The French Revolution and English Catholics

Yesterday, July 16, was the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel; today is the memorial of the Carmelite martyrs of Compiegne, victims of the Committee for Public Safety and French Revolution who were executed in Paris in 1794.

The exiled French priests and nuns who fled the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and the dangers of the Terror provoked feelings of sympathy in England. The fact that they were allowed to practice their faith while English Catholics were not contributed to the Catholic Relief movement in Parliament. I saw a sign of that sympathy last summer when my Oxford Movement class visited Dorchester Abbey, which had been a Tractarian church in the 19th century, and had been saved from destruction during the Dissolution of the Monasteries by a local gentleman paying Henry VIII off.

There was a memorial to Monsignor Michael Thoumin Desvalpons, an archdeacon and the Vicar-General of Dol in Normandy, who is buried in the south-west aisle of the Abbey church. He had lived in the household of William Davey at Overy, near Dorchester after fleeing France. The Davey family was the Catholic family that contributed much not only to the Catholics in the area, but the entire Dorchester-on-Thames community.

The memorial, carved in the floor, reads:

To the Memory of the Rev.

Michael Thoumin DesValpons

Aged 62

DD & CL Arch Deacon and Vicar-

General of Dol in Brittany

A man conspicuous for his Deep

Knowledge and his Moral Virtues.

Exiled since 1792 for his Religion

and his King, favorably Received

by the English Nation.

Deceased at Overy, March 2, 1798

greatly indebted to the Family of

Mr. Davey and Interred in this

Church at the Request and Expence (sic)

of the Revd. Dr. Guantelett, Warden

of New College, Oxon.

R.I.P.

Dorchester Abbey hosts a small Church of England community; St. Birinius, the Catholic Church across the street, evidently sometimes uses the C of E parish church for special events, like a funeral Mass, in the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, for Mary Berry, Gregorian chant specialist.

One irony of the pattern of exile of the religious who fled France--some of them came from houses that had been established on the Continent for English religious after the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

Anne of Cleves, July 16, 1557

You know the old verse describing Henry VIII's six wives:

Divorced, beheaded, she died;

Divorced, beheaded, she survived.

Of course, like any generalization or simplification, it has its limits: Katherine of Aragon's marriage was annulled, and so was Anne Boleyn's before she was beheaded; Henry and Anne of Cleves' marriage was also annulled, and Catherine Parr just barely survived Henry, while Anne of Cleves survived her by nine years. Without a doubt, Jane Seymour died.

Thus, I believe Anne was the real survivor--she remained in England became a friend of Henry's, mentor to his children, and a Catholic; she was materially comfortable and she had the pleasure of seeing Mary, the Princess crowned as Queen of England.

Anne materially benefitted from the fall of her predecessor of that name after the annulment on July 9, 1540 when Henry gave her the Boleyn home at Hever Castle. He also gave her Richmond Castle; Anne was wealthy and independent. After Catherine Howard was executed, there was brief talk of Henry and Anne marrying again.

She died on this day in 1557 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Father Ian Ker on John Henry Newman

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about the BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play Gerontius--and I updated my post with my notes after hearing the play.

UK's The Catholic Herald published an article lauding Fr. Ian Ker's booklet ("Newman: His Life, His Legacy") from the Catholic Truth Society that addresses, inter alia, the Victorian idea of friendship--and notes that the booklet answers the negative connotations the BBC play presented:

However, what I wanted to single out in Fr Ker’s little essay was the common sense and clarity he brings to bear on the question of Newman and his male friends. He writes that since it became current knowledge that Newman’s wish was to be buried with his fellow Oratorian, Ambrose St John, “there was widespread speculation in the international media that there might have been some kind of homosexual relationship between the two friends. In an age that has almost lost the concept of affectionate friendship untouched by sexual attraction, such speculation was no doubt inevitable.” Fr Ker briefly discusses the Victorians, friendship, joint burials and Newman’s recognition of the sacrifice celibacy would entail. It is well worth reading.

