@GordonFbpe @liturgicalben Why should there be areas of the country where one is forbidden to pray silently in one's own head?
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Fr Gary Dench
3.3K posts
Fr Gary Dench
@garydench
Canonist. Cerimoniere. Parish Priest.
Essex Katılım Şubat 2021
1K Takip Edilen1.9K Takipçiler
@garydench @liturgicalben Yes and this woman has broken the legal exclusion zone several times.
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And yet Ed Davey supports Christians being arrested for praying *silently* in public places.
Ed Davey@EdwardJDavey
Imagine seeing British people at prayer and thinking “this is a great chance to stoke fear, hatred and division”. People who do that should have no place in British politics. Freedom to worship is a fundamental British value – one the Conservative Party used to believe in.
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The bizarre double-think of some of our politicians is both shocking and terrifying. If you're Ed Davey, Stella Creasy or the PM, one of these should be celebrated, and the other arrested.
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@nicksadler62 If you want to see something very depressing, have a look on YouTube and compare the quality of the exchange at Prime Minister's Questions from 30 years ago to today.
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@garydench The post 2015 election cohorts of MPs in this country has been staggering poor in their quality
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@GordonFbpe @liturgicalben Why should anywhere be an 'exclusion zone' for interior and silent prayer? Either Ed Davey believes 'freedom to worship' is a fundamental British value or not. We're not talking about disruptive activity, loud activity, or the domination of a public space. It's silent prayer.
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@garydench @liturgicalben Breaking exclusion zones.
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Of course, Christians don't enjoy these special privileges, but others do. It only seems to be Christians arrested in the streets for praying. Where were the main party leaders when Adam Smith-Connor(a military veteran)and Isabel Vaughan-Spruce were arrested for praying silently?
Albie@albieamankona
This is un-British nonsense. Churches should not enjoy special privileges to hold mass prayer in public spaces while other faiths are restricted. The British instinct is straightforward: either everyone is allowed, or no one is. In truth, I suspect most of the public would prefer the latter. In the UK, faith has traditionally been treated as a private matter. Overt public displays of religion tend to sit uneasily with that cultural norm. I say this as a practising Christian. Few things irritate me more than street preachers with loudspeakers turning public spaces into platforms for performance rather than reflection. My church, the Church of England, should stay out of it.
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
The Lib Dem manifesto includes a commitment to "enforcing safe access zones around abortion clinics and hospitals" - ie the zones that ban prayer in a public place.
None of this conversation makes sense. It's not about philosophical consistency, it's about culture war.
Ed Davey@EdwardJDavey
Imagine seeing British people at prayer and thinking “this is a great chance to stoke fear, hatred and division”. People who do that should have no place in British politics. Freedom to worship is a fundamental British value – one the Conservative Party used to believe in.
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At first I thought this was a portrait of Alan Partridge.
Lib Dem Life (Simon McGrath)@libdemlife
a curiously poor picture of Clegg, unveiled at the National Liberal Club yesterday
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
Remembering HM the King has an image of St Joseph on his desk.
Andrew Cusack@cusackandrew
Quite re-assuring that the future head of the great family that is our realm and commonwealth has an icon of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – on his desk.
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
In a devastating moment for our country, the House of Lords has voted for an amendment which would legalise abortion up to birth. In reaction to this tragic news, Archbishop John Wilson said:
"This is a truly tragic moment for our nation. How can this frightening legislation, which, following Royal Assent, will permit the abortion of children right up until the moment of birth for any reason, have any place in a civilised society? We can never underestimate the challenges that women and men facing difficult decisions. There is, however, another life involved which is now to be ignored and silenced. There are also serious concerns for the safety of women. While there is an even more difficult journey now to protect the unborn child, we must continue to speak up for the voiceless and work to protect the most vulnerable who are no longer protected by the law.
“As Christians, we affirm that each of us is loved by God and each of us is made in God’s image and likeness. Our innate human dignity is not something granted at birth, but exists from the moment of conception. The increasing advances that allow babies born prematurely to live full and happy lives stands in stark contrast to this legislation. This is fundamentally a matter of justice and this legislation, which favours some lives over others, increases inequality in our society.”
St Joseph, protector of expecting mothers and unborn children, pray for us
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@SeanPurcell82 @liturgicalben Most dioceses publish these figures in their directories.
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@garydench @liturgicalben Is there any source where we can see the situation of priests and permanent deacons in other diocese?
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'There are currently 73 parishes in Leeds Diocese and 69 in Middlesbrough. Sixty-two priests are active in Leeds and 29 priests are active in Middlesbrough.'
29 priests and 69 parishes. . .
thetablet.co.uk/news/potential…
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@terence_gr95442 Interesting. That certainly clarifies things. I would assume Leeds uses priests from religious orders and abroad as well, so the figures would not be comparative at all then. Of course, some priests would certainly be running multiple parishes. I look after two, for instance.
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@garydench This article is slightly misleading. I believe we currently have 29 diocesan priests in Middlesbrough but they don't currently look after our 69 parishes on their own. We rely heavily on a number of missionaries from Nigeria, India, etc. and priests from other dioceses.
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
The early Christians lived for centuries in societies that thought nothing of the lives of the helpless, weak and dependent: the rule of the whims of the strong, autonomous and dominant was the norm. They had to be lights to the world against that darkness. So will we again
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A humble offering for the Solemnity of St Joseph
thecatholicherald.com/article/st-jos…
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
Tonight peers vote on abortion: a social justice issue.
In one ward, doctors fight to save a baby. In another, they kill a baby. The difference, very often, comes down to which baby is wanted or can be afforded.
Where is the equality? Where is the fairness?
1/2
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Fr Gary Dench retweetledi
Long thread but absolutely damning of the shocking dishonest behaviour of Lord Falconer and Kim Leadbeater
Dennis Noel Kavanagh@Jebadoo2
1/ It is rather galling to hear Lord Falconer and pals complain about the Lords scrutinising his dreadful bill and imply some sort of skullduggery is going on. This is a de facto government bill masquerading as a PMB in order to dampen down Labour opposition in the commons.
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Today is World Leprosy Day and I'd like to draw your attention to wonderful organisation to which I have the pleasure of being Spiritual Director. It's the UK’s only Catholic leprosy charity and it has been caring for people with leprosy for 130 years. prayers.www.stfrancisleprosy.org
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