FT?

The Financial Times, no less.

SEARCHING FOR THE ARCHBISHOP (15); Re: "We should perhaps think of how we have contributed to the crisis"; Mass of Chrism 2016; Notes #17

Advice: this standalone topical post is not a sequential part of our ongoing sub-set (Link 12.1, Link 12.2, Link 12.3.1, Link 12.3.2) – concentrating on the issue of His Grace and the matter of women priests – which forms part of our bigger Series "Searching for the Archbishop...". However, it does touch on related issues. We are also well aware of what dread day this is in the Franciscan papacy; you may find our un-connected post quite apt    

It has been interesting to note the positive reception, notably in certain Traditional quarters also, of the homily given by His Grace The Most Rev. Archbishop Malcolm McMahon OP, ninth Archbishop of Liverpool, at the recent Solemn Mass of Chrism on Maundy Thursday at the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Indeed there was much about it to commend. So we do.

Incidentally, as usual we are unable to show specific photographs of the Mass due to the archdiocesan media policy not to directly share images; never mind. However we can Flickr-link to the whole album as shared on Twitter [and as embedded in the Twitter grab image above].

Also, in passing, we note that the Mass was attended by the two most senior clerics from those Traditional priestly orders with ministry in or around this territory. Pictures show the procession featuring: Fr Armand de Malleray (foreground in this photo link – shown in cassock and surplice but with maniple which, amid the liturgical chaos of the Novus Ordo, especially that at our local Mother Church, at least served to symbolise, on that day of all days, the dignity of his priestly toil and labours and thus distinguishing him from the so-called "altar girls" processing immediately behind him in all but the same garb), who is Superior of the FSSP-England Apostolate (Priestly Fraternity of St Peter) who have responsibility for the fully Traditional church of St Mary, Warrington, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool; also Canon Amaury Montjean (midground in this photo link - the darker-haired of the only two priests seen in ordinary modern chasuble, i.e. not the frankly awful "rainbow wear" of the "Liverpool Diocesan Vestment" first introduced by His Grace at last year's Chrism Mass), who is Rector of the fully Traditional shrine church of St Peter & Paul and Philomena, New Brighton, overseen by the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for the Diocese of Shrewsbury. We pray that the presence of Fr de Malleray and Cn Montjean may have afforded a passing opportunity to convey a few helpful - but always subtle, of course! - ars celebrandi suggestions to the cathedral's liturgy team.

Anyway, back to His Grace's homily. We were struck by the following: "...the sacrament by which Jesus absolves us through his priests from our sins is poorly appreciated in our days. In most of the parishes in the Western world the Communion queues are long while the Confession queues are short or do not exist at all. The confessional is sometimes called the 'loneliest place in the Church'. This looks like a crisis. We should perhaps think of how we have contributed to the crisis."

Well, yes.