Yesterday I finished with the tomb of St Peter. Today his leadership descendants are meeting in Rome above his tomb discussing The Family. I wonder did they look at their Breviaries today did they notice how therein St Paul offers them firm guidance. Why do they want to sit around in lovely robes talking when their lives as clerics gives them the perfect opportunity to do what we all should do and dedicate our waking moments to prayer.

The Catholic hierarchy of this country (UK) seem to be more concerned to keep in with "the media" and have high profiles as semi-celebrities than in doing what they should do. A self-confessed "good bishop" left his flock recently because even he lacked the brassneck to continue "bishoping" when his adultery was made public; but still he insisted on his success as a bishop. A leader of our church! That many named  retired cardinal; many named and with even more blather; is going to unleash on the world his autobiography, just as he unleashed that paedophile on the repentant travellers of Gatwick. I am sure that he does not think that he has done anything wrong even when accepting the co-architect of the thousands of deaths of Iraq and the destruction of the Chaldean Christian community, into our Church without the slightest expression of grief or responsibility. He does not know what he has done! He can't do, for if he did his head would

permanently bowed with the shame and his mouth forever gagged except to repeat mea culpa.

Let us pray for him and for the others. Lord let those discussing in Rome understand the simplicity of your truth. Adultery, fornication whether with man, woman, animal or self is a sin. A sin is the breaking of your commandments. Fornication is a grievous sin that harms the perpetrator and if not acknowledged nor repented takes a soul to hell. Our Lord did not love us to lead us to this permanent death! The Love of God forgives us  in his mercy; but we must go and sin no more. The Love of God does not tell us to pretend that our sins are not sins. How can we dissemble before God? O Cardinals in your beautiful socks and shoes you have more than your own souls to lose; are you to be the rocks on which God's Church is built or the silvery sand that slips into Hell's silt? Doggerel, but  intentioned.

First reading

Galatians 5:1-6

When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who tell you this: if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all. With all solemnity I repeat my warning: Everyone who accepts circumcision is obliged to keep the whole Law. But if you do look to the Law to make you justified, then you have separated yourselves from Christ, and have fallen from grace. Christians are told by the Spirit to look to faith for those rewards that righteousness hopes for, since in Christ Jesus whether you are circumcised or not makes no difference – what matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.