Reading Mass Times: 19 Jan- 1 Feb
Chesham Bois
Rare Catholic Film To See
We warmly recommend watching Terrence Malick’s latest film ‘A Hidden Life’ (UK release 17 January 2020) about unsung hero, Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, who refused to fight for the Nazis in World War II. When the Austrian peasant farmer is faced with the threat of execution for treason, it is his unwavering faith and his love for his wife Fani and children that keeps his spirit alive.
This deeply poetical, familial and (long) film raises many questions.
What would we have done? Is there no way one could swear alliegance to save one’s family and one’s life? While Nazi Germany is an easy – often stereotyped – incarnation of evil, asking the same questions about our modern world in 2020 is more challenging. Is it possible that we are compromising? When does prudence end, and when does resistance become necessary?
The villagers in the film ostracise Franz and his family because of their moral stance. Are we aware and fearful of a similar risk incurred if we stand up for truth and virtue? Precisely, are we standing up, or are we trying to lie low for as long as we can?
Dare we name the forces of oppression in 2020, even though they wear no swastikas up their sleeves?
One wishes that the film had explained the moral distinctions which make some official oaths permissible and others not.
For instance in the Concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich signed on July 20, 1933 [Ratified 10 September 1933] stipulated: “Article 16: Before bishops take possession of their dioceses they are to take an oath of loyalty either to the Reich governor of the state (Land) concerned or to the President of the Reich respectively, according to the following formula:
“Before God and on the Holy Gospels I swear and promise, as becomes a bishop, loyalty to the German Reich and to the State (Land) of . . . I swear and promise to honour the legally constituted government and to cause the clergy of my diocese to honour it. With dutiful concern for the welfare and the interests of the German state, in the performance of the ecclesiastical office entrusted to me, I will endeavour to prevent everything injurious which might threaten it.”
The oath which Franz Jägerstätter refused to take as a soldier was the Wehrmacht Oath of Loyalty to Adolf Hitler, 2 August 1934:
“I swear to God this sacred oath that to the Leader of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, I shall render unconditional obedience and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared
to give my life for this oath.”
The Catholic faith of Franz is manifest in the film, but less explicit than was the case in his life. After a turbulent (and even sinful) youth, he started taking his faith more and more seriously. Family life made him an exemplary Catholic husband and father. He became the village sacristan. The film should have included at least one holy Mass (there are delightful scenes in his mountain village church). Still, what a pleasant surprise to see a Hollywood blockbuster film depicting the Catholic faith with such accuracy, respect and beauty (the Corpus Christi procession is a little jewel)!
On this eve of the feast of the Holy Family, the most precious gift offered us by Terrence Malick in ‘The Hidden Life’ is his depiction of a deeply Catholic home, where parents, grandmother and children are not spared hardship (working very hard in the fields indeed) but grow in moral stature through their trials embrassed in faith and relying on God’s grace. Aged 94, Fani attended the beatification ceremony of her husband in Rome in 2007, led by Pope Benedict XVI whose own home village was near St Radegund, across the border. No doubt this film can encourage modern families struggling with education, chastity, fidelity – and touch those among our contemporaries who as yet haven’t had the grace of experiencing Catholic family life. Holy Family of Nazareth, please inspire and protect all families!
Closing Title Card “…the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been, is half owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs.” -George Eliot, ‘Middlemarch’.
Further reading: https://www.firstthings.com/…/a-hidden-life-the-story-of-a-…
Correspondence between Franz and his wife : https://www.ncronline.org/…/collected-writings-franz-jagers….
Reading Mass Times 5-18 January
Christmas Midnight Mass preceded by carols at 11:30pm
At St William of York Church in Reading. Followed by mulled wine and mince pies in church annex.
Reading Mass Times 22nd Dec – 4th Jan
Advent Day of Recollection in Reading
St William of York Church, Reading, Saturday 14 December
Led by Fr Seth Phipps, FSSP
10:15am Holy Mass (Mass of Our Lady on Saturday in Advent, Rorate), followed by refreshments in the Annex
11:30am First conference: “God became man so that man might become God”
12:15pm Lunch (bring your own packed lunch)
1:30pm Second Conference: “God chose a mother”
2.30pm Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, with opportunities for confession. Concluding with Rosary and Benediction, finishing at 3.30pm.
Videos on Religious Life
(Two more videos)
Read summary here: https://rorate-caeli.blogspot.com/2019/11/reviving-religious-life-in-britain-and.html
Our Persecuted Brethren
Out of 5 victims of religious persecution worldwide, 4 are Christians. Thank God for courageous Hungary, a small country speaking up for millions of persecuted Christians. Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP was privileged to attend, and reports:
The international conference last week in Budapest was attended by over 650 delegates from all over the world, with speeches by Prime Minister Orban and by dozens of Cardinals, Archbishops and dignitaries of the Catholic Church and of other Christian communities. Former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Cardinal Mueller stated that undergoing hostility from the world is part of being followers of Christ, so that we must not lose heart but bear witness and persevere.
Awareness must be raised and anti-Christian persecution must not be camouflaged under the guise of religious persecution in general (‘as if anti-Semitism were never addressed specifically, but only racism in general’, a lay speaker suggested); or even denied as if attacks against Christians were accidental manifestations of purely ethnic and economical problems (e.g. African tribes merely fighting for water or pastures). Hungarian Ambassador to the Holy See Eduard Habsburg wondered: ‘I ask myself why people suddenly turn quiet when you begin to speak about the plight of Christians all over the world.’
