January 1 is a Holy Day of Obligation

Just a reminder that the New Year's Day (Octave of Christmas and Feast of the Holy Mother of God) is a Holy Day of Obligation binding on all Catholics.

Formerly January 1st was the "Circumcision of our Lord" but this was changed by His Holiness John XXIII. I like the old title, since Christ would have been circumcised on the eighth day after his nativity--January 1 is the eighth day after Christmas. For this reason, the Gospel lesson tells of the Circumcision. Mystically speaking, the circumcision of Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Law and the "down payment" of His passion and death.

Click here for an explanation of Catholic Holy Days of Obligation: Holy Days of Obligation (Explained).

Happy Memorial of St Thomas Becket!

A blog entitled "Canterbury Tales" wouldn't be worth its salt if it didn't remind everyone that today is the memorial of Saint Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr.

Born in London ca. 1118, Thomas Becket later became the chancellor to King Henry II. In 1162, Becket became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Thomas went from being a follower of hounds to a shepherd of souls. His apostolic zeal put him at odds with his old friend and patron King Henry II who had issued the Constitutions of Clarendon as a means to tax the Church, make appointments, try the clergy, and undermine papal authority. Becket opposed Henry II and was force to seek refuge in France for six years. When he returned, he was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral by agents of the Henry II.

He stands as an advocate for the rights of the papacy and as a patron against the audacious claim of the English throne.

Why do bishops place a cross before their names?

You may have noticed that bishops sometimes place a small cross before their names (e.g. + John Gilroy or +JHG).

Why is this?

The custom derives from the era when medieval bishops would humbly sign their names by prefixing the title "Sinner" or "Sinful Servant". So Anselm of Canterbury might sign his letters in this way:

Your Sinful Servant,
Anselm

The cross prefix is merely a symbol of one being a "sinner" - that is one in need of the redeeming cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas

Gaudete! Gaudete! Christus est natus ex Maria Virgine! Gaudete!

Praying that you and your famillies have a wonderful Christmas over the next twelve days.

Merry Christmas to all,
Taylor Marshall

P.S. Below is a picture of the cave in Bethlehem where the Son of God was born of Mary:

Don't Forget to Watch the Pope's Christmas Mass

The Holy Father's midnight Mass for Christmas is rumored to be incredibly POD, that's "Pious and Overly Devotional" for readers new to this blog. It will be televised on EWTN at 6pm with an encore presentation later tonight.

I've read that the Holy Father will be restoring some of the from the good old days. Apparently our pontiff was rummaging around in the papal attic and found some devotional items from years gone by - something about a special "papal throne". I don't pretend to know what that is, but it sounds cool.

The Role of England's Prime Minister in the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury

Tony Blair stated that one of the reason's he delayed converting to the Catholic Church was that he as Prime Minister was responsible for ecclesiastical affairs in the Church of England.

Most Americans don't know it, but the Prime Minister does play a key role in the appointment of the highest office holder in the Church of England: the Archepiscopus Cantuar or the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the highest ranking bishop in England and serves as the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion.

[Incidentally, the url for this blog: www.cantuar.blogspot.com comes from this Latin word for "Canterbury". The archdiocese of Canterbury holds the historic primacy in England because it was the first diocese established by Rome on English soil (AD 597). Thus, Canterbury is the first "papal" diocese of England and holds the honor of primus inter pares. The diocese ceased to remain in communion and the Papacy when Henry VIII entered into schism.]

Here is how the Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed:

The Crown Nomination Commission sends the names of two potential candidates to the desk of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister selects one of the candidates and informs the King/Queen of his choice.

Then things become a bit amusing. The Queen formally nominates the candidate chosen by the Prime Minister. Next, the College of Canons meets together and formally "votes" to "elect" the candidate to be the Archbishop of Canterbury, even though the decision has been decided already by the Prime Minister and confirmed by the monarch. Ralph Waldo Emerson described the process in this way:

"The King sends the Dean and Canons a congé d'élire, or leave to elect, but also sends them the name of the person whom they are to elect. They go into the Cathedral, chant and pray; and after these invocations invariably find that the dictates of the Holy Ghost agree with the recommendation of the King."

Ralph Waldo Emerson, English Traits, XIII, 1856

So the Anglicans have Tony Blair to thank for Rowan Williams...

Welcome Home Tony Blair!

Tony Blair is now a bona fide Papist.

God save the Queen. Long live the Pope!

Full story from the London Times.

Hat tip to Mark Adams.

