Category: Pastoral Epistles

The Archbishops pastoral letters to the faithful

A Primer for Catholic Parents: The Principles of Catholic Teaching on “Sex Education”

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By the Archbishop of Selsey

The Parental Duty in Catholic Education
When Catholic parents entrust their children to schools established by the Church, they rightly expect that the instruction provided will be faithful to Catholic doctrine. This duty extends not only to the moral content of teaching but also to the subjects taught. The Church has always upheld a clear and comprehensive body of doctrine, transmitted from the apostles, against which mere human theories or social trends hold no weight. Yet in many Catholic schools today, especially in the West, civil authorities have pressured educational institutions to adopt programmes of so-called “sex education” that conflict with both divine and natural law.

The Primary Educators of the Child
It is indeed necessary that children, at an appropriate time, be instructed about the realities of human reproduction and the moral obligations that accompany these truths. However, the responsibility for this instruction belongs to parents alone. This duty is given directly by God and cannot be rightfully taken over by the state, by educators, or even by bishops. Parents may, for practical reasons, delegate certain aspects of education—such as mathematics or science—to others who possess the requisite expertise, but this delegation always proceeds from the authority of the parents and remains under their supervision.¹

The Limits of Delegation
The Church teaches that parents, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, have the responsibility and privilege of evangelising their children and forming them in virtue.² Teachers, priests, and catechists share in this mission only insofar as parents freely authorise them to assist in what properly belongs to the family. Certain subjects—such as the training in personal virtue, purity, and moral discernment—cannot be delegated. The state may require that citizens be educated for civic duties, but its jurisdiction ends where the intimate and moral formation of the child begins.

The Superiority of the Family over the State
The Church firmly rejects any attempt by governments to replace or control parental authority. Leo XIII warns that when the state “sets aside the parent and sets up a State supervision,” it violates natural justice and destroys the structure of the home.³ The Catechism reminds us that the family is the primary school of solidarity and virtue, and that parents must protect their children from “compromising and degrading influences.”⁴ Indeed, Leo XIII affirms that the family is “a society very small, one must admit, but none the less a true society, and one older than any State.”⁵

This principle is also recognised in civil law. The European Convention on Human Rights explicitly protects the rights of parents to educate their children in conformity with their religious and philosophical convictions (Article 2, Protocol 1) and recognises family life as a sphere of privacy and protection against state interference (Article 8). These provisions reflect what the Church has always taught—that the family possesses rights anterior to the State, grounded in natural law and divine order.

Moral and Practical Formation
Parents naturally instruct their children in language, manners, modesty, and virtue. To neglect these areas or to surrender them to institutions is to abdicate a sacred trust. Among these responsibilities lies the duty to educate children about human reproduction and sexuality—matters that require both moral maturity and personal sensitivity. No classroom teacher can judge with precision the appropriate time or method for every child, since these depend upon individual development, temperament, and grace.

Cautions on Implementation and Parental Vigilance
In recent years, Catholic-approved Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) programmes—such as Life to the Full by Ten Ten Resources—have been widely adopted, reportedly by the majority of Catholic schools in England and Wales.⁶ While the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) and the Catholic Education Service (CES) state that RSE should promote chastity, dignity, and respect for life, traditional Catholic commentators have expressed serious concerns about the way such programmes are implemented.

Traditionalists, including the Society of Saint Pius X (UK District), warn that some RSE programmes risk undermining the parental role and present sexuality in an overly naturalistic or psychological manner, divorced from the supernatural virtue of chastity.⁷ They argue that materials sometimes prioritise “risk mitigation” or “self-esteem” over moral formation and fail to acknowledge humanity’s wounded nature and need for grace.⁸ The danger, they note, is that RSE lessons become exercises in information rather than formation—transmitting biological facts without grounding them in moral and theological truth.

Scholars examining traditional Catholic resistance to sex education likewise record the same concern: that Catholic schools, even when guided by Church documents, can inadvertently “supplant rather than supplement” the parental role.⁹ In mixed or collective settings, discussions of sexuality risk becoming occasions of curiosity or embarrassment rather than of virtue. The Church has consistently warned against “collective or public sex education” that ignores the discretion and modesty owed to each child’s stage of development.¹⁰

When RSE Becomes a Contravention of Parental Rights
In principle, Relationships and Sex Education can be delivered within Catholic schools without violating parental rights. However, in practice, such rights are frequently compromised or constrained by state mandates and the secular assumptions underlying modern educational frameworks.

