Litany of the Sacred Heart: Oh Jesus, meek and humble of heart - Make our hearts like unto Thine

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 02 September 2015 - 17:19:05 | by admin

Stained Glass in Carlow Cathedral: St. Alphonsus, Founder of the Redemptorists, adores Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

To be honest, we haven't quite known what to say since our last blog-post.

One of the most famous men on the planet was seen by millions to casually walk off with the Blessed Sacrament, Christ Himself, in his hand; and hardly anyone has anything to say about it. What more can we add?

Dear readers, what is wrong with our hearts? Where is the zeal for Christ and His rights? Why do we not burn with holy indignation or love? Would we be so quiet if a creature we loved were so offended? Or if our own rights were transgressed?

A couple of days ago, movements of potential persecution seemed to begin against us for the things that we have said in the public realm. Certainly, our writings here are being observed. The silence of so many Catholics - at least in public - left us feeling even more exposed. In light of this, we entered a period of indescribable fear. We recalled Cardinal James Francis Stafford's words in 2008, when he pronounced: ''For the next few years Gethsemane will not be marginal. We will know that garden.'' 

Today, Christ's love has overwhelmed us. In light of this divine love, we are ashamed of our fear. Don't get us wrong, we are not beating ourselves up over it. It is perhaps natural to experience a certain amount of fear when the darkness presses in. The whole experience has given us a reality check regarding our trust - or lack thereof - in Jesus Christ. No, this shame is not something destructive. It is more akin to the way one blushes in the presence of the Beloved. It is adoration. It is love. It is the realization that for such a Beloved, one should prefer to die a thousand deaths than to fail to love in return. It is also the realization of one's inadequacy in the presence of such love. And yet, it is also the knowledge that one is loved anyway. Loved infinitely. It is a glimpse of St. Paul's teaching that perfect love casts out fear. It is to find oneself immersed in His perfect love for us, rather than ours for Him. It is to know that Jesus makes up what each of us lacks. There are not words.

In the Litany of the Sacred Heart, there is a line which Catholics repeat often. May it seep into all of our souls in these times:-

Oh Jesus, meek and humble of heart - Make our hearts like unto Thine.

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John 20:15: ''Sir, if thou has taken Him hence, tell me where you have laid Him.''

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 29 August 2015 - 10:23:16 | by admin

A Time for Reparation.

Facts:

1. On Wednesday 26th August, the Liverpolitanus blog (please see our Links Page) drew attention to the sequence of Requiem Mass footage, from the funeral in Woolton, which begins at 1hr 46mins 36 secs.

2. In this footage, Sir Paul McCartney's brother, Peter Michael McCartney - known professionally as Mike McGear - is seen taking a Sacred Host - the Real Presence of Jesus Christ - in his left hand, crossing the aisle, having a drawn-out conversation with members of the family of the deceased, and then moving beyond the range of the camera. In all this time he does not consume the Blessed Sacrament. Indeed, at one point in his conversation, he actually performs a left-hand-over-shoulder gesture, whilst holding the Blessed Sacrament.

3. It is therefore unclear what happened to the Sacred Host - the Real Presence of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - after this.

4. Because the non-consumption of the Blessed Sacrament occurred in full public view - and was seen by potentially millions of viewers via TV and Youtube - it is of vital public interest to affirm that the Sacred Host was safely consumed.

5. Because this occurred in public, it is both the right and duty of Catholics to pursue this information publicly.

6. If Catholics were to fail to publicly defend the Blessed Sacrament from public abuses then this would be yet another source of grave public scandal.

Please continue to pray and make reparation for the irreverences shown to Our Blessed Lord and pray that Catholics in the Archdiocese of Liverpool will stand up to defend Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Sovereign rights.    

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50 Years Ago Today - Alan's Mum and Dad got Married

Torch of The Faith News on Friday 28 August 2015 - 10:11:35 | by admin

28th August 1965: Dad was 22-yrs old and Mum 19-yrs old on their big day. 

