Portsmouth Roman Catholic

In the seventies all kinds of intellectual people were invited into the Church in Europe to help give it a modern appeal.  It is certainly true that Faith must be based on reason but in the practice of Faith, in discovering the love of God and returning that love we need more than assent to the intellect..   I love my wife but I do not love her intellectually there is an emotional content.  There are the hugs, the flowers, the appropriate words at appropriate times, the saying 'I love you".   To make marriage work we need the whole of our person involved, rational and emotional.  Love is an emotional thing. And if I love my spouse I do not make excuses for unfaithfulness. lying to her, purposely spending my time away from her and then claiming that after all I am only human.  In the presence of my wife I should feel guilt about such things for that is what true love is about.  So if I go against what He expects of me can I really claim to love God. ...

At first glance it is very human and very understanding.   Why should anyone deny Holy Communion to those who have married, divorced and remarried again?   This is an age when we are preaching compassion and mercy to those, and especially those who find themselves part of the Church yet excluded from the one thing they want,  reception of the Blessed Sacrament. Now there are difficult situations where a divorced and remarried man or woman is with a partner and rearing children in a loving family.  How can I preach against them having a 'second chance'   But of course, something new has been put forward and I call it new because the Jesus of Scripture never mentioned the word once.  The word is 'conscience'.   This was brought into the Church fairly recently and apparently we can disobey 'the rules' or anything Jesus said if we can have our conscience conforming to our will.   Jesus said nothing about this but not too long ago John Henry Cardinal...

I see so much unhappiness and tears Lord So many children hurting and alone I want so much to take away their fears Lord And fill them with a love they’ve never known If I could take your cross upon my shoulder I’d gladly walk the road to Calvary And maybe some will say when they are older He died with Jesus just for love of me And there are children living far away Lord Who hunger just for water and for bread While I enjoy a meal three times a day Lord Their little bodies waste until they’re dead O hold those children very close to you Lord In some way make their little lives worthwhile You know there s nothing that I wouldn't  do Lord If I could help just one of them to smile. Perhaps there’ll be a better world tomorrow When love will reign and every one will share With those who live in need and those in sorrow Who never thought that anyone would care You said that little children are in Heaven For such as these such happiness shoul...