Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Wednesday 19 November 2014

Seeking to understand Pope Francis


At the weekend a friend, who has, alas, lapsed from the Catholic Church - though with no animosoity towards it - was asking me what I made of the Pope. I replied that I, like I suspect many others, find him rather hard to evaluate. There are things I certainly appreciate as strengths, and other things, well, I am not so sure about. I was very comfortable with Pope Benedict's style, I am less sure about that of Pope Francis.

That others are wondering can be seen in a post on Rorate Caeli which has extracts from an interview with Cardinal George of Chicago, where His Eminence reflects on his questions about the direction the Vatican is going under the present Holy Father. It is very interesting and can be read at The Great Division - U.S. cardinal: Pope Francis, "What are you doing here?"


2 comments:

Victor S E Moubarak said...

At a time of mass communications and mis-information, as we live in today; it would be very helpful for the Catholic Church to, once and for all, issue a clear statement on where it stands on various issues which cause confusion amongst its followers, as well as those of other denominations, or of no Faith at all.

Sorry for the length of this sentence, and I hope I've put all the commas in the right place. But you'll understand what I mean.

God bless.

Once I Was A Clever Boy said...

A good point, and well made.