RSE contravenes parental rights when it:

  • introduces sexual or moral content without parental knowledge or consent;
  • normalises behaviours contrary to Catholic moral teaching, such as contraception, cohabitation, or same-sex acts;
  • pre-empts parental judgment about a child’s readiness for such instruction;
  • or discourages withdrawal through social pressure or institutional policy.

These practices directly violate both the natural-law right of parents to form their children in moral truth and the legal right protected under Article 2 of Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which guarantees education in conformity with parental convictions.¹³ They also conflict with the Church’s explicit teaching that “it is incumbent on parents to strain every nerve to ward off such an outrage, and to hold exclusive authority to direct the education of their offspring.”¹²

The Poison of Naturalism
The recurring fault identified by traditional Catholic critics is the persistence of naturalism—the belief that moral formation can be achieved through reason or social conditioning alone, without recourse to divine grace. As Pius XI explains, such approaches “refuse to recognize the inborn weakness of human nature” and disregard “the means of grace” by which purity is preserved.¹¹ The Church teaches that because fallen man bears the wounds of original sin—ignorance, malice, weakness, and concupiscence—mere human instruction cannot preserve chastity without spiritual formation and sacramental life.

Parental Vigilance and Partnership
For this reason, parents must be vigilant regarding what is taught in the name of “Catholic education.” They should review all RSE materials used by their children’s schools, exercise their right to consultation and, if necessary, withdraw their children from any lessons inconsistent with Catholic doctrine. True partnership between home and school means not merely compliance or trust, but collaboration under parental authority. The right to know, to approve, and to object is not only a civil entitlement but a duty arising from the parental vocation.

A Call to Restore Catholic Integrity
Catholic schools must remember that they exist not to reflect the prevailing culture but to redeem it. To comply with statutory RSE obligations while neglecting the Catholic vision of purity and grace is to betray their mission. The teaching of human sexuality must always be presented as part of the call to holiness—never as a technical or social matter detached from faith. Where government policy or secular expectations conflict with divine law, Catholic schools must stand firm in fidelity to Christ and to the Magisterium.

As Pius XI urged, parents must “strain every nerve to ward off such an outrage” as the corruption of family life by worldly influences and to “hold exclusive authority to direct the education of their offspring.”¹² In our time, this vigilance is not merely prudent; it is indispensable to preserving innocence, virtue, and faith in the hearts of children.

¹ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2225–2226.
² Ibid.
³ Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 14.
⁴ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2224.
⁵ Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum, 12.
⁶ Catholic Education Service, “Relationships and Sex Education,” catholiceducation.org.uk.
⁷ Society of Saint Pius X (UK District), “Sex-Ed in Catholic Schools,” fsspx.uk.
⁸ B.R. Taylorian, The Opposition of Traditionalist Catholics to Sex Education (University of Central Lancashire, 2024).
⁹ Ibid.
¹⁰ Society of Saint Pius X, “The Catholic Attitude to Sex Education,” fsspx.uk.
¹¹ Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri (1929), 65–67, citing Silvio Antoniano, On the Christian Education of Children (“The Golden Treatise”).
¹² Leo XIII, Sapientiae Christianae, 42.
¹³ European Convention on Human Rights, Article 2 of Protocol 1; Article 8.

The Enduring Gift of Christian Sexual Ethics

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By the Archbishop of Selsey

The ordering of human love has always been decisive for the health of civilisations. At stake is not simply the happiness of individuals, but the stability of families, the nurture of children, and the vitality of culture itself. Christianity, from its beginning, proposed a vision of sexuality that was at once demanding and profoundly humane. Far from repressing joy, it elevates it—integrating passion with fidelity, openness to life, and the dignity of persons.

