- Written by: Alex Walker
ACTA presentation Lancaster 2015 >>> ACTA presentation Lancaster 2015 pdf >>>
- Written by: Alex Walker
The Call the Journey and the Mission Answers Summary of Responses
This synopsis reports only acclamations, or slight reservations about, the idealisations of the Bishops' document and as such, is a total travesty of the attitudes of the laity. One would think that every parish held an annual celebration of the publication of Humanae Vitae. There is no indication of any lay concern about the Church's attitude to divorcees. The document presents an idealised picture of marriage that is admirable and highly desirable, but gives the impression that it is there for the taking. Many of the lay affirmations will seem smug and self-satisfied to those who have not found a partner, or for whom things have gone sadly wrong. To speak of a vocation creates an idea that marriage is something worth pursuing almost indiscriminately and that simply being married will make everything work irrespective of the choice of partner; this surely is a recipe for many to fail. As one with the good fortune of a long and happy marriage, I cannot see anything in the list of promotional activities that would have had the slightest bearing on the success of our marriage.
If this is the tone of the Bishops' briefing to the Synod, it will suggest that the English laity are so in accord with traditional teaching, that there is no purpose in the Synod at all; certainly some traditionalists already take that view and have obviously influenced the official view. If the Synod produces nothing more than a PR gloss on the status quo, then it will succeed in driving out the last of the troublesome laity who stayed loyal through the contentious teachings referred to above, leaving the Church as a sweet little sect, piously free from sinners.
- Written by: Alex Walker
The smell of the sheep
A survey of Catholic opinion
in England and Wales
in preparation for the Synod on the Family, October 2015.
Prayer, reflection and discussion
with Andrew Hornsby-Smith
Saturday 12 September 2015
10 am – 3 pm
St Bernadette’s Parish
120 Bowerham Road Lancaster LA1 4HT
You will notice that the day is now 10am - 3pm.
It was thought that we would welcome more time for discussion and we will now have time for that after lunch. (NB Please bring lunch)
If you wish to leave at 1pm that's ok too.
Please let me know if you are coming by email or by phoning 01772 555483 or by logging onto the site and scrolling down the evnt to the map and just underneath you will see a tick box that says I am attending.
A4PosterACTAthesmellofthesheep docx Flyer1ACTAthesmellofthesheep docx
- Written by: Alex Walker
Deeply disappointed by the complicated language and low level of distribution of the official Vatican questionnaire issued before the Synod of Bishops on the family, three German Catholic theology students decided to prepare their own.
- Written by: Alex Walker
“Since my youth, I think that I have never lost the intuition that community life could be a sign that God is love, and love alone. Gradually the conviction took shape in me that it was essential to create a community with men determined to give their whole life and who would always try to understand one another and be reconciled, a community where kindness of heart and simplicity would be at the centre of everything.”
Brother Roger: “God is love alone”