Fatima Pilgrimage Information
Bmibaby Flight details/dates – Monday 22 September to Saturday 27 September 2008
Birmingham to Lisbon
Monday 22 September
Flight No: WW 1645
Departs: 16:25
Arrives: 19:20
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Lisbon to Birmingham
Saturday 27 September
Flight No: WW 1646
Departs: 17:10
Arrives: 19:55
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Basic Cost for flight, transfers, and hotel, per person, sharing, is £300.
Staying at: Solar da Marta Hotel, (http://www.solar-damarta.com), a lovely family run residence, with its own chapel, offering homely half-board accommodation within only a few minutes walking distance of the Basilica and the Capelinha.
This will be a spiritual pilgrimage focusing on absorbing the beautiful message given to Jacinta, Francisco and Lucia at Fatima by Our Lady, as way of deepening the spiritual life of pilgrims.
Click here for more details ....
Francis Phillips reviews Faith, Reason, and The War against Jihadism, by George Weigel
"George Weigel is Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Centre in Washington DC and the author of many books exploring the relationship between faith and culture. Here he brings his voice to the urgent debate that has arisen since 9/11 2001 and the destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York, asking: what are the right tools for winning the war against terror? In this thought-provoking brief survey he examines the history of jihadism and the weaknesses and strengths of the West in facing it. In this he leans heavily on the work of two scholars of modern Islam, Lawrence Wright and Bernard Lewis. His book is divided into three parts: understanding the enemy, rethinking realism and deserving victory. It should be read by, among others, all thoughtful atheists (not an oxymoron)."
Francis Phillips reviews The Wisdom of Nazareth, Family Publications, £8.95
"The stories of Catholic family life collected in this volume originated in Nazareth Journal. I first discovered this inspiring Canadian quarterly magazine – alas, now defunct - in the early 1990s and was bowled over by the frankness and faith of the contributors. Every time it arrived on the mat I would drop everything and read it from cover to cover. And thus “Catholic family life” changed from being a pious ideal which it seemed impossible to measure up to, into vivid stories of ordinary men and women who, despite the usual hardships and difficulties of outrageous fortune, were leading lives of steadfastness, humour and fidelity to the teachings of the Church according to the theology of the body articulated by John Paul II. Key influences behind the stories are the papal encyclicals Familiaris Consortio and Humanae Vitae."
Have set up a blog at:
http://theotokos-books.blogspot.com/
please feel free to visit it and comment on anything posted!
Another new blog is at: http://cosmaspravin.blogspot.com/
Dialogue Ireland is an independent Trust promoting awareness and understanding of New Religious Movements and cultism, at the service of the churches, religions and Irish society.
Humanae Vitae: A Defence by Dr Pravin Thevathasan
"When asked by Bertie Wooster if there was anything in the papers, Jeeves replied that there was “Some slight friction threatening in the Balkans, otherwise nothing.” Some “slight friction” occurred 40 years ago when Pope Paul issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae. It caused quiet a stir as there had been an expectation that the Church was about to reverse its constant teaching that artificial contraception in marriage is inherently immoral. Pope Paul wrote ; “I am sorry but as I am only the Pope, I am unable to change the natural moral law”-or words to that effect."
Francis Phillips reviews The Realm, by Aidan Nichols O.P.
"The title of this work might sound a little antiquated – a word such as one might find in Shakespeare – but there is nothing antiquated about Father Aidan Nichols’ new book. At only 160 pages, it fizzes with stimulating thoughts and ideas. This should not surprise; Nichols is a Dominican friar from Cambridge, now John Paul II Memorial Visiting Lecturer at Oxford, and the Dominicans were founded to preach the word of God against heretics."
The latest info about Vassula Ryden can be seen at:
http://www.infovassula.ch/dermine.htm
Father Dermine is considered an expert in mysticism and alternative religious forms. He is a professor of moral theology, a member of the executive council of GRIS (a research group on religious phenomena, consultant to the Italian Bishops’ Conference) and official exorcist of his diocese. In 1995 he published Vassula Rydén – Indagine Critica, a detailed study of the TLIG messages.
In this new article Father Dermine focuses on some of the many reasons why Vassula Rydén’s messages have not been recognized as authentic, and comments some recent events. He presents for the first time on the Internet proof of the censuring and modification of the original messages.
Book Reviews from Francis Phillips
The President, the Pope, and the Prime Minister. By John O’Sullivan
John Henry Newman in His Time. Ed. Philippe Lefebvre & Colin Mason
Mothering: A Spiritual and Practical Approach By Anna Melchior
No Place For God: The Denial of the Transcendent in Modern Church Architecture. By Moyra Doorly
Edith Stein: A Philosophical Prologue. By Alasdair Macintyre
The English Cardinals. By Frs Nicholas Schofield & Gerard Skinner
“James, by the Grace of God…” By Hugh Ross Williamson
Spiritual Books for June 2007
Spiritual Books for May 2007
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion?
