Last Monday Boris Johnson faced a vote of No Confidence from within his own party, following the steady drip of allegations surrounding what has become known as ‘Partygate’. The reason why Boris is in such a difficult position is because he has been seen to fail what used to be
Continue readingThis coming Tuesday we celebrate the Feast Day of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an encounter with her cousin Elizabeth that took place after Mary had received the news that she was to conceive and bear Jesus, Son of the Most High. I made my own visitation to
Continue readingThe month of May is traditionally one of great devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. The Church intends us to bear the Passion in mind as we honour our Lady. According to St. Sophronius, “the joy that comes from Mary is shared not only by mankind but also by
Continue readingA few years ago I was at a large dinner in a rather expensive part of London (not a good way to start a newsletter piece, but please bear with me) where a well-known and senior Catholic politician (who shall remain nameless) admitted that he ‘didn’t know much about patristic
Continue readingEach year, the Fourth Sunday of Easter is a day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life and the Gospel reading for the day is always taken from the long passage in Saint John’s Gospel where Jesus offers himself to us as the Good Shepherd. Sheep-rearing was
Continue readingLast Monday morning, as I was putting in my car the very generous gifts you gave to the London Catholic Worker house in north London, the world was digesting the defeat of the Far Right nationalist Marine Le Pen in the French Presidential election. The coincidence seemed fitting: in every
Continue readingPalm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week. It starts with a joyous feel and a very happy and welcoming vibe. A welcome that is fit for a King, but there is a slight difference: he comes not on a horse, but a donkey, enacting the very words he taught
Continue readingThis Friday is April Fools’ Day. As the fighting in Ukraine continues I am reminded of the sort of human foolishness which surprises everyone in the moment, but then makes sense as events unfold. In 2019 in the presidential elections in Ukraine, the people voted in Volodymyr Zelensky, an actor
Continue readingThe Christians are pilgrims on a journey to the New Jerusalem, our eternal home. We follow the good Shepherd who is our guide and we listen to His words – “for here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come” (Heb. 13.14). Hence, the
Continue readingSeveral decades ago I was at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper in Westminster Cathedral. Shortly before he was due to remove his chasuble, don an apron and get down on his knees to wash the feet of twelve old men, the Cardinal Archbishop got up to preach. He was
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