Stephen Hawking RIP
Blog: 10.04.18Read MoreThere is no doubt about Hawking's intellectual abilities and personal achievements, nor about his inspiring determination not to be defeated by his considerable disability. But his atheism should not be allowed to go unchallenged.
Physics itself, as a body of thought, is not material. Physics cannot explain itself; it's very existence begs the question: Why is there meaning latent in material reality?
Bishop Barron and the new apologetics
Blog: 13.02.18
Over at First Things a transcript has appeared of the 2017Read MoreThe Relative Good of Professor Peterson
Blog: 28.01.18
The recent Channel 4 News interview of Jordan Peterson, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, by journalist Cathy Newman is currently trending high on YouTube and various Social Media platforms. The 30 minute interview rapidly covers a lot of ground; the difference between the sex...Read MorePeace to all people
Blog: 08.01.18
“Peace is the harmony of good order. Good order is the membering of man in ready acceptance and honest love.” (Edward Holloway, Catholicism: A New Synthesis, 1)As we begin 2018, the sense of tension in the international order is strong. There are fears of nuclear war given the problem...Read MoreSEX, LOVE AND THE CATHOLIC CHALLENGE TO HEDONISM
Blog: 30.12.17
Fr Chris Findlay-Wilson made the below defence of priestly celibacy in the Catholic Herald (15th Dec., letters):"a fresh witness of true love is desperately needed; that it is love – not sex – that fulfils us as human beings." This is a point often made by Fr Holloway, ...Read MoreFr Holloway’s 100th Birthday
Blog: 24.11.17Last Saturday was the 100th anniversary of Agnes Holloway giving birth to Edward.He was born just as Lenin’s revolution began. This was the beginning of changing the poor, Christian country of Russia into the powerful Marxist one. It was predicted by Our Lady of Fatima over the previous six...Read MoreWeinstein and Modern Judgmentalism
Blog: 13.11.17
The Harvey Weinstein affair has unleashed a can of worms. There has been a series of exposures concerning sexual offences or inappropriate sexual behaviour of MPs, celebrities and others. There is no doubt that sexual harassment, carried out mostly by men, deserves condemnation and certainly ther...Read MoreIslam and Terrorism
Blog: 08.08.17
We are all aware of the horror of the terrorist attacks in recent years and of the senseless attack outside the mosque in Finsbury Park, London. It is inspiring how brave those who work in the emergency services are and how strong the community support has been in all these cases. As Christians, ...Read MoreFlirting with Fideism
Blog: 12.01.17
In America magazine John J. Conley, S.J., of Loyola University argues in effect that we need a new synthesis of faith and reason given that “the world [of neo-scholastic philosophy] has disappeared”.He invites us to make “the synthetic passage through both Athens and Jerusalem t...Read MoreThe Trump Election and Freedom of Thought
Blog: 13.12.16Bishop Barron Misses the Impact of Modern Science
Blog: 09.10.16
On his blog and in a recent Catholic Herald piece (9.9.16) Bishop Robert Barron offers some excellent reflections upon a recent Pew survey looking at reasons why young people are leaving Christianity in droves. He well shows how Roman Catholic leaders and teachers are dangerously underestimating ...Read MoreJeff Mirus illustrates the fulfillment of Holloway's 1950 prediction.