The Church has never been content to leave the most intimate of human acts to shifting preference. From Genesis onward, marriage is revealed as covenant: “The two shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24; Mt. 19:5). Christ confirmed this order, declaring: “What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mt. 19:6). Sexual intimacy belongs to marriage, marriage is permanent and faithful, chastity before marriage prepares for fidelity within it, and openness to life crowns it with fruit. Virginity and celibacy point to the higher truth that human fulfilment ultimately rests in God.

The Fathers called these principles beautiful. St. Augustine described chastity as “the beauty of the soul” which brings harmony to desire.¹ St. John Chrysostom called the Christian household “a little Church,” where fidelity mirrors the love of Christ and His Bride.² St. Jerome observed that consecrated virginity does not diminish love but ennobles it.³ Their vision was later reaffirmed by the magisterium: Pope Pius XI in Casti Connubii taught that marriage is ordered both to the procreation of children and the mutual perfection of the spouses;⁴ the Second Vatican Council in Gaudium et Spes called marriage “a covenant of irrevocable personal consent”;⁵ and St. John Paul II in Familiaris Consortio declared that “the future of humanity passes by way of the family.”⁶

What has this ethic produced in practice? The social sciences confirm what revelation declared. Decades of research show that children raised in stable, married families are healthier, better educated, and more emotionally secure. A Princeton study led by W. Bradford Wilcox concluded that intact marriages reduce child poverty, improve school performance, and lower delinquency.⁷ Anthropologists have demonstrated that monogamous marriage, historically rare, restrains elite polygamy, reduces male violence, and directs energy into family provision. Joseph Henrich called this shift “the domestication of the male,” essential for peaceful and productive societies.⁸

Where intimacy is safeguarded by fidelity, health is preserved. The Centers for Disease Control consistently note that stable, monogamous unions carry the lowest risks of disease and psychological harm.⁹ By insisting on covenantal love, Christian morality provides a natural safeguard for trust and well-being. By demanding equal fidelity from husband and wife, it elevated the dignity of women. What theology first declared, anthropology now confirms: monogamous marriage fosters greater equality between the sexes and deeper paternal investment in children.¹⁰

This vision is also life-affirming. In the ancient world, Christians distinguished themselves by refusing to expose infants, insisting that every child is a gift. Roman historians noted the peculiarity of this practice.¹¹ Today, the same openness to life challenges a culture that too often views children as burdens. In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI warned prophetically that to separate love from life would lead to marital breakdown, the exploitation of women, and demographic decline.¹² His words have proven true. Nations that embraced contraception and abortion as norms now face collapsing birth rates and an uncertain future. Italy, Spain, and Japan all record fertility rates far below replacement level, leaving questions of intergenerational care and economic survival.¹³

Even psychology lends its voice. Walter Mischel’s well-known studies on delayed gratification showed that the ability to restrain desire predicted better outcomes in education, work, and health decades later.¹⁴ Christian chastity, far from being denial, is a school of virtue. It trains men and women to master desire, not be mastered by it. It is preparation for fidelity in marriage and a foundation for self-possession in all of life.

The witness of celibacy and virginity adds another dimension. St. Paul called it a gift enabling undivided devotion to God. Far from undermining society, celibate communities have enriched it: monasteries preserved learning, cultivated land, and cared for the sick; religious orders established schools and hospitals that endure to this day. As Rodney Stark has shown, the radical witness of virginity and celibacy drew many to the Church, impressed by the joy of lives wholly consecrated to Christ.¹⁵

By contrast, the world’s departure from these principles is plain. In the United States, more than 40% of children are born outside marriage.¹⁶ Researchers such as Sara McLanahan have shown that these children face higher risks of poverty and educational disadvantage.¹⁷ Across Europe, loneliness has reached record levels among young adults, often linked to unstable relationships and the decline of family bonds.¹⁸ The United Kingdom has reported the highest rates of syphilis in seventy years.¹⁹ Meanwhile, nations that suppress openness to life now face demographic winter.²⁰ And cultural observers like Mary Eberstadt have argued that the weakening of family life contributes directly to social fragmentation, as individuals seek identity in causes and ideologies when they no longer receive it from kinship and home.²¹

These are not condemnations but clarifications. They show by contrast how the Christian ethic, lived authentically, provides remedies for today’s wounds. By calling men to be faithful protectors, women to be honoured partners, and children to be cherished blessings, it nurtures harmony. By connecting intimacy with covenant, it safeguards trust. By linking love to life, it renews generations.

