The Hermeneutic of Continuity

The other day I asked whether Kidscape might have a view on the dreadful leaflet "Pleasure" produced by NHS Sheffield. (See: More taxpayer-funded sex-ed filth ) Peter Bradley, the Deputy Director of Kidscape , has written as follows: Kidscape certainly have a view on the "Pleasure" leaflet produced in Sheffield. Michele Elliott has already spoken out about this on Radio Sheffield - she made Kidscape's view loud and clear. In summary - parts of the leaflet provide young people with ridiculous, irresponsible advice that may lead young people on a potential sexual path of misery and harm. This is a frequent message adults tell us about on reflection in later, more mature years. How about a leaflet exploring the necessary skills for teenagers to say to say "No". Would the NHS fund this? With high rates of teenage pregnancy, Chlamydia and other S.T.I.'s it is incredible the same old messages are recycled, sexed up and promoted. If the professional mes...

The launch of "Test of Faith" gave me an opportunity to visit the Royal Society for the first time. This is a learned scientific society, founded in 1660, during the Restoration of Charles II, and considered to be the oldest in the world. Past Presidents of the Society include such as Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Humphrey Davy, Thomas Huxley, Lord Kelvin and Joseph Lister. This was a treat for me because I have had a keen interest in the natural sciences since before I was ten years old and persuaded my parents to get me a chemistry set. At school, my interest was fostered by enthusiastic and engaging teachers so that in the sixth form (age 16-18) I studied A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Biology: originally intending to follow my sister's footsteps into medicine; but the good Lord had other ideas. Fr Roger Nesbitt, who studied Chemistry at Imperial College and has an MSc in Nuclear Chemistry inspired me and many other young men to see science and religion as complementary, ...

Where do you think the above photo was taken? Here is a link to the google map . You might imagine that it is somewhere in the English countryside. In fact, it is a little place called Horse Guards Road, looking towards St James's Park, right in the centre of London. Turning 180 degrees, here is the view of Horse Guards Parade where the trooping of the colour is carried out. You can see the London Eye in the background and just out of shot to the right is 10 Downing Street, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and HM Treasury. I had to cross a busy road called "The Mall" which has a good prospect to the west (Buckingham Palace.) My destination was this venerable English institution in Carlton House Terrace, for the launch of "Test of Faith" (more in a moment). As it was a glorious evening and I was passing some of the great landmarks, I thought some of you might appreciate a couple of snaps.

Various people have noticed that sexual assaults at school are on the increase. See this article on a feminist blog about Sexual bullying in the playground . The author asks "Why is it getting worse?" I am sure that she is right that factors include the promotion of the idea that "little girls are little dolls", to be dressed in mini-skirts etc., the objectification of women and normalisation of violence through, for example, computer games. Nevertheless, woudl be interested to know what the feminists think of explicit sex education provided in mixed groups at school. In January, Panorama ran a programme called "Kids behaving badly" on the subject of sexual assaults at school. In a Daily Mail report on the programme , Michelle Elliott of the charity Kidscape is quoted as saying: Sexual bullying has become much more prevalent. On the Kidscape helpline we used to get maybe one or two calls a year. Now we are getting two or three a week. It’s probably the tip...

I am very glad to have helped people by publicising the plenary indulgence that is offered on the anniversary of one's baptism. Some people are not sure of the date of their Baptism and might like to find out. Here is some advice on how to do so. Every parish keeps a permanent register of Baptisms. This is one of the most important things that the parish possesses. If things are done properly, your confirmation should also be recorded and also your marriage (or religious profession, or ordination.) A "Baptism Certificate" is a copy of the entry that is made in the Baptismal register. If you are getting married, you need to supply a recent baptismal certificate (within six months of the wedding) which will then also record that there are "no other entries" (i.e. no previous marriage recorded) and that you are "free to marry". I always send for these myself but some priests ask the Catholic party(ies) in the wedding to obtain them. It is also OK to ask f...

