The Hermeneutic of Continuity

Just heard the great news that Lord Joffe's "Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill" bill was defeated in the House of Lords by 148-100 - a great pro-life victory. I watched some of the debate earlier today on Parliament Live TV which can be accessed via the internet. After I had heard a good pro-life speech, my computer overheated and swithched itself off during a whining anti-life contribution from Lord Voledemort (or least someone with similar views.)

Dr Tom Ward kindly sent me this incredible story of an elderly pro-life prisoner of conscience. The text is a slightly edited version of what Tom sent me. When Baby 'A' was aborted, distressing photographs and a video of the event were taken. In an attempt to draw the attention of staff at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn to the horrors of such events, a 74-year-old anti-abortion campaigner, Edward Atkinson, of Downham Market sent copies of the photographs to the hospital's chief executive Ruth May. The Norfolk hospital bosses not only informed the police but also struck Mr Atkinson off the waiting list for a hip transplant! The police in turn referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions and ,it is reported, that they then dragged the nearly crippled Catholic from his home when they arrested him and held him on remand until he appeared in court. In court Ruth May's secretary Christine Rogers said she was 'upset' when she opened the let...

Joanna Bogle just sent me this interesting article from "Concerned Women for America" How 'Gay' Activists Smeared Father Mychal Judge by making out that he was "gay". (It dates back to 2002 so many of you in the USA may have seen it some time back.) By the way, the Concerned Women for America site obviously does some great campaigning.

Some good ideas and links on this website devoted to practical ways of countering the Da Vinci Code: www.othercott.com

style="post-frivolity:100%;" In the High Court, R. v Fibulas The principal expert witness for the prosecution is Mgr X whose identity has been witheld for reasons of national security. Yesterday morning, the prosecution established in their questioning that buckled shoes were definitely abolished by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and that the abolition is still in force because of the clear ruling of the Caeremoniale Episcoporum . This morning, we join the court as the counsel for the defence rises for the cross-examination. Counsel - Monsignore , you were, for a number years, a senior official at the Pontifical Office for Liturgical Acoutrements, were you not? Mgr X - Yes, that is correct. Counsel - And that office has now been subsumed under the Pontifical Council for Migrants, Tourists, and the care of domestic animals, is that correct? Mgr X - Yes, unfortunately ... Counsel - [interrupts] Unfortunately? You perhaps question the wisdom of the Holy Father's decision in this matte...

Many years ago, when the Faith Movement started at the John Fisher School in Purley, Andrew Nash was the Chairman. I succeeded to that post a couple of years after. He is now Headmaster of St Edward's School in Cheltenham , and tells me he is looking for a sound Catholic priest to be chaplain for both the senior and junior schools. The post includes living accommodation. If you know of a suitable priest who is free to do this work, do put him onto this post. For further details, email headmaster@stedwards.co.uk

The site meter tells me that there have now been over a thousand visitors since the blog was started on 22 April. Still some way to go before reaching the Curt Jester's million !

It is significant that many good lay people show such an interest in indulgences - but many priests ignore them. This is true even of good orthodox clergy and, as before, I admit that I was remiss in this for many years. The Council of Trent defended the doctrine of indulgences but did not give an exposition of the doctrine as it did, for example, on Justification and the Eucharist. Most people remember Pope Paul VI abolished indulgences measured in days or years. It is a pity that he is not also remembered for his fine exposition of the doctrine of indulgences in the Apostolic Constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina . He reflects on how sin has real consequences, how our good works benefit all because we are united in communion, how the Church developed the practice of dispensing this treasury of merits, and how the Church encourages us to sound piety and works of charity by recommending particular indulgenced prayers and works. He also outlines how indulgences teach us how sad and bitte...

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec...

Being on site at St Luke's College for most of the day is a rare luxury, occasioned by ruthlessly clearing the diary to support them during the OFSTED Inspection. I was delighted to be asked to cover an A-level theology class whose tutor was off sick. [Transatlantic translation: A-levels are public examinations, usually taken at about 18 years of age. Nowadays, they are split into two discrete years: AS and A2. You have to have at least 2 A-levels or equivalent to get into University. To get into medicine or law or into a top university, you might be required to pass three or four at grade A.] The class comprised six students who will be taking their exam in June. They were revising for a paper which links the philosophy of religion with ethics and we were on Freud and Jung and their approach to religion. It was really enjoyable to explore how a good exam answer would involve intelligent discussion of the issues and then to look at how we might answer Freud's negative analysis ...

Please say a prayer for St Luke's Sixth Form College in Sidcup. Last Friday, we were informed that we would have our OFSTED Inspection today and tomorrow. (OFSTED = Office for Standards in Education. The lead inspector is Laren Ovenden HMI (HMI = Her Majesty's Inspector.) St Luke's is a Catholic College where the Rosary is said each morning before classes, Mass is often said at lunchtime (I'll be saying Mass there today and tomorrow) and the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in a small oratory. They have had all night vigils, regular Penance services with lots of individual confessions and the "sex-ed" has included visits from the Good Counsel Network and Barbara McGuigan, a chastity speaker from Orange County in the US of A. One of my tasks today is to give a short sermon at the ceremony of crowning the statue of Our Lady. This will take place in the recently built refectory which is dedicated to St Josephine Bakhita. OFSTED Inspections are generally fair but mer...