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'The 25th day of November the house of Syon was suppressed into the King's hands, and the ladies and brethren put out, which was the [most] virtuous house of religion that was in England.' So wrote the chronicler Charles Wriothesley in 1539. But the story of Syon Abbey did not end with the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Founded by Henry V in 1415, England's only house of the Bridgettine order had been one of the richest monasteries of medieval England. Now the community went underground; they returned briefly under Queen Mary, only to leave again with the accession of Elizabeth. They were to spend more than half a century 'wandering'-through the Netherlands and France, an exodus that brought them, in 1594, to Lisbon in Portugal. Here they remained until 1861, when circumstances at last allowed a return home to England. They settled in Devon, where the remaining sisters now live in retirement.The history of Syon Abbey is an inspiring story of faith and fortitude, of an enclosed, contemplative community that found itself living through persecution and martyrdom, wars and revolutions, fire and earthquake, over six centuries of unbroken tradition and unyielding faith. This book celebrates the sexcentenary of that community in 2015.

Ruth Rees emphasizes the biblical sources of this beautiful form of contemplative prayer which focuses on the salvation history of Jesus Christ and his mother Mary.She makes profound theological issues accessible to readers of all ages and backgrounds; more - the book leaves the reader with a rare sense of reassurance and tranquillity. It is like a garden, quiet, scented, timeless, hidden among the clamour of the city. A source of joy in a climate of increasing chaos.Here is an excellent pastoral resource that is intelligent and evocative for those who pray or want to pray.Ruth Rees has worked in theatre, radio, international public relations and journalism in four countries. Received into the Catholic Church, her conversion deepened her love and gratitude for her Jewish background. She writes widely for the Catholic media.

The reign of Mary I has received much scholarly attention in recent times. Age-old assumptions about its policies, its achievements, its power-brokers, their motives and above all Mary herself have been subjected to extensive revision. The task, however, has had to overcome centuries of misinformation and anti-Catholic propaganda and prejudice that conspired to depict the English Reformation as an inevitable popular revolt against a corrupt and detested Church and of Mary Tudor, as the one who bucked the trend with her cruelty and ineptitude. This volume aims to offer a reassessment of the key controversies of the Marian period. It seeks to demonstrate both that Mary's sobriquet 'bloody' is undeserved and that her reign was considerably more successful than its detractors have claimed. It also posits that the critical anti-Catholic reaction to Mary's reign helped to define the nature of the 'liberal' English/British nation-state as well as contribute to its national 'ideology' and self-understanding for nearly five hundred years.

In its familiar translations, the Stabat Mater is a favourite hymn of English-speaking Catholics. But what if these versions are not true to the original Latin? What did the author really say? Why did he use a particular poetic style? Who was he anyway? After seven hundred years, these and other questions about this much loved hymn remain unresolved. Probable authors include three Popes, three Saints and one layman who, though he was imprisoned and excommunicated by a Pope, is perhaps the most likely. Jacopone da Todi's fascinating life story includes the tragic death of his wife, his crazed ramblings in the Umbrian hills, his joining the extreme ascetical faction of the Franciscan Order, the Spirituali, and his creative work as one of the great Italian poets of the Middle Ages. All this is played out against the background of the horrific events of the Black Death, the plague that wiped out millions of Europeans, and the subsequent pogrom that wiped out most of Europe's Jews.Desmond Fisher also provides a new translation of the poem, which he sees as more accurate, adhering to the original metre and rhythm, and more genuinely reflecting its emotional mood. He compares this against four of the most well-known existing English translations. His own new Stabat Mater is quite different, challenging our preconceptions.

James Pereiro proves convincingly that the Oxford Movement and the theory of development of doctrine cannot be properly understood without a contextual analysis of the Movement's theory of religious knowledge. The book also shows how the first stirrings of a coherent theory of development of doctrine took place, away from the limelight, in the thought of Samuel Francis Wood, one of Newman's students at Oriel.