Thinking of anniversaries, I have only just noticed (shame on me!) that today is the anniversary of my Baptism. The Church offers us a plenary indulgence if, at the Easter Vigil or on the anniversary of our baptism, we renew the promises made on our behalf. Off to do that now ...

Here is the sermon that I preached last night at Addiscombe. The Mass was a Votive Mass of Christ the High Priest offered for the particular intention of praying for vocations to the priesthood. I am deeply grateful to Fr Joe O’Connor and to you, the parishioners of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Addiscombe, for inviting me to celebrate Holy Mass here on the occasion of my 25th anniversary of priestly ordination. My very first memories of the Holy Mass are of being carried in my father’s arms at the age of perhaps 3 or 4, listening to the singing of the Credo in the old Church in Brockenhurst Road. In this new Church, I remember regularly coming to confession to Fr McKenna. He always seemed to me very grave but kindly. Mgr Moran was the parish priest at the time of my ordination in 1984 and, as I realise now, as a wizened parish priest myself, greatly cherished the opportunity to have a priestly ordination in the parish. Later, I participated in the funeral of my brother, Gerry, and ce...

Last evening, at the kind invitation of the parish priest, Fr Joe O'Connor, I returned to the parish of Our Lady of the Annunciation in Addiscombe where I grew up. There are so many memories for me in that Church, both happy and sad. I attended my sister Sarah's baptism there, I celebrated my sister Mary's wedding, and I was myself ordained there. I recall the formative discipline of walking regularly along Bingham Road to Sunday Mass (and later, often, to daily Mass); but I also remember the sadness of my brother's funeral and the funerals of my parents which I celebrated in the same Church. Through all of this, God did indeed give joy to my youth as I grew in the knowledge and love of the Catholic faith. Our Lady of the Annunciation was also the Church in which I celebrated my first Mass - with Fr Guy Nicholls as Assistant Priest - on Sunday 29 July 1984, before going over to Holy Innocents, Orpington to concelebrate at the ordination of my classmate Paul Hendricks wh...

On the Recife affair on which I wrote the other day ( Recife case and Roman malaria ) is published in today's edition of L'Osservatore Romano. Thank heavens that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has affirmed that "the doctrine of the Church on procured abortion has not changed and cannot change." See Rorate Caeli's comments .

Last week saw the funeral of Romeo LeBlanc, a politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada until 1999, and who died of Alzheimer's disease on 24 June. The Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attended his funeral. First of all, let me encourage you to offer a prayer for the repose of the soul of Romeo LeBlanc, and a prayer for the Prime Minister in thanksgiving for his being good enough to participate in the funeral. Unfortunately, the funeral has been overshadowed by controversy as shown in this clip: The Prime Minister (a Protestant) is in the front row as Archbishop Andre Richard (Moncton, New Brunswick) administers Holy Communion (note to editors - this is not "the wafer" etc. Please show some respect for our "religious sensibilities.") He receives Holy Communion into one hand, rather as if he is accepting a little souvenir token. Given the way that Holy Communion is often distributed today, that is not an unreasonable interpretation o...

I love the way that the " Udienze " section of the Bolletino is structured today: LE UDIENZE , 10.07.2009 LE UDIENZE Il Santo Padre ha ricevuto questa mattina in Udienza: S.E. il Signor Héctor Federico Ling Altamirano, Ambasciatore del Messico presso la Santa Sede, in occasione della presentazione delle Lettere Credenziali; Em.mo Card. Giovanni Battista Re, Prefetto della Congregazione per i Vescovi; Em.mo Card. Agostino Vallini, Vicario Generale di Sua Santità per la Diocesi di Roma. Il Papa riceve questa mattina in Udienza: S.E. Mons. Albert Malcolm Ranjith Patabendige Don, Arcivescovo di Colombo (Sri Lanka). Il Santo Padre riceve questo pomeriggio in Udienza: S.E. il Signor Barack Obama, Presidente degli Stati Uniti d’America, con la Consorte, e Seguito. [01108-01.01]