The Year of Who? You? Who Knew? (updated: 15/12/15)

Apologies. We just couldn't resist!

You know, just for a moment, we genuinely thought that the Church of Pope Francis had finally gone into super-turbo-charged anthropocentricity...and perhaps you can forgive us for fearing that an inevitably humanist end-point had finally been reached.

But, phew, we now see that it's just the most deliciously ironic "Year of Mercy" graphic design blooper on our archdiocesan website.

That's all it is, isn't it?

Yeah, of course it is.

Isn't it?

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (10) - Re: The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy 2015/16; His Grace's pointed signal to the Archdiocese; limited remarks only; Notes #11

Leaving aside the significant reservations that we – and many across the Traditional Catholic world (e.g. this from Rorate Caeli) – have concerning the "Year of Mercy", which began on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception last week, we wish to place on record the measured, succinct and very pastoral words of His Grace The Archbishop to mark the start of this extraordinary jubilee.

The Prayer for the Jews - Re. their Lordships' belief that it needs to be "reviewed" (yet again!); the telling contradictory views, beyond the grave, of one of C20th England's staunchest Catholic liberals

“Pope John gave us an indication of his own frame of mind on the subject when he had the formula praying for the 'perfidious Jews' removed from the Easter liturgy. Since then the Jews have been prayed for in the same manner as everybody else and without any insulting adjectives.”
– Norman St John-Stevas

We offer a different – probably unique – though very illuminating and contemporaneous perspective on the petty nonsense peddled by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales late last month, who effectively called for the abolition of the already thrice revised Prayer for the Jews (last re-written in 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI), as currently used in the Extraordinary Form (EF) of the Solemn Good Friday liturgy (per the 1962 Missal of Pope St John XXIII), and presumably for it to be replaced by that currently used in the Ordinary Form (OF) liturgy (per the 1970 Missal of Blessed Pope Paul VI).

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (9) - Re: Pastoral Letter, Advent, 2015; limited remarks only; Notes #10

The underscored emphases are ours.

"What does the Jubilee of Mercy have to do with our preparations for ‘the coming of Jesus’? Well, let us think what happened to the world at the first Christmas. We say it at Mass every Sunday: the Son of God "was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man"; in the Apostles' Creed it is simpler: Jesus Christ was "born of the Virgin Mary". It does no harm to let that sink in, because it is astonishing to claim that God "shared our human nature" (Eucharistic Prayer IV). God can seem so far from our daily life, but he could not have come closer to us than by becoming one of us."

– Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon OP Archbishop of Liverpool; Pastoral Letter for the Second Sunday of Advent, 2015

–

We refer readers back to the first, and what we believe was one of the most telling, posts we have published thus far in our year-long and ongoing "search". A far from insignificant instance.

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (8.2) - Re: His Grace's Men - those invited to mark this archdiocese's formal commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Second Vatican Council; on the eve of the arrival of the FSSP at Warrington; Notes #9

PREAMBLE

A lengthy scrutiny, which we'd like to have written in just 15 words:

Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP should not have been 

invited to speak in this archdiocese last week.

Sadly, we have to go to the lengths and methods below to demonstrate why.

Because, for whatever reason, it seems so patently beyond the grasp of so many.

Much further down in this post, we're going to include a deliberately de-activated web-link to an online source which provides information of the gravest, most shocking and most eye-opening kind imaginable. We cannot overstate that enough.

The facts conveyed by this respected (by British society at large, not us) web-source – which also enjoys the backing of the UK Government and the considerable largesse of both the British public and some of its most renowned charities, and probably the sympathy and support of many, apparently practising, Catholics in this land – are so telling and revealing that we'd rather you didn't avail yourselves of the detail therein. We'll let you know when we post it; so that you can bypass it.

Eh?

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (8.1) - Re: His Grace's Men - those invited to mark this archdiocese's formal commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Second Vatican Council; on the eve of the arrival of the FSSP at Warrington; Notes #8

The first of two posts.

About that archdiocesan conference (emphasis) scheduled to be held in this territory last weekend, which had to be cancelled because not enough people were interested: Vatican II and the Church today - A weekend exploring the continuing impact of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council in the life and mission of both the local and global Church: 

But first some quotes – taken from their considerable spoken-word archives – from two of the major speakers (pictured above) invited by His Grace The Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, to address the conference-that-never-was.

