An inquiry ordered by the Bishop of Northampton to determine whether a cause should be launched for the canonisation of G.K. Chesterton is already provoking strong passions. A fellow journalist and admirer argues ardently against any such cause
The Catholic Church no longer appoints a devil’s advocate to argue against the canonisation of a potential saint. This is a pity, as in the case of G.K. Chesterton I would have happily put myself forward for the part. I would do so as someone who for many years has been a devoted admirer of his insights, his wit, his Father Brown stories, his insistence on religion as a natural phenomenon and his persuasive arguments for the truth of Christianity.
One can see why there should be a campaign to canonise him emanating from America and Canada w
12 October 2013, The Tablet
More sinner than saint
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User Comments (2)
I'm surprised that Terry Philpot, with his close knowledge of the Cabrini Children's Society, should suggest that in its previous Catholic Children's Society identity, "it changed its name in 2009 after it opened its doors to gay adopters." As a Child & Family Social Work manager for a London local authority I supervised fostering and adoptive placements from 1980-1989. Some of the children we placed were with same-sex couples, although the law at that time only allowed a single person to adopt, rather than an unmarried coupled - of either sex. Some of our most successful placements were with lesbian foster-carers, placed through the auspices of the then Catholic Children's Society.
It was on this basis that, when the law changed in 2006 allowing civilly-partnered same-sex couples to adopt, the CCS declined to abandon its long-held practice. Following the controversies around Catholics and same-sex adoptions, I remember its Director saying at the time, " we haven't discriminated before, and we're not going to start now!" The CCS and a number of other Catholic child-care agencies then became independent of Diocesan structures, but retained both a truly Catholic ethos, and grassroots Catholic support. While Cabrini may now have taken another route, other agencies have not.
Thank you for carrying this story and the helpful analysis. It reminds me of the importance of the strong FIT FOR MISSION stance taken by Bishop Patrick O'Donoghue and his. Lancaster successor Bishop Michael Campbell.
In my time working in a school in Brentwood diocese I was most happy to be a trustee of Brentwood Catholic Children's Society and be associated with its wonderful work of supporting families and young people in need especially through work in Catholic schools. I also experienced similar work in Westminster Diocese.
Here in Ireland I have been increasingly concerned at the seeming unwillingness of many Catholic bishops to ensure that their diocesan agencies are FIT FOR MISSION. Thankfully last week the bishops of the north of Ireland divested themselves of their children's society and in Dublin our archbishop made it clear that the non-denominational Catholic Housing Aid Society, that many saw as causing scandal, had no right to call itself Catholic.
There is nothing wrong with church divesting itself of institutions where its ethos has been submerged by purely secular values. This happened in the case of the St John Bosco Youth Club in Drimnagh, which had such a positive formative influence on my own faith development. The club continues to flourish and do god work but now in a secular environment with its own secular value system.