Christian sexual morality is not a burden but a gift—an enduring framework through which love finds its truest form. Where it is embraced, societies flourish; where it is neglected, they falter. Demanding, yes—but profoundly humane. It orders love to truth, and life to abundance. In the words of St. John Paul II: “Man cannot live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible to himself… if love is not revealed to him.”²²

For a more indepth presentation visit Nuntiatoria.org

¹ St. Augustine, Confessions, Book X.
² St. John Chrysostom, Homily XX on Ephesians.
³ St. Jerome, Against Jovinianus, Book I.
⁴ Pius XI, Casti Connubii (1930), §23.
⁵ Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes (1965), §48.
⁶ John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio (1981), §86.
⁷ W. Bradford Wilcox, Marriage and Child Well-Being: Research Findings (Princeton/Institute for American Values, 2011).
⁸ Joseph Henrich, Robert Boyd & Peter J. Richerson, The Puzzle of Monogamous Marriage, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B (2012).
⁹ CDC, Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Report (2023).
¹⁰ Joseph Henrich, The WEIRDest People in the World (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020).
¹¹ Tacitus, Annals, XV, 44; cf. Athenagoras, Plea for the Christians, §35.
¹² Paul VI, Humanae Vitae (1968), §17.
¹³ UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Fertility and Family Planning 2022.
¹⁴ Walter Mischel, The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control (Little, Brown, 2014).
¹⁵ Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (HarperOne, 1997).
¹⁶ CDC, National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 72, No. 2 (2023).
¹⁷ Sara McLanahan & Isabel Sawhill, Marriage and Child Wellbeing Revisited, Future of Children 15:2 (2005).
¹⁸ European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Loneliness in the EU (2022).
¹⁹ UK Health Security Agency, Sexually Transmitted Infections Surveillance Data (2022).
²⁰ UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Fertility and Family Planning 2022.
²¹ Mary Eberstadt, Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics (Templeton Press, 2019).
²² John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis (1979), §10.

“In Omni Generatione”: on the prudent formation of young people in the present age

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Coat of arms of the Old Roman Apostolate, featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis, stars, and a cross, accompanied by the inscription 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

To the clergy, religious, and faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate, and to all those who seek to preserve the Catholic faith in its integrity and fullness:
grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Carissimi

In every generation, the Church must discern the times and guide the young in the way of truth and life. Today, the moral, cultural, and economic landscape in which our young people must navigate their calling is profoundly altered from that of our forebears. Institutions that once upheld the pursuit of wisdom now often undermine it; places that once nurtured virtue now promote vice; paths that promised stability now lead to uncertainty and debt.

It is within this reality that the Old Roman Apostolate must shepherd its youth. The counsel I offer here is not merely personal opinion, but a synthesis of practical wisdom, the perennial teaching of the Church, the lived experience of our clergy, and the empirical realities that shape life today.

The Crisis of Higher Education
Once regarded as a gateway to opportunity, the university degree has in many cases become an overpriced certificate of conformity to prevailing ideologies. In the United Kingdom, the average graduate now leaves university with over £45,000 of debt, and for some courses the figure exceeds £50,000¹³. Government data indicate that, under current repayment structures, many graduates will still be making payments well into their fifties¹⁴. At the same time, the economic return on such investment is declining: the Higher Education Statistics Agency reports that nearly one in three graduates is employed in a role that does not require a degree at all, and a significant proportion work in fields unrelated to their studies¹⁵.

This is not merely an economic issue but a question of stewardship. Our Lord teaches: “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in that which is greater: and he that is unjust in that which is little, is unjust also in that which is greater” (Luke 16:10)¹. The Catechism teaches that prudence “disposes the practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance, and to choose the right means of achieving it”². To invest years of life and great sums of borrowed money in a qualification of uncertain value is to risk violating that virtue.

