Portsmouth Roman Catholic

When the statute of Our Lady of Walsingham was in Portsmouth Cathedral I was at Mass and a strange thing happened.   Now I am partially sighted and although I can see distances I do not see detail too much.  I observed in going for communion when I joined the queue that some people were kneeling in the bottom altar steps and receiving what I took to be the host.   When I came to the front I went to kneel on the step with many others but what we received was the chalice.   That was OK for the chalice also contains Christ in his entirety, with his body, just as the host contains Christ in his entirety, with his blood.  This is the teaching of the Church.   So I did not lose out in receiving the host.   But it was the number of people who knelt that surprised me.   It was the ability to use the altar step  to push my6self up which enabled me to kneel for in my parish church  I can no longer receive my Saviour in a state of humility. ...

The work of Mother Theresa is well known.   She picked up the poor and the thing from the streets.  She nursed them as best she could and she and her nuns never gave up their work but continues day in and day out.  Their dedication was almost unnatural.   But the secret of course was that her work was of the supernatural.   She did not ask for honours or respect and she made many enemies by stating her Faith in a simple and uncomplicated way - she was dealing with the Body of Christ.   Her faith also led her to rescue aborted babies and speak fiercely on behalf of the unborn, heeding not whom she offended.   She also told the world that there was a greater poverty than material poverty and that was spiritual poverty.   This spiritual poverty is yet to be understood by many who would otherwise comment on the good works of Mother Theresa.  Spiritual poverty is making excuses for our sins. Mother Theresa was not a do-gooder.  She ...

                         I saw my Jesus kneeling in the Garden                          I saw the tears that glistened on his face                          I heard him ask the Father for the pardon                          Of all mankind, whatever time or place                          I watched the crowd of angry men surround him                          "Is this the one we seek?" their voices hiss                          I hear my own voice answer "Yes, we've found Him"               ...

This is the ruins of Notre Dame. A Cathedral built by a great love and Faith in Jesus and his mother. The ruined Cathedral is a symbol of the destruction of the Christian faith in Europe. But Notre Tae will rise in triumph again when the remnant of Christians remember that it is not just love for the poor that Jesus taught, but love for Him in the poor and everything we do for them underpinned by the presence of Christ in them and within ourselves. We should not just serve others but realise that we are in a position to do so because of His love for us. It is our privilege and we seek no reward nor should we. This is the true spirit of Christianity, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Let us build the Church in Europe once again to be a light to the nations not by our love, often a self centred love, but the love of God, the love of Jesus, and the love of Mary.

The Rosary group in my Church added the prayer for the Conversion of England to their prayers a few months back. I became increasingly aware of the power of this prayer, and began to realise that it is the prayer we need for the Catholic Church in England today. A false idea of ecumenism has taken the religious spirit away from our Church and a 'rational and mature faith' with no heart or feeling has taken its place.  Our children are paying dearly. Reading the Decree on Ecumenism of Vatican II,  I realsied that the Church had never given up its claim to be the One True Church and indeed the very first statement on the Decree stated there was only One True Church. To rectify and make our Church holy again we must turn to our Mother Mary since England is her Dowry. She will lead us. So ends my very definite ideas, but my thoughts go much further. To be the light that shines in the darkness we need to be truly Catholic.  In a world torn by Adultery, Divorce, Contraception a...

Pope John Paul II, who knew very well the situation of moral theology and followed it closely, commissioned work on an encyclical that would set these things right again. It was published under the title “ Veritatis splendor ” on August 6, 1993, and it triggered vehement backlashes on the part of moral theologians. Before it, the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” already had persuasively presented, in a systematic fashion, morality as proclaimed by the Church. I shall never forget how then-leading German moral theologian Franz Böckle, who, having returned to his native Switzerland after his retirement, announced in view of the possible decisions of the encyclical “ Veritatis splendor ” that if the encyclical should determine that there were actions which were always and under all circumstances to be classified as evil, he would challenge it with all the resources at his disposal. I  think we can say that if theologian Franz Bockle had listened to Jesus as he preached he wou...

1) The matter begins with the state-prescribed and supported introduction of children and youths into the nature of sexuality. In Germany, the then-Minister of Health, Ms. [Käte] Strobel, had a film made in which everything that had previously not been allowed to be shown publicly, including sexual intercourse, was now shown for the purpose of education. What at first was only intended for the sexual education of young people consequently was widely accepted as a feasible option. Similar effects were achieved by the “Sexkoffer” published by the Austrian government [A controversial ‘suitcase’ of sex education materials used in Austrian schools in the late 1980s]. Sexual and pornographic movies then became a common occurrence, to the point that they were screened at newsreel theaters [ Bahnhofskinos ]. I still remember seeing, as I was walking through the city of Regensburg one day, crowds of people lining up in front of a large cinema, something we had previously only seen in tim...

This is an icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. Before we were taught to turn our back on Our Lady and 'those childish devotions' there were often services in parishes to her and requests made for her help. there was a beautiful hymn sung much of which I have forgotten but the second verse centred around the child Jesus. 'On thy face he is not gazing, nor on us is turned his glance, but his anxious face he fixes on the Cross, the Reed, and Lance, To thy hands his own are clinging as a chid would cling in fear, of the vision of the torment of his passion drawing near'      Our Lady of Perpetual Succour pray for us.

Starting tomorrow there will be a Triduum of Prayer at St John's Cathedral, Portsmouth, for the cause of the Rededication of England as the Dowry of Mary.   From 4th - 6th April the Statue of Our Lady of Walsingham from the Slipper Chappell will be present in the Cathedral.    The days will be filled with prayers and devotions and talks on Our Lady of Walsingham.   I am of a generation that was taught about the place of Mary in the Church.   How she was prepared for the task of being the Mother of God made Man, and was approached by Gabriel so that her consent could be obtained.    "Let it be done unto me according to Your will" she replied.   And as Jesus grew into manhood she was there protecting him and guiding him, but knowing that when he began his mission it would be short and she would break her heart watching him die on the cross.   When at the Council of Ephesus in the early Church to answer one of the many heresies about the natu...