THE
P RTAL
April 2018
Page 3
P ortal Comment
Tracking the Blogs
Will Burton has been keeping us up to date
A t
www.tunbridgewells-ordinariate.com/blog Fr Ed Tomlinson wrote a piece entitled,
“Overcoming Ignorance”. Among others, he had the Humanist Society in his sights. “A huge problem
for authentic Catholic witness is overcoming the prejudice born of ignorance. Take, for example, a tweet of
the Humanist Society this morning which claims “Faith schools have a negative impact on social cohesion
and foster the segregation of children along ethnic and religious lines..” A sentence so profoundly ignorant
as to be laughable. Do they not realise that most Catholic schools are hugely diverse communities in which
children of many races come together?”
He cited Tunbridge Wells as a place where, unlike photojournalist industry standards.”
most schools, St Augustine’s Catholic Primary contains
children from over 26 difference races. He wrote, “It is
Our own Joanna Bogle at (joannabogle.blogspot.
a hugely diverse place where we happen to welcome co.uk) carries a thank you to Cardinal Vincent
children of all faiths and none.”
Nichols “.. for charity, common sense and wisdom
in the face of pressure to conform to bullying
He continued, “This problem of overcoming ignorant from fashionable lobbyists on “transgenderism”.
prejudice also rears its head in media representations
of the faith.” In a murder mystery, Christians are often Joanna says that he is going to come under a lot of
portrayed as stupid, weak and compromised if protestant pressure, and the position of Church schools is going to
or else creepy, cruel and perverted if Catholic.
be difficult with parents insisting that their child should
be encouraged to think about being mutilated. No
Christians come across as anti-science when it comes Christian should allow children to be abused in this
to creation. Is this a misrepresentation (deliberate or way and even if we are told that the Church is “denying
otherwise) or ignorance? Have they never heard of Fr a child’s human rights” by defending the truth about
Georges Lemaître, the Catholic priest who arrived at humanity, we must continue to stand firm. As the
the Big Bang theory precisely because he believed in a Cardinal notes:
definite moment of creation?
“At a time of great confusion about the rules of sexual
Fr Ed wonders if the “woeful formation and behaviour, about exploitation and abuse in every part
catechesis” since Vatican II may be in part, to blame.
of society, some firm points of reference, that are
already built into our humanity at its best, are of vital
“The mission of the Church in the next generation importance,”
becomes clear. We must find a way to overcome
widespread ignorance and prejudice to authentic
“In an age of fluidity, even in gender identity, and at
Catholic teaching from within the church and without; a time when the response to ‘difference’ is to become
a task I felt was enabled by Pope Benedict’s desire for closed in a self-selecting world of the like-minded and
‘reform of the reform’.”
reject that which is different, such foundations are so
important.
Those old favourites in the Blogging world, Fr
Hunwicke at (liturgicalnotes.blogspot.co.uk), Fr Ray
“They affirm that there are ‘givens’ which come with
Blake (marymagdalen.blogspot.co.uk) and Rorate- birth and with solid identities and which project across
caeli (rorate-caeli.blogspot.com) all concentrate on generations,”
a fake letter. Rorate-caeli quoted Associated Press,
“VATICAN CITY — Mar 14, 2018, 3:20 PM ET. The
“They help up keep hold of the reality that we are not
Vatican admitted Thursday that it altered a photo sent single, self-determining individuals but members of a
to the media of a letter from retired Pope Benedict great family, with all its trials, diversities and struggles,
XVI about Pope Francis. The manipulation changed and within that family, not alone, will we find our
the meaning of the image in a way that violated greatest joy.”