Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Refugee Crisis

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The Catholic Church’s response in England and Wales to meeting the needs of refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria will be coordinated locally through the dioceses. Each diocese is in the process of appointing a local contact person. So far about half the dioceses of England and Wales have found a person for this rôle, which still has to be fulfilled in Menevia. As such Bishop Tom writes:

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“As a matter of urgency, the Bishops’ Conference is asking each Diocese to nominate a LOCAL CONTACT PERSON to coordinate the Catholic Church’s local response for supporting Middle East refugees. If anyone among the laity in the Diocese feels able to take on this role of COORDINATOR / LOCAL CONTACT PERSON, please contact the Bishop’s office as soon as possible on 01792 644017.  Thank you. – Bishop Tom“

Assisted Dying Bill – our MP’s response.

I recently wrote to the Rt Hon. Stephen Crabb, the Secretary of State for Wales, and our MP. In my letter (which can be seen here) I expressed the view that this Bill should be voted down in the House of Commons when the matter comes up for debate.

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Well, that vote takes place tomorrow, and Mr Crabb has given me the following assurances that he will indeed vote against the bill. He also offered the opportunity to chat with me about this matter. I would like to thank him for his support on this issue and for offering us his time.

Stephen Crabb’s reply states:

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“The Bill, which proposes to make it legal for those who are terminally ill to choose to end they own life with medical assistance, has been one of the most prominent issues that constituents have got in contact me with about in the last year. It has certainly divided opinion in Pembrokeshire, and the correspondence I have received is roughly split down the middle both for and against the Bill.

I believe that human life is precious. The lives of people with disabilities or long-term illnesses are of equal worth to everyone else, and they deserve equal protection under the law. I am concerned that leniency towards those assisting in euthanasia will send us further down the slippery slope towards legalising euthanasia itself.

It is for these reasons that I do not believe the case for this Bill has been made, and so I will be in Parliament on Friday to vote against it.”

—ENDS

It is good to hear this message from our MP who will be reflecting our views in the House of Commons tomorrow. Let us keep him and all our public representatives in our thoughts and prayers as they attended this important debate.

The Refugee Crisis.

In Sunday morning’s homily, Fr Liam demonstrated how three images have defined a moment of crisis. However, when our future-selves look back on this moment, we will not be defined by an image, but by our response. The time will come when we in Haverfordwest will have to act and do our part to help.

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Well, since that homily, just a few hours later at his Angelus blessing in Rome, the Pope asked that every monastery, convent, religious house and parish in Europe should take in and support a refugee family.

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Pope Francis said (6th September 2015):

“Dear brothers and sisters,

God’s mercy is made visible to the word through our works, as can be witnessed by the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose anniversary of death we celebrated yesterday.

In view of the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from death by war and hunger, and who are on a journey in the hope of life, the Gospel call us to be close to them who are vulnerable and abandoned.

We have to give them real hope. It is not enough to say “Take courage, have patience!” Christian hope is forceful and has tenacity for those who want to come to safety.

As such, as we come to the Jubilee of Mercy, I appeal to the parishes, religious communities, monasteries and shrines throughout Europe to express the reality of the Gospel and to accommodate a family of refugees. This is a concrete gesture in preparation for the Holy Year of Mercy. May every parish, every religious community, every monastery, every shrine of Europe accommodate a family, starting from my own diocese of Rome.

I turn to my brother Bishops of Europe, true shepherds, to remember that because Mercy is the second name of Love, that their dioceses may support this appeal of mine for “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).

As such, the two parishes in the Vatican will at this time welcome two families of refugees.”

(a non-official translation by Fr Liam because the English has not yet been published – forgive any errors I have put on the lips of our Holy Father).

To this the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, issued his own reply stating that “Guidance will follow shortly on how the Catholic community in England and Wales can practically respond to this refugee crisis.”

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The Cardinal’s full words are (7th September 2015):

“The Catholic Church in England and Wales will respond to Pope Francis’ challenge to be generous in supporting people who have been forced to flee their homes.

We urge government to respond positively to this crisis and to provide the necessary resources and funding to ensure the effective reception and long-term resettlement of these desperate people. We will work with both government and other responsible authorities to meet this grave challenge.

We invite all Catholics to respond in prayer and in real, practical action. It is my hope to join the prayer vigil which is taking place outside Westminster Cathedral tomorrow night (8 September 2015).

Guidance will follow shortly on how the Catholic community in England and Wales can practically respond to this refugee crisis.”

Before rushing in and acting foolishly, our Church leaders need to meet with national and local government to work together formulating a prudent response which can be as full and effective as possible. This response will allow us to demontrate our pastoral charity in the fullest way possible, so that we can answer the demands our faith makes, that whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. Mt 25:40.

