Non possumus sine Dominico...

While we in the United States, or many if not most of us, are being able to attend at re-opened churches where the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is again celebrated publicly, in the UK the churches are still closed. The British seem to have taken 'lockdown' and all of that nonsense a heck of a lot more seriously than many of us have, even if we've had our lives upset or been inconvenienced in many ways: part of this is that their attitudes toward and expectations of  'government' are much more 'socialist' than ours, part of it is the geographic fact of the metropolis of London (and a couple of subsidiary ones) in a land much smaller than ours. Anyway, English Catholics seem to be reaching the limits of their patience with a government that tolerates mass demonstrations etc etc well enough while pretending that half a dozen people in a church somewhere is likely to wreak notable plague damage on the poor stricken body politic. Fr John Hunwicke earlier today (his italics):

...But I think it is possible that we may be moving into a new situation, the thematic structure of which will be the vivid contrast between demonstrating and destroying mobs, and the ban on the public offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

I would like to imagine a situation in which the hierarchy told the government exactly when and how they are going to reinstate public worship, beginning in their own cathedrals, and said: If that is against your laws, you know where you can find us to arrest us. We already have our own ancestral memories of being banned from worshipping by your predecessors; of being arrested; and even of worse. Non possumus sine Dominico.

Mr Johnson is fallen away from the practice of the Catholic religion. I wonder if his experience of 'church' plays some part in the continued state-imposed interdict.




Rubricarius is finally able to get out and about, and will be posting my copy of his Ordo shortly. I was too poor to buy it in December, and then when I tried, having a bit of cash, in April, he was unable to get to the post office-- no idea what part of England he lives in. I imagine he took the government's warnings about staying in etc etc quite seriously.. But it will soon be on its way. The Sun is trying to defeat the sullen clouds.


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