St. Thomas Becket. December 29th

I cannot remember how long ago, but the optional memoria of St. Thomas of Canterbury used to be an obligatory feast. For some unknown reason, it was demoted and is now optional. This grieves me, for two reasons. Firstly, St. Thomas is the "Patron of English Clergy". Secondly, in these days when the Catholic Church is especially at odds with the British Government (over a number of issues), we need to take a firm stand for Christian values and especially for the sanctity of human life.

Just why the Bishops of England and Wales thought it wise to demote the feast remains a mystery. Each year I think I shall do something about it, but I am only one voice. I wonder if other priests feel as I do. Are we not worthy of a proper feast? Do the bishops want to see St. Thomas just fade from our memories? If so, why? Has it got something to do with false ecumenism? I sincerely hope not. What I am concerned about (each year) is that the English Catholic clergy were never consulted about the change, and given that he is our patron, I think we should have been.

The Holy Spirit, Christian Unity and Gospel Music

I have just been watching Songs of Praise on BBC TV. The programme was about Gospel Music.

I am a big fan of certain strands of "Gospel", and was very impressed by a singer I knew nothing about; Jessie Dixon. He performed a song called, "Destined to Win" which I found both moving and encouraging. I have looked for it on the Internet, but the CD's carrying this title seem unavailable!

Watching the show and listening to the inspiring music I thought (and prayed) about Christian unity. How do all the different strands fit together? Through my Catholic faith and especially through my reading of "True Life in God" I am convinced that the ONE CHURCH will contain (contains?) certain elements which are non-negotiable. One of these is the Holy Eucharist (the Mass) and belief in the Real Presence. Another is a balanced devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. I believe that the Liturgy is NOT created by committees or parish groups, but given. I therefore accept the Pope's (Cardinal Ratzinger's) analysis of the Liturgy (see "The Spirit of the Liturgy") and the late Klaus Gamber's insistence that the Liturgy is something we receive. Within this a proper understanding of Tradition and traditions is essential. There are other elements which I believe are non-negotiable, and I find them in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church (Greek, Russian et al). Another essential element is the Petrine Ministry.

Where do Gospel music and many aspects of the Protestant tradition fit in? First of all, in every spiritual renewal there is a call to personal holiness, and this centers on the invitation to a deeper relationship with Christ, and through Him with the Father and The Holy Spirit. This PERSONAL call is also essential. It is found not only in classical and free Protestantism but in devotion to the Sacred Heart and, in many ways, in the use of Holy Icons. The reading of Sacred Scripture, not only in Church but as an individual and personal activity, is central to this. Within the different forms of prayer both inside and outside church buildings and official liturgical gatherings, there is a place - and an important place - for Gospel music and charismatic worship. It seems to me that maintaining the centrality of the Eucharist, and insisting on a correct formality and reverence (non-negotiable!) we can also express our love and worship of God in other ways, whether in groups or as individuals.

The Holy Spirit has not been innactive in the lives of those who do not believe in the Eucharist. Not only that, but I do believe that God respects and works through and in different environments and social and religious traditions. We do no favours to ourselves or to the Church by refusing to accept the good in others, wherever they come from and whatever their background. God is calling all His children together, and there is much we can learn from each other. Alongside and around those central and non-negotiable aspects and characteristics of the ONE Church, there are legitimate, good and even wonderful expressions of faith, hope and joy. it seems to me that anyone who is truly open to the Holy Spirit will not only see the truth of this, but celebrate it.

An Underrated Classic Movie and Merry Christmas

I have been watching - for the umpteenth time - John Ford's "Rio Grande". I never tire of it. In my opinion it is one of Ford's greatest films, and probably one of the greatest films ever made. You can guess from this that I am a John Ford fan.


