De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

From the Parish website of Our Lady of Lourdes & St Joseph, Leigh-on-Sea a message from Mgsr Kevin Hale, Vicar General of Brentwood Diocese : Dear friends in Christ The Gospel of this Sixth Sunday of the Year comes from the teachings of Jesus that form the heart of our Christian ethics. However, Christianity is not simply a way of living well on earth; everything is directed to the higher goal of the supernatural life and our eternal destiny. Without this dimension Christianity would simply be a moral code—a high one indeed—but nothing more than a philosophy of life. To live the demands of what Jesus taught in His Sermon on the Mount—especially the Beatitudes—we need the assistance of grace. St Augustine once remarked that:  Love without knowledge goes astray; knowledge without love puffs up; knowledge with love builds up.  We live in a world, we coexist with others, who have their own unique and individualistic codes for living. Most people who might describe themselves ...

I really hurt for our Anglican brothers and sisters this morning as, listening to Today on Radio Four I heard the former Bishop of Oxford, explain how he feels that readings from the Qur'an should feature in the next Coronation, when Prince Charles succeeds to the Throne. No seriously, he did. In a debate on the role of religion in British public life, Lord Harries, now an independent peer, praised what he called 'the hospitality' shown in a service last year at Bristol Cathedral. How desperately disappointing that someone who has dedicated his life (one assumes) to the preaching of the Gospel has so little belief in the objective truth of his religion that he feels it necessary to capitulate to another ideology. Can you imagine Muslims reading passages from the Bible at the installation of a Kalif? It is unthinkable, simply because these are competing ideologies. It is one thing for scholars and intellectuals to argue about the relative merits, the commo...

You may recall the antics of 'The Dancing Vicar' Rev Kate Bottley? It was one of those videos that flew around the internet here a while back. It was the sort of thing my wife loves, and I smile too...But I also felt VERY uncomfortable. In this recently posted presentation from Premier TV's Christian New Media Conference back in November Kate talks about the media furore that surrounded her wedding dance video (I have tried to embed her speech below, but I'm not convinced it's worked, so I've added the original video as well for your information). The video went "viral" and can still be seen on Youtube. You'll smile, I'm sure you will! <a href="http://corp.kaltura.com/products/video-platform-features">Video Platform</a><a href="http://corp.kaltura.com/Products/Features/Video-Management">Video Managem...

Tim Stanley notes that, despite the media furore, SHOCK HORROR the Pope remains a Catholic. He reports, on his blog today that, as much as many relativists would like to see the Pope tear down Catholic doctrine and replace it with something more...Well, more Anglican, he is, in fact, continuing to hold fast to the teaching which has been passed down to us from the Apostles . I'm not sure the headline is theologically correct (sorry Tim) as people actually excommunicate themselves, as this wayward priest has done. The job of the Church is merely to inform them of the fact. Warn them of the danger their soul is in, in charity and for their own eternal benefit one would hope. Still the fact remains that Pope Francis has given his authority to the excommunication of this lost priest. Most interestingly, Tim quotes: "It's interesting to note that the former priest tells The Age that he "wants the same thing as the Pope" which is "to encourage reform an...

I really got a lot out of the Scripture this Sunday. It was one of those weeks were all the readings worked together to improve my understanding of an issue. The issue was salvation, which has been one of those things that has caused me lots of questions over the years. When I was a boy, holidaying in Cornwall, we went to Mass one Sunday and the Priest told this joke, which has never left me: A man arrived at the gates of Heaven. St. Peter asked, “Religion?” The man said, “Methodist.” St. Peter looked down his list and said,” Go to Room 24, but be very quiet as you pass Room 8.” Another man arrived at the gates of Heaven. “Religion?” “Baptist.” “Go to Room 18, but be very quiet as you pass Room 8.” A third man arrived at the gates. “Religion?” “Jewish.” “Go to Room 11 but be very quiet as you pass Room 8.” The man said, “I can understand there being different rooms for different religions, but why must I be quiet when I pass Room 8?” St. Peter told him, “Well, the C...

This man is an Anglican. Just to be clear. It appears I was not alone in feeling somewhat dismayed at reading the man who pretends to be the bishop of Salisbury's letter to Lord Alli of Norbury in the Telegraph. I was made aware of the existence of this letter by Peter Tatchell on Twitter who put it as follows: Perhaps it is too obvious to even point out, but clearly Peter is disinterested in the integrity of what people say as long as what they say supports his skewed view of the world. Let me explain: It seems, in a tour de force of relativism, The 'Bishop' of Salisbury, the Rt Rev Nicholas Holtam, suggested Christians should “rethink” their interpretation of Scripture in light of changing attitudes towards homosexuality in society. In a strongly worded intervention as members of the House of Lords prepare to debate the Government’s draft legislation introducing gay marriage, Bishop Holtam told peers that allowing gay couples to wed would be a “very str...

Fr. Ed Tomlinson posted this little video on FB today: I have to say my feelings are of dismay rather than anger or disappointment. This is Anglican, but that's not to say things like this haven't happened in the Catholic Church.  Apparently, the Diocese of Exeter held a 'taster' for the Walsingham Youth Pilgrimage, which included Mass celebrated by 'bishop' John Ford of Plymouth. The explanation is that 'Having used bubbles earlier to consider their beauty, uniqueness and specialness - just like us - filled with breath which ultimately goes right back to God, we were encouraged to blow bubbles as the holy elements are raised, and fill the sacred space with light, airy prayer-filled bubbles...' The Anglican Blogger Cranmer has commented  as follows: His Grace is so convulsed with incredulity, he can scarcely type. He is so used to writing about those who inhabit the metaphorical Westminster Bubble that it had completely escaped hi...