It is 50 years ago today since my Mum and Dad got married. Their wedding anniversaries were always very special occasions, that were marked with joy and thanksgiving to God. Had Dad lived longer in this world, there is no doubt that this 50th Golden Anniversary would have been very special indeed.

28th August 1990: Mum and Dad celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary.

We still treasure the ruby-coloured Rosary beads, which Mum gave to Dad for their 40th Wedding Anniversary in 2005; and the sapphire-coloured ones, which Dad gave to Mum for their 45th Wedding Anniversary in 2010. During their retirement years, they went to daily Mass together many times; and often prayed the Rosary and parts of the daily Divine Office too.

I was looking through an album in Dad's library yesterday lunch time. On the front, he had affixed a dove representing the Holy Spirit, with the words ''The Pearl of Great Price - The Catholic Faith'' inscribed there. He used this album to gather together and preserve icons, holy cards, special Christmas cards, examples of sacred art from Catholic magazines and photographs of crucifixes or statuary that he had taken in Walsingham over the years. Amongst the iconography in this album are prints of Pier Francesco Fiorentino's The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine; and images of the Madonna and Child, by the likes of Antonizzo Romano, Bellini, Boticelli, Il Sassoferrato and Raphael. In itself, the album presents a beautiful resource for contemplation and prayer.

Madonna and Child by Raphael.

On the inside of the front cover, Dad has written the following:-

Mary Our Mother, given to us by Her Son Jesus at the Cross points us to Jesus - ''Do whatever He tells you'' is Her plea. She points never to Herself - always to Jesus. To Jesus through Mary.

My constant prayer, through our sweetest Mother of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, is that my whole family, children and grandchildren, will grow in the love of God, through the prayers of the ever Blessed Virgin Mary in Her glory, and that they will soon come into full communion in Christ's Church - the Catholic Church, here on earth.

May all who read and enjoy the contents of this book, come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, personally, and may they not hold back in becoming a son, or a daughter, of the Father in the One True Church - the Holy Catholic Church.

Signed: Ken Houghton, 18.06.96.

Regular readers might recall that Dad had converted to the Catholic Faith in December 1989, after a long and sincere search for the Truth. By God's grace, Mum followed him in December 1990; and I was received into the Church in April 1993.

28th August, 2010: Mum and Dad celebrate their 45th Anniversary together. Dad had dug out the very silver tie that he had first worn for his wedding all those years earlier!

We are taking Mum to pray and lay some yellow flowers at Dad's grave today; and then on out for a nice day in the sunshine.

It is one year this week since Mum lost much of her memory and abilities through a serious stroke. In many ways it has been a difficult year. Nevertheless, it has also been a year filled with God's grace. Heartened by reading Dad's words, and contemplating the art in his splendid album, we have renewed strength to go forward bearing witness to the beautiful truth of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Faith.

Of your charity, please say an eternal rest for Dad - Ken Houghton - on this 50th anniversary of his wedding to Mum, Doreen Houghton. Please also pray for her as she continues to recover from her stroke and lives with the onset of dementia. Let us also give thanks together for their wonderful witness to Christian marriage and family.

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Act of Reparation to the Most Blessed Sacrament

Torch of The Faith News on Thursday 27 August 2015 - 18:23:22 | by admin

With that most profound respect which divine faith inspires,

O my God and Saviour Jesus Christ,

true God and true Man,

I adore Thee,

and with my whole heart I love Thee,

hidden in the most august Sacrament of the Altar,

in reparation of all the irreverences,

profanations and sacrileges, that I,

to my shame, may have until now committed,

as also for all those that have been committed against Thee,

or that may be committed for the time to come.

I offer to Thee, therefore, O my God,

my humble adoration, not indeed,

such as Thou art worthy of,

nor such as I owe Thee,

but such, at least,

as I am capable of offering;

and I wish that I could love Thee

with the most perfect love

of which rational creatures are capable.

In the meantime,

I desire to adore Thee now and always,

not only for those Catholics

who do not adore or love Thee

but also to supply the defect,

and for the conversion of all heretics,

schismatics, libertines,

atheists, blasphemers,

sorcerers, Mahomedans,

Jews and idolaters.

