English bishops call for penance over abuse

The bishops of England and Wales have issued a statement, calling for Catholics to mark the four Fridays of May with penance and prayer for healing, forgiveness and a renewed dedication.

Statement by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales

Child abuse in the Catholic Church has been such a focus of public attention recently, that we, the Bishops of England and Wales, wish to address this issue directly and unambiguously.

Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all.

Bishops release pre-election document

Choosing the Common Good, the bishops’ pre-election document has just been released. Our news editor Simon Caldwell was at the presser. In the document, the Bishops of England and Wales call for a wholesale reform of public life. The document’s emphasis on marriage has prompted speculation that the bishops are urging Catholics to vote Conservative, but the bishops are calling for the return of virtue to public life. Read the whole thing here.

Both parties have recently been seen to be courting the religious vote.