credit and Tax Credits to two children per household. This was widely criticised by faith groups at the time, as it discriminates against larger families. The Union has now written to the Chancellor to call for the policy to be scrapped in light of the coronavirus outbreak and the huge financial pressures faced by families across the country, with the risk of a significant increase in child poverty caused by the economic downturn.

Catholic Union Head of Public Affairs, James SomervilleMeikle, said: ‘There has never been a better time to get 6

rid of this deeply unfair policy, or a more pressing need to give families the support they need. Existing support from the Government is welcome, but it's crucial that help gets to people most in need. The decision not to give support to some of the most vulnerable families in society looks increasingly indefensible. At a time when public spending is increasing, levelling up support for families should be a priority for the Government. Campaigners, including many faith groups, have worked hard over the last three years to highlight the unfairness of this policy. But with more families relying on universal credit and income support, it's now vital that the two-child limit is removed. It's time to end this family tax and give children and families the support they deserve.’

Oremus

September 2020

OUR LADY OF SORROWS

A Sword will Pierce your own Soul, too Francis Clark When one enters the Cathedral for the first time, the eye is drawn towards the great Rood Cross hanging over the sanctuary, displaying the image of the crucified Lord. Not all are aware, however, that on the reverse side is the image of Our Lady with her heart pierced by a sword – Our Lady of Sorrows, or Dolours. © Lawrence Lew OP

This month of September has traditionally been dedicated to her and remains a favoured devotion among Catholics, with 15 September (one week after we have kept the feast of Mary’s Nativity) being observed as the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.

These seven events in her life have been chosen for our special attention and contemplation: 1. The Prophecy of Simeon (St Luke 2: 34/35) 2. The Flight into Egypt (St Matthew 2: 13-15) 3. The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple (St Luke 2: 45-50) 4. Mary meets her Son on the way to Calvary (Fourth Station of the Cross) 5. Jesus dies on the Cross (St John 19: 25-30) 6. Mary receives the dead body of her Son (Thirteenth Station of the Cross) 7. The body of Jesus is placed in the tomb (St John 19: 40-42) I can also recommend to you the booklet Devotion to the Sorrowful Mother, published by Tan Publications, which goes into great detail about we may enter into this tradition of prayer.

Companions of Oremus We are very grateful for the support of the following: Mrs Mary Barsh Dr Stuart Blackie Anne Veronica Bond Richard Bremer Francis George Clark Daniel Crowley Ms Georgina Enang Alfredo Fernandez Fred Gardiner Connie Gibbes Zoe & Nick Goodway Rosalinda Grimaldo Mrs Valerie Hamblen Bernadette Hau Bernard Adrian Hayes Mrs Cliona Howell Alice M Jones & Jacob F Jones Poppy K Mary Thérèse Kelly Raymund Livesey Alan Lloyd in memoriam Barry Lock Clare and John Lusby Pamela McGrath Linda McHugh Peter McNelly in memoriam Christiana Thérèse Macarthy-Woods James Maple Dionne Marchetti Paul Marsden Mary Maxwell Abundia Toledo Munar Chris Stewart Munro Mrs Brigid Murphy Kate Nealon Cordelia Onodu Cris Ragonton Emel Rochat Berenice Roetheli John Scanlan Mr Luke Simpson Sonja Soper Tessa and Ben Strickland Julia Sutherland Eileen Terry Mr Alex Walker Jacqueline Worth Patricia M Wright and of our anonymous Companions

May Our Lady of Sorrows pray for us.

September 2020

Oremus

If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus, see page 4

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PROCLAIMING SCRIPTURE

A Fruit of the Year of the Word All fruit needs time to grow and ripen. We shall not have a new Lectionary for Mass for a couple of years or so, but work to select a biblical translation and a version of the psalms has been underway for some time, agreement has been reached and now the project moves on towards preparing the Lectionary volumes.

The three volume Lectionary in use in the dioceses of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland was first published in 1981 using the Jerusalem Bible (1966) and the Grail Psalms (1963). It was subsequently reprinted, although is presently out of print. In recent times, English-speaking Bishops’ Conferences worldwide have approved a new translation of the Book of Psalms – The Abbey Psalms – for the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office). This new translation is the work of the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey, Missouri, and seeks to translate the Hebrew texts based on an updated scholarly understanding of the literary genres and patterns of thought found in the Psalms. The Abbey Psalms have been approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments for liturgical use.

and the project had the full support of Crossway. As a result of the initial scholarship, only about 52 changes were made to the ESV text to produce the Catholic edition. The most extensive difference, of course, is the insertion of the Deuterocanonical books. It was published by the Asian Trading Corporation in February 2018. The ESV-CE was then adopted by the Indian hierarchy as the basis for a new Lectionary. This received the confirmation of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in December 2019, was published and has been in use since April 2020.

1981 Lectionary can be made available in a new edition.

Having studied the ESV-CE, the Bishops' Conference of Scotland has now voted at their July 2020 meeting in favour of this translation to form a basis for a new Lectionary. The Psalms to be used will be from The Abbey Psalms translation.

Subsequently, based on the merits of the text, the ESV-CE was accepted by the Bishops of England and Wales as a basis for their own Lectionary. The Augustine Institute has published the ESV-CE in North America. In reaching a decision about a translation for the To maintain consistency between Lectionary, Bishops’ Conferences the translation of Psalms for the have considered the values they Liturgy of the Hours and for the would most expect a Lectionary Lectionary, a republication of the to embody, for example, accuracy, This is how a Lectionary looked in the 14th latter is required. Considerable century (Lectionary 226 Gregory-Aland) dignity, facility of proclamation, progress has been made in biblical and accessibility. It makes practical scholarship since the early 1960s, and pastoral good sense for the same translation to be used when the Jerusalem Bible translation was produced. in Scotland, England and Wales. The idea of collaboration Republication of the Lectionary provides an opportunity to with neighbouring hierarchies in liturgical matters has benefit from this new scholarship. Furthermore, readings its foundation in Vatican II’s document on the Liturgy corresponding to the many new celebrations of saints added Sacrosanctum Concilium (36, 3). to the General Roman Calendar since the publication of the

The English Standard Version – Catholic Edition (ESV-CE) The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible was published

by Crossway in 2001. It is essentially a reworking of the 1971 Revised Standard Version. It was created by a team of over 100 Scripture scholars. Subsequent editions of the ESV appeared in 2007, 2011 and 2016.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India produced a Catholic version of the ESV, aided by a team of eight scholars over a period of three years under the chairmanship of Fr Lucien Legrand. This was an ecumenical collaboration 8

During the editorial process, and in collaboration with the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, the Scottish bishops will review the fascicules being prepared for the new Lectionary. When it is published for liturgical use, new people’s Sunday and Weekday Missals and other resources will also be available. It is hoped that this new Lectionary will keep the biblical word alive and active for the holy People of God and shape Catholic thought and culture in our changing world.

Oremus

September 2020

A SCHOLAR FOR SEPTEMBER

A New Arrival on the Bench Born in Australia to Croatian parents, Marko Sever has been living, working, and studying in England for just over 4 years.

Since graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2018, he has been working at St Albans Cathedral as part of the thriving Music Department, accompanying and directing choirs in his capacity as Organ Scholar. He has previously held positions at the London Oratory, and All Saints’, Margaret Street. Marko is also a prizewinning Fellow of the Royal College of Organists.

‘Growing up in a Catholic household, church attendance was the bread and butter of our weekends. St Raphael’s Church in Queanbeyan, near Canberra, was where I first heard the organ and was bowled over; this was an electronic organ, but if you’ve not been exposed to anything grander, it was impressive to a 10-year-old. Having had piano lessons from age 2 (at the behest of my father), at 11 I decided to take the organ up for good. My feet could barely touch the pedals, but that didn’t deter me. So overly ambitious was my young self, that I set the unrealistic goal to learn Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor – rarely played today for fear of the organist being labelled “cliché”.

My time here was amongst the most rewarding of my career.

From all the early mornings rehearsals with probationers, photocopying choir booklets, to playing for full orchestra and choir, there was never a dull moment. I often found myself enjoying the things which I thought I would enjoy least, such as teaching the organ, or giving theory lessons, both of which later became my pride and joy, alongside weekday Evensong.

In the back of my mind, working at Westminster Cathedral was something I’ve always wanted to do, but I was fairly sure would never happen, owing to my usual overambitiousness. The phrase “God works in mysterious ways” has been ringing around my head lately, and it has never felt more true. Needless to say, I’m very excited to be starting my new role and greatly look forward to the challenges which lie ahead. The Covid-19 crisis has seen a hiatus in the regular choir schedule and indeed in choirs across the UK - helping to rebuild it is one of the many challenges to which I look forward of being a part.’

My teen years as School Organist at Canberra Grammar, were formative as an organ pupil. My teacher at the time was Philip Swanton, who I later went on to learn from at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. I owe him a debt of gratitude – partly for putting up with my over-ambitious antics, but more importantly for giving me the technical facility and musicianship to take the organ to the next level.

Conscious of my career in Sydney stagnating prematurely, I was encouraged by a former Westminster Cathedral organist, Thomas Wilson, to pursue my studies in London at the Royal Academy of Music. We were fortunate enough to share a teacher, Professor David Titterington, who works in extreme detail, encouraging us to think outside of the box.

During this time, we undertook a number of study trips to the continent, including Roskilde Cathedral, the Jakobikerk in Lübeck, Nikolaikirche in Leipzig, and Neresheim Abbey – a Benedictine monastery where the Academy has a longstanding tradition of giving yearly concerts.