Ah! Yes my Jesus,

mayest Thou be known,

adored and loved by all

and may thanks be continually given to Thee

in the most holy and august Sacrament!  

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We MUST make Reparation to Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ for The Public Treatment of the Blessed Sacrament

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 26 August 2015 - 21:47:58 | by admin

Today's article on the Liverpolitanus blog-site has unearthed and exposed another very grave instance regarding the Blessed Sacrament.

We have not commented on this until now, because we wanted to view the evidence together this evening. Having done so, we have been very disturbed indeed; and have just completed the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary in reparation to Our Blessed Lord.

Liverpolitanus asks;

''What happens to the Host - Christ Himself - as received by the man seen in the left hand Communion queue (as we look) at 1hr 46mins 36secs? 

- Keep watching that man's left hand (he's the one with the camera strap over his right shoulder). He has a conversation with the priest who appears to nod affirmatively to some ad-hoc suggestion that he makes. The priest hands him the Host. Then watch the troubled gaze of the priest and his gradually dawning concern at the events that unfold. Follow that man in all that he does, remembering Who is in his left hand. Then, when he finally disappears from the camera view, to the right (we know exactly who he is, by the way; he is another baptised Catholic, the brother of possibly one of the most famous people on the planet - no exaggeration that), keep watching, for as long as the camera view allows, the precise body language of the people in the pew (amongst the Willis family) i.e. those he has just spoken very ostentatiously to, but most especially the female (who we also know the identity of) who clearly gives an indication that she is quite concerned about, and alert to, the scandal that may just have happened. Advice: you'll need to use your pause button a lot.''

As Catholics, we can only agree with Liverpolitanus that this is a horrific sequence to watch. The key question that we are left with is: what happened to the Blessed Sacrament? 

That Fr. Tim Buckley's parish newsletter can describe him as being ''very proud'' of a ''fitting celebration'' is quite simply remarkable.

Dear readers, it looks increasingly like no-one in the hierarchy will take any action to publicly correct and repair for the very public abuses of the Blessed Sacrament. Where is the public outcry at the way the Blessed Sacrament has been treated? Here is the fruit of decades of the Novus Ordo and Holy Communion in the hand. The Catholic Herald has focused on the mafia funeral in Italy; and commentators there appear to have restricted their critique to music and vestments. The Liverpolitanus blog has courageously led the way on this issue.

We must ask that you pray your own acts of reparation. Please also ask God to preserve us all from His Justice and shield us in His Mercy.

May God forgive us all. 

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Reparation and Correction are Needed for the Archdiocese of Liverpool

Torch of The Faith News on Wednesday 26 August 2015 - 14:51:56 | by admin

Yesterday's opening paragraph must not be taken as an approval of homosexual acts or pairings, but as evidence that we are acting and speaking out of a charitable motivation. Our articles here aim to uphold God's honour, the good of the Catholic Church and the salvation of souls.

The Liverpolitanus blog has now posted up a third article, relating to the events which happened before and during Cilla Black's funeral in St. Mary's, Woolton, last week. We ask that readers join us in praying an ''Eternal Rest'' for Cilla Black at this point.  

Liverpolitanus - Catholic Tradition Matters around Liverpool (ish)

As with all the postings at that site, the latest article presents another thoroughly researched and clearly articulated piece of work. We meant to mention yesterday, that we have added a new link button to the Liverpolitanus blog at our Links Page. We highly recommend that readers visit that site to benefit from an in-depth critique of recent events in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. It is hard to see how any Catholics could remain unmoved, or even silent, after reading the evidence that Liverpolitanus has carefully mustered together, nor by the site's call for an Act of Reparation to be made. This last call is made the more urgent in light of some shocking new evidence that Liverpolitanus has unearthed.

And yet, whilst many scandalized Catholics chatter unhappily together about these important issues, silence appears to remain the dominant response in many, if not most, quarters. It is a real measure of the present climate in the Church and society.