Many Catholics know and like Ford's "The Quiet Man" which is basically a comedy based in the West of Ireland. Some would say that it is "about" Ireland, and Ford, an Irish American would have agreed. However, the film has scenes that are now controversial (and may have been then). One in particular suggests that occassional wife-beating is not a bad thing. It is also taken for granted that it is not only acceptable but recommended for Oirish men to knock seven bells out of each other. Still, it is regarded as a classic and has its place in a list of "Catholic" films!

Ford wanted to make a film about Ireland and submitted a script to the Republic studio. The head of Republic, Herbert Yates, didn't like it very much and insisted that Ford make a western first, using the same lead actors he wanted to cast in his irish film - John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Yates thought that the money made from the western would help to pay for Ford's pet project which, Yates thought, would fail at the box office.


It might have been expected that Ford would have turned out a routine effort because his heart was elsewhere. In fact he produced what is, in my opinion at least, one of his greatest films. In my humble opinion it is a masterpiece. The two lead actors were never better, and they are much better in this than in "The Quiet Man". Wayne actually looks different, and older. There is little sign of any make up, but some was obviously used. He looks gaunt and tired in the film and that is all in character. The dialogue is excellent and probably more accurate than the dialogue in most westerns (the screenplay was by James K McGuinness). When Maureen O'Hara describes Wayne's character (Colonel Yorke) as "a lonely man; a very lonely man" you believe her.


This film is about duty, honour, the effects of war, reconciliation and family. It is also about the individual and the isolation of a man who finds himself trapped by both the events that happen around him and his sense of duty in the midst of conflict. It is more than a western. The campaigns against the renegade Apaches are loosely based on real events, and in depicting the life of the frontier cavalryman it is probably the most accurate film of its kind. There are so many suprises and pleasures in the movie it is hard to list them all.


John Ford was a practising Catholic. He didn't like Irish priests very much (it is necessary to know this to understand some of the scenes in "The Quiet Man"), but he was a Mass-going Catholic and took his religion seriously. Most Ford experts can easily pick out Catholic themes and symbols in his films. It is clear that Ford had an optimistic view of humanity. With all its faults and foibles - with all the darkness that human beings sometimes find in themselves - there is also the stuff of greatness. In Ford's films, one can somehow sense the presence of God in the lives of his characters. Don't ask me how this works; it's just there. I believe it has something to do with Ford's own love of people and his respect for the individual as well as for family and community. Ultimately it is this quality of "humanity" which marks John Ford as one of the greatest of all film makers and movie directors.

Watching a great film like "Rio Grande" can help us think of how difficult -and yet how wonderful - it is to be human. Watching it the other night actually made me think of Christmas and the Christ-child. "God so loved the world..." etc. We are wonderfully made, and God will not let us go. The greatness that shines in human beings is a reflection of the Creator. That light shines most of all in adversity when we turn from our sin and seek reconciliation and the strength to begin again. Love is at the heart of all this, and when love appears to fail, there is grace and faith. It is in faith and with the help of God's grace that we find our feet again - and find each other again. This is the ultimate triumph on earth, and acknowledging the grace that makes this possible encourages understanding and compassion. It is the Catholic vision of humanity that we see and hear in Ford's films. In this sense they are a presentation of the Gospel. In Ford's films there is always hope because there is always faith.


Happy Christmas.

The Fourth Sunday of Advent and the World's Need of a Mother

I've been thinking for a few weeks now about the need for two Marian feasts to be made Holydays of Obligation in England and Wales. This is not a political statement - well, maybe it is, but we have the most anti-life government in anyone's living memory. Not only that, the President-Elect of the United States is apparently the most pro-abortion politician that has ever run for the presidency. The abortion rate shows no sign of slowing down - anywhere. Those who are pro-life, whether Christian, Jew or Moslem, seem powerless to bring about change, in spite of the fact that the anti-abortion arguments keep getting better and better.

