Plenary Indulgences in November “An indulgence is the remission in the eyes of God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose culpable element has already been taken away. The Christian faithful who are rightly disposed and observe the definite, prescribed conditions gain this remission through the effective assistance of...
LOVE DEMANDS LOVE It can seem a strange proposition to command someone to love you. Our experience is that we either fall in love whether we want to or not, or else love blossoms as the result of kinship or other social ties. If someone came up to you and...
During my own missionary globetrotting, I saw that missionaries often met with tension from the local public authorities. This is especially so when they are engaged in works like education, health and the care of the poor. In poorer countries, the state can envy missionary-run schools and hospitals, not just...
ON MISSION TO CAESAR With his words about Caesar and God, Jesus, the first to do so in history, separated religion from state. It is Christ who commands us to keep these two separate. The state is secular, i.e. it deals with the organization and administration of our earthly affairs,...
Yesterday, 3rd October, Pope Francis went to Assisi in anticipation of today’s feast (4th October) in honour of St. Francis. He did so in order to sign his new Encyclical Letter called “Fratelli Tutti” (which roughly means “We are all Brothers” and is a quote from St. Francis). Fraternity and...
CHRIST ABOVE AND IN CREATION Jesus berates the religious leaders of his time for failing to produce fruit at the proper time for the “owner of the vineyard”, his heavenly Father. Jesus angrily concludes his words by telling them that they will be dispossessed of the vineyard and it...
This new document from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith (the Vatican watchdog on all matters to do with the defence and promotion of the Catholic Faith) deals with the thorny question of euthanasia and other end of life questions. It is a long document, of which a...
FULLNESS Have you ever quoted an angel? Think carefully before you reply! The answer is a definite yes: “Hail, Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with you.” So, you see, you are quoting the Archangel Gabriel every day, often many times a day! It might interest you to note,...
Dear All Bishop Nolan has informed the priests of the Diocese that over the first six months of this year, the income across the Diocese has fallen by a total of £500,000. At the same time, however, expenditure has also fallen by £300,000, meaning that overall there is a shortfall...
NOVENA TO ST. MARY, STAR OF THE SEA (To be recited daily from 19th-27th September inclusive) Star of sea and ocean, Gateway to God’s heaven,Mother of our Maker, Hear our prayer, O Maiden. Welcoming the Ave, Gabriel’s simple greeting,You have borne a Saviour Far beyond all dreaming. Loose the bonds that hold us Bound in...
