Wrong kind of ecumenism

True ecumenism should be about the shepherd calling back the lost sheep to the fold, into the comforting arms of the Church, under the leadership of the Supreme Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ. Any other kind is wrong, misguided and potentially disastrous.

Take, for example, Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster. His visit to a Hindu temple and his laying down of flowers before a hindu idol was no doubt well-intentioned but what does that act symbolise to the rest of the world? It sends the message that it's okay not to be a Catholic or even a Christian. It suggests that there are many different ways of looking at God and lots of different path to God.

That is plainly wrong.

Archbishop Nichols, please don't repeat that mistake. . .

Chevetogne Abbey

I've been rather a westerner in both theology and liturgy but the most likely candidate for union in the West, the Anglican Communion, continues down its path to oblivion, we must look East in bringing more of people who claim to confess Christ into the One True Fold.

I've never been to an Eastern liturgy and my experience of it remains the testimony of others. All has been good so far - the most common sentiments being the air of mystery and holiness which of which we have lost in the new latin rite.




Chevetogne Abbey is in Belgium and is dedicated to just such unity. Founded in 1925 by Dom Lambert Beauduin. The Abbey has two churches, one Latin and one Byzantine. The canonical hours are said separately but the monks eat together and are under a single Abbot.

You can have a look at their website here:

Chevetogne Abbey

Blair really is a most odious man

It takes quite a lot in the modern church for somebody to be excommunicated, or even to be banned from receiving communion. Tony Blair, our former Prime Minister, however, fully deserves it in the mind of His Eminence.

His latest outburst regards the way in which we should view other religions. Any whiff of the idea that we should somehow see other religions as equal is horrific, scandalous and heretical. We should view Judaism with a sense of respect, as St Paul teaches us, and God still has a special place for the Jews in his hearts. Nevertheless, for their conversion to the truth we must pray most ardently.

Protestantism and Islamism are very different. Both really more heresies than religions and both have brought such destruction to this world.

Mr Blair is right about one thing. There is a dark side of religion and it involves savage behaviour, killing thousands of innocents, for political ends.