Tag: bishops

The Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank, this week

UK: Bishops Support Labour and it Sanctions on Israel for its Criminal Activity! (10.9.2026)

He announced in the House of Commons an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories; a sanctions regime against providing services such as construction or financing for Israeli settlements; a ban on the advertising in the UK of illegal settlement pro­­perties; personal sanctions against key individuals accused of pro­­moting settler violence; and a new ban for arms licences and other ex­­ports that “materially contribute to the occupation”.

The Israeli government responded angrily and imposed measures including the closure of the British consulate in Jerusalem and banning a group of Labour MPs from visiting Israel.

The Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, described the move as “truly a dark day for British Jews”. In response, Mr Miliband said in an in­­terview on Wednesday: “Well, I’m a proud British Jew, and I don’t agree with the Chief Rabbi.”

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Worshippers at a Mass organised by the Society of Saint Pius X in Switzerland on Wednesday

Vatican: Followers of Global Catholic Sect [Society of St Pius X] Excommunicated! (3.7.2026)

More recently, efforts had been made to reconcile with the SSPX, but the Vatican’s response to this week’s events was more aggressive than before, and more severe than predicted.

It was widely expected that Wednesday’s event in Geneva would lead to excommunication of the bishops involved.

But the excommunication of all those lay people who continue to be a part of SSPX was a surprise to many, with the traditionalist group now as far from the centre of power of the Roman Catholic Church as it has ever been.

Excommunication is one of the harshest punishments that can be given by the Church, effectively expelling the offender from the religion and excluding them from Catholic life.

It means a baptised follower is “out of communion” with the Church – meaning they cannot receive the sacraments, for example going to confession, or get married within the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican said on Thursday: “The sacred ministers of the Society of St Pius X administer the sacraments illicitly, while the sacrament of penance they administer and the marriages they witness are invalid.”

It means SSPX members now have to choose whether to stay part of a group that is in “schism”, or leave behind the things they believe are right in order to stay part of the Catholic Church.

However it is clear that many SSPX members believe it is the Vatican that has moved away from true doctrine, not them.

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The Spinning Jenny - Weaving machine

Surrey: Visiting Farnham Museum! (27.5.2026)

These former workers adopted the mannerisms, culture, and dress of their social betters (the “aristocracy”) and were even able to “purchase” an education for their children. This new bourgeoisie (the “Merchants”) were even able to stand for election in Parliament. After purchasing weapons and raising armies – the bourgeoisie eventually seized control of the means of production (following the English Civil Wars). They now comprise one of the most conservative strands in UK society – and certainly maintain this air of elitism in Farnham. A local book-dealer even tried to sell me Das Kapital Vols I, II, & III (printed in the USSR in hardback) for £100 – claiming they were “rare”. In fact, a full set is usually four volumes and I often find them on the bottom shelves of old book-shops – usually attracting dust – as no one cares for their content. I do collect them and usually spend around £5 per copy. Imagine that – a bookseller in Farnham attempted to reduce Marx’s critique of capitalism to yet another vehicle of that capitalism! But that is the way capitalism works and is exactly how Farnham has attracted its wealth and conservativism. Florence Nightingale gets a mention – Gee trained as a Midwife at St Thomas Hospital (London) – which maintains a Museum recording the life of Florence Nightingale. Indeed, Gee is designated as a “Florence Nightingale Midwife”.

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Joseph McCabe: The Anatomy of an Anti-Soviet ‘Lie’! (18.3.2023) 

The point being here, that for all his evilness – Adolf Hitler (who really did ‘kill’ verified millions) – is far more acceptable to the Bourgeoisie once his ‘National Socialist’ regime has been militarily defeated (ironically by the ‘Socialists’), and its threat to the dominance of the world ‘capitalism’ firmly removed! In Russia and China no one believes that their greatest leaders killed millions of people – as there are no bodies, no graves and no grieving masses. The Bourgeoisie, realising the practical weakness in their argument, decided that in Cambodia (Kampuchea) a new approach was needed – and the remains of the tens of thousands of innocent Cambodians killed in the illegal blanket-bombing (and military invasions) of that that country carried-out by the US during the Vietnam War – were simply ‘piled-up’ for tourists to gawk at – and see just how ‘evil’ Socialism can be!  

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