My friend and fellow-blogger, Peter Carrell, recently said it well: I belong to the one and only true church. It is perfect in every way, doctrinally, liturgically, morally, ecclesiologically. It only has one member. And you can’t join it in case you wreck it. In the spirit of Throwback Thursday I rework a blog post
The One True Church Read More »
Recent discussion about confirmation (and here and check the search box for more) has highlighted that many people are not aware of the majority historical practice of a united Christian initiation: baptism-christmation/confirmation-communion. Receiving communion, then, is clearly the repeatable part of Christian initiation. Current practices separating baptism; confirmation; communion – or – baptism; communion; confirmation
Giving Holy Communion to Infants Read More »
I have discovered yet another prayer that is shared across denominations. This coming Sunday, Trinity Sunday, replaces the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Next week is the 8th Week in Ordinary Time. For that week Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and others use an ancient prayer which I have rendered as: Let us pray (in silence) [that
Yet Another Prayer in Common Read More »
Earlier this year I wrote about the Pope washing the feet of women possibly signalling an openness to rethinking ordination of males-only in Roman Catholicism: Pope Takes One Small Step Towards Women Priests? Now: Pope Francis has announced he will create a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in
Pope Considers Ordaining Women Read More »
Pope Francis has managed to do it again! Upset people by declaring by word and action that all are God’s people – God’s children. Remember, after the criticism of Pope Francis washing the feet of women he changed the rules. After careful consideration…To manifest the full meaning of the rite to those who participate in
Pope Francis Illustrates Who Are God’s People Read More »
The “Canon of St Vincent” is often quoted (especially the part I have put in bold italics): in the Catholic Church itself, all possible care must be taken, that we hold that faith which has been believed everywhere, always, by all (Quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est). For that is truly and
Believed Everywhere, Always, and by All? Read More »
Let us pray (in silence) [that God direct our lives in the way of peace] Pause Almighty and everliving God, [or God of revelation] you govern all things in heaven and earth; mercifully hear the prayers of your people, and guide the course of our days in your peace, through Jesus Christ, our Saviour who
I’ve been playing with the word ‘provisional’. Provisional means temporary, useful or valid for a while – until something better comes along; anticipating that the better will come. Taizé (image above) often stresses the provisional. Having laboured long to produced a complex (famous) monastic Office Book, the monks of Taizé abandoned it as too perplexing
