I don't normally watch racing, but I took some time to watch this year's Indianapolis 500 after I decided I wanted to do more than play video games on Memorial Day weekend and read a little bit about its opening ceremonies.

There are a number of patriotic rites that begin the race, including a flyover, a three-volley salute, and renditions of all the big sappy patriotic hymns or anthems out there. It's also worth noting that the invocation is customarily given by the Catholic Archbishop of Indianapolis. The race, therefore, seems to merit a spot on this blog due to its dash of wanton popery!.


I watched the event online on Indycar.com, and it had a neat little system where you can place drivers' cameras side-by-side along with all their statistics. It was much funner than watching it on regular old television. This screenshot is from the final minute or two of the race. I was keeping tabs on Helio Castroneves and Danica Patrick.

If one possibly needed yet another reason for why Texas is awesome, here:

Houston Chronicle: Texas Senate OK's guns on college campus bill

Excerpt:

AUSTIN — A bill to allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus won final passage today on a 19-12 vote in the Senate.

The bill would allow college students who are at least 21 years old and licensed to carry concealed handguns to bring those weapons into state campus buildings. University hospitals and athletic facilities would remain off limits to guns.

It applies to all universities and colleges in the state, but private institutions would be able to opt out.

Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said he introduced the bill because of the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech, where he said victims were “picked off like sitting ducks.”

“I would feel personally guilty if I woke up one morning and read that something similar had occurred on a Texas campus,” he said.

Read More...

Of course, the bill is not final, but it's cause for hope.

Two interesting images juxtaposed by the author of Voices Carry:



That basically sums up the whole Notre Dame affair. Which medal is more honourable in the long run: the one bearing Notre Dame's emblem, or the jail tag?

Interestingly, according to some reports, Norma McCorvey ("Jane Roe") was one of the 39 pro-life activists arrested on the campus grounds for trespassing.


President Obama's commencement speech.

It's worth mentioning that last Monday, I was privileged to see one of the most excellent symphonic metal bands EVAR, Nightwish, live in concert. Actually, I made a sort of pilgrimage to Corpus Christi with Joseph (the city of my birth, I should add) there, since apparently San Antonio isn't cool enough for them to perform here. (But why Corpus? WHY?)

To my surprise, most of the songs performed were from the Tarja Turunen era, and the new lead singer, Anette Olzon, did a good job.

Speaking of my beloved Tarja, I had attempted to pay a tribute to her by covering one of her songs with Nightwish, but I chose Sleeping Sun. Considering that is perhaps her most operatic song in the whole band's discography, it wasn't a good idea and I'm afraid it isn't anywhere close to the quality of the real deal. But I did it, so I feel obliged to post it now.

(I had to ad lib the notes of the last refrain with something else because otherwise, it would've been out of my range and just sound like screeching.)


Sleeping Sun - Nightwish (Cover by The Harlequin King)


The "real deal", by the way, is here:

From the blog of Damian Thompson on the UK Telegraph: 'Jane Roe' of Roe v Wade attacks Notre Dame decision to honour pro-abortion Obama

Excerpt:

The woman whose pregnancy provoked the Roe v Wade court case that legalised abortion in the United States in 1973 has condemned the decision by Notre Dame University to invite the fiercely pro-abortion Barack Obama to deliver its commencement address on May 17.

Norma McCorvey - the "Jane Roe" of Roe v Wade - is now a Catholic pro-life campaigner. And she has joined 60 Catholic bishops in condemning the university 's decision to honour the most "pro-choice" politician ever to sit in Congress.

Read More...

DEXTERA DOMINI

The Declaration
on the Pastoral Care
of Left-Handed Persons

THE RIGHT HAND of the Lord
has adorned his spotless bride, the Church, with many wondrous gifts, not the least of which is the supreme ministry of defending the arsenal of Christian truth. Through the wisdom of a provident God, this congregation, the watchdog of the household of faith, exercises diligent custody over the sacred deposit of doctrine, guarding it like a talent buried in the sand (Matt. 25:25). To this richly satisfying task it brings the feral instincts of a lioness protecting her cubs and the dispassionate zeal of a raptor pursuing its prey, so that the pearl of great price may be safely gathered up with the wheat and deposited in the nets of Peter's bark (Matt. 13:46; 13:30; John 21:6). Wherefore it seeks to infiltrate the entire Catholic world, like leaven mixed into a lump of dough (Matt. 13:33), and so, like yeast, to ferment the pilgrim Church with its viscid and fungal spores so that the entire mass may swell into a frothy, pulsating, gelatinous ooze of faith. Thus, like a prudent householder, it may bring forth from its storeroom both the true and the old (Matt. 13:52).

Having already disposed of other perversions, it becomes necessary to speak out with the profound disgust regarding yet another aberration which, like the pulling of a polyester fiber, threatens to unravel the seamless garment of faith.

This particular menace has been propagated by those who, basing their opinions on spurious sophisms of the psychological and behavioral pseudo-sciences, claim that it is acceptable, or even normal, to use the left hand when engaging in manual activities. In the face of tradition and right reason, they point to a small but vocal minority of individuals who primarily use their left hands or purport to be bimanual. With callous disregard for the natural order they judge indulgently, and even excuse completely, sinistral behavior, that is, the indiscriminate use of the left hand in the place of the right. Such an insidious abuse is defended as though there were no difference between right or left, Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free (Gal. 3:28).

For while it is neither possible nor desirable at present to decide whether this disorder is genetic in origin or merely the result of repeated nasty thoughts, in either case one may never argue that left-handedness is compulsive and therefore excusable. It is, of course, necessary to take note of the distinction between the sinistral condition and the individual left-handed actions, which are intrinsically disordered and utterly wrong.

And although the particular inclination of the left-handed person is not necessarily a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Therefore, both the condition and all acts flowing from it are to be condemned, as are all those who suffer from it or engage in it, and everyone who thinks like them or defends them or befriends them, into everlasting torments in the lowest pit of hell where the lake of fire is never quenched and the worm dies not (Mark 9:48).

I. General Principles

INDEED, CATHOLIC TRADITION has constantly taught
that only the right hand may properly engage in manual activities. The left hand must remain curbed and passive or, at most, ancillary and subservient to the right hand, analogous to the function of a palette in respect to an artist, or the operation of a dustpan to a broom, or the role of a wife in relation to her husband. Hence, the use of the left hand, either principally or indiscriminately along with the right, has always been held to be an abuse, a sin against nature, and intrinsically disordered as an unnatural vice.

Right reason itself argues for this arrangement. For reason is properly called right reason inasmuch as it emanates from or tends toward the right. Hence, in all things reasonable, the right is right and is to preferred, with the sole exception of the wearing of earrings of men, wherein, left is right and right is wrong.

