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| The Dean of St Davids (second left) with cathedral clergy source: Friends of St Davids |
Friends of St Davids Cathedral will have received a message from the Dean, Sarah Rowland Jones, wishing all a 'joyful celebration of St Davids Day, and blessed and holy Lent'.
The message begins:
"As St David’s Day approaches, I’m delighted to share with you details of two upcoming TV programmes, and a whopping 25 radio programmes, which are being broadcast between this weekend and Easter, wholly or largely about St David and aspects of the 900th anniversary of the papal recognition of Dewi as an 'international saint' and of two pilgrimages to St Davids being of equal value to one to Rome. I'm quite bowled over that BBC Radio Wales in particular have embraced the celebrations quite so enthusiastically."
The Dean enjoyed a jolly in Jerusalem to help her consider whether David may have made a similar journey. Wondering why she could not have contemplated the conundrum at her desk in the Deanery I listened to her broadcast on All Things Considered. In her 4 minute interview with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Theophilos III, his opinion was that it was quite likely that David did visit Jerusalem.
The Dean asked the Patriarch to explain 'Patriarch' and 'Patriarchate'.
Advance to position 22 of the All Things Considered video for the Patriarch's probably unexpected answer in which he explained that the patriarch is the "living testimony to the Apostolic Succession. That is to say that the Patriarch of Jerusalem is the successor to the first bishop, not only of Jerusalem but of the whole Church of St James, the brother of Our Lord. This succession has been without any break throughout the ages."
That is something for the still absent bishop of St Davids to contemplate privately as she celebrates the granting of a privilege from Pope Callixtus II in Rome that two pilgrimages to St Davids Cathedral were equal to one to Rome.
In my 28 February 2019 entry Bishop steals clothes I reported how the bishop had high-jacked Credo Cymru's motto "Be joyful and keep the faith".
It was ironic then, now even more so. The Church in Wales abandoned the received faith years ago.
The ordination of women closed any hope of unity with Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Now the Anglican Church is split by the decision of some western provinces such as the Church of England and the Church in Wales to bless same sex marriages.
We were warned by the apostles:
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.- The Letter of Jude (17-19)
O God, what a gathering!
ReplyDeleteAt least the brain dead DodoJo isn't there.
I don't think I've ever seen a less inspiring bunch.
DeleteExcept the wunch of bankers on the plank in Wales.
Delete🤣
Was it not the Duke of Wellington who, when reviewing his troops , said "The may not frighten the enemy but they certainly frighten me?"
Delete@LG
DeleteFair point, I stand corrected on both points, the second least inspiring wunch!
I am truly mystified why the cathedral is never given it's correct title. The Cathedral Church of Ss Andrew and David. To quote the current Sub Dean, 'An Apostle always out-ranks a local saint'. !
ReplyDeleteSix Cathedrals join programme to promote singing in choirs.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2023/3-march/news/uk/six-cathedrals-to-join-programme-that-promotes-singing-opportunities-at-state-schools
Not one of them is in Wales and certainly not Llandaff Cathedral which continues to claim that it values its Choral tradition so highly.
was it not Holywell to S.David's that was 1/2 a Rome pilgrimage? amazing I heard this on a BBC programme; Griff Rhys Jones did it https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01k68gh
ReplyDeleteIf we're honest, Saint David's Day only really benefits the English. Major producers of daffodils sold in Wales are grown in Cornwall and Suffolk; Welsh leeks are predominantly cultivated in Norfolk, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire. New Zealand annually exports 31 million tons of its Kiwi Lamb to UK filling our March 1st supermarket shelves.
ReplyDeleteThe Scots shunted their Saint Andrew into the sidelines by celebrating their Rabbie Burns (with copious slugs of whisky) insted and St Patrick in Ireland is only really kept alive through the marketing skills of Guinness brewing.
Notwithstanding, there are more than 10,000 acclaimed 'saints' and these counting only the Roman Catholic ones. Anglicans have added to the list. In the general rankings of things, dear old Dewi's shelf-life is expired except, perhaps, in some 'dressing up day' primary schools ... and of course, our own mothballs-smelling churches.
Article XXII of the Romish Doctrine (Invocation of Saints) puts it in perspective: if Saints are not grounded on Scripture, prayer to and commemoration of other such 'saints' is not necessary. Unless of course you're a daffodil crops grower in Cornwall or tend fields of Welsh leeks in Norfolk.
Ad Clerum
Years ago taking an assembly in our local state primary school in Cardiff I asked the pupils who was the patron saint of Wales. The answer I got? St George! Poor St David, but Andrew and Patrick fared no better. However, when asked if anyone knew any other patrons a small boy answered: Czechoslovakia's patron is St John of Nepomuk. Congratulating him on his knowledge I asked him how he knew that. He'd been to Prague with his Dad who played with the BBC symphony orchestra in a concert there and had seen the saint's statue on the famous bridge. You lose some you gain some!
DeleteIs that a clergyman on the left of the photograph - SHOCK HORROR. Come on Dewi Sant's cathedral - currently deanless Leicester cathedral trumps you as it has an all female line up of Canons.
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