20 October 2007

Not Quite Fr Ray's Meme

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Fr Ray asked me to do his meme: "If I were Archbishop of Westminster I would ..."; but I can't. I don't know enough about the mechanics of running a diocese and I don't know enough about how a Bishop should nurture his clergy. However, I can do a different one:

"How Will We Know the Vatican Has Got The Right Man?"

The Church in England and Wales will have a Leader who will inspire Catholics to a deeper Catholicsm, because he will be a theologically sound man of prayer and Catholic Action.

We will be distinct from the other Christian Communities in E&W, and we will be proud of it.

The Archbishop of Westminster's regular public pronouncements will always be newsworthy, even in the secular press.

The number of priests and religious will rise.

The number of conversions will rise dramatically.

Politicians will court the "Catholic vote".

Participation in Corporal Works of Mercy will be a natural mark of being a Catholic.

The Liturgy, in whichever Use, will always be celebrated reverently.

Guilds, Societies and Sodalities will become part of parish life.

Parish life will become part of everyday life for Catholics.

Catholic education will mean more than just orthodox RE lessons: where there is a Catholic school, homeschooling, or non-Catholic education would become unthinkable for Catholics.

We will happily put what we are paid for an hour's work into the plate on Sundays because we will know the good use to which it is put.

Non-Catholics will look at us and see that we have something they haven't.

And we will be the King's good servants, but God's first.

4 comments:

fr paul harrison said...

One thing I would add is:

the number of people coming to Mass will increase

fr paul harrison

Ttony said...

You're right Father. How about "More people will attend Mass, and more often"?

WhiteStoneNameSeeker said...

You are right that we desperately need an Archbishop of Westminster who can speak to the media properly and clearly.
And I too look forward to a time when I will not be saying "No child of mine will go to school."

Last night my daughter's friend who is also 13 told me how embarrassed and awkward she felt in the sex ed classes she has been subjected to at her Catholic school.
She tried not to watch the video or hear what the "blunt" teacher was saying.
It breaks my heart that our children are subjected to this in Catholic schools.

Anonymous said...

Excellent, Ttony. The only thing
I would add is, 'Spiritual works of mercy will not be neglected either.'