St Paul's Outside the Walls becomes St Paul's Without the Walls

The archpriest of the Roman Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls is opening an "ecumenical chapel" in the basilica's baptistery so that "non-Catholic Christian communities [can] come and pray at the basilica and celebrate liturgy". I find this upsetting. It reminds me of the Episcopal Church of St. John the Divine in New York. They have chapels for "special groups" and it rubs me the wrong way.

I do not have a problem with non-Catholic Christians praying in Catholic churches. However, I do have a problem with granting them liturgical space to celebrate rites that visibly demonstrate our disunity with one another. Liturgical space is sacred and celebrating side-by-side borders on communio in sacris.

That's just my opinion. Any others care to opine? Full article below from Zenit.org:

ROME, DEC. 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- An ecumenical chapel at St. Paul's Outside the Walls is one of the first initiatives of the upcoming Pauline year.Cardinal Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, archpriest of the papal basilica, announced plans for the chapel in an interview with L'Osservatore Romano.

The chapel will offer "the possibility for non-Catholic Christian communities to come and pray at the basilica and to celebrate liturgy," he said. It will be placed in a Greek-design baptistery, which was remodeled in the early 20th century.

"The altar, restored, will be one we found and removed during the recent excavations near the tomb of Paul, which have made the tomb visible to pilgrims," the cardinal explained.

On Monday, Cardinal Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo presented Benedict XVI with a program of the Pauline Year, to be celebrated from June 28, 2008, to June 29, 2009.

The Best 12 Days of Christmas Ever

This is the best version of the Twelve Days of Christmas I've ever heard. You'll laugh. Watch the video above - performed by Straight No Chaser.

Rome and the Orthodox

For those who are interested, I've linked the full text of the "Ravenna Document" that was issued by the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.

This document signals the re-engagement of ecumenical dialog that briefly progressed under the pontificate of Pope Paul VI. Unfortunately, the fall of the Soviet Union and the presence of a Slav on the Chair of Peter put things on ice. The Ravenna Documents proves that things have thawed and relations are warming. (However, the Russian Orthodox took their ball and went home.)

I found paragraph 45 especially interesting:

45. It remains for the question of the role of the bishop of Rome in the communion of all the Churches to be studied in greater depth. What is the specific function of the bishop of the “first see” in an ecclesiology of koinonia and in view of what we have said on conciliarity and authority in the present text? How should the teaching of the first and second Vatican councils on the universal primacy be understood and lived in the light of the ecclesial practice of the first millennium? These are crucial questions for our dialogue and for our hopes of restoring full communion between us.

Full text of the "Ravenna Document" or ECCLESIAL COMMUNION, CONCILIARITY AND AUTHORITY.

John Milton on Effeminacy

John Milton's forth an interesting theory of effeminacy in his Paradise Regain'd. Satan tempts Christ in the wilderness to seize the Roman title of Emperor and rule the world. Christ rebuffs him, of course, and then lists the vices of Rome. Around line 140 in Book IV, Christ says:

Of triumph that insulting vanity;
Then cruel, by thir sports to blood enur'd
Of fighting beasts, and men to beasts expos'd,
Luxurious by thir wealth, and greedier still,
And from the daily Scene effeminate.
What wise and valiant man would seek to free
These thus degenerate, by themselves enslav'd,

Here, the gladitorial games are said to be a "scene effeminate". Watching bloodshed not only moves one to bloodshed, it also makes one "effeminate".

Why is this? When men "daily" stir their passions, they become overcome by passions. Milton (who is often labeled as a misogynist) believed that women are moved more by their passions, while men are governed by reason. Bloodsport creates a need for passion in men and so Milton sees Roman debauchery and effeminacy deriving from their thirst for blood.

Perhaps, if Milton was so concerned with men becoming effeminate, he should have looked in the mirror. Check out the picture above for full details. All the same, I think it is an interesting theory.

Knights of Columbus Death Plots!

Around 1912 a rumor arose claiming that fourth degree members of the Knights of Columbus swore an oath to exterminate Freemasons and Protestants. Fourth degree Knights make no such oath; however, it's interesting to observe how the Knights incited fear in their enemies. It must be the swords...

Duns Scotus on Nature and Will

In order to preserve his rationale for real contingency, John Duns Scotus affirms a distinction between “nature” and “will”. Scotus does not outright reject the Aristotelian principle “that which is moved is moved by another”. Instead, he grants that this principle applies to all “natures”. The exception to the rule applies to “wills”. Scotus cleverly finds justification for this distinction by appealing to Aristotle’s discussion of chance and luck in the Metaphysics.

