Portsmouth Roman Catholic

I suppose I am still waiting for the spirit of Vatican 2 to enliven the Church; I say spirit because time has moved on and the letter in some cases is out of date. I am looking for a Consultative Church; the laity are not children to be told what to do and think but are educated and experienced adults. I seek more autonomy for local Churches over which the Bishop of the Church of Rome presides in love, instead of ruling as a prince, I seek a truly collaborative ministry (ordained and lay); and ordained ministers who are true leaders - presbyters and not a 'cultic' priesthood. And that the Western Church, like the Eastern and Oriental Churches, may recognise that some presbyters may also have the vocation to marriage. I'd best stop there before I write a book  ! The above are two quotes from what the website A Call to Action puts forward as testimonials.    As you can see they are those who are in dissent with the Catholic Church because they love the Catholic Churc...

What do you mean by the words ..he descended into hell...?   By the words..he descended into hell.. I mean that Christ as soon as he was dead His blessed Soul went down into that part of Hell called Limbo. What do you mean by Limbo?   By Limbo I mean a plan of rest where the souls of the just who died before Christ were detained. The Apostles Creed is said in many Catholic Churches on a Sunday.  Yet just how many actually understand what they are professing.   In fact ignorance of the Catholic Faith is so rife now that perhaps even priests would not be able to answer questions   So how many even think about the words ..He descended into Hell.     And if they understand just a little then the question is still to be asked why?   We know that when Mary Magdalen recognised him he told her not to touch him since he had not yet ascended to the Father.  Where had he been?  He had one to Hell to continue talks with Abraham and Moses as at t...

And as many as shall, in the exercise of repentance, return into the unity of the Church, these, too, shall belong to God, that they may live according to Jesus Christ. Do not err, my brethren. If any man follows him that makes a schism in the Church, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God. If any one walks according to a strange opinion, he agrees not with the passion [of Christ]. The above is a quotation from St Ignatius of Antioch, a contemporary of the Apostles, and indeed his writings could well have been included in the Canon of Scripture.   As we read about the Death and Resurrection of Chirst it is good to keep his words in mind. What is the fourth  article of the Creed.    The Fourth Article of the Creed is suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.    Charles  Dickens  begins his Christmas Carol by saying.  Marly was dead to begin with as  dead as a door nail.   He tells us that we...

There is an article in the latest issue of Portsmouth People.   It concerns those who are non-practicing Catholics and asks them to tell the Bishop why they are not practicing the Catholic Faith.  I am afraid it made me smile for I have been asking that question for over 40 years.   In earlier times I usually got the answer that they "all come back eventually"  Nobody was interested in the sudden overnight falling away of our young people.   Our 'New Church' had got rid of that guilt and hell and priestly domination of the pre-vatican Church.  Then there was the 'Only Catholics go to Heaven' of that old Church and great efforts were made to apologise to Protestants for this awful claim.   As those who are following my Penny Catechism course will be aware it is full of good teaching and there is very little of hell there but heck, if you want something new what is a little lie among friends. So I worried myself and prayed for all those young people wh...

What is the Third Article of the Creed?   The Third Article of the Creed is  ..who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary... Has Jesus Christ any father on earth?     Jesus Christ has no father on earth St Joseph was only his guardian or foster-father. Where was our Saviour born?   Our Saviour was born in a stable at Bethlehem. The Catechism is short on exploring the total wonder that these statements make.   God became Man.  He so loved the creatures he had made in  his own image and likeness that he became one of us in order to teach them the true way He had always wanted us to live.   There are many ideas of God in the world but none can claim the humility of the true God who came to show us how to love.   The story of the manger has lived on for many centuries.   To many it is now just folklore or a fable for children.   Yet it is true and the love it conveys to us melts many hearts.  Yet ...

..and in Jesus Christ, his only son Ourt Lord...    This seems to be a simple statement that everyone accepts .  Yet in the past 50 years there has risen the false prophets  who have shouted "Here is Christ"  by attacking his description as the Son of God and taking away his Authority. Who is Jesus Christ?     Jesus Christ is God the Son made man for us. Is Jesus Christ truly God?   Jesus Christ is truly God. Why is Jesus Christ truly God?   Jesus Christ is truly God because He as one and the same nature with God the Father. Was Jesus Christ always God?   Jesus Christ was always God born of the Father from all eternity. Is Jesus Christ truly man?     Jesus Christ is truly man because he has the nature of man having a body and soul like ours. Was Jesus Christ always man?     Jesus Christ was not always man   He has been man only from the time of his Incarnation. What do you mean by the Incarnation...

What are the chief things that God has revealed?   The chief things that God has revealed are contained in the Apostles Creed. I believe in God the Father almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth - and in Jesus Christ His only Son Our Lord - who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary - suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified, died and was buried - He descended into Hell, the third day he rose again from the dead - he ascended into heaven, and is is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty - from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead - I believe in the Holy Spirit - The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints - the forgiveness of sins - the resurrection of the Body - and life everlasting. Amen. We often recite the above at Mass on Sunday, I have even recited it in a Protestant Church.   So it must be simple and straightforward since we do no hear today many sermons based around it.   The trouble with the Penny Catechi...

WHAT IS FAITH     Faith is a supernatural gift of God which enables us to believe without doubting whatever God has revealed. WHY MUST I BELIEVE WHATEVER GOD HAS REVEALED       I must believe whatever God has revealed because God is the very Truth and can neither deceive nor be deceived. HOW ARE YOU TO KNOW WHAT GOD HAS REVEALED?     I am to know what God has revealed by the testimony, teachings, and authority of the Catholic Church WHO GAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DIVINE AUTHORITY TO TEACH?     Jesus Christ gave the Catholic Church divine authority to teach when He said "Go ye, and teach all nations"  Math.28:29 Here we have more dangerous stuff from the Penny Catechism.   I was just today speaking to someone from my old town who expressed to me all the dangers that lay in religion.   He was not a Christian and lacked the insight to believe what I believe.   His conversion will only come through the Hol...

To whose Image and Likeness did God make you?   God made me to His own image and likeness. Is this likeness to God in your body or in your soul?    This likeness to God is chiefly in my soul for it is immortal and can never die. What should I take most care of my body or my soul?   I must take care of my soul for Christ said  "What does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffers the loss of his soul"  (On the question of Salvation History is it not strange that the word soul has been corrupted in the readings at Mass to 'life'.  .......suffer the loss of his LIFE) What must I do to save my soul?   To save my soul I must worship God by Faith, Hope, and Charity; that is I must believe in Him, I must hope in Him, and I must love Him with my whole heart. As you can see there is very dangerous stuff in the Penny Catechism.   It asks us to have a relationship with God.  We must always believe He i...

WHO  MADE  YOU?   God Made Me, WHY  DID  GOD  MAKE  YOU?   God made me to know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world and to be happy with Him forever in the next. My wife and I had a handicapped child with what is called challenging behaviour.  He would shout, scream, and go into temper tantrums almost on a daily basis.  One night my wife was so exhausted she cried out "God why did you make Him?"  She cried then repeated the Penny Catechism answer - "To know him, love him,and serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next"  Somehow the answer was put on her lips.   Suddenly we saw he had a future.   I worked with many adults with challenging behaviour and what kept me going was the knowledge that God loved them as much as anyone else and whatever the world saw on the outside God saw the person within.   They all had a future. I find it sad that so many young people today look on l...