Much as I got an overall FIRST in Religious Education many years ago
at College it is not given to me often the task of writing about
Religious Affairs, however, I tarry awhile with the notion of
greatness and it interests sufficiently to download some news
that is perninent and in line with current thinking in my
specialist field which is Literature.
125 Years and the Catholic Diocese of Portsworth has had big
celebrations in this connection and the newspaper fronts with
a photograph of high ranking clergy of the Catholic Faith here
in person in attendance at this great event in the history of the
Catholic Church in England ... A Bishop and and Archbishop
in full regalia.
Today we got a prompt in Church as the local curate
Father Mark Hogan is having a Leaving Party as he is departing
from this city to go to a new city/Basingstoke where he will
take up official duties in the not too distant future. I had
received a general invitation to his Party but my play
being on the list of priorities I dont think I can make it....
but I said I will see if I can fit it in or some of the
duties might seem onerous to one recently retired ...
I make it clear from this point onwards that the minute
I step over the line it will be /to come out of retirement/ and
/for the salary Blair promised me before he left Downing Street,
last week/ ... will keep you posted on the outcome.
Pilgrimage to Winchester ... shows a picture of Canon
Nick France giving the Sermon at Winchester Cathedral
with The Bishop of Winchester and The Catholic Clergy ...
Canon Nick is a Catholic Parish Priest latterly of
Southampton Parish but he moved onto pastures new,
and is back here for this big celebration at Winchester
Cathedral ... of 125 Years of the establishment of the
Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth -- congratulations! to all!
Father Mark Hogan is pictured too laying hands on a newly
ordained Priest .. it looks for all the world like a shot out of
Francis Ford Coppola''s Godfather Trilogy where the
Mafia Boss Corleone played by Al Pacino is greatly
honoured by the Vatican and later on the plot
thickens ... Kay makes the point that HIS CHURCH
Corleone''s ... is giving credance to the Mafia Boss''s
activities ...
Though, Father Mark is definitely not a Mafia boss,
the imagery is strikingly familiar ... its a great
occasion too to see the pictures of the ordination
of a new priest into the Church here in England.
Though its hard for us who witness this as England
is not traditionally a /catholic/ country in the sense
that the Queen is Head of the Church of England
and the Government and other powers are
handed down that way in this country ... but I suppose
its all in the interests of good relationships betwen
the opposing factions within the Christian Faith .. as they
say /we keep it in the family./
Excellent reading and simply wonderfully photography
in today''s Portsmouth People .. and again, I offer
/thanks/ to Canon O''Shea whose job is informing
one about all of this ...
Great stuff .. keep on reading .. excellent stuff!