Blog: 23.08.16
Jeff Mirus writes here on modern murder mystery novels. He says “Unfortunately, I’ve run into a number of telling cultural trends in these stories which make it more difficult to relax and enjoy the solution to 'a good clean murder'". He well articulates the over represen...Read MoreContextualising Brexit
Blog: 08.08.16
On 23 June 2016 a referendum was held in which a narrow majority of voters in the United Kingdom (nearly 52%) voted in favour of leaving the European Union, the so-called “Brexit”. This contrasts with the large majority (67%) who had voted to join the then European Community in 1975. ...Read MoreA 1980 Post-mortem of a Rebirth
Blog: 17.07.16
Thirty odd years after this overview of twentieth century Catholic intellectual culture, the points of James Hitchcock seem even more relevant. Below are some extracts but the, significantly longer, full article repays study. [Post-mortem on a rebirth. The Catholic Intellectual Renaissance, from ...Read More'Desire Trumping Ideas': A Too Simple Diagnosis
Blog: 11.07.16
The great analyser of relativist culture, Jeff Mirus, seems to have downplayed a bit too much the role of the intellectual. In part of his insightful series on “gender” ideology he argues: (our comments in blue).Modern Western culture is weakened by a great vacuum of systematic though...Read MoreRefounding Human Dignity
Blog: 30.06.16
A Guardian editorial in May described the decline in numbers and influence of Christianity and affirms that Christianity gave us “the idea that people have some rights just because they are human, and entirely irrespective of merit, [it] certainly isn’t derived from observat...Read MoreExperimental Success contra Aristotelean Natures
Blog: 05.06.16
Mgr Charles Pope recently turned his deft blogging hand to a subject close to our heart. Pulling up Roots from Reality – A Review of a Cogent Analysis of the Post-Cartesian West.Like Fr Edward Holloway and others he acknowledges that a key moment in the rise of relativism was René De...Read MoreThe Benedict Centre and Public Life
Blog: 31.05.16
On 6th May, the Catholic Herald published a news article by Dan Hitchens entitled:“St Mary’s University launches Benedict XVI Centre to ‘play a key role in public life’”The centre is a good fruit of Pope Benedict’s visit to Britain in 2010, when he ca...Read MoreThe Rights Juggernaut and the Weakest of the Weak.
Blog: 30.04.16
Comments to blog@faith.org.uk (which will be moderated) or twitter to @faithmovukIt is always worth keeping in mind that it is the little ones who must first pay the price of the cultural rejection of ‘human nature’. An item in last Sunday’s “Sunday programme” illust...Read MoreMeeting the Modern Mindset.
Blog: 22.04.16
Here’s a powerful three minutes showing where the denial of “the nature of things” has got us.This further illustrates the deep infiltration of the philosophical position of ‘swing vote’ Justice Kennedy, which we recently blogged about: "the constitution &hellip...Read MoreTony Blair Moves Towards Pope Benedict
Blog: 06.04.16
Comments to blog@faith.org.uk (which will be moderated) or twitter to @faithmovuk1. “Theology must become part of the solution if it is not to remain at the heart of the problem”. This is a key theme of Rabbi Sacks’ recent book “Not in God’s Name” concern...Read MoreWhich comes first in Kerygmatic Catechesis: Sin or Christ?
Blog: 26.03.16
The indefatigably insightful Msgr Charles Pope has recently plotted a helpful way forward for kerygmatic catechesis. Yet his content starts with, “Part 1 (Sept. to Jan.) – Sin – ‘I once was lost in sin’”A Mr Miller puts an attractive alternative ...Read More5 Similar Diagnoses of Marriage Redefinition
Blog: 22.03.16
1. The US Supreme Court’s “swing vote” Justice Kennedy gives a clue to the philosophy sweeping through our culture (not least through his actual votes). He builds his moral judgments upon the absence of a concept of human nature.In a March 4th Catholic Herald article, “The...Read MorePriestly loving: The BBC versus St John Paul II
Blog: 12.03.16
In the November 2008 FAITH magazine Fr William Massie, reflects upon Edward Holloway’s pamphlet, “The Priest and His Loving”. A prophetic 1974 foundation of this pamphlet is in the current magazine. Fr Massie quoted this St John Paul II imperative to priests:be a witness to Chri...Read MoreTowards Diagnosis: Two more pieces on the pre-Vatican II era.
Blog: 20.02.16
In support of seeing a lack of appropriate theological development before the 1960s (see previous post) is a piece by Jeff Mirus. He concludes:“Too often Catholics prefer[ed] to condemn rather than to engage the rapidly secularizing society … When the culture shifted, their...Read MoreTo What Degree Did The Pre-Vatican II Church ‘Cause’ The Decline Of It's Influence?
Blog: 08.02.16
In an earlier blog post we flagged up a recent Catholic Herald piece showing the need for a diagnosis of how classical Christianity came to drop the reins of cultural influence. https://tinyurl.com/nrk454mThe Winter 2013 “Mass of Ages” provides another piece of evidence. The Latin Mass...Read MoreMediating between the New Atheists and the new apologists
Blog: 27.01.16
Comments to blog@faith.org.uk (which will be moderated) or twitter to @faithmovukProfessor Tom McLeish of Durham University recently made a common Christian reply to the New Atheist claim that science and faith are opposed. On Radio Ulster he affirmed that science “uses our capacity for fai...Read MoreThe Magi: not just a story.
