Moratorium necessary on all acts of liturgical vandalism

after the Pope's recent Motu Proprio. As in international politics, a moratium should be followed by a ban.

But they don't think so at St Patrick's Church in Edinburgh.

A correspondent tells me

This glorious baroque church, first built for Episcopalians

(Cathcon- ironic indeed that a protestant group should boast about having "bishops" when it is the Catholic Bishops' Conferences who are the biggest obstacle to reform in the Catholic Church)

and sold immediately after in the 19th century to us, as it was not big enough for them, is under the care of the Redemptorists, who had lately intended to leave, until they discovered the financial potential of their site.

They have recently sold a large prominent corner of their walled churchyards for a development of flats, now being built, which greatly compromises the formal setting of the church, which it abuts. More importantly, it gives them a lot of money.

It is their intention to reorder the church.

You will see the saints have all gone from their niches over the last couple of years, some are on the floor in a side chapel, and have been replaced with painted icons.Now the plan is to remove much of the altar and reredos, and the marble communion rails, and provide a modern new liturgical setting, to complete their post Vatican II liturgy.

Now, of all times, after the Motu Proprio!!!

The Church of St Patrick

The Church is also the last resting place of the Venerable Margaret Sinclair, Sister Mary Francis of the Five Wounds of Christ who often received Christ at these very altar rails and who would have rather died than receive Communion in the hand.