De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

This is an article featured on Catholic Voices today that refers to an item on BBC News last night which needs to be read and shared widely. I really found this upsetting because it is insidious and plays to the secular narrative whether any concern for truth or integrity. It really is poor journalism and the Beeb needs to be called on it and really should apologise! The CV article is as follows: Last night, a report on BBC News on Pope Francis’s  visit to Auschwitz  claimed that it was a visit motivated by reparation for the Church’s silence during the Holocaust. (The full clip is not available on the BBC website). In fact, the visit was part of the Church’s corporate commitment to remembering the Holocaust so that it may never be repeated — a commitment made by previous popes (see John Allen at  Crux ).  The idea that the Church was ‘silent’ during the Holocaust is an old canard that has been comprehensively rebutted by historians (see  here ). There were silent and comp

Jeff Cavins offers this reflection on the readings for this coming Sunday, the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time: First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23 Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17 Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11 Gospel: Luke 12:13-21

As part of the Jubilee Year of Mercy instigated by Pope Francis, the community at Brentwood Cathedral have had a series of Masses where they have made a special outreach to the stranger, the wounded and all those searching for spiritual sanctuary to join them in the presence of our all compassionate God. On Sunday 10th July, the special outreach was to all those in single parent families. This is a really important area for ministry in the current social climate. You can read Fr Martin's full homily here . I spotted the link to the homily on Facebook and, despite misgivings I have about matching Masses to various forms of human brokenness, this comment literally melted my heart: This brought my mind straight to Mt 18:12-14  and the rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents . Surely, if even one soul is welcomed back into the Church because of this special effort, going out to the peripheries, it is well worth it, the Father's work is being done! I me

It has been a hot, sultry week in Essex with temperatures over 30°C and in the Lambert household we are preparing to send our two oldest children off to World Youth Day in Kraków, Poland. The concept of WYD is genius: faithful young people coming together with the Pope gives them sense of critical mass. They are embarking on an adventure with millions of like-minded, vibrant, excited youth. It would seem clear that the experience will inevitably make them feel that they are part of something universal and important. Something unifying and positive. The scale of the event is staggering, with more than 2 million expected by organisers, they are preparing to create a pop up city to cope with the visitors. A new airport, improved road and rail links, a fleet of dream buses and “Youth Bible” are among features of this, the 14th international celebration of World Youth Day. At the weekend I was speaking to my oldest son, now 19, and his girlfriend, who are both looking forward to t

Mgr Keith Newton presides at Pontifical High Mass for the closing of the Sacra Liturgia Conference in London. It was a busy week at work last week. I was keeping up with developments at the Sacra Liturgia Conference in London, although I wasn't able to attend myself. Some friends did though, and kept me informed regarding the content of the discussions. My Course Director from Maryvale, Fr Michael Cullinan, was one of the speakers. Delivering a talk on the ethical character of the mysteries . As well as Stephen Bullivant , Cardinal Robert Sarah ,  Mgr Andrew Burnham , among others. On Friday, I had to get up at 4am and drive to Chelsea to prepare for a job we have starting at a school there. My good friend Fr Jeff Woolnough suggested we head up to Warwick Street in the evening for the closing Mass of the Conference. Despite being really tired, I jumped at the chance. Any time spent with Fr Jeff is always a great encouragement, and the liturgy at Warwick Street is always upli

S acra Liturgia has now published the full version of the paper that Cardinal Sarah delivered at his inaugural address at Sacra Liturgia 2016. He did not have time to deliver the full text on the day, and so what we have seen so far is an abridged version. The full text can be accessed the Sacra Liturgia website, here .

Cardinal Sarah speaking at Sacra Liturgia, flanked by Bishop Dominique Rey (Photo by Lawrence Lew OP) On June 4th, you may remember this post , which referred to the fact that Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments  had called for priests to say Mass facing East, in the time honoured manner, so that both the celebrant and the people face God to whom they pray: "As soon as we reach the moment when one addresses God—from the offertory onwards—it is essential that the priest & faithful look together towards the east." Yesterday saw the beginning of the Sacra Liturgia Conference in London where the opening address was from Cardinal Sarah. Much of what he said has been posted in chunks on their FB page here . But Dom Hugh Somerville-Knapman has an excellent report on the day here . The big news is that Cardinal Sarah reaffirmed his call to celebrate Mass facing East. The Cardinal, the highest authori

The Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D. I came across this homily posted on this blog today and found it so useful, I thought it would be well worth sharing here. The blogger, Cynthia, states What I loved about the homily is that it clarified my general approach to the confusion created by Pope Francis’ pontificate. I try to stay balanced. Balance is key. If you go too far to the left, you end up being in denial and if you go too far to the right, you might end up leaving the faith. If you have been feeling frustrated almost to the point of despair, by the Holy Father’s interviews, please take some time and read the homily below. Homily preached by the Reverend Peter M. J. Stravinskas, Ph.D., S.T.D., on 3 July 2016, the external Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (Extraordinary Form), at the Church of the Holy Innocents, New York City. “On this past Wednesday, the Church Universal (all 23 of her rites) and the Orthodox Churches as well celebrated the Solemni

Reuters reports  on a story published in a leading Italian newspaper, that Pope Benedict alleges that a "gay lobby" in the Vatican had tried to influence decisions. Italy's Corriere della Sera daily, which has acquired the Italian newspaper rights for excerpts and has access to the book, ran a long article on Friday summarising its key points. In the book, Benedict says that he came to know of the presence of a "gay lobby" made up of four or five people who were seeking to influence Vatican decisions. The article says Benedict says he managed to "break up this power group". The book, called " The Last Conversations ", is the first time in history that a former pope judges his own pontificate after it is over. It is due to be published on Sept. 9. Following the John Jay Report into abuse, a clear statistical link between SSA and child abuse by Catholic Priests was established. This link justifies the Vatican Instruction of 2005: