Sorry all, life is good and busy, and computer time just isn't there! I mean who needs to blog when one can play scrabble. ;)
Tonight I went to the launch of a new book.
Not just any book but a book full of speeches delivered to THE ST. THOMAS MORE’S FORUM since its' inception in 2005. The book The St Thomas More's Forum Papers 2005 - 2007 can be purchased from Abebooks.
The book includes the talks given over twenty Forums with thirty-one speakers including:
- The Hon Tony Abbott, former Federal Minister of Health and Leader of the House of Representatives
- His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney
- Kevin Rudd MP, Then Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and International Security now Prime Minister of Australia.
- Mick Keelty, APM, Australian Federal Police Commissioner
- Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
The Hon Murray Gleeson, Chief Justice of the High Court, launched the book with reflections on the decline of Catholic Protestant animosity over the last 50 years especially in regard to the Irish community in Australia. Of particular interest was the increasing interest in virtue in the public square, also alluded to by Archbishop Coleridge who also spoke at the launch. An interesting tidbit was to learn of Hon Murray Gleeson relationship to Les Murray Australias' pre-eminent poet.
Both the Chief Justice and the Archbishop reflected on Thomas Mores multi-faceted role model status. The Romanian playwright Eugene Ionesco was cited by both speakers and Erasmus and Saint Ivo of Kermartin were also discussed. Thomas More was noted as the last of the medieval men, whilst Martin Luther was seen as the first 'modern' dude!
St Ivo, the patron saint of lawyers in France, is noted for his tombstone: Sanctus Ivo erat Brito/ Advocatus et non latro/ Res miranda populo. Roughly translated, this means: "St Ives was Breton/ A lawyer and not a thief/ Marvelous thing to the people." Literally translated, it is a quip that refers to the fact that lawyers have a reputation for thievery.
Anyway yours truly got two mentions by two speakers for advice and assistance rendered ;)
and also features in the books' acknowledgments!
Sadly I could not stay for the fine Margaret River wines, and cheesy combestibles as I had to dash off to the Archdiocesan Christmas Party.
And so to sleep, to sleep perchance to dream, I grow old, I grow old, but life is fun!!!
Advent blessings and best wishes for Christmas joy and peace to all my gentle readers.
Thanks for all your support in 2007, a better year than 2006 by far. You are all remembered in my prayers, and I appreciate the wide and diverse ways I have been encouraged and supported by so many, all over the world in the past 23 months!
God bless you one and all.
