Pelagianism in Leeds

In the UK we live in a deeply neo-Pelagian culture, one in which life is self or state-made and one for which Christ is present only as a reminder of how to be nice. It is a culture which has been forged through the presence of its national church - a church which is, by its nature utterly Pelagian, and by today's secularist movement. Neo-Pelagianism is today evidenced amongst other things by supermarket culture, Sunday shopping, condom and Court Order culture, drug and alcohol abuse, free unions and "living together", the welfare state mentality, middle class resort-enclaves - all of which declare "we can make it through on our own, we don't need Christ!"

I recently came across publications from two Catholic colleges in Leeds which reveal the influence of neo-Pelagianism in their ethoses (is that the plural of "ethos").

College "A", in its end of year Mass used the following prayers:

"Lord, peace always starts with ourselves. Help us to go forward ... and to promote peace in our homes, workplaces or wherever we find ourselves ... " "Let us celebrate all human beauty caught in colour, form and faith. Celebrate the human body made to move with speed and grace. Friendship found in common focus, effort turned to common goal." "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us ... and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from ur own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

This is just a little snippet, there is a lot more! Our young Catholics are being patronised terribly by this vapid nonsense.

College "B" in one of its Scriptural Course prospectus declares:

"The course will interest those are searching within English literature to sustain a personal quest for spiritual meaning." "It provides an understanding of the ways in which the English Bible was claimed, explained and proclaimed by institutions and individuals, and how it came to inspire other forms of literary expression." "You will have the opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules; Catholic Novelists, Dissent, Faith and Feminism ... " Why choose "Religious Studies" asks another prospectus? "So you can analyse and explore such issues as environmental ethics, gender and sexual ethics, Darwinism and debates about human nature ... and to discover new approaches to ethical reflection."

Catholic students and prospective students beware! Christ is not the centre and focus of these colleges, and the drip, drip, drip of neo-Pelagianism has taken hold here. The truth is that Christ is the definitive Revelation of the Father, that He has come to us because human nature is wounded, and that the Life of Grace, which He offers, is the unique opportunity for human beings to find fulfillment in God.

"Lord, look upon our troubled times, which need preachers of the Gospel, witnesses to you, persons who can point the way toward 'life in abundance'! Look upon our world and feel pity once more! Look upon our world and send us labourers!" Benedict XVI