Care of Creation Day of Prayer

Tomorrow, September 1st, will be the first “Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.” Or at least it will be for us, our Orthodox brothers and sisters have been celebrating this day for some time. This ecumenical move was put forward by Pope Francis following his recent Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’  on the Care of our Common Home.

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This papal teaching was hailed as one of the most significant documents in a life time and, when published, cause of flurry of comment in both religious and social circles. However, even though it presents the care of the environment as a moral issue, a human issue, a religious issue and  a social issue effecting all elements of our lives, it seems to have been forgotten and passed to one side. Indeed, a recent poll in the USA showed that only 40% of US Catholics had even heard of the document and, out of all adults, only 39% felt climate change was a moral issue.

Perhaps this day is one in which is long overdue and when we can all make a renewed effort to take the pope’s words to heart and to look towards better care for our planet, and thus each other.

Here is the text of the letter from Pope Francis establishing the day of prayer.

To my Venerable Brothers

Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah TURKSON, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace

Cardinal Kurt KOCH, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity

Sharing with my beloved brother the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew his concerns for the future of creation (cfr Encylical Letter. Laudato Si, 7-9) and taking up the suggestion by his representative, the Metropolitan Ioannis of Pergamum who took part in the presentation of the Encyclical Laudato Si on the care of our common home, I wish to inform you that I have decided to set up also in the Catholic Church, the “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation” which, beginning this year, will be celebrated on the 1st of September, as the Orthodox Church has done for some time now.

As Christians we wish to offer our contribution towards overcoming the ecological crisis which humanity is living through.  Therefore, first of all we must draw from our rich spiritual heritage the reasons which feed our passion for the care of creation, always remembering that for believers in Jesus Christ, the Word of God who became man for us, “the life of the spirit is not dissociated from the body or from nature or from worldly realities, but lived in and with them, in communion with all that surrounds us.” (ibid., 216).   The ecological crisis therefore calls us to a profound spiritual conversion: Christians are called to “an ecological conversion whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them.” (ibid., 217).  Thus, “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”(ibid).

The annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live.  The celebration of the Day on the same date as the Orthodox Church will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our orthodox brothers.   We live in a time where all Christians are faced with identical and important challenges and we must give common replies to these in order to appear more credible and effective.  Therefore it is my hope that this Day can involve, in some way, other Churches and ecclesial Communities and be celebrated in union with the initiatives that the World Council of Churches is promoting on this issue.

Cardinal Turkson, as President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace,  I asking you to inform the Justice and Peace Commissions of the Bishops’ Conferences, as well as the national and international Organizations involved in environmental issues about the establishment of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, so that in union with the needs and the local situation , this celebration can be rightly marked with the participation of the entire People of God: priests, men and women religious and the lay faithful.  For this reason, it will be the task of this Dicastery, in collaboration with the Episcopal Conferences to set up relevant initiatives to promote and illustrate this Day, so that this annual celebration becomes a powerful moment of prayer, reflection, conversion and the adoption of appropriate life styles.

Cardinal Koch, as President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, I’m asking you to make the necessary contacts with the Ecumenical Patriarchate and with the other ecumenical organisations so that this World Day can become the sign of a path along all believers in Christ walk together.  It will also be your Dicastery’s task to take care of the coordination with similar initiatives set up by the World Council of Churches.

Whilst I look forward to the widest possible cooperation for the best start and development of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, I invoke the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and of St. Francis of Assisi, whose Canticle of the Creatures inspires so many men and women of goodwill to live in praise of the Creator and with respect for creation.  I support this pledge along with my Apostolic Blessing which I impart with all my heart to you, my dear Cardinals, and to all those who collaborate in your ministry.

From the Vatican, 6th August 2015

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Assisted Dying Bill

Medical: Syringe

The Bishop’s of England and Wales have asked us to contact our MPs to ask then not to vote through this legislation on 11th September. The time to act on this is now. Please do write to your MP  or, at the very least, sign the digital petition which can be found from this link.

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If you want more information then the Catholic Church’s Bioethics centre, the Anscombe Centre has produced some useful resources. They may be found here.

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You will find these resources very helpful in putting you in the picture of all the issues. When writing to our MPs please remember that this is a free vote – as such MPs don’t have to follow any party line, but can vote to represent us. Please make sure your voice is heard.

Here is my letter to Stephen Crabb. Once I have the reply, I shall make it known.

Stephen Crabb MP Assited Dying Bill

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Pembrokeshire County Show

Pembrokeshire County’s Agricultural Show takes place this week.

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It began on Sunday, in the new refurbished pavilion, with the traditional service led by the Canon Geoffrey Gwyther. He’s pictured below on the left, laughing at a joke made by the guest preacher, Canon Dorrien Davies, from St David’s Cathedral.

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If you’re attending the show this year have fun and enjoy yourselves!