Contemplative nuns have warned against Vatican guidelines that could extend religious formation to up to nine years. During a three-day meeting at Stanbrook Abbey (above) in North Yorkshire last month, nuns discussed two Vatican documents addressed to Catholic women Religious, Cor Orans and Vultum Dei Quaerere. In a conference report published on the website Independent Catholic News, some sisters noted that proposals in Cor Orans to extend the time before which women could become fully professed to up to nine years was “problematic”. Some sisters noted that women joining congregations now are often older than in the past, and faced difficult decisions around their careers, homes and professional qualifications.
Ecumenical vespers
Catholic and Orthodox archbishops are to celebrate Vespers together at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London in November, part of a rapprochement between the two Churches described as “one of the most significant ecumenical developments of the last hundred years”. Emeritus Archbishop of Southwark Kevin McDonald and Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Angaelos will be joined by the leader of the Syriac Orthodox Church, Archbishop Athanasius Toma Dawod, at the event in Mayfair on 6 November. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales welcomed the “deep desire for unity” at the grass roots of the Catholic and Oriental Orthodox Churches.
Bishops from around the European Union have expressed concerns about Brexit after meeting the EU’s main negotiator, Michel Barnier, and top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, during their autumn assembly in Brussels.
Comece, the association of Catholic bishops in the EU, said that the bishops discussed “the impact of Brexit on the daily life of citizens in the UK and all around Europe, and prayed for a sense of responsibility to prevail in the ongoing negotiations”, during the 24-26 October session.
“Brexit will interfere with everyone’s lives,” Comece general secretary Br Olivier Poquillon said. “The priority should be to find solutions for the people, families and communities that will suffer under Brexit,” he told the Kathpress news agency. When Britain leaves the EU, its bishops will be reduced to guest status in Comece, he added, saying, “Brexit is Brexit”.
Bishop Nicholas Hudson, an auxiliary in Westminster, currently represents England and Wales in Comece, and Bishop of Aberdeen Hugh Gilbert OSB represents Scotland. The bishops encouraged EU officials to “expand action to favour global peace and solidarity”, and “lead by example in implementing the rule of law for the benefit of all”.
Cafod has welcomed calls from an international coalition of Catholic bishops for urgent action on climate change. The bishops, from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe, had appealed to government leaders worldwide to do their “moral duty” and pursue the 1.5°C warming target. In a statement last week, they called for a “financial paradigm shift” and wrote: “A fair and just ecological transition, as required by the Paris Agreement, is a matter of life or death for vulnerable countries and people living in coastal areas.”
Neil Thorns, Cafod’s director of advocacy, said: “It is time for the leaders of the world to heed and act on the words of Pope Francis and the Catholic Church community that we must take better care of our planet. Governments, businesses, communities and people should look to changing the direction of their policies and lifestyles [to ones that are] more harmonious with the ecology of the world.”
Victims and survivors of clerical abuse were due to hold a demonstration outside Westminster Cathedral today (Saturday), calling on Pope Francis to implement a “zero tolerance” policy on abuse.
This would include handing over information about the whereabouts of abusing priests to civil authorities; holding bishops accountable; making public the names “of abusing clergy who remain ‘in ministry’” and providing compensation to victims and survivors.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) was to continue to investigate child sexual abuse in the Church this week with a preliminary hearing into Ealing Abbey scheduled for Thursday 1 November at the inquiry’s hearing centre in south-east London.
Group threatened
A Scottish group established to combat anti-Catholic and anti-Irish feeling had to change the venue of its launch meeting this week after receiving threatening phone calls.
Within hours of publicising the Call It Out campaign on Twitter the intended venue in Glasgow, Renfield St Stephen’s, received abusive messages and “intimidating phone calls” that led to the Church of Scotland parish cancelling the planned event. Renfield St Stephen’s had previously hosted a meeting which included a Sinn Féin MP. Police Scotland was consulted and gave advice.
Blasphemy decriminalised
In a referendum last week, Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of decriminalising blasphemy. A total of 64.9 per cent voted “Yes” while 35.1 per cent voted “No” to remove the word “blasphemous” from Article 40.6.1 of the constitution. The turnout for the vote, which took place alongside the presidential election, was low at 43.8 per cent.
The Irish bishops said that it was “vital to ensure that the rights of individuals and communities to practise and live out their faith openly are protected by our law”. They said freedom of religion and of conscience greatly enriches the social fabric of a country.
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