On the document AMORIS LAETITIA....

...this is an excellent guide and analysis...

At the conference at the International Theological Institute, I asked the question about people in public life - judges, magistrates, local councillors, head teachers,  chairmen of school governing commitees, etc - who publicly, or even privately, affirm that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and who are denounced and excoriated, and risk losing their jobs.  How can we offer help and support? General consensus: this is a time for courage and things are going to be tough. We Christians  in what is generally called the West have had a very easy time of things in recent decades - no persecution, no hounding us out of our homes or churches etc. But that is not the common fate of Christians down the centuries. We need to face the reality of the way things appear to be going. An African bishop noted that the question had been raised by an English woman and spoke of St Thomas More...

All of which I already knew, really. But it's somehow rather chilling to have it all discussed in a matter-of-fact way.

Years ago, I remember discussions in which we said that examples of courage from eastern Europe were an inspiration to us and that we too should show courage if and when we needed to do so...

St John Paul, Bl. Jerzy Popieliszko, pray for us...