Fitting the pieces of the jigsaw

We've had one of those moments of clarity this week; like when you suddenly see how various pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fit together to make a bigger picture.

Sad to relate, this has left us with the very opposite to a feeling of elation. Allow us to explain.

Regular readers might remember that, a couple of times during 2014, we had contacted Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams. We were trying to warn him about the spread of the dissenting movement, known as A Call to Action (ACTA), in and around the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Such readers might also recall that we received no response at all from His Lordship.

Not one shining dime.

These were the days when the Archdiocese was awaiting the appointment of a new Archbishop. Around that time, Terry Duffy, the then co-ordinator for ACTA in Liverpool, spoke on Radio Lancashire, about an article that we had written for the Protect the Pope website. In light of, what we had described and given evidence as 'institutional dissent', we had used our article to call for the appointment of a strong and orthodox new Archbishop. During his radio interview, Mr. Duffy stated that ACTA did not see it as at all corrosive that ACTA was campaigning for 'same-sex-marriage' or women 'priests'.

On 24th October 2014, we reported that the recently appointed Archbishop Malcolm McMahon had left us shocked, though sadly not surprised, when he publicly welcomed the dissenting ACTA movement to Liverpool, for its annual conference.

On that date, we reported that Fr. Timothy Buckley (CSSR) was to hold a session at the ACTA conference, rather pre-emptively entitled Remarriage and the Eucharist - After the Synod. At that time, we noted that the Kasperian thesis could not be approved by the Synod as it contradicted 2,000 years of Sacred Scripture and Tradition. From newsletters and on-line updates, it is clear that Fr. Timothy Buckley has been rather active in promoting ACTA in the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

Last week Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams - who failed to return our communications about ACTA - concelebrated the Requiem Mass with the parish priest of Woolton; the very same Fr. Timothy Buckley CSSR who has been so prominent in the promotion of ACTA locally.

Here things get a little interesting.

Another bit of the picture

We need to review one other issue before the picture can emerge in our completing puzzle.

Early in 2014, we had drawn attention to the troublesome fact that the 6th Form arts department of St. Julie's Catholic High School, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool, had attended the stage production 'Once a Catholic' at the Royal Court Theatre.

We lamented the fact that this dramatization featured the following elements:-

Blasphemous advertising materials which depicted Our Lord Jesus Christ with a 'Rockabilly' hairstyle.

Mockery of Jesus on a Crucifix.

Mockery of His Miracles.

Mockery of Our Lady of Fatima.

Mockery of the Sacred Priesthood.

Mockery of Female Religious.

Mockery of the Virtue of Purity.

Portrayal of the Catholic Church as a sadisitic and unforgiving institution.

In light of these facts, we invited our readers to join us in writing to complain to the Headteacher: Mr. Tim Alderman.

Later that year, we reported that the headteacher had replied to us. He had actually defended the school's visit to this drama; in terms which we demonstrated to be very relativistic and subjective. He also informed us that Section 48 of the RE inspection, from the Liverpool Archdiocese, had suggested that the school provided an environment where, ''the extent to which pupils contribute to and benefit from the Catholic Life of the school is outstanding.''

Here is where the pieces of the puzzle suddenly click together. The latest parish newsletter for St. Mary's Woolton states: ''In the event of Cilla Black's funeral on Thursday, Fr. Tim felt very proud of the parish and is hugely grateful for all the hard work that ensured that it was a fitting celebration.''

Readers of the research at Liverpolitanus have a measure against which to discern just how 'fitting' this statement is.

Further on in his newsletter, Fr. Timothy Buckley (CSSR) says: ''As you know I have a lot of sympathy with ACTA, that group of Catholics who wish to have a fruitful dialogue about how we deal with the problems besetting our communities at this time.''

Fr. Tim then moves on to promote a 'Parish Awakening Day' to facilitate such dialogue. He says: ''The venue is St. Julie's School in Woolton and I am immensely grateful to Mr. Tim Alderman, the Head-teacher, for his interest in and enthusiasm for the venture.''