Following two strenuous but very rewarding years at the Royal Academy of Music, I was offered the position at St Albans Cathedral, working alongside Andrew Lucas and Tom Winpenny, both world-class musicians in their own right.

September 2020

Oremus

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ICHRISTIANS, HAVE A DREAM PERSECUTED

What is our Government’s Attitude? Part 1 The author is the Anglican Bishop of Truro, who last year led an enquiry into the persecution of Christians worldwide and the attitude of the UK Government towards it. He offered a brief introduction to his work in the March Oremus and here is the first part of a talk which he gave to members of the Catholic Union about the experience and his findings. A second part will appear, God willing, in the October edition.

Bishop Philip Mountstephen At the launch of the Review in January 2019 I outlined six reasons why I felt that an Enquiry, focusing specifically on the plight of Christians, was needed, and they bear repeating now.

First, we have to appreciate that today the Christian faith is primarily a phenomenon of the global south – and it is therefore primarily a phenomenon of the global poor. It’s not primarily an expression of white Western privilege. And unless we understand that it is primarily a phenomenon of the global poor we will never give this issue the attention it – and they – deserve. Secondly, this particular focus on Christian persecution is justified because Christian persecution, like no other form of persecution, is a global phenomenon. And it is so because the Christian faith is similarly global. Christian persecution is not limited to one context or challenge. It is a single global phenomenon, but with multiple drivers, and as such it deserves special attention. More specifically, it is certainly not limited to Islamic-majority contexts. So the Review was not and was never going to be a stalking horse for the Islamophobic far-right. To focus on one cause alone is to be wilfully blind to many others.

Thirdly, Christian persecution is a human rights issue and should be seen as such. Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is the most fundamental human right because so many others depend upon it. In the West we tend to set one right against another. But in much of the world this right is not in opposition to others but rather is the linchpin upon which others depend. And we in the West need to be awake to such dependencies and not to dismiss this particular Freedom as irrelevant to other rights. If freedom of religion or belief is removed, so many other rights are put in jeopardy too. Fourthly, this is not about special pleading for Christians, but making up a significant deficit.

We have been blind to this issue – partly because of postcolonial guilt: a sense that we have interfered uninvited in certain contexts in the past, so therefore we should not do so again. But this is not about special pleading for Christians: rather, it’s about ensuring that Christians in the global south have a fair deal, and a fair share of the UK’s attention and concern. So it’s an equality issue.

If one minority is on the receiving end of 80 per cent of religiously–motivated discrimination, then it’s simply not just that they should receive so little attention. We did, incidentally, face criticism for using that 80 per cent figure.

It was cited by the International Society for Human Rights, a respected Geneva-based organisation 10 years ago, but 10

no longer appears on their website, simply because the research on which it’s based is not current. However, in private conversation with senior figures in the organization, they certainly stand by it and suggest that, if anything, the figure is now higher. And I note that our critics have not been able to put up an alternative figure.

Fifthly, however, this is also about being sensitive to discrimination and persecution of all minorities. Because the Christian faith is perhaps the one truly global faith it has become a bellwether for repression more generally. If Christians are being discriminated against in one context or another you can bet your bottom dollar that other minorities are too. So renewing a focus on Christian persecution is actually a way of expressing our concern for all minorities who find themselves under pressure. And ignoring Christian persecution might well mean that we’re ignoring other forms of repression as well. And finally, to look at this from a specifically Christian perspective, the Christian faith has always been subversive; ‘Jesus is Lord’ is the earliest Christian Creed. Those words were not empty, and explain why from the earliest days the Christian faith attracted persecution. To say that ‘Jesus is Lord’ was to say that Caesar was not Lord, as he claimed to be. So, from its earliest days, the Christian faith presented a radical challenge to any power that made absolute claims for itself. Christian faith should make no absolutist political claims for itself – but it will always challenge those who do, which is precisely why the persecution of Christians is a global phenomenon and not a local or regional one.

The Christian faith will always present a radical challenge to any power that makes absolute claims for itself, and there are plenty of those in the world today. And I suggest that confronting absolute power is certainly a legitimate concern and policy objective of any democratic government. Indeed, the Christian faith’s inherent challenge to absolutist claims explains why it has been such a key foundation stone of Western democratic government – and explains, too, why we should continue to support it vigorously wherever it is under threat. Nonetheless, the focus of the Review’s recommendations is clearly on guaranteeing freedom of religion or belief for all, not just for some. To argue for special pleading for one group over another would be deeply un-Christian. It would also, ironically, expose that group to greater risk, by isolating them and unintentionally portraying them as stooges of the West. We must seek FoRB for all, without fear or favour.

Oremus

September 2020

CHRISTIANS, PERSECUTED So as I’m concerned with rights for all, so I do want to acknowledge the significant persecution that other communities have suffered. The Rohingya community in Myanmar have suffered grievously, as have the Yazidis in Iraq.

The Ahmadis have been persecuted since their inception.

It’s right to recognise the suffering of Christians in India and China, but it would be very wrong to ignore the persecution of Muslim communities in those countries, including the Uighur Muslims, who have suffered appallingly. In many places in the world it is certainly not safe to admit that you are an atheist.

Jehovah’s Witnesses have experienced severe persecution historically, and are certainly not free of it today. And, of course, Christians have also, historically, been the persecutors of others. I think with shame of the Crusades, the Inquisition and the Pogroms. But this isn’t just a historical phenomenon.

Some of the violence in the Central African Republic has very likely been initiated by Christian militia. And responsibility for the dreadful massacre of 8,373 Bosnians in Srebrenica in July 1995 must be laid squarely at the feet of those who called themselves Christians.

It’s important to be clear what this Review was not – Leveson, or Saville or Chilcot, or anything like that; we had a thumb and a thermometer, we have taken the temperature, and have felt the pulse. But just as I wouldn’t want to oversell what we did, I wouldn’t want to undersell it either. Another criticism we have faced – bizarrely in my view – is that we simply rehashed material already in the public domain, which is simply untrue. Actually we did a significant amount of primary research, travelling globally and taking a significant number of witness statements, including from survivors of persecution, and much of that evidence is freely available on the website: www.christianpersecutionreview.org.uk . So what did we do? First, we established a working definition of persecution: to quote page 15 of the Report: ’In the absence of an agreed and much-needed academic definition of persecution, the Review has proceeded on the understanding

that persecution is discriminatory treatment where that treatment is accompanied by actual or perceived threats of violence of other forced coercion’. It’s important to say that, as we’ve been criticised for not providing a definition when we clearly do (I do wonder whether some of our critics actually bothered to read the report!).

Having established that working definition I put together a team made up of independent members and people from key NGOs, supported by staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Then we drew up a map of the global situation, which was published at Easter as the interim report.

Alongside that the team took extensive evidence from a large number of people in private witness sessions in this country and in many countries overseas. We also conducted a survey of those who might have been expected to interact with the FCO overseas, as well as conducting a survey of every UK Embassy and High Commission, and talking to various diplomats around the world. Additionally, we selected a few ’focus countries’, so as to analyse the general situation there, and then undertook some in-depth case studies of particular cases of persecution in those places and examined how the FCO had responded – if indeed it had. We also compared the FCO response with what other countries and international bodies were doing globally to address the situation, as well as examining some key documents from the FCO itself.

So what did we find? At one point in the Review I say that there are two existential threats to human flourishing and harmonious communities in the world today. One is climate change and the other one is the systematic denial of Freedom of Religion or Belief, in different places and in many different ways, globally. That wasn’t a conviction I had when the Review’s work began, but it grew on me as the work progressed – indeed, I was shocked by the scale, scope and severity of the phenomenon. I think we’ve begun to realise the importance of addressing the first of that pairing, climate change. It’s high time now that we recognise the important of addressing the second. But how do I justify that general assertion?

© Loz Pycock

The most chilling aspect, I think, of George Orwell’s 1984, is the existence of the ’Thought Police’ and the concept of ’thought crime’. Why the most chilling? Because to be denied the liberty to believe what you want to believe – and I include in that the right not to believe – is the most fundamental denial of human rights. And therefore I believe that Freedom of Religion or Belief is not simply one right against many, but actually the one on which so many others depend: because if you are not free to think or believe, how can you order your life in any other way that you choose? That’s certainly what Eleanor Roosevelt, the prime framer of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, believed. And yet what we found is that in so many places around the world today we see this right questioned, compromised and threatened. So, secondly, we do need to ask why the violation of Freedom of Religion or Belief is so widespread, and affecting Christians on pretty much every continent. This is, as I said before, a global phenomenon with multiple drivers – even though there are many who would like to attribute it to one cause alone.

The Inner Courtyard of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office September 2020

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to be continued 11

MONREALE IN THE LADY CHAPEL

To Dream the Impossible Dream Patrick Rogers More mosaics went up in the Cathedral between 1930 and 1935 than at any time before or since. Yet their style resulted in the greatest public furore in the Cathedral’s history. For the origins of the situation we have to go back almost to the beginning of the century. When Francis Bourne succeeded Herbert Vaughan as Archbishop of Westminster in 1903, the only mosaics in place were those designed by W C Symons in the Holy Souls Chapel and those opposite in the Chapel of St Gregory and St Augustine, designed by J R Clayton of the firm Clayton and Bell. Bourne was happy with neither. In November 1905 he was in Rome and from there travelled to Sicily specifically to see the 12th-century Byzantine mosaics in Palermo’s Palatine Chapel and in the great cathedral of Monreale nearby. There at last Bourne found what he wanted, speaking on his return of his intention to reproduce the mosaics in Westminster Cathedral.

