Return to Sunday Mass urged
The Bishop of Portsmouth, Philip Egan, has called on everyone in his diocese to return to Sunday Mass, despite the bishops’ conference’s judgement last week that the ongoing threat of Covid means that it is not advisable for everybody to do so. In a message that also stressed the importance of making churches safe, Bishop Egan said: “We do not follow Christ Jesus simply out of habit or obligation. We follow him because we love him [...] So I now say to you and to all: Come back to the Lord in Sunday Mass. Come to be nourished by his Word and his Sacraments!” In a statement last week, the bishops’ conference said that the Sunday Obligation would be restored in Advent at the earliest.
The faith minister, Stephen Greenhalgh, has denied reports that the Government will only allow vaccinated people into churches. He was responding to remarks made about the possible plans for Covid passports by vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi (pictured).
Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, has asked priests in his diocese who want to continue to celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form to contact him for permission, along with details of the celebrations and “affirmations of the fidelity to the Church and acceptance of the validity and legitimacy of the liturgical reforms dictated by the Second Vatican Council” of those in his care, conditions required by the Pope’s motu proprio.
He has also asked priests who celebrate the Extraordinary Form in private to write to him seeking permission, with their motives for doing so. “My intention is to grant faculties for these requests, as long as it is clear that the conditions of the motu proprio are fulfilled and the intentions of the Holy Father fully accepted,” the cardinal said. He noted that Pope Francis’ long-term intention, and that of the whole Church, is the re-establishment of a “single and identical prayer” through the Church of the Roman Rite.
St Mary’s University, Twickenham, south-west London, has pledged to divest from fossil fuels, becoming the 89th UK university to make a public commitment to divest from all fossil fuel companies.
The cyclist Mark Beaumont (pictured), who holds a world record for cycling 18,000 miles around the world in less than 79 days, and recently cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats in 39 hours and 40 minutes as part of a relay, has backed a new giving campaign by Catholic charity Mary’s Meals. He urged donors to “go the extra mile” during the campaign, during which time anyone who sets up a new monthly direct debit will have their first three donations tripled, thanks to funds provided by a group of generous supporters.
Safeguarding award
A Lanarkshire woman has been honoured for services to safeguarding in the Church in Scotland. Angela Hughes, from Rutherglen, served as safeguarding adviser for the Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh, and has now been made a papal dame. She received the insignia of a
Dame of St Gregory the Great
at a ceremony hosted at the residence of Archbishop
Leo Cushley.
The Justice Committee of the Oireachtas has rejected the Dying with Dignity Bill, which aimed to legalise assisted suicide and euthanasia, as “seriously flawed”. Last November, the justice committee called for written submissions on the proposed bill and more than 1,400 submissions were received, the majority of which were critical. The justice committee has recommended that a Special Oireachtas Committee be established to examine the topics raised by the report on the proposed bill. Kevin Doran, the Bishop of Elphin, said that it was “crucial” that the Church promotes a better understanding and awareness of palliative care and of pastoral care options.
A housing and homeless charity founded by Jesuit Fr Peter McVerry in 1983 is set to deliver 1,200 new social homes in Ireland by the end of 2025, according to its new five-year plan. The charity also plans to provide a further 200 homes for caregivers and another 400 homes for homeless individuals, couples and families.
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