Weekend round-up

The Tablet (clearly no friend of the Ordinariate), in the person of its deputy editor, Elena Curti, stirs things again, accusing Rome of having "an obsession with the conversion of England." [here]
"....Rome loves this idea. A knowledgeable source tells me there is an obsession there with the conversion of England and hope that the ordinariate will pave the way for it....."


Egypt erupts in violence [here] and [here]
But we should be in no doubt that the worst possible outcome - for the stability of the region, for the west, and for the Copts (a substantial minority in Egypt) and other Egyptian Christians - would be an Islamic republic or any regime intent on imposing Islamic law, or one in any way friendly to the appalling regime in Tehran.

Another excellent piece [here] from Fr John Hunwicke on the relationship between baptism and confirmation (and the need to separate the latter from adolescence.)

"There has been a most unfortunate tendency among some in the Roman Catholic Church to follow a deplorable Anglican mistake: of regarding Confirmation as a sort of Christian Bar-Mitzvah, an adolescent Rite of Passage. In my view - I did spend 28 years teaching 13-19 year-olds - nothing is more misguided than mixing up the Sacraments of Initiation in this way with the hormonal problems which thirteen-year-olds are having to face. Moreover, Confirmation is a Sacrament, not a Rite of Passage.

I think this is the time to resurrect a persistent argument of Dom Gregory Dix; that Confirmation is in fact that Baptism in the Spirit of which Biblical and Patristic texts speak......" 
Read it all

He also reports on the decision of the Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool that confirmation be celebrated at the age of eight, before first communion.
In fact, that's exactly what we did here in the days before we were (by archiepiscopal diktat - an indication of exactly how much we are respected) deprived of an orthodox (flying) bishop to look after us.
However, Fr Sean Finnegan at Valle Adurni raises some interesting questions about the practical difficulties in Roman Catholic parishes  of the 'Liverpool approach' and the need for confirmation to be an episcopally-conferred sacrament.
As they say, discuss......
This one will (and should) run and run.

Pope Benedict on social media and the digital age [here]

Bishop Edwin (sorry, old habits die hard) on trees and forests and the proposed government sell-off [here]

Some more Ordinariate news from Tunbridge Wells  and the Anglo-Catholic

More Anglican Communion unpleasantness here - thanks to TitusOneNine
From the latest meeting in Dublin we can expect lots of briefings  like this on quasi-theological subjects, giving us even more evidence of a disintegrating religious body whose western 'primates' (the only ones who can now be bothered to turn up to meetings?) are increasingly preaching to the like-minded and increasingly unconcerned with things eternal.
Wouldn't it be gloriously liberating not to have to concern ourselves any longer with all this? Just a thought!

There's a persistent urban myth that April 1st has been set aside as a holiday for atheists see here
Unfortunately, there's no truth in it, but having seen some of their happy smiling faces during last year's Papal Visit, for an atheist protester obviously every day is a holiday.

And, finally, from First Things (always worth a read) this article on apologetics and culture