A sin the Church would not tolerate
At the National Catholic Register, Thomas Craughwell reviewed William J Slattery’s How Catholic Priests Helped Build – and Can Help Rebuild – Western Civilisation. Among other things, the book observes In the ancient world, it was commonplace for one race or ethnic group to detest and demean every other race or ethnic group.” This uncharitable and unhealthy way of thinking survived into the Dark Ages, even among Christians. The Church would not tolerate it. Romans, Franks, Saxons, Britons and Celts were viewed equally.”Fr Slattery observes that the Church was open to all, and reflects on a “painting in Charlemagne’s Breviary in which the Church is portrayed as a fountain welcoming everyone to drink of her living water.” The Church was intolerant of racially or ethnically exclusive churches. There was no Celtic Church or Frankish Church; there was only the Catholic Church.”
Ofsted’s problem with religious schools
At Commentary, Sohrab Ahmari drew attention to a “campaign against religious education in the UK”. In particular, he mentioned the North London girls’ school Yesodey Hatorah, which was recently “singled out” by Ofsted for “intense scrutiny and opprobrium”. Ofsted recently classed the Orthodox Jewish school as “inadequate” and said it was failing to pass on “British values” to its pupils. The inspectors were especially irked by the lack of sex education and the emphasis on modesty. The writer and Anglican clergyman Giles Fraser, after talking to some of the girls, said: “The Ofsted inspectors obviously came with a fixed agenda, they wanted to talk to the girls about sex. And those who told me about it were obviously made to feel extremely uncomfortable by the questions.”
Ahmari concluded: “If and when totalitarianism arrives in the West, it will carry the grammatically appalling banner of ‘equalities’.”
Why Mark Twain was drawn to Joan of Arc
At Catholic World Report, Kelly Scot Franklin pondered why Mark Twain was so charmed by Joan of Arc. Twain was not a religious man, but his book on St Joan was his favourite of all his books. “It’s a massive novel, and one that took him – by his own estimates – over a decade of research and preparation. And on every page we find the author’s utter admiration for this visionary Catholic saint.” The story is itself remarkable: how St Joan, a young girl, was called by God to battle for France against the English armies. But as Twain himself put it, “I never attributed an act to the Maid herself that was not strictly historical.”
Twain praised St Joan’s human qualities: she was, for instance, “supremely great in the gift of firing the hearts of hopeless men with noble enthusiasms”.But Twain was also impressed by her miraculous visions and her devotion. He records her “immortal answer” to being asked, by one of her persecutors, whether she was in a state of grace: “If I be not in a state of grace, I pray God place me in it; if I be in it, I pray God keep me so.”
✣ The first Trappist beer has been unveiled in Britain – and hailed as a triumph. The 26 monks at Leicestershire’s Mount Saint Bernard Abbey set up their brewery after selling a 120-strong herd of cows that had become unprofitable. It is only the 12th in the world.The beer is called Tynt Meadow, after the field the monks first settled in, and comes in at 7.4 per cent ABV (alcohol by volume). Imbibe.com described it as a “dark ruby-red colour”, with “plenty of sweet raisin, banana and peppery hop character”. Veteran beer expert Roger Protz called it “seriously nice”. See Kipper Williams cartoon
✣ Officials in Spain have expressed horror at a restoration of a 500-year-old wooden statue of St George. The repainted statue, at the Church of St Michael in Estella, near Pamplona, attracted wide ridicule online and was compared to Tintin and a Playmobil character. Mayor Koldo Leoz said the priest’s decision to allow an art teacher to restore the statue without consulting local officials showed “serious negligence”.
✣The week in quotations
Don’t wait for the genocide to happen Nigerian Bishop Avenya on violence by Fulani herdsmen ACN
Even under draconian restrictions, several women have accepted help Elizabeth Howard of Be Here For Me on Ealing’s abortion clinic ‘buffer zone’ Press statement
Their nuptial Mass will include three world premieres Composer Sir James MacMillan on his son’s forthcoming wedding
This is much harder than a war Cardinal Brenes on Nicaragua’s crisis Vatican News
✣Statistic of the week
100 Number of ordinarate priests in Britain Source: the ordinariate
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.