Page 11 - The Portal magazine - February 2025
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THE P RTAL February 2025 Page 11
little creation, a little temple of Benedict started on the task of
God in which we could enter, and giving us liturgy that followed the
know that here we were in the very principles of the liturgical reform
House of God. Here was the gate which the Council fathers had
of heaven. asked for.
It’s 14 years, and a few days, since The second thing which the
Pope Benedict established the Council had called for was the
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady unity of the church. The unity
of Walsingham; a little bit of the which came not so much from
Catholic Church named after Our committees and meetings over
Lady of Walsingham. quiche and salad, delightful as
they are, or even being nice to
I think he did this for many one another. Rather that which
reasons. Walsingham was the great comes about through the work of
shine of England. To it people the Holy Spirit drawing all people
flocked, not just from this land, but from all over of goodwill, and all Christians, to the truth and
Europe. It was what you came to England for; a therefore to Christ.
rather little village in the difficult to get to part of
Norfolk. But also here was a little house in which The Council recognised that the Holy Spirit is
we might be able to see more clearly. Thank God at work, not just in the visible boundaries of the
that our Lord was here and that Our Lady was church, but outside it too in all sorts of groups of
being our mother here. So we give thanks to God people. Wherever the Spirit is at work, because
today for that vision of Pope Benedict. he’s the spirit of unity, he always draws people in
different ways closer to the Catholic Church and
I knelt before his tomb last week in Rome, to closer to that principle of unity which our Lord
pray for this place, to ask Pope Benedict’s prayers entrusted to Saint Peter.
and to pray for the repose of his soul. Maybe it
was just me, but there’s a thing in the back of my The Holy Spirit’s busy doing that and is giving
mind saying, ‘I don’t think he really needs these expressions of faith and devotion to the way
prayers of mine any more’, but that’s for others people write poetry, through art and architecture,
with a higher pay grade to decide. to the way they’ve translated the literature and
to the way they’ve helped people to support one
When Pope Benedict first became Pope, he another in their spiritual life.
did what most popes do, he went to see the
cardinals - whether to thank them or to curse What Pope Benedict wanted to do for those
them - I don’t know. But he did, and he told them from the Anglican tradition was to say you’re at
what his pontificate was going to be about, what the stage you want to come in and bring that stuff
his priorities were. What might have surprised with you. He was following what the Council
a few people was that he said to them that one fathers had asked. So this small part, this little
of the main priorities for his pontificate was house, part of the great Church of our Lord Jesus
implementing the Second Vatican Council. Now Christ is here by the blessing of God, for which
that had been over for quite a few years; it closed we give thanks. It is a task given to all Christians
in 1965. He was there. He was one of the experts by virtue of their baptism. The test is to love God
who put a lot of this stuff together. What he was and to love neighbour.
saying is, a lot of words have been written but not
a lot of them have been put into practise. By God’s help become who we were always
intended to be. In other words, become saints.
I think a couple of things were in his mind. While we’re trying to do that, as a wonderful
The first was in its document Sacrosanctum by-product because God is so good, he gives us
Concilium. The very first document of the everything else as well. Thanks be to God.
Council asked for a lot of things to be done about
the liturgy of the church. Some things have been Mass over, we all moved to the Parish Hall where
done, some of which Sacrosanctum Concilium there was a ‘bring and share lunch’. All was a fitting
asked for. Other things were done which may celebration for the fourteenth Anniversary of the
have been fashionable at the time. Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.