The very use of language, even in pagan times, confirms that what is on the left side in unfavorable and perverse. It is no linguistic accident, but rather a natural manifestation of the divine will, that the Latin word for "left" (sinister) has come to connote evil, malevolence and villainy, while in common speech a left-handed compliment is no compliment at all.

The aesthetic argument, to be sure, further reveals the uselessness of left-handed activity. For who can gaze upon the handwriting attempted with the left hand without sensing that it is tilted the wrong way, that is, as if blown off course by a malign east wind (Exod. 10:13; John 4:8). In the nearly unanimous estimation of humanity such scrawling is a cause of wonderment and no little aesthetic scandal.

Moreover, the Scriptures themselves amply attest to the preeminence of the right hand and the depravity of the left. Thus the right hand confers blessing and signifies strength, while the left hand is treacherous and deadly (Gen. 48:13-20; Exod. 15:6; Eze. 21:22; Rev. 1:16-17; Judg. 3:15, 20:16; 2 Sam. 20:9-10). A place at one's right hand is the seat of honor and dignity (1 Kings 2:19; Ps. 45:9, 110:1). Sagely does Qoheleth teach that "a wise man's heart inclines him toward the right, but a fool's heart toward the left" (Eccles. 10:2). In like manner, both the passivity and the inferiority of the left hand are apparent in the solemn injunction forbidding us to let our left hands know what our right hands are doing (Luke 22:50). And it is by no accident that the elect are to stand like innocent sheep at the right hand of the Eternal Judge, while the reprobates cower and whimper like noisome and tick-infested goats on His left, awaiting their dizzying descent into sulfurous fumes and unfathomable miseries in the mind-bending agonies of eternal damnation (Matt 25:31-46).

In a similar vein, the Fathers of the Church eloquently denounce sinistral behaviour in many and varied texts. Thus, Origen writes that "the perverse, because of their sinister deeds, tend toward the left," while Augustine unambiguously teaches that "the Lord strongly forbids the left hand alone to work in us" (Origen, In Matth. 23,70; Augustine, Serm in Mont. ii,2,9). A multitude of other Fathers and Doctors would have written in like manner had the thought occurred to them.

But by far the strongest and most persuasive argument for the Church's position is drawn from the so-called "teleological proof," wherein it is demonstrated that the purpose of having hands is twofold. The lesser and secondary use of hands is to handle things, or, within limits, people. The greater, or primary, end is to reflect the divine activity itself. Thus manual endeavor is said to be "procreative" in that it mirrors the creative work of God. And God, as is obvious, uses only His right hand, as Scripture clearly teaches (Exod. 16:6-12; Deut. 33:2; Ps. 17:7, 18:34, 74:11, 110:1, 139:10; Is. 48:13, 62:8, Lam. 2:3; et al.) In fact, this congregation, privy as it is to the intimacies of the Godhead, is presently studying this very matter and intends to issue a definitive determination regarding the exact number of fingers on the Deity's right hand and how they are adorned.

Therefore, it is obvious that left-handed activity, or sinistrality, lacks an essential and indispensable finality. Such a deficiency marks each and every sinistral act, rendering it defective and incomplete. In short, sinistral behavior, like contraceptive sex and theological dissent, is about as useful as mammary glands on a male bovine [Tr. note: the typica is somewhat more graphic].

Let it not be said, moreover, that left-handed activity is fundamentally private or harmless to society. In a world where the common cold is spread principally by manual contact, such arguments are patently groundless and futile. Manual activity is always social in nature, that is, oriented toward and affecting the lives of others. In view of this, the following practical applications are presented for the religious submission of the minds and hearts of the faithful.

II. Pastoral Norms

SINISTRALS, THAT IS left-handed people,
should always be made to feel the depth of compassion that the Church wishes to extend to all contemptible deviates.

It is deplorable that sinistral persons have been the object of malice, prejudice and bigotry in the past; the dignity of each person must always be respected in word, in action and in law.

Having amply touched upon this point, however, it is necessary to add that at times good Christians can and ought to regard such persons with aversion and abhorrence as cheap, vulgar, degenerate, perverse, errant, depraved, vile, warped and base, and totally undeserving of opportunities belonging to right-handed people. Some, of course, may erroneously object that the Church's position could tend to encourage feelings of animosity and intolerance against such maggots. Special care must thus be taken to point out the finely nuanced distinctions operative in this situation. It is, for example, quite possible to love people while simultaneously hating everything about them, including the fact of their existence, just as it is possible to uphold and defend the dignity of an ant while in the very act of crushing it underfoot. History is replete with many sterling examples of this Christian principle in action. (See, for example, the decrees of Gregory IX and Sixtus IV establishing, respectively, the Roman and Spanish Inquisitions.)

On a practical level, the faithful may legitimately deem it necessary, and even laudable, to discriminate against sinistrals in the following areas, among others:

• the adoption of children and the employment of teachers and coaches, lest, by work and example, the impressionable young be exposed to shockingly offensive manual options;
  
  
• housing, since it would offend Christian piety that innocent people, who rightfully protect their homes against vermin and pests, should have to live next door to such human debris;
  
  
• the military, for in conformity with the intention of our warrior God, who trains for battle (Exod. 15:3; Ps. 18:34) morally correct guns and weapons of war are fittingly designed only for the right-handed lifestyle;
  
  
• the workplace, given sinistrals' well-known tendencies to proselytize, overtly or covertly, and to warp the unwary into a left-handed lifestyle;
  
  
• life in general, since the sufferance of sinistral behavior, like a contagious disease, is both a menace to the right ordering of the cosmos and a deterrent to universally accepted natural activities like handshakes and manual transmission driving.

WHEREFORE, BISHOPS ARE to be especially concerned
to defend and champion authentic morality, not only in family life and in the prompt transmittance of the Peter's Pence, but also in the regulation of manual activity. While promoting the joy of virtue for its own sake, let them not disdain other effective means to coerce proper manual behaviors among the faithful. Such might well include the occasional homiletic reflections upon an afterlife in company with grotesque fiends, as well as richly detailed accounts of unimaginable torment, excruciating heat and unrelenting pain and putrefaction amid rock-rending shrieks of anguished despair in the bottomless chasm of Gehenna. Above all, they are to remind sinistrals that manual activity may be undertaken only by right-handed people within the context of a lifelong commitment to right-handedness.

Therefore, let sinistral and bimanual individuals be instructed to disguise their sinistrality by keeping it repressed, although under no circumstances are they to keep their left hands in their pockets. For a vice that is truly repressed is no vice at all. To this end, hypnosis and mind-altering pharmaceuticals may be licitly administered so as to render their left hands useless.