Nor is the problem limited to finances. The intellectual environment of many universities is no longer a marketplace of ideas but a factory of ideological formation. A 2024 Policy Exchange report found that nearly 80% of UK university staff in the social sciences identify with progressive political positions, and over 60% of students report feeling unable to express viewpoints contrary to prevailing orthodoxy without fear of social or academic penalty¹⁶. Critical Social Justice theory, gender ideology, and politicised history are woven into curricula, not as perspectives among others but as unquestionable truths.

Pope Pius XI warned in Divini Illius Magistri that “it is necessary to watch with the greatest care that the education of youth be not committed to false teachers who infect them with the poison of impiety”¹¹. His warning is more urgent now than in his own day.

The Moral Peril of Campus Culture
For many young Catholics, the transition to university is not merely an academic step but an immersion into an environment that is often hostile to faith and virtue. In the United Kingdom, weekly religious attendance among students drops to less than 10% during university years¹⁷. St. Paul’s warning remains true: “Evil communications corrupt good manners” (1 Corinthians 15:33)³.

Campus life today normalises vice under the guise of “freedom” and “self-expression.” The National Union of Students reports that over 70% of students engage in heavy drinking at least once a month¹⁸. The Office for National Statistics records the highest rates of drug use among those aged 16–24¹⁹.

Moral dangers are compounded by sexual misconduct: one in ten female students reports sexual assault during university, with far more experiencing harassment²⁰. Such an atmosphere corrodes the virtue of chastity, essential to Christian dignity⁴.

Mental health is also in crisis: over half of students report anxiety or depression, with demand for counselling doubling in a decade²¹. This is unsurprising when the stability of family, parish, and faith community is replaced by an environment in which relativism reigns, sexual morality is mocked, and belief in objective truth is derided.

Religious freedom is under threat on campus. In recent years, Christian speakers have been disinvited or censored for upholding Catholic teaching²². Pope Benedict XVI cautioned in Caritas in Veritate that “when freedom to be religious is at risk, all freedoms are fragile”¹². St. John Chrysostom likened sending an unformed youth into such an environment to “casting a tender lamb into the midst of wolves”⁵.

A Practical Alternative: Work, Stability, and Discernment
In light of these realities, I counsel our young people: do not rush into higher education. Begin with work; gain practical experience; build financial stability. In the UK housing market, early employment combined with prudent saving can make the difference between securing a mortgage in one’s twenties and being locked out for decades²³.

Once stable, further qualifications may be pursued with purpose, avoiding both unnecessary debt and wasted years. Those who own property may let it to cover mortgage costs, creating credit history and long-term security. Such prudence benefits not only the individual but their family, freeing parents from the financial strain of prolonged dependency.

This counsel is not anti-intellectual. The Church esteems learning; but she also commands prudence, moderation, and stewardship. St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that “right reason in things to be done is the essence of prudence”⁶.

The Old Roman Apostolate’s Formation Policy
This counsel extends to vocations. The ORA is cautious in admitting young men directly from universities to seminary. Too often we encounter candidates whose faith and morals have been compromised by the prevailing campus culture. For this reason, I have directed our episcopal administrators to favour Formation Houses — communities where candidates live, pray, and work together, supporting themselves through employment or vocational training.

This model prevents them from becoming a financial burden to the faithful, while giving them real-world experience that will later inform their pastoral care. A priest who has shared in the daily challenges of earning a living, paying bills, and navigating the economy will counsel his flock with a deeper empathy.

While a traditional residential seminary is an ideal, it is also costly and unsustainable for most of our missions, which cannot yet support full-time clergy. The Formation House model is thus both practical and apostolic — rooted in the Church’s missionary tradition, where priests were often trained in close contact with the communities they served.

Counsel to Parents and Guardians
Parents, the Church calls you the “first heralds of the Gospel” to your children⁷. This duty includes protecting them from environments that could undermine their faith before it is mature. The decision about university is not just academic; it is spiritual.

Encourage your sons and daughters to see life’s choices through the lens of vocation: what will best prepare them to serve God, their family, and their community? Sometimes this will mean delaying university; sometimes it will mean choosing a trade or apprenticeship; sometimes it will mean carefully selecting a faithful Catholic institution.

You have the right — and the duty — to direct your children’s formation. As Pope Leo XIII taught in Rerum Novarum, “The family … must necessarily have rights and duties which are prior to those of the community, and founded more immediately in nature”¹⁰.

