Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Wednesday 23 June 2010

Bishop Elliot in Oxford


I have taken the following piece from the Oxford Oratory website as it may interest readers. The photograph is from yesterday's 10 am Mass at St Aloysius, which was celebrated by Bishop Peter Elliot from Melbourne. It is of interest partly because of the subject matter of his homily on the feasts of SS John Fisher and Thomas More, and partly because of the relatively rare sight of an episcopal biretta on a preacher...and, well let's face it, we like things like that.

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"Bishop Elliot is the delegate of the Australian bishops for the implementation of the Ordinariate for former Anglicans within the Catholic Church. At Mass on the feast of SS John Fisher & Thomas More, he spoke of the need to pray for this project, which will be the last ever possibility of any kind of corporate reunion.[My emphasis] Just as Thomas More and John Fisher stood for conscience, so many are called to do today in seeking union with the successor of St Peter."

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