Pope Benedict: Church buildings should be honoured

Briefing: wreckers, please note.

From Zenit: It is important that the community take 'special care' of the church building in which it gathers to pray, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this Sunday during his Angelus address for the feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome, which was built following the Edict of Milan in 313.

'[T]oday's feast celebrates a mystery that is always relevant: God's desire to build a spiritual temple in the world, a community that worships him in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:23-24). But this observance also reminds us of the importance of the material buildings in which the community gathers to celebrate the praises of God,' the Holy Father explained.

The feast of the dedication of the Lateran Basilica, which for some time was only celebrated in the city of Rome, was extended to the whole Church in the 16th century.

'The honoring of this sacred edifice was a way of expressing love and veneration for the Roman Church, which, as St. Ignatius of Antioch says, 'presides in charity' over the whole Catholic communion,' Benedict XVI said.

The material temple, the Pope noted, is important because it is an expression of that 'spiritual edifice,' which is the Christian community.

'The beauty and harmony of the churches, destined to give praise to God, also draws us human being, limited and sinful, to convert to form a 'cosmos,' a well-ordered structure, in intimate communion with Jesus, who is the true Saint of saints,' the Holy Father continued.

For this reason, he added, every community 'has the duty to take special care of its own sacred buildings, which are a precious religious and historical patrimony.' [Zenit]  

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Victorian Society condemns Bishops over church closures

Action: please support the Daily Telegraph's 'Save Our Churches' petition, here. Hat-tip to Damian Thompson.

From the Telegraph, in part: Dr Ian Dungavell, director of the Victorian Society, said there was widespread dismay at the Church's "intransigent" policy of closing churches, many of which have thriving congregations.

St Marie's Church in Widnes, an Italian Gothic church designed by Edward Welby Pugin, is on a list of the ten most endangered Victorian buildings in Britain, to be published by the Society this week. Three other churches, including one of only three Swedish churches in the UK, are among those highlighted on the endangered list. More than 7,000 people have signed up to support The Sunday Telegraph's Save Our Churches campaign, which has been backed by politicians, celebrities and church leaders including Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales.

The Archdiocese of Liverpool tried to have St Marie's demolished last year despite protests from local residents and the local council. It was saved at the eleventh hour after being designated as a Grade II listed building, but has remained closed and now faces falling into disrepair. Dr Dungavell said that that the influx of eastern European Catholics into the area, and across the country, made the Church's decision particularly baffling. "The Archdiocese is refusing to talk to us about their decision and seems determined to ensure that no-one can use it if they can't demolish it," he said.
Full article here.

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Church closures speed up

Briefing: coming to a church near you...

From CFNews: Up to half of Catholic parishes in some areas will be left without any services as a result of a radical nationwide reorganisation by dioceses.

Some of the churches already earmarked for closure have congregations of as many as 200 people, and worshippers have accused the Church of 'putting cash before Christianity'.

The most vociferous protests so far have been triggered by plans drawn up by the Rt Rev Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, to shut down seven churches in his diocese this month as part of a large scale closure programme.

Worshippers have appealed to MPs and heritage bodies to step into the row, written to the Charity Commissioners to argue that the diocese has neglected its duties as trustees of the churches, and last week served the bishop with legal papers claiming his behaviour breaches canon law.

Some of the protesters - including women in their 80s - have even chained themselves to the church railings in protest at the closures, which they claim will devastate the communities.

The closure of churches in the Wakefield and Pontefract deanery will mean that 12 have been lost in the past year, which amounts to a tenth of the whole diocese.

Worshippers have accused the bishop of 'acting like a dictator' in failing to respond to any of their letters, which proposed solutions to the problem and expressed concern over the damage that the action would have on communities.

Dozens of them travelled to the Bishop's residence last week with letters asking them to listen to their case and sent a petition delivering a vote of no confidence in him.

Many of the protesters have attended Mass at the churches for decades and have been baptised or married there.

Maureen Walsh, who has worshipped at Holy Family church Chequerfield for 44 years, said: 'We have been shattered by this. People were crying last Sunday realising that we will no longer be able to come here.'

A Polish priest has offered to take over from the current incumbent, who is due to retire this year, to enable the church to continue, but the proposal has been rejected by the bishop.

Anne Dyer, chair of governors at Holy Family and St Michael's Primary school, said that the closure of the church will affect everyone in the area from the children to their grandparents. Pupils sent Bishop Roche letters asking him to change his mind. Mrs Dyer said that the bishop has acted 'as if he is ruling in the dark ages' in the way that he has ignored their pleas.