If such individuals are indeed incapable of being cured of this disorder so as to properly use the left hand only in a secondary role, if at all, they must refrain from all manual activity with either hand. For God, who is bountiful to his loved ones in sleep, has blessed inactivity for the sake of the kingdom (Ps. 127:2; Matt. 19:12).

Additionally, insofar as these sinistrals still lack the capacity for, or obdurately resist a lifelong commitment to right-handedness, they are to take more urgent measures to be cured. In this connection, it is altogether licit and harmonious with the principle of double effect to resort to the therapeutic use of amputation in accord with Scripture: "If your [left] hand causes you to sin, cut it off, for it is better to enter the kingdom maimed" (Matt. 18:9), etc.

Finally, all sinistrals, to whom bishops and pastors of souls offer the solace of holy religion, should be assured that despite their best efforts they will probably go to hell anyway for thinking left-handed thoughts. Let them thus be encouraged to know that, after a life in which they have basically considered themselves worthless, they will at last find themselves entirely worthy of something; to wit, eternal damnation in the slime-infested miseries of the abyss, where horribly disfigured imps and little red demons with pitchforks and tridents will perform unremitting acupuncture upon their most sensitive bodily parts as they roast in the searing embers of hell. About which, most assuredly, this Congregation will happily have more to say in the future.

As predicted, Dr. Alan Keyes was arrested on the grounds of Notre Dame for "trespassing". Well, he along with Father Norman Weslin, who also was taken down by police while.... singing. Hmm. Well, hopefully this will be the birth of a new civil rights era. And kudos to Dr. Keyes, who proverbially puts his money where his mouth his.

I was perusing the New Liturgical Movement blog as usual and saw some fascinating pictures of a Eucharistic procession with Archbishop Raymond Burke and some unusual fellows in tabards bearing my favourite cross: the Cross of Santiago (St. James) de Compostela.



After doing a bit of research, I found out that these fellows are members of a group called the Heralds of the Gospel. According to their website, they are an "international association of pontifical right". To be honest, I'm not sure exactly what that means, but most members are celibate and live in community like a religious order, but without taking solemn vows.

Website of the Heralds of the Gospel (U.S.)

The Heralds were established in 1999 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Their founder, Monsignor João Dia, said that: "The Heralds of the Gospel is a private association of faithful with a very special charism based essentially on three points: the Eucharist, Mary and the Pope." The emblem of the society appropriately has a monstrance, an image of the Virgin, and a set of papal keys. The EP stands for the name of the group in Latin: Evangelii Praecones.


Monsignor Dia also said: "Our main goal is to bring back beauty to the face of the earth." One of their big things is organizing musical events and dramas in churches, schools, prisons, and wherever else. They have a premier symphonic band and choir which, as far as I know, actually plays music within the liturgy (probably to the chagrin of choral purists).


The distinctive habit, as I said, bears the Cross of St. James. It was the famous emblem of the Knights of Santiago, a military order based in Spain, contemporary with the Templars and Hospitallers. The Heralds, as soldiers of Christ, have a distinctly militaristic flavour about them, so the cross (as well as their black combat boots!) seems appropriate. White for purity, red for martyrdom.

This entry from the NLM last year has some images of the Heralds at the Easter Triduum last year. Again, very militaristic with their uniforms and saucer caps. Some people in the comment boxes don't much like their chivalric and over-dramatic style, but I think it's awesome.

And with that said, I've decided to request to join the Heralds as a Companion. From what I can tell, the Companions are somewhat analagous to a third order, in that you still live your day-to-day life in the world, but you take on some of the obligations that a full Herald has: the daily Rosary, consecration to Our Lord, and a daily prayer for the Holy Father; as well as, of course, a lifelong devotion to the Eucharist, the Virgin, and the Pontiff. I figure that every Christian ought to be doing this anyway, so perhaps by taking on a rule, I'll have more motivation to actually do my duties.

I found this in a .pdf booklet about the Companions:

To belong to a true ecclesial vanguard, in order to, at the dawn of the Third Millennium, contribute toward the re-Christianization of society and the establishment of the Reign of Christ, is the ardent desire of each herald of the Gospel, who has confidence in the victory of the Church of Christ.

“We do not know what the new millennium has in store for us”, stated Pope John Paul II, “but we are certain that it is safe in the hands of Christ, the ‘King of kings and Lord of lords’” (Novo Millennio Ineunte, 35). They want to contribute towards bringing about the consecratio mundi, in other words, the Christianization of the temporal order to which John XXIII referred (Cf. Mater et Magistra, 214), a most important task of the laity in the New Evangelization.

In order to fulfill this mission, they spare no efforts, placing all their resources at the service of the Church, applying their intelligence and imagination to the most diverse activities, proclaiming the Gospel to all social classes, being active in parishes, homes and schools, in professional, cultural and sportive ambiences, on television and radio, in slums, hospitals, asylums and prisons, anywhere it is possible to bring a word of consolation, encouragement or hope.

Inasmuch as his duties and way of life permit, the Apostle or Companion, also takes part in these activities, led by those whom the superiors designate. At the same time, like any herald of the Gospel, they know that all their efforts will be useless, if their hearts are not intimately united to Jesus and Mary, for the interior life is the soul of the apostolate.

I can drink to that.

The Heralds at my parish's sister church, Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston (another Anglican use parish)


Procession at St. Patrick's Church, New Orleans





Video of the consecration of the Heralds' mother church in Brazil. The ceremony is really over the top, like something out of a royal Victorian re-imagining of medieval pageantry (or, should I just say, something out of an Edmund Blair Leighton painting)... but I love it.

There's an interesting new poll posted on Gallup.com. According to the poll, 51% of Americans identify themselves now as pro-life, and 42% are pro-choice; thus making pro-lifers the majority for the first time since Gallup conducted polls on this question in 1995.

Gallup: More Americans "Pro-Life" Than "Pro-Choice" for First Time



As you can see, there's a sharp rise in the pro-life/drop in the pro-choice sides just within the last year. I wonder why... perhaps it has something to do with the new Presidential administration.

Here are two chant tutorials by request. Didn't bother preceding them with narrative, since they're both rather self-explanatory:

Ave Maria


Ave Maria - The Harlequin King

Vidi Aquam (Rite of Sprinkling during Paschaltide)


Vidi Aquam - The Harlequin King

Today at Mass we sang the Kyrie from Ordinary I, the Missa Lux et Origo:


Kyrie - The Harlequin King


I've also added the Sanctus from the same Ordinary:


Sanctus - The Harlequin King


The Agnus Dei and possibly the Gloria of Ordinary I will be added soon.