Pope Francis, writing a Letter to all Consecrated People, 'as a brother who, like yourselves, is consecrated to God', proclaimed the Year of Consecrated Life and outlined three main aims and five expectations for this special year. In this book, these aims and expectations have been reflected upon and woven into the text with their graces, invitations and challenges. Firstly, in looking to the past with gratitude, Sr Patricia draws our attention to the last fifty years in particular. With her emphasis on Jubilee, she emphasises gratitude and joy for the journey that has taken us to where we are now. In so doing, remembering and recounting our history 'preserves our identity, for strengthening our unity as a family and our common sense of belonging'. The call 'to live the present with passion' is presented by the author as the greatest challenge because it is the perennial challenge of the Gospel. As Pope Francis says: 'The Gospel is demanding: it demands to be lived radically and sincerely'. This is a twofold challenge to a personal and passionate love for Jesus and a reaching out to others with the love of his heart. Therefore the call to mysticism and prophecy is emphasised. Finally, to embrace the future with hope, invites us to allow the Holy Spirit to 'spur us on so that he can do great things with us'. This book will ask questions, pose challenges and invite us to 'constantly set out anew, with trust in the Lord' so that 'we may wake up the world' and be witnesses to the joy of the Gospel.Patricia Jordan is a Franciscan Sister Minoress. Graduating from Liverpool University with a B.Ed. (Hons.), she has taught Religious Education and English at secondary school level, and has both an MA (from the Franciscan Institute, St Bonaventure University) and a Ph.D in Franciscan Studies. She has been involved in the ministry of Religious Formation for over thirty years and writes here from her personal experience of Consecrated Life. She is currently Novice Director and is a member of the Leadership Team for her Congregation. She is also Director of The Portiuncula, House of Franciscan Prayer and Solitude, in Derbyshire. Her three other books, An Affair of the Heart: A Biblical and Franciscan Journey, Come Apart and Rest a While and Francis and Thérèse: Great Little Saints are also published by Gracewing.

The publication in July 1968 of Pope Paul VI's encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae, sparked unprecedented controversy about the Church's perennial teaching on human sexuality. For several decades, the papal document was disputed and often misunderstood in many circles. Yet, 40 years on, the prophetic quality of Paul VI's writing about human love is being recognised by more and more people. This book by Fr G. J. Woodall offers a new translation of this major encyclical together with a detailed commentary which enables the reader to understand the Church's message and which sheds light on the richness of the teaching. It is intended for the general public and conveys the wealth of pastoral teaching contained in Humanae Vitae, a wealth that has too often been overlooked. Today, when so many are grappling with moral issues in the areas of sexuality and family life, and when society is confused and misled, we can see Humanae Vitae for the prophetic document that it was and still is. Now that the Church is beginning to unpack the legacy of the Theology of the Body bequeathed by Pope Saint John Paul II, this new commentary on Humanae Vitae comes as a timely resource.

A popular myth put about by secularists is that between the Church and science, the relationship has been, and continues to be, a stormy one. Nothing could in fact be further from the truth. An analysis of historical data shows that modern science developed in the medieval period against a background of Christian faith in the creation. Pope Sylvester II was a brilliant mathematician whose discoveries led to the number system we use today. Pope Innocent III founded a hospital in Rome which was the basis for the modern city hospital system world-wide. The civil calendar in use today owes its existence to Pope Gregory XIII. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Vatican Observatory are both highly-respected institutions which continue to contribute to scientific progress. Paul Haffner also shows how four modern Popes have contributed in a special way to the dialogue between faith and science: Pope Pius XII who renewed the proofs for the existence of God in the light of modern science, Pope St John Paul II who reaffirmed the crucial importance of the dignity of the human person in science, Pope Benedict XVI who proposed the rational basis for creation in terms of the doctrine of the Logos, and Pope Francis who sees science in terms of the existential periphery to be evangelised.

