Rival Clerics clash at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem

A fight has broken out at the church built on the spot where Jesus is said to have been born.
Palestinian police stormed the basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem after rival groups of Orthodox and Armenian clerics clashed in a row over the boundaries of their respective ancient jurisdictions inside the church.
 Arund 100 priests and monks came to blows during the cleaning of the church in preparation for Orthodox Christmas celebrations.
The former Palestinian minister of tourism and head of the Palestinian forces in Bethlehem were slightly injured.
Administration of the church is shared by Catholic, Orthodox, and Armenian Apostolic clerics.
The relationship between these groups has often been difficult, and there have been similar scuffles in previous years over jurisdiction.

Pray for Palestinian Christians this Christmass-tide

Days getting longer again!

I'm pleased that the winter solstice is passed and we can look forward to summer again! Must dust off the sun loungers and clear the snow off the BBQ!

O Emmanuel

O Emmanuel - December 23rd

 O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster, exspectatio gentium, et Salvator earum: veni ad salvandum nos Domine Deus noster.
 O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Saviour: come to save us, O Lord our God.

O Rex Gentium

December 22nd - O Rex Gentium

O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,

lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:

veni, et salva hominem,

quem de limo formasti.

English:

O King of the nations, and their desire,

the cornerstone making both one:

Come and save the human race,

which you fashioned from clay.

Anniversary of Ordination

30 years today since my ordination as a priest in the Anglican Church.

27 weeks and three days since my ordination as a Catholic priest.
Laus deo!!

O Oriens

O Oriens    December 21st

O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris et umbra mortis.
O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

O Clavis

 December 20th - O Clavis David
  O clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel: qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris.
O Key of David, and sceptre of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison.

O Radix

December 19
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur: veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardare.



O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.

Hildegard von Bingen to be Canonized and made Doctor of the Church

RomeReports.com has reported that Pope Benedict has plans to canonize Hildegard von Bingen a to make her a Doctor of the Church.

Hildegard is the earliest known (i.e. named) composer of sacred music in the Roman Catholic tradition and therefore in the Western music tradition, and is the first name you will hear in a music history class. She was born 48 years after the death of Guido d'Arezzo and was one of the first to take advantage of his newly created musical staff for the purposes of composition. Here compositional style was monodic and is, we might say, one of the most organic outgrowths of the Gregorian chant repertoire that we have.

It seems significant that Pope Benedict has made the decision now to canonize and exalt this true patroness of sacred music. Is it possible that he is building up toward a more intensely focused movement for sacred music in the Church? Is it possible that perhaps a new document or motu proprio might await us with the naming of Hildegard as a Doctor of the Church, or sometime following? One never knows, but this is one of many signs that there may be more to come for us in the promotion sacred music from the highest of ranks in the Church.

Death threats have been issued against the Christians by Islamists in Iraqi Kurdistan.

The violence erupted in the city of Zakho after Friday prayers on 2 December. Hundreds of Muslims, apparently incited by the imam’s vitriolic sermon, headed straight from a local mosque to businesses owned by Christians and Yezidis, another minority group; they set ablaze 20 shops, three hotels, a massage parlour and a hair salon. At least 30 people were injured, and several million dollars’ worth of damage was caused.    The Muslim mob swelled to more than 3,000 and moved on to attack Christian property in the city of Dohuk, the town of Sumaili and village of Shiuz.
The attackers were chanting “Allahu Akhbar” (“god is great”) and abusing Christians, while some were randomly firing shots.
They reportedly torched one man’s restaurant, shop and cafeteria before moving on to his apartment, which they set ablaze with his children inside.
The following morning, more than 100 people, mainly youths, threw stones at a church and homes belonging to Christians in Almansoria.

Now published - Latin-English Psalter

The psalms are the hymn book of the Church and the core of the Daily Office, the Prayer of the Church.

This book is the product of a perceived need for a deeper understanding of the traditional Latin on which our current Psalter is based. There is a simple and yet profound dignity evoked by the ancient words and rhythms.

The Latin text of the Jerome  / Gallican / Clementine Version of the Psalter is printed with Challoner’s revision of the Douay translation.  The former was chosen for its originality and the latter because it seems to convey more accurately the grammar and syntax of the original Latin.

Published by Jacquedaw (available from Amazon)

ISBN : 978-0-9565118-4-3

260 pp      £12.00 (inc p+p)