THE CATHOLIC HERALD JUNE 8 2012

BBeeccoommee aa ffaann ooff TThhee CCaatthhoolliicc HHeerraalldd At Facebook.com

3

HOME NEWS

Bishop chides Clegg over same-sex marriage

Bishop Davies: our leaders pay lip service to notion of family while seeking to undermine it

BY ED WEST

POLITICIANS who pay lip service to the value of the family must act to defend it rather than undermine it, Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury has said.

Speaking in a homily during the National Association of Catholic Families annual pilgrimage to Walsingham, in Norfolk, Bishop Davies said that marriage needed to be “protected” and politicians should beware of simply paying “lip service” to family values.

During a homily at the shrine Bishop Davies addressed comments by the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, who recently said that plans for same-sex marriage would not alter religious freedoms.

He said: “The Deputy Prime Minister was recently reported as saying he could not understand why Christians and other people of faith saw a legal redefinition of marriage as a matter of conscience: it would not, he claimed, impinge on religious freedoms. Experience, of course, might make us cautious of such assurances, even those given by a Deputy Prime Minister, that this agenda will not threaten religious freedom.

“However, our concern is not only with religious freedom but also the enormous good which marriage represents as foundational to family life.”

He continued: “today we see a Government, without mandate, disposing of any credible consultation, seeking to impose one of the greatest acts of ‘social engineering’ in our history in uprooting the legal definition of marriage. Marriage lies at the very foundation of the family.

“For all generations to come one generation of politicians sets out to demolish in the name of an ‘equality agenda’ the understanding of marriage that has served as the timeless foundation for the family.

“The Government is seeking to do this at the very moment when marriage as an institution has been more weakened than ever before. Yet it asks: why are people of faith concerned?”

Bishop Davies added: “So far from weakening and confusing the foundation of the family we invite our political leaders to give back to the institution of marriage and the family the recognition and confidence it deserves.”

Archbishop Peter Smith of Southwark, meanwhile, has called on the Government to allow a free vote on the forthcoming same-sex marriage legislation.

The archbishop said: “The Government’s proposal to change the definition of marriage is a profound legal

Bishop Davies says the Government is ‘seeking to impose one of the greatest acts of social engineering in our history’ Photo: Mazur reform which, if enacted, would have major long-term consequences for our society. It is very important in my view that Members of Parliament of all parties should be given a free vote on an issue of such major significance. It is an issue of conscience because fundamental moral questions are at stake about the true meaning of marriage and how the common good of society is best served.

“Our concerns about the Government’s proposals, which are shared by many of all faiths and none, are not only about what happens in churches. What is at stake is the meaning of marriage for everyone, and it is important politicians of all parties are free to express and act on their own principled view.”

Last month House of

Commons leader Sir George Young said that Conservative MPs would have a free vote as the issue involved “matters of conscience”.

But, Mr Clegg said it was it wrong to let the issue become a “great free-for-all” as it was a Government commitment.

The Prime Minister and other Tory Ministers support samesex marriage, but many backbenchers oppose it, as does Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson, who recently became the most high-profile opponent within the coalition. Defence Secretary Philip

Hammond has said that gay marriage is not a priority and that the Government has to focus “on the things that matter to the people in this country”. Neither the Conservatives or the Liberal Democrats proposed legalising gay marriage in their manifestos and the Liberal Democrats endorsed the policy only four months after the last general election.

More than 540,000 people have now signed the Coalition for Marriage’s Petition for Marriage, the largest in modern British history.

Archbishop Smith cowrote the Church’s recent letter defending marriage, with Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster.

Last week, at the annual Mass in Westminster Cathedral where 500 couples with a combined total 31,850 years of marriage between them were invited for a blessing, Archbishop Nichols spoke of “damaging consequences” if it abandoned the link between sexual relations and creating children.

Meanwhile a group of gay Catholics, has announced support for “proposed legislation to redefine marriage to allow homosexuals to marry in civil ceremonies”.

Quest,’ who were removed from the Catholic Directory in 1999, said: “If, as we believe, all love and fidelity between human beings has its ultimate grounding in God, then Quest sees no inherent reason why the dedication of two human beings, committed in a public act of self-giving and devotion, should not take place in an explicitly religious setting.”

Archbishop: Queen’s coronation is my first TV memory

BY ED WEST

ARCHBISHOP Vincent Nichols of Westminster celebrated Mass to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday at the conclusion of a four-day weekend in which Catholic leaders joined in the celebration, marking the Queen’s 60 years on the throne.

In his homily the archbishop thanked the Queen for her duty and service, and expressed his gratitude her for the welcome that she gave to Pope Benedict XVI when he visited in 2010.

