Guidance to help you write to a Peer to oppose the Bill seeking to legalise assisted suicide as it passes through the House of Lords. Unlike MPs, Members of the House of Lords do not have constituents, meaning there is not a Peer whose job it is to represent you based on the area of the country in which you live. For this reason you should take some time to think about which Peer you will write to and why – such as whether you have a personal or professional connection with them, or you have professional expertise in medicine or healthcare. We also suggest three key points that can be emphasised in your letter to a Peer.
Pope Leo XIV will officially proclaim Saint John Henry Newman, the most recently canonised saint from England and Wales, the 38th Doctor of the Church during Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints, which will be celebrated in Saint Peter’s Square on Saturday, 1 November in the context of the Jubilee of the World of Education.
We have a useful section of articles explaining exactly what a ‘Doctor of the Church’ is and why Saint John Henry Newman’s teaching and wisdom not only resonated with his contemporaries, but still illuminates, instructs and inspires us today. Articles available:
What is a Doctor of the Church?, Faith, Reason, Conscience and Truth, Development of Doctrine, Sensus fidelium: Newman and the people of God, Education: Moral and intellectual ‘under one roof’, Scripture, the Fathers and Ecumenism, and Newman and Ecclesiology.
On Sunday 26 October, representatives from different religions came together at St Chad’s Cathedral in Birmingham to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. The national celebration of Nostra Aetate‘s diamond jubilee included Sung Vespers with reflections from Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist and Christian representatives, and a panel discussion on death literacy research exploring challenges faced by faith communities in end-of-life care settings. Nostra Aetate – ‘In Our Time’ – was a ground-breaking declaration of the Second Vatican Council focusing on the Catholic Church’s relations with non-Christian religions. Read more.
Pope Leo XIV appoints Bishop Nicholas Hudson as new Bishop of Plymouth
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed the Right Reverend Nicholas Hudson as the new Bishop of Plymouth. On hearing of his appointment, Bishop Hudson, Bishop-elect of Plymouth said:
“I am deeply grateful to Pope Leo XIV for appointing me; and I do not take lightly the trust he has placed in me. I am aware how long the clergy, religious and laity of Plymouth Diocese have waited for a bishop. I come with a desire to listen and to learn. I hope we can apply all the strengths of synodality to discern together ways to deepen the diocese’s outreach, mission and presence to the people of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset. I look forward greatly to meeting all who belong to the diocese.” Read more.
As the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being considered at length in the House of Lords, we reiterate our firm opposition to the bill in principle and in practice. Despite being described by proponents as the safest of its kind, the bill remains unworkable. It puts the safety of our healthcare institutions, professionals, and patients at risk. Read more.
The Department for Social Justice of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has published a document on taxation called Render Unto Caesar. It offers perspectives on taxation from Catholic social thought and teaching. Read more.
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