Blog: 14.01.16
Available for the next few weeks, BBC iPlayer has an interesting exploration of astronomical possibilities for the Star of Bethlehem (though beware a juvenile short section from The Life of Brian, and a lazy equivalence of pre-modern science astrology and “devout Christianity&rdqu...Read MoreCivil Law and the Homosexual Person
Blog: 17.05.15
Mark Lowery FAITH Magazine July-August 2002“You Can’t Legislate Morality?”Why can’t you just let us do what we want to do?” “How does this harm you?” “Don’t impose your morality on us!” “If you don’t like this,...Read MoreFAQ: Why is the Church so homophobic? If two people love each other, shouldn't they be allowed to get married, regardless of their sex?
Blog: 15.05.15
The Catholic Church promotes the dignity and welfare of every human individual regardless of whom they are sexually attracted to. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that those with homosexual tendencies must “be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity” (2358) and &...Read MoreHard Questions - a new series of talks in London
Blog: 18.04.15
"Hard Questions" is a new series of talks that will take place in Central London and is run by Faith Movement to which all are welcome. The talks will take place on selected Tuesdays at 7:30pm.God and Our Environment29 September 2015 Is man an ape or an angel? Fr Roger Nesbitt...Read MoreIn Defence of Frequent Communion
Blog: 11.04.15
Check out the this Editorial addressing the issue of the reception of Holy Communion and the value of regularly receiving the body and blood of the Lord for the sanctification of the faithful. ...Read MoreThree excellent resources & two caveats
Blog: 20.03.15
Fr Barron’s “Catholicism”: catholicism.wordonfire.org/Portsmouth Diocese's new Confirmation programme: www.transformedinchrist.com/session1/Westminster Diocese’s brand new singing and dancing youth page, where the CTS has provided the “Catholicism&rdq...Read MoreThe Need for Diagnosis
Blog: 09.03.15
Stephen Bullivant says in this recently published piece:“Just think at your next Easter Vigil, for every new person coming through the RCIA – over whom we are right to rejoice – 10 people have drifted so far away that they no longer tick the “Catholic” box on surveys...Read MoreARCHIVE: Saint Philip Neri - A Guide to Chastity
Blog: 05.03.15
Richard Whinder FAITH Magazine July-Aug 2007St Philip Neri, (1515-1595) founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, and often called the ‘Second Apostle of Rome’, has many titles attributed to him. Two of these – ‘Flower of Purity’ and ‘Gentle Guide of You...Read MoreIn a hurry? More than you realise!
Blog: 02.03.15
It’s tempting to think the universe is rather static. So thanks to Msgr Charles Pope https://tiny.cc/8deiux for the following information:At the latitude of Washington D.C., the Earth is rotating at about 750 miles an hour. [401c.html">1]The rotating Earth is also revolving around the Sun at ...Read MoreOur Lady In The Teaching of Pope Benedict XVI
Blog: 04.02.15
Check out one of the new articles in the January - February edition of FAITH Magazine on Our Lady In The Teaching of Pope Benedict XVI. You can subscribe to FAITH Magazine here. ...Read MoreNew Series Of Talks In Glasgow!
Blog: 15.01.15
The Glasgow Faith Forum has just announced a new series of talks which will take place on Thursday evenings over the next few months. All talks are followed by questions, refreshments and Night Prayer and aimed at young people aged between 16 and 25. Get more information at the Glasgow Faith Foru...Read MoreNew Year Series of London talks!
Blog: 04.01.15
The London Faith Forum is back with another series of talks which take place on alternate Tuesday evenings in January, February and March. The series, entitled The Church and Other Beliefs, features a host of good speakers addressing important questions concerning the nature of the Church and its...Read MoreGreat Start to Faith Winter Session 2014!
Blog: 30.12.14
Faith Winter Session 2014 began yesterday at Stonyhurst College, Lancashire with around 200 young Catholics from across the UK in attendance. Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury preached at Mass yesterday evening about St Thomas of Canterbury and how his yes to God should inspire young people to hav...Read MoreFAQ: Why did God wait for so long to come and help us?
