Candlemass

I was wandering back home yesterday when I noticed a lot of birdsong and realised that spring is on its way.  I then remembered that February 2nd is Candlemass and used to be marked in diaries as a Scottish quarter day.  Having gone through life without knowing what either Candlemass or a Scottish quarter day was, it turns out it's quite a big thing in some Christian calenders.  Some churches keep Christmas decorations up until Candlemass and as it is roughly 40 days after Christmas, it represents some sort of purification.  I went in search of some other blog spots and found a few concerning liturgical pedantry.  I've said before on this blog that I don't hold a brief for Dr Ratzinger or his ecclesial body, but it seems that there's something rotten in the state of the Vatican, which many devout Catholics voice and put into print. 

The most serious subject for the last ten years has been the child abuse scandal and the reported covering up in the USA, Ireland and in the Netherlands.  The abuse is not restricted to Roman Catholics, far from it, it appears to be an abuse of clericalism and authority.  Radio Netherlands has reported on an award to some Dutch journalists who uncovered a scandal in the Netherlands with its cover up.  The Belgian scandal appears to be breaking, though the most shocking to-date have been cases in the English speaking world, such as USA, Canada, Ireland, UK and Australia.  This may be a function of legal niceties (in Germany the surnames of criminals is only indicated by the initial).  The cover-ups in Germany are gradually being exposed for what they are, to the embarrassment of the German pope himself. 

I'm very new at this blogging business, but it seems that many people can be very irresponsible in trying to shout down those who have been abused.  I'm disclosing some blogs I have visited and you can make your own decision regarding their accuracy or value.  The Christian Bible has a lot to say about telling lies, damaging children and something about the 'meek shall inherit the earth'.  Sad to say, this has been a lesson that seems to have got lost over the last 2000 years.


http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/robert-chesal-and-joep-dohmen-honoured-journalist-year


http://wcrnews.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/controversy-erupts-over-hli%E2%80%99s-former-chief-priest/