ragon
THE
P RTAL
November 2018
Page 5
Mind the gap
November musings from Snapdragon
M uch as
one enjoys a wedding, and fond as I am of St George’s and its excellent
choir, there is no doubt that royal weddings are not what they were. At the last but one
coronation when one’s cousins had walk on parts and most of the family was on parade it was
undoubtedly an imperial occasion.
The 1947 wedding of Princess
Elizabeth and Prince Philip was
all of that and the dressing up was
terrifically good fun. I got the third
best tiara being the younger girl but
it was still a state affair on stilts. Even
the Prince of Wales’ effort first time round in 1981 was
quite grand. This time, despite one’s fondness for the
youngsters, it really seemed like a Hello photo shoot.
Part of the trouble may be that the Sussex affair wasn’t
really a wedding in the usual sense of the word, what
with her not being free to marry and the two Ronnies
preaching and presiding.
been made a bishop in the arch-diocese of Melbourne.
The Rt Revd Kate Prowd is now a suffragan in the same
diocese in which her brother is amongst other things
a parish priest. In itself that would be news: clearly
since women can’t be ordained at all there aren’t any
examples of brothers and sisters being on the bench
of bishops at the same time anywhere, let alone in
Australia, so this is clearly a first.
What really made me sit up was the suggestion that
not only did he attend what he must have thought of
in one sense as an impossible occasion but that he gave
her his own pectoral cross. That I did think strange
until I realised that their parents gave it to him when
he was consecrated 25 years ago. Families work their
magic in very odd ways and old certainties become,
well, less certain. So unlike that nice young man in
well cut clothes who used to scamper round London
and the Home Counties all those years ago being so
very catholic and very sure.
The second one featuring Princess Eugenie and her
night club owner had all the right elements, bride,
groom and carriages, but was flatter in its own way
than the Fens. The guest lists in 1948 had their fair
share of those who had to be asked but at least they
were privy councillors and heads of government as well
as family, and family servants. Today the obligations
The news from China, that the benevolent regime
seem to extend to one’s hairdresser and a number of
well known do gooders. That reduces the sense of joy has been investing in prisons, or educational facilities
as they describe them, in which to put thousands of
and the buzz was noticeably different.
Uighur Muslims living in the province of Xinjiang
We’ve been in Northumberland this month clearing ought to give us all pause for thought. That is the same
things out for the winter before the migration south. government with which the Holy See has cut a deal to
The weather has been stunning and the traces of frost ensure a united catholic church in China on terms that
on the bottoms before the sun gets up beats anything the communists can nominate the bishops. I do hope
on offer anywhere in the world. Grouse and partridge that this turns out to be a good idea.
are all very well in their own way but it’s the glories of
The sainted editor of this mighty organ has warned his
creation that I find myself shouting about. Dew and
sunlight on webs just does it for me. The latest, just contributors that much is to be made in this issue of the
presentable, great grandchild has taken to collecting meeting of the Ordinaries in London and Walsingham
ladybirds in a matchbox and tipping them into any in October. I’m sure much good, holy and practical
available coat pocket. That seems to me perfectly stuff came out of it, but am I alone in thinking that I’ve
acceptable but I’m not sure that adding them to never had a decent meal in Walsingham these past 75
the soup was such a good idea. Not that I care, but years? Perhaps I’m missing the point of these meetings
I gather vegans object to that sort of thing. Slightly but imagine the effect of those three if they really
bitter and over crunchy on the tooth was the verdict moved catering up the agenda. Pilgrims would come
flooding in, stay longer and leave even happier than
of one and all.
they do now. What a tremendous boost for practical
News in a distant way reaches me from the nether Christianity and for our own beloved Ordinariate if we
reaches of Australia where I gather the sister of the could all sit down to really excellent meals together.
former bishop of Horsham, Lindsay Urwin OGS, has After all the family that eats together stays together.