Blog: 03.12.14
The time before God becoming man is the period in which He gradually comes closer to mankind, fostering the fullness of life, as well as healing from sin and its effects. The help of God has never been absent from human history, even from the time of humanity’s Fall. But it is true tha...Read MoreThe Primacy of Christ in the Vision of Edward Holloway
Blog: 26.11.14
Fr. Michael John Galbraith. FAITH Magazine January-February 2006 The Unity of Truth In his Encyclical Fides et Ratio, Pope John Paul II reminded us that, “the unity of truth is a fundamental premise of human reasoning... Revelation renders this unity certain, showing tha...Read MoreFAQ: Why do Catholics have to go to Mass on Sunday? Why not Monday?
Blog: 21.11.14
In the Old Testament God commanded his people to keep holy the Sabbath. The Church, which is the new People of God, observes Sunday as the Sabbath in commemoration of the Resurrection of Christ which happened on a Sunday. We keep holy our Sabbath by attending Mass and in this way obeying Christ&r...Read MoreARCHIVE: The Cardinal, the Pope & the Scientists
Blog: 18.11.14
Editorial FAITH Magazine November-December 2005If they had the power to know so much that they could investigate the world, how did they fail to find sooner the Lord of these things? (Wisdom 13,9).Science And The Magisterium, A New ControversyHis Eminence Cardinal Schonborn managed to spark ...Read MoreARCHIVE: Holiness is Fitting for your House, O Lord
Blog: 14.11.14
Editorial FAITH Magazine September-October 2003“If anything constant remains in our days of recurring crisis, it is that the certainties have gone out of life, out of the life of the individual and out of the life of society.It is a heartbreaking realisation.The feeling of insecurity i...Read MoreFAQ: If disease & death are a result of Original Sin, then how come they affect organisms that cannot sin & predate the Fall?
Blog: 09.11.14
Properly speaking, it is human suffering and death which are a result of the Fall, not disease and death in the purely material creation. Clearly, if God gave humans and animals the plants for food (Gen 1:29-30), then He envisaged that plants would die before the Fall. And presuming that we are n...Read MoreARCHIVE: The Crusades - Seeking the Truth
Blog: 04.11.14
Nicholas Schofield FAITH Magazine May-June 2006The crusades capture the imagination – but over the years they have done so in many different ways. Here are three modern examples:When I was a boy, I spent many a happy hour with my toy soldiers. I was particularly keen on playing ‘...Read MoreFAQ: How can God be loving when Abraham is tricked into thinking God wants him to kill his only child?
Blog: 30.10.14
We must understand that what we read in the book of Genesis comes from a religion and culture which is at its early stages of growing into a relationship with God. What Genesis recounts can be difficult and confusing for us who have the benefit of having heard the message of Christ communicated t...Read MoreARCHIVE: How are we to assess Islam?
Blog: 19.10.14
Edouard Harmouche FAITH Magazine September-October 2003Catholicism is still the largest religious group in the world with over a billion adherents. After that come somewhere in the region of 900 million Muslims, who currently form the fastest growing religious group on the planet. This is re...Read MoreCURRENT MAGAZINE: The Gospel & Cultures
Blog: 09.10.14
Michael Nazir Ali FAITH MAGAZINE September-October 2014The last few weeks I have been closely engaged with the people and scholars of two ancient cultures – that of Egypt and of Mughal India. This has raised afresh for me the question about the relationship of the Gospel to culture.In ...Read MoreFAQ: What does the Pope do?
Blog: 04.10.14
The Pope maintains the public unity of the Church. This unity in belief and witness is essential if Jesus’ role of humanly forming and feeding us with Himself is to be continued.The Apostle Peter was the first to be given this role, as is shown in Holy Scripture. The Pope is his “Succ...Read MoreARCHIVE: The Spirit moves over the waters: renewing our vision of the Sacraments
Blog: 01.10.14
Editorial FAITH Magazine September-October 2007 Why Sacraments? This editorial article takes more the character of a sustained theological meditation than a topical or controversial ‘op-ed’ piece. There is good precedent for this approach in the magnificent editorials ...Read MoreLondon Evening of Faith Success!
