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Bishop Fellay, not so sensible
In previous years I was growing to consider Bishop Bernard Fellay of the SSPX a fairly sensible fellow. He seemed to be treading carefully between his responsibilities as head of the breakaway...
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A final word about the case of Fr. Huisintveld, painting a clearer picture of...
Questions from Katholiek Nieuwsblad to Cardinal Wim Eijk’s spokesman, Hans Zuijdwijk, reveal that the cardinal has been far from the legalistic tyrant that the media and his opponents made him out to...
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Hot topic – Cardinal Eijk about church closings
Just before the weekend, Cardinal Eijk wrote a letter to the priests, deacons and pastoral workers in the Archdiocese of Utrecht about what could perhaps be considered the single most divisive topic in...
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The ‘Popetition’ and how the faith is misunderstood
In the runup to the first ad limina visit of the Dutch bishops in nine years, one of the more successful initiatives by lay faithful has been the so-called ‘Pauspetitie‘ on Facebook. Probably best...
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Passion 2014 coming to my town
Fun little bit of news today. The fourth edition of The Passion the retelling of the Passion of Christ through modern pop songs, performed live by well-known singers and actors, is hitting Groningen,...
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Teacher and shepherd – Before the ad limina, Bishop de Korte on the task of...
The first bishop to do so, Bishop Gerard de Korte looks ahead to the upcoming ad limina visit in his regular contribution to Friesch Dagblad and the diocesan website. For those who know the bishop, his...
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Peter 1 and Peter 266
Images speak louder than words, and this is no exception… Pope Francis, the 266th bishop of Rome, cradles the relics of the first Bishop of Rome, Saint Peter. With this display of continuity from the...
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The General Report for the Ad Limina – the first part
Today the Dutch Bishops’ Conference published the general report on the Catholic Church in the Netherlands that will be presented to Pope Francis during the ad limina visit that will take place from 2...
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Last minute changes as the ad limina gets underway
There is a hierarchy of importance in many things, and the agenda of the Pope is no exception. This week the reforms of the Vatican bank and the next meeting of the Council of Cardinals take up much...
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The talk not given – Pope Francis to the bishops
First, now that all bishops have arrived in Rome, the group shot: As is typical of Pope Francis, the Dutch bishops were not treated to his prepared speech, but to a 90-minute heart-to-heart. This...
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Day two – meetings and a rousing homily
On the second full day of the ad limina visit, the Dutch bishops were first received at the Congregation for Catholic Education by the Prefect, Zenon Cardinal Grocholewski, Secretary Archbishop Angelo...
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Ad Limina Thursday: Legislation and Religious, Saints and Popes, and a...
With the ad limina officially over (although one meeting has been moved to today for those bishops remaining in Rome), it’s time to take a look back at what took place on Thursday. Friday activities...
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Four bishops look back – the ad limina in hindsight
Four bishops have written their thoughts and feelings about last week’s ad limina visit down and shared the resulting texts on the websites of their respective dioceses. Here, in full, are my...
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About the basis, Archbishop Müller responds to his critics
In a recent interviewer for the Passauer Neuen Presse, to be published on Thursday, Archbishop Gerhard Ludwig Müller comments directly on the criticism levelled against him by, among others, Munich’s...
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A letter home – Bishop Punt on the ad limina
Following the example of some other bishops, Bishop Jos Punt of Haarlem-Amsterdam shares some of his thoughts on and experiences of the ad limina visit in a letter to the faithful of his diocese:...
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One day before turning 80, Cardinal Meisner tells it like it is
One day before his 80th birthday, and his retirement from Curial functions that comes with it, Cardinal Joachim Meisner makes some bold and critical statements in an interview for Deutschlandfunk. The...
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The time is almost upon us…
“What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men; and light shines in darkness, and darkness could not overpower it.” John 1:4-5 “Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to...
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Question time!
Christmas is the day on which we reopen our hearts to Christ, to receive Him as He was received more than 2,000 years ago. We find Him also in the people around us, with their questions, curiosity and...
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The rollercoaster of 2013
Even without digging into the details, I can comfortably say that 2013 has been the strangest, most unexpected, most challenging and most rollercoaster-like year in recent memory. From the historical...
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Martyr for the faith, Bishop Schraven’s case headed to Rome
In the Diocese of Roermond today, Bishop Frans Wiertz officially closed the diocesan phase of the case of Limburg-born Bishop Frans Schraven. The paperwork, documenting the bishop’s life and the...
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