According to Scotus, the will is “self-moved” and able to determine itself. This is what Wolter calls the “superabundant sufficiency of the will”.[1] Without the active power to be self-moved, a will could not truthfully be called a “will”. Scotus posits that one cannot reduce the will and the act of willing to anything more basic.[2] A will is a rational potency and is able to will (or not will). The will is different from a nature because it possesses the potency to accomplish opposite ends. A nature can only be moved by another. Wills move contingently. Natures move necessarily.

Scotus does grant that the human will possesses an affection corresponding to a nature and an affection that assures that the will does itself possess radical contingent potency. The affectio commodi or “affection for the advantageous” is moved by another and seeks the agent’s well-being. However, the affectio justitiae or “affection for justice” is self-moved and is the source of the innate freedom of the will. It is not moved by another, not even by the intellect. Metaphysically speaking, the affectio commodi is like a nature and the affectio justitiae is like a will. In this way, Scotus preserves the traditional Aristotelian notion that the will operates as a nature and is moved by another, but also preserves the radical liberty necessary for moral action and accountability.

[1] Allan B. Wolter, Duns Scotus on the Will and Morality (Washington, DC: Catholic University Press, 1986), 37.
[2] “There is no other cause to be found except that the will is the will.” Questiones Metaphysicam 1, q. 15, a. 2; trans. Allan B. Wolter, Duns Scotus on the Will and Morality (Washington, DC: Catholic University Press, 1986), 153.

What does "Yule" mean in the context of Christmas?

I don't know about you, but I've always been puzzled about why we sing about "the yule time" or by the mention of the "yule log". What is this mysterious "yule"?

So I did a little research. It seems to be an Old Norse word jol which entered into Old English as geol. It is pre-Christian but does not necessarily denote a pagan holiday. Rather, it refers to the midwinter season of December/January. Some etymologists have speculated that this ancient word is the origin of the word "jolly" which originally meant "pertaining to a festival".

The "yule log" was a large tree trunk that was decorated and ritually burned for warmth. In other words, it was a good reason to have a cultic campfire. It made people warm and it pleased the gods. As with most pagan customs, religious practices meant that people would benefit from the offering (roasted sacrificed meats, warmth, etc.) This log would burn for days.

When Christianity took hold in England, the term "yule" was used to denote Christmas, particularly the twelve day feast from Christmas proper (Dec 25) till Epiphany (Jan 6). So there you have it. It's kind of the "Lent" which comes from the Old English lencten. This word denoted that the days "lengthened" in other words that it was Spring.

Does the Pope need an Image Consultant?

Some of you may remember Franco Zeffirelli, the director of Romeo and Juliet and Jesus of Nazareth.

It's really too bad that Baz Luhrmann overshadowed Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet with a new snazzy version starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. It's also too bad that Mel Gibson overshadowed Zeffirelli's Jesus of Nazareth with The Passion of the Christ.

Now Zeffirelli has some ideas for the Vicar of Christ whom he claims does not have "a happy image".

"Coming after a media-savvy pope like John Paul II is a difficult task ... Benedict XVI still communicates coldly, in a way that is not suited with what is happening around him," Zeffirelli said.

"It's an issue I have been discussing with people who have key roles in the Vatican," said Zeffirelli, who has directed some Vatican television events.

"The Pope does not smile much, but he is an intellectual. He has a very rigid Bavarian structure," he said.

Zeffirelli, 84, added that papal robes were "too sumptuous and flashy." "What is needed is the simplicity and sobriety seen in the other echelons of the Church," he said.

Read it all from Reuters.

Noah as a New Adam

Michael Barber has an interesting post on
Noah as a New Adam.

Where does the Peace Symbol Come From?

Where does the peace symbol come from? It was designed in the 1950s by Gerald Holtom for the Nuclear Disarmament movement.

The logo combines the flag signals for the letters "N" and "D" ("Nuclear Disarmament"). "N" is formed by a person holding two flags in an upside-down "V" position. "D" is formed by holding one flag straight up and the other straight down.





As you can see the pattern of "N" and "D" are overlapped and then encircled to form the familiar peace symbol.

The Nine Worthies: Pagans, Hebrews, Christians

I recently learned of the traditional "Nine Worthies" of military history. Three are Jewish, three are pagan, three are Christian.

