Portsmouth Roman Catholic

Well maybe the first generation will not lose the Faith but certainly when their children have gone through the Catholic Education System which prides itself in being free of devotions and doctrine then 95 per cent of them will be alienated from the Church.   I doubt if anyone will even question this which shows how lacking in humility the Church has become.  A failing education is kept going by claps on the back, an inflated sense of pride in a job well done because there are no alternatives, and people who just use religion because now they do not have to be faithful to Christ or anyone else.   We are just a large pot of different ingredients trying to satisfy everyone s taste.    Some have moved forward and they are the intelligent ones who can think for themselves and boast that they do so.  On the other hand there are the stupid ignorant Catholics who still cling to the Faith the Catholic Church proclaims, who still follow Jesus in everything, and who ...

It was announced in a parish today at Mass that the priest had been consulting a committee and they had decided on plans to improve the parish.  It would cost money of course and the parishioners would be expected to improve their financial contributions.   Sounds familiar.   Over the past forty years almost every major decision has been made behind closed doors by the favoured few so there is nothing new here.  Here is another familiar gimmick.   The parishioners will  be phoned and asked how much they can contribute.   Do you remember Living Your Faith and the objections by many people in the diocese over these calls.    Well the particular priest does not.   Of course we got money back from this fund though its main purpose had been to save the diocese from becoming bankrupt.  Unfortunately the money was ring fenced and could not be transferred to Diocesan Funds.    Many professionals lost their jobs in the Diocese wher...

Have you apologised to the Protestant people yet?   When the new Church was replacing the old it was the custom to talk about Catholics being triumphalist over the Protestant people.  It was all about Catholics thinking they were going to heaven and Protestants were not, which was not true but had to be pushed for the sake of the new Church and the Spirit of Vatican II.   It was all about the arrogance of Catholics believing that their Church was founded by Jesus Christ and that He had come to bear witness to the truth, as he told Pilate, and that this truth has been passed down through the hierarchy he had founded at the beginning.  And again I repeat as in other blogs this is the teaching of Vatican II in the first document the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church.    Well I know Protestants who had no difficulty with Catholics believing this for tolerance is not agreeing with what others believe but rather acknowledging their right to believe in their own...

I was watching a film called Emma last night.  It was by a local writer who lived close to where I live called Jane Austin.  Emma comes from a wealthy family and it is seen as part of her lifestyle to give in charity to the poor.  She therefore frequently visits one deserving and poor family.   But then at a picnic she suddenly insults one of the members of that family and is told off in no uncertain terms by the man she falls in love with.   Then later when her father is praising her for the charity and friendship she gives to the family she humbly 0admits.   No Father, I gave them charity but not my friendship.   There is much to ponder here.   Emma saw that her charity had not been based on love but on duty.    Charity and love are not necessarily interchangeable terms.   Do we give in charity because that is what others expect of us as Christians?  To be part of the team so to speak.   Are we Catholics because the Cath...

Why do I go to Mass?   Why do I go to Confession?   Why do I adore Jesus?  Why do I read the bible?   Yes, they all bring me consolation, they all make me part of a community, a nice little social club where I can feel important.   Many of the community do not bother about confession nor adoring the Blessed Sacrament - they claim it is irrelevant in their life experience.    So are these sacraments given on a take it or leave it basis really important?     I suppose what I am asking is this, are the sacraments an end in themselves, something we do because that is what Catholics do?    There are many voices raised against people who fully practice their Catholic Faith.  Claims that they are lost in the practices and liturgies but not going beyond this to a mature personal faith.  Not going beyond them to look after the poor and the weak, and dare I say it not going beyond them to remain sinless.   Well there are few w...