THE P RTAL
December 2017 Page 22
about the dignity of the person and for the Church it moves very quickly on to the theology of the body because , if we see sex simply as part of the culture of consumerism , then abortion is inevitable .”
After the fire alarm had gone off and we were all back in the cafe , Anne took up the account . “ We attend as many religious as non-religious schools . Getting in is a big problem ! There is a suspicion about what information we are going to impart .
“ Its difficult to get in to schools , but once we are in , they see , because we have a very definite presentation with a very gentle approach , it ’ s very much about being compassionate to people making that decision and that abortion is never a good choice to make .
Stephen continued , “ I think that ’ s critical to the work that Life does . At Life we hold an absolutist position on abortion and we need to be quite clear on that , but that message can be delivered in a way that celebrates life in a way that uses language which is full of mercy , full of grace , while standing by the position we hold , which is a big challenge for the church in all areas . We stand by the church ’ s teaching and embrace all who have fallen . That is what we are trying to do .
“ We are not trying to victimise or criminalise or run any one down . We are here to support people and help people to choose life . Choice - the word choice is a very complicated thing and when you look into it and the Pro-Choice lobby then you realise that they are not talking about choice . They are talking about one thing - abortion and when there is only one thing there is no choice . Secondly , they talk about people being able to make decisions , particularly women .
“ They assert that it ’ s their body and they need to be trusted to make the decision , but the moment a woman doesn ’ t choose abortion ....”, Anne broke in , “ They abandon her .” Stephen went on , “ They are run out of town by the Pro-Choice movement . So what we are really interested in doing is providing alternatives . It is shocking the number of women who are coming to us who are considering abortion but don ’ t really want abortion . They are under pressure - financial , from their husbands or boyfriends , even to being evicted from the property or family home .
LIFE is a remarkable charity and doing a wonderful and worthwhile job . You may see more at their web site www . lifecharity . org . uk . We are grateful to the Revd Stephen Sharpe and Anne Scanlon , for their time . This is only part of the interview . There will be more in a future edition of The Portal .
Forms of words for Making a Bequest in favour of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham in your Will
I GIVE to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham , 24 Golden Square , London W1F 9JR , the sum of ______ pounds (£ ) and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor . or
I GIVE the residue of my estate to the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham , 24 Golden Square , London W1F 9JR , and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Executor .
Going South with the first and second Josephs ... continued from page 6
resented , as Rome dividing and weakening the Christian minority . Numbers grew during the 19th century ; today there are about 175,000 , permanently led by their own patriarch since 1947 .
Patriarch Ibraham Isaac Sedrak of Alexandria is not titled “ Pope ”, like the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church , Tawadros II . In 2013 , not long after his election , Pope Tawadros visited both the Catholic patriarch and Pope Francis in Rome , gestures of Christian forgiveness , solidarity and healing . Pope Francis later observed how no persecutor asks if we
are Catholic , or Orthodox , or Protestant , but just if we are Christians : “ We are united in the ecumenism of blood ”.
The Coptic Catholic witness today , then , does not assert rival claims , but something which also animates the Ordinariate : that all traditions and cultures can be distinct , yet also manifest the universal Church without risking fullness of communion . Here is a lesson from history : proselytising other Christians is wounding , not evangelisation . But patient faithfulness to Catholic unity in truth attracts love and reconciliation .