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 13 October 2010

The Pope and Dei Genetrix

On Tuesday Fr Blake of St Mary Magdalen, Brighton, whose blog is always worth looking at, posted this, which I am happy to forward to others:


" Yesterday, in an unscripted address to the synod of the Bishops of the Middle East Pope Benedict spoke of Our Lady as Theotokos, Dei Genetrix in the most beautiful and profound words that I think I have ever read on her. Sandro Magister offers an immediate translation and Rorate highlights a few selected paragraphs but this is worth reading and re-reading again and again."

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