Summary

To sum all of this up. We have: a new Archbishop who publicly welcomes the dissenting ACTA group to the Archdiocese for an annual conference; an Auxiliary Bishop who ignores communications warning him of the activities of ACTA in local parishes; the same Auxiliary Bishop concelebrating the funeral of Cilla Black with Fr. Tim Buckley (CSSR); this is the very same priest who has been one of the key driving forces for ACTA in the Archdiocese - and who even spoke at ACTA's annual conference held in the Archdiocese; Fr. Tim Buckley then uses an article in his newsletter to promote both ACTA and a 'Parish Awakening Day' - to be held at the school run by Mr. Tim Alderman; this Mr. Tim Alderman is the very same Headteacher who defended his school's participation in a visit to a stage drama which, blasphemously and sacrilegiously, mocked Our Lord Jesus Christ, Our Blessed Lady and the Church.

Now the puzzle fits together; what a picture we have: how consistently the themes of blasphemous irreverence, dissent and sacrilege run all through it!

In the interests of dialogue, may we suggest to Fr. Timothy Buckley - a man who wants to have an awakening day ''to consider problems besetting our communities at this time'' - that he put blasphemy, sacrilege, grave public scandal, homosexualist ideology, irreverence and theological dissent at the top of his agenda for discussion; and hopefully that he encourage repentance and reparation for all the damage that has been done to souls and to the reputation of the Catholic Church.

Please Pray and Make Reparation 

Today, the Catholic Church in England and Wales celebrates the great Blessed Dominic Barberi.

Blessed Dominic lived through a time when centuries of anti-Catholic legislation were being relaxed, but in which there was still much oppression and mockery of faithful Catholics. He lovingly endured the public taunts and cruel acts of bigots to witness to the truths of the Catholic Faith. His charity, prayer and hard work helped him to win many converts to the Church. Among the most notable was Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman; who later wrote that future Catholics would have to endure persecution from false brethren within the Church.

We've written before that Blessed Fr. Dominic Barberi is buried at a shrine in St. Helens, within the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

We've also written that our late friend Fr. Mike Williams gave us a sachet containing a piece of wood from the coffin of Blessed Fr. Dominic. Please join us in praying to him for his intercession today.

Blessed Fr. Dominic Barberi - Pray for us and for the Archdiocese of Liverpool!

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For the Sake of His Sorrowful Passion

Torch of The Faith News on Tuesday 25 August 2015 - 11:02:23 | by admin

Charity as Motivation

Several years ago, we were showing a visiting guest the famous landmarks around the city of Liverpool. As we headed for the bus home, we got talking to a homeless man, who was living from a sleeping bag in a shop doorway. He seemed very vulnerable and he told us that he had recently been beaten up by some local roughs that he knew. We told him about the hostel run by Mother Teresa's Sisters of Charity in the city. In an effeminate voice he suggested that things would get better for him when he ''married his male partner.'' Worried for his physical safety in that doorway, we contacted the local police; and they promised to look in on him that same day.

Another time, we were heading to a Traditional Latin Mass one Sunday afternoon in the British Midlands. Due to the length of the journey we arrived in the town, where the small church was situated, with barely 15 minutes to park the car, go inside and say our preparatory prayers.

At that point we spotted a woman lying face down on the path outside a local pub. We stopped the car and ran across to help her. She was quite the worse for drink and had fallen with her hands still inside the pockets of her denim jeans; the cigarette drooping from her mouth had bent at the point where her poor face had smacked the pavement.

When we asked if there was anyone we could take her to, she mumbled that her 'lesbian partner' was at the bar of the pub. When I ran inside to get help, this lady and her friends seemed as taken aback by my Benedictine Crucifix, as they were to learn the news of their friend outside.

In such times of anti-Christian persecution and potential litigation, it seems necessary to mention these things prior to what follows.

Let it be clearly understood at the outset that, because we are Catholics, we care about persons and their immortal souls. By God's grace, we aim to speak from charity and not from bigotry - much less from 'hate'.

Liverpolitanus - Catholic Tradition Matters Around Liverpool (ish).