Like his previous two, this book contains conferences delivered by an abbot to his fellow monks ¿ in this case mainly based on retreat conferences given to other monastic communities. The first, Unfolding the Mystery, reflects on the high points of the liturgical year; the second, Living the Mystery, offers help in living the Christian life, using 'markers' from monastic life. This third volume looks at the Rule of St Benedict, by which monks and nuns have been living since the sixth century and which an increasing number of lay people also follow. There are many books on the Rule; this one is different and takes a look at it as 'story' - The Tale of Quisquis. The Quisquis (Latin for 'anyone') of the tale is 'anyone' who hears the call of the Lord and answers it. One of the purposes of the book is 'to uncover in the Rule a narrative of such an individual's return to God as it unfolds in his inner and outer life. As the chapters follow their at times disorderly order, it seems possible to discern a hidden "story of a soul".'Hugh Gilbert OSB was a cloistered monk for thirty-seven years and Abbot of Pluscarden Abbey for nineteen. In the summer of 2011 he was called by Pope Benedict to become Bishop of Aberdeen and was ordained to that role on the Solemnity of the Assumption that year. He remains a Benedictine monk, though no longer residing in the monastery, and it is a great gift to the Christian world that he hands on in these conferences. As he points out, 'the Rule must be constantly rediscovered, its deepest intentions explored and re-expressed. It is this living validity of the Rule these pages would like to serve.'

Tratto da i suoi corsi di Catechismo, In Questo Crediamo: Una semplice spiegazione sul Catechismo della Dottrina Cristiana, a cura di Monsignor A.N. Gilbey, è stato in origine pubblicato in forma anonima, ed è divenuto un sorprendente e grandioso successo.Seguendo l'impostazione de Il Catechismo della Dottrina Cristiana, In Questo Crediamo illustra la Fede nella classica forma domanda-risposta, eccellendo nella sua accuratezza e profondità, oltre che nelle sue spiegazioni personali ed in quelle colloquiali.Monsignor Gilbey trae dalle Scritture l'immenso tesoro della Teologia Cattolica, le opere dei Santi e le sue opinioni percettive circa la natura umana, per condurre i lettori, passo dopo passo, verso una completa comprensione della Fede Cattolica.Monsignor Gilbey divide le sue lezioni in tre categorie: Fede, Speranza e Amore.La Fede comprende la Rivelazione Divina, la Trinità, l'Incarnazione, lo Spirito Santo, la Chiesa, la Comunione dei Santi, il perdono dei peccati, la resurrezione del corpo e la vita eterna. La Speranza indirizza gli insegnamenti della Chiesa verso la grazia e la preghiera, Nostra Signora, ed i Sacramenti. Infine, la Carità, ci offre una preziosa spiegazione dei Dieci Comandamenti.Con un amorevole affetto sia per la Chiesa che per i suoi studenti, ed un fascino tipicamente inglese, In Questo Crediamo di Monsignor Gilbey è un Semplice Commentario sul Catechismo della Dottrina Cristiana, allo stesso tempo coinvolgente, intimo e stimolante.

In order to understand England today, it is necessary to understand the Reformation. No other event in the last millennium has caused such a sharp historical rupture. Henry VII's break from Rome and the espousal of Protestant ideas caused a shift on the intellectual and artistic levels, an in every aspect of ordinary life. Once the Reformation had established itself, both Protestants and the Catholics who opposed them would view their world in a new, utterly different light. This book explores the ways in which the Reformation left its mark on England in those turbulent years of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.Peter Milward is a member of the Society of Jesus, and has lived and worked in Japan since 1954.

This book seeks to explore the belief that the Catholic Church is the true Church founded by Jesus Christ, both in his earthly ministry (where he commissioned Peter to found his Church, Matthew 16:17-18) and in his resurrection appearances (where he anointed the Apostles with his Spirit, and bestowed on them a ministry of truth, John 20:21-23, as well as confirming Peter in his office, John 21:15-19). All who read Jesus' words should be challenged in their perception and belief in what the Church should really be, how it has come to us historically, and how it subsists now in the modern world.The book is in the form of an apologia, an ancient form of defensive explanation, and seeks to present the truth about the Church in this controversial way, seeking to engage and even challenge the reader to question their presuppositions about the origins and meaning of the concept of church, and its place in the contemporary world. It considers the historical origins, Jesus' intentions, the Apostolic witness, and the succession and leadership following from it (the Petrine Office and the hierarchical episcopacy), the theological foundations, controversies and divisions of opinion. Nothing could be more important theologically, as this affects the type of faith we have in the Gospel, the truth by which the human race seeks for meaning and salvation, and the reality of Jesus' promise to be with us always, "even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20).

