Bloggers Expose Matters

The Russian Orthodox Church has admitted it doctored a photograph of Patriarch Kirill on its website to erase his expensive watch, after bloggers highlighted the efforts.

The Telegraph reports:

The picture in question shows the patriarch sitting at a polished wooden table with Russia’s Justice Minister Alexander Konovalov in 2009.

While his wrist appears to be covered with a black tunic, a reflection on the table reveals a fancy watch.

“Employees of the press office’s photo department have made an absurd mistake while working with the photo archive on the website,” a statement circulated by the patriarch’s press service said.

“Why a crude violation of our ethics was committed is something that will be carefully investigated, and the guilty will be severely punished.”

“They have completely lost their minds in the Russian Orthodox Church,” wrote Vadim Petrichenko, a blogger who was the first to find the doctored photo and put it on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening.

The photos were replaced with the original undoctored version Thursday.

Patriarch Kirill’s watch has been a subject of controversy ever since he wore it on a visit to Ukraine in 2009. Perceptive observers identified the model as a Breguet, which costs about 30,000 euros.

The patriarch last week denied that he wears such a watch and called any photo evidence a collage.

The church is currently suffering through a public-relations nightmare…

More here.

I keep saying this: Don’t lie. Be honest. The truth will come out, one way or another… It always does! And it really looks especially bad when leaders in the Church are found out.

 

The Beautiful, Haunting Chant of Holy Thursday

Pange Lingua

Sing, my tongue, the Savior’s glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world’s redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law’s command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
This great Sacrament we hail,
Over ancient forms of worship
Newer rites of grace prevail;
Faith will tell us Christ is present,
When our human senses fail.

To the everlasting Father,
And the Son who made us free
And the Spirit, God proceeding
From them Each eternally,
Be salvation, honor, blessing,
Might and endless majesty.
Amen. Alleluia.

Maundy Thursday

Holy Thursday is also known as “Maundy Thursday.” The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum(commandment) which is the first word of the Gospel acclamation:

Mandátum novum do vobis dicit Dóminus, ut diligátis ínvicem, sicut diléxi vos. “I give you a new commandment: Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)

These are the words spoken by our Lord to His apostles at the Last Supper, after he completed the washing of the feet. We should imitate Christ’s humility in the washing of the feet…

More here.

 

Some More Ordinariate News

Two items that may be of interest to readers of this blog:

1)  The Spanish-language site Infocatolica has an interview with Fr Edwin Barnes. While it is in Spanish here, a translation is over at the Ordinariate Portal here. From it:

- How many priests and laymen are there now in Our Lady of Walsingham’s Ordinariate? Any religious men or women? And how many groups/parishes?

There are some hundred priests and around a thousand lay members, though this number is growing all the time. We have as yet no parishes established, but around fifty Groups either already formed or in formation…

- Has the English Ordinariate received or is it planning to receive any members from the TTAC or other continuing churches?

A Bishop of the Church of England who has led a TAC group is to be ordained later this month. I believe there may be four or five priests who are likely to be ordained after appropriate training. I know of one local TAC congregation most of whose members – about twenty – are to be received this year. They are receiving instruction from a Priest of the Ordinariate (among others)…

Rest here.

2)  The Catholic Herald is reporting that 50 Anglicans left their parish last night to join the Ordinariate.

Led by Fr Ian Grieves, who has served at the Anglican church of St James Darlington for 23 years, 58 Anglicans formally joined the Ordinariate, at the Catholic Church of St Anne, Darlington.

During his homily, Mgr Newton said: “The journey you embarked upon on Ash Wednesday through the days of Lent to your reception into the full communion of the Catholic Church this evening is a model of the whole of your Christian life. It has meant for each of you, in a particular way, leaving behind what has been comfortable and familiar and stepping out in faith,certain in the knowledge that we do so in company of Jesus who prayed the night before he died that his disciples might be one.

“It is a journey that must be total and complete. But like all journeys in the faith it is oneleading to joy and fulfillment”.

Speaking about the importance of Christian unity, and the role of the Ordinariate, Mgr Newton said: “We have prayed and longed for unity but it has been realised in a way we might not have expected. Our prayer has been answered by the Holy Father himself through the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus…

More on that here.

 

The Holy Land, In the Footsteps of Jesus

See this interactive 360-degree virtual Holy Land tour here.

HT

Very, very cool! Awesome.

Have fun.

 

Holy Thursday Mandatum: God is Love and Love is a Verb

Footwashing. Catholic Culture:

As we enter into these three days, the one day, we make this mystery our own. No mere spectators in this Act of Love we become participants. We who bear the name “Christian” are to pick up that basin and towel, to climb upon that Cross and learn to live the Way of Love in service. Our faith and love are to be active and incarnate. Jesus washes his disciples feet, using our hands. We make the mystery real in a world that awaits the fullness of redemption. God is Love and Love is a Verb…

Continue here.

 

Sodom and Gommorah