The main issues at stake are 1) the shrinking presence of Christians in the Levant after 20 centuries, now more and more under threat (90% Christians have left Irak since the fall of Saddham Hussein); and 2) how the West can learn from these tragedies and prevent the eradication of Christianity in our our own countries, where lawmakers and the media are unbloodily but even more successfully erasing the Christian values and identity.
‘Hungarians make up only 0.02 percent of the world’s population, so how much difference can it make? Is it worth it?’ Prime Minister Orbán asked. He answered his own question by reflecting on the 12 apostles who, though small in number, changed the world with the Good News. ‘Standing up for our persecuted brothers and sisters engenders courage in ourselves and others,’ Orbán continued.
Orbán noted that the first Hungarian tribes arrived in the Carpathian Basin 1,100 years ago but many other groups had come and gone before them. ‘To this day Hungarians are curious as to why we were the ones to survive,’ the prime minister said. ‘According to the most widely accepted answer, our military capabilities and vigour would not have been enough, so the key to our survival was our conversion to Christianity.’
‘There are some who see this as primarily a diplomatic feat or one of state organisation, and it was exactly those things, but first and foremost it was a spiritual rebirth and a real conversion,’ Orbán said. ‘The Hungarian people and their government believe that Christianity can help peoples and nations survive, just as it had happened with us,’ he added. ‘Our first Christian king was more than just a remarkable ruler,’ Orbán said, adding that King St. Stephen had been a visionary who had given Hungarians guidance and a ‘spiritual and political compass’. The prime minister said Hungary was right to stand up for Christianity, arguing that ‘goodness inspires goodness’ and Hungarians’ commitment to helping persecuted Christians ‘breeds courage’. ‘Our example can have a far reach,’ he said. ‘Actions can free those who are crippled and restore faith in personal action.’
Orbán said the question may arise whether there was already enough to be done about anti-Christian sentiment in Europe and if there was even a need to provide help to other continents. ‘The troubles of Christianity in Europe and the persecution of Christians in other places cannot be separated from one another,’ he argued. ‘Europe is quiet,’ Orbán said. ‘A mysterious force shuts the mouths of European politicians and cripples their arms.’ He said the issue of Christian persecution could only be considered a human rights issue in Europe, insisting that ‘Christians are not allowed to be mentioned on their own, only together with other groups that are being persecuted for their faiths.’ The persecution of Christians ‘is therefore folded into the diverse family of persecuted religious groups’, he added.
Defending Christianity is a matter of honour.
‘We have 245 million reasons to be here. This is how many people are persecuted daily because of their Christian belief,’ Hungarian State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians Tristan Azbej said Nov. 26 as he opened the conference.
The Prime Minister said that while religious persecution should not be underestimated, those who treated the persecution of Christians solely as a humanitarian problem failed to mention the most important thing. ‘It’s not just the people and the communities but also the culture as a whole that is being subjected to an organised and comprehensive attack,’ he said. ‘Even in the land of our culture, our civilisation, the most successful Christian civilisation to date: Europe.’ He said this attack was being carried out through ‘the replacement of the population, immigration, stigmatisation, insults and the muzzle of political correctness’.
Orbán said there were many ‘good and true Christian politicians’ in Europe today but they were stymied from openly stating their views due to a mix of constant coalition negotiations and succumbing to the power relations of Europe’s media. Hungary, he said, was blessed with political stability, a public against migration, and a majority that demanded the protection of Christian culture. He said Hungarian politics started from the position that ‘we Christians have the right to protect our culture and way of life’. Orbán said that unlike many politicians elsewhere in Europe, ‘we believe people should be encouraged to live and thrive where their ancestors have lived for centuries. So the Hungary Helps scheme is about rebuilding schools, hospitals and dwellings in troubled parts of the world and providing young people with an education at Hungarian universities, he said.
He said Europeans were wrong to think that the persecution of Christians could never take place in their own country. He said that even though Europe had suffered at the hands of terrorists several times, ‘many Islamic State soldiers’ had come from western European countries while ‘Islamic masses’ had migrated to Europe illegally and unchecked. Demographic forecasts indicate that the religious and cultural proportions in some European countries will change rapidly, he said, adding that Europe could only be ‘saved’ by re-establishing its Christian identity.
Read more at: https://dailynewshungary.com/international-conference-on-persecuted-christians-orban-europe-can-only-be-saved-by-returning-to-christianity/
Great Men’s Week-end
25 MEN reflected on…
‘Restoring Manhood: Man as son of God, husband and father.’
We spent a great weekend (29 Nov-1 Dec) at Theodore House, the brand new retreat centre at Stonyhurst. There were 23 laymen, most of them husbands and dads.
Fr Armand de Malleray, FSSP led the retreat, asssited by Deacon Roger Gilbride, FSSP.
Thank you to Director Stefan and to Parish Priest Fr Tim Curtis, SJ for their friendly welcome. We venerated the many relics of saints displayed in the School Museum (e.g. above: crucifix of St Thomas More).
We hope to come again soon.
(Our next scheduled retreat there is for clerics, from 27 April to 1 May 2020 – bookings@christianheritagecentre.com.)
FSSP Waterford Mass has found a new home!
On Sunday 24th November the Superior General of the FSSP, Fr Andrzej Komorowski, will celebrate the first Fraternity Mass in the Parish of Faithlegg, Waterford.