Pagans
1. Hector
2. Alexander
3. Julius Caesar

Hebrews
4. Joshua
5. David
6. Judas Maccabaeus

Christians
7. Arthur
8. Charlemagne
9. Godfrey of Bouillon

Both Shakespeare (Love's Labor's Lost) and Cervantes (Don Quixote) invoke the Nine Worthies.

Lack of Posts - I'm Writing Papers

Sorry for the lack of posts. I'm grading and writing papers before Christmas break. I'll be back soon.

Saint Thomas Aquinas, pray for us.

- Taylor Marshall

More Breakaway Anglicans (and more Purple Shirts)

Nigerian Anglican Archbishop Peter J. Akinola
Can someone explain to me why every single Anglican shoot off requires the consecration of a plurality of bishops? The AMiA started off with a lot of bishops. It seems it's the fashion. But why would you need four bishops to oversee 61 parishes?

A new breakaway Anglican group of 11 churches that left the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia over theological differences less than a year ago met last week for its first annual convention.

Four new bishops will be consecrated at 2 p.m. today to serve the Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA), which includes 61 member congregations siphoned from the Episcopal Church. Nigerian Archbishop Peter J. Akinola will preside at the ceremony at Church of the Epiphany in Herndon.

Read it all from Washington Times.

The Papal Pastoral Staff or Crosier

The pastoral crucifix staff has become one of the most identified emblems of the papal office. There is some confusion as to what is and is not a "crosier". Usually, as crosier is a curved staff carried by a bishop. See picture below:


Etymologically, the term "crosier" refers to standard bearing a "cross", hence "crosier". So technically, a true crosier bears a cross.

While bishops have carried the curled shepherds crook depicted above, the Pope has traditionally carried a true crosier, that is a staff bearing a cross - a triple barred cross. See image below:


Pope Paul VI instituted the familiar silver crucifix crosier with the downward bending crossbeam. There have been some complaints over the years that this crucifix is modern and therefore not fitting of the papal office. However, I think that the silver crucifix has become so thoroughly accepted that it is now permanently "traditional". John Paul II Magnus carried that standard across the globe. Moreover, it is in fact a traditional image. It is based on a rough sketch composed by St John of Cross who lived in the 16th century. See image below:

As you can see, the papal crosier closely resembles this rather traditional design. For all you art fans, Salvador Dali used this sketch by St. John of the Cross for his familiar painting, appropriately named "Christ of St. John of the Cross". See below image:


It reminds me also of the famous altar piece painted by Matthias Grunewald. See image below:

Greenland is part of Catholic Europe

An interesting bit of trivia: Even though Greenland is closer to North America than Europe, Greenland is considered by the Catholic Church as part of the European Episcopal Conference. This is because Greenland historically fell under Scandanavian rule. Even today, Greenland is ecclesiastically dependent of the diocese of Copenhagen, Denmark.

While there are a few readers of this blog in Iceland, there are none that I know of living in Greenland. If there are any Greenlanders out there, give us a shout.

EP Bartholomew I Speaks of Sacramental Unity with Rome

Patriarch Bartholomew addresses the sorrowful millennium long schism between the Western and Eastern Churches:

"Therefore, the feast of this apostle provides the appropriate occasion for us to pray together more intently for the restoration of unity within the Christian world. The fracture of this unity has been the cause of so much trouble in humanity, while its consequences have proved tragic...."

"Today, then, it is our obligation more than ever to reclaim the Christian roots of Europe and the spiritual, sacramental and doctrinal unity that it enjoyed prior to the schism of our two Churches."

Read it all from Zenit.

Hat tip to Sean Dollahon at You are Cephas.

Question for our Protestant brethren, especially the Anglicans:

If Constantinople and Rome returned to full doctrinal and sacramental union, would this cause you to seriously consider entering full communion with them?

Who was Saint Nicholas?

Happy feast day of Saint Nicholas.

Although it does not mention the episode of Saint Nicholas punching Arius in the nose, this is a well written account of the real Saint Nicholas.

Pope Benedict XVI and the Traditional Anglican Communion

Vatican insiders say that Pope Benedict XVI is scrutinizing the matter very closely and believes that the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) is setting out a path that other Anglicans will follow.

Here is a related story from the Catholic Herald.

Being Green and Cigarette Butts

Let me begin this post by saying that I think that we do have a vocation to be good stewards of the earth. We should try to recycle and live responsibly.

However, I am put off by the green eco-freaks. I refer to those who promote zero-population growth, population control by promoting "reproductive rights" (code for abortion), make rude comments about large family vehicles, and complain about all the diaper-producing by "breeders".