"We must accompany them [those with same sex attraction - our terminology] as they discern what this means, letting our images be stretched open ... this means watching 'Brokeback Mountain,' reading gay novels, living with our gay friends and listening with them as they listen to the Lord."
- Fr Timothy Radcliffe, 2006  

"If we want to abandon Gaudium et Spes, we must be ready to abandon every word of joy and hope that the Church has to say to this world."
- Prof. Massimo Faggioli, 2012

"My Jihad - moving, beautiful, emotional and instructive"

Screengrab (below) taken from an online version of a major Liverpool archdiocesan "parish cluster" newsletter (i.e. an amalgamation of several parishes) - July 2015.

We have amended nought, save for blocking-out the name of the parish priest, a man of very significant influence in this archdiocese. Yes, a Catholic parish priest wrote the words above.

Well, then?

We quote (but they underline):

–

Vatican II and the Church today

A weekend exploring the continuing impact of the teaching of the Second Vatican Council in the life and mission of both the local and global Church

The organising committee is sorry to inform you that the conference has had to be cancelled. This is due to insufficient delegate numbers having booked to justify bringing the planned speakers to Liverpool. I am sure that you will share our disappointment that it will no longer be possible for us all to benefit from the wisdom and conversation that was planned for this conference. Refunds to those who have booked will be made from the source that you made your purchase.

_

There is a Twitter feed (with its seven "followers" - at least one of whom was a Trad-mole, ahem) that you can follow. However, at 5.45am it really wasn't saying much. Maybe after breakfast?

For the record: understood - the new concept of 'parish'; limited remarks only

To be filed under: 'space watching'.

-

"In recent years, through the revised Code of Canon Law (1983) and Church and papal documents — more particularly among these Christifideles Laici (1988) — new perspectives of what 'parish' is are emerging. A parish is now being seen not primarily as a territory within defined geographical borders but as people, community, and Eucharistic community. Wherever people come from geographically, gathered in the Eucharist they are ‘parish’, a worshipping community."

THE RT REV. MALCOLM McMAHON,  BISHOP OF NOTTINGHAM, 2012; FOREWORD - DIOCESE OF NOTTINGHAM COMMISSION FOR EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION HANDBOOK 2012

_________

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (7) - Re: One Year Ago This Week; episcopal welcome to the Archdiocese for the dissenting ACTA group; call to find "new pathways to dialogue"; limited remarks only; Notes #7

A timely reminder that exactly one year ago to the week, this happened (all in bold below we quote directly from the ACTA - A Call to Action website). We would make one remark at this juncture (n.b. ahead of a very busy post-Synodal autumn in this Archdiocese): it's Gospel.

Eight Months into 2015 – State of the Disunion Address; Re (amongst other things): attitudes towards abuses of the Blessed Sacrament; and broader matters "in light of recent events"

If we're correct in assuming that our local Ordinary – His Grace, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon OP – was fully consulted about (as he should have been) and then approved the recently televised, radio-broadcasted and cyber-relayed liturgical scandals, Eucharistic abuses and sacrileges that occurred in these parts, all of which can objectively be proven by video evidence, then it's perhaps appropriate to now revisit footage of another event held earlier this year.

We refer to the publicly available recording of a gathering, as publicised in early summer on Liverpolitanus, which had been held in February 2015 far from this archdiocese. On the west coast of the USA, in fact. We chose not to comment fully about the footage at that time. Rather, we felt that the actions purposefully caught on camera – indeed promoted on YouTube for worldwide witness, no less, presumably with some intent towards "evangelisation" – were best left to speak for themselves.

For a while.

Who it's all about...Re: the "Requiem Mass" for Priscilla Maria Veronica Willis OBE (aka "Cilla Black" - the UK celebrity singer and TV star) at the Catholic church of St Mary, Woolton, Liverpool - August 20th, 2015 (#3); Scrutiny

This third post on the subject follows our previous two here (1) and here (2). The posts should be considered as a set.

The "Order of Service" produced for Cilla Black's funeral (a BBC link to the document is here) is all that's needed to prove that a potential public scandal and Eucharistic sacrilege lay in wait. Many alert Catholics saw it coming a mile off. We did. The team at Torch of the Faith can even provide documentary evidence (provably published just two hours prior to the funeral) that they did.

