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Pope Francis closes the Synod

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Commentators have praised Pope Francis’s closing comments at the recent Synod. Here are some extracts, starting with some “temptations”….

“One, a temptation to hostile inflexibility or rigidity, that is, wanting to close oneself – within the written word, (the letter) and not allowing oneself to be surprised by God, by the God of surprises, (the spirit); within the law, within the certitude of what we know, and not of what we still need to learn and to achieve. From the time of Christ, it is the temptation of the zealous, of the scrupulous, of the solicitous and of the so-called “traditionalists” and also of the intellectuals.

The temptation to a destructive tendency to “goodness” that in the name of a deceptive mercy binds the wounds without first curing them and treating them; that treats the symptoms and not the causes and the roots. It is the temptation of the “do-gooders,” of the fearful, and also of the so-called “progressives and liberals.”

The temptation to come down off the Cross, to please the people, and not stay there, in order to fulfill the will of the Father; to bow down to a worldly spirit instead of purifying it and bending it to the Spirit of God.”

Later Pope Francis talked eloquently about the Church:

“This is the Church, the vineyard of the Lord, the fertile Mother and the caring Teacher, who is not afraid to roll up her sleeves to pour oil and wine on people’s wound; who doesn’t see humanity as a house of glass to judge or categorize people. This is the Church, One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and composed of sinners, needful of God’s mercy. This is the Church, the true bride of Christ, who seeks to be faithful to her spouse and to her doctrine. It is the Church that is not afraid to eat and drink with prostitutes and publicans. The Church that has the doors wide open to receive the needy, the penitent, and not only the just or those who believe they are perfect! The Church that is not ashamed of the fallen brother and pretends not to see him, but on the contrary feels involved and almost obliged to lift him up and to encourage him to take up the journey again and accompany him toward a definitive encounter with her Spouse, in the heavenly Jerusalem.

…We still have one year to mature… the proposed ideas and to find concrete solutions to so many difficulties and innumerable challenges that families must confront; to give answers to the many discouragements that surround and suffocate families.”

Fr Matthew

St Teresa of Avila

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Teresa of Avila, a Discalced Carmelite and Doctor of the Church, is one of my favourite saints. I first came across her through studying Spanish literature in school and university. I was struck by her astonishing spirituality. joined to a well-earthed humanity. Indeed, I see her as one of the main influences in my becoming a priest. Next March sees the 500th anniversary of her birth, and the church in many places is observing a Year of St Teresa from her feast last Tuesday to the same date next year.

To mark this special year, Pope Francis has sent a message to the Bishop of Avila, an ancient city northwest of Madrid in the stark landscape of Castile in central Spain. He writes that St Teresa teaches us that the path to God is the path towards love for one another. He underlines that this great Saint, who was born on the 28th of March 1515 and died on the 4th of October 1582, was a woman of immense spirituality. He focuses on four gifts in particular that she possessed, those being joy, prayer, fellowship and being in touch with the realities of her own time. Not a bad list, and such a accurate description!

The Pope writes that St Teresa emphasizes the joy in discovering God, resulting in the love for one another that is nourished by prayer. This, he says, “overcomes pessimism and generates good deeds.” Focusing on the Carmelite nun’s mystical experience, the Pope says that it did not separate her from the world or from the concerns of the people. On the contrary, he adds that she has given “a new impetus and courage for action.”

Pope Francis notes that what St Teresa has to say through her writings has “perennial relevance” and he adds that it applies to individuals in their journey towards God and men. I’ll share some more from the great St Teresa, perhaps, as the Year goes on.

Fr Matthew

The class of 2014

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Exam results for the Class of 2014 at our Catholic High School, Corpus Christi, exceeded expectations this summer. David Cushion and Angela Thomas, previous and present acting Head Teachers, tell us that staff, parents and pupils are delighted.

While no pupil left the School without a recognised qualification, 99% gained at least 5 A* – G grades. Within them, 89% achieved at least 5 A* – C grades, including 77% with the “all important” English and Maths, and 73% including English, Maths and Science.

An unprecedented number achieved top grades in their GCSEs. 28 pupils gained at least 10 subjects at A*/A grade. One gained 11 A* – doing Music as an extra, and 6 pupils gained 10 A* grades, while 3 got 9 A* and 1 A. As mentioned, the school is particularly pleased with the 5 A* – C results that include English and Maths. These have risen again this year, from 57% in 2012 and 66% in 2013 to 77% this year. A* – C grades in general also have risen from 78% to 80% to 89%. This shows fantastic progress, which the School is, of course, determined to continue.

While academic results are far from being the only matter of importance in a Catholic school like Corpus Christi, with its motto “Together we are the Body of Christ”, we are, like all schools, obliged to do the best we can for our young parishioners in the academic as much as in the spiritual or any other area. We are just as pleased when visitors to Corpus Christi comment on the good behaviour, or the warm atmosphere found there.

So well done, year of 2014! At least one pupil from the new Year 11 has told me, with a resigned look, that the bar has now been set high. Well done year of 2014, and well done Corpus Christi!

Fr Matthew