News and Views

News which is interesting me at the moment is headed with the appointment of Fr Marcus Stock as the new General Secretary of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Read all about it here. Fr Marcus is a wise choice and will be a very difficult person to follow at our Diocesan Schools Commission. Good luck in your new post, Father.

Of course it is not really a surprise that Archbishop Vincent has been elected President. Indeed, Ruth Gledhill comments this is "yet more proof that there is a God". I'm pleased she sees the new team in charge of the conference as "a great team and I can hardly wait to start working with them". Let us all pray for them, indeed for whoever is chosen to replace Archbishop Vincent in Birmingham, and for all Bishops in this coming year of priesthood.

Also, in the news, which I found amusing rather than interesting, was Andrew Lansley's late arrival to record Question Time. Having been to Ipswich, I totally understand Mr Lansley's problems. Much as you have to love those Ipswichonians (?) you do wonder what is going on in that town. Good luck Roy Keane, I say, but really, Mr Lansley, you are going to have to come up with better excuses than this! I do love Question Time and regret I do not watch it nearly often enough these days. Whilst it is great to keep abreast of current affairs, indeed I would argue essential for the modern priest, the programme is full of humour and tonight's show sounds real fun. I am hoping to get my Internet connection improved in the coming days and, if I do, then I will look forward to catching this programme on iplayer.

Now, that dreaded pandemic. I am reliably informed the best advice coming out at the moment is from Lancaster, available here, from the Bishops' Conference website. A quick read suggests it is full of very practical advice which is just what we need to know and do, not some theoretical points for concern. It does, however, raise an interesting point. Are we in danger of over-sanitising and, thereby, reducing our natural immunity to disease and bugs? Clearly, this a scale 5 pandemic and well beyond mere opinion of contagion, but let us not rush to rash action, rather let us adopt a sensible approach.