THE ANGLICAN MASS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5420, 6 May 1929, Page 2

THE ANGLICAN MASS

(To the Editor.) Sir—ln the Key. Weedon’s attempted justification of his public utterances on Anzac Day complaint was made that anonymity must be regarded as “ the coward’s hiding place,” i do not know much about these placed and without comment pass over the “anonymity” of “ Anglican.” It carries its own inference. However, to business There must be no side Issueg. f accused fh® Rev. Weadon of attempting to celebrate a rite universally acknowledged to belong, to the Catholic —or, if he will, the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican church, or those who founded her, deliberately rejected the Roman Catholic Church, which, al l must admit, was the only church IP England up to the sxtheenth century. Moreover, the “ Reformers ” — and will the Rev. Weadon deny he is one; of their followers—deliberately repudiated the priesthood and the Mass as “a blasphemous fable and a dangerous deceit.” (Article XIII). Apart from the historical question involvejd, and which I will gladly elaborate if necessary, there is a simple test as to what the man id the street thinks regarding; our title. A stranger entering our town inquii*is the location of: the Catholic Church, and will invariably be directed by people of all denominations, Including good Anglicans, to the church on the hill, to St. Mary’s; However, all this is beside the point. (Owing to one question being; asked and unanswerable, another was conveniently raised. I challenged the person responsible for the notice of “ a Requiem Mass in, te Anglican Church” to justify his position, and, apart from the pleasing admission “ that millions of devout Christians reverence and love the -Mass,” he has not yet explained the somersault fr®m regarding the Mass, as a “a blasphemous fable and a dangerous deceit ” tc its being someithiog to “ love and reverence,” and even something to; be attempted by anyone who elects to masquerade in priestly vestments, even thougjh they happen to have about them the “ cut ” of Rome. By the way, punning bn names isa poor indication of a Jogjcal mind, courtesy, or culture. Oh, what a field for the exercise of that “ lowest form of wit ” if we could but descend. But no! rather on with the argument ! There is no use in trying the “ piebald ” type of religion, in the name of common sense and decency, be either Protestant or Catholic, or nothing, but why try th'q’ impossible of bqng, two things at the same time ? Be anything you like, and I. in my “intolerance,” will respect you, but Please do not preach that the Maas is “ a blasphemous fable and a dangerous deceit,” and then pretend to celebrate the Mass. I am accused of intolerance. Of course; I .am intolerant of any person attempting a travesty of our highest form of worship. We are delighted to witness the? innocent spectacle of children playing “ doll’s house. It is a pleasing makej-belief, and it makes the little onqs happy. But the picture of a protestant parson, Pledged to preach that the Mass 7 is “ a blasphemous fable and a dangerous deceit,”- ‘ playing at Mass ” is, to terra it mildly, “ tragjc.” JOHN TAYLOR, Parish Priest. St. Mary’s, Paeroa May 3rd, 1929. "