The Portal Archive January 2012 | Page 8

ragon THE P RTAL January 2012 Page 8 Raise a glass Raise a glass to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and Blessed John Henry Newman. one year old this month, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY. Quite a year, but there is much to celebrate. Thanks to Pope Benedict for his vision and generosity; to our catholic friends for their welcome, and stimulating clergy formation programme; to Keith, our Ordinary and his assistants; to the faithful pioneers in the pews. As one clergy wife keeps saying, “Twelve months ago, who’d have thought it?” But not to the demon drink The English rugby team has received much stick for its acts of ill-discipline. Before you pass judgment ask the question “Is this a particular failing of rugby, or is it now endemic in modern day Britain?” I only ask because my wife and I have just had lunch in a city centre pub, where what I thought were 20 or so professional sportsmen assembled in their kit, turned out to be a bunch of fellas with stag party T-shirts. Emblazoned on them was the text “Drink until we drown.” Although only Friday lunch-time, the pints were sinking quicker than the spirits (non-alcoholic) of the rest of us, enduring the noise and banter of male bonding. Apparently they were then to spend the afternoon on a plane (pity the crew ) before honing in on one of our major cities for the two days of revelry. Questions. “Is this really the best preparation for a wedding?” “What was it doing to their livers?” “ Is this austerity England beating the recession?” Answers on a post card. Meanwhile, as I thought of all this, I have to admit that the nearest couple to us in the bar were two elderly very respectable ladies, who were not only unperturbed, but were enjoying their lunch with one of the largest bottles of white wine I have ever seen... Pouring cold water Pouring cold water on catholic Anglicans .... the results in from the dioceses show only two (London and Chichester) voting against the admittance of women to the episcopate. This out of 44. more worrying for the traditionalists (as they are called) is that a following motion that would have given the objectors some leeway has also been turned down by three out of four dioceses. It will as a consequence be very hard work to secure any crumbs of comfort in the February and July sessions. Where will that leave the constituency? A double whammy then came from the Bishop of London whose pastoral letter to his priests forbids the use of the new Roman rite in Anglican churches in his diocese. Logically and canonically he says that those not in the Ordinariate are not to use it. So welcome, priests and people, to the Ordinariate! P.S. Will the bishop have a canonical go at the evangelicals as well? How many London evangelical churches have evening prayer according to the Anglican norms, and how many lead such worship in the canonically required vestments?? But no worry. Evangelicals are welcome into the Ordinariate too. Epiphany quiz How many kings are referred to in the account of the Nativity in Saint Matthew’s Gospel? Nil, one, two, or three? Answer: Two. King Herod and Jesus, the King of the Jews. The wise men are not called kings, nor are they numbered as three.