From incoming hits to our website, we have discovered a fairly new blog called Liverpolitanus. The blog contains thoroughly researched and honest articles on prominent issues. Indeed, Liverpolitanus has revealed that Mr. Paul O'Grady attended Cilla Black's funeral ''with his most recent boyfriend with whom he is in an openly same-sex partnership.''

Mr. Paul O'Grady and Mr. Christopher Biggins both received Holy Communion at St. Mary's Woolton. This was broadcast live to millions of viewers on television; and has been seen again by over 90,000 viewers on Youtube.

In an earlier article, we have already pointed out that Mr. Christopher Biggins is a public promoter of 'gay pride' and has contracted a 'homosexual civil partnership' with another man. We also noted that Mr. Paul O'Grady, a patron of the Peter Tatchell foundation, is widely known for his risque, drag act 'Lily Savage'; and that he spoke, during the Requiem Mass, of ''hellraising'' with Cilla Black for two decades. He also spoke of a guardian angel with ''hooves, horns and a tail.''

For a bishop and priest to give Holy Communion in this manner is a direct contradiction of the teaching, tradition and law of Christ's Church.

Period.

Reaction from Catholics

During the last few days, it became clear to us that priests and lay people in the Archdiocese of Liverpool are very unhappy about this treatment of the Sacred Liturgy, the Blessed Sacrament and the care of souls. Indeed, souls have been scandalized.

It also became depressingly clear to us, from a number of conversations, that, although orthodox priests are troubled by these events - and will do all that they can to protect those in their own care from such happenings - there will be few, if any, to make any kind of stand or complaint to the bishop concerned: Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams.

It is hard to feel anything but compassion for these priests. They are good men. Several of them have already suffered numerous times from harsh persecution and mockery for their faithfulness. At times, they have given us all inspiring examples of courage, leadership and steadfast faith. They have even boosted our own faith during difficult times.

And as one good priest from another diocese said to us on the telephone recently, it is hard to be strong all of the time.

Who of us, looking honestly into our own hearts and past actions/inactions can disagree with that? Recovering from our own past traumatic persecutions, we know that many times we have just wanted to keep our heads down for a while.

Then there is the question of prudence: it is not always the right time to stick one's head above the parapet. St. Thomas More was a model of the virtues of courage and prudence. Sometimes it is the fools and the proud who seek martyrdom.

A response is necessary this time

All of this being said, we must say that we think that good priests, in the Archdiocese of Liverpool and beyond, can - and indeed should - make a stand this time around. Before an 'audience' of millions of people around the world: Our Lord Jesus Christ has been publicly offended; grave public scandal and bad example have been given; and Church Canon Law has been broken with impunity by a prelate.

How can we remain silent? Where is the response to these happenings from all the famous Catholic blog-sites?

To protest these things may well be misunderstood. In these times it may even be dangerous. Neither of these things remove the fact that protest is necessary. Christ's honour and the salvation of countless souls - who might otherwise follow these examples - are at stake.

Many have pondered in recent months about what might happen in the October Synod and its aftermath. What will they do if liberals force through an ambiguous policy document on Holy Communion for those in irregular situations or homosexual pairings?

But we are not speaking now of some distant or hypothetical possibility. Neither is there any ambiguity in this case: Auxiliary Bishop Tom Williams has just done this; aye, and even accompanied it with an affirming pat/grip on the arm before millions of viewers.

In these times, numbers of laymen have found themselves in situations where they had to stand up to modernist priests and bosses in their line of employment. Men who had large mortgages to pay and family mouths to feed. Sometimes their stand for the truth caused them great hardship, misunderstanding, unpopularity and worry. Because the Holy Mass is the Holy Sacrifice, they could be men and keep on going. Also, they could look to faithful priests, whose very lives and vocations as 'other Christs' were a living sacrifice made for that mystery. This belief gave these laymen heart and strength to carry on.

None of us know how the future will pan out. There are those who seem strong now, who may be weak later. Others who seem weak now, may be strong later. We each depend on God's grace from moment to moment and can judge the heart of no-one.

