The White Smoke has spoken!

By coincidence, we had an OCDS meeting yesterday evening in Oxford, so we were gathered together when the white smoke was reported from Rome and we shared in the general jubilation.  Father John told us that under normal circumstances all phones should be switched off in such meetings as ours, but in the special circumstances, they should definitely be switched on!  Our meetings are usually cheerful affairs but somehow the atmosphere was special yesterday.  We probably won’t forget it for a long time – just as I won’t forget where I was in 2013 when the election of Pope Francis was declared.  Such days mark stages or eras in history – comparable to events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 or 9/11 in the US.  The Pope Francis era has come to an end, the Pope Leo XIV era begins.  Pope Leo the Great was a wonderful interpreter of our faith and I recommend his writings as among the best in the Church Fathers.  And Pope Leo XIII was a great pope too.  Alleluia! 

Intercessions:

Louise Aldred OCDS RIP – a long-time member of the Nottingham Secular community

Brian Davis – cancer

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him) - cancer

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David - housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Rebekah – in hospital