Mitre & Crook

by Bryan Houghton

This epistolary novel is the story of an English Roman Catholic bishop determined to resist, to the extent of his powers, the attempts of 'modernizers' in his church to destroy centuries of tradition and practice and replace them with the latest mod, hip, 'inclusive' liturgical fads and fashions. Unlike many traditionalists, Bishop Forester is defiant, not apologetic. He is not seeking compromise, but defending an ancient treasure. That makes his story surprisingly exciting to read.An 'How can anyone dare stamp on other people's sentiments? Who has given them permission? "The hankering after the Old Mass is pure sentimentality." Of course it is, and that is why it is sacrosanct.'And ' The very volume of changes in the Church since Vatican II is sufficient to guarantee that most of them are for the worse. It is inconceivable that over the past two thousand years the Church has manifested and expressed the Faith so badly that any and every change must be for the better. If that were so, she would lose all credibility. What is conceivable, on the other hand, is that some of the changes may have been for the better and some not. But this possibility is one which we are not allowed even to discuss. To do so is disloyal, divisive, and conducive to schism. Every change is for the better; there has not been the least error, the slightest slip.'

Genres: Fiction, Catholic

215 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Paul Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is both delightful and brilliant. It consists almost entirely of a number of letters written by a fictional bishop after he decides to restore Tradition in his diocese, in the year 1977. The bishop's writing style is extremely direct but also whimsical and very insightful. There are plot twists along the way, to keep the reader engaged, along with very different recipients of the letters as well as stories and spiritual reflections. Overall, the book is a great accomplishment.

Just for an example, here is something the fictional bishop Edmund Forester writes to someone about Abp. Lefebvre: "The crowning example is Archbishop Lefebvre. He has been attacked from all sides, yet nobody has dared impugn his Faith and accuse him of being unorthodox. In fact, if only he would utter the tiniest, wee little heresy, authority could indulge in charity and all would be forgiven. The trouble is that the old devil won't, so there is nothing to forgive. Thus he gets suspended and threatened with excommunication on a trumped up charge of disobeying ecclesiastical law." (p. 189)

One more example: “Being a jealous God, He is quite particularly jealous of His Spouse, the Church. To plan His Church for Him is something which He resents. This is what we have been busy doing. We see the results. A ‘Pastoral’ Council promptly scatters the flock; ecumenicity breeds a host of schisms; the most democratic of Popes becomes the most autocratic; the moment we bishops upgrade ourselves with ‘collegiality’ we lose all authority; a Church suitable to the modern mind is enough to repel the bravest convert; give the faithful a comprehensible liturgy and they no longer know what it is about. Is it not wonderful? Surely, by the law of averages, some of the myriad plans ought to have worked. At least the Vatican tiddly-winks team should have beaten San Marino, or something, eh? Not a bit of it. Everything has gone contrary to plan. There under our eyes is an astonishing miracle, only explicable by direct intervention of Divine Providence.” (p. 200)

[Maurisa Mayerle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, if we only had a bishop like the fictional Edmund Forester.

[Almachius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb. I thought it was nonfiction at first until I realised that the protagonist - an English Catholic Bishop - believed in God.

Some of my favourite passages:

"Anyway, my point is that the revolutionary process is the eternal attempt of man to impose his order, his law on God's creation. And this is exactly what is happening in the Church Until this post-conciliar period, God's Church appeared al most as magnificent, incomprehensible and chaotic as His creation. It was cluttered up indiscriminately with tiaras, cardinals' hats, mitres, birettas of every hue and shape, ro saries, prie-dieus, saints and sinners, Friday fish, indulgences, blessings, statues, pilgrimages, tonsured monks and nuns with variously goffered coiffes, processions, confessionals, banners, plain-chant, unplain-chant and all the rest. Yes, cluttered up it was-as is the universe. But it all worked in credibly smoothly. The most absurdly shaped pieces fitted into their allotted places in the puzzle. And the overall pic ture which the puzzle produced was one of extraordinary unity-again just like the creation.

"After Vatican II the neat, logical little fellows were given their head. Obviously, the first thing to do was to clear the decks. A clean sweep has been made of absolutely everything. Not only was the Tiara flogged but even the Pietà got chipped. Then they must produce a neat, logical little liturgy: unpre tentious, comprehensible, as dull as themselves. The laity promptly participated by walking out. That is the process all along the line."

-

"I gained the impression that they were not caring for anybody but about some thing, which is a very different proposition, no matter how laudable. To "care for" means to do something or to love somebody; to "care about" implies no more than talk seasoned with moral indignation. The former always has as its object a reality, the latter always an abstract idea-usually Justice and Peace.

Curiously enough, I think that we are here in the presence of the fundamental difference of attitude, in the moral field, between the Old and the New religion. By replacing "caring for” with "caring about," one has substituted moral indignation for charity. This in turn implies the substitution of politics for morality. Penal or political law takes the place of moral law. Crime against the community replaces sin against God."