If lay people were switched-on enough to the dangers, you'd expect that a permanent deacon, two priests and an auxiliary bishop – i.e. the four-hand clerical team that celebrated the funeral –  were equally so. Either that quartet knew the clear risks, or they didn't. Simple as that. If they didn't, then serious questions should be asked about the extent of their prudent involvement in the preparation of a very public funeral broadcast live in the UK on TV, radio and the Internet – the latter also having a global reach; nothing, absolutely nothing, should have been left to chance, misinterpretation, or ambiguity. If, however, they did know of the possible perils (far more likely), then more serious questions must be asked about why they didn't take firm, preventative action.

Who it's all about...Re: the "Requiem Mass" for Priscilla Maria Veronica Willis OBE (aka "Cilla Black" - the UK celebrity singer and TV star) at the Catholic church of St Mary, Woolton, Liverpool - August 20th, 2015 (#2); Preamble

* This post – the second concerning the subject of the funeral of Cilla Black – is a preamble piece, ahead of a third, necessarily punctilious, scrutiny which we intend to publish in the next 24 hours. These matters are being aired and published contemporaneously "for the record".

We are hugely indebted to the Torch of the Faith team – also based in the Archdiocese of Liverpool – for flagging-up the biggest of the scandals, among many, perpetrated at last Thursday's bewildering and depressing funeral "Mass" for Cilla Black. See our first post on the subject.

It had been anticipated – and strongly suspected in the aftermath – that such a conspicuously heterodox, worldly and irreverent event would inevitably provide the wicked (yes) platform for open public scandal and sacrilege to especially occur during the distribution of Holy Communion.

And so it was.

This is not using the benefit of hindsight, as we'll go on to prove.

What's it all about...? Re: the "Requiem Mass" for Priscilla Maria Veronica Willis OBE (aka "Cilla Black" - the UK celebrity singer and TV star) at the Catholic church of St Mary, Woolton, Liverpool - August 20th, 2015 (#1)

At the time of writing, the Archdiocese of Liverpool website is highlighting (as shown above), a link to an important briefing paper ("Assessing the evidence on Assisted Suicide") produced just three days ago by the English and Welsh Catholic bishops, ahead of the UK MPs' debate in the House of Commons, 20 days from now, about a bill which seeks to enshrine in British law the legal right to "enable competent adults who are terminally ill to choose to be provided with medically supervised assistance to end their own life; and for connected purposes".

The primary aim of the bishops' short document is actually to refer readers onwards to another work: a study produced by the Anscombe Bioethics Centre ("Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia: A Guide to the Evidence") which comprehensively nails the lie that this murderous campaign (heavily backed by the UK media and assorted UK celebrities, incidentally) is founded upon "mercy". Moreover, it asserts that its anti-success, if given Royal Assent, would only serve to "undermine key principles of law, medical ethics and palliative care". 

Offering eight reasons not to legalise Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS), it is the fourth in a sobering list provided by the Anscombe team which forms the bedrock case: 

Legalising PAS would undermine a foundational principle of law and justice. All human beings possess, in virtue of our common humanity, an equal and intrinsic dignity. It is contrary to justice and human solidarity intentionally to kill an innocent human being (that is, someone not engaged in unjust aggression).

Whilst rightly highlighting the links to this hugely impressive, incredibly clear and ultra-urgent document, the Archdiocesan website also directs readers to coverage of the high-profile funeral celebrated yesterday by the Auxiliary Bishop in one of the city of Liverpool's most famous Catholic churches – which was also broadcast live to millions across the UK on TV, radio and the Internet – of a soul who scandalised many of her fellow baptised Catholics by publicly proclaiming her support for assisted suicide and especially the Dignitas euthanasia clinic in Switzerland.

