Best of St. Blog's UK 2006!

A short while ago, while plodding my self-appointed "beat" of St. Blog's "Parish" UK, I came across this post and took it for a sort of auspice.

So, now that the ball is rolling, as it were, let's see what kind of moss it picks up!

Ahhh... mixed metaphors. Gotta love 'em. Or I'd cry. Or something.

I may even put together a list once the meme starts Petering out :D

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As I am fond of mentioning, my brother was named for a saint, and I for a politician!

So in the same spirit, here are some New Blogs! (TM) but this time, from two somewhat well-know UK politicians:

The Blair Blog!

The WebCameron!

Well, politics there must be, whether you like it or not. So, we should all keep in touch with it. I think you'll find if you look in Vatican II or the Catechism, you'll find it's a duty for all Catholics to be actively involved in improving politics and the common life of society.

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Finally, Cardinal O'Connor invites doctors and medical students to discuss Catholic medical ethics. Brilliant idea, let's pray that it brings much fruit.

So who will be next Archbishop of Westminster?

Today's issue of the Racing Post gives half a page to an article about the "contest" to succeed Cormac Murphy-O'Connor. The article is written by Simon Caldwell. They have a website, but articles are not available online unless you register.

Apparently a leading Irish firm of bookmakers have opened a book on this market; since firms of bookmakers are major advertisers with the Racing Post, the paper is never shy of rewarding them with publicity.

ARCHBISHOP Kevin McDonald of Southwark is a 7-2 favourite with Paddy Power to be the next Archbishop of Westminster following mounting speculation that Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor could retire before Christmas.

Murphy-O'Connor, Britain's most senior Catholic cleric, is obliged to offer his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI when he turns 75 on August 24 next year.

Some reckon the Pope may ask him to serve another year, but rumours are also circulating that health problems could mean that Murphy-O'Connor may be asked to retire before the end of December.

The piece quotes Dr William Oddie, whom they describe as "former editor of The Catholic Herald": "(Peter) Smith should be shorter than 10-1. He is orthodox in his beliefs and has a better manner than most of the others. He is excellent at dealing with the media".

The bookies' own list of "candidates" reads:

7-2 Kevin McDonald (Archbishop of Southwark)
9-2 Alan Hopes (Aux Bishop of Westminster)
9-2 Aidan Nichols OP
5 Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Birmingham)
7 Michael Fitzgerald (Papal Nuncio in Egypt)
8 Patrick Kelly (Archbishop of Liverpool)
8 Arthur Roche (Bishop of Leeds)
10 Peter Smith (Archbishop of Cardiff)
12 Bernard Longley (Aux Bishop of Westminster)
14 Michael Evans (Bishop of East Anglia)
14 Timothy Radcliffe OP
16 Patrick O'Donoghue (Bishop of Lancaster)
20 John Rawsthorne (Bishop of Hallam)
25 John Crowley (Bishop of Middlesborough)

More playing the numbers game...

Churches Face a Continuing Fall in Attendance at Zenit news service.

A nice story about the statistics of the Church in the British Isles. Hmmm.

What has changed about Christianity? Nothing. We have changed, but Christ remains the most attractive thing in life.

It reminds me of what Rich Mullins said; you don't need to "make Christianity relevant", it is relevant, always, but we don't get Christianity. If God became man, and meets us still in this company of men, it changes everything. This is all we have to verify, every day.