Almost 20 years went by, but the Cardinal remained dissatisfied with the Cathedral mosaics. To commemorate his 20 years as Archbishop of Westminster, he had his portrait painted in 1923. The artist was Gilbert Pownall, a Catholic who had exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy from 1908. Bourne believed that at last he had found the right man to design the Cathedral mosaics. As Pownall had little or no experience in this medium, Bourne arranged for him to go to Ravenna, Rome, Venice and, of course, Palermo and Monreale, to study the masterpieces in mosaic there as the Archbishop himself had done. On his return in 1926, Bourne asked him to design mosaics first for the alcove above one of the main confessionals and then for the Lady Chapel. He also announced that a mosaic workshop would be set up in the tower. The designs were accepted and in 1930 the workshop was established with Basil Cary-Elwes and Thomas Josey as the first mosaicists.

This is believed to be the portrait of Cardinal Bourne by Gilbert Pownall, which was instrumental in gaining for the artist the commission to work on mosaics in the Cathedral

Christ Pantocrator in the Cathedral of Monreale in Sicily; artistically a very hard act to follow

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MONREALE IN THE LADY CHAPEL

© José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

© Lawrence Lew OP

So how much of Bourne’s dream of bringing Monreale to Westminster was achieved? The main theme of the Lady Chapel – the Tree of Life and the vine – are clearly taken from the 12th-century apse of San Clemente in Rome and many of the animals, including the unusual fish-like creatures at the termination of tendrils, are the same.

The mandorla of Christ on a rainbow in the Lady Chapel apse appears to be from the Ascension dome in St Mark’s, Venice, while the blue entrance arch of the chapel may derive from the Mausoleum of Gallia Placidia in Ravenna.

We know from Bourne that the Cathedral sanctuary arch mosaic of Christ enthroned among evangelists and apostles was inspired by the 4th-century apse of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, although the treatment is vastly different. Only the engagingly simple yet effective arch of St Peter in the crypt and perhaps also the confessional mosaics, have any real affinity with the mosaics of Palermo and Monreale. But then, dreams are often impossible.

The confessional mosaics were completed in the same year (1930), using the direct method, and a start was then made on the Lady Chapel. By now the team had grown, to three and then to five with the arrival of two experienced Italians in 1931. The Lady Chapel mosaics took five years, being completed in June 1935.

Meanwhile the blue sanctuary arch mosaic was put up by the Italians in 1932-33, St Peter’s crypt received its mosaic in 1934 and work started on the Cathedral apse in the autumn of 1934. But from December 1933, Edward Hutton, an expert on Italian art, had started to organise leading figures in the art world in a protest against Gilbert Pownall’s style, which Hutton regarded as ‘amateurish, clumsy and without mastery’. When Bourne died in January 1935 his successor, Arthur Hinsley, gave in. The partially completed apse mosaic was taken down and only the war saved the sanctuary arch (the ‘blue horror’).

Christ of the Tree of Life in a mandorla on the apse of the Lady Chapel

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CANON CHRISTOPHER TUCKWELL 1945 – 2020, REQUIESCAT IN PACE

The Earlier Years Canon Stuart Wilson I first met Christopher at the evangelical Christian conference centre at Lee Abbey in 1972, where we had been invited to spend a few days. We were part of a group of students from every Anglican theological college. I was from St Stephen’s House in Oxford and Christopher from Chichester Theological College. He had a presence that you couldn't miss and, as I learnt to my chagrin, an ability to hear even whispers and to quell unfair interference. There was always a show on the last evening and that meant that there was also a props room! I made a quietly spoken comment to my colleagues about getting hold of the key so we could have the first pick! Christopher made his comment which was also a command: ‘I don't think so, Stuart!’ Then he laughed and invited me for the first of what would be many pints of beer over the next 40 years. It sealed our friendship.

We served in the same part of London – Tottenham; however, I really got to know Tuckers when a mutual colleague arranged for me to visit the Island of St Vincent in the Grenadines. By then Christopher was Rector of Holy Trinity, Georgetown, where we spent many happy hours in each other’s company. He had a natural love for people and it was wonderful to see how the people responded to him, a gift never left him. All through his life, as my emails of recent days tell me, people loved his natural rapport. He had a presence about him which he used so effectively to break down barriers.

Comfortable in his own formality, Christopher delighted in the informality of others. He never took himself too seriously.

Opposites attract, they say, and it was certainly true of him.

He learned in the parishes of East and North London to be non-judgmental, to accept people for what they are, and to be happy in their friendship. His Christmas card list must have embraced the ‘grandees’ right through to the ‘cor blimeys’! He knew that he must love people as they are, so that he could be God’s worker in helping to make them grow into what the Lord wanted them to become.

I still remember Christopher addressing a group of us about his experiences as an Anglican priest, especially in the West Indies. He spoke with real feeling about his ministry as the Prison Chaplain in St Vincent and how he had to be with a prisoner as he waited to be executed. Far from making him run away from prison ministry, this experience opened it up to Christopher and it was to be an important part of his priesthood.

Sandhurst was perhaps his most influential training school.

It taught him to have respect for authority; to hold in honour the traditions that they initiated you into; and also to value your colleagues.

For him, as for many others, as his years progressed in the Anglican church, the challenge to serve loyally became more difficult. He spotted contradictions in the way things were changing that put immense pressure on his loyalty.

He finally made the decision to embrace the fullness of the 14

Catholic Faith in the Catholic Church. He was an example to many of us. I once heard a Church of England bishop say these memorable words: ‘Nothing offered to God is ever wasted’. This was true for Christopher. While finding fulfilment in the priesthood of the Catholic Church, the many varied experiences of his early years in Anglican ministry were truly treasured in his heart. .....

The Sub-Administrator Arrives Mgr Mark Langham, formerly Administrator of the Cathedral ‘NO TONIC, just a dash of bitters.’ Poised with our post-Sunday-Mass gins, the Cathedral chaplains knew we had a different sort of person in our midst. Fr Christopher Tuckwell had just arrived, bringing with him a debonair manner and the tone of someone who had been there, seen it, and done it.

In June Fr Christopher arrived as Sub-Administrator and wrote in Oremus: ‘Sadly I don’t think that I shall be adding anything to the wonderful music at the Cathedral as those who have heard me sing will agree, nor am I much of a preacher, but hopefully, after 33 years of pastoral experience, God may have given me something to put at the disposal of the Cathedral and its very vital and varied ministry, and whatever that is I offer it most gladly’.

I had met Fr Christopher at a meal for priests that we held in the Clergy House – we were seated together – and knew instantly that I wanted him for my SubAdministrator. I was struck by the way he perfectly inhabited himself; like St Bartholomew, a man without guile, a genuine, honest, wise priest. He was also very funny, using his humour in a self-deprecating way and never to detract from others.

Quickly, Fr Christopher’s military career and bearing made itself known (not just through pink gins). A selfpossession, firmness of purpose, and methodical manner revealed his Sandhurst training, as did the ease with which he conversed with some of our important (and to me, intimidating) neighbours. From Lord Guthrie, to the Chelsea Royal Hospital and the Wellington Barracks, Fr Christopher shared an ease of conversation and a wide range of shared experiences. It was he who persuaded soldiers from the Wellington Barracks to move the weighty shrine of St John Southworth from St George’s Chapel to the centre of the Cathedral to mark the saint’s feast, and watching Fr Christopher, it was clear he had lost none of his ability to command.

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CANON CHRISTOPHER TUCKWELL 1945 – 2020, REQUIESCAT IN PACE Yet fine military bearing and authority in speech were not, in Fr Christopher, a mark of a rigid or severe character. He took delight in meeting ordinary people, and had loved his time in the East End of London and St Vincent in the Caribbean.

He had a genius for keeping in touch with people and following their progress even after many years. For above all, he was a kind, compassionate man, who would readily forget his own comfort or timetable to help those in need.

Each Friday lunchtime he visited the Passage; he assisted any number of troubled souls (often when others had turned them away) - and he visited. Many Cathedral parishioners, frail, forgotten, or sick, received regular visits from Fr Christopher, who never failed to raise their spirits and impart a healing grace.

This image of Fr Christopher, accompanied by the familiar faces of Sr Clement Doran and his PA, Elizabeth Arnot, was taken at a Friends’ fundraising event at Leighton House. It marked the 31st Anniversary of the Friends and was the occasion of Fr Christopher assuming the chairmanship, the first time that the role had been filled by a member of the clergy.

He was a fine Administrator, too. When I became Administrator, my predecessor told me that he would have the word ‘TOILETS’ engraved on his tombstone. They were indeed the most problematic issue that an Administrator faced, with clamour from Cathedral users opposed by neighbours and heritage bodies. Canon Christopher won them over and provided a welcome solution; just one example of his ability to cut through difficult issues and ensure that all parties felt part of the end result.

great saints. It was also an adventure. I asked Fr Tuckwell if he knew Peru. He didn’t. Did he speak Spanish? No, he didn’t. Oh dear, I thought, here we were on a pilgrimage to an exotic land and its leader knew little more about our destination than I did. I rapidly learned that I had no need for concern. Even by the time of our arrival in Lima, our pilgrimage director had revealed what an inspiring leader he was. A fellow priest and fellow pilgrim went a.w.o.l in Madrid airport and we only just got onto our Lima-bound plane in time for take-off. Christopher was supremely calm and reassuring. I saw too where this calm and reassurance came from. As we rose into the air, he was praying rather than wiping his brow in relief.

Canon Tuckwell’s self-discipline may have been, in part, derived from his army training and military experience, but this was essentially complemented by his intensely strong faith. On trips we would take a nap, like a good soldier, whenever opportunity arose. Those who sat next to him on coaches and trains know how often those opportunities did arise. He found these brief naps invigorating but those of us lucky enough to travel with him recognised how quickly he would spring into life again. He was ever ready with words of encouragement for those seeking their spiritual directions on these ‘holidays with prayer’ (as he liked to call them).