It is also a necessary rebuttal. Last week I chanced to listen to a play about Newman on BBC Radio 4 called Gerontius in which the role of Newman was played by Derek Jacobi. . . . Halfway through this breathless, melodramatic dialogue between Newman and his guardian angel, a young male voice declares: “The Roman Catholic Church is homophobic!” It is further inferred that Newman’s motto, “From shadows into the truth”, could be a disguised code for his wanting to come out of the closet. Jacobi himself, brilliant actor though he is, tends to convey a slightly fey quality in the timbre of his voice. Inevitably Newman came across as highly emotional, self-absorbed, querulous and remorseful. He expostulates: “I am an Englishman. I buried my feelings!” All the more reason to read Ker.

All the more reason to read Ker indeed. His biography and shorter studies of Newman are essential to understanding Newman the man and his influence.

A Matter of Dates: Commemorating the Battle of the Boyne

At the time of the Glorious Revolution, England was still on the Julian Calendar. The Catholic world had made the transition to the Gregorian Calendar after Pope Gregory XIII proclaimed it on February 24, 1582. It was a scientific adjustment with a religious purpose: the correct celebration of the date of Easter according to the First Council of Nicaea. Protestant Europe refused to accept the reform of the calendar. Elizabeth I was on the throne in England and distribution of the Papal Bull ordering adoption of the new calendar was indeed illegal at that time. So the religious divisions in Europe affected not only what date it was but what date Easter was each year.

Thus, according to the Julian Calendar, the Battle of the Boyne occurred on July 1, 1690, while according to the Gregorian Calendar, it occurred on July 12, 1690. England did not adopt the Gregorian Calendar until 1752, at which time the people of England seemed to "lose" eleven days, going to bed on September 2, 1752 and waking up the next morning on September 13, 1752. The Gregorian Calendar is now the internationally accepted calendar dating system, although it still requires adjustment.

Celebrating the date of the Battle of the Boyne in Northern Ireland as the Orange Order does on July 12 is an example of proleptic adjustment to the international standard. Remember that I'm on the air early tomorrow morning (6:45 a.m. Central/7:45 a.m. Eastern) on the Son Rise Morning Show to discuss the Stuarts and Catholics in England during their reign.

The Battle of the Boyne and the Son Rise Morning Show

On Monday, July 12, I'll talk with Anna Mitchell on the Son Rise Morning Show. We are going to use the occasion of James II's defeat by William of Orange in Ireland at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 to talk about the English Catholics' fortunes and misfortunes under the Stuart monarchs. Covering the period from 1603 to 1714 means it's a very quick survey in the time we have allotted, so we'll just hit the highlights:

James I: The Gunpowder Plot and strict penal laws against Catholics
Charles I: A Catholic Queen and Civil War
[The Interregnum and Cromwell]
Charles II: The Merry Monarch and the Popish Plot
James II: The Last Catholic King
William and Mary; Anne: Never No More a Catholic Monarch or Consort

Although the Tudor era certainly dominates any discussion of the history of Catholicism in England after the break from Rome, the Stuarts have their own fascinating impact on Catholics for more than a century. I look forward to our discussion at 7:45 a.m. Eastern/6:45 a.m. Central.

Update (7/12/2010): Anna and I flew through a century of history this morning! Obviously, I'd recommend you read Supremacy and Survival if you want to know the rest of the story.

The Journey to the Throne

Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen is tracing the path of Edward VI and the Duke of Northumberland's plot to place Lady Jane Dudley (nee Grey) on the throne. Check back for more developments in the conspiracy: Will Mary escape Northumberland's clutches? Will England rally behind her? Stay tuned . . .

The Fourth of July

To commemorate the Fourth of July this year, let's recall Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.

My publisher, Scepter, includes this book in their catalog: Charles Carroll of Carrollton: Faithful Revolutionary--

Meet Charles Carroll of Carrollton: "A Roman Catholic but an ardent patriot." So said John Adams about the great Founding Father who originated the Electoral College, signed the Declaration of Independence, and fought tirelessly for religious liberty for Catholics in America. Charles Carroll is little-known today, but author Scott McDermott is determined to change that. In this illuminating biography, he paints a vivid picture of Carroll's tumultuous life that shows why this forgotten Founder is a heroic Catholic example needed now more than ever. McDermott uses Carroll's letters and other personal papers to bring you a well-rounded portrait of this complex and fascinating man. He also details the political and social currents that Carroll confronted during his long career. This book is a gripping introduction to a forgotten hero and a key contribution to the ongoing debate about the place of religion in public life.