We need something to make people realise that we are not giving up the fight and we need to make gestures that will be understood as statements of belief and intent. We need to "draw a line in the sand" if you like. We need to say, "this is what we believe and this is what we teach and preach". I believe that two feasts of Our Lady should be made Holydays of Obligation as a statement to all Catholics and to everyone else. These feasts are, the Immaculate Conception and The Annunciation. I don't think I need to say why.

If Catholics knew that these two feasts were linked with the sanctity of unborn life, I believe they would be encouraged to stand up for life against the preachers of death. It seems obvious to me (and I'm sure to others) that the feast of The Immaculate Conception should be a solemnity of obligation. The Feast of the Annunciation, which has a long history in Catholic England ("Lady Day") should also be a day of prayer and reparation focusing especially on the gift of life. Walsingham could become, even more than it already is, a shrine that openly and loudly proclaims the sanctity of human life.

I'm sure some people will think this is too much or that it is pious drivel, but it seems to me that we need Our Lady more and more today - and the world needs her. The Catholic Church should be leading others into a deeper understanding of her importance and a greater appreciation of her role. We need something-or someone- to unite us in a special way in the cause of life. Personally I can think of no better way to combine prayer and action than by raising up these two Marian feasts.

Catholic and Orthodox Bishops Together in Defence of Marriage and the Family

This information from Zenit can be found on the Anglican Mainstream blog.

Last week some Catholic and Orthodox bishops participated in the first common forum. They discussed their common vision of family values and are planning to offer a joint pastoral plan.

The late Patriarch Alexei of Russia was a supporter of the forum.

"Both delegations affirmed their understanding of marriage between a man and a woman as part of God's plan, and not a simple human institution"

A Bosnian Orthodox theologian, Vaclec Jezek, proposed an "authentic theology of the relationship between men and women, and between parents and children." He said that the family is the "perfect image of communion".

The delegates also affirmed their common understanding of the indissolubility of marriage, and agreed that human fertility is a gift from God. Bishop Alfeyev (Orthodox bishop of Vienna) lamented the position of the Christian West, "which pressures the Third World and the Islamic world to accept contraception, abortion and sterilization"

The Archbishop of Canterbury's Christmas Message to the Anglican Communion

I am sometimes unsure about Archbishop Rowan Williams, but his Christmas message to the Anglican Communion has increased my respect for him. Yes, I know he is wrong about women priests and bishops - tragically wrong, and he has had a bad track record on the question of homosexual clergy, but there have been other, more positive signs and developments, like his recent visit to Lourdes where he expressed his own acceptance of the apparitions and the shrine. His regard for Pope Benedict is well known and should be a sign of hope for all those who long for unity (about which more later).

His message speaks about the importance of children and specifically mentions the respect we owe to the unborn. God came to us in the form of a baby and "chose to show Himself to us in complete human life, telling us that every stage of existence, from conception to maturity, and even death, was in principle capable of telling us something about God". He speaks about the reverence we owe to "human beings in every condition, at every stage of existence. This is why" he says, "we cannot regard unborn children as less than members of the human family, why those with disabilities or deprivations have no less claim upon us than anyone else, why we try to make loving sense of human life when it is near its end and we can hardly see any signs left of freedom or thought"

Speaking of conception as he does, it seems to me that he is opening the door to those in his communion who are arguing for the protection of the embryo. The Archbishop is no fool; he is aware of the recent statement from the Holy See on human dignity. This message is well-timed; he knows what he is doing and, in my view, the picture above shows more than a friendly association. There is something here which merits attention.

St. Thomas More

I have just finished reading "A Daughter's Love" by John Guy. The cover tells you what the book is about. It is an excellent read and in spite of Guy's earlier book on More and his distaste for some aspects of More's reactions to Protestantism and the followers of Luther, offers a reasonaby favourable portrait of the saint. Eamon Duffy's review (in The Independent) suggests that Guy's appreciation of Margaret Roper's abilities is OTT, but given the restrictions of the day against female scholars and the undoubted abilities she possessed (recognised by Erasmus as well as her father), it just might be true that she was capable of providing an accurate translation of the Bible to rival the early Protestant attempts. Guy thinks that if the Catholic hierarchy had been more adventurous there might have been an acceptable early "Catholic" translation. However, it is clear from More's own writings and his attitude towards the possibility of Margaret entering the world of publishing that this would have been impossible (sadly!).

