and intellectual pride. The genius loci of the ‘heart’ back into the Oxford Movement. talks are accompanied by reflective music.
Oxford itself, exemplified by the Univer- Footnote: it is good to see the Librarians of Also, there is a website from which group
sity’s adherence to Church and King rather Pusey House acknowledged generously; discussion plans can be downloaded.
than to the Puritan parliament during the production of this volume is another Here is a welcome way of engaging
the civil wars, was one of Catholic ethos: reminder of the significance of the House’s people with the Christian faith. It is useful
little wonder that providence raised up an unique archival collections. But then I for preparing parents and godparents for
Oxford Movement. would say that, wouldn’t I? the baptism of their child, and could pro-
Pereiro – a priest of the Opus Dei prela-
Jonathan Baker
vide a course of instruction for confirma-
ture – takes us, at the end of his book, to the tion candidates or enquirers who want to
horns of a very contemporary dilemma. know more about what Christians believe.
Can that Catholic ethos so prized by the It could form the basis of a Lent course,
Tractarians still be embraced with confi-
dence in the Church of England of today? cd
maybe using one section or certain talks.
Individuals will benefit from buying it
In 1854, Manning wrote to Wilberforce and listening to a talk each day, or merely
to lament the fact that, among those who to set one on the track of finding out more
had not followed Newman and himself FIRMLY I BELIEVE about the Christian faith in one aspect or
to Rome, he detected a quiet but persist- John Twistleton another, even engaging a friend or neigh-
ent setting aside of Tractarian principles Premier Christian Radio bour to listen.
by those who had once eagerly espoused 5060118360026, £8.99 The material is presented in an interest-
them. ‘I see men’, he wrote, ‘who once ing and engaging way, with illustration and
believed with even clearer light than I John Twistleton is mission and renewal anecdote and recourse to the Christian tra-
did, now professing not to believe this or adviser for the Chichester Diocese and a dition and a willingness to deal with pos-
that particular; and what is worst of all, I regular contributor on Premier Christian sible objections. This is a valuable resource
believe they say so truly; for what ought to Radio. Firmly I Believe is a two-CD set for parishes, groups and individuals, and
be obeyed when believed, passes away.’ Not and booklet and is subtitled ‘Declaring the in the fifty days of Eastertide with the cel-
comfortable reading. faith of the Church through the ages’. The ebration of our Lord’s Resurrection, it will
But this is not a controversialist book. 43 three-minute talks are divided into four help us to clarify and probe more deeply
It is a fluent, incisive and original book, sections: ‘The Creed’, ‘The Sacraments’, ‘The why we believe what we believe.
which succeeds magnificently in putting Commandments’, ‘Christian Prayer’. The
Arthur Middleton ND
Which way? Francis Gardom on Choose Life Week
‘I call heaven and earth to witness end of Westminster Abbey, special prayers in this manner is not, and cannot be, the
against you this day, that I have set before will be offered for the victims of abortion will of God, warned its proponents that
you life and death, blessing and curse; at the Memorial to the Innocents. the consequence of the Act would extend
therefore choose life, that you and your By ‘victims’ we refer not only to those far beyond the intentions of its advocates:
descendants may live, loving the Lord who have actually been killed – who and time has proved this to be the case in
your God, obeying his voice and cleaving include, of course, a large number of reality.
to him…’ people who, had they been allowed to Public opinion rightly condemns the
Deuteronomy 30: 19–20 live, would have led lives of virtue and suffering inflicted upon innocent people
great benefit to the human race; ‘victims’ by warfare and exploitation. Whilst doing
2
008 marks the fortieth anniversary also aptly describes those mothers whose this it is easily forgotten that something
of the date when the Abortion Act bodies have been damaged and their lives very much akin to them has been going
of 1967, which legalized the killing of made a misery by undergoing, willingly on in our midst for the past forty years.
unborn children, first came into effect in or otherwise, what is undoubtedly one of As we predicted, this legislation has
Great Britain on the 27 April 1968. Since the most traumatic experiences known to been followed up enthusiastically by
then, almost 7 million babies have been mankind. those seeking to promote Euthanasia
killed in this way. This exceeds many Equally, we shall be remembering as and Assisted Suicide. Motivated, as some
times over the total number of deaths victims those doctors, nurses and social of them no doubt are, by their wish to
sustained by the United Kingdom in the workers whose consciences have been lessen the toll of human suffering, those
two World Wars. violated as they have found themselves who promote such policies conveniently
Choose Life Week is intended to remind being drawn unwillingly, or unwittingly, disregard the slippery-slope argument,
people of this. It will run from Sunday into co-operating with, or performing on the specious grounds that, until their
20 to Saturday 26 April, and a number abortions. ideas have been tried in practice, there
of London churches have agreed to An Act which was originally intended can be no certainty that they will have
participate in this by lighting a special to be a humane gesture towards those the consequences that its opponents
candle and having available information undergoing potentially dangerous predict.
which will enable those visiting them pregnancies has turned instead into a Well, abortion has been given a fair
to understand what we shall be praying licence to destroy innocent human beings trial over the past forty years – and its
about. A list of these churches will be for the convenience of others. Those of us consequences are only too plain for
available from <LadySalisbury@Tiscali. who fought against the very principles on everyone to see!
co.uk>. which this Act was based, on the grounds Please say a prayer during this week for
At Noon on Saturday, outside the west that the taking of innocent human life its victims.
April 2008
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newdirections
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29
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