Author Scott McDermott also provides an excellent introduction and analysis of the founding of Maryland by the Lords Baltimore as an English colony that demonstrated religious tolerance. Charles Carroll the Settler, Charles Carroll of Carrollton's grandfather, came to Maryland as Attorney General two weeks before the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the Church of England becoming the established church in Maryland. The new government imposed penal laws on Catholics, including fines for celebrating the Mass in public.

I highly recommend this book.

For background on the founders of Maryland, George Calvert, the First Lord Baltimore and his son Cecil Calvert, the Second Lord Baltimore, I recommend English and Catholic: The Lord Baltimore in the Seventeenth Century by John D. Krugler. The story George Calvert's reversion to his childhood faith, especially the detail about government interference in his parents' raising of their children and their education because they were Catholic, is fascinating.

BBC Radio Play on Venerable John Henry Newman

BBC Radio 4 will present an Afternoon Play titled Gerontius at 14:15 (2:15 p.m.) Thursday, July 8.

Derek Jacobi stars as Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th Century Catholic priest who will be beatified when the Pope visits the UK later this year. Newman shared a house with Father Ambrose St. John and, upon his death, insisted that he be buried in the same grave as his longtime friend. Stephen Wyatt’s play examines their relationship, and draws upon the themes in Newman’s poem The Dream of Gerontius which went on to inspire Elgar’s oratorio of the same name.

It does not appear that the Afternoon Play is included among Radio 4's podcasts. London's 2:15 p.m. is 8:15 a.m. Central Time, so I suppose I could try to listen on the internet on the BBC's iPlayer. I presume the radio play will hint that Newman was a homosexual and try to make him as unattractive as possible, but I could be wrong!

Update (7/11/2010): I did listen to the play on a link that will expire soon. It was not very sympathetic to Venerable John Henry Newman or to the whole notion of sainthood. The author depicted Newman in the afterlife seeing his grave dug up and hearing Elgar's Gerontius music. With a demon and his guardian angel on either side, Newman protested at the disturbance of his grave and his beatification. The playlet ended with Newman proclaiming that he loved Ambrose St. John. If this was one's first impression of Venerable Newman, it was pretty bad.

Not Enough Time!

Al Kresta and I were barely able to skim the surface discussing Supremacy and Survival yesterday on his radio show!

He and his producer promised that I'll be back on the air with them later this year--I look forward to it because it was a fun conversation.

Kresta in the Afternoon posted the podcast of the second hour here. My portion starts about 20 minutes before the hour.

Last Priest Executed at Tyburn Tree

Today is the memorial of St. Oliver Plunkett, Archbishop of Armagh, victim of Stuart injustice during the Anti-Catholic madness of the so-called Popish Plot.

The Whigs in Parliament, opposed most of all to the succession of Charles II's Catholic brother, James the Duke of York, jumped at the opportunity to attack Catholics--and James--when Titus Oates fabricated the story of a great conspiracy. Charles II did not believe most of the elements of the plot Oates "revealed", especially when the perjuror implicated his own queen, Catherine of Braganza and his brother.

St. Oliver Plunkett was in Ireland but was brought to London and accused of conspiring to bring French soldiers and recruit members of his diocese to mount a rebellion against the King and Parliament. There was, of course, no evidence of these accusations and Plunkett could bring no witnesses to testify for him.

The prelate was found guilty and sentenced to death, dying by being hung, drawn and quartered at Tyburn Tree, the last Catholic priest to suffer there.

Titus Oates was finally found out and punished for his perjury. When the Duke of York came to the throne as James II, he strictly carried out the sentence of the court against Oates, with annual pillory and imprisonment. After the Glorious Revolution, Oates received a pension from William and Mary, thus being rewarded for lying and causing the deaths of many innocent men, including St. Oliver Plunkett, who was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1975.

(Don't forget that I'll be Kresta in the Afternoon today at 4:35 p.m. Central/5;35 p.m. Eastern!)