On May 4th in 1952 my parents were married
In good Catholic practice I arrived nine months later. To celebrate this anniversary I am publishing a the Papal Blessing given to Mum and Dad in 1961 providing a one way ticket to heaven for them and their family!!
You need to understand a bit of pre Vatican II Catholic Culture here. Receiving a Papal Blessing was not the average Catholic thing. You had to know someone who knew someone who knew the ropes and knew you were deserving. In most cases these items were framed and proudly displayed on the mantle-piece or near the three ducks on the wall.You definitely do not blue tack one of these onto the kitchen cupboard
However I found this among Mum's personal bits and pieces as it had never been publicly displayed.
Of course it begs all sorts of questions: As there is no "use by" date I presume it is valid for ongoing generations of the family. Does "family" include those who marry into as well as the DNA carriers? Can anyone from the maternal and paternal linage who appear on the family tree lay claim and is it retrospective?
I imagine that by now my friends of the reformed traditions are tearing their hair out. And I wouldn't be surprised if a good number of Catholic friends are looking in bewilderment having never seen one of these before.
Ah, the wonder of Catholicism!!!
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