The Hermeneutic of Continuity

I put the press release, text and signatures of the Support for Marriage Letter in one post for the record. There are one or two things to add. The letter was been published first on the Catholic Herald website and it will feature in the Catholic Herald printed magazine later this week. See Nearly 500 priests in England and Wales urge synod to stand firm on Communion for the remarried. There have been one or two queries. A couple of priests have asked whether they could sign it as they did not have the chance to do so. I understand that the organisers of the letter did try to send a copy to every priest in England and Wales, but a database with such a large number of entries is bound to have a few mistakes. Unfortunately, I am told that there is no easy way to add signatures now. This was a competely independent undertaking of a small number of concerned lay people. One or two lay people have asked if a letter could be organised for laity to sign. I would recommend lay people to...

See also the post Further on the priests' Support for Marriage Letter for answers to one or two questions. Here is the text of the Press release from the co-ordinator of the letter, followed by the letter itself and the list of signatories : Press release from the co-ordinator of the letter : Hundreds of Priests in England and Wales urge Vatican Synod to end confusion over Marriage and Sexuality. In a dramatic turn of events, nearly 500 priests from England and Wales have written a letter in defence of the ‘traditional teaching on marriage and human sexuality’ in anticipation of the forthcoming Vatican Synod on the family. This letter comes at a time when a growing number of Catholics are concerned that the gathering of Church leaders in Rome, scheduled for October 2015, will seek to re-think Gospel teaching on marriage, sexuality, repentance and grace. Some Cardinals, particularly from Germany, have suggested that Holy Communion could be received by those in second and non...

The pastoral and spiritual care particularly of men in our parishes is much needed at the present time. The Holy League is a recently-founded initiative which aims to to develop a network of parish based regular monthly Holy Hours with confession and fraternity for men. Cardinal Burke gave an encouraging message earlier this month on the launch of the Holy League. Here is the video: I did like his ultra simple summary of the one fundamental aim of the Holy League: "It has basically one thrust and that is that we, as men, be in the state of grace..." It reminds me of a remark attributed to St John Bosco when asked what was his principal aim in life. The saint who carried out so many spectacularly successful apostolic works said that his principal aim in life was to remain in a state of grace. (By the way, here is a screen-grab at 3'05" where my good friend Fr Z has a cameo role in the video! I have just noticed that he has also posted on the Holy Leag...

Full text of the sermon of Cardinal Burke, given on Monday 9 March at St Augustine's, Ramsgate during the celebration of Pontifical High Mass: VOTIVE MASS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE, BISHOP, APOSTLE OF ENGLAND SHRINE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH OF RAMSGATE AND MINSTER RAMSGATE, ENGLAND 9 MARCH 2015 1 Thes 2, 2-9 Lk 10, 1-9 SERMON Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen. How great a blessing to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Shrine of Saint Augustine, Apostle of England, so near to the place at which he, together with some forty other monks, arrived in the year 597 on a mission received from the Roman Pontiff, Pope Gregory the Great: the mission of the new evangelization of the British Isles. Here we witness directly the unfailing activity of the glorious Christ in His Church. Saint Augustine and his companions, not unlike the 72 disciples in the Gospel, were sent forth by the Vicar of Christ on earth to bring Christ alive in the Church to a fa...

Sacred ministers, tired children, hard-working parishioners and many visitors from far afield are now home (or still on their way) from a wonderful evening at St Augustine's, Ramsgate . The Rector of the Shrine, Fr Marcus Holden, invited Cardinal Burke to celebrate Pontifical High Mass at the throne. Fr Louis Poucin de Wouilt came all the way from Gricigliano to MC and did a great job with discretion and quiet authority. He was only ordained priest last July for the Institute of Christ the King, Sovereign Priest and took charge of the ceremonies with exemplary calm and expertise. I have some experience of Pontifical Mass but am by no means an expert, so I mugged up with Fortescue and Ahearne & Lane but was still rather nervous at the prospect of being Deacon for the Mass. Fortunately, since I sing Mass every Sunday, chanting the Gospel is not so daunting, but it is easy to go suddenly blank at various points, wondering what comes next that is different from the usual High...