Scottish Catholic Observer

The new Motu Proprio released on the Year of Faith—which Pope Benedict XVI announced on Sunday—leaves no doubt on the direction New Evangelisation is leading us in. In the Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei the Holy Father says the Year of Faith ‘is a summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the one Saviour of the world.’

“Ever since the start of my ministry as Successor of Peter, I have spoken of the need to rediscover the journey of faith,” the Pope writes in the letter.

It is a message he has taken on Papal visits in recent years to countries where the ‘Faith of our fathers’ is not as strong as it once was or could be again. Countries, it has to be said, that includes our own. Bishop Philip Tartaglia was in Rome at the weekend when the Year of Faith announcement was made and will no doubt bring a full account of the Holy Father’s wishes back to Scotland. The announcement followed the New Evangelisers for the New Evangelistion conference that the Paisley Bishop was attending.

The Year of Faith will begin on October 11 next year, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and also the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It presents a marvellous opportunity for many to come back to the Church and for those already among the Faithful to take a more active role. And for those newly interested, this is the ideal time to take those first few steps.

“Very many people, while not claiming to have the gift of Faith, are nevertheless sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world,” the Holy Father writes. “This search is an authentic ‘preamble’ to the faith, because it guides people onto the path that leads to the mystery of God.”

To read the apostolic letter in full visit: http://sconews.co.uk/news/13248/motu-proprio-year-of-faith

Last Sunday some parishioners in one Lanarkshire parish were visibly taken aback when their parish priest read from Bishop Tartaglia’s pastoral letter on marriage that explained Government proposals to redefine it risked setting aside the legal defence against polygamous marriage. It is not often the topic of threesomes comes up in Church on a Sunday morning where children are present, after all, but this priest—and Bishop Tartaglia—were making a serious point about the need to protect the Sacramental union between a man and a woman that is marriage.

For anyone who is wrestling with discussing such issues with their children, Fr Ronald Rolheiser’s column this week is recommended reading. This Texas based-priest is not writing about Scotland’s same-sex ‘marriage’ proposals but about western culture’s attitudes towards sex.

“There is a lot of sex in culture, but it isn’t taking a lot of people home, home to that place where they feel fully respected, unconditionally safe, able to be themselves, comfortable, and confident that the joy of their love-making is making their hearts bigger, softer, more gracious, more joyous,” he said.

And Fr Rolheiser’s take on how Christianity views sexuality isn’t starry-eyed.

“The problem with sex is that the churches don’t take passion seriously enough, while the world doesn’t take chastity seriously enough,” he writes.

Compelling reading so why not leave a copy of this column where the younger members of your family can see it.