"Come and See" is more like "Go and Lapse"

According to the excellent website Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, currently, some 96% of children who attend a Catholic school, will lapse from the Faith.

That is one appalling statistic.

All of my working life I have been driven by a results based accreditation of performance ideal.
That means, in plain English, that you produce spectacular results or you are out on your backside.

And quite right too. The same should apply to those who have driven such a low level and uninspiring programme of Catholic RE over the years.

How many young souls have been lost to God over the years as a result of an impoverished and perverted religious syllabus?

Indifference, apathy, idleness and incompetence have all played their part.
And, evil intent must be added to that tally.

When our children were young we had the heretical programme called 'Weaving the Web' to contend with.

Opposition to that meant that you were isolated and castigated within the school/parish social network; not that it worried us one little bit, but, such antagonism did effect our children who bore the brunt of modernist Catholic sniping.

Catholic parents, today, have a primary level equivalent programme called; "Come and See".

I'm afraid that the title alone has me reaching for the sick bag.

And, according to Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, "Come and See" carries on the fine tradition of omitting any mention of sin and other key factors of the Faith.

Here are some of PEEPs main concerns regarding "Come and See":-

The Book consists of 262 pages, including five full page illustrations and many smaller illustrations. Twenty pages cover “Other Faiths”, and the first forty-three pages are devoted to telling teachers HOW to teach, even though they are, presumably, trained and qualified professionals, many perhaps with more experience than the author. Eventually, on page 44, the book starts outlining WHAT to teach.

Were I to cover every heresy – explicit and by omission - in this Programme my review would have to be as long as the 200 pages which cover the teaching to be given, so I will cover just the more serious omissions, remembering that we can commit Heresy by omission. Pages 44,45 and 46 have Grids showing all the Scripture references, Topics and Themes taught throughout the Primary school, covering ages 4/5 years – 10/11 years. When these grids are compared with the 1994 ”Catechism of the Catholic Church” (CCC) which Bl. Pope John Paul II declared “the Norm for teaching religion” they reveal some of these serious omissions.

For example -

1.  The attributes of Almighty God are not taught, such as He is everywhere so always close to us, though these are found in the CCC;

2.  Spirit and what the word Spirit means. They need to know this for

3.  Angels, Guardian Angels, the Devil and his evil spirits who are all omitted as well, even though covered in the CCC;

4.  That we are in the Image and Likeness of God because we have Spiritual Souls with Intelligence and Free Will,( 7 paras in the CCC.)

5.  Adam and Eve, the Fall, Original Sin and even Sin itself are all omitted in spite of having 60 entries in the CCC. This makes it impossible to explain the Incarnation and the Redeeming Passion and Death of Our Lord, so we get nonsense such as the Saviour will rescue us ‘from those who threaten us,” (on page 53.)

6.  Grace, which has over 20 entries in the CCC is never even mentioned, not Actual Grace, Sacramental Grace or Sanctifying Grace / Supernatural Life. So the teaching on           

7.  Baptism is incomplete. It is several times merely presented as “a welcome or invitation to belong to God’s family.” There is no mention of S.John ch3 v1 ff where Jesus explains to Nicodemus that unless a man is born again of water and the Holy Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The CCC teaches Grace/Supernatural Life in over 90 entries, so why omit it? This rhyme helps teach it -

When little babies are baptised, God’s greatest Love is shown

For then he gives new Life to them, A life that’s like His own.

We thank you Lord for this great gift, The treasure of our race

Our Lady’s soul was full of it. The Angel called it Grace.

8.  The Incarnation There is no mention of why Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Man, though on page 102 we are told “the Word became a human person”. This is not true. Jesus was, is and always will be the Divine Person who became Man to redeem us from sin and hell.

A shame that, after all this time, the Bishops can't produce a doctrinally sound religious syllabus for schools.

Do they, I wonder, lie awake at night fretting over the fact that, only 4% of Catholic children going through the Catholic School system, will keep the Faith?

And, if they don't lie awake tossing and turning, why not?

Are they content to survey a scene of abomination and not suffer any regrets?

Which point leads one to consider whether the Bishops are a force for good or........something else.

