Novus Ordo Cricket

With apologies to non-Cricketians who may worship the ball that is base, or even subscribe to one of the many cults of the ball called foot.

Following the 1960s Vatican II reforms, the Cricketic Church introduced a Novus Ordo form of its service, which upset many traditionalist worshippers.

Novus Ordo cricket. Note the unusual liturgical vestments.

In the Tridentine form of the service (named after the Council of Trent Bridge), worship was often not deemed to be completed until a "testing" period of 5 days of prayer (or Quinquena) had elapsed.

Father Shepherd knew the correct liturgical gestures.

Typically, the prayers varied over the five days, perhaps along the following lines:

Day 1: Australia batting well. A prayer that the Lord may aid 
his servants Anderson, Swann, and the other bowlers. 
Day 2: Australia declares: Ite. Inningus est, and England bats.
A prayer that the Lord may sustain Cook, Trott, and the
other batsmen.
Day 3: England batting collapses (this is traditional). Readings 
from the book of Job.
Day 4: Australia bats again. A prayer for rain.
Day 5: England, set 947 to win, manage 111 all out. A requiem 
mass for English cricket, including the burning of bails. Ashes 
to ashes...

The veneration of relics is an important part of the Tridentine game.

However, in the Novus Ordo service, some of the dignity and reverence shown in the Tridentine form simply disappeared. The wise theological advice, dig thou in, lad, just stay there for a few days, don't try to score any runs,found in the Gospel of St Geoffrey of Boycott, was replaced by an undignified scramble, as the whole service was rushed through in a matter of hours.

Liturgical dancing - what next?

Still there are hopeful signs for the future, as the Tridentine form of the game is still permitted, and a new generation of worshippers is favouring it. Curiously, some of the Latin terminology used in the older form of the game persists, and even the Novus Ordo service includes phrases such as Howzat? (Latin for "Hath he not transgressed?")

The Lord's temple - pavilioned in splendour and girded with praise.

Finally, whether or not they prefer the Ordinary Form or the Extraordinary Form of the game, Cricketics everywhere will treasure the words of Ezekiel 41:24:And in the two doors on both sides were two little doors, which were folded within each other: for there were two wickets on both sides of the doors.

St Geoffrey of Boycott smites the ungodly.

Austriala Day

We is cellebratin Austriala Day now, de day when de Brittish first started sendin Anti Moly's ancesstors to Bottany Bay. In fact, dey sent off about 700 poeple at once, as it seemed best to expel de whole village of Lower Collyer where Moly's fambly lived. Dis was cos de poeple of Upper Collyer complaned about de "lewd and sinnful nieghbors we got, wot keeps robbin us blind, and murderin us in our beds, so dat we is pretty fed up wiv it by now."

Dis shows de sort of village scene in Upper Collyer wot was makin poeple feel fed up and finkin dat life was a bit too excittin wiv Moly's fambly aruond.



Of course de aborriginals is less enthusiastic about dis invasoin, dey has a leggend dat de great God Goolagong sent de people of Lower Collyer to dem as a punnishment for dere sins.

Anti Moly bein a culltured pusson, like all Austrialans except Rolf Harrass, was offering to run an Arts Festivall in beuatiful Pottymouth as part of de cellebratoins. Dis was gonna feature:

* Music, a performance of Zellenka's Missa Wofulla, which most definatly aint a Cathlic Mass (unless it's one of dem libberal masses wot some Cathlics like).



* Art, an exhibitoin of paintings of Cradinal Pell. Dis is one dat was done by Andy Warhole, as a pressent for Anti Moly, and she wanted to lend it to de exhibitoin.



* Dance, a new ballet called Yakkety-Sax. Dis is all about ladies chasin after someone wot looks a little bit like Cradinal Pell, but Anti says it comes from her favorite tellevisoin program, Benny Hill, and dat she aint one of de ladies.



* Litterature, Anti Moly readin out extracts from a good book. I asked my Anti what her favourite book was, and she said "It's dis one, it's all abuot me, and I has got de only coppy in de world."