At the end of Communion, in honour of Mother's Day, we sang a Marian anthem, the solemn tone of the Regina Caeli:


Regina Caeli - Solemn Tone - The Harlequin King


Speaking of the Regina Caeli, there's an interesting legend attached to its composition, according to preces-latinae.org:

Perhaps the most interesting legend surrounding the prayer has it being composed, in part, by St. Gregory the Great. The legend has it that in the year 596, during Easter time, a pestilence was ravaging Rome. St. Gregory the Great requested a procession be held to pray that the pestilence be stopped. On the appointed day of the procession he assembled with his clergy at dawn at the church of Ara Coeli. Holding in his hand the icon of our Lady that was said to have been painted by St. Luke, he and his clergy started out in procession to St. Peter's. As he passed the Castle of Hadrian, as it was called in those days, voices were heard from above singing the Regina Caeli. The astonished Pope, enraptured with the angelic singing, replied in a loud voice: "Ora pro nobis Deum. Alleluia!" At that moment an angel appeared in a glorious light, sheathed the sword of pestilence in its scabbard, and from that day the pestilence ceased. In honor of this miraculous event, the name of the castle was then changed to Sant' Angelo and the words of the angelic hymn were inscribed upon the roof of the Church of Ara Coeli.

After Mass was over, we practiced the Introit for the Ascension, Viri Galilaei:


Introit - Viri Galilaei - The Harlequin King


And finally, I took some time to learn and record the Gradual ("First Alleluia") of Pentecost, Emitte Spiritum Tuum:


Gradual - Emitte Spiritum Tuum - The Harlequin King

Before I forget, here are some images from a Mass that the Gregorian schola sang at a couple weeks ago, and which I prepared some missalettes for. It was for the Solemn Profession of Sister Mary Peter of St. John, one of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration who reside near the parish while planning to build a monastery here in San Antonio.

Atonement Online: Spouse of Christ

In 1901, the government of France passed a series of "Association Laws" which formally declared monastic houses illegal. The Grande Chartreuse, headquarters of the Carthusian Order, may be famous today thanks to the documentary Into Great Silence, but at the turn of the 20th century the monks were forcibly evicted by two squadrons of dragoons and didn't return until 1940.

I can't find any information about this at all anywhere on the Internet except a brief mention in the Catholic Encyclopedia. It's like the history has been censored. This is the first time I've had so much difficulty trying to find info on a subject like this, so it's getting creepy.

(above: King Charles II with his younger brother, the Duke of York [whom the state of New York is named after], later King James II)

Elsewhere on Elena Maria Vidal's blog, I want to pass along this post about a new book: The Stuarts in Exile, by Edward Corp. If you've ever wondered what life was like for King James II and his royal court after the Stuarts were kicked out of England in the so-called "Glorious Revolution", this is the book for you. Of particular interest is the decidedly non-Whiggish interpretation of his life and the events around him.

According to Charles Coulombe's website, this prayer is handwritten in James II's own prayerbook:

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God! Who only workest great marvells, show the riches of Thy goodness to Thy desolate and persecuted Church, that now sits mourning in her own dust and ruins, torn by schism and stripped and spoiled by sacrilege.
And Thou, who after a long captivity didst bring back Thy people to rebuild their Temple, look upon us with the same eyes of mercy.

Restore to us once again the publick worship of Thy name, the reverent administration of Thy sacraments; raise up the King, that we may once more enter into Thy courts with praise and serve Thee with that reverence, that unity, and order, as may be acceptable in Thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

For my part, I'm glad to share my name with him.

Here's another prayer on that page, a litany of intercessions for England circa 1755. I know I'll be able to convince Father Phillips to use this one.... somewhere.

The Litany of Intercession for England

Remember not, O Lord, our Offences, nor those of our Parents; neither take thou Vengeance of our Sins.
Lord, have Mercy on us.
Christ, have Mercy on us.
Lord, have Mercy on us.
Jesus, receive our Prayers.
Lord Jesus, grant our Petitions,
O God the Father, Creator of the World,
Have Mercy on England.
O God the Son, Redeemer of the World,
Have Mercy on England.
O God the Holy Ghost, Protector of the World,
Have Mercy on England.
O Sacred Trinity, three Persons and one God,
Have Mercy on England.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for England. (repeat)
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, whose powerful Intercession destroys Heresies,
Holy Mary, Virgin of Virgins, whose eminent Sanctity our Lord hath honoured with so many Miracles,
St. Michael, Prince of the Church,
St. Gabriel, glorious messenger of our Saviour's Incarnation,
St. Raphael, faithful guide of those that have lost their Way,
Holy Angel, to whose pious custody this Province is committed,
All Holy Angels, and blessed Spirits, of Heaven, who celebrate with Joy the Conversion of Sinners,
St. John Baptist, Precursor of the Messiah, and great Example of Penance,
All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets, Friends of God, and Advancers of his Truth,
St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and Supreme Pastor of Christ's Sheep,
St. Paul, Doctor of the Gentiles, who of a Persecutor became a Preacher,
St. Andrew, first Disciple of Christ, and constant Lover of the Cross,
All holy Apostles and Evangelists, chief Planters of the Christian Faith, and zealous Maintainers of Catholic Unity,
St. George, our principal Patron, whose Courage remained invincible in the midst of so many Torments,
St. Alban, our first Martyr, who, for the generous charity of harbouring a Priest, was put to Death,
St. Thomas of Canterbury, who, as a faithful Shepherd, laidst down thy Life in Defence of thy Flock,
All holy Martyrs of this Nation, who voluntarily lost your Lives here, to find them again in a joyful Eternity,
St. Gregory, most vigilant Bishop of the universal Church, whose pious Zeal sent Missionaries from Rome for the conversion of our Ancestors,
St. Augustine, peculiar Apostle of this Nation, by whom our Forefathers were reclaimed from Paganism and Infidelity,
St. Bede, most venerable Confessor, by whose religious Life, and learned Writings, the Catholic Faith was eminently propagated amongst us,
All holy Bishops and Confessors, by whose Wisdom and Sanctity this Island was once a flourishing Seminary of Religion,
St. Helen, most holy Queen, and happy Mother of the first Christian Emperor,
St. Ursula, most blessed Martyr, who died in the glorious Defence of Faith and Chastity,
St. Winefred, most admirable Virgin, even in this unbelieving Generation still miraculous,
All holy Saints of this Nation, who, amidst the innumerable Joys of Heaven, still retain a particular Charity for the Conversion of your country,
All holy Saints of all Places, who, tho' divided here in several Regions, were united in the same Faith, and now enjoy one common Felicity,
Be merciful, O Lord, and spare us.
Be merciful, O Lord, and hear us.
From the Dangers most justly threatening our Sins,
Deliver England, O Lord.
From the Spirit of Pride, Rebellion, and Apostacy,
Deliver England, O Lord.
From the Spirit of Hypocrisy, Prophaneness, and Sacrilege,
Deliver England, O Lord.
From Schism, Heresy, and all Blindness of Heart,
Deliver England, O Lord.
From Gluttony, Drunkenness, and the false Liberty of an undisciplin'd Life,
Deliver England, O Lord.
We Sinners beseech thee hear us.
That it will please thee to hasten the Conversion of this, our miserable country, and re-unite them to the ancient Faith and Communion of thy Church,
We Sinners beseech thee hear us. (repeat)
That it would please thee particularly to have Mercy on our Kinsfolks, Friends, and Benefactors, and open their Eyes to see the Beauty of thy Truth, and embrace it,
That it would please thee to incline the Hearts of all the Magistrates rightly to understand our Religion, and impartially consider our Sufferings; and how hardly soever they may deal with us, make us till with exact Fidelity to perform our Duties toward them,
That it would please thee to comfort and strengthen thy Servants who suffer for the Catholic Faith, and not permit the weakest of us, by any Temptation whatsoever, to fall away from thee and thy Truth,
That it would please thee to assist with thy special Grace those good Pastors who venture their Lives for their Flock, and daily augment in them the Fire of thy Love, and the Zeal of gaining Souls,
That it would please thee to preserve the Catholics of this Land from all Sin and Scandal, and to adorn our Lives with solid Piety, that our Enemy, seeing our good Works, may glorify thee our heavenly Father,
That it would please thee to grant us the grace of improving the Restraints and temporal Disadvantages we fall under, into an Occasion of Retiredness and Christian Severity; supplying our Want of public Assemblies by a greater diligence in private Devotions,
That it may please thee to govern us by thy good Spirit, that we may accept such Ease and Liberty, as thou vouchsafest to bestow on us, with Gratitude, use it with Modesty, and give others to understand by our Behaviour, that nothing is pleasing to us, but so far as it tends to thy Honour and our Neighbour's Good,
That it would please thee to illuminate the Hearts of all Schismatics, who live out of the Church, seriously to apprehend the danger of their State, and the great Importance of eternal Salvation,
That it would please thee to look mercifully down from Heaven on the Tears of the Afflicted, and the Blood of so many Martyrs, who have spent their Lives and suffered Death to convert us to thee,
Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the Sins of the World, Spare us, O Lord.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the Sins of the World, Hear us, O Lord.
O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World, Have Mercy on us.
Lord have Mercy on us.
Christ, have Mercy on us.
Lord have Mercy on us.
Our Father, etc.
V.: And lead us not into Temptation.
R.: But deliver us from Evil. Amen.
V.: O Lord, hear our Prayers.
R.: And let our Supplications come unto thee.