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (6) - Re: "Foreword" (2010) written for Dominican Lay Missal (Leicester - Ordinary Form of Mass, in Latin); concerning the use of Latin and vernacular language, Gregorian Chant, orientation of worship, and the document Sacramentum Caritatis; limited remarks only; Notes #6

We thought it timely to re-publicise the following. It's the beautifully inspiring "foreword" (provided in full below) written by His Grace The Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon OP, ninth Archbishop of Liverpool, in 2010 (when he was still Bishop of Nottingham), for a lay missal – Missale – produced by his fellow Dominicans, for use at Mass in the Ordinary Form (Novus Ordo - aka The Mass of Paul VI) celebrated in Latin at Holy Cross Priory, Leicester.

We say "re-publicise" only in the sense of acknowledging that it was the estimable blog of Fr Simon Henry – Offerimus Tibi Domine – which originally heralded (in 2011) the fine words of His Grace which were penned a year earlier, a full four years before he was appointed at Liverpool and back when there were still three years of H.H. Pope Benedict's XVI's papacy remaining.

From the "Catholic Who's Who & Year Book 1915" - excerpts from: "The Catholic Year" (January to November 1914: January - Concluding Post #2)

St John the Evangelist by Paolo Veronese (sacristy of San Sebastiano, Venice -
one of four ceiling depictions of the Evangelists); shown here in memory of His Grace,
the Most Rev. John McIntyre D.D. (d. 1935) second Archbishop of Birmingham
(as featured in the post below) whose commentary on the Gospel of St John is
a forgotten true treasure of the early C20th English and Welsh Catholic Church   

Continuing our series of excerpts from the Catholic Who's Who & Year Book 1915; specifically to finalise our two-part reproduction of the retrospective entry for the month of January 1914 in the section of the publication entitled "The Catholic Year".

We hope to complete reproduction of the entries for the remaining months of 1914 prior to the end of 2015.

As per previous posts in this series, we have sought to offer – via links and other references – as much background information to the transcribed entries (provided verbatim) as we can.

This has been especially so – and most satisfyingly, too – in this instalment regarding the joyful research of the memory of His Grace, Most Rev. John McIntyre D.D., (1855-1935), the second Archbishop of Birmingham (1921-28) who the reader will soon recognise as a true giant of the Church in England and Wales in the early 20th century and the very late years of the 19th.

Alas we were unable to locate an image for His Grace (we would be grateful if any of our readers – we've gained a fair few! – could point us in the direction of one). However, as shown, we have very aptly illustrated this post with an artistic depiction of St John the Evangelist, for among Dr McIntyre's canon of superior writings, his magnum opus was surely his Commentary on the Gospel of St John (which we link to below).

As to why we are reproducing these entries: see here

Without further delay, then, we start the short but magnificently rich remainder of the Year Book entry recounting January 1914 (the first entry for that month can be found here):

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (5) - Re: Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (LAREC) "liturgies" 2013, 14 and 15; including "Didgeridoo Mass"; YouTube and photos; limited remarks only; Notes #5

His Grace, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon OP, the ninth Archbishop of Liverpool, is a devotee of LAREC having attended its annual event eight times as guest speaker and concelebrant (2004, 05, 06, 07, 11, 13, 14 and 15). We include links (at the foot of this post) to the official YouTube footage of the 2015 (the so-called "Australian Culture Liturgy" - aka the "Didgeridoo Mass" - screen grab above), 2014 and 2013 major "liturgies" – as per the LAREC schedules for those years.

Amongst its "liturgical" offerings, LAREC now boasts "Masses" and other "services" described as: Black, Celtic, “From the Islands”, Spanish, Vietnamese, Jazz, Urban Fusion, Young Adult and Australian.

Remember, that it is the Extraordinary Form of Mass (aka the Usus Antiquior, the Vetus Ordo, the Traditional Latin Mass, the Tridentine Mass, the Mass of Ages, the Old Rite Mass etc.) that is considered to be "divisive".

You are encouraged to watch as much of the following as you can. If you can't quite stomach the contents, then you should ask yourself why – and moreover ask yourself who could possibly endure such an event (footage of which is freely available on the Internet as part of the LAREC evangelisation programme)? We would also draw attention to the comments underneath the YouTube videos (double clicking the YouTube link at the foot of the video takes you directly to the YouTube site - we're not precious about you leaving this site in order to do so).

At the very least, we would ask you to start watching the "Australian Culture Liturgy" (again, that's the "Didgeridoo Mass") from the start and as far into it as you're able to.