Howevver, de Pottymouth authorrities has turned down Anti Moly's plans for an Arts Festivall, and dey is gonna cellebrate Austriala Day in de tradditoinal manner, wiv lots of drink. Dere is only one word for dis - WOFUL.

Lotsa news items

Well we got to Anti Moly's home in Austriala, where we is stayin for a while before we goes to look for Cradinal Pell. For de first time, I can show Anti Moly's many admirrers a pitcher of her standin by her Pottymouth home.



My dere Anti showed me a wooden challet in de gardden where I is gonna sleep.



Fiddo is Lattin for "faithfull," and she told me she wrote it on de challet in case de Angle of de Lord drops by lookin for saved pussons. Dere is snakes and spidders in de gardden, but Anti told me it was OK if I didn't keep dem awake wiv my snorin'. Reassured by dis, I has been sleepin a lot as I was quite jetlogged.

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We got news from my bruvver Bosco, who we last saw sittin on a pole. De nuns at our local convent was feelin a bit short-staffed as some of dem had been eaten by crockodiles, so dey has appointed Bosco as a securitty gaurd. He says dat bein on de inside is de only way dat he can save dese nuns, so I wonder if he is gonna be dressin like a nun in future so as to blend in?



If you ever sees a very plane-lookin nun, try sayin "Ullo Bosco" to her, cos she may be my big bruvver.

Crockodiles is a well-known hazzard in de Cathlic churhc. Here is a pitcher of one of Richard Dakwins's freinds tryin to kill de Pop wiv one.



We aint got any more phottos, but it seems dat de Pop managed to wrestle dis fearsome beast into submission before it cuold bite his leg off. Anti Moly was disappointed and she said "Dat yuong man must have amazin strenght."

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I heard dat Archbishopp Vincent Nicolas, who is de English top cosstume hollyman, is very disappointed dat he aint become a Cradinal yet, wiv a red fish hat. Someone sent me dis photto which suggests dat he is keepin his optoins open, and maybe lookin for a new career runnin a restuarant.



In de Cathlic churhc if de Pop don't like your face, den you gotta get out before he sends de Inquisitoin ruond to beat you up. Everryone knows dat.

We goes to Austriala

We got a letter from de Austrialan govermnent, sayin dat Anti Moly is allowed to go back dere wivvout bein locked up, providded dat a responsibble person come wiv her to keep an eye on her. Dat's grate news, as Anti wants to go lookin for Cradinal Pell, wot used to be sweet on her before he became a cosstume holly man.

Bosco is still sittin on a pole medditatin about how he is de only saved pusson in Callifornia, so Anti have persauded me to go wiv her. De call of love is strong, and Cradinal Pell gonna have a nice surprise.

Anti Moly's eyes filled with nostallgic tears, as she showed me a postcard of her home town, where we is goin.



We has had to buy 3 seats on de aeroplain, as Anti wants to take her iddle of St Cuttley wiv her. She says dat she prefers talkin to de iddle and not me, as de iddle don't answer back (dem's creul words, Anti). But I doesn't know how she is gonna survive a long flihgt wivvout interrnet access, she will miss all de excitin debaits on Damain's blogg.

Dere was also de probblem of what to do wiv de 4 crockodiles dat Anti buoght recently as part of her campaing to be poppular. When Didgeridoo Airlines told us dat crockodiles wasnt allowed in de aeroplain wiv her, we went round to de local Cathlic convent and dropped em all down de chimney of de Muvver Superoir. Here is one of dem peerin out frew a window of de convent, sayin to itself in crockodile, "My, dat was a most deliciuos nun! Wot's for puddin?"



At de airport securitty, Anti Moly had grate probblems, as dey wuoldn't let her take six bottles of gin onto de aeroplain as hand lugage, and she screemed at dem when dey made her go frew a specail x-ray. Here is de luvvly x-ray photto dey took of my dere Anti gettin cross. She is sayin "Woeful", perhaps I orta add a speech bubble.



So here we is waitin to board de plain for Austriala, where excittin adventures beckons. I was askin Anti if she was gonna introdduce me to her Austrialan freinds, and she said "I aint got any freinds, I hates dem all! But I has got some ennemies who aint too bad, I suppose."