Medjugorje Evaluated In New Study, a review by James Likoudis
"British author Donal Anthony Foley, a well-known author on Marian apparitions, has written Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion (£12.95, Theotokos Books, P.O. Box 8570, Nottingham, England)
"English-speaking readers will find it an excellent summary of the evidence for and against the authenticity of the apparitions alleged to have begun 25 years ago in the village of Medjugorje in the former Yugoslavia. Medjugorje has been the subject of passionate controversy ever since the visionaries first claimed to see the Blessed Virgin on 24 June 1981. The result: 30 million Catholics visiting the site of the apparitions and presuming their authenticity contrary to the repeated judgments of the two Bishops of Mostar-Duvno who have studied the events."
For full review, click here ...
Reviewed by Jackie Parkes (http://catholicmomof10.blogspot.com)
Mrs Jackie Parkes is a former Medjugorje supporter who has taken groups there in the past, but who now encourages people to adopt a more sceptical attitude towards the alleged visionaries and their claims. She was familiar with some of the visionaries and the Franciscan priests involved with Medjugorje, and so her testimony is particularly valuable.
The war in Bosnia-Herzogovina in the early 90s dramatically cut the number of pilgrims to Medjugorje. However, I took a party of 30 including 2 Priests during the war. It was such an outrageous venture that ‘The Independent’ newspaper sent a correspondent with us. I have that article still and can see with hindsight that he thought we were a little mad! The party included members of my family - my mother, sister, brother, uncle, 2 aunts, and cousin. Looking back, I think we were very foolish, though thankfully we remained safe.
I would like to look at Medjugorje initially under a number of aspects, before giving my own thoughts and feelings about both the book and my own experiences.
For full review, click here ...
Understanding Medjugorje: Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion? (Theotokos Books), by Donal Anthony Foley, was published just over a year ago but there has yet to be any cogent criticism of it.
This is the review by Michael Rose, the author of the bestselling Goodbye Good Men.
"Although the subtitle of Donal Anthony Foley's Understanding Medjugorje is Heavenly Visions or Religious Illusion? there is no question in the mind or writing of the author that the answer is "illusion." Add to that, fraud and deceit. The alleged visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a backwater town of former Yugoslavia (now Bosnia-Herzegovina) since 1981 continue to attract religious thrill seekers in droves.
"What most Medjugorje pilgrims don't know, suggests Foley, is the sordid history surrounding the visionaries and the the religious order that has promoted the alleged visions over the past quarter century. Sexual scandal, ecclesial disobedience, an attack on the local bishop, and outright fraud are just some of the compelling reasons to question the authenticity of the visions and the motives of its promoters.
"Unlike previous slovenly-written attempts by other authors to expose the Medjugorje deception, Foley's offering provides an informative, compelling and persuasive argument to give Medjugorje a wide berth."
New Oxford Review Bookmarks at: www.newoxfordreview.org/bookmarks-1.jsp
Win a copy of the Second Catholic Quiz book by Leo Madigan!
Just get a copy of the latest issue of Catholic Life magazine, and enter the quiz.
This magazine can be found at the back of many churches in Britain, and is full of interesting articles about diverse aspects of Catholicism, including Church history, lives of saints, and pilgrimages.
You can either send in your answers to Gabriel Communications in Manchester, on a post card, or email them to the address provided.
Pro Ecclesia now have a page containing a list of catechetical and devotional talks by eminent Catholic speakers.Titles already include the catechetical series "What We Catholics Believe" by Daphne McLeod, "A Catechism of Christian Doctrine" by Fr Hugh Thwaites SJ, and "Ye Shall Know the Truth" - a series of 50 catechetical talks by the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
The files are recorded in MP3 format and can be listened to through Windows Media Player. In the interests of making the teachings of the Catholic Church available to all, the speakers have donated these recordings to Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice for free downloading and distribution. For more details visit:
www.proecclesia.com
NEW! The Fatima Guide:The Essential Companion for English-Speaking Pilgrims
This is a delightful full colour guide to Fatima by Baron Lumiar, packed full of information about the shrine.
It contains over 200 photographs from private collections and from the Fatima archives, and is the only comprehensive fully illustrated guide to the shrine in any language.
It contains everything a visitor to the 90 year old Portuguese Shrine could want to know about the history, inhabitants, layout, devotions, services and facilities.
It is an encyclopedic key to Fatima, which is more than a vademecum - it's also a souvenir!
Only $28.95 including shipping and handling
Click here for some graphics and page views from: The Fatima Guide