This is actually old news, but I didn't find out about it until it came up during a discussion about President Obama's honorary degree at Notre Dame University (speaking of that, there is an excellent keynote address by Archbishop Raymond Burke at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast which references the aforementioned scandal, along with many other things, here).

In 2007, President Nicholas Sarkozy of France traveled to Rome to meet Pope Benedict XVI, where he was formally installed as honorary canon of the Cathedral of St. John Lateran at his own choir stall in the church at Vespers. (For those who don't know what a canon is, a canon is traditionally a priest who lives in community with other priests who sing the Office and offer Mass in a cathedral church.) Those Catholics who support President Obama's abortion stances will occasionally bring this case up with Sarkozy, who is also pro-abortion, and say that the Church is hypocritical if it opposes Obama's reception of an honorary degree at Notre Dame while Sarkozy receives an honorary canonship in the mother of all churches.

Well, hold on a second. As Elena Maria Vidal explains in her blog (Tea at Trianon), President Sarkozy didn't do anything to merit the canonship, other than being the French head of state. When King Henry IV of France converted to Catholicism in 1604, he sent a large donation to the Chapter (the canons) of St. John Lateran Cathedral. In return, the canons agreed to offer a Mass for the peace and prosperity of France every year on December 13, the anniversary of the King's birthday.

Over 400 years later, there are no more kings and France is terrifyingly secular, but the canons of the Lateran still offer that Mass every year. And whern the French head of state comes to visit Rome, he is ceremonially installed as honorary canon.

Despite the fact that President Sarkozy rarely attends Mass, has many policies opposed to Catholic social teaching, and is generally devoid of class, he made some surprisingly decent remarks in an address to the canons after Vespers. An excerpt:

“Laicity cannot be a negation of the past. It does not have the power to cut France off from her Christian roots…. To cut those roots means to lose meaning. It means weakening the foundation of the national identity and withering still further our social relations, which have so much need for the symbols of memory…. So we must hold together the two ends of the chain: holding on to France’s Christian roots, and treasuring them, and at the same time defending a more mature form of laicity…. Thus, along with Benedict XVI, it is my belief that a nation that ignores the ethical, spiritual, and religious heritage of its own history commits a crime against its own culture, against its entire history, its patrimony, made of art and popular traditions, that impregnates in a profound way its very way of living and thinking…. France needs convinced Catholics who are not afraid to affirm what they are and what they believe. We are longing for spirituality, values and hope… [France needs] joyous Catholics… who, sustained by a greater hope, set out each day to construct a better world.”

The remarks made Sarkozy some enemies among the secularists, anticlericals and anti-Catholics in France afterward. Still, for a man like him to affirm the place of Christianity in France means there's still hope left.

As Henry IV said upon his decision to convert to the True Faith, "Paris is worth a Mass".

A collection of previous texts from the Pope's pilgrimage so far:

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at Mass of the Fifth Sunday of Easter, May 10, at Amman International Stadium

This whole paragraph is boldworthy:

Fidelity to your Christian roots, fidelity to the Church’s mission in the Holy Land, demands of each of you a particular kind of courage: the courage of conviction, born of personal faith, not mere social convention or family tradition; the courage to engage in dialogue and to work side by side with other Christians in the service of the Gospel and solidarity with the poor, the displaced, and the victims of profound human tragedies; the courage to build new bridges to enable a fruitful encounter of people of different religions and cultures, and thus to enrich the fabric of society. It also means bearing witness to the love which inspires us to “lay down” our lives in the service of others, and thus to counter ways of thinking which justify “taking” innocent lives.