Conclusion
My beloved children, the Church does not fear the world, for Christ has overcome it (John 16:33)⁸. But neither does she send her young unprepared into a spiritual battle. The prudent path — whether toward higher education, the workforce, or a vocation — is one that preserves faith, builds virtue, and secures the temporal stability needed for generous service to God.

Let us therefore walk “as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)⁹, forming our youth not for the approval of the age but for the eternal glory of God.

I.X.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi, written in an elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
In Vigilia Assumptionis B.M.V. MMXXV A.D.

Oremus

Deus, qui iuvenes ad imaginem Filii tui formare voluisti, concede, quaesumus, ut, Spiritu Sancto illuminati et virtutibus roborati, in via veritatis et vitae constanter ambulent, et in periculis mundi fidem integram, spem firmam, caritatem perfectam servent. Per eundem Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O God, who hast willed to form the young in the image of Thy Son, grant, we beseech Thee, that, enlightened by the Holy Ghost and strengthened in virtue, they may walk steadfastly in the way of truth and life, and amid the perils of the world preserve an unshaken faith, a firm hope, and a perfect charity. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Ecclesial & Theological Sources
01. Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate (2009), §29.
02. Luke 16:10, Douay-Rheims.
03. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1806.
04. 1 Corinthians 15:33, Douay-Rheims.
05. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2337–2359.
06. St. John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 7.
07. St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae, II–II, q.47, a.2.
08. Catechism of the Catholic Church, §2225.
09. John 16:33, Douay-Rheims.
10. Ephesians 5:8, Douay-Rheims.
11. Pope Leo XIII, Rerum Novarum (1891), §12.
12. Pope Pius XI, Divini Illius Magistri (1929), §78.

Empirical & Factual Sources
13. UK Student Loans Company, Student Loan Statistics 2024, Table 1.
14. Institute for Fiscal Studies, Will most graduates pay off their student loans?, 2023.
15. Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023.
16. Policy Exchange, Academic Freedom in the UK, 2024.
17. Higher Education Policy Institute, Student Academic Experience Survey, 2023.
18. National Union of Students, Student Drinking Culture Report, 2022.
19. Office for National Statistics, Drug misuse in England and Wales: year ending June 2023.
20. Telegraph Investigation, “One in ten female students sexually assaulted,” 2022.
21. Universities UK, Stepchange: Mentally Healthy Universities, 2023 update.
22. Free Speech Union, Campus Censorship Report, 2024.
23. UK Finance, First-time Buyer Trends, Q4 2024.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

(©)The Titular Archbishop of Selsey 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.

Statement: On the House of Commons Vote on the Assisted Dying Bill

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

With a heavy heart, I acknowledge the passage of the Assisted Dying Bill through Parliament. This moment marks a grave turning point for our nation’s understanding of life, dignity, and care.

Together with my deep disappointment at the vote earlier this week to decriminalise abortion, these decisions represent a profound failure to uphold the sanctity of human life at all stages. They reflect a troubling shift away from protecting the most vulnerable—unborn children, the terminally ill, the disabled, and the elderly—and toward a society that places subjective judgments of suffering above the intrinsic dignity of every human person.

It must be said plainly: without the right to life—the most basic, foundational human right—no other rights can stand. When society denies the right to life, it nullifies the very basis of justice and the entire framework of human rights protections. This is the true cost of these votes.

I stand in solidarity with the many medical professionals, disability advocates, faith leaders, and citizens who believed the bill was not fit for purpose, raising serious concerns about its safeguards, its ethical implications, and the risks it poses to vulnerable individuals.

While I hold deep compassion for those who suffer and face the profound challenges of terminal illness, I must reiterate that permitting the state’s involvement in ending life diminishes the inherent worth of each individual and risks pressuring the vulnerable to choose death over care.

True compassion calls us to accompany those who suffer, to provide better palliative care, and to uphold a culture of life.

In the days and years ahead, I pledge to continue advocating for those most at risk, to support families and carers, and to call our society back to a vision that cherishes every life as sacred and inviolable.

May God grant us wisdom and courage to walk together in charity and justice.