                                                                    

Three easy steps that would dispense with the questionnaire

Time to remove the cuckoo's egg

According to Deacon Nick's excellent post, the Vatican is now telling us that we are becoming too intense with regard to the Family Synod questionnaire.

There are parts of the questionnaire that do not involve us, they are beyond our pay grade.

That may be the case but why, in Heaven's name issue a market research paper that is so misleading?

So ambiguous. So intent on asking questions that run well beyond the writ of most of the laity and the clergy.

And why embark upon this exercise at all when the means of pinpointing the moves that will restore the Faith is so blooming obvious?

I have worked in education for 25 years, not as an academic but as an administrator.  In that time I have helped design many strategic plans and most (not all) have been successful.

More specifically, I have been part of a team designing solutions to problems; of course, none quite as complex and wide ranging as renewing the Faith and zeal of 1.2 billion Catholics, but most of the same principles apply.

I am sure that Rome can call on talent that far exceeds my basic skills but, even I, can see a pathway that will bring the Barque of St Peter back on course.

It is based on three elements.

It's not astrodynamics.

The three elements are Education, Training and Liturgy.

Firstly, education. Certainly in the UK we desperately need an RI syllabus that provides red meat as opposed to the thin gruel that has poisoned and disaffected the minds of the young for so long.

Young minds are capable of much more than the Catholic education system currently offers.

What is required, at secondary level, is a programme that focuses on key elements such as the history of the Palestine region during the time of Christ, the parables and the life of Christ, the New and Old Testaments, the Sacraments, comparative outlines of other faiths and their relationship to Catholicism all set within a framework of morals and society.

The underpinning knowledge element to come from the Catechism.

OK, that's a quick fix, broad brushstroke treatment but it's well on the way to creating knowledge, love of God and fervour for the Faith in the hearts and minds of the young.

However, Catholic education should be more than curriculum based.

There are outward signs and acts that reinforce knowledge and encourage belief and piety.

A crucifix in every classroom.
Prayers at the beginning and end of the school day, School retreat days, pilgrimages to Catholic shrines (not Hindu temples), weekly school Masses, Inter school Faith quizzes, Nativity plays at Christmas, Passion plays at Easter, Catholic Poets' Societies, School Scout and Guide troops, a shadow school board of pupils charged with developing Catholic social and charitable events.

The list could go on, but you get the idea.

The second step, that of training, would be aimed at Catholic adults. It would need to be doctrinally sound and morally unambiguous.
The schedule would include the doctrinal and dogmatic elements of the Faith, the primacy of the Papacy, the role of the Magisterium and the responsibilities of the hierarchy.
 The role of the priest as an "other Christ" and the cultural and social role of Catholics both within the Church and in the outside world.

And maybe one or two 'out' sessions where a more spiritual element is introduced by studying the Ten Commandments or how greater reverence can be introduced into the parish.

Thirdly, I would argue that 'Liturgy' should be properly ordered so that we begin to regain some semblance of continuity and community.

Most members of the laity have either forgotten or do not know what is expected of them at Mass and, I suspect are ignorant of the liturgical riches that should be readily available.

Benediction, Stations of the Cross (not just during Lent), the Angelus, Forty hours Devotion, the Rosary.

So, parish priests should have their authority restored so that they may impose (yep, that is what it needs) the correct way of behaving in church; no loud chatter and laughter, genuflection before the Blessed Sacrament, dignity at all times, abolition of the KoP, appropriate dress codes, reception of the Eucharist in a reverent manner and, above all else, the awareness of what takes place during the Consecration; the fact that bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Our Lord while still maintaining the characteristics of bread and wine.

 That is, the most vital element of all.

And finally, an integral overarching component of all three of the strategies, Education, Training and Liturgy, is to make the Mass in the Extraordinary Form available on every Sunday in every parish church throughout the world.

Oh, and Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion should be done away with, not with a hatchet but with charity.

Do all of the above and the souls of many will be saved and the demands of Fatima fulfilled.

And Satan and all his works will be thwarted.

But will it happen? Heaven help us! Literally.