Canon Francis J. Ripley was a much loved priest, whose many books and ministry of evangelization brought many to the Faith, and gave inspiration and encouragement to countless others.This volume of his prayers, first published as a thank-offering for his Golden Jubilee of Priesthood and dedicated to the memory his dearest friend Frank Duff and to the Legion of Mary that he founded, brings back to a general readership the fruits of a life time of reflection and praise.Born in St Helens, Lancashire, in 1912, ordained priest in 1939, he served as a Chaplain in the Royal Air Force, Superior of the Catholic Missionary Society, Director of the Catholic Enquiry Centre in London and the Catholic Information Centre in Liverpool and Editor of Flarepath, Catholic Truth and Booknotes and The Catholic Gazette.For many years Canon Ripley was Parish Priest of the famous parish of St Oswald and St Edmund Arrowsmith in Ashton-in-Makerfield, a centre of pilgrimage where the Holy Hand of St Edmund Arrowsmith is venerated.Well known and much sought after as a lecturer throughout the British Isles and the USA and a regular contributor to the Catholic Press, Canon Ripley's many books include This is the Faith, also published by Gracewing.

Clear ideas about cooperation with evil have never been more urgently needed than in the modern world. Nonetheless, confusion still surrounds what has been called the most difficult problem in moral theology. Evaluating the responsibility of a cooperating agent requires understanding the nature of moral evil, the definition of an act's object, and the relevance of both circumstances and consequences. The author presents the history of the issue from the 17th to the 20th century by following the debate about the Servant and the Ladder, a proposition condemned as laxist by Bl Pope Innocent XI. Cummings shows that no thinker has managed to address the question satisfactorily, not even St Alphonsus Liguori, who expended "great effort" and is often credited with having settled the matter. With the help of British analytic philosophy, especially the work of G. E. M. Anscombe, and recent contributions to action theory, which complement the clarifications of Pope St John Paul II, the author proposes a new solution to the centuries-old conundrum. While indeed a novel approach, it is, at the same time, a call to recapture the wisdom of the pre-Reformation Catholic moral tradition.

To reclaim the cultural 'piazza' the Christian message must be attractive, reasonable and relevant. This volume aims to show how Catholic education can contribute to the new evangelisation in the rapidly evolving cultural landscape of the 21st century. What is a Catholic culture for today? How should it relate to prevailing cultural trends? How can Catholics engage and evangelise in a way that respects others' beliefs and values? This book offers unique insights into how Catholic education can enrich the culture of the pluralist society. Drawing on the insights and ideas of the Italian Church's Cultural Project (for the first time in the English language), the book offers ideas and reflections to all who care about Catholic education and culture and who want to share the life-giving content of the Christian message with those at the peripheries of belief, understanding and familiarity with the Christian worldview. With insights from school and university educators and professional communicators this wide-ranging, up-to-date and practical call for a new engagement between Catholics and representatives of secular culture will have a wide appeal.

David H. Williams portrays every aspect of the life of the Cistercian monks and nuns of England and Wales in the half-century prior to the complete extinction of the religious orders. Until the closing years vocations remained fairly stable, and it is evident that despite occasional lapses from the high moral standards the Order expected, their calling was paramount to many of those who chose this path. This book examines in great detail, and as far as extant documentation permits, the role, character, education and spirituality not only of superiors but of their subordinates in the seventy-five male abbeys and thirty female convents of the Order. The material economy which allowed the survival of so many religious communities is treated at length, as is the significant presence of lay folk within their precincts. The problems faced by monasteries and nunneries internally and from external forces are discussed, whilst the part the monks played in the extremely difficult times of the Reformation finds full coverage. For a number it meant martyrdom. The text is accompanied by relevant distribution maps and other diagrams.