'This area is crying out to be supported, but we feel that he has treated us like peasants rather than listening to what we have to say,' she added.

A few miles away, at St John the Evangelist Church, in Allerton Bywater, large banners hung on the outside walls make clear the congregation's displeasure. Malcolm Brumwell accused the bishop of breaking church law in his treatment of the parish and had denied worshippers access to a traditional Mass and removing the priest without offering him a new parish.

He said that a legal challenge has been issued to Bishop Roche, which he must send to Rome for a decision. It would set a precedent for bishops' freedom to close churches if it is found that he has acted inappropriately.

A letter has been sent to the Charity Commission by Our Lady of Lourdes church in Ackworth, which has nearly 200 worshippers.

It says that the diocese 'has failed to act in the interests of the charity and its beneficiaries (the parishioners and clergy)'.

Bishop Roche has argued that congregations of less than 200 people are no longer viable and that the churches are being closed because there are not enough priests to serve the parishes. Catholic churches in north-west England are under particular pressure, with a severe shortage of priests and a sharp fall in attendances at Mass. In the diocese of Liverpool, the number of priests has almost halved in the past decade, from 240 in 1998 to 166. The diocese of Lancaster is forecast to lose half of its 108 parishes in the next 10 years, a move which would see dozens of churches closed.

Campaigners in Leeds diocese hope that their efforts will bring them a last minute reprieve, but a spokesman for the bishop said that the fate of the churches could not be changed.

'Closing these churches is the last thing that the bishop wants to do, but he had no choice,' said John Brady, the bishop's press secretary. Mr Brady said that the closures were part of a 'rolling programme' that had already seen another seven churches shut down in the last 18 months. [Sunday Telegraph] 1476.16

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Petition against church closures in Leeds

Please sign the petition: it is not an act of disloyalty to the bishop, but a cry for help to Rome. Bishop Roche's actions, in relation to a whole string of planned church closures (we reported a particularly outstanding case here) has been high-handed to an extraordinary degree. Announcing the plans to his own priests by DVD is shocking; refusing the answer the letters of the faithful, or even of their MPs, suggests that he is losing his grip on reality. In fact bishops are obliged, by the nature of their office, to listen to their flocks: they are his children, not his slaves.

See Damian Thompson's excellent commentary here. The text of the petition is this - click to go to the site to sign it here. (You do NOT have to make a donation to the website, ipetition.co.uk!)

We are collecting signatures of ordinary people supporting the situation of the Parish of St John the Evangelist, Allerton Bywater before forwarding them to the Papal Nuncio & the Congregation for Clergy. This Petition states that:

We object to the planned closure and demolition of so many Catholic Churches in the Diocese of Leeds. We believe this plan to be detrimental to the wider community, and urge the authorities to think again. We have no confidence in the Bishop of Leeds, who is refusing to listen to the people.

We deeply regret that, despite our repeated requests, we were not given the opportunity to discuss our legitimate desires with Bishop Roche, and that he did not even do us the courtesy of replying to any of our Proposals or letters. Even letters from from local MP's Yvette Cooper & Colin Burgon have gone unanswered. As our spiritual father, his continuing silence is baffling and deeply hurtful. Our letters were courteous and respectful and were presented in accordance with Canon 212;2, and the express wish of the Second Vatican Council that 'the laity should disclose their needs and desires with that liberty and confidence which befits children of God and brothers of Christ' (LG 37). Lumen Gentium and the Catechism remind the Bishop that 'He should not refuse to listen to his subjects whose welfare he promotes as of his very own children'� (LG 27 # 2, CCC 896).

How can the bishop reconcile this situation with Canon 383;1: 'A diocesan bishop is to show himself concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to his care.' We have been abandoned, uncared-for, and ignored by our Bishop. We believe that he has signally failed in his duty of care for these parishes and has failed to observe his canonical obligations. We are deeply saddened and scandalised by events.

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Bishop of Shrewsbury criticised by Rome for plan to move parish to shared Anglican church

Local action as appropriate. The picture shows the Catholic church, SS Peter and Paul, which is under threat; for an earlier phase of the battle to save it see here. The Diocese has been spending the parish's money on the Anglican church they want to use: see here.

From the Catholic Herald: The Vatican has expressed "surprise" and "concern" at a plan by the Diocese of Shrewsbury to close one of its churches and arrange to have the parish Mass in a local Anglican church instead.