Here is something I've noticed. These eco-freaks are often smokers, and they toss their cigarette butts all over the place. I remember when I was walking down the street one day and a lady tossed her cigarette butt out the window of her car. I bent down and picked up the butt which was still smoking. I walked over to her window and said, "Excuse me, I think you accidentally dropped this," and then I handed her the cigarette butt. She didn't know what to say.

If green folk want to be serious about loving the planet then they need to be consistent and properly dispose of their butts. Cigarette filters are made of a bundle of 12,000 cellulose acetate fibers. It can take up 15 years for these to break down. Also, it is estimated that 700 billion new littered butts are cast to the earth every year. Cigarette butts aren't green.

What I want for Christmas: Permalinks!

I would be most grateful to all my fellow bloggers if you would "permalink" this blog (Canterbury Tales) on your blog, that is, place a permanent link on the front page of your blog or site.

Many visitors to this site come to it by searching key words via Google or Yahoo. Google lists search results based mostly on how often a certain site is linked in cyber space. Therefore, more sites that link to this blog, the more likely others will stumble upon it.

I have heard from two readers already that said that the posts on this site (Canterbury Tales) helped them muster the courage to become Catholic. That, in my opinion, is the highest compliment. So if you enjoy Canterbury Tales, please place a permanent link on your blog's front page.

(And I will always return the favor and link you on Canterbury Tales in the blogroll to the right.)

Thank you and happy Advent,
Taylor Marshall

Pullman's Golden Compass and "Killing God"

Philip Pullman is receiving publicity because his novels are coming out on the big screen. You may have seen the ads for it: The Golden Compass. Pullman is the "Anti-Lewis". Whereas C.S. Lewis wrote children's' novels in order to communicate the Christian faith, Pullman writes in order to undermine the Christian faith. In fact, Pullman has previously commented that he is trying to undo the work of C.S. Lewis. Check out this revealing quote made by Pullman four years ago:

“I've been surprised by how little criticism I've got. Harry Potter's been taking all the flak. I'm a great fan of J.K. Rowling, but the people—mainly from America's Bible Belt—who complain that Harry Potter promotes Satanism or witchcraft obviously haven't got enough in their lives. Meanwhile, I've been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything poor old Harry has said. My books are about killing God.”

Quote by Philip Pullman from Sydney Morning Herald on Dec. 13, 2003.

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy IMMORTAL One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Former Episcopal Bishop Jeffrey Steenson was received into the Catholic Church

Former Episcopal bishop Jeffrey Steenson was received into the Catholic Church this weekend in Rome at the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

A hearty congratulations to him as he was instrumental in my own journey into the full communion with Christ and His vicar on earth, Pope Benedict XVI.

The Title of the Pope vs. the Title of the Patriarch

Some of our Protestant readers may cringe at seeing the Pope referred to as "the Holy Father" or "His Holiness". However, I just came across the title of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch:

His Most Godly All-Holiness Bartholomew I
Η Αυτού Θειοτάτη Παναγιότης

Wow. That's a mouthful.

German Benedict Reads the German Luther

In his new encyclical Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI discusses the verse in the Epistle to the Hebrews: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the proof of things not seen”. The Holy Father comments:

To Luther, who was not particularly fond of the Letter to the Hebrews, the concept of “substance”, in the context of his view of faith, meant nothing. For this reason he understood the term hypostasis/substance not in the objective sense (of a reality present within us), but in the subjective sense, as an expression of an interior attitude, and so, naturally, he also had to understand the term argumentum as a disposition of the subject...Faith is not merely a personal reaching out towards things to come that are still totally absent: it gives us something.

H.H. Benedict XVI Spe Salvi, 7

A great Christmas quote from Benedict XVI's Spe Salvi

Here is a sweet little quote ready to be dropped into a homily and elaborated:

Paul illustrates the essential problem of the religion of that time quite accurately when he contrasts life “according to Christ” with life under the dominion of the “elemental spirits of the universe” (Col 2:8). In this regard a text by Saint Gregory Nazianzen is enlightening. He says that at the very moment when the Magi, guided by the star, adored Christ the new king, astrology came to an end, because the stars were now moving in the orbit determined by Christ.

H.H. Benedict XVI Spe Salvi, 5

Alas, I wish I were able to preach.

The Pope's New Encyclical: Spe Salvi

Here is a great picture of His Holiness issuing Spe Salvi. I look forward to reading it.

Read the full text of Spe Salvi. The title is taken from St. Paul's words in Romans 8:24: "in hope we were saved".