Fr Michael Brown tells us that the last annual Mass will take place at Brinkburn Priory in Northumberland next month on Saturday 9th September at 12 noon. There has been an annual Mass there for 25 years but in their wisdom English Heritage have apparently decided that candles and incense - IN A MONASTERY - are some sort of health and safety risk. What an odd decision! Set aside the fact that Mass has been celebrated there for the last 25 years without burning the place down (let alone that the selfsame Mass was celebrated there for about 400 years before the Protestant revolt) it is precisely what the place was built for! In many heritage properties great lengths are gone to in order to re-create the atmosphere of how the building was originally used to enlighten the minds of the hordes of eager tourists. One might have thought that the celebration of High Mass in a setting created for it would have been a great boon to English Heritage and something they might have encouraged to bring alive the whole meaning of the building.
What a short-sighted decision.
I know of at least one church in my own diocese where smoke detectors have been installed in the church, so incense is definitely out there. Of course, it's a well-known phenomena (and one that I've experienced myself) that even the sight of an unlit thurible brings on coughing fits throughout the church.
Perhaps the offering of incense to the majesty of the Triune God will soon be legislated for in Parliament and become illegal in all public places and those who want to make use of it will have to gather in makeshift shelters by the bins outside church to engage in their filthy habit.
Though, to my mind, that would still be better than the new electronic thuribles now on sale. About as convincing as those cardboard policeman you see outside some supermarkets.
I mean, really, anything fake is just never going to convince anyone, is it?
5 comments:
On a serious note: the overall absence of the Asperges and prayer is most moving abd a great loss, even though only used at solemn and high Masses.
One more step towards Banning/Outlawing Catholicism.
Recently, we had people being prohibited from wearing Crucifixes; we had Traditional Nativity Scenes at Christmas being banned; now, this English Heritage situation.
One wonders how long before statutory prison sentences for indulging in Catholic Masses and harbouring Catholic Priests.
Oh, we've already had that, haven't we !!!
It is also used at a Missa Cantata.
Fr Michael Brown also posted that the 'authorities' were suggesting electric candles. I wonder whether there might also (somewhere) be an electrical thurible with non flammable incense & smoke!1
A well-known phenomenon-singular- surely?
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