Acclaimed author Rupert Shortt introduces ‘The Hardest Problem’   How can a supposedly all-powerful, all-loving God permit evil and suffering on a grand scale? One vital reply found in various faiths runs as follows. Granting the incompleteness of an argument [...]

In Mary’s Heart Immaculate   Moved by Our Lady, John Underhill has a written a new hymn which could be used for The Nativity of the BVM (8 Sept), The Most Holy Name of Mary (12 Sept), Our Lady of [...]

From the outside, the church of Saint John the Baptist, Lound, looks like a typical small East Anglian church (1), with a 12th c. round tower and a nave with 14th c. fenestration looking suspiciously restored. Until you cross the [...]

Adonais   Percy Bysshe Shelley   When the body of Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) was washed up on the beach in Viareggio, Italy, just over 200 years ago, there was a copy of poems by his fellow Romantic, John Keates, [...]

Metropolitan Kallistos Ware died on 24 August 2022 at the age of 87. He was born in Bath on 1 September, 1934. His mother came from an academic family, with the philosopher and ancient historian R. Collingwood in the family. [...]

The Creed in Slow Motion Martin Kochanski Hodder and Stoughton, 2022  ISBN 9781399801546   At Mass the whole congregation say the Creed together. It does not take us long. Why write a book on the Creed? Martin Kochanski’s reply is [...]

Festus   This column mentioned Martyn Percy earlier this year who promptly resigned from Christ Church and announced his departure from the Church of England. It also mentioned the Rev Catherine Relf-Pennington of Wymondham Abbey, who resigned as vicar at [...]

Christopher Smith   It recently made me smile to learn that Harold Macmillan had confided to his diary that he dreaded meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury (Fisher) because ‘I try to talk to him about religion. He seems to [...]

One day, two ordinations. A day of congruities and contrasts. To Westminster Cathedral for the ordination of four priests. The opening procession was a tidal wave of concelebrants. The music was Victoria, Missa Ave maris stella sung by the men’s [...]

Thurifer   My March Diary comments on the Today programme and its presenters elicited a memory from a reader. John Timpson was a ‘loyal, efficient’ churchwarden in the parish of Wellingham, with ‘a great sense of fun... He used to [...]