Just as he could so easily take a nap so he could lead us in prayer, and above all, preach vividly.

Christopher was a brilliant, fluent, profound and relaxed preacher. Watching him, day-by-day, on pilgrimage working through a thread of thought, extending it, elaborating it or varying it was a deep pleasure. Daily Mass, often in strange and improvised circumstances, held us all together and gave the pilgrimages a deep sense of purpose. When I say ‘strange’ and ‘improvised’ circumstances I and many fellow pilgrims may variously recall worshipping around trestle tables in hotel lounges, on an improvised stone shelf in the ruins of Palmyra and in a chapel in Otranto in Italy surrounded by cupboards crammed Gothically with the bones of the local martyrs. But Canon Christopher always found the right words to say.

I, personally, will miss a wise, generous, and witty counsellor. With priest colleagues, we are sharing story after story of his friendship. I can’t wait to see him again, in the joy of his eternal reward - and perhaps try that pink gin.

May he rest in peace. .....

The Canon on Pilgrimage Professor Andrew Sanders I FIRST got to know Canon Tuckwell on a plane from London to Madrid. We were en route to Lima, Peru, at the beginning of a pilgrimage to the holy sites linked to that country’s September 2020

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No record of Canon Christopher would be complete without an image of him at a table; here, the Clergy House breakfast table, with Fr Kaspar Chatla from India, who has served a couple of summers at the Cathedral as a supply priest.

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CANON CHRISTOPHER TUCKWELL 1945 – 2020, REQUIESCAT IN PACE

This is the most recent formal picture of Canon Christopher with the (then) College of Chaplains, Frs Andrew Bowden and Michael Quaicoe having subsequently left and Frs Vincent M'bui SVD and Hugh MacKenzie having joined. A later formal picture of the Metropolitan Chapter was taken, but unfortunately the Canon was not well enough to be present for it.

As an exemplary priest he was the centre of our pilgrimages just as he was when he led Friends’ day trips and was able to say Mass in more organised surroundings than Peru Ethiopia or Syria might sometimes have offered. Canon Tuckwell was just as much at home at altars in ancient recusant houses, in great Anglican cathedrals, in front of intensely gilded reredoses in Spain or Peru or in curious Catholic chapels in Orkney. He responded deeply to history, and particularly to military history, relishing associations both with the sites of battles and with old Catholic witness. On Orkney, for example, he was just as fascinated by the stories and ruins associated with St Magnus as he was by the wreck-strewn Scapa Flow.

In Friendship, and Approaching Death

Canon Tuckwell was an outstanding priest: holy, wise, shrewd, tolerant, witty and prayerful. He was also a wonderful fellow traveller, a truly memorable lunch companion and a man who relished an evening tipple.

Westminster Cathedral knows what a great leader he was in terms of his sturdy direction of a complex and demanding institution. He has left us a major legacy. He used to joke that he would be best remembered for his construction of the vitally necessary lavatories. He joked that this was a ‘Catholic Relief Act’. But we all know that he will be properly remembered for much, much more. He was a great Christian and a priest to his fingertips.

We stayed in touch; he was supportive of me as I came to the conclusion that I needed to become a Catholic and he kindly came along to the Mass where I was received into the Catholic Church. I recall now that whenever we met there was also a good meal to be had. This was a theme for so many of his friends, I know. He enjoyed the company of others and understood the importance of sharing good food and drink as a means to maintaining and developing friendship.

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Fr Daniel Humphreys, Acting Administrator I FIRST got to know Canon Christopher through two different connections around the same time, some 12 years ago.

One was a mutual friend, to whom he had been very kind during his time at The Five Precious Wounds, Stonebridge.

The other was through both of us belonging to a group of Anglican and Catholic clergy who met once a month for lunch. Immediately upon meeting him, I recognised and appreciated his genuine personality and capacity not only for a good lunch, but also for friendship.

When I was asked to come to Westminster Cathedral as Sub-Administrator in 2018, I felt happy that I would have Oremus

September 2020

CANON CHRISTOPHER TUCKWELL 1945 – 2020, REQUIESCAT IN PACE the opportunity to work alongside Canon Christopher, and to support him in his role. Little did we know that serious ill health would so sadly affect him.

Throughout the time of illness, he remained totally interested in the life of the Cathedral and of the Clergy House. I never felt anything other than wholly supported by him in my role, and his advice and guidance, right to the end, was always well considered and to be trusted implicitly. His wide experience of life gave him an understanding of people and their foibles and eccentricities, as well as their intrinsic worth. He was such a wise judge of character, and an honest critic of himself.

The Canon’s sense of humour and quick wittedness, were something that all who met him came to appreciate. His love of life, and its infinite variety, made him spot the funny side of so many situations. Where he was there was always laughter to be heard and shared. Even during his solemn and dignified Funeral Mass there were moments when I could almost hear him commenting on the proceedings, with a raising of that distinctive eyebrow.

His death came quickly; I know that many friends and parishioners were shocked by the news. I think he saw the transfer to the hospice as serving him notice, so to speak.

One of the doctors spoke with me the day before he died.

She said that he seemed ready to go, that he was resigned to it, in fact. I agreed with her but stressed that a vital part of this was the Canon’s strong and real faith in Christ’s promise of eternal life. Now, we pray that he is experiencing the beginning of that closer life with the Lord whom he loved and served with such unflinching loyalty.

Entering the Cathedral for the last time

From the City of Westminster The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Jonathan Glanz, wrote to the Cardinal:

Thanks be to God.

The Jennings family commissioned a green Mass vestment in memory of the late Sharon Jennings for use at the Sunday 10.30am Solemn Mass and Canon Christopher, after a number of months of treatment, was present at the blessing of the vestment before Mass.

I am writing to convey the City of Westminster’s sincere condolences following the passing of Canon Christopher Tuckwell. Everyone here at the Council is aware of the important work Canon Christopher did in his role as Administrator of the Cathedral, and his deep spiritual connection to all those in the diocese is well known. Canon Christopher’s regular work at The Passage is a good example of how committed he was to the local community and those who were in need of his compassion, dedication and kindness … Many of the past Lord Mayors have previously told me of how special they felt when being received by him in the Cathedral.

Please do ensure that all our deepest sympathies are extended to Canon Christopher’s family and friends, and to all of the clergy and parishioners of the Cathedral’s parish.

Oremus is grateful to the Friends of Westminster Cathedral for permission to reproduce material collected for a Memorial Booklet marking the death of Canon Christopher which has been sent to all members of the Friends. It is a poignant and personal collection of memories with photographs, reflecting Fr Christopher's dedicated life and work at the Cathedral.

If you would like a copy of the Booklet, please think about joining the Friends or, if you do not wish to join, then you may receive the Booklet by making a donation to the Canon Tuckwell Memorial Appeal which we have launched. We are asking for donations to be £30 or more (£30 is the annual cost of membership for the Friends). Payment may be made directly to the Friends' Virgin Money Giving Account. Please log on to Virgin Money Giving and then type in Society of Friends of Westminster Cathedral. Alternatively you can send a cheque payable to The Friends of Westminster Cathedral, to the Friends’ Office, Clergy House, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW.

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MONTHLY ALBUM

Š Phil Goodson, Simply Photography

The First of Three

The last months have forced us, when we can gather, to do so in smaller numbers. Therefore, instead of a large First Holy Communion Mass for all the children who had been prepared, two smaller Masses were celebrated in July, the children at the first of them being seen here with Fr Julio. Others of the children have been out of the country, however, and for them a further Mass will be celebrated this month.

What Did You Do During the Lockdown?

The Furniture Tells a Tale Laying aside the study of St Thomas Aquinas’ works, Fr Rajiv declared his dislike of ordinary bread and did something about it. As soon as flour reappeared in the shops, he came home with bags of the stuff and soon the 3rd floor corridor began to smell like a bakery, with mysterious containers of yeast fermenting (?) in the fridge. However, the finished loaves have been fine, as far as those of us who eat ordinary bread can tell, and here is the proud baker with a freshlybaked loaf and the next batch of dough.

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Moving the furniture can tell a tale, in this case a good one, for moving the chairs of the Confessional queue at the west end of the Lady Chapel has revealed the imprint on the floor of the many varieties of shoes that have shuffled along it as penitents have awaited their turn for reconciliation.

Nor is it only the floor, for the marble of the wall behind also shows clearly where people have leaned against it. A time will come, perhaps, when the wall has to be cleaned and meanwhile we can look at applying some polish to this much-trodden woodblock. Nonetheless, the wear and tear tells a good story of the life of the Cathedral.

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Mr Marshall’s strong right arm

No Peace in Morpeth Terrace John Marshall, J F Bentley’s successor as Cathedral Architect, had to design 12 candle holders to fit on the walls in front of the 12 crosses that were marked and anointed at the Cathedral’s consecration in 1903. He created a set of strong right arms to do this and this year, as usual, they were put out for the Solemnity of the Dedication and the following week, before receiving their annual clean by the strong right arms of Frs Vincent and Julio.

The sun has been shining, the school holidays are in progress and Morpeth Terrace is noisier than ever, resounding to the screaming and banging of machinery.

The opportunity has been taken to dig up the road and lay new pipework, whilst overhead the plane trees, as can be seen, are in the process of receiving their regular haircut.

Peace, we hope, will return with the schoolchildren in September.