Short Address at the Regina Caeli following Sunday Mass


From yesterday:


Address at the Blessing of the Cornerstone of Madaba University of the Latin Patriarchate, May 9

Great words:

This “broader” education is what one expects from institutions of higher learning and from their cultural milieu, be it secular or religious. In fact, belief in God does not suppress the search for truth; on the contrary it encourages it. Saint Paul exhorted the early Christians to open their minds to “all that is true, all that is noble, all that is good and pure, all that we love and honor, all that is considered excellent or worthy of praise” (Phil 4:8). Religion, of course, like science and technology, philosophy and all expressions of our search for truth, can be corrupted. Religion is disfigured when pressed into the service of ignorance or prejudice, contempt, violence and abuse. In this case we see not only a perversion of religion but also a corruption of human freedom, a narrowing and blindness of the mind. Clearly, such an outcome is not inevitable. Indeed, when we promote education, we proclaim our confidence in the gift of freedom. The human heart can be hardened by the limits of its environment, by interests and passions. But every person is also called to wisdom and integrity, to the basic and all-important choice of good over evil, truth over dishonesty, and can be assisted in this task.

Address at a meeting with Muslim religious leaders, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and Rectors of universities in Jordan, May 9, at the Al-Hussein Bil Talal Mosque

I liked how His Holiness concluded that one:

May reason, ennobled and humbled by the grandeur of God’s truth, continue to shape the life and institutions of this nation, in order that families may flourish and that all may live in peace, contributing to and drawing upon the culture that unifies this great Kingdom!

Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at Vespers, May 9, at the Cathedral of St. George

A brief highlight:

[The Church] is alive because Christ is alive, truly risen. Vivified by the presence of the Spirit, she reaches out every day, drawing men and women to the living Lord. Dear Bishops, priests, Brothers and Sisters, dear lay faithful, our respective roles of service and mission within the Church are the tireless response of a pilgrim people. Your liturgies, ecclesiastical discipline and spiritual heritage are a living witness to your unfolding tradition. You amplify the echo of the first Gospel proclamation, you render fresh the ancient memories of the works of the Lord, you make present his saving graces and you diffuse anew the first glimmers of the Easter light and the flickering flames of Pentecost.

From the beginning of the pilgrimage:


Interview with Pope Benedict and Father Lombardi during the flight to Jordan, May 8, on "Shepherd One"

The first interview question:

Q. Your Holiness, this journey is taking place at a very delicate moment for the Middle East: there are strong tensions – at the time of the crisis in Gaza, there was even speculation that you might decide not to come. At the same time, a few days after your journey, the principal political leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority will also be meeting President Obama. Do you think you can offer a contribution to the peace process that now seems to have become deadlocked?

A. Good morning! First I should like to thank all of you for the work that you do, and let us all wish one another a good journey, a good pilgrimage, a good return journey. As for the question, certainly I shall seek to contribute to peace not as an individual but in the name of the Catholic Church, and of the Holy See. We are not a political power, but a spiritual force, and this spiritual force is a reality that can contribute to advances in the peace process. I see three levels. First, as believers we are convinced that prayer is a real force: it opens the world to God. We are convinced that God listens and that he can act in history. I think that if millions of people – millions of believers – all pray, this is truly a force that influences and can contribute to moving forward the cause of peace. Second: we are seeking to assist in the formation of consciences. The conscience is the human capacity to perceive the truth, but this capacity is often impeded by particular interests. And to break free from these interests, to open up more to the truth, to true values, is a major undertaking: it is a task of the Church to help us to know true criteria, true values, and to free us from particular interests. And so – in third place – we also speak – no doubt about it – to reason: precisely because we are not a political force, we can perhaps more easily, and in the light of the faith, see the true criteria, we can assist in understanding what contributes to peace and we can appeal to reason, we can support positions that are truly reasonable. This we have already done and we wish to do so again now and in the future.

Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the Welcoming Ceremony on May 8 at the Queen Alia International Airport

Excerpt:

It is with joy that I greet all of you here present, as I begin my first visit to the Middle East since my election to the Apostolic See, and I am pleased to set foot upon the soil of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a land so rich in history, home to so many ancient civilizations, and deeply imbued with religious significance for Jews, Christians and Muslims. I thank His Majesty King Abdullah II for his kind words of welcome, and I offer my particular congratulations in this year that marks the tenth anniversary of his accession to the throne. In greeting His Majesty, I extend heartfelt good wishes to all members of the Royal Family and the Government, and to all the people of the Kingdom. I greet His Beatitude Fouad Twal and His Beatitude Theophilus III and also other Patriarchs and Bishops here present, especially those with pastoral responsibilities in Jordan. I look forward to celebrating the liturgy at Saint George’s Cathedral tomorrow evening and at the International Stadium on Sunday together with you, dear Bishops, and so many of the faithful entrusted to your care.

I come to Jordan as a pilgrim, to venerate holy places that have played such an important part in some of the key events of Biblical history. At Mount Nebo, Moses led his people to within sight of the land that would become their home, and here he died and was laid to rest. At Bethany beyond the Jordan, John the Baptist preached and bore witness to Jesus, whom he baptized in the waters of the river that gives this land its name. In the coming days I shall visit both these holy places, and I shall have the joy of blessing the foundation stones of churches that are to be built at the traditional site of the Lord’s Baptism. The opportunity that Jordan’s Catholic community enjoys to build public places of worship is a sign of this country’s respect for religion, and on their behalf I want to say how much this openness is appreciated. Religious freedom is, of course, a fundamental human right, and it is my fervent hope and prayer that respect for all the inalienable rights and the dignity of every man and woman will come to be increasingly affirmed and defended, not only throughout the Middle East, but in every part of the world.

Address of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the visit to the Regina Pacis Center on May 8

Excerpt:

Dear friends, every one of us is a pilgrim. We are all drawn forward, with purpose, along God’s path. Naturally, then, we tend to look back on life – sometimes with regrets or hurts, often with thanksgiving and appreciation – and we also look ahead – sometimes with trepidation or anxiety, but always with expectation and hope, knowing too that there are others who encourage us along the way. I know that the journeys that have led many of you to the “Regina Pacis” Centre have been marked by suffering or trial. Some of you struggle courageously with disabilities, others of you have endured rejection, and some of you are drawn to this place of peace simply for encouragement and support. Of particular importance, I know, is the Centre’s great success in promoting the rightful place of the disabled in society and in ensuring that suitable training and opportunities are provided to facilitate such integration. For this foresight and determination you all deserve great praise and encouragement!

At times it is difficult to find a reason for what appears only as an obstacle to be overcome or even as pain – physical or emotional – to be endured. Yet faith and understanding help us to see a horizon beyond our own selves in order to imagine life as God does. God’s unconditional love, which gives life to every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life. His is a saving love (cf. Jn 12:32). As Christians profess, it is through the Cross that Jesus in fact draws us into eternal life, and in so doing indicates to us the way ahead – the way of hope which guides every step we take along the way, so that we too become bearers of that hope and charity for others.

