Saturday, September 17, 2011

The BBC....

...contacted me to ask if I would talk about the revival of the no-meat-on-Friday rule. Delighted. In the event it turned out that there were so many people 'phoning in to talk about the previous subject on the programme - corporal punishment in schools, for which a majority of parents have apparently come out in favour! - that the discussion about Fridays was postponed for almost an hour. But then when it did take place we had a full and lengthy discussion, and it was in fact the first time in a great while that I've been on a radio programme where I could actually answer questions properly and get things across. The usual things came up: "But how can it be a penance to be sitting down to a delicious salmon instead of, say, a meat pie?" etc.It was good to be able to explore the whole subject, and we tackled all sorts of things - the significance of Friday and Christ's death on the Cross, the value of traditions, what penance is all about, why obedience to the Church has value, and more.

For various reasons, I was doing the interview standing in our small garden - Jamie was sorting out various bits of Army equipment in one room, the washing machine was blaring in the kitchen, and the gardenn was the only quiet place. Felt odd to be standing there next to the apple tree, with a neighbour watching from a nearby fire-escape, talking on the radio about Bishops and Fridays and fish pie...

4 comments:

Manny said...

Very good. Although I live in NYC, I went meatless today in sympathy with you guys across the ocean. I can't promise I'll be able to do it every Friday, but I shall make an effort.

Joe said...

There was an amusing placing of items on the Radio 4 news at 7am on Friday. Yes, the return of Friday abstinence made the 10 minute news bulletins on BBC Radio 4, and it was presented in a very positive way! However, in the 7am bulletin, and I assume in some later bulletins, too, it was followed immediately by an item about meat eating dinosaurs! The news reader read it all without any amusement - but one suspects that the editor of the bulletin may have been exercising his sense of humour.

Theresa said...

Hi Auntie Joanna,

This is off -topic, but thought that you should see this;

http://linenonthehedgerow.blogspot.com/2011/09/homosexual-lobby-adopts-animal-rights.html

Anonymous said...

I love the way you put this Joanna! How fantastic that you witnessed to the truth not just "on your own ground" but on your very own lawn! Brilliant! When does the interview air?