Giving It Time

When I had my biennial review it was suggested that I should get involved in some aspect of Church life on a broader base that the parish. Why not try the Society of Catholic Priests, my reviewer said. Now, the SCP is the pro-ordination of women counterpart to the traditionalist Society of the Holy Cross, and its priests members sometimes wear a little badge like the one to the left. It aims at providing support for priests from the Catholic end of the Church of England who aren't within the anti-women's ordination orbit. At least it reminds such clergy that they aren't entirely on their own, often in parishes that are ecclesiologically of a rather different colour to themselves. 

I've been to a couple of diocesan SCP gatherings so far and found them, well, less than inspiring. Folk have a habit of calling each other self-consciously 'Father' this and 'Mother' that, an affectation I do thoroughly despise when clergy use it among themselves. I know the point it's trying to make, but it's awfully precious. Although the SCP aims at mirroring the SSC, and its Rule has a sense of the Catholic disciplines to it, its style in practice is much more liberal (not that the SSC is as ascetic as it appears in theory): last night's do took place at Leighton church on the far side of Woking after a 'Rainbow Mass' which is dedicated to the LGBT community, although it's not a prominent element in Leighton's locale. I was tempted to say that go to some parts of the Diocese of London and every day's a rainbow mass. I actually feel rather more instinctive sympathy with my trad colleagues than the libs. 

So I trailed along last night feeling less than enthusiastic, missed the Mass (deliberately, I feared it would have grated on my nerves too much), and tried to miss the refreshments afterwards. In fact the Mass went on so long that there was very little time for the actual SCP meeting, but I dutifully sat with the six souls crammed into the awful vestry while we tried to get through all the business in ten minutes, and even with the secretary's determined recalling us to our purpose failed. I was very, very anxious to begin my half-hour drive home but didn't begin it until nearly 9.55. In fact, the SCP members are no weirder than any other group of clergy and after what I now see as a bit of an epiphany at the last Diocesan Conference which left me regarding my brethren as essentially as daft and harmless as everyone else, I might even get to like them. Leighton church has a lovely Lady Chapel and I sat in front of the Blessed Sacrament for a bit, so that was nice too.