Monthly Archives: January 2012

Participatio actuosa

I have adopted a Latin expression – participatio actuosa – which, without taking the trouble to check, seems to be an expression used in the Vatican II constitution on the liturgy Sacrosanctum Concilium. It concerns the roles of those present … Continue reading

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Victorian Sarum

If anyone still mentions the Use of Sarum nowadays, it is certainly due to the Catholic and liturgical movement in the Church of England during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Most frequently, research into medieval liturgical usage was … Continue reading

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Celtic Christianity

Celtic Christianity falls into two clear categories: historical and modern revival attempts.The Celts are the peoples of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, parts of England and Brittany. The Celtic Church was unique to these peoples, and is reputed to be one of … Continue reading

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Northern Catholicism is not without its critics

I have just been to my letterbox and found two big brown envelopes from Dr William Tighe, that indefatigable scholar from Pennsylvania. He keeps sending me books and articles, and he is obviously someone with whom I would spend a … Continue reading

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How might it be possible to construct a Christian micro-society?

I have always been fascinated by smallness and intimacy, and by the idea of what I might term a Christian micro-society. I am far from being the first to think of it. We have reams about a socio-political theory called … Continue reading

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The Spirit of Reviving Liturgical Rites

The biggest temptation, when proceeding with a practical revival of something like the Use of Sarum, is purism. It is the same aesthetic purism as a recent rebuilding of the famous Cliquot organ in Poitiers Cathedral. Instead of being content … Continue reading

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Odo Casel and Liturgical Theology

Here is another resend of an old Anglo-Catholic posting, which I think is of particular interest to a Platonic way of thinking. * * * What I am going to discuss is the theology of the European Liturgical Movement and … Continue reading

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Jansenism

This is a reposting of an article I wrote quite a long time ago on the Anglo-Catholic. I have little sympathy with any kind of puritanism or “ultra-serious” religion, but I really do understand this  reaction from Counter-Reformation theology and … Continue reading

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The Union of Scranton

This text is taken from the website of the Nordic Catholic Church. As some of you might know, the Polish National Catholic Church, based in Scranton PA in the United States is no longer in communion with the Union of … Continue reading

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The Catholic Movement in German Lutheranism

This essay by the German Lutheran scholar Friedrich Heiler is from a collection I have in my library – Northern Catholicism, centenary studies in the Oxford and parallel movements, edited by N.P. Williams and Charles Harris, London SPCK 1933. This … Continue reading

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