Blog: 26.09.14
The first of our Evenings of Faith kicked off this week on Tuesday evening with a talk on Original Sin by Mary Gray. The event was well attended by University students and workers in the city of London gathering to listen, ask questions and interact with one another over a glass of wine and pizza...Read MoreFAQ: If something good happens after someone prays, and the same thing happens to one who doesn't pray for it - how can you prove that the prayer was answered?
Blog: 22.09.14
God is free to bestow gifts on people even if they don’t ask for them! Does a parent only provide good things for their children if they specifically ask? Moreover, God, who alone sees all things and what is necessary, treats us as the unique individuals He created us to be; not a ‘on...Read MoreARCHIVE: A Time for Listening to the Ordinary Magisterium
Blog: 18.09.14
Editorial FAITH Magazine July-August 2003The Swiss priest Hans Kung ranks among the most famous theologians of our times, and it is interesting to note that Prime Minister Tony Blair has met with him on a number of occasions and says he has been influenced by his thought. However it should b...Read MoreGlasgow Faith Forum gears up for Spring Session
Blog: 11.09.14
GLASGOW FAITH FORUM 2016a series of talks for young people aged 16–25 HERALDS OF THE NEW EVANGELISATION THE BAPTISMAL CALL TO EVANGELISE 21 JanuaryPriest, prophet and king Father Peter Damian Grint EVANGELISATION THEN 4 February Procl...Read MoreWhy was the Crucifixion necessary? Could not God have saved us in a way less cruel?
Blog: 10.09.14
God is not responsible for the brutality of the crucifixion. On the contrary, the crucifixion is the result of human sinfulness. This is because human wickedness has real consequences, and therefore our redemption (i.e. how God saves us from our sins) is not just about God “turning a blind ...Read MoreARCHIVE: A Short History of Science & Christianity
Blog: 06.09.14
Peter E Hodgson FAITH Magazine November-December 2008It is becoming increasingly recognised, at least within the Church, that science has developed only in the context of a Christian civilisation, and has deep Christian roots.If we consider the great civilisations of the past such as those o...Read MoreFAQ: If God is All-Good, why do bad things happen?
Blog: 29.08.14
God has created different sorts of things. In particular He has created matter, which is simply controlled by His laws of nature (the laws we attempt to discover in the natural sciences). He has also created spiritual beings, angels and human souls, which have free will; they are also govern...Read MoreWhat has Ethiopia to Teach us?
Blog: 28.08.14
Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali FAITH MAGAZINE July-August 2014The introduction of Christianity to Ethiopia is charted in the Acts of the Apostles. The contemporary story of this ancient Christian church, though, has much to teach us, says Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali.The St Frumentius Lectures in Addi...Read MoreFAQ: What does being Confirmed mean?
Blog: 19.08.14
We are made members of the Body of Christ through receiving three sacraments - Baptism, Confirmation, which we receive only once, and the Holy Eucharist which is Christ Himself. Confirmation completes and strengthens ('confirms') the spiritual “character” and belonging t...Read MoreNew edition of Faith Magazine online!
Blog: 17.08.14
The New July-August edition of Faith Magazine is now online. ...Read MoreNew series of talks in London!
Blog: 16.08.14
All are welcome to our Autumn series of talks Jesus Christ and Human Love.The talks are a great opportunity to deepen your faith and to connect with other Catholics.Talks will take place on alternate Tuesday evenings at 19:30 from 23rd September in the Crypt of Our Lady of Assumption Catholi...Read MoreSummer Session Roundup Video!
Blog: 15.08.14
The Faith Summer Session 2014 was as good as any in recent memory, set in the beautiful grounds of Woldingham School in Surrey. The theme was especially relevent given contemporary challenges to family life and the upcoming Synod on that subject.Here our very own David Edwards provides a quick su...Read MoreARCHIVE: Confusion over the Meanings of Marriage
Blog: 14.08.14
Editorial FAITH Magazine March-April 2006The "Ends" of Marriage: An Unresolved TeachingThe old Code of Canon Law (1917) stated that “the primary end of marriage is the procreation and education of offspring; the secondary end is mutual love and support, and the remedying of c...Read MoreNew photos from Faith Summer Session!
Blog: 11.08.14
See more photos in the new album on our Facebook page and please like us too! ...Read MoreSummer Session Success!
