In a momentous decision, MPs have voted in favour of assisted suicide Friday 29 November 2024 It could be years before the first dose of poison is taken by a patient deemed terminally ill, but following the decision by a majority of MPs to vote in favour of assisted suicide on Friday something in Britain…
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Statement from the Catholic Bishops of England, Wales and Scotland opposing proposed legislation for assisted suicide.
Be Compassionate As Catholic Bishops in England and Wales, and in Scotland, we believe that genuine compassion is under threat because of the attempts in Parliament to legalise assisted suicide. ‘Compassion’ means to enter into and share the suffering of another person. It means never giving up on anyone or abandoning them. It means loving…
BEING A PRISON VISITOR
How does a church organist and retired botanist/marine biologist come to end up volunteering in a reception prison? If I had had a bucket list of things to do following my retirement from university (which I didn't) this would not have featured on it - and yet it turns out to be one of the…
Wine snobs now welcome
'From the Vineyard' column by N. O’Phile in THE TABLET, 15 August2024 Bag in a Box wine may not yet have come of age, but it is certainly on its way to maturity. When ten years ago this column surveyed the supermarket scene, there was little to recommend boxed wine beyond convenience. The problem was that…
Netanyahu’s delusions
From the Editor of The Tablet, 1 August 2024 Where would Israel be without the support of the United States? It would promptly have to look for a peaceful resolution of the long-standing conflict with Arab Palestinians. It could no longer afford its armed forces at their present size, and it would have to find…
Shining a light on war and working for peace
by Joanna Moorhead in THE TABLET, 27 July 2024 John Lavery is one of Ireland’s finest painters - and he played a role in the negotiations over its independence. As an exhibition of his work opens in Edinburgh, Joanna Moorhead considers his life and legacy. Aged three, John Lavery was an orphan in Belfast; by the…
Turner: Art, Industry & Nostalgia, Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, until 7 September
by Laura Gascoigne in The Spectator, 13 July 2024 On the back of the British £20 note, J.M.W. Turner appears against the backdrop of his most iconic image. Voted the country’s favourite painting in 2005, ‘The Fighting Temeraire’ (1838) was Turner’s favourite too. It remained in his possession until his death; the 70-year-old artist swore…
JD Vance shows the future of Christianity
The conservative Catholicism of Donald Trump’s running-mate is a countercultural form of dissent James Marriott in THE TIMES, Wednesday July 17 2024 Five years ago, at St Gertrude Priory in Cincinnati, the man who is probably going to be America’s next vice-president was arrayed in a pure white robe and received into the Catholic church.…
Vatican rejects attempts to ‘obscure’ differences between men and women
by Michael Sean Winters in THE TABLET, 9 April 2024 The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith issued its much-anticipated document Dignitas Infinita: on Human Dignity April 8, noting that it coincides with the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document re-affirms long-standing teaching on various moral concerns and repeats Pope Francis’ opposition to…
Root and Branch
by Sue Williamson Root and Branch is an exciting new forum for reform, working for a safe, just and inclusive Roman Catholic Church. Begun just before Pope Francis initiated the current Synod on Synodality 2021-2024, Root and Branch has organized two very successful lay-led Synods, the latest in October 2023, an online and physical event…
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