Il fascino della ragione propone un pellegrinaggio del pensiero umano alla ricerca di Dio. Le persone hanno sempre trovato indicazioni per dimostrare l'esistenza di Dio incise nel mondo e nella condizione umana. Questo libro esamina le prove classiche dell'esistenza di Dio e afferma la loro perenne validità. Esso mostra che il pensiero umano può essere in relazione con Dio e con altri aspetti dell'esperienza religiosa. Inoltre, descrive come la fede cristiana è razionale, e non è né cieca né nuda. Senza la ragione, la fede degenererebbe nel fondamentalismo: ma senza la fede, il pensiero umano può restare incagliato sullo scoglio della propria autosufficienza. Il testo suggerisce che la mente umana deve essere in stretta relazione con il cuore in ogni sua ricerca di Dio.

Jesus suffers, because He wants to make us loving persons. He calls us to the imitation of the Cross, because He seeks our friendship. Praying the way of the cross is not just an expression of piety, which will bring tears to the eyes of a pious soul, contemplating-from a safe distance-the suffering of Jesus and one's neighbour. No, it is an invitation to follow along the same path. The goal is to let Jesus speak to me personally, then to climb up the Via Dolorosa of my own life. With him, this sorrowful street transforms into a Via Amorosa, a loving route, at the end of which I can discern that no suffering is meaningless, if it is accepted with a spark of love. Life is not about existing by the skin of one's teeth, but about finding salvation.

Pope John Paul II is a man who can 'only be known from within', as he himself said. Through his story, this book uncovers the spiritual message of the life of Karol Josef Wojty¿a. Often called 'John Paul the Great' - and Time magazine's 'Man of the Century' - he had a truly remarkable pontificate: the collapse of Communism as a power-block, the introduction of World Youth Days, the teaching on the Theology of the Body, the missionary journeys to country after country. Now declared a saint, he joins the ranks of those canonised by the Church: in exploring his spiritual life, we can learn what inspired and nourished this great man and share the spiritual journey with him.Karol Wojty¿a was a very private person and rarely spoke of his interior life. Though deeply rooted in Poland, he was heavily influenced by Spanish mysticism. This is a not a man easily categorised - an intellectual giant, a philosopher of brilliance, a widely read academic - and we will never know the battles he had in co-operating with God's grace.Pope John Paul II's exhortation 'Do not be afraid!' with which he opened his pontificate alluded to a simple self-giving to God. Christ was at the centre of John Paul's being. He was able to inspire and uplift people on an extraordinary scale, because he lived with daily faith and courage. Studying the inner life of this most remarkable man - philosopher, poet, playwright, priest, Pope - we come to understand that at its heart were simplicity and joy.

One of the most hotly-debated topics today in the Catholic Church concerns the role of women. Jane Coll upholds as binding the Church teaching that they cannot be ordained as priests. She then explores whether women could be ordained deaconesses. The author takes a new look at this issue and seeks an answer that is compatible with the teachings of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium. She has based her work on the premise that the Church cannot introduce any changes that contradict the deposit of Revelation. By discussing the meaning of the Sacrament of Ordination and the role of women in the Church under the teachings of Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium she indicates that, while the Church could not ordain women as priests, it could ordain them as deacons. However, are such deaconesses part of the sacrament of Order or are they sacramentals? Could the whole issue of women's ordination be side-stepped by creating an order of non-ordained deaconesses with wide parish responsibilities? This book attempts to answer these questions as well as a host of others on this fascinating and topical theme.

In historical studies of English Catholicism, the eighteenth century, described as a period of 'persecution without martyrdom', has been largely passed over. That neglect is wholly unwarranted. The foundation of the modern Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales dates to 1688 and over the next century and a half Catholic recusants overcame discrimination and oppression to win full citizenship; and, by degrees, the mission emerged from its seclusion in rural backwaters to take a prominent place in the cities and towns. Moreover, the defining characteristics of the old recusant community changed almost completely, amounting to nothing less than a radical transformation of their social structure and outlook. This is an important study of post-Reformation English Catholic history in one of the traditional strongholds of recusancy. It consists of a careful and extensive survey of both laity and clergy and shows how they bravely held their own in the wider society of the north-east despite their deprivations. A major feature of the book is the collection of the individual histories of all the chapels and churches in the region from their foundation. Such a comprehensive account has not been attempted before, and is therefore a major contribution to the narrative of the development of English Catholicism.