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
S. Silverii Papæ et Martyris MMXXV A.D.

LETTER TO SUSSEX MPS ON THE ASSISTED DYING BILL

PASTORAL EPISTLE ON DECRIMINALISATION OF ABORTION LAW IN BRITAIN

Oremus

Deus Miserator, Qui vitam humanam in tuae imaginis dignitate creasti, da nobis gratiam ut sanctitatem vitae semper tueamur. Fortitudinem tribue iis qui infirmantur et iis qui curant, ut in tribulatione non deficiant in spe, nec deficit caritas. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

Merciful God, Who created human life in the dignity of Your image, grant us the grace always to defend the sanctity of life. Give strength to the infirm and to their carers, that in suffering they may not fail in hope nor in love. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

(©)The Titular Archbishop of Selsey 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.

Archbishop of Selsey Urges Sussex MPs to Reject Assisted Dying Bill

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Brighton, 19 June 2025 – On the eve of tomorrow’s decisive vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, the Most Reverend Dr Jerome Lloyd, Titular Archbishop of Selsey, has directly appealed to all Sussex Members of Parliament. His letter urges them to oppose the Bill, highlighting profound moral, medical, and legal concerns.

A Broader Moral Crisis

Archbishop Lloyd warns that this vote follows closely on the heels of Parliament’s decision to decriminalise abortion up to birth. He states, “The pattern is unmistakable: when the law ceases to defend the beginning and end of life, its commitment to human dignity is not merely weakened—it is shattered.”

In a memorable reference, he cites anthropologist Margaret Mead’s insight that the earliest sign of human civilisation was not a tool but a healed femur, evidence of compassion and communal care—a stark contrast to laws permitting legalised death.

Safeguards That Fail

Despite amendments for panel reviews and conscience protections (notably Clause 25), the Archbishop contends these are insufficient and may create pressure on healthcare providers and religious institutions. He cautions that Catholic hospitals, hospices, and charities may be forced to comply or risk losing funding—echoing concerns raised by Cardinal Vincent Nichols in describing Parliament’s approach as a “deeply irresponsible shambles” and accusing legislators of spending more time debating foxhunting than this life-and-death measure.

Medical Opposition Unanimous

Leading professional bodies including the BMA, Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists, Pathologists, Disability Rights UK, and the Coalition of Frontline Care have united in opposition. They have criticised the Bill’s prognostic unreliability, inadequate capacity assessments, and the removal of coroner oversight—all of which threaten patient safety and ethical standards in medicine.

Slippery Slope to Compassion or Convenience?

Archbishop Lloyd emphasises the risks evidenced in countries like Canada, Belgium, and Oregon—where assisted-dying regimes have expanded beyond intended limits. He echoes Cardinal Nichols’ warning that what begins as a “right to die” quickly morphs into a “duty to die” under social and economic pressures.

A Defining Moment

In his powerful conclusion, the Archbishop frames the vote as an existential choice for the nation:

“Do we walk with the suffering, or do we wash our hands, legalise their death, and call it compassion?”
“True civilisation is measured by how we treat the most vulnerable… The right to die soon becomes a duty to die.”

He urges all Sussex MPs to vote ‘No’, protecting not just individual lives, but the ethical integrity of society itself.

Assisted-Dying-Bill-Sussex-MPs IIDownload

The Archbishop’s previous letter to Sussex MPs

Assisted Dying Bill Sussex MPsDownload

Statement: On the House of Commons Vote to Decriminalise Abortion to Birth

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

It is with profound grief and moral clarity that I respond to yesterday’s vote in the House of Commons approving Amendments NC1 and NC20 to the Criminal Justice Bill—amendments that effectively strip away all remaining protections for unborn children in the United Kingdom.

This is a watershed moment. Parliament has now declared, by law, that human life possesses no inherent dignity, no objective worth—only value when it is subjectively desired. A child in the womb may now be legally killed up to the very moment of birth. This is not progress. It is not compassion. It is the codification of cruelty.

By reducing life to a commodity, this legislation severs the foundation of all human rights. For if there is no right to life, then no other right—of speech, of conscience, of personhood—can stand. This is not a private moral issue. It is a public act of injustice. It is a declaration by the State that innocent human life is disposable.