As I write this, the Auxiliary Bishop of Amman is formally greeting the Holy Father at Bethany beyond the Jordan. His Holiness will bless the cornerstones of a new church and a new Catholic center and, if I'm not mistaken, also baptize new Christians in the same river where St. John baptized the Christ. Fantastic.

King Abdullah and Queen Rahnia of Jordan were also present to greet the Pope once again.

From the Pope's opening words:

Let us pause in contemplation on the banks of the River Jordan, which honor the Baptism of the Lord. On the banks of the River Jordan, John the Baptist, a voice crying in the wilderness and a herald of the coming of Jesus, went into all the region about the Jordan River, prepared the way of the Lord, by preaching and performing a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and by bearing witness to Jesus proclaiming him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

To the waters of the River Jordan Jesus came to be baptized by the hand of John. As Jesus was baptized, above him the heavens opened and upon him the Spirit descended like a dove, as the voice of the Father was heard: “This is my Son, the Beloved”! Blessed by that Theophany, down the centuries, at the banks of this River Jordan, hosts of pilgrims have continued to honor the Baptism of the Lord.

As we recall that event with gratitude and reverence, let us now call to mind our own baptism and bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Also, this article on NLM by Jeffrey Tucker really deserves to be read: The Story of Easter Through Its Introits. It examines the "mood" conveyed by each Introit throughout the Easter season, and it's wonderful.

Unfortunately I won't be able to give by-the-minute coverage of the Pope's trip to the Holy Land, but I ought to post this link to the missalette which contains the texts for all the Holy Father's liturgies.

Here are a few Gregorian Propers I've recorded. Click on the names of the chants to see the notation.

The Introit for this upcoming Sunday (Ordinary Form, last Sunday's in the Extraordinary Form), Cantate Domino:


Cantate Domino - The Harlequin King


In addition, I've got the Introit for Pentecost, Spiritus Domini:


Spiritus Domini - The Harlequin King


And the Communion for Pentecost, Factus est Repente:


Factus est repente - The Harlequin King

"And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho." --Deuteronomy 34:1

I'm currently watching the address of the Holy Father (in English!) at the Basilica of Mount Nebo in Jordan, via EWTN streaming online. It's built over the place where the great prophet Moses is believed to have died, having been granted by God his last wish to see the Holy Land before he died. Pope John Paul II visited the site in 2000. From the Basilica, you can see both Jericho and Jerusalem. According to the second book of Maccabees, the prophet Jeremias buried the tabernacle and the Ark of the Covenant somewhere in the vicinity.

Excerpt of the address:

Father Minister General,
Father Custos,
Dear Friends,

In this holy place, consecrated by the memory of Moses, I greet all of you with affection in our Lord Jesus Christ. I thank Father José Rodríguez Carballo for his warm words of welcome. I also take this occasion to renew my gratitude, and that of the whole Church, to the Friars Minor of the Custody for their age-old presence in these lands, their joyful fidelity to the charism of Saint Francis, and their generous concern for the spiritual and material welfare of the local Christian communities and the countless pilgrims who visit the Holy Land each year. Here I wish to remember also, with particular gratitude, the late Father Michele Piccirillo, who devoted his life to the study of Christian antiquity and is buried in this shrine which was so dear to him.

It is appropriate that my pilgrimage should begin on this mountain, where Moses contemplated the Promised Land from afar...

Read the rest here....

While I'm at it, I'd also post here Pope Benedict's final remarks in Rome and his request for prayers as he departs to the Holy Land:

A brief hubbub was caused yesterday by some remarks by Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guard before their annual swearing in every May 6.

Yahoo! News: Pope's Swiss Guard May may allow women after 500-year ban

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – After more than five centuries protecting popes, the Swiss Guard may consider opening the ranks of the world's smallest army to women, its commander said Tuesday.

"I can imagine them for one role or another. Certainly we can think about this," Daniel Anrig, who took over the post late last year, told Italian television program "Studio Aperto."

Anrig's remarks could represent a major change in position regarding the future of the elite corps composed entirely of 19- to 30-year-old Catholic men hailing from the Swiss Army.

Anrig's predecessor argued that mixing the sexes could be more trouble than it was worth and cited cramped Vatican barracks as another reason for excluding women.

Read More...

It probably won't amount to anything, but as I said on FishEaters, there wouldn't be much point in introducing women to the Corps, since the Corps's primary job is to look tall, Swiss, and scary.... and if Swiss women can do the job, that would probably be more of an offense to their nation than an honour.

As arguably the most tradition-oriented military unit in the world, I'm all for the Swiss Guard keeping as many traditions as possible, including being a boys-only club. However, I really this not-so-traditional business of the Guardsmen wearing modern (modernist?) short haircuts has got to go. It just looks funny with the pseudo-Renaissance berets and helmets, which were designed at a time when most men wore long hair. If the Guard insists on wearing Renaissance-ish uniforms (a custom which, speaking as a RenFair-goer, I endorse) I would suggest that the Guard ought to also maintain 16th century hair regulations. As you can see in this depiction of Swiss Guardsmen by Raphael below, they didn't have any of this buzzcut business:

For those who don't have much of a clue about where the Swiss Guard's traditions come from, I've prepared a short FAQ on the subject.

Q. What's up with the uniforms, anyway? Where does it come from?

A. Contrary to popular belief, there's no evidence that the uniforms were designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti. Today's uniforms were designed by Commandant Jules Repond (1910-1921), though they are of course inspired by earlier designs. They are arguably actually a regression from Napoleonic styles to an earlier Renaissance form.

The colours come first from the yellow and blue of the della Rovere family, a great Italian noble family which produced two popes: Sixtus IV (builder of the eponymous Sistine Chapel) and his nephew, Julius II (called "the warrior pope", founder of the Swiss Guard and famously portrayed by Rex Harrison in The Agony and the Ecstasy). You can see them on the family's coat of arms below:

Reader: "But I thought you said before that there was no such thing as a 'family coat of arms', that only an individual may bear a particular coat of arms at any one time and that bucket shops which attempt to sell you a picture with a 'family crest' are all hacks?"

Lord Harlequin: "........ shut up." (Actually, the continental European tradition on heraldry is quite different from that of the British Isles.)

The della Rovere coat of arms bears the symbol of the oak tree (which is what "della Rovere" means) and is a symbol that you see on both sides of the Swiss Guard's helmets.