Anyways, I hopes dere is a Calumny Chappel in Pottymouth, cos I is a saved pusson,and bessides, I is gonna need to stock up on cemment doves.

Eccles and Bosco is pure

I is very cross wiv Grate-Anti Moly, cos she has been spreddin rumors about me. She told her frends dat my luvvly blogg was full of SEX. Dat aint nice, Anti Moly, cos I is pure in hart and I has been saved. Likewise if you looks at Bosco's blogg you will see dat he never mentions SEX on it. He dont even know what de word means, we was both away when dey did dat in shcool.

We got all sorts of pevrets singing into my blogg now and leavin nasty messages. I fink dat Anti Moly told dem dat it was de place to come for pornorgaphy and dey was dissapointed.

Dis Moly is my own flesh and bludd, viz Mom's Anti who was bannished to Austriala and escapped to visit us. If she weren't our fambly, I would be phonin dem pollite and courtoeus laywers, Cutley, Butley and Mutley, to help me soo her for libble. I gotta reputtation to deffend, I is workin hard as a Telegrahp Muddlerator over de summer. Bosco aint gotta reggular job, but he got a key positoin in soceity as a part-time Calumny Chappel Sundy School Teecher, Kid-dissciplinarrian, Nun-torturrer, Cement Dove-polisher, and Buoncer. Also he is repsonsible for our Mission to Save de Cathlics, althuogh he aint got very far wiv dat.

Dis is my laywer, bein kissed by an angle becuase he is saved. Anti Moly you libbles me at your perril.




Well, Bosco got into deep trubble wiv Camila Van Pyre his reggular girlfiend, after he went out to a big dinner wiv an acktress who told him her name was Hilda (dis was explaned last time). Camila came round and screemed at him "Dubble-dealin two-timin crettin!"
Anti Moly chimed in wiv screeches of "Sockpoppet!"
We got a tellephone call from de neihgbours complainin about de niose "If dat's de Calumny Chappel Chior Practise, cuold you do it more queitly?" dey said. "But de quallity of your chorral signing is sure gittin better." Dey is reely dubm we doesnt sign any hynms about Cathlics bein dubble-dealin two-timin crettins, except at funnerals.

Bosco he got cross and said "Bite me!" and dat was not a good move, as Anti Moly's 3-headed dog (we is callin him Spot now) gave him some nasty wuonds in de leg, and Camila bit Bosco in de thraot. I gotta nasty feelin about dis, Bosco.

Here is a touchin romantic pitcher of Bosco and Camila.



Bosco gotta see a dentist tomorrow, his teef seems to be growin suddenly. Also he refussed to eat de garlic bread we had wiv our dinner. Dey say dat cupples start to ressemble each uvver, and I fink Bosco is adopttin some of de habbits of Camila Van Pyre.

De passover

Well I heard Bosco talkin to Anti Moly, and explanin dat de Lord was gonna send us de final plaque, de sluaghter of de first-born, but not to worry cos if de Angle of Death came we was gonna say dat de first-born was now Eccles (dis was a kind fing he did for me yesterday), who was a tottal pest wiv his blogg and would be no grate loss. Anti Moly replied "Ha. I'm gonna say you was twins, den I wont have any more probblems with crazy peeple trying to save me."

De next fing I knew, Bosco was packin a siutcase. He said "I'm goin on de run," and carefuly stowed away some of his souvennirs (like de toe of St Peter dat once got stuck to Bosco's nose, and de saccred statue of St Imbecilicus, wot is Bosco's Gaurdian Angle).



"Can I come wiv you, Bosco?" I asked. "We got lotsa people to convert who aint saved, I wouldnt mind talkin to de Buhddists next, dey should be easy to convert to de delights of de Calumny Chappel. Dis Dolly Llama woman sounds like a pushover."

Well to cut a long story short, Bosco said he'd rather face de Angle of Death than have me followin him round for de rest of his life (dat's not nice, Bosco). We bein saved we knows our Bibble, and de answer is that you gotta put labm's blud on de door. Den de Angle of Death comes by and says "Ho hum, dat's labm's blud. Dese chaps is saved. Anyone in next door?" Never fails. So we raided Anti Moly's wine cellar, openned a bottle of her Chatteau Moutton Wrathchild, and did just dat. Just to be on de safe side Bosco dressed up as a nun and hid in de tiolet, where he writes his luvvly bloggs. Here he is.