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (4) - Re: "I would like to see it developed"; BBC Radio 4 interview, May 4th, 2014, with Edward Stourton; fuller transcript, without additional commentary: Notes #4

Three days after his enthronement as Archbishop of Liverpool, in May 2014, His Grace, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon, was interviewed by the broadcaster and journalist, Edward Stourton, a known Catholic progressive. Amongst other things, the pair spoke about the, then forthcoming, Synod on the Family due to take place at the Vatican in October 2014 and their expectations of the event. Stourton exhibited a received knowledge that His Grace had already expressed a view that he was "expecting great things" from the Synod. This undoubtedly referred to an interview His Grace had given, whilst he was still Archbishop-designate of Liverpool, several weeks earlier, to the liberal, London-based, weekly Catholic news magazine, The Tablet, of which Stourton is a trustee. The Archbishop did not challenge Stourton's assertion regarding the attributable "expecting great things" quote. The blog The Sensible Bond, provided a good commentary at the time on certain salient extracts from His Grace's interview with Stourton and for good measure offered some (admittedly unsupportable) insights into what may have been the background process behind the appointment of His Grace as the ninth Archbishop of Liverpool.

At time of writing, the interview is still available on BBC iPlayer: 

His Grace features from 36 mins 25 seconds.

Without further commentary from Liverpolitanus, we provide a fuller transcript of the discussion as it pertains to Church matters (part of the conversation referring to the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, and the ongoing inquests into the same, has not been included).

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (3) - Re: Invitation to the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter to the Archdiocese: Notes #3

As alluded to in a post last month, an anticipated slice of good news – for those attached to the Usus Antiquior in the Archdiocese of Liverpool – seems to have arrived.

His Grace The Archbishop of Liverpool, Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon, has invited into the Archdiocese the Priestly Fraternity of St Peter (FSSP) – a Traditionalist Catholic clerical Society of Apostolic Life, enjoying Pontifical Right, canonically established by Pope St. John Paul II in the tumultuous summer of 1988 under the papal motu proprio Ecclesia Dei adflicta.

From the "Catholic Who's Who & Year Book 1915" - editor's "Preface", by Sir Francis Cowley Burnand

Continuing our series of excerpts from the century-old Year Book and to specifically complement our earlier posts (here and here) with pointed reference to the unfolding early events of World War I.

Some brief notes:

- A future post will deal more expansively with the passing in 1914, as remarked upon below by Sir Francis, of Mgr Robert Hugh Benson, the priestly author, whose considerable literary legacy is still widely appreciated today, not least through the strong impression that at least one of his works (Lord of the World) has made upon both the reigning pontiff, His Holiness Pope Francis, and his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.

- We would also draw attention to the editor's reference to this "most troublous time" in connection, clearly, with the outbreak of World War I in the latter part of that year, a comment of his which informed our earlier post, concerning the surely tasking final months of the production period of the 1915 Year Book. Again, what Sir Francis and Co. achieved in those final stages of 1914, when producing the 1915 volume, should not go unrecognised - even a century later. For who knows how many fallen souls from the early weeks of World War I benefited from the prayers directly prompted by having their names listed in the 1915 Year Book so shortly after their deaths!

Let it continue to be so. And let us continue to pray for – and indeed to, as the case may be! – the souls of all those who are duly name-checked below.

Requiescant in pace.

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (2) - Re: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King - Altar Girls (lots)...and Boys (not lots!) back in cassocks and surplices: Notes #2

Strange being almost at the midsummer point of the year and still reporting on the winter – but, as stated, we've had a delay in proceedings.

Anyway, to add to our earlier report of His Grace The Archbishop, the Most Rev. Malcolm McMahon, "genuflecting in the right direction" during the sung Latin Credo of the 2014 (Novus Ordo) Midnight Mass of the Nativity at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, we'll record another positive word about the suddenly improved attire of the regular altar servers at our mother church (albeit a seemingly endless array of girls and the token-presences of clearly bossed-about young boys).

You can find representative images of the cathedral's altar serving team via the following photo link (taken at the 2015 Mass of the Lord's Supper on Maundy Thursday):

https://www.flickr.com/photos/liverpoolcatholic/16468454083/in/album-72157651436631289/

We'd show one here but the photo "sharing" facility within the "Liverpool Catholic" account has been disabled.