Archbishop Nichols, who was six when the Queen came to the throne, said: “The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the first thing I ever saw on television, in our neighbour’s house. Yet the moment is still vivid in my mind. The young, beautiful queen, the grandeur of the event, the solemnity of the anointing at its central moment, the size and weight of the crown bearing down on her head, the joy and fun of the party in the street later that day.”

The archbishop said that after decades of huge economic, social and political change “there has been something about Her Majesty that has not changed at all. She has retained an inner quality, yet one that is clearly visible, throughout all these vicissitudes: a quality of stillness, of calm, of serenity.”

The Queen’s reign has seen Catholicism move towards the mainstream of society, and the Queen has met several popes, as well as making a historic visit to Ireland last year. Archbishop Nichols spoke of “her gracious words of appreciation of the ‘special contribution’ made to society by the Catholic Church, spoken in the presence of Pope Benedict at the Palace of Holyroodhouse”.

He continued: “She understands, too, that the fulfilment of all our hopes comes not in this world but in the next, in the glorious fulfilment that has been put before us in the first reading from the Book of the Apocalypse. There the light of both day and night is the radiant glory of God; there the water of life flows in abundance, rising from the throne of God; there the tree of life is our greatest family tree which offers us healing from our broken human efforts. There we will see the Majesty of God, face to face, and every Jubilee will be fulfilled beyond measure.

“Much has been said, and quite rightly so, about our Queen’s remarkable record of service to our nation, to the Commonwealth and to the entire community of nations. I am sure that it is her Christian faith that lies at the heart of this commitment to service. Service demands a greater good which lifts those who serve beyond self-interest. A life of total service requires a greater good which goes beyond all that this world can offer. Faith in God as a loving Father is what lies at the heart of life-long service. In this we are indeed blessed in our Queen.”

On Sunday more than 1,000 ships and boats sailed along the River Thames in a pageant watched by over 100,000 people, despite the rain. Archbishop

Nichols was on board one of the ships, with Archbishop George Stack of Cardiff and other faith leaders.

Archbishop Nichols was also in attendance at the national thanksgiving service held at St Paul’s earlier on Tuesday, at which the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the sermon.

Dr Williams said: “We are marking today the anniversary of one historic and very public act of dedication – a dedication that has endured faithfully, calmly and generously through most of the adult lives of most of us here. We are marking six decades of living proof that public service is possible and that it is a place where happiness can be found.

“To seek one’s own good and one’s own well-being in the health of the community is sacrificially hard work – but it is this search that is truly natural to the human heart.

“That’s why it is not a matter of tight-lipped duty or grudging compliance with someone else’s demands. Jesus himself says: ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me.’ ” Notebook:Page 12 Charterhouse: Page 20

Kinnoull Centre for Spirituality

HomeoftheRedemptoristsinScotland

6 - 10 August 2012:

A Summer Retreat Fr. Gerry Mulligan CSsR We spend a few peaceful days reflecting on God’s love for us made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord. He is the one who walks with us in all our ways. God is with us in all the changes in our journey.

27 - 31 August 2012: A Human Journey - A Spiritual Destination

Dr. Stephanie Thornton What is being a Human all about? This course will explore the biological and psychological processes that shape who we are and the extraordinary potential for lifelong, developmental change that lies within them. Being human challenges us to develop in certain areas, in certain ways, particularly as we grow older. Achieving our human potential calls us to live our lives just as Christ lived his life.

Redemptorist Centre of Spirituality

Telephone: 01738 624075 Email: stmaryskinnoull@btconnect.com www.kinnoullmonastery.co.uk

Westminster’s ‘oldest altar boy’ made a knight BY MADELEINE TEAHAN

ONE OF Westminster Cathedral’s longest-standing altar servers has been awarded a papal knighthood.

extremely popular in the House of Commons. I am sure everyone in Hyndburn will want to celebrate this award.”

Ken Hargreaves, who served for 60 years on the altar, has been honoured by Pope Benedict XVI with a Knighthood of the Order of St Gregory in recognition of his work while he served as an MP and afterwards.

The knighthood was presented to Mr Hargreaves by his parish priest, Mgr John Daly, at a small gathering of close friends, colleagues and parishioners at the East Lancashire Hospice where he is being cared for.

Born in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, Mr Hargreaves ran for Parliament in 1983 out of concern for unborn children and was elected for the Hyndburn constituency.

Mr Hargreaves, who is seriously ill, said: “I was deeply moved to be told this wonderful news. It’s a special blessing from Pope Benedict, not for me, but for all the men and women who throughout my life, especially through their support of Right to Life and Life, have refused to accept the killing of the unborn and who have opposed abortion and euthanasia. Every l ife is unique, every life is precious – and we must renew our efforts to stop the terrible tide of killing, what Pope John Paul called ‘the culture of death’, and learn again to cherish and uphold the sanct i ty of human l ife from conception until natural death.”

Throughout his career as an MP he always supported the pro-life cause and never missed a vote on any pro-life issue. He also helped to establish the Right to Life Charitable Trust.

Ann Widdecombe, his friend and former colleague, said: “This is excellent news. Ken has been an absolute stalwart of the pro-life fight for decades, and it is only right that his unstinting support for the cause should be recognised in this way. He was an assiduous Member of Parliament, serving his constituents well, and was

Crossbench peer Lord Alton said: “Ken has been a real friend to me personally, to the pro-life cause as a whole, and to all those who turned to him over many years for support, advice or assistance.

“The award is thoroughly deserved, and visiting him on the day of its announcement, I was privileged to be one of the first to call him ‘Sir Ken’!”

Mr Hargreaves was jokingly referred to by Private Eye as “the oldest altar boy at Westminster”.

RIGHT TO LIFE

RIGHT TO LIFE

RIGHT TO LIFE

Phyllis Bowman Memorial Service

Phyllis Bowman Memorial Service

Phyllis Bowman Memorial Service and Lobby of Parliament and Lobby of Parliament and Lobby of Parliament

A National Memorial Service and Mass in thanksgiving for the

A National Memorial Service and Mass in thanksgiving for the

A National Memorial Service and Mass in thanksgiving for the life and work of the late Phyllis Bowman DSG, the founder and director of Right To Life, will be held in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday July 3rd at 5.30 p.m. led by The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. All are very welcome to attend.

life and work of the late Phyllis Bowman DSG, the founder and director of Right To Life, will be held in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday July 3rd at 5.30 p.m. led by The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. All are very welcome to attend.

life and work of the late Phyllis Bowman DSG, the founder and director of Right To Life, will be held in Westminster Cathedral on Tuesday July 3rd at 5.30 p.m. led by The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. All are very welcome to attend.

For those attending, we are asking that they try and make an

For those attending, we are asking that they try and make an

For those attending, we are asking that they try and make an appointment with their MP prior to the day and meet them either before or after they attend the service to ensure that their MP is briefed with our arguments against euthanasia (there is a Dignity in Dying lobby being held the following day, 4th July, which is clearly intended to be a platform for launching a new initiative to legalise euthanasia).

appointment with their MP prior to the day and meet them either before or after they attend the service to ensure that their MP is briefed with our arguments against euthanasia (there is a Dignity in Dying lobby being held the following day, 4th July, which is clearly intended to be a platform for launching a new initiative to legalise euthanasia).

appointment with their MP prior to the day and meet them either before or after they attend the service to ensure that their MP is briefed with our arguments against euthanasia (there is a Dignity in Dying lobby being held the following day, 4th July, which is clearly intended to be a platform for launching a new initiative to legalise euthanasia).

To find out more about the Memorial Service, to register your

To find out more about the Memorial Service, to register your

To find out more about the Memorial Service, to register your intention to attend, to obtain Phyllis Bowman Memorial Cards, to make a donation in memory of Phyllis or to download briefing notes and materials and information on lobbying your MP, please visit www.righttolifetrust.org.uk or email Marietta@righttolife.org.uk or Eleanor@righttolife.org.uk intention to attend, to obtain Phyllis Bowman Memorial Cards, to make a donation in memory of Phyllis or to download briefing notes and materials and information on lobbying your MP, please visit www.righttolifetrust.org.uk or email Marietta@righttolife.org.uk or Eleanor@righttolife.org.uk intention to attend, to obtain Phyllis Bowman Memorial Cards, to make a donation in memory of Phyllis or to download briefing notes and materials and information on lobbying your MP, please visit www.righttolifetrust.org.uk or email Marietta@righttolife.org.uk or Eleanor@righttolife.org.uk

Or phone Right To Life on 0208 992 7657 between 10 a.m. - 5

Or phone Right To Life on 0208 992 7657 between 10 a.m. - 5

Or phone Right To Life on 0208 992 7657 between 10 a.m. - 5

p.m. Monday to Friday.

p.m. Monday to Friday.

p.m. Monday to Friday.

Or Moira Billinge 0151 291 7728 (including priests wishing to

Or Moira Billinge 0151 291 7728 (including priests wishing to

Or Moira Billinge 0151 291 7728 (including priests wishing to concelebrate at the Memorial Mass)

concelebrate at the Memorial Mass)

concelebrate at the Memorial Mass)

Please Pray for the Continuing Work

Please Pray for the Continuing Work of Right To Life of Right To Life

Please Pray for the Continuing Work of Right To Life