Blog: 08.08.14
The Faith Summer Session 2014 has just come to a close. Young people from across the UK and beyond gathered to hear talks on the topic of The Family In God's Plan and the Modern World. The Summer Session combines time for presentations on the faith, daily Mass, prayer and the opportunity for ...Read MoreSummer Session 2014 Update
Blog: 07.08.14
See our new video update from the Faith Summer Session 2014. Sr Andrea Frailie describes what has been going on at the conference so far which is addressing the theme of The Family in God's Plan and The Modern World. She speaks about the presentation she gave to the conference on th...Read MoreSummer Session 2014 begins!
Blog: 05.08.14
Faith Summer Session 2014 has begun at Woldingham School, Surrey. The Conference is for those aged 16-35 and is addressing the theme "The Family in God's Plan and in the Modern World". The first speaker of the conference was Dr Stephen Dingley, tutor of Theology at St John's Sem...Read MoreFAQ: What is Papal Infallibility?
Blog: 31.07.14
Papal Infallibility refers to the fact that the Pope is divinely preserved from teaching error in his formal teaching on faith and morals. It flows from the divinity of Christ in the Church. God is infallible, and He has irrevocably entered the human realm by becoming man. The Church is the conti...Read MoreWhy Do We Sin?
Blog: 24.07.14
Having spiritual souls means that we have free will. We are not bound to do what is good for us by instinct. This also means that we can refuse to do what is good. God did not make us this way as some sort of test, but because he wanted us to be in his own image and likeness. God is Love and love...Read MoreFAQ: Why does matter need a cause?
Blog: 16.07.14
It is part of our everyday experience that material things need causes. If you discovered an elephant in your sitting room, you would immediately ask yourself how it got to be there. You would not think, “Oh well, maybe it’s just here for no reason: elephants often just turn up like t...Read MoreFAQ: What about the Crusades?
Blog: 04.07.14
Jesus is ‘the Prince of Peace’ (Is. 9:6). As St John Paul II said, war always represents a defeat for humanity. Yet the Church is realistic about the presence of sin in the world, including amongst her own members, which produces conflict. Thus, while individual Catholics may adopt a ...Read MoreWhy Jesus Christ?
Blog: 30.06.14
Come and see our Ideas page and our video Why Jesus Christ?...Read MoreFAQ: What Scientific Evidence is there of God's Existence?
Blog: 27.06.14
Science is concerned with the material universe and its ‘law-like’ behaviour. Catholic Christians believe that God created the universe and continues to hold it in being, i.e. without God's existence the universe cannot exist, so we should expect an interweaving harmony between sc...Read MoreARCHIVE: The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage
Blog: 21.06.14
William E May FAITH Magazine September-October 2004The Gay Case: Need For An Intelligent AnswerAdvocates of same-sex marriage commonly assert that its opponents are intolerant bigots unjustly denying a fundamental human right to individuals attracted to persons of the same sex. They maintain...Read MoreYES!!!
Blog: 16.06.14
It's been a long overdue face-lift and lots of people have worked very hard with patience and caffeine so thanks to all you guys who have contributed to this project. Thanks to all the volunteers who've lent a hand in the run-up to going live. To all of you reading for the first time, giv...Read MoreCome and See!
Blog: 15.06.14
Have you heard of us but don't know what we do? Maybe this is the first time you've encountered us. Take a look at our new promotional video and come and see us. Consider booking on one of our youth conferences or attending one of our forums. Connect with us on Facebook or Googl...Read MoreFAQ: What do nuns do?
Blog: 14.06.14
Before considering what nuns do, it’s more appropriate to reflect on what nuns are: regardless of the congregation or religious institute to which she belongs, making Christ present in the world is the nun’s primary mission. She does this by conforming herself entirely to the Person o...Read More
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Christmas: a time to bring healing and hope
With this issue of FAITH magazine, we bring Christmastide greetings to our readers. Their number is growing – recent promotional work at Catholic gatherings this past summer introduced the magazine to a number of new readers. Welcome! It’s a cliché to say that Christmas is a “family time”. But clichés usually hold some wellestablished truth: that’s why they become clichés. Christmas Dinner ought to be – for many still is – a grand gathering of family and clan around a table with good food and with glasses raised in toasts and a generous host dispensing large quantities of good cheer.
