The Apostolic Constitution and the Reconversion of England

Could the Apostolic Constitution signify the re-conversion of England has begun in earnest?

Blogger Scott P. Richert interestingly points out on the website About.com that it may well do, given its timing.

Richert writes:

“Pope Benedict XVI is very sensitive to the message that certain dates send. Summorum Pontificum for instance, was signed on June 29, the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, when the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch sends representatives to Rome each year to take part in the celebration of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (and sometimes comes himself). The Orthodox have long been concerned about the decline of the liturgy in the Western Church, and the revival of the Traditional Latin Mass was seen as a major step in the right direction."

Richerts continues: “October 20 is the feast day of Saint Paul of the Cross (1694-1775), the founder of the Passionists. Though Saint Paul spent his life in Italy, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes that "For fifty years he prayed for the conversion of England, and left the devotion as a legacy to his [spiritual] sons." Almost 65 years after his death, the Passionists were first introduced into England, and the Catholic Encyclopedia declares that "They came in the spirit of Apostles without gold or silver, without scrip or staff or shoes or two coats," yet they "soon revived without commotion several Catholic customs and practices which had died out since the Reformation. They were the first to adopt strict community life, to wear their habit in public, to give missions and retreats to the people, and to hold public religious processions."”

He concludes: “All of this may simply be a coincidence. But considering Pope Benedict's sensitivity to the symbolism of dates, I don't think so. In any case, on this historic day, we can join Saint Paul of the Cross in praying for the conversion of England.”

Backing up Richert’s theory is that Monday’s press conference surprisingly went ahead despite the Apostolic Constitution not being ready. Cardinal William Levada said the date had long been set for the announcement. The Register was told back in July that a date had already been fixed to publicize the new structures, but few, even those closely involved in the process, knew exactly when it would be.

Britain, and particularly England, has been considered mission territory for some time, particularly over the past decade, as it suffers from social breakdown, policies which disregard the sacredness of all human life, and widespread ignorance of its Christian – and particularly Catholic – roots.

Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, Archbishop emeritus of Westminster, famously said in 2001 that Christianity in Britain “has now almost been vanquished.”

Photo: Cambridgeshire countryside