The colour red was added to the Swiss Guard's outfits when Giovanni de'Medici acceeded the throne of Peter as Pope Leo X. The Medici family's colours were red, yellow, and blue. It was under another Medici pope, Clement VII, that many Guardsmen died defending during the Sack of Rome (explained later in this FAQ).

Coat of arms of Pope Leo X:

Q. Do the Swiss Guards actually defend the Vatican City with pikes?

A. It's called a halberd. But yes, the Swiss Guardsmen are trained in the use of the halberd and can skewer you if you make an act of violence against the Holy Father... or against their uniforms... or if your name is Dan Brown.

In addition, Guardsmen typically carry straightswords and some higher-ranking Guardsmen will carry flamberges, a wavy, painful-looking sword that looks something like this:

And if that were not enough, they also carry SG 550 assault rifles and other small arms typically used by the Swiss military.

Q. What happened during the Sack of Rome you were talking about earlier?

A. This was an event during the War of the League of Cognac, aka one of those innumerable wars between Renaissance kings that you've never heard of, and which produced philosophies like those found in Machiavelli's The Prince. In 1526, the armies of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had just defeated the French in Italy, but there was no money to pay them. So, about 34,000 soldiers mutinied and marched on Rome to get some. Unfortunately for Pope Clement VII, he had aligned himself with the losers (the French, but you knew that already). The Emperor's army stormed the city, killed a lot of people and stole a lot of riches. It's worth mentioning that many of the soldiers were followers of Luther and wrote "Luther" in large across Raphael's painting "Disputation over the Blessed Sacrament" and actually "proclaimed" Luther as "pontiff" when camped outside Castel Sant'Angelo.

The day of the sacking, May 6, is significant to the Swiss Guard because 147 out of the 189 Guardsmen were killed in action, allowing Pope Clement VII to escape from the Vatican to Castel Sant'Angelo. To remember their bravery, the Guard now holds its swearing in ceremony every 6th of May.

Q. What happens at the swearing in?

A. All the Guardsmen are assembled in the St. Damaso Courtyard in full regalia as the Chaplain of the Guard reads this oath:

"I swear I will faithfully, loyally and honourably serve the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II and his legitimate successors, and also dedicate myself to them with all my strength, sacrificing if necessary also my life to defend them. I assume this same commitment with regard to the Sacred College of Cardinals whenever the See is vacant.

Furthermore I promise to the Commanding Captain and my other superiors, respect, fidelity and obedience. This I swear! May God and our Holy Patrons assist me!" (Harlequin: those patrons of the Swiss Guard are St. Sebastian, St. Martin of Tours, and St. Nicholas of Flüe, also the patron of Switzerland.)

Each new member approaches and grasps the Guard's battle standard with the left hand while raising the right with three fingers held out to represent the Trinity. He says:

"I, N., swear I will observe faithfully, loyally and honourably all that has now been read out to me! May God and his saints assist me!"

Then follows much drinking and revelry.... in moderation, I'm sure.

The battle standard, by the way, bears the currently reigning Pope's coat of arms on the top-left, Pope Julius II's coat of arms on the bottom right, the currently serving Commandant's coat of arms in the center, and the colours of the Guard in the remainding quarters, divided by a white cross reminiscent of Switzerland's.

Q. Why are they Swiss? Why can't I be a Guardsman?

A. There were once many military units serving the Vatican City or its previous incarnation, the Papal States: the Noble Guard, Palatine Guard, Corsican Guard, and Papal Zouaves are just a few of them. If they weren't disbanded after the Italian nationalists took over Rome in 1871, they were disbanded by order of Pope Paul VI at the end of the Second Vatican Council, with only the Swiss Guard remaining. It's a little-known fact, however, that the Gendarme Corps, which was disbanded by Paul VI, was reconstituted in 2002 by John Paul II. However, it is classified as a police force, which leaves the Swiss Guard as the only military unit left in the Vatican City.

The Swiss Guard's Swiss origins come from a time when Switzerland was a mercenary society and sent their young men abroad to fight for other nations and bring back gold and booty. Many kings of Europe had detachments of Swiss guards in their employ, the most famous being those who served under the King of France. These Swiss Guardsmen served alongside such units as the Garde du Corps (the King's personal bodyguard) and the famous Musketeers of the Guard.

The Garde Suisse's famous last stand was on August 10, 1792 when they defended the Royal Family outside the Tuileries Palace against a mob of Parisian revolutionaries. About 600 of the 900 Guardsmen died and the rest present were massacred after surrender, although the Royal Family successfully escaped. A famous sculpture in their honour was carved in Lucerne, Switzerland, depicting the Guard as a defeated lion, laying over broken symbols of the French Crown.

According to Mark Twain, it is "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

And that's all the time I have for today to expound on this subject, lords and ladies. Until then, I remain yours,

The Harlequin King

I forgot to post this one, but I found another photo of myself from someone who attended the San Antonio Tea Party:

I recently came across a fascinating little clip from the opening of the film True Confessions. It's set in Los Angeles, 1940, and is about the Black Dahlia murder case, as well as a priest's relationship with his brother, a murder detective. The priest, Monsignor Desmond Spellacy, is played by Robert de Niro, and this first scene features him saying a solemn nuptial Mass in what is now called the Extraordinary Form. It's not too terribly inaccurate.

I made a few tweaks to the blog, such as one to change my screen name to its preferred form ("The Harlequin King").

I love this state. Texas occasionally lets me down when it seems this state and I have little in common, culturally speaking.... but when it comes to the things that really matter in this world, Texas is properly called God's Country.

Houston Chronicle: Ultrasound bill wins passage from state Senate.

AUSTIN — A law that would ask women seeking abortions to first have and view an ultrasound of their pregnancy passed through the Texas Senate Friday — as did a creation of a new “Choose Life” vehicle license plate.

Both bills were championed by Gov. Rick Perry, who is stressing his conservative credentials heading into an expected Republican primary battle with U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

The ultrasound bill was highlighted in Perry’s State of the State address in January in which he urged lawmakers to pass the measure to add “another layer of protection for the most vulnerable Texans.”

In February, he again endorsed the bill at a rally of hundreds of anti-abortion advocates on the Capitol steps.

Read more...

So I plugged my cheap headphone set from high school into the microphone jack, and surprisingly enough, it actually works as a microphone. Ever since then, I've been experimenting with audio recordings. Here's a good first sample: last Sunday's Communion antiphon, Ego sum pastor bonus.


Harlequins First Recording - The Harlequin King


And here's another recording, a simple reading from the prologue of Shakespeare's Henry V. Keep in mind that it's a first reading and I'm no actor. It's merely to test the capability of the headphone-microphone, and it's not too bad.



Henry V: Prologue - The Harlequin King