However, by God's grace, we know what is right and what is wrong in this present moment. Now.

Fathers, we feel that you can and should make a stand over this issue. God's honour and countless souls are at stake. Also, the silence of the clergy serves to leave further exposed the laity who do speak out on these matters in such dangerous times as these.

We conclude with a final thought: So far, these have been the times of the Kaspers and the Wuerls. It is still not too late to make them the days of the Guarnizos.  

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Urge British MPs to Vote Against the So-Called Assisted Dying Bill

Torch of The Faith News on Sunday 23 August 2015 - 10:10:55 | by admin

A few weeks ago, we lamented the lacklustre materials which had been produced and distributed for the Day for Life 2015. Thankfully, since last weekend, the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has supplied all parishes with colour postcards to faciliate the lobbying of MPs against the Marris Bill.

We urge all our readers to get hold of copies of these postcards and to use them to urge their MPs to attend the House of Commons, in order to vote against the Marris Bill on 11th September 2015.

The postcards are pre-addressed to the House of Commons and contain a section for constituents to insert the name of their MP, and their own name and address, prior to submission. 

The main text reads:-

''Legalising assisted suicide sends the message that, if you are terminally ill, suicide is something that you might consider. We are a country which responds to terminal illness with care and compassion, not by enabing people to commit suicide. Let's keep it that way. 

Evidence from the few places around the world which have legalised assisted suicide, in one form or another, is deeply concerning. Rising death rates and people ending their lives feeling a burden are just two of the negative trends. 

Most doctors don't want to be licenced to prescribe lethal drugs. The British Medical Association, Royal Colleges of GPs and Physicians, palliative care doctors, disabled people's organisations and hospices all oppose a change in the law.''

The Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has set up a page on its website with more information and links to the Anscombe Bioethics Centre. 

As we have highlighted previously, SPUC has also developed quality leaflets and a splendid booklet called Lives Worth Living. Both of these can be effective resources to alert MPs and others to the dangers of the Marris Bill.

 

Free copies of SPUC's flyer and booklet can be obtained from SPUC HQ (at 020 7091 7091). 

Please keep praying against the dreadful Marris Bill, which will have a second reading in the House of Commons on 11th September, 2015. 

St. Camillus de Lellis - Pray for us!  

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Ah, Freedom of Speech - That Other Great British Value!

Torch of The Faith News on Saturday 22 August 2015 - 10:33:38 | by admin

It seems that, whilst we were away in Ireland, Mark Spencer MP suggested that Extreme Disruption Orders (EDOs) could be served on teachers found teaching that 'gay marriage' is wrong.

Claiming that the new EDOs will enhance - rather than restrict - freedom of speech, Mr. Spencer added: ''The EDOs, in this case, would apply to a situation where a teacher was specifically teaching that gay marriage is wrong.''

Simon Calvert of the Christian Institute responded: ''I am genuinely shocked that we have an MP supporting the idea of teachers being branded extremists for teaching that marriage is between a man and a woman... This is exactly the kind of thing we've been warning about... EDOs will be a gross infringement of free speech and undermine the very British values they claim to protect.''

It is clear to see where all of this is heading.

Welcome to post-modern Britain...

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Feast of St. Pope Pius X and 7th Anniversary of the Website

Torch of The Faith News on Friday 21 August 2015 - 22:57:37 | by admin

We launched this Torch of The Faith website - a few weeks after the public launch of the apostolate itself - on this great saint's feast, 7 years ago today.

Thanks to linked articles from Pewsitter and Catholic Collar and Tie, today has been one of our highest ranking days ever for readers. Perhaps the highest. Welcome to everyone who has clicked on here today for the first time.

Here is what we posted on our first day - 21st August, 2008:-

''The website and weblog are launched on the Feast of St. Pope Pius X! The whole Torch of The Faith ministry is an acorn that we have joyfully planted, with hope and love, for the conversion of Great Britain in the New Evangelization. Call in again soon to see the latest updates!''

Well, we reiterate that last invitation to readers old and new today!

St. Pope Pius X - Ora Pro Nobis!  

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