*OUCH !*
No, no such luck... I pinched myself, and it's still on Fr. Ray's and Ttony's blogs. According to The Telegraph, the terna, the official list of candidates, has been whittled down to three and submitted by the Nuncio...
The choice is apparently between Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Bishop Arthur Roche and Archbishop Peter Smith.
The Nuncio is obviously not a devotee of Paddy Power. While Archbishop Nichols is favourite at 2-1, the other two are languishing at 12-1.
Business as usual in Novusordoland.
ReplyDeleteArchbishop Peter Smith... the Same who Imprimatured a book written by ex-nun Claire Richards, who denies Original Sin, among other things, and who said that she was in good standing with the Church.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, the Pope, as Cardinal Ratzinger, knows Archbishop Peter Smith well, seeing as he had to force him to remove the imprimatur!
See:
http://www.christianorder.com/features/features_2003/features_dec03_bonus.html
Please God NOOOOOOO!
ReplyDeleteNichols who gave us the appalling Icons and has the schools under his nose teaching the Holy Spirit is a She.
The man who refused to answer my questions about the lack of catechesis for kids in special school until I added all the letters after my name...an ordinary mum and voluntary worker can be ignored it seems.
Is this really all we have? Is this all we can hope for?
Please Papa Benedict, send us a real Catholic Hero to shake the apathy and lukewarmness out of this country of ours!!!! More of the same 'don't rock the boat catholicism' we've had here in the UK for forty years is just too much to contemplate.
ReplyDelete'Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful... renew the face of the earth'.
George, I'm more inclined to pray the prayer of St. Michael... the constant erosion of the Faith in this country is close to diabolical!!
ReplyDeleteI think I recall Bishop Nichols telling a BBC interviewer with a casual wave of the episcopal hand that of course, his adoption agency had always allowed children to be adopted by homosexual singles. It was just as couples that the problem came in...
ReplyDeleteNice.
Of course, there isn't much hope, but one could always copy these howls of anguish and despair into emails and letters to the Congregation of Bishops.
ReplyDelete# Mailing Address: Palazzo della Congregazioni, 00193 Roma, Piazza Pio XII, 10
# Telephone: 06.69.88.42.17
# Fax: 06.69.88.53.03
I'm afraid I have to agree with Mac. The disaster in the English Catholic Church began, in fact, at the end of WWII, has not been a matter of "lukewarmness" or benign neglect. It is a house demolished, not a house decayed.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it'll be Peter Smith, although on pro-life issues he's been excellent I have to say. Obviously giving the imprimatur was mental though.
ReplyDeleteDon't know anything about Roche, but I know that Bishop Nichols is the favourite. I just wish the Church here would get a spine!
Hilary, with respect, you`ve missed the point on the adoption agency thing: Chaste, celibate single people have always been considered as suitable adoptive parents by the Catholic agencies. It is often the only appropriate situation e.g. for a child who may have been abused. There are many wonderful, saintly people who have chosen to live celibate lives and who can serve the Church in this way. Archbishop Nichols was treated disgracefully by that BBC interviewer (Paxman as I recall) who then fawned all over his other interviewee, an out and proud Lesbian, (Angela Eagle, MP, I think). Nichols was defending our faith and the work of the Catholic Adoption Agencies.. it was the cusp of a much bigger battle, if you recall over the sexual Orientation Legislation, which is still not over.
ReplyDeleteI can`t stand by and see someone maligned for fighting for Catholics.
"While Archbishop Nichols is favourite at 2-1, the other two are languishing at 12-1"
ReplyDeletePerhaps the Vatican plans to pay for the American visit by winning a large bet at high odds?
We need a radical shake-up in the E&W Catholic Church. All three 'leaked' contenders will fit snugly into the current pair of shoes occupying the Westminster seat and continue managing the decline admirably.
ReplyDeleteOK - this is how I would see the man (please add your extras).
A Cardinal who will take on the establishment and the secular, humanist, anti-life, culture of death with clear teaching authority, a Cardinal who will 'tell it as it is' to the dissenters and liberals, a Cardinal who will be media savvy and not afraid to be seen publicly and openly swimming AGAINST the 'spirit of the times', a Cardinal who will be a LEADER to the sheep entrusted to his pastoral care and who will not be afraid to exercise fraternal correction where necessary. A Cardinal who will give our Catholic Schools a 'shot in the arm' and a 'hard kick up the backside' as necessary, a Cardinal prepared to reform the reform with kindness but also with a firm resolve. A Cardinal who hates Colours of Day, Kum-ba-Ya, BBQ incense burners, glass wine pitchers, and liturgical dancing!
This Country was once a bastion of a deep and devout Catholic Faith. I know that the gates of hell will not prevail - but please, let's not sail this close to the wind!