I have not read Guy's earlier book on Thomas More. I understand it is largely negative. This new book apparently uses more recent research and Guy seems to have mellowed in his approach to the saint. The final chapters of the book do nothing to damage the reputation of More. In fact, because of his "faults" (always difficult to read back from here to there!) More's sanctity and humanity shine. He appears as certainly one of the most enlightened and virtuous men of his day.

Over 650 Top Scientists Dissent over Global Warming

Orthodox Net (on the right) has an interesting article about a U.S. Senate Minority report stating that there are now over 650 scientists from around the globe dissenting from the IPCC ( UN Panel on Climate Change) and the so-called "consensus" on global warming.

Apparently the number of dissenting voices is increasing. Since December 2007 when over 400 scientists were quoted as disagreeing with the commonly accepted view (by the Media etc, not by scientists!) another 250 have publicly stated their unease or disagreement with the IPCC.

All 650 scientists are named and quoted in this report. I decided to print it out, but when I realised it was over 200 pages long, I decided to stop at page 66! Even so, there are enough interesting quotes here to keep a lively debate going for some time.

I was always a skeptic about global warming because when I was a seminarian, I was "suckered" (as they say over the pond) into believing that environmental disaster was coming in the 1980's. I started to read up on the environment, and encouraged some of my fellow seminarians (well, four of them actually) to join me in a prayer group to pray for the world! As we all know, most of those things that were predicted for 1984 (to give a symbolic year) did not happen. We were supposed to be suffering massive world-wide drought, and a new ice-age. Now we are told that we will all be cooked!

See the poor bear in the picture? What they don't tell you is that the ice cap is actually increasing in depth and that the melting of the edges is not all that unusual given the history of the planet and high temperatures recorded in past centuries. Perhaps this bear is just showing off.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Today, December 12th, is the Feastday of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The fact that the tilma which bears the image is still in existence is itself a miracle. The fabric, made from a cactus plant, has a life of twenty or thirty years. This tunic dates from the early sixteenth century (the apparition took place in 1531). Scientists continue to study the image and the cloth. Kodak of Mexico says that the image is as smooth as a photograph. How can this be? Apparently it is not embedded in the fibres but lies on the top of them. In fact it is possible that the image is not resting on the material but is supended above it, there being only a microscopic gap between the two. This is one of the latest suggestions.

Several opthalmists have studied the eyes. The last one to do so found himself speaking to the image as he used the opthalmoscope because, close up, and with the use of such instruments, the eyes seem to be normal and alive. He forgot he was examining a picture and asked Our Lady to "look up"!

The more this image is examined the more it looks like proof of the supernatural. Science, rather than disproving the existence of God only seems to make sense if there is a God. In the end scientists will have to kneel in adoration alongside those whom some of them have ridiculed or patronised.

Everyone's Favourite Christmas Film

I suppose there are some people somewhere who will argue that this is not their favourite Christmas movie, but it certainly has a very wide appeal. I'm sure most people will see it as a fantasy or a kind of up-dated Dickensian story. It is more than that. We don't need to give ourselves a headache thinking about it. The themes are universal and easily understood; love and friendship; ambition and failure; the judgement visited on the powerful; the exaltation of the meek; the importance of the individual and the value of life itself.

Heaven is a part of the story from the beginning. I have seen it many times, but I can't remember any mention of God, nor is the Church brought into it. Yet it is probably one of the most "religious" films ever made. Catholics (at least those before and around my generation) will insitinctively recognise some important Christian teachings embedded in the plot. The director, who adapted it from a stage play, brought his own particular vision to the story. Frank Capra had a Catholic upbringing and even though he more or less left the Church for a time, he never lost that "Catholic thing" that used to be cultural as well as intellectual (now it is hardly either!).

