Triangular flapjacks

So a school in Essex has banned triangular flapjacks because a child was hurt when the sweetmeat was thrown. They didn't seek to stop children throwing things but instead tried to make the missile safer! It's another of those health and safety stories you couldn't make up. When the mince pie was allowed back into England after the Puritans had banned them, they could no longer be oblong in the shape of a manger but round as they are today. At least those unpleasant Puritans were making a serious, although falacious, point - striking out against the idolatry of the image of the baby Jesus on the pie.

Starbucks

So Starbucks have told shareholders that, if they don't like the company's support for Gay Marriage, they can sell their stock. What kind of moral compass does this display? It is not clear that a view on same sex marriage is integral to the sale of coffee and buns. However, paying proper tax on the profits made by the company certainly is. How do executives of Starbucks justify their failure to deal with the profits issue which does concern them while making a stand on same sex marriage which does not?

Defending Unborn Children

As a long time upholder of the right to life, I very much agree with the important message of John Smeaton's blog published today. There are, however, occasions on which his comments should be questioned and yet, unlike most of the rest of us, he provides no place on his blog for comments. This gives a very bad impression of the attitudes of SPUC and suggests the organisation feels it has no need of support, advice, or comment. Isn't it time Mr Smeaton opens up to his supporters' comments instead of saying we can email him personally with messages which he does not share more widely.

Snow in March

Two inches of snow on the car. Nothing like as bad as for so many round the country. Funny how I welcome snow in Decenmber or January but resent it in March. Why isn't it 'going out like a lamb' ? Palm Sunday Mass really moving, well sung and the Gospel well read. Going off at the end in silence with no recessional hymn, as Holy Week begins, was particularly effective because the snow had made everything so much quieter outside. Back home with the family to make preparations for next weekend when we will have a houseful. When will we get on to the garden? Planting is going to be so late and I despair of early salads.

Catholic Trivia

What is it about Catholics that leads so many of the bloggers to be waspish and critical? I've just seen one blog in which, after seeing the video of the two Popes, the author commented that the altar in the background wasn't a portable one! Just about as relevant to the Faith as all that tosh about red shoes. Can this be the electronic witness to which we were called or is it the Catholic version of the bar-room comments you get on a bad phone-in.

Dr Justin Welby

So Dr Welby didn't mention same sex marriage in his sermon at his inauguration as Archbishop. He didn't mention abortion, climate change, euthanasia, the acidification of the oceans, the threat to Christians in the Middle East and a host of other things with which Christians ought to be concerned. I can't help thinking that the things he did mention were more important than gay marriage as indeed are all of that list he didn't.

The Challenge of Francis

Well, we're back on line after a false start. Celebrating the arrival of Pope Francis and fed up with the trivial nonsense of some so-called Catholic blogs that can't help criticising. What a remarkable statement to the world and all those secular know-alls who defined the job of the new pope as dealing with the Curia, clerical abuse, and the Vatican bank. The Holy Father simply said - Francis. That defined his priority of bringing Christ, the lover of the poor and the outcast, to challenge the world. Even then they didn't believe him and muttered about Francis Xavier - so he had to say it again. St Francis of Assisi - lover of the poor and celebrant and protector of the natural world.