Over 800 signatories opposing Muslim Prayer Rooms

                                                                                Photo: Rorate Caeli


Yes, I am pretty much confident that our list of names of those who believe that the provision of Muslim Prayer Rooms in Catholic Schools is nothing short of scandalous would include 'The Otranto 800' (read HERE) were they still on this earth....

.....as well as St James Matamoros.....and quite a few others

A good initiative for the Bishops.....

....and not too challenging.

Father John Abberton on Stella Maris has a brief cri de coeur post on the parlous state of Catholic Education in the west.
He has posted that, along with homosexual factions within the Vatican and a general lack of adherence to Church teaching on homosexuality, the Holy Father should look next to Catholic Education in schools and, I suspect Fr A would also include, parishes.

Of course, if we had Bishops of any calibre, they would have already sorted this problem, it's not rocket science.

But, it occurs to me that there is one move that could be implemented quickly and effectively.

Maybe 'Catholic Doctrinal Studies?'

The Bishops, collectively, could develop a GCSE level course on Catholic Doctrinal Teaching; there is no reason why it should remain at this level, it could also be developed as a National Diploma in time.

Catholic Secondary schools would be directed to include this course as a mandatory part of the curriculum and application made to resolving the restrictions posed by the national curriculum (believe me, there are ways around this obstacle).

This qualification would provide a useful foil to the standard Religious Education examination that focuses on comparative studies.

Now, provided that the syllabus was designed in a manner faithful to Catholic teaching (and not handed over to a bunch of liturgical harpies) this would be a good way of reclaiming lost ground; not the only way by any means, but a good start.

So what are the chances of their Lordships taking up a scheme along these lines?

Hen's teeth, flying pigs and rocking horse dung spring to mind.


 

Why have Catholic Schools and Colleges?

 Umm…. to demonstrate that all faiths are one really? That we're all members of the same club? To provide for pupils of all faith backgrounds?

A few extracts from the website of a Diocese that has integrity and truth
 at its heart….

“Teachers in Catholic schools have the privilege of leading pupils in the faith, nurturing them to a fuller knowledge and love of God working in the Church.  This is or course no easy task, but there are many resources that can be of help”.

and….

“In a Catholic school the following will be integrated into the induction standards:

·        The distinctive nature of the Catholic school;

·        Provision for spiritual and moral development across the curriculum;

·        Curriculum religious education in the Catholic school;

·        Worship in the Catholic school;

·        The teaching of the Catholic Church.”

….and also….

“The Church as always promoted education.  God made the world, and everything and everybody in it; and the more we understand the world, its history, and our place in it as human beings, the better equipped

we are to increase our faith and hope in God, our love for God and our neighbour, and our love for the Church on earth, in and through which God invites us all to come to know, love and serve him.

As the Catechism says, “Parents are the principal and first educators of their children”.  So all schools exist to help parents to fulfil this duty and privilege of providing education.  A short answer to the question “Why have Catholic schools and colleges?”  is, “So that Catholic parents can have the best opportunities for enabling their children to grow to responsible adulthood in the knowledge and love of God and neighbour”, or putting it another way, “the best opportunities for helping their children to develop a deeply-rooted and fully mature Catholic faith and life”.

This means that the schools and colleges must be good schools and colleges – they must do their best to provide competent or even excellent teaching through a full and well-balanced curriculum, in a good atmosphere which encourages achievement.  And they must be Catholic schools and colleges: not in theory or in name only, but by way of a readiness to promote understanding of and commitment to the fullness of Catholic truth and sacramental life, even in the face of the increasing rejection of Catholic values (which are truly human values, to be embraced by everybody, not only Catholics) by people with power and influence in today’s world.

It is a great blessing that there are many Catholic schools and colleges in England and Wales.  The majority of these schools are “maintained schools” and most are classed as voluntary aided schools which since 1944 have been able to provide education for Catholic pupils and other pupils without school fees, as all the recurring expenses of the schools are paid by Government”.

Now, could you please hazard a guess as to which Diocese in England and Wales has these aspirations and standards?

Answers in the comment box please, no prizes, sorry.