Say (Cauliflower) ‘Cheese’ During lockdown we have been deprived of the presence of Callum Alger, the Cathedral’s Organ Scholar, who has himself sadly been deprived of the experience of Holy Week and Easter music and liturgies here. However, as restrictions have been eased, he has been able to return and achieved instant Clergy House acclaim by volunteering to cook the Sunday lunch. It has not been a good time to be a musician in search of work and so we offer Callum our thanks, best wishes and prayers as he leaves the Cathedral in search of the next stage of his career.

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OUR CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING

This is Our Faith, this is the Faith of the ‘We are bad at finding that elusive balance between corrupt and collusive passivity that keeps oppression alive, and the litigious obsessiveness that continually asks whether I am being attended to as I deserve.’

Bishop Rowan Williams

The international protests which have arisen in recent months in the Western world suggest that we as Catholics will do well to consider again the God-given fundamentals of our faith. We do not create ourselves, but we can go astray if we let the secular or anti-Christian assumptions of much public discourse form our worldview. Oremus therefore offers further material from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

References to ‘Man’ are to humanity in general and also to the individual human person.

Man in Paradise 374 The first man was not only created good, but was also established in friendship with his Creator and in harmony with himself and with the creation around him, in a state that would be surpassed only by the glory of the new creation in Christ.

375 The Church, interpreting the symbolism of biblical language in an authentic way, in the light of the New Testament and Tradition, teaches that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were constituted in an original ‘state of holiness and justice’. This grace of original holiness was ‘to share in .. divine life’.

376 By the radiance of this grace all dimensions of man's life were confirmed. As long as he remained in the divine intimacy, man would not have to suffer or die. The inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman, and finally the harmony between the first couple and all creation, comprised the state called ‘original justice’.

378 The sign of man’s familiarity with God is that God places him in the garden. There he lives ‘to till it and keep it’. Work is not yet a burden, but rather the collaboration of man and woman with God in perfecting the visible creation.

379 This entire harmony of original justice, foreseen for man in God’s plan, will be lost by the sin of our first parents.

The Fall 385 God is infinitely good and all his works are good.

Yet no one can escape the experience of suffering or the evils in nature which seem to be linked to the limitations 20

© Catholic Truth Society

377 The ‘mastery’ over the world that God offered man from the beginning was realized above all within man himself: mastery of self. The first man was unimpaired and ordered in his whole being because he was free from the triple concupiscence that subjugates him to the pleasures of the senses, covetousness for earthly goods, and selfassertion, contrary to the dictates of reason.

The CTS offers a version of the Catechism designed to be read over the course of a year – a saving drip-feed of faith

proper to creatures: and above all to the question of moral evil. Where does evil come from? ‘I sought whence evil comes and there was no solution’, said St Augustine, and his own painful quest would only be resolved by his conversion to the living God. For ‘the mystery of lawlessness’ is clarified only in the light of the ‘mystery of our religion’. The revelation of divine love in Christ manifested at the same time the extent of evil and the superabundance of grace. We must therefore approach the question of the origin of evil by fixing the eyes of our faith on him who alone is its conqueror.

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OUR CATHOLIC UNDERSTANDING

Church (2) The reality of sin

The Fall of the Angels

386 Sin is present in human history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other names would be futile. To try to understand what sin is, one must first recognize the profound relation of man to God, for only in this relationship is the evil of sin unmasked in its true identity as humanity’s rejection of God and opposition to him, even as it continues to weigh heavy on human life and history.

391 Behind the disobedient choice of our first parents lurks a seductive voice, opposed to God, which makes them fall into death out of envy. Scripture and the Church’s Tradition see in this being a fallen angel, called ‘Satan’ or the ‘devil’. The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: ‘The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing’.

387 Only the light of divine Revelation clarifies the reality of sin and particularly of the sin committed at mankind’s origins. Without the knowledge Revelation gives of God we cannot recognize sin clearly and are tempted to explain it as merely a developmental flaw, a psychological weakness, a mistake, or the necessary consequence of an inadequate social structure, etc. Only in the knowledge of God’s plan for man can we grasp that sin is an abuse of the freedom that God gives to created persons so that they are capable of loving him and loving one another.

392 Scripture speaks of a sin of these angels. This ‘fall’ consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. We find a reflection of that rebellion in the tempter’s words to our first parents: ‘You will be like God.’ The devil ‘has sinned from the beginning’; he is ‘a liar and the father of lies’.

Original sin – an essential truth of the faith 388 With the progress of Revelation, the reality of sin is also illuminated. Although to some extent the People of God in the Old Testament had tried to understand the pathos of the human condition in the light of the history of the fall narrated in Genesis, they could not grasp this story's ultimate meaning, which is revealed only in the light of the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We must know Christ as the source of grace in order to know Adam as the source of sin. The Spirit-Paraclete, sent by the risen Christ, came to ‘convict the world concerning sin’, by revealing him who is its Redeemer.

389 The doctrine of original sin is, so to speak, the ‘reverse side’ of the Good News that Jesus is the Saviour of all men, that all need salvation and that salvation is offered to all through Christ. The Church, which has the mind of Christ, knows very well that we cannot tamper with the revelation of original sin without undermining the mystery of Christ.

How to read the account of the fall 390 The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms a primeval event, a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man. Revelation gives us the certainty of faith that the whole of human history is marked by the original fault freely committed by our first parents.

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393 It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels’ sin unforgivable. ‘There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death.’

394 Scripture witnesses to the disastrous influence of the one Jesus calls ‘a murderer from the beginning’, who would even try to divert Jesus from the mission received from his Father. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.’ In its consequences the gravest of these works was the mendacious seduction that led man to disobey God. 395 The power of Satan is, nonetheless, not infinite.

He is only a creature, powerful from the fact that he is pure spirit, but still a creature. He cannot prevent the building up of God’s reign. Although Satan may act in the world out of hatred for God and his kingdom in Christ Jesus, and although his action may cause grave injuries – of a spiritual nature and, indirectly, even of a physical nature – to each man and to society, the action is permitted by divine providence which with strength and gentleness guides human and cosmic history. It is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity, but ‘we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.’ .....

In next month’s Oremus the Catechism will go on to describe how our lives are affected by sin and how God comes to our aid and lifts us up by the gift of his Son. 21

THE FRIENDS OF WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL

A Vision for the Future

The Cathedral, awaiting the shape of things to come

Christina White I went into the Cathedral last week.

The lunchtime Mass contingent had departed and the doors were closed.

It was utterly still. The Cathedral is a prayerful place; even on the busiest of days there is always a sense of devotion and a cool, quiet dedication to prayer, but life is present. This was so different.

It felt as though the Cathedral was waiting. Waiting for the people who so want to return and for those who have returned, waiting for those who have yet to discover this marvel of brick and mosaic and marble on Victoria Street. It has brought home to me how important it is that churches are open and ready for people; open to prayer. It has been very moving to see the queues of the faithful for Mass and, may I say, even more moving to hear of people making the effort to get to Mass to be sadly turned away because the Cathedral is full.

There was a prize-winning letter in Country Life recently, a Pol Roger winner no less, by a priest in Catholic or Anglican orders - I wasn’t sure, though a reference to the rosary made it more likely that he was of the Roman persuasion - and he made clear how his parish had made every effort to ‘get online’ to be available to his flock in their hour of need. He used the analogy of that classic institution, the English 22

pub: ‘Close pubs, sell less beer.’ He continued: ‘Open up churches, fulfil their purpose and people come.’ This opening up was being achieved online – his church’s virtual presence was to become a permanent feature. The parish had grown, not shrunk, and Mass attendance in this new virtual world had grown three-fold. The need was there, but it had taken a pandemic to make them realise it.

Money Giving Account. We are not accepting cash. Please do try and use VMG. It is the simplest and easiest way to pay: https://uk.virginmoneygiving. com/giving/make-a-donation/ We will have a payment link for the Friends on the Cathedral website, too. If you wish to make a donation or pay for talk/tour by cheque, then the cheque will need to have cleared at least a week before the event.

This letter struck a chord, because the Friends are similarly focused: on a need to open up the Cathedral to a wider community, to be a virtual faithful presence in a secular world.

We are again committing to the online fundraising forum Big Give this December and we are raising funds for Community Communications for the Cathedral – better live streaming, a comprehensive parish database, a new and improved Cathedral website. We have already secured the pledges for Big Give which mean that your donations will be doubled. There will be more information in the weeks to come. In the meantime, we are collecting for the Canon Tuckwell Memorial Fund, and donations to this and Big Give will be treated as being ‘in Father’s memory’.

Covid-19 brought home the importance of communication and the death of Canon Christopher confirmed it. We sent out the In Memoriam booklet to Friends to inform and connect with the wider Cathedral family. Your comments have been very moving. One Friend said that the lockdown had made Fr Christopher’s passing very hard - he had been absent from the Cathedral; the booklet, in a small way, had returned him to people, given back a reminder of his presence.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Keep well and keep safe.

We have put together a programme for the autumn. Full details will be in the Friends’ autumn newsletter, but you will need access to a PC or similar as the talks will be via Zoom. We are adapting to the times, and payment for the online talks and donations to the Memorial Fund may be made online via our Virgin

Forthcoming Events Wednesday 16 September: Online talk by Professor Caroline Barron of King’s College, London on St Thomas Becket 7pm £5 Wednesday 23 September: Online talk by Professor Martin Dubois of Durham University. Poet and priest: Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ 7pm £5 Friday 25 September: Paul Pickering – a walking tour of historic Whitehall.