Capra had a kind of conversion experience that seems to have been related to his experiences in the war as well as to a chance meeting he had with a Christian who reminded him that we are answerable to God for the way we use our talents. It seems Capra came back to the Church by way of Christian Science - the religion of his wife. In later life he openly admitted to the Christian influence on his work. Sometimes it is obvious almost from the start as in, "You Can't Take it with You". Sometimes it only seems obvious at the end, as in "Meet John Doe". In "Mr Smith Goes to Washington" it is embedded in the story to such an extent that the final scenes have been interpreted as symbolic of the Passion of Christ.

There is an interesting essay about Capra's Catholic vision (The Catholic Vision of Frank Capra). If more people knew about this some would never watch "It's a Wonderful Life" again. Christians, however, and Catholics in particular, might gain a better appreciation of the depth and beauty of the movie.

The Solemnity of The Immaculate Conception

This is such an important feast that it seems to me we should celebrate it as a Holyday of Obligation in England and Wales. For most people Advent is nothing more than the weeks before Christmas Day - "shopping days". Especially in the West, Christians have been swept up in the pre-Christmas preparations which often means celebrating it before it arrives. How many Catholics really make any attempt to do anything remotely penitential at this time? It seems to me that I have to preach my socks off to get them to go to confession!

We need this Solemnity as a spiritual preparation for Christmas. It helps us to focus on God's original grace as opposed to original sin. It helps us to recognise the need for a Saviour. If it was a Holyday of Obligation it would mean making an effort to go to Mass. In the midst of Advent it would be a reminder of the primacy of the spiritual over the material - or help us to understand the material in the correct way. I have never understood (over 33 years of priesthood) why the Bishops of England and Wales do not arrange for this to be a Holyday. The need for it seems obvious.

My 60th Birthday

I don't know who is reading this - if anybody, but allow me to wish myself many happy returns on my 60th birthday. The picture above is not of me! As a thanksgiving I would like to share this beautiful clip of Ave Maris Stella by Dufay.

The Death of Patriarch Alexei 11

The Russian Patriarch, Alexei 11 has died in Moscow. He was 79 and was Patriarch for 18 years. He witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the struggle to restore Russia as a powerful, centralized state where there is freedom of expression and worship.

Alexei was a supporter of Vladimir Putin who seemed to be approaching something of the status of royalty at one point because of the Church's recognition and support. The promise of freedom and peace has not been fully realised. In particular Alexei was deeply suspicious of the Roman Catholic Church in Russia, and there have been serious disagreements with other Orthodox communities. Recently, in this last year, he threatened schism with Greece over the invitation extended to the Greek Patriarch from the Ukranian Orthodox Church which has been struggling for independence from Moscow. It was Patriarch Bartholomew who encouraged all the Orthodox Patriachs to come together and express their unity, agreeing to work together as brothers.

Although Alexei has not had a good press with regard to ecumenical matters, he was instrumental in healing the serious rift with The "Orthodox Church Outside Russia" (its actual title) which, until recently, had not accepted Alexei as the true Patriarch of Russia.

Alexei avoided statements which might conflict with the Kremilin. He even spoke out against the independence of Kosovo and publicly endorsed the rule of Putin. It seems there was a relationship of mutual support, and Putin and the government greatly benefitted from the Patriarch's encouragement.

Part of the background to the split with the OCOR was the suggestion that Alexei had worked as a KGB agent. This has been vigorously denied by the patriarchy. There have been other accusations made against some Orthodox bishops and clergy from the era of the Cold War. Those were certainly very difficult and brutal days when some churches were destroyed and church properties were confiscated. It is true that many of the priests who survived the purge of the clergy were recruited as secret agents.