"Hallo Mary, full of grace.........."

                                       

There is a particular type of academic, or pseudo academic, who appears to place more importance on the political correctness of the spiritual life than in, say, piety or reverence or, even, prayer.

Now, as most of you will know, I am untainted by the Novus Ordo, I only attend, if necessary, at funerals or weddings (more funerals these days).

And the high jinxes of the congregation and, very often, the priest, leave me feeling that my purpose in life has ended and the world has finally gone round the twist.

A few weeks ago, at the candlelight procession in Fatima, the Rosary was recited as normal.

Just as at Lourdes, different nationalities took it in turns to say the decades.

First we had the Portuguese version, (naturally), then the French, Spanish and so on until it was Britain's turn.

I have often wondered what is meant by 'estuarial English', now I know.

The female's voice was distinctly the wrong end of the Thames Valley, not improved by the fact that she appeared to have a clothes peg on the end of her nose.

But worse was to come. She recited the Hail Marys in the fashion of the day.

No 'Thys' or 'Thous'......it went something like this:-

"Hail Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus"

Perhaps that is how everyone says the Rosary these days; but it grated, sounding vile and worldly and it has led me into researching more into the sin of inclusivity that seems to have permeated HMC over the past 25 years in particular.

This may seem trivial but, as Father Baker of Downham Market once said about the post V2 changes: "The Church has been put in a boiler suit".

And saying the 'Hail Mary' in this fashion is just another example of pc stupidity, reducing what should be holy to street level.

In my researches I have come up with some interesting findings......more, much more on the inclusive language agenda that is being shoved down the throats of the gullible Catholic; but that is something thee will have to wait for.

A three minute trawl of the internet....

How to celebrate the feast of St Thomas More

.......poor old David Cameron was put on the spot when TV show host, Philip Schofield, presented him with a list of (alleged) paedophiles last week.

If I had been Cameron I think I would have been tempted to tell Schofield to stuff it where the sun never shines. The move smacks of pomposity and attention grabbing.

So, never slow to jump on a bandwagon, I have compiled a 3 minute internet list, not of paedophiles but of (I believe) Catholic Primary Schools who have all made a visit to a Hindu Temple, Mosque or whatever.
I promise that this will be my last post on the subject; even I am getting bored with it.

But, it's a big problem.

Schools are trotting off willy nilly to take young and impressionable children to visit and invariably take part in non Christian activities, often, it appears, rituals involving food (nuts) and drink.

All of the schools involved carry details regarding their visit on their website...here's my 3 minutes worth of internet research list:-

1. St Anne’s Primary School, Birmingham
2. St Patrick’s Plumstead London
3. St Joseph’s Leeds
4. St Vincent’s Rochdale (temple and mosque)
5. St Mary’s Bath
6. St Thomas More Birmingham
7. St Mary’s Isleworth
8. St Thomas of Canterbury
9. St Phillip Evans Cardiff
10. Holy Rood School Barnsley (Buddhist)

And, just to highlight one small part of the problem, here is what St Thomas More School state on their website regarding such events...my comments in red...

"As part of our global dimension week (what?) we enjoyed learning all about the festivals of Divali and Holi.

The children enjoyed re-telling the story of Divali using puppets and artefacts.

When exploring the festival of Holi the children had the opportunity to experiment with lots of different colours by mixing and painting (that used to be called an art class). They produced some beautiful, colourful work.

To celebrate the feast of St Thomas More the children had lots of fun learning different circus skills". (Well, of course, what else would one do on a Saints' feastday but teach a bit of juggling and clowning around).

I am sure that, if I spent a morning on the computer, I would find many, many more examples.

It's yet another indicator of how fuzzy thinking has crept into the Faith like dry rot infiltrates timber leaving it looking sound but, in effect, having no integrity and crumbling at a touch.

The Bishop and the Vaughan....

Damian Thompson reports in depth on the latest Cardinal Vaughan School news regarding the Bishop who states that Michael Gove never spoke to Archbishop Nichols.....you may read it here (Telegraph Blogs)

Meanwhile...........

                                     Would you buy a used car from this man?


Picture: Daily Telegraph