Numbers are strictly limited owing to Covid-19 protocols. Group to meet at 1.45pm outside the Paul Getty entrance to the National Gallery £25 Tuesday 6 October: Online Cathedral Quiz with Fr Daniel Humphreys as Quizmaster. 7pm £10 Wednesday 14 October: Online talk

by Fr Nicholas Schofield: Defending the Papal states in Italy. The Britons who marched for the Pope. 7pm £5

Contact us • Write to: Friends’ Office, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW • Call: 020 7798 9059 • Email: friends@ westminstercathedral.org.uk Registered Charity number 272899

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September 2020

CATHEDRAL HISTORY

CATHEDRAL HISTORY – A PICTORIAL RECORD

A Second Papal Mass in Westminster Cathedral: 18 September 2010 In Image 1, Pope Benedict is seen sitting on the throne, nowadays used only by the Archbishop of Westminster. The back row of the choir stalls is occupied by the Canons of the Chapter, with two rows of mitred bishops between the Canons and the front row of ecumenical guests, including the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, easily recognizable in white to the front left of this group.

In the Sacristy, before the Procession begins Pope Benedict XVI at the throne

Paul Tobin Only two Popes have celebrated Mass in the Cathedral: in 1982 Pope St John Paul ll celebrated Mass as the first event of a crowded five-day pastoral visit to England, Scotland and Wales. Unlike Pope Benedict XVI, who celebrated at the High Altar and used the throne, based on the design of the one in the Basilica of St John Lateran in Rome, St John Paul used the temporary altar that was in regular use for over 25 years. A wooden replica of the throne was used then and was reused by Pope Benedict at St Mary’s University, Twickenham for the ‘Big Assembly’ for Catholic schoolchildren which took place the day before this Mass.

Classified as a State Visit, with a welcome from HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at Holyrood House in Edinburgh, it included the Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman at Cofton Park, Birmingham in addition to an address to both Houses of Parliament in Westminster Hall, followed by an Ecumenical Service in Westminster Abbey Not being a feast day, a Votive Mass of The Most Precious Blood was chosen, honouring the dedication of the Cathedral as well as the centenary year of its consecration. Sir James McMillan composed a Te Deum for the occasion that was sung as the Pope entered the Cathedral from the Sacristy. The setting of the Mass was William Byrd’s for Five Voices. At the conclusion of the Mass, Pope Benedict received a welcome from Bishop Edwin Regan, then Bishop of Menevia, on behalf of the people of Wales, in St Paul’s Chapel, where he lit a candle in the hand of the statue of Our Lady of Cardigan that had been brought to the Cathedral for the occasion.

He also blessed the mosaic of St David located on the wall between St Andrew’s and St Paul’s Chapels.

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In Image 2 Pope Benedict is seen on arrival in the Sacristy with Mgr Guido Marini, Papal Master of Ceremonies, whose hand is raised, indicating to the Cathedral MC, Paul Moynihan, to start the procession. To his right are two of the Mass Deacons, Tito Pereira and Graham Stokes, Bishops Alan Hopes and George Stack, then Auxiliary Bishops and in the back row can be seen Cardinal Peter Turkson and Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien RIP. To the left are Mgr Martin Hayes VG, the Cathedral Administrator, Canon Christopher Tuckwell RIP, Archbishop (now Cardinal) Vincent Nichols and Mgr Konrad Kradewski, then Papal MC who now, as Cardinal, is Almoner of the Papal Charities – at the age of 56. Image 3 shows Pope Benedict receiving the Offertory gifts from John Boneham, then Cathedral Intern, and Sue Graves RIP The vestment worn by the Pope was brought over from Rome and along with four dalmatics were left behind as gifts to the Cathedral.

The Offerings for Mass are presented to the Holy Father Acknowledgements: PA Photos (1), Marcin Mazur (2, 3), Pope Benedict XVI in the UK A Commemorative Souvenir (www.totalcatholic.com); Benedict XVI and Blessed John Henry Newman

by Peter Jennings; The State Visit September 2010 The Official Record

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2020

St Peter Claver SJ (1580 – 1654) was born not far from Barcelona, and as a student he dedicated himself to God 'on the understanding that I am like a slave’. Joining the Jesuits at the age of 20, he had already developed a horror of the slave trade before he volunteered for the South American Missions. Arriving in Cartagena, Colombia, a principal hub for the trade, he worked tirelessly for the rights and welfare of slaves. Estimated personally to have baptised 300,000 souls, he would visit the slave ships and tour the plantations, making sure always to stay in slave quarters. Esteemed as a nuisance on account of his advocacy by the authorities, he was awarded a civic funeral at his death.

Colombia now keeps Human Rights Day on his feast day (9 September) to honour his memory. 'No life, except the life of Christ, has moved me so deeply as that of Peter Claver.’ Pope Leo XIII St Peter portrayed baptising a slave

The Month of

September The Holy Father’s Prayer Intention

Sunday 6 September Ps Week 3 23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10.30am Solemn Mass Organ: J S Bach – Prelude in B minor BWV 544 4.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction

Universal – Respect for the Planet’s Resources

Monday 7 September

We pray that the planet’s resources will not be plundered, but shared in a just and respectful manner.

Tuesday 8 September

At the time of going to print, the music programme for the month remains to be determined and details beyond the Sunday morning organ voluntaries are not available. Please note that Sunday Vespers during the month will continue to be sung at 4.30pm.

Tuesday 1 September

Ps Week 2

Feria * World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation * Anniversary of the death of Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, 10th Archbishop of Westminster

Wednesday 2 September Feria

Thursday 3 September

ST GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope & Doctor

© Victoria and Albert Museum

An early 14th-century limestone image of St Gregory, originally in a monastery in Verona and now in the V & A

Tuesday 15 September

Our Lady of Sorrows

Wednesday 16 September

Ss Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Thursday 17 September

Feria

Feria (St Robert Bellarmine, Bishop & Doctor)

THE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Friday 18 September

Wednesday 9 September

Saturday 19 September

Feria (St Peter Claver, Priest)

Thursday 10 September Feria

Friday 11 September Feria

Friday abstinence

Feria

Friday abstinence

Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday (St Januarius, Bishop & Martyr) 10.30am Mass of Ordination to the Diaconate and to the Priesthood (entry by invitation only, 12.30pm Mass cancelled)

Saturday 12 September

Most Holy Name of Mary 3pm Mass in honour of Our Lady of Walsingham (Cardinal Nichols, live-streamed) © José Luiz Bernardes Ribeiro / CC BY-SA 4.0

SEPTEMBER

Sunday 13 September Ps Week 4 24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 10.30am Solemn Mass Organ: J S Bach - Fugue in B minor BWV 544 4.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Monday 14 September

THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS 12pm Diocesan Chrism Mass (Cardinal Nichols) Sebastiano Ricci depicts St Helena's discovery of the True Cross in the church of San Rocco, Venice

The relics of St Januarius in the Capellla del Succorpo in the Cathedral of Naples

Sunday 20 September Ps Week 1 25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME * Home Mission Day 10.30am Solemn Mass Organ: J S Bach – Fugue in G minor BWV 542 4.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction Monday 21 September

Saturday 5 September

ST MATTHEW, Apostle & Evangelist Friday abstinence

Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday 24

© Didier Descouens

Friday 4 September

Feria (St Cuthbert, Bishop)

© Mill 1, Palace of the Inquisition, Cartagena, Colombia

DIARY

Tuesday 22 September Feria

Wednesday 23 September

St Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Oremus

September 2020

DIARY AND NOTICES Thursday 24 September

Monday 28 September

Key to the Diary: Saints’ days and holy days written in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERS denote Sundays and Solemnities, CAPITAL LETTERS denote Feasts, and those not in capitals denote Memorials, whether optional or otherwise. Memorials in brackets are not celebrated liturgically.

Feria (St Wenceslaus, Martyr) (St Lawrence Ruiz & Companions, Martyrs)

Our Lady of Walsingham

Tuesday 29 September

Ss MICHAEL, GABRIEL and RAPHAEL, Archangels

Wednesday 30 September

St Jerome, Priest & Doctor

What Happens and When © Thorvaldsson

When public liturgy and the celebration of Mass can be resumed, Cathedral opening hours and times of services will be published on the Cathedral website and via Social Media. Please be assured that all booked Mass intentions continue to be fulfilled by the Chaplains.

The Slipper Chapel in Our Lady’s Basilica at Walsingham

Feria

Friday abstinence

Throughout the Year

Saturday 26 September

© Didier Descouens

Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday (Ss Cosmas & Damian)

Sunday 27 September Ps Week 2 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME * Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees 10.30am Solemn Mass Organ: J S Bach – Prelude and Fugue in A minor BWV 543 4.30pm Solemn Vespers and Benediction

St Jerome, below, and the Assumption of the Virgin, above; two statues by Alessandro Vittoria (1580) in Santi Giovanni e Paolo, Venice

At the time of going to press it remains unclear when and where it will be possible for the various groups attached to the Cathedral to meet. As soon as information becomes known, it will be published in the weekly Newsletter and on the News pages of the Cathedral website.

Thank you for your patience.

I wish to receive Oremus by post

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Friday 25 September

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Send to: Oremus, 42 Francis Street, London SW1P 1QW United Kingdom

September 2020

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25

A FOND FAREWELL/ A LITANY ENLARGED

Off to Lisbon Lunch on the last Sunday in July gave us the opportunity to say our formal goodbye both to Callum Alger, the departing Organ Scholar (third from left) and to Sr Francisca of the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories (second from right).

Although the Chaplains and the Sisters see quite a lot of each other as we go about our respective business in Clergy House, it is only on rare occasions that we eat together, so this gave us the chance to gather around one table to consume the excellent lunch prepared by Fr Andrew. Sr Francisca has been with us for five years and during that time has proved to be a cheerful and encouraging presence for us all. She will also be missed, of course, by the Portuguese community and chaplaincy in whose work she has shared. She now moves to the next stage of her religious life and will be based in Lisbon.