Well we is all pleased dat de passover went OK. De Angle of Death dropped in and turned out to be an old friend of Anti Moly's from her days as a chorus girl in Austriala, so we gave it a cup of tea. Dem plaques is over, and Bosco he have been given a strong warnin: "You gotta make more of an effort to convert people, or dis could be you, Bosco!"

De confesions of Bosco

I is pleased to see dat my dere bruvver Bosco has passed a good nihgt despite bein concused by Grate-Anti Moly's lapptop. She aint takin de blame, of course. In fact she have found a blogg postin dat Bosco made in 1996 sayin dat Austrialans cant be saved because Jesus would be upside-down if he went dere. She is usin dis as eviddence dat he atacked her first. Still, de finggers of supsicion are bein pointed at her, and she may decide to go away soon, especially as she has drunk all our gin.

Bosco sure was restless overnihgt as he kept talkin in his sleep. "I is a grate sinner," he said. "I confesses. It was me wot did 9/11 single-handed. I also stole all de gold in Fort Nkox and replaced it wiv chocolate wrapped in gold foil. I set fire to Rowwan Williams's beard. I filled Eccles's boots wiv treackle. I pinched Damain Thopmson's touppee when he came to visit. I covetted my neihgbour's servin-girl, except dat she slapped my face and said 'Stop covettin me, you pig'. Mea culppa, mea maximma culppa (dat's Lattin, it means 'It's a fair cop, I dunnit all rihgt, officer', and Cathlics says dat a lot). I got demons tormentin my sole, and I reppents."

I dont believe most of dem confesions of Bosco's although it is true dat my boots is a bit sticky, and dis creature what I thought was Bosco's pet hamster reely aint very lively. Here she is.



Grate-Anti Moly has gone out now, she says dat Bosco is drivin her mad wiv his confesions, and still dey go on. He says he is repsonsible for the Irish Potatto Fammine cos he got hunggry and ate all de potattoes. He is worried dat de police is gonna find out dat he is reely Jack de Ripper. Now he says dat it was him wot burnt de cakes and not King Alfred. Also he murderred Hamlet's father, and pinned de blame on Claudeus.

All rihgt Bosco darlin bruvver I will nuss you back to health, so dat you can go back to writtin your blogg and bein saved. Also Father Eel de Nutters of de Cathlic Emrggency Confesion Task Force have said dat you can stop confesin now, just say 200 Heil Marrys and you is forgivven. Den you can go back to bein a sinner as usaul.

Well I doesnt want to disturb Bosco in his fraggile state of health, but we has to be on de alertt for iddolatry, and here is somefink dat I saw on de TV, it was probbaly a religgious program. He's an uggly lookin saint aint he?

Grate-Ant Molly

Well, de big news today is de arrival of Grate-Ant Molly from Austriala. Just as I was polishin up Bosco's statues so dat dey were nice and clean for kissin, we gotta phone call from de local plice.
"Does you know a very old lady called Molly Bendite, alias Judy Hate, alias Alfred Hoddack when she aint trimmed her moustashe?"
"Yes," said Bosco, "dat's my Grate-Ant Molly from Austriala."
"Well we got her here in a cell, she is screamin abusse at everyone, callin dem sockpoppets. If you don't take her away we is gonna charge her with vaguerancy."

So we picked up Grate-Ant Molly, who is turned out was comin to see us becuase she repentted her evil ways and wanted to be saved. Or maybe she was just borred. Bosco gave her some gin, and we put her to bed. Dis is what we calls a Christian deed of Charrity, and is only what you expects from someone like Bosco who is saved. Soon we hopes to get her a clown costume and take her to de Calumny Chappel.

Here is a photo of Grate-Ant Molly. She is scowlin at some of de statues of saints dat we keeps in de house.



P.S. Bosco gotta crossbow dat he keeps pointin at me. He says it is very easy to have a fattal aciddent. I hopes he takes care.