A very medical Palm Sunday

Forget the 'Passion Sunday' you may hear (that was last week) today is Palm Sunday. A restrained and yet intensified aspect of Lent and Passiontide: the point of entry into Holy Week and the culmination of our Lord's Passion. For that reason in the traditional liturgy the procession would have been clothed Violet, with the Cross veiled, and the Ministers wearing folded chasubles. No Red Vestments for the Mass: The violet colour of Lent and our Lord's royalty is retained. Although modern liturgy gave way to a forward-facing table to distribute palms (a Bugnini innovation which led to the 'table-altar); the traditional form involved a miniature 'mass' with blessing having its own collect and preface, and distribution of blessed palms (corresponding to the consecration of the species at Mass with communion).












Peter Jennings © 2008
The congregation would then join a procession to a stational church, all holding blessed palms signifying the triumphant entry of Christ into Jerusalem.

Glória, laus et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe, Redémptor: Cui pueríle decus prompsit Hosánna pium.
R. Glória, laus et honor tibi sit, Rex Christe, Redémptor: Cui pueríle decus prompsit Hosánna pium.

This quickly turns into sorrow, as arrival in the second church gives way to the Red Vestments and Mass proper, whose chant includes Psalm 21. Then the solemn singing of St Matthew's Passion during the Gospel, sung by coped clerics. This has been set to music by many famous composers.






But today I am sitting in the Doctors mess at a local psychiatric hospital, responding to bleeps and starting some revision for this summer's exam. It is through my own loss of the Mass on this day, as I work the 12-hour shift, that I most sharply experience Lent. My work, a burden at weekends, can be offered up as I watch the Holy Sacrifice on my iPod!

Please remember to make your UK response to the



RCPsych's draft consultation to the DoH's investigation into the effects of Induced abortion on mental health.

Studies vary in their conclusions, and with regards validity; but some find Abortions are harmful, in it's resultant mental health. But other studies find that women have just as many psychological problems following birth of an unwanted pregnancy.






But NONE of them would have the legal effect of justifying the Abortion legislation; 97% cases being performed on the grounds of avoiding mental and physical health problems which continuing to birth would cause. The only kind of evidence the DoH should be satisfied with, is a demonstrable better mental and physical health in the abortion group. This draft publication and literature review clearly do not show this.

Therefore the very basis of the clause in the law should be closely examined and hopefully removed, which would eliminate 'abortion on demand' and at least result in the consent counseling including that any women susceptible to mental health problems are at increased risk of developing 'post-Abortion syndrome'.

This, paradoxically, (perhaps poetic irony) nullifies the rationale of 97% of the use of the 1967 Act.