Britain in 2018
But Christmas in the Britain of 2018, along with Christmases of the past half-century in our country, will see many families divided. Children will be ferried from one Christmas dinner to another: Mum and her new boyfriend, Dad and his parents, with some stepgrandparents and half-siblings variously added to the mix over the Christmas gatherings. Cohabitation, divorce, complicated pairings, all make for awkwardness. A thoughtful Christmas feature in a newspaper last year noted a child’s lament about the boredom of being ferried down what seemed endless motorway journeys, with lavatory stops and offers of hamburger meals en route to various step-relatives following parental divorces. Language once regarded as odd is now standard: “My ex-stepmother’s parents”, “My sister’s lesbian partner”. So we make no excuse for featuring, in this Christmas issue of FAITH, some comment and analysis of Britain’s current tragic situation concerning marriage and family life. At a time when food has never been so abundantly available in Britain for this season of feasting – indeed, our major national health problem is obesity – many will be hungry not for food but for family solidarity, love and goodwill, for a renewed confidence in the truth about God’s covenant plan for marriage as the lifelong union of a man and a woman. And the solution lies with the Church.
Message
Christmas is not the right time for great public denunciations of divorce or contraception or same-sex “marriage” in fiery terms from the pulpit. But it is a time to affirm that the Church does not and cannot change her teachings: even a general upbeat message to that effect, without going into much detail, will be understood and will send a powerful message. This is a time to take note of the raw wounds being endured by the many people for whom the breaking up of family bonds has been particularly horrific and for whom this season will be miserable, so an emphasis of the consistency of God’s love for us and the consistency of the Church’s message will offer hope and healing. It is a time for the Church to focus firmly on the truth: God came to dwell among us, he knows our wounds, and he is really and substantially present with us now. He brings that steadfast love about which he taught when he spoke of the Good Samaritan who healed raw wounds with wine and oil and gave a pledge of future care for which he paid full price. Christ is the Good Samaritan and if our journey has been a savage one, with many wounds perhaps inflicted by a savage society imposing or encouraging horrible things, he is there to rescue and help us.
God is unchangeable, reliable, and loving
Many Catholic schools and organisations hold carol services in Advent: these are an opportunity to emphasise Advent as a time of preparation for Christmas and the place of the sacrament of penance (confession). Many people attending services at Catholic churches over Advent and Christmas will not be Catholic: this is time to offer all that is glorious in the liturgy and be generous with candlelight and beautiful traditional music so that the central importance of worship of God is grasped. Many Catholics will be at Midnight Mass who are not at Mass through the year: this is a time to bring a sense of joyful urgency about a new encounter with Christ, noting that as Catholics at Mass this Christmas, we should also be at Mass on every Sunday of the year: Christ calls us to this as we encounter him in the Christmas liturgy. If we have not been faithful to this in 2018 then the Christmas Mass is a time to open our hearts to him and make a fresh start.
A light for the year ahead
Midnight Mass as a sort of sentimental preliminary to general indulgence and socialising with a vaguely troubled conscience does not make for happiness: Midnight Mass as a spark that offers a light for the year ahead, perhaps through the challenging words of the sermon, could be a real Christmas gift. Above all this is a time to bring people close to God. Often, the emphasis even in church at this season is about food for the body rather than the soul: collections of money to fund important projects for the hungry and the poor. Of course such action is essential. But the message of Christmas is not just about encouraging well-fed people to part with their spare cash or their used toys or clothes. Christmas is more soul-searing, more real, than that.
An “edgy” message
Moaning about the “commercialisation of Christmas” tends to fall on deaf ears. We all know about it. More useful and important is a reminder of the hugeness of what Christmas celebrates: God becoming man and sharing directly in our lives. Our entire civilisation in Britain is based on an understanding of that reality: it is why we number our years in the way that we do, it frames our language and our traditions, it has shaped our family structures and is at the core of our common life. So Christmas has, or should have, an “edgy” message, a slightly uncomfortable challenge that will in fact act as a sort of healing to people who know that the wounds in our families and common life cannot be covered with a band-aid while festering beneath.
Evangelise
Christmas is a time to evangelise. The message is that God really is among us, that there is hope here, that the Child in the manger did not leave us but grew to adulthood, served and died and rose again, and is with us still - that we will all one day meet him face to face and that meanwhile our lives have meaning and purpose.