A letter from Mgr Giovanni Carrù, the under-secretary of the Congregation for the Clergy, said the plan to close the Church of Ss Peter and Paul, on the Wirral coast, "appears to stand in direct contrast to the recent indication that there are no plans to close the church... which were communicated to this Dicastery by His Lordship [the Bishop of Shrewsbury]".

See the full story here.

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St Walburge’s, Preston, gets Lottery grant

Briefing. This is very good news; see the earlier posts here.

From the Catholic Herald, in part: St Walburge's, in Preston, a Grade II listed early Victorian Catholic church, is to receive £160,000 from Lottery funds to help with maintenance and repairs.
The church, listed as one of the 10 most endangered buildings in the country, was earmarked for closure last summer as a result of the Diocese of Lancaster's financial crisis. St Wlaburge's was opened in 1854.

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Bishops issue guide to Mental Capacity Act

Briefing. It can be downloaded as an A4 pdf or an A5 pdf; buy hard copy from the CTS here.

From CFNews: The new Mental Capacity Act affects the care of anyone who is unable to make decisions for themselves. These may be financial decisions, choices about where to live, or how someone is to be cared for. Healthcare decisions made when the end of life is approaching are the main focus of the 'Mental Capacity Act & Living Wills - A Practical Guide for Catholics', produced by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales to provide a Catholic perspective on the new law. 'As Christians we believe that every human life is a gift from God and that to live that life fully we must love one another. Illness, whether mental or physical is a part of the human condition and most if not all of us will have to cope with it at some time in our lives. Ill health makes us aware of our human frailty, and calls for a response of love and care, recognising always that to be human is to be body, soul and spirit, and that we are ultimately called by God to follow Our Lord through death to the fullness of life with Him,' says the Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Reverend Peter Smith, Chair of the Department for Christian Citizenship and Responsibility, in his Opening Foreword.

This Guide seeks as practically as possible to answer many of the questions which you might have about this Act in relation to healthcare decisions, whether it concerns your own future, that of a friend or a member of your family who may be seriously ill, or whether you are a healthcare professional, he continues..Although (it) rightly focuses on the practical issues people face for Christians these of course find their true context within the Gospel message of hope. As Christians we are called to a vision of life and love beyond illness and death itself.' The Guide is in 'Question and Answer' form, and seeks to be as practical as possible in addressing some of the concerns which people may have, either regarding their own situation or that of a member of their family or religious community. It includes questions regarding the withdrawal of medical treatment at the end of life, the new powers in the Act to make advance decisions to refuse treatment (so-called 'Living-Wills'), and the duties of those appointed with lasting powers of attorney to take decisions of behalf of others.

A section of the Guide addresses issues for healthcare professionals. It has been written for use both within and beyond the Catholic Community and is available from the Catholic Truth Society, priced at £1.95. tel: 020 7640 0042 www.cts-online.org.uk ISBN no. 978 1 86082 465 4 An on-line version is to be found here

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St Walburge’s, Preston: Traditional congregation ejected

Briefing. This is an appalling act: it suggests the the Parish Priest, and perhaps the diocese, simply does not want the church to survive. See the earlier post on the threat to this fine church here.

From the local paper, the Lancashire Evening Post (hat-tip to Cathcon): A group behind a Latin mass held at an under-threat Catholic church in Preston claim they have been thrown out.

The organisers held the traditional mass at St Walburge's Church, in Pedder Street, Ashton, for three weeks – attracting more than 400 people to the church and boosting flagging attendances which had led to the famous building being named as one of 10 churches across the city threatened with closure.

But the group says that the church has now stopped them holding the weekly services and only offering them once-a-month mass, forcing them to move to St Mary Magdalen's Church in Penwortham. See the full story here.

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St Walburge’s, Preston, to close

Protests, please, to Bishop O’Donoghue of Lancaster. This fine church, the pride of Catholic Lancashire, is of national significance.

From 'The Citizen' (Preston local paper), in part: Councillor Margaret McManus is spearheading the campaign. She condemned the proposals by the Lancaster Diocese, which could see 10 Preston churches close over the next decade.

The councillor, who represents Sharoe Green, has attended St Walburge's Church, Pedder Street, Ashton, for 30 years.

She said: "St Walburge's is the gem of the churches in Preston and we should be thinking about giving it cathedral status rather than closing it.

"It's a sin to close any church, this is our heritage. The people of Preston built and paid for these churches. "It isn't our fault that the diocese hasn't used their funds efficiently enough."

For the full story see here.

Hat-tip to Holy Smoke (Damian Thompson), where more commentary can be found.

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