In September, meanwhile, we hope to welcome in her place Sr Jesuina, who has recently made her final profession in the Community.

The Sunday lunch table

Three New Titles of Our Lady Mater misericordiae – ‘Mother of mercy’, Mater spei – 'Mother of hope' and Solacium migrantium – ’Solace of migrants’ are new invocations to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Litany of Loreto, which is often recited at the end of the Rosary. These additions that Pope Francis has made to the Litany of Loreto were made public by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on Saturday 20 June, the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In a letter to the Presidents of Bishops' Conferences worldwide, Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation, and its Secretary, Archbishop Arthur Roche, note that through the course of centuries, Christians have been using innumerable invocations and titles to call upon the Virgin Mary ‘as the privileged and sure way to an encounter with Christ’. They say: ‘Referring to the present times, marked by feelings of uncertainty and trepidation, the People of God devoutly have recourse to her, full of affection and trust. Discerning this sentiment and welcoming the desires expressed, the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis, wishes 26

to provide that in the formulary of the litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, called ’The Litany of Loreto’, the invocations Mater misericordiæ, Mater spei and Solacium migrantium should be inserted’. According to directions, the invocation ’Mother of mercy’ is to be inserted after 'Mother of the Church', ’Mother of hope’ after ’Mother of Divine Grace’, and ’Solace of migrants’ after ‘Refuge of sinners’.

Archbishop Roche explained that these invocations respond to the realities of the times in which we are living. Many people across the world afflicted in many ways, not only by the Covid-19 pandemic, but also through loss of their homes because of poverty, conflict and other reasons, are invoking Our Lady and the Holy Father wanted to respond to this moment by including these invocations. They are not new because they are part of the tradition of the Church going back many centuries, as in the antiphon Salve Regina. ‘All these invocations have been put into the Litany of Loreto, beloved by people throughout the world, responding to a real need that there is today for the assistance of Our Blessed Lady.’

© Maria Miracoli

Vatican News

The Holy House of Loreto depicted in a shrine on the wall of a house in Malta

The Litany of Loreto takes its name from the Marian shrine of Loreto in Italy, where it is believed to have been used as far back as 1531. It was officially approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V, who suppressed all other Marian litanies used publicly. However, many more Marian litanies were and are in use, but are designated for private devotion, as is evident, for example, in the so-called Officia Mariana. Through the centuries at least seven new invocations to Mary were added. Pope St John Paul II added 'Mother of the Church' in 1980 and 'Queen of families’ in 1995, and Pope Francis has now added these three more. There are, of course, also other well-known litanies such as of the Name of Jesus, of the Sacred Heart, of St Joseph (1909), of the Precious Blood and also of Divine Mercy.

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September 2020

CROSSWORD AND POEM

Two Poems for Two Feasts The Nativity of Mary God said: Let there be.

And you existed, Mary.

More radiant than the glorious light of the stars; More beautiful than the colorful splendor of the flowers; sweeter than the honey of the blossoms' chalice; Purer than the eternal light of the sun.

Then you became silent and sacrificed yourself.

As serving maid, you, most beautiful of all creatures. became His own.

Anon .....

Our Lady of Sorrows The rose is blowing now, a shattered thing, That once held beauty high above the thorn.

It will be stripped some nearing autumn morn, Such is the sadness that September brings!

The vanished loveliness....the sharper sorrow That seeks out every flower and every tree, Leaving them desolate for all to see, Caught in the shivering chill of some tomorrow.

And so does Mary's heart lie shattered, too, As she looks up to find no blossoming tree Only the cross beyond Gethsemane Stark in the winter wind. How much she knew Of death and loneliness and bitter hours, And sharp and cruel thorns that own no flowers!

Blanche Yvonne Mosler To submit a poem whether by yourself or another for consideration, please contact the Editor – details on page 3.

September 2020

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Alan Frost July 2020 – No. 80

Clues Across 1 Sept. 15 is the Feast Day of Our Lady of ------- (7) 6 Le ---, French city, gateway to the Compostela Camino, 12th c. cathedral to Our Lady (3) 8 St ----- Romero, martyred in El Salvador in 1980 (5) 9 One of the Offices of the day, prayed in the evening (7) 10 Commandment requiring that we keep holy the Sabbath day (5) 11 Sri Lankan people with devotion to Our Lady, and a large annual pilgrimage to Walsingham (6) 13 Place in the wilderness where Moses and the Israelites stayed, in Psalm 29 (6) 15 Herod’s stepdaughter, for whom he had John the Baptist beheaded [commemorated 11 Sept.] (6) 17 Name (IV) taken by the only English pope (6) 20 Caribbean island near Venezuela, where all indigenous people are Dutch nationals (5) 21 Vacation whose name derives from a feast day of the Catholic church (7) 23 Da nobis -----, (give us this day), Pater Noster (5) 24 Cure d’---, title by which St John Vianney is known (3) 25 First name of a Prime Minister who lived, pre-war, facing the Cathedral (7) Clues Down 1 Members of Order particularly associated with 1 Across (8) 2 ‘Our Lady of ------‘, traditional Feast Day (24 Sept.) now that of Our Lady of Walsingham (6) 3 Characteristic arch in Gothic churches (4) 4 ‘The March King’, US composer of such as ‘Liberty Bell’ and ‘Semper Fidelis’ (5) 5 & 7 Down: Area off Whitehall, giving name to world famous Police HQ (8,4) 6 ‘Songs of ------‘, BBC’s long-running programme of community hymn-singing (6) 7 See 5 Down 12 Region in Italy linked to the origin of banking in the City (8) 14 Practical artisan for all sorts of light jobs (8) 16 Neagh, Corrib and Derg in Ireland, for example (6) 18 A special permission from the Pope, e.g. the Quattuor Abhinc Annos of 1984 (6) 19 Little creature associated with a Shakespeare play? (5) 20 ---- Mater, affectionate reference to a person’s former school or university (4) 22 Spanish city with Gothic cathedral known as ‘The House of Lights’ (4)

ANSWERS Across: 1 Sorrows 6 Puy 8 Oscar 9 Vespers 10 Third 11 Tamils 13 Kadesh 15 Salome 17 Adrian 20 Aruba 21 Holiday 23 Hodie 24 Ars 25 Winston Down: 1 Servites 2 Ransom 3 Ogee 4 Sousa 5 Scotland 6 Praise 7 Yard 12 Lombardy 14 Handyman 16 Loughs 18 Indult 19 Shrew 20 Alma 22 Leon

Then God said: Behold, I come.

And you rejoiced in your love, More jubilantly than the angels at the beginning of creation.

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BEFRIENDING IN NEED/ SAVE A WIDOW

Domiciliary care agency, Vincentian Care Plus (VCP), says that it is delighted to have received a grant from the City of Westminster Charitable Trust, enabling the charity to resume its vital Befriending Service. VCP was awarded a total of £14,400 from the Trust's Community Contribution Fund COVID-19 Grant Scheme, which will go towards providing vulnerable elderly people in greatest need with additional hours of care and companionship.

Historically, VCP has provided its Befriending Service through volunteers as part of its charitable aims and Christian ethos, but unfortunately it has not been running for almost two years due to insufficient resources.

Cathy Naigow, its CEO and Registered Manager, says that the service is essential to ensure that isolated elderly people are supported during the pandemic: ‘Some older people have been struggling to understand the current health crisis and restrictions, which has built up a sense of being helpless and alone. Our Befriending

Service will offer vital company where clients can share their worries or simply have a chat. We are truly grateful for the support from Westminster’s Charitable Trust. Our carers are often the only person that our clients see from week to week and they spend many hours alone, so extra time with our lovely carers will make a real difference,’ she added.

Carers at VCP already visit the homes of around 150 older and vulnerable people in Westminster with a range of medical needs, including dementia, stroke, mental health and palliative care. The Befriending Service will be delivered in addition to the services already provided to help prevent isolation and loneliness, as well as enable carers to undertake extra duties where required, such as grocery shopping or cooking.

The COVID-19 Grant Scheme was built to help voluntary or community organisations providing services to help people impacted by coronavirus.

Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor Jonathan Glanz, congratulated VCP on the successful bid for the grant: ‘The Charitable Trust received a considerable

© Bycro

In the Spirit of St Vincent

St Vincent de Paul in Amiens Cathedral

number of high-quality applications, but felt that this project stood out as one that will provide genuine benefits to some of the people in Westminster who need it most,’ he said. VCP has been working closely with its care staff to identify those most in need of help and the support required. All carers have been trained to use appropriate PPE and social distancing measures, whilst giving their usual personal and respectful assistance. The Befriending Service is now offering each client three hours of additional time per week. New clients and concerned families can also contact the charity if they feel they could benefit from the services via www.vincentiancareplus.org.uk

Deny the Faith or Starve

We do not have to read very far in the Old Testament to find repeatedly the injunction to care for widows and orphans. For some widows, it seems, survival comes at a very high price.

A Catholic widow in Fuzhou city, Jiangxi province, Eastern China, has had her pension revoked because she refused to renounce her faith. The elderly woman had been receiving a small subsidy since her husband died in 2018. At the end of 2019, local officials threatened that her subsidy would be stopped unless she would remove images of Jesus from her home.

‘Because the Communist Party feeds you, you must only believe in it, not God,’ they told her. When she refused to remove the images of Jesus, they cancelled her subsidy.