Alexei's funeral will take place this weekend (6th/7th December) at Moscow's Christ the Saviour Cathedral. This had been flattened by Stalin and later rebuilt as a symbol of the resurgence of the Church. The Patriarch's body will be laid to rest in Moscow's Epiphany Cathedral.

May he rest in peace, and may God grant a worthy succesor.

Heartbreaking Ignorance

I recently gave some presentations on Our Lady of Guadalupe to some pupils in the local Catholic high school. They were very attentive. Driving home afterwards I thought again about the ignorance of the Faith I have found in many "young people", from primary school up to the mid-thirties and even forties. In fact it was probably a couple of generations after mine when things started to go wrong. Whatever the faults of the "old" catechism may have been, that grounding - deeply theological and spiritual as some of us came to appreciate later-remained with us and helped us to grow in our understanding of the the Catholic Faith.

It seems obvious to me that major mistakes have been made in catechetics. As a parish priest I have often felt powerless when faced with the desperate lack of basic knowledge I find in so many Catholic children and young people. Where do I start? Without prayer I might lose hope.

The parent/school/parish relationship has never been in reality what it was on paper. How can we improve it? It seems to me that we need another approach to catechesis, drawing on our best experiences from the past, and our schools need to be made catechetical centres where the whole Faith is presented. This will include such unknown things as "grace", "mortal sin" and the meaning of "sacrifice" in relation to the Mass. In my view we must put more emphasis on the relationship of the schools with the local clergy. This may seem like going backwards to some, but I am convinced that this is the way forward. Where so many parents do not practise the Faith and teachers may be asking questions about what they are being asked to teach, it is the local clergy who (with training and encouragement) can provide support and vision. At least that's my opinion. I am not suggesting some kind of clergy oversight or control - far from it, rather that they should be seen as part of the "team" and take a more active role in promoting the Faith and the spiritual life. Perhaps this is the time to renew the Catholic schools' relationship with the clergy in a positive and productive way, making them part of the school community rather than people on the fringe of things. Some teachers may say they have wanted this before and it hasn't happened, but part of the problem has been the lack of freedom allowed to the clergy and the sense that they are sometimes seen as a threat rather than a help. We need to work together on these problems, and we must be united in our commitment to the Truth.

I enjoyed going to the school. I like the kids. The teachers are welcoming and seem to be doing a good job. Can it ever be acceptable, though, that in a major Catholic school something like 80% (I am being generous) do not attend weekly Mass ? Shouldn't we be doing something about it? It seems that very few Catholic children know about the Sunday obligation. How can they know such things unless they are taught about them? I don't say these things to be negative or "strict", but because I believe that only the Truth sets us free and we are not telling the whole truth. Why do so few children and teenagers go to Confession? The obvious answer is that they have a poor awareness of sin. If this is the case, then how can they appreciate the need for a Saviour, and how can they be expected to experience the joy of being forgiven?

We (I mean bishops, priests, deacons, teachers and parents) owe it to our children and young people to speak the Truth. We should be giving them the best - because they are worth it.

The Title

"Stella Maris" (Star of the Sea) is my favourite Marian title. The Catholic Church - in fact all Christians - are in the midst of a storm. The Mother of Christ is given to us as a special guiding light to help us steer through the darkness.
I don't mean to sound too negative. These are challenging days and there is much to be joyful about. I just recently learned how to celebrate the old Latin Rite (1962 Missal). After 33 years it came as both a shock to the system and a revelation. It has been difficult to put into words.

I was once a rigid opponent of the Tridentine Rite and thought those who wanted it were a bit "strange". I never thought I would one day celebrate it, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to do so. The truth is I find the celebration of the 1962 Latin Rite very moving, and I am still trying to understand why. It is not just me; some of those who have started attending also say it is a moving experience. My server is a young married man who became a Catholic only six years ago and who had no experience or knowledge of Latin prayers or any other Liturgy than the ordinary form. His young wife comes to the Mass and she is as devoted as her husband to the Latin Rite. I am still on a learning curve. Watch this space.