In the name of women’s rights, Parliament has in fact turned back the clock on women’s safety. By removing legal safeguards and entrenching the unsupervised use of abortion pills at home, it has enabled a return to unsafe, unregulated, and often coercive abortions—in private settings, with no medical oversight, and no protection from pressure, abuse, or isolation. Women are left alone to suffer, sometimes haemorrhaging, sometimes traumatised, and sometimes misled about what these pills will do. This is not empowerment. It is abandonment. It is policy that protects institutions, not persons—and it fails women precisely when they are most in need of care and truth.

Far from defending womanhood, this law strips women of their own dignity—not by affirming their capacity to give life, but by reducing that capacity to a private license to destroy it. The feminine genius is not honoured, but hollowed out.

The Apathy of Apostasy

It must also be said, and said plainly: the vast majority of those who claim the name of Christ today—across denominations—are Christians in name only. Nominal. Superficial. Formed more by sentiment than by doctrine, shaped more by the culture than by the Cross. Their religion is subjective, their morality relativistic, their public witness nearly silent.

And the hierarchies?
Too often, little better. Bureaucratic. Cautious. Politically attuned. Paralysed by the fear of controversy.

We are told abortion is “sensitive,” “divisive,” “too hot to handle.” But what are we speaking of, if not the deliberate killing of persons made in the image and likeness of God?

Every unborn child is willed into being by the Creator, imbued with eternal purpose, and destined for a life that could bring immeasurable good to others. To describe this reality as “complex,” while retreating from moral clarity, is not pastoral prudence—it is moral failure.

This is not a matter of ecclesial strategy. It is a matter of truth.
And to tolerate the shedding of innocent blood in silence is not charity—it is apostasy by omission.

Let this statement serve not only as a condemnation of an evil act enshrined in law, but as a call to repentance for the silence that enabled it—and as a rallying cry for the faithful to reawaken, to speak boldly, and to defend life without compromise.

+In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
SS. Marci et Marcelliani Martyrum MMXXV A.D.

PASTORAL EPISTLE ON DECRIMINALISATION OF ABORTION LAW IN BRITAIN

Oremus

Deus, vitae auctor et custos animarum, qui omnes homines ad imaginem tuam creasti, et in utero matris eos sanctificare dignatus es, intuere propitius ad parvulos nondum natos, quos leges humanae ab omni tutela solvere conantur. Infunde timorem tuum in corda legislatorum, ut legem tuam super omnem consilium humanum agnoscant, et innocentes a morte tueantur. Beatae Mariae Virgini, Matri Vitae, nos committimus, ut per eius intercessionem natio nostra a caecitate cordis liberetur, et iterum legem vitae eligat. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O God, Author of life and Guardian of souls, who created all people in Thine image and didst sanctify them in their mother’s womb, look with mercy upon the unborn children whom human laws now seek to cast off from all protection. Pour Thy holy fear into the hearts of lawmakers, that they may recognize Thy law above all human counsel, and defend the innocent from death. To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life, we commend ourselves, that through her intercession our nation may be delivered from the blindness of heart, and choose again the law of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

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Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good: A Pastoral Letter on the Decriminalisation of Abortion Law in Britain

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

To the beloved faithful of Great Britain

Carissimi

On 17 June 2025, the British Parliament will vote on amendments that, if passed, would constitute the most radical expansion of abortion access in the nation’s history—legalising abortion up to birth for any reason, including the use of unsupervised abortion pills at home without medical oversight.

The principal amendment, tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, seeks to remove all criminal penalties for women who procure abortions at any stage of pregnancy. Though marketed under the guise of “protecting women,” this measure would obliterate existing legal safeguards, including those which protect viable unborn children, deter sex-selective abortion, and prevent coerced terminations.

The Catholic Medical Association and hundreds of healthcare professionals have already warned Parliament that such changes would expose women to serious risks. Complication rates for late-term medical abortions are known to be over 160 times higher than those before 10 weeks’ gestation. Decriminalising abortion to birth opens the door to these dangerous procedures being conducted without medical supervision—and with no legal recourse for abuse, trafficking, or