28

Reggie Littlejohn of the Save a Widow Campaign said: ‘It is a heartbreak and an outrage that widows and other elderly are forced to renounce their faith in order to receive stipends. For many, they may need these funds to survive. It a pathetic act of cowardice to force desperate widows to choose between their survival and their God. This form of religious persecution is on the rise in our area of China. I was just informed that a government official has instructed our widows to stay home on Sundays and not to go

to church. He also ridiculed Jesus, saying: 'The Chinese government gives you 160 RMB (about $23). How much money does Jesus Christ give you?' Fortunately for the widows in our area, they have a ready answer,’ Littlejohn added, ‘Our fieldworkers bring love and compassion to widows, along with practical help: a $25 monthly stipend that makes a huge difference in their lives, providing food and warmth. Our fieldworkers encourage these widows in their faith, and many have found new hope that there is a God who loves them’.

Oremus

September 2020

FIFTY AND ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO

In retrospect: from the Cathedral Chronicle The New Bookshop On 3 August, Mr Graham Jenkins, a well-known figure from Burns and Oates, opened the Westminster Cathedral Bookshop. We are extremely fortunate in having secured the services of a man so expert in the world of liturgical and religious books. Though the space at his disposal is small, Mr Jenkins intends to carry a stock of books ranging from serious theology to the more popular works. There is nowadays such a rich selection of religious classics and current productions in paperback, that a small religious library is within everybody’s means.

The books on sale will not be restricted to those works

by Catholic authors which carry an Imprimatur; there is an ecumenism in books as well as towards people, and adult Catholics should be capable of judging which books have the seal of orthodoxy and which are representative of varying religious views. We would perhaps take as a guide those books which have been favourably reviewed in the Catholic Press … We wish Mr Jenkins every success in this venture. With the decline these days of religious bookshops, the opening of a new one, however small, deserves warm encouragement The Porch Stall This has grown extensively under the management of Mrs Hart. Without the shelves of space-occupying books, there will now be more room for devotional articles and other ranges of articles of interest to visitors. Quite apart from the business angle of both these shops, the services they render of information and guidance to visitors is quite incalculable. from the September 1970 Westminster Cathedral News Sheet .....

Long or Short Whether in early and medieval times sermons were long or short is a question hard to answer. It is true that at Troas St Paul ‘continued his speech till midnight,’ and that then, having miraculously raised to life a young man ‘oppressed with a deep sleep’ (as Paul was long preaching) who had fallen out of the window and killed himself, he again ‘talked to them till daylight’ (Acts 20: 7-11), and it may be that the Sermons of the Fathers we have in print, and which were taken down by reporters and copied out afterwards, are only summaries, but the probability is that mostly the discourses were what we should call short.

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There was, however, especially in the East, a rule the doing away with which not all perhaps will have regretted. The Apostolical Constitutions (fourth or fifth century) prescribe: ‘When the Gospel has been read, let the priests (one by one, but not all) speak words of exhortation to the people, and last of all the Bishop, who is the master and pilot of the ship’. And so St John Chrysostom, while still a simple priest, finishes one of his sermons with: ‘I must now conclude, that our master may have time to speak’. Up to what period this custom of several sermons at one Mass lasted we have no means of knowing.

The Cloister on the Stage It is curious how in a Protestant country there has hitherto been displayed so strong a penchant for that type of opera in which monks or nuns (or ecclesiasticism in some form or other) appear on the stage. Of course, from the ‘producer’s’ point of view it is a great asset to have a church somewhere in the scene, since the pealing organ and the invisible choir afford a dramatic contrast to the storm and stress of the rest of the music. I have attended the production of several new operas during the past year, and in each there was a church with the inevitable unseen choir. We all know that Stage-land has its own conventions, and one of them would appear to be that whenever a Catholic couple are married on the stage the essentials of a valid rite are completed when the entire company file into the church singing Ave Maria. I have also learnt from these performances that if the (stage) church is in a remote country district, it is essential that it should be of Gothic design, and with a large porch where, from its steps, the singing can be done with effect. It has also become clear to me that if the church is near the sea they necessarily (I don’t know why) have sung Vespers every evening.

All these little absurdities do not matter very much; but there is one stage convention that has, I think, done considerable harm – I mean the one which pre-supposes monasteries and convents as the inevitable refuge of the blasé worldling. In Stage-land you are a disappointed lover one minute and blossom out into a full-blown monk the next. The average Protestant Englishman knows next to nothing of the Church, but a great deal about the stage, so we cannot be surprised if he accepts stage fictions for fact. from the September 1920 Westminster Cathedral Chronicle 29

TAKEN TO AN EXECUTION

The Devotion of Mary, Queen of Scots News that Christie’s has recently auctioned a rare Book of Hours which reputedly once belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots leads Dr Jan Graffius, Curator of Historic Libraries and Collections at Stonyhurst College, to look at the story behind another of Mary’s Books of Hours, the famous British Jesuit Province prayer book which Mary took to her death and which now sits in the Stonyhurst Collection.

Jesuits in Britain The Province’s Book of Hours of Mary, Queen of Scots is a beautiful, lavishly bound book of the Hours of the Virgin printed in 1558 in Lyon. The exterior is covered with a velvet chemise binding, a deliberately wasteful use of rich fabric. The velvet is deep red silk damask on the outside, and the inside has a long plush pile, pale fawn in colour, intended to resemble fur.

Four gold tassels are attached to each corner. The front has silver gilt letters reading MARIA, a gilt pomegranate and a Tudor rose. The back bears the letters REGINA and an enamelled coat of arms surmounted by a queen regnant's crown. The owner is easily identified: the pomegranate was the badge of Katherine of Aragon, the Tudor rose was that of Henry VIII, and the royal arms on the back belonged to Mary Tudor.

Mary was eventually found guilty of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth.

On February 7th 1586 Mary was informed that she was to die the following morning. She spent her last night settling her affairs, distributing her personal possessions amongst her ladies, Elizabeth Curle and Jane Kennedy, and praying. At this point the Province’s red velvet book passed from Mary, Queen of Scots to Elizabeth Curle. At seven the next morning the queen was taken into the great hall at Fotheringay Castle, accompanied

by Elizabeth and Jane. Mary carried a crucifix and Book of Hours, and wore a blood-red petticoat and bodice, the colour of Catholic martyrs.

Elizabeth Curle was the sister of Gilbert, Mary's trusted secretary, and had served the queen for eight years as her lady in waiting. After Mary’s execution, Elizabeth moved to Antwerp to join the substantial group of English and Scottish Catholics in exile and remained there until her death in 1620. She left the red velvet prayer book to her nephew Hugh Curle, who had Mary Queen of Scot's prayerbook at Stonyhurst joined the Society of Jesus, inspired by the execution of John Ogilvie in Glasgow in 1615. On his death in 1638, Hugh's possessions passed to the Jesuits, and the book ended up at the English In 1560 Mary Stuart returned to Scotland as an 18-year-old Jesuit Seminary at Liège. widow, taking the book with her. Following an uprising, Mary was imprisoned in Loch Leven Castle. On 24 July 1567, she Along with many other possessions of the Jesuits there, was forced to abdicate in favour of her one-year-old son. In it came to Stonyhurst in 1794, where it has been kept in the 1568 she fled Scotland and sought help at the hands of her Arundell Library since 1857. The Province’s red velvet Book cousin, Elizabeth I. Mary had once claimed Elizabeth’s throne of Hours of Mary Stuart is a highly evocative relic of the 16th as her own and was considered the legitimate sovereign of century Reformation, and a powerful connection with one of England by many English Catholics, including participants in history's most romantic figures. It is one of the most popular a rebellion known as the Rising of the North. Perceiving Mary attractions for the thousands of school children and members as a threat, Elizabeth had her confined in various castles and of the public who visit Stonyhurst every year and remains manor houses for more than 18 years. During all of this time, one of the most highly regarded of the artefacts on display in the College Museum. the book was in Mary's possession.

The book was commissioned by Queen Mary I of England, the oldest daughter of Henry VIII, around Easter 1558, but by November of that year Mary Tudor was dead, and the book was still in Lyon. It seems likely that the book passed to the dead queen's cousin, Mary Stuart (who had married the French Dauphin earlier that year), possibly on the initiative of the printer, Robert Granjon, seeking payment for a book customised for a royal client at great expense.

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Oremus

September 2020

THE WAY THE SCOTS DO IT

Not a Roman Holiday © BBC

Scottish Bishops’ Conference Many things are different in Scotland, including the life of the Church, as Patrick Grady, MP for Glasgow North, has previously explained in previous editions of Oremus.

The country has its own Bishops’ Conference and no seminary – in Scotland, that is. Scottish seminarians undertake their training in Rome at the Scots College, and the BBC broadcast a new documentary film about life as a seminarian there a few months ago.

The documentary Priest School, produced by Solus Productions for BBC Scotland and narrated by Daniela Nardini, can be watched on BBC iPlayer.

Bishop John Keenan, who is President of the vocations promotion agency ’Priests for Scotland’ welcomed the film and said: ‘The documentary Priest School offers a fascinating insight into the life of a seminarian training in Rome to become a priest in Scotland. I really hope that the programme will act as a catalyst for vocations to the priesthood by allowing viewers to see exactly what the life of a student looks like.’ He added: ‘As a former Roman student, who loved his time in Rome, I do remember feeling a sense of trepidation and nerves at the thought of moving to another country and a completely new environment. Being able to visualise seminary life through a documentary in advance would have settled many of my fears!

Every year, the Church runs a Vocations Awareness Week, but because of the severe restrictions we face this year, the normal work of promoting vocations will be much harder. In many ways, though, this programme can fill a void by offering information, insight and detail about the daily lives of Scottish seminarians in Rome.

I sincerely hope it causes some of those who watch to consider what it is God wants of them and how they can respond by considering a vocation to the priesthood or religious life’.

September 2020

Oremus

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