Sin, Lent, Redemption - some wonderful teaching from Bishop Egan BUT..........

The Pastoral Letter for Lent from Bishop Egan was a wonderful example of how a shepherd should lead his sheep.  It contained all the teachings of Christ and His Church and yet again brought to our attention the Catechism.  He mentions mortal sin and venial sin and how the former could lead us to hell.  For those who read the Bible seriously this is just the straight forward teachings of Jesus, for others though it represents a `turning back the clock`, and unfortunately they still run many of the parishes having been given power to dictate by former bureaucrats and members of the clergy.  But am I in conflict with Bishop Egan here when he reminds us also that the social media including bloggers can be guilty of destroying the reputation of their neighbours?   It is sad that the media world has picked up on the blogger point made by our bishop since at the moment a Deacon called Nick Donnelly who ran a blog   `Protect the  Pope` has been asked by his bishop to stop blogging.   So Bishop Egan has found himself in a sensitive area and his wise words could be lost in the distraction over this problem.  But Bishop Egan was quite correct in what he said and writing with malice and to destroy the reputation of others is sinful.   And as a blogger I have to think carefully about this and confess there were occasions when I was lacking in charity.  Nevertheless there is a place for just comment.   If someone `puts their neck out` and challenges Catholic teaching or Catholic  practices they must expect someone to try to chop it off.   Those are the consequences of speaking out.  On Catholic Rights I had someone from a neighbouring  parish constantly attacking what I said and although I was advised from other followers to cut him off I refused.  He kept me thinking and examining what I wrote and did me a service `.  I was following my rule `Put your neck out and expect it to be chopped    But is my blog uncharitable?   It certainly started out of anger.   Going back to the early days in my parish many uncharitable things happened to me and others as a power structure was established in the parish giving all authority to those who did not like the Catholic Church.   There is the story of a woman weeping by a road as she saw stations of the cross and other relics thrown into a rubbish bin.   In the schools and in the parish preparation for Holy Communion the children no longer were told of the Real Presence and the wonderful mystery in the host.   There was even an attempt to stop the little girls wearing white dresses for their First Communion.   Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was stopped.  It was bad enough that the children were no longer allowed to have devotion to Mary their spiritual Mother but there was an attempt to stop the Hail Mary being said after the bidding prayers at Mass.  We had talks in the Church porch in which we were told  that we no longer needed the Pope because we could think for ourselves.  A priest tried to direct us once to the Elders of the parish, which showed the poor standard of scripture scholarship among the `leaders`.  It was no use engaging in dialogue you were  just sneered at.   This was happening all over England so little wonder people had to find a way of making their voices heard. As part of turning it into an ordinary commodity rather than sacred species altar raappils were removed, people told to receive in the hand, and no help given to those who wanted to kneel.   Tabernacles were removed so that the focus would be on us the `community`, as  the Body of Christ rather than Christ himself.   It is a really sad state of affairs and someone must speak up but also be heard as the young now look on appalled

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 larsh