From the "Catholic Who's Who & Year Book 1915" - full list of the "Roll of Honour" (56 names); (Deaths, Aug. 23 - Nov. 26, 1914)

The Last General Absolution of the Munsters at Rue du Bois by Fortunino Matania depicting Fr Francis Gleeson, British Army Chaplain (mounted, foreground) on the eve of the Battle of Aubers Ridge, May 1915.

We had hoped to publish this list in January. Better late than never, of course, especially concerning prayers for the lost souls of World War I in these commemorative centenary years.

As already adverted to, Liverpolitanus, as well as being a monitor of events in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, England – particularly concerning the local cause of the restoration of Catholic Tradition and the struggle against the rampant Modernism blighting this part of one of the true original heartlands of English Catholicism – is a blog that will be rich on Catholic history (we have some great and rare resources readily available to draw upon).

One such jewel is our collection of volumes of the "Catholic Who's Who and Year Book".

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (1) - Re: Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King - Midnight (Novus Ordo) Mass (Nativity of the Lord) 2014: Notes #1

As previously stated, if Liverpolitanus is to chronicle the seemingly endless effects of the unrestrained Modernism that has run like poison through the Archdiocese of Liverpool for over 50 years – and to specifically monitor developments from now onwards – it will also look, in charity, and in the interests of unity, for any positives.

However small.

This very post, therefore, is to record one such instance. It came as a welcome surprise and perhaps also an eye-opener for anyone who witnessed the fleeting moment that occurred in the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral early on December 25th, 2014 (our bet is that not many did - and that not too many others have been made aware of it).

But first some context.

"Normal" service resumed

Best laid plans.

This blog started on January 1st, 2015 and then abruptly appeared to cease on the very same day.

Unforeseen circumstances interrupted.

Happily the roadblock is now clear and Liverpolitanus can return - five and a half months later.

Many thanks to those who – perhaps intrigued, or perhaps just stumbling on this parish by accident – have passed by this way since January.

Stay with us.

From the "Catholic Who's Who & Year Book 1915" - excerpts from: "The Catholic Year" (January to November 1914: January - Post #1); and "The Roll of Honour" (UPDATED - June 19, 2015)

Oh for the foresight to have started these posts a year ago today.

Still, here we are, on the first day of 2015 aptly recording excerpts from the 1915 "Catholic Who's Who & Year Book" (Burns & Oates; Edited by Sir F. C. Burnand; 3/6 NET) – but naturally recounting aspects from 1914, as per the publication itself.

Why are we doing this? Well, simply because we're blessed with immediate access to these treasured Year Book volumes – and it is not only good to breathe a little digital-life back into such rare titles, but also, we hope, it will prove a small web-service for those interested in the Catholic history and heritage of our lands over the last century. Also, what more fitting time to start this series than during these years commemorating the centenary of World War I (an atrocity which, inevitably, features prominently in the Catholic Who's Who & Year Book volumes of that period)? Moreover, we would hope that as we episodically highlight the names of those who populated our Catholic sanctuaries and pews 100 years ago that prayers will be offered aplenty for their souls.  

So, without further ado, verbatim, we start from the first line of the first entry of the 1915 Year Book's annual diary section entitled "The Catholic Year" looking back on 1914:

Those pictures there...on the background

They represent what Liverpolitanus will hopefully reflect. This substantial initial post, therefore, can fulfil this blog's "About" section.

First things first, a description of the events they depict:

The sepia image is from newsreel footage of the 1934 Corpus Christi procession on the site of the, then unbuilt, Metropolitan Cathedral in the centre of Liverpool, England. It's the see at the heart of the Archdiocese and Ecclesiastical Province of Liverpool (founded in 1850 under H.H. Pope Pius IX's bull Universalis Ecclesiae), which covers much of north west England along the Irish Sea coastline, and the Isle of Man.

The colour image shows "Liturgical Dance". It's from Gloria TV's footage of the hosting, in January 2013, of the relics of St John Bosco inside the, then 46-year-old, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

It may not seem so, but both images depict events, 77 years apart, on the very same spot.

However, as even an untrained eye may see, it's not just a near eight decade gap and the existence of walls and a roof that distinguishes the contrasting worlds of these images.