Friday Sept 22nd
Asked for advice by another Catholic commentator invited to do a BBC interview....I have also been thinking of things I would like to say when given next opportunity. Here's one: life was not easy for Catholics in Britain for approx 300 years - illegal to be a priest ( for many years, it meant death penalty) , Mass was banned, Catholics banned from public office, etc. Islam has never been subject to these restrictions, and when Islamic immigration began in 1960s, special laws were introduced to give extra protection so that they and other arrivals would would have complete freedom to flourish. Today, there are still officially some restrictions on Catholics - but we honestly don't mind and mostly laugh at them (eg we can't marry into the Royal family without special consent!). But we do ask that our Moslem friends and neighbours refrain from yelling abuse at us when we go to church and from insulting our Holy Father.

Current Catholic Herald newspaper is a must-read - has full text of Holy father's Regensberg lecture and some xecellent features, notably one by Stuart Reid of the Spectator.