De Omnibus Dubitandum Est.

Fathers forgive me, for I am about to blog in anger. Well, frustration anyway. How excruciatingly embarrassing for poor Bishop Thomas, at the precipice of a well earned retirement, Fr. Michael Butler, Chairman of Brentwood Diocese Liturgy Commission just will not shut up! On Sunday last, he appeared on BBC Essex , allying himself with Southend Deanery's ACTA leader Tony Castle, in his attack on the New Translation of the Roman Missal. You can listen again to the whole programme here  for another six days. If you're not aware of the story so far, Fr. Butler penned a letter to The Tablet stating that it is legitimate for priests to ditch the new translation, and use the previous missal. Fr Butler’s public rejection of the authority of the Holy See and the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales is in response to The Tablet’s report that ACTA have written to the Bishops’ Conference requesting that they drop the new translation. This was picked up by Protect The Pop...

Fr. Jeff Woolnough at home. A year ago, Father Jeff Woolnough and Fr. Bob White were preparing to celebrate their first Christmas at St. Peter's Catholic Church, Eastwood. They had led about 80 Anglo-Catholic parishioners from Hockley on a spiritual journey from the Church of England to become fully a part of the Church in England. This year they are in the midst of their second Advent season in full communion with the Catholic Church. There is no doubt that this journey took extraordinary courage, leaving the security of a known quantity in terms of finance, living accommodation, a place of worship, etc., and trusting entirely to God's providence, that He would look after them. For me, this is putting your money where your mouth is in an unarguable fashion. This Sunday, Fr. Jeff was interviewed on BBC Essex. I think it's well worth listening to his story, there's perspective from parishioners Pat Salmon from Hockley and Sharon O'Ryan from Eastwood as well...