Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Bishop O'Donaghue's 'Fit for Mission? - Parishes': preview

Briefing: Following 'Fit for Mission? - Schools' Bishop O'Donaghue of Lancaster has penned a booklet addressing parishes. It comes out on August 27th but here is a preview from Damian Thompson: some very interesting remarks on the way the Bishops' Conference makes it harder for orthodox bishops to speak out on the issues of the day.

We'll be publishing extracts as soon as the document is officially released.

From Damian Thompson (see his full post): [O'Donaghue] attacks the way the Bishops' Conference bureaucracy divides major issues into "areas of responsibility" for particular bishops, leaving other bishops "reluctant ... to speak out on these issues, as if somehow they had handed over their competence in these areas to the responsible bishops and his particular committee".

And he adds: "I must register, too, my disappointment that our Bishops' Conference recently could not agree a collegial response to the Government's legislation on same-sex adoption."

The Conference's statements, says Bishop O'Donoghue, tend to be "flat and safe at a time when we need passionate and courageous public statements that dare to speak the full truth in love".

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Pope Leo XIII's Prayer to St Michael

Holy Michael, Archangel, defend us in the day of battle. Be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, thrust down to Hell Satan, and all wicked spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen