Pray for the Murderers of Woolwich as well as the Victim.

That's the hard message of the Faith of Jesus. Even in the horror of so cowardly and unprovoked an attack we have to pray for those two deeply damaged young men. That does not excuse them in any way. It simply is the challenge of the Man who said "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." He is our model and our guide. 

The scandal of Bishopless dioceses.

We believe in the Apostolic Succession and the three great orders of Bishops Priests and Deacons. We are not Protestants but Catholics, yet we condemn our dioceses to continue without a pastor for years on end as if it didn't matter. What is wrong with the system. Looks like incompetence to me and it wouldn't be tolerated in any human institution, except perhaps the Belgian Parliament. Does it happen everywhere or has England and Wales been singled out? 

Greeks really do Lent

I'm in Greece for the Greek Easter and my Greek friends are keeping Lent as only they do. No alcohol, no milk, no dairy products, no meat - they are seriously prepared for the last few days of Holy Week in a monastery near Athens. Makes my Lenten fast pretty pathetic.