Cardinal Vincent Nichols told congregants at a Mass of thanksgiving for the tenth anniversary of Anglicanorum Coetibus, the apostolic constitution that established the Anglican Ordinariate, that there is “no half-way house” in the Church, and that members of the Ordinariate should not exist in isolation, but should be at ease in and welcomed into the full Catholic communion of which they are a part. Cardinal Nichols, preaching at the Church of the Most Precious Blood in Borough, south London, last Saturday, praised the Personal Ordinariates as “expressions of realised ecumenism”.
Election officials have accused the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, of displaying a “complete lack of knowledge and understanding” after he wrote to council leaders asking them to avoid placing polling stations in schools where Christmas activities, such as Nativity plays and carol concerts, could be disrupted. Mr Williamson offered funding to help councils find alternative polling venues on the 12 December, but the instruction has come very late and election officers say in many areas there are no alternatives to using schools.
A nun who worked in Singapore prisons for four decades is included in the BBC’s annual list of the 100 most influential women in the world. Sr Gerarda Fernandez, 81, a Sister of Charity of the Good Shepherd and a native of Singapore, has been death-row counsellor and has “walked with" 18 inmates on death row, up until their executions.
The leader of the Irish Church has said his vision for St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, is for its three partner institutions to offer increased opportunities and insights for evangelisation and dialogue in modern Ireland. In his address to the 2019 graduation class of St Patrick’s College, which celebrates its 225th anniversary this year, Archbishop Eamon Martin looked forward to the Pontifical University working alongside a dynamic National Seminary and Centre for Ongoing Formation, that was linked ever more closely with Maynooth University.
President of Ireland Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to Fr Des Wilson, a west Belfast priest whose work in reconciliation helped bring about the IRA ceasefire in 1994, and who died last week aged 94. Fr Wilson was known for his indefatigable work in communities and for integrated education as well as in the promotion of civil rights. The writer and broadcaster was unafraid to challenge figures of authority from all sides, President Higgins noted, as he highlighted the priest’s role, along with Fr Gerry Reynolds and Fr Alex Reid, in helping to bring about the negotiations that led to the ceasefire. The Relatives for Justice group, which supports relatives of people bereaved, injured, or traumatised during the Troubles, said Fr Wilson was “always on the side of the marginalised, the silenced and the oppressed. His support for the families we work with was unwavering”.
Bishop Francis Duffy of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise has become the latest member of the hierarchy in Ireland to express concerns over large-scale job losses. Responding to the announcement by the Electricity Supply Board that it is to close its two peat-burning power plants in the Midlands, Bishop Duffy said the announcement of the closures was “a devastating blow” to the employees, their families and to the local economy. In some cases, three generations of families have been employed in these plants, he said. He called for state investment to address the immediate needs of those who will lose their jobs in 2020 and for the creation of job opportunities in the region.