Ttony has a series of blog posts explaining a turning point in English Catholicism, the Liverpool Pastoral Congress or LPC.
just don’t mention wigwams
The LPC marks the point at which the agenda of the Church in England turned from encouraging the lay apostolates and evangelisation to a fudge I compromise.
The premise was simple: a meeting of the faithful was called; the timing was such that not many “ordinary” folk could attend; the agenda was carefully designed to arrive at answers that the LPC’s architects wanted.
Armed with the products of the LPC, the senior bishops of England and Wales hoped to have a liberalising impact on the Church and were, deo gratias, rebuffed by the relatively newly installed John Paul II.
Unable to propagate their agenda in the wider Church, the architects of the LPC settled for doing what they could to implement their vision at home.
Please do take the time to read Ttony’s account, parts two and three full out the story and his sources are also worth a read.
The most encouraging part of the story is that Ttony sees that the process of healing the Church has started.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
Liverpool at the time banned the hymn “Faith of Our Fathers” as it was being used as a banner for the recidivist TLM’ers.
2010:
159 active priests; 10 priests elsewhere; 79 retired priests;
107 permanent deacons (wives included in Directory)
587 full-time equivalent employees (?).
£6M to re-roof the “wigwam”!
£2.891M Cathedral Steps Development!
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Well, Toad had a go, but it’s all a bit too “Inside Baseball” for him. More interested in dinosaurs and pedophile priests these days, himself.
Mustn’t get distracted!
But, Sixupman – you were warned not to mention “wigwams” – so what do you do?
Sigh.. (Take in “sad” face.)
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I had to suppress a smile when a friend, who was a ‘delegate’ at LPC said she came back to the parish full of enthusiasm for the role wymmin where going to play in parish life and in the Church only to be thanked by the pp for going (he had to keep the Deanery sweet) and – that was the end of that.
Thank God for parishes attached to Monastic foundations, though even here we have a ‘happy clappy’ mass once a month, but with a choice of three Sunday morning Masses it is not compulsory to fulfil one’s Sunday obligation by going thither, and there is always Dom Anthony’s Latin Mass (E.F.) every Sunday evening!
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“Thank God for parishes attached to Monastic foundations, though even here we have a ‘happy clappy’ mass once a month..”
More than a hint of intellectual snobbery here, suspects Toad. But then, why not? The music and style of mass in our village would probably send most CP&S followers scrambling up the retablo in dismay. “Happy clappy” hardly does it justice. It is terrible, but Toad loves it.
Moreover, when it comes to “exchanging the sign of peace” with practically any of the regular but tiny congregation, (Toad included) most decent, white collar,a mre middle-class visitors might well regret not wearing their gardening gloves.
(Tip: Toad just closes his eyes, and pretends it’s not happening.)
He could easily drive over to the monastery in San Andres de Arroyo, a mere 20 miles away, for some magnificent and sonorous spectacle – agreeable, no doubt, to the most discerning and sophisticated 15th Century Inquisitor, but his friends and neighbours in the village would merely think he had gone off his rocker.
(And he would miss the always very enjoyable booze-up afterwards.)
But his friends in Moratinos would be sure to wonder why he would do such an absurd thing.
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OK Toad – you win (hands down).
In the (sadly) unlikely event that I visited Spain, or particularly Moratinos I would happily accompany you and your lady wife to your Parish Church for Holy Mass on a Sunday morning. I have often said on these pages it is the Sacrifice not the Liturgy that is the reason we meet with Our Blessed Lord at Holy Mass.
However, and on the other hand………how far would San Andres de Arroyo be?…. 😉
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“30 minutes in the “Furgoneta.” We will do it! The Camino beckons!
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Oh Toad – I am sure the Camino does beckon, and how I wish I had had the nous to have attempted it in my youth. Sadly, because of my limited mobility I have left it too late.
Should any folk reading this be considering walking part of all of the Camino to Santiago de Compestela – in the name of God – do it while you can for the opportunity quickly passes.
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Should any folk reading this be considering walking part of all of the Camino to Santiago de Compestela – in the name of God – do it while you can for the opportunity quickly passes.
This varies from person to person, Gertrude — there are under-5 pilgrims, and some in their 80s ; the two largest age groups are students and those just retired.
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You are absolutely right JP. Age is no barrier and it must be a great joy to find so many, of such diverse age on this holy pilgrim route.
My point though was that health rather than age can present problems. In some cases these are surmountable (with support),and thank God for these pilgrims. In other cases, they are not, and it was with this in mind that I made my remark ‘carpe diem’.
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“Age is no barrier and it must be a great joy to find so many, of such diverse age on this holy pilgrim route.”
It is indeed a great joy Gertrude; I have walked the Camino twice, the last time a few years ago. (Sadly I never stopped at Moratinos to meet Toad :-(.) You meet so many fascinating people from all countries in the world on the Camino, and bonds of solidarity, help and even friendship are struck up. I felt changed afterwards. After living for weeks the life of a pilgrim – journeying towards the shrine of Santiago, which can be a symbol of life’s journey to God – with all your worldly possessions being those you can carry in your rucksack, you begin to realise how much clutter and unnecessary stuff you accumulate back home. A refreshing shower or a hot meal at the end of the day become luxuries to thank God for, rather than things you take for granted.
But I must take your advice too, and repeat the experience whilst I still can :-).
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I too am a camino repeat offender. Among the finest experiences of my life.
There is an austerity, a simplicity which I welcome, for it is life enhancing.
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