Archbishop Vincent Nichols Distances Himself from the Truth

The UK: A moral 'wasteland'

What do you call a country in which abortion rates average around 200,000 a year?

What do you call a country in which abortion inducing pills are as available as sweets?

What do you call a country that deliberately undermines Marriage and encourages divorce?

What do you call a country that actively promotes homosexual behaviour?

What do you call a country that promotes policies that encourage the persecution of the poor and vulnerable?

What do you call a country that far from being able to bring itself to condemn vice, condemns those who do so?

Well, you call that country the United Kingdom. Edmund Adamu, a senior adviser to Archbishop Vincent Nichols has eloquently described the moral condition of the United Kingdom and he has caught the headlines, describing the UK as...

"A selfish, hedonistic wasteland" and "the geopolitical epicentre of the culture of death".

Unfortunately, what has also caught the headlines is that the man he advises, the Archbishop of Westminster, Vincent Nichols, has distanced himself from the comments of his adviser. According to The Guardian, a spokesman for the Archbishop said 'the views expressed by Adamus...

"Did not reflect the Archbishop's opinions".

I would love to know, what does Archbishop Vincent Nichols think about the moral condition of the United Kingdom? I mean, without wishing to sound out of turn, the British public do kind of expect and certainly faithful Catholics expect senior clergy and Church hierarchy to bewail the moral morass in which the nation finds itself through the sin and selfishness of its citizens. It is, as we know, a Work of Mercy to correct sinners and instruct the ignorant and yes, we all need correcting and instructing, but how much this country needs the Gospel! People who watch on the TV or read the newspapers might think or say, "...I can't stand the Church with its constant moralising...bastards...", but really, come on! A Church that is not constantly moralising and teaching the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ is barely a Church at all! Where are the Catholic Voices!? What has happened to them and more importantly, what has happened to the voices of our Shepherds!?

Playing it safe and keeping schtum about national and individual vice, which creates countless casualties, will not win converts, save souls, bring the lapsed home or even gain the Catholic Church a modicum of credibility. It really is not fair of the Archbishop to "distance himself" from these strikingly bold statements. It is not fair on the Church Militant as a whole, the brave and vocal Priests and, indeed, Laity, or any faithful Catholic, to leave the proclamation of unpopular truths to them and run and duck for cover when difficult questions are asked. Moreover, it is certainly grossly unjust to leave the proclamation of these unpopular truths to the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI! As the Successor of St Peter, he is, by his very Office, the man in the Church who arouses the most suspicion, derision and anger in the UK.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols

Because Pope Benedict XVI is faithful to his duty, as the Successor of St Peter, to remind nations of the huge cost of our Redemption, warn the World of the horror of sin and urge men and women to repentance and to follow Christ, the Holy Father will doubtless, during his visit, draw vast criticism from the ungodly and take it upon himself. He is Peter who 'strengthens the brethren'. Please, Bishops of England and Wales, make an effort to strengthen him so that his is not the lone voice in the wilderness, the wasteland! Please, dear Bishops, accept a share in the humiliations and sufferings of your Pope, our Pope, Christ's Vicar on Earth! Be willing to accept the derision of the populace! Our Blessed Lord is with His Church until the End of Time and has told us that the names of those who endure persecution for the sake of Christ and His Gospel are written in Heaven! Keeping silence when justice, and the just, are mocked simply will not do!

According to The Independent, which, let's face it, when it comes to Catholicism is about as 'independent' as the Orange Order preparing to march through Belfast, 'Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights group Stonewall, said Mr Adamus's comments would do little to foster a healthy atmosphere for the Pope's visit.'

"Of course the Pope should visit Britain. But the gratuitously offensive comments being made by the Archbishop's adviser are hardly likely to promote sensitive debate about respect for religion in the 21st century. You would think that, given its present status, the Roman Catholic Church in Britain would be slightly more sensitive about wagging its finger at other people," he said.

In other words..."Stop wagging your fingers at us, you bunch of paedos and paedo cover-uppers! Queer bashers!"

What Ben is not seeing, or is perhaps able to see, is that when individuals in the Church are guilty of crimes against the child, or indeed any grave and serious scandal, or when it is revealed that other reckless individuals covered-up those scandals, the whole Church, led by Pope Benedict XVI, condemns those actions outright, implores God's mercy for those who abused the trust given them, prays for the healing of those victims and urges the whole Church to do reparation and deepen their respect and reverence for the Blessed Sacrament.

'Gay Rights Campaigner', Peter Tatchell

This is in stark contrast to groups like Stonewall, who not only applaud and promote homosexual activity but have, in Peter Tatchell, someone who wishes to lower the age of consent for homosexual and heterosexual sex to 14. Hmm...What is it with the militant gay community and the desire to see the potential option of having sex with 14-year-old boys become enshrined in legislation?! The Church condemns both homosexual acts and crimes against the child. Both happen to be sins crying out to Heaven for vengeance. Stonewall, on the other hand, condemn the Church while promoting homosexual activity and policies that leave minors wide open to sexual coercion and, indeed, sexual abuse!

Of course, in Tatchell's language, these are 14-year-old's "sexual rights" we're talking about here! How convenient! Adults proposing and drafting new "sexual rights" for children! Obviously, the kids are crying out for this, because we see hoardes of 14-year-olds, just coming to terms with their changing bodies, in their school uniforms, with their packed lunches, marching down the street annually after double maths for the right to gay sex don't we!? Face it, Ben. You may believe that children are not safe in the hands of the Church and you can believe that if you choose, but I can't see for the life of me how children are safe in the hands of Stonewall!