News Item: : Adoremus Eucharistic Procession - Liverpool
(Category: Torch of The Faith News)
Posted by admin
Sunday 09 September 2018 - 22:33:19

The Eucharistic Procession of the Adoremus Eucharistic Congress approaches the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King today in Liverpool. 

We attended the Traditional Latin Mass today at the beautiful St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Liverpool. During Mass, I was particularly struck by a line in chapter 3 of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians on this 16th Sunday after Pentecost.

The line reads: ''To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge; that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.''

It is a line which I believe it would do us all well to contemplate in these times, so as to enter into the Heart of Christ and keep our eyes, hearts and wills fixed firmly on Him.

It was a line which also seemed so applicable to the hopes and prayers which we expressed here last night for the Eucharistic Procession of the Adoremus Eucharistic Congress, which has taken place in the city this weekend.

Because of the Congress, it was an even more special time than usual today at St. Anthony's; with a period of Eucharistic Adoration on the High Altar preceding the Traditional Latin Mass and with a concluding Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

It was the kind of afternoon which used to make many Catholics say: ''All this and Heaven too!''

The Missa Cantata was offered by Canon Poucin from the ICKSP's Dome of Home church of Ss Peter, Paul and Philomena, across the River Mersey on the Wirral peninsula, with the accompaniment of a splendid choir.

Sadly, I had forgotten to grab my camera on the way out (again!) and this old picture does not at all do justice to the majestic interior and beautiful art of St. Anthony's; which today was further enhanced by the presence of numerous fine candlebra and a red backdrop for the Monstrance on the High Altar.

By all accounts, the Eucharistic Procession through the city was also a huge success. Led by the cardinal, archbishop and various other bishops, hundreds of priests, and thousands of lay faithful from around the UK, the reverent procession set off from the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King at 1pm.

There are moving on-line photographs of women and young families kneeling down in Adoration as the Blessed Sacrament Procession passes them along the city streets in drizzling rain.

It was good to see on the photos that the beautiful statue of Our Lady of Walsingham was also carried through the streets of our home city in the Procession.

The Adoremus Congress twitter feed announces a quote made by Archbishop McMahon before the Procession began, which reads: ''Let us go forth from this Cathedral after Holy Mass with open ears and without ambiguity to proclaim to the world the love and the healing power of God in His Son Jesus Christ.''

We pray that many souls will thus have been touched by the Real Presence of Christ today.

Having moved through the city, the Eucharistic Procession returned to the Cathedral Piazza. The Cardinal then led Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament from a covered outdoor altar at the top of the Piazza steps.

I must say that I was troubled to see that the concerns which I first expressed here on Friday - regarding the potential danger of religious indifferentism - were in the event actually realised by the participation in the procession of Protestant leaders processing near to the Eucharistic canopy in their vestments.

Whilst at a human level it may be good to see that our city has moved beyond the kind of dangerous religious sectarianism which had caused harm in the long-ago past, it is nevertheless essential to uphold the certainty and dignity of Christ's own ordained priesthood in the Catholic Church, without any ambiguity or confusion of symbolism.

It is one thing for Protestant leaders to process supportively in a religious procession such as this as ordinary folk, indeed it is heartening that they would want to; but to have them process, wearing their own vestments qua Protestant leaders, appears as a sign of religious indifferentism.

On the one hand, even if unintended, this could even be understood as a sign of disrespect towards the Blessed Sacrament and to the sacred priesthood which Christ ordained to offer the august Sacrifice of the Mass; on the other hand, it could also confuse onlookers, who may think because of it, that all ministers are theologically equivalent.

At the same time, such behaviour sends out a signal to the Protestant ministers that they need not change from their present religion.

And that is very sad indeed, because the foundation of all Christian unity worthy of the name is Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Truly Present in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. It is my sincere prayer that, by walking behind Our Lord's Real Presence today, these souls will be given the graces needed to follow Him all the way into His One True Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and thus find His true peace in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

All that being said, I think that we can all nevertheless remain grateful to God for the extraordinary graces which have been poured out on our city and local church this weekend, through the meeting of the Adoremus Eucharistic Congress and the concluding Eucharistic Procession through Liverpool.

Our Blessed Lord has been adored and worshipped in Holy Mass and Eucharistic Adoration by thousands of people in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, in the Liverpool Echo Arena, in the Blessed Sacrament Shrine, in various other local churches, and even in the very streets of Liverpool. Even mainstream media is stating that around 10,000 people took part today. Also, many souls have received holy Confession and a renewed vigour in their walk with the Lord. Then, too, society has seen that the Catholic Church is still here, doing business and bringing Christ's redeeming love to souls.

Our prayer is that the graces of this weekend will bring healing, peace and renewed strength to all who have been touched by Our Lord, in whatever way by these blessed events.

We pray this day that, wherever you are reading this from, that you shall also receive graces and blessings from Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.

He has first loved us; let us make of the rest of our lives an ongoing act of love in return to Him.

Let's conclude with that line from today's Epistle. It is my prayer for you dear readers: To know also the charity of Christ, which surpasses all knowledge; that you may be filled unto all the fullness of God.

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This news item is from Torch of The Faith
( http://www.torchofthefaith.com/news.php?extend.1777 )