-

"In the Old religion, we spent out time beating our own breasts, mea maxima culpa. We were terribly conscious of our own basic imperfection, of Original Sin in fact. And how deeply felt was our need for a Redeemer! It was neither God's creation nor His Church which needed reforming, it was I. I had no pretension to "do good" because to do good is a prerogative of God. Sufficient for me to avoid evil, of which I am perfectly capable but, by His grace, can overcome. I even lacked the ambition to convert the world: God would see to that, although I could help in some mysterious way by first converting myself. Etc. ... Such was my attitude on the day of my ordination...

"What is the attitude now? The first requisite of moral indignation is to accuse your neighbour: tua culpa-it is all your fault, your most grievous fault. Original Sin has vanished: it is I who am the Immaculate Conception and Jesus is not my Redeemer but my friend. Everything needs reforming because there is no natural Law in nature; I introduce the Law by the way I use it. My conscience makes the Law, which is as constantly evolving as is nature itself. In the same way, everything in the Church needs reforming, sacraments, structures, the lot, because inevitably in my experience the only constant factor is I. It is even I who am the Real Presence since it is I who invoke His name. To avoid evil is nonsense; on the contrary, I do good" by the mere process of fulfilling my personality. The conversion of the world is a simple, tech nical process: the reign of Justice and Peace. Etc...."

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"...I find it singularly difficult to prophesy. All I can say is that so long as the Church, from Pope to Parish Council, continues to plan we are in for a rough time. If, instead of planning, all these good people devoted a modicum of their energy to practising the virtues, everything would fall into place."

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"The traditionalists will survive in spite of being leaderless and divided. They have roots. Their vitality has already been proven by their surviving the utterly ruthless and brilliantly organized persecution by the official Church. They stand to gain either way: if there is a change of outlook at the death of Paul VI, or if the official Church enters a period of confusion."

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book

[Michal Čop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kniha Mitra a hůl je príbehom vymysleného anglického katolíckeho biskupa Edmunda Forestera, ktorý jedného dňa nariadil, aby sa v jeho diecéze opätovne slúžila predkoncilová liturgia. Celá kniha je vystavaná na základe korešpondencie biskupa so svojimi kňazmi, s ďalšími biskupmi, rehoľníkmi, či laikmi a taktiež s jeho priateľom, ktorým je samotný autor, Bryan Houghton. Takouto formou autor vyrozpráva nie len dej, ale zároveň čitateľovi predstavuje svoje argumenty tak v prospech predkoncilovej liturgie, ako aj odpovede na najrôznejšie námietky týkajúce sa tradičnej omše. Výsledkom je v podstate teologický traktát popretkávaný dejom, ktorý ho robí minimálne pre mňa prudko čitateľný.

Sám som bol prekvapený tým ako sa mi kniha páčila. Považujem ju za svoj súkromný objav roka. A to aj napriek tomu, že som nikdy nebol na tridenskej omši. Dôvodov je viacero. Prvý som už spomenul vyššie. Druhým je, že Houghton je prenikavý mysliteľ, ktorý dokáže čitateľa svojim argumentom prekvapiť podobne ako C.S. Lewis. Navyše som mal pocit, že Forester, či Houghton mi často hovoril z duše. Jeho kritika cirkvi poväčšinou vyjadrovala aj moje pocity, avšak vyjadrené spôsobom akým ja rozprávať ani myslieť nedokážem. Po prečítaní knihy ma taktiež fascinovalo, že situácia v cirkvi je taká dramatická už celé desaťročia. To je pre nás, ktorí si pamätáme len pápežov Jána Pavla a Benedikta vždy objavné. Tak sa mi zdá, že hlavná myšlienka knihy Dekadentná spoločnosť od Douthata by sa dala vztiahnuť aj na cirkev.

Na druhej strane, Houghtonova kritika novus ordo, aj keď v mnohom zaujímavá bola miestami prehnaná. Bolo zvláštne, že o novej liturgii nikdy nepovedal nič pekné a to sa pritom vyjadroval o obrade pri ktorom sa sprítomňuje Kristova obeta na kríži a opätovne sa premieňa víno a chlieb na telo a krv Kristovu. Človek by preto očakával trochu viac snahy poctivejšie sa popasovať s týmto fenoménom.

"Tvoje bezprostřední reakce, stejně jako reakce převažujíci většiny cirkevních představitelů, je zachránit Církev, a víra se už o sebe postará. Moje, spolu s velkým percentem laiků, je zachránit víru a nechat Církev, aby se o sebe postarala sama."

[Bryan Dunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent work with letters to the Clergy by a Bishop of the late 70s who decides to restore the Old Mass and old Sacraments. He faces opposition and disloyalty but presses on. Good passages on Faith and prayer. He founds a traditional seminary and tries to encourage Religious sisters to be faithful to their Rules. The work is lively and full of good humour. I read it in 2 days.

[Andrew Scott]

I started reading this fairly late one evening - and ended it in the small hours, unable to put it down.

On re-reading more recently I didn't find it quite so compelling, but it is still a great book for anyone with an interest in the state of the Catholic Church post-Vatican 2.

[Lynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book, longer review to come...

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first rate ecclesiastical drama.