Sipping Tea with Her Majesty and Robert E. Lee

…though only in spirit. To respond to my right honorable friend regarding my monarchist proclivities I can only say that I am involved in no active plot to return this fair land to rule by the Crown as much as I might be actively praying for regime change. But I am at the moment sipping a cup of English Breakfast and were a bit of tax on this cup to return the rule of our fair land to some semblance of sanity I would gladly offer it up.

In all seriousness though, I have worked for the government for the better part of the last decade and even on the state and local level I am thoroughly convinced that something is amiss. Were I to have had my head in the ground the entire time and not have seen the events on the world stage brought about by our ruling class I would, as a result of what I have seen on the state and local level, still be advocating for an alternative.  And so I submit the following from Robert E. Lee via the Axegrinder and Rublev’s Dog:

“The consolidation of the states into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all that have preceded it.”

Outside the Church????

I have fielded questions from some in our parish and from other friends and acquaintances who know of my warm feelings towards Rome regarding the Pope’s recent comments about those Christians not in full communion with the Holy See. These questions have uniformly echoed a dismay at the tenor of the Pope’s teaching. Well, good for the Pope and I believe that the Russians have said it best…. from the Pertinacious Papist.

The Pope’s teachings are…well…Catholic and let’s hope and pray that one day soon he will have no need to speak of such things.

Winning the War

A good example from Scotland on the west’s tolerance for homosexuality and its intolerance for traditional Christian belief…from Out of Ergyng via A Conservative Blog for Peace. Gene Robinson may have lost a battle but it would appear that he is winning the war (or at least he’s winning a war for the hearts and minds of our leaders, we in fact know who wins the big war!)

More thoughts on Monarchy and Liberty…

…from the Monarchist.

Some thoughts on Monarchy…

…from another Young Fogey. Mr. Heydel-Mankoo cites some comments by a former female US Secretary of State. Those comments disappoint but do not surprise those citizens of the United States among us (and especially those residents of the former Confederate States among us) who have much sympathy for monarchy.

Some reasons I fear communion with…

the bishop of Rome – from the Pertinacious Papist. Not that that fear might prevent me but it exists none the less.

Some amazing photos…

…from Hallowedground.

Real conservatives…

…from the Conservative Blog for Peace.

My fault, my own fault, my own grevious fault…

…is the English which my priest and I use every Sunday to start the Mass. Unlike the traditional western Christian mass in which these prayers were said at the foot of the altar, we say them in the sacristy prior to walking around the church building and processing into the church proper to a hymn. Our sacristy must be negotiated by anyone wishing to enter the church a bit late and often we have one of our people to walk past as we are saying the Preperation for Mass or the Confiteor or the prayers at the foot of the altar of whatever you might want to call them. We have had many folk startled by the seriousness of the brief prayers and surprised at the fact that we actually take the time to say them. I believe they expect us to be talking about the previous day’s sporting events or the previous evening’s festivities. Instead, we are praying and I have witnessed people being moved by the prayers. I wonder if they might be better said in front of the people. More reflections from haligweorc… with some corrections by the Young Fogey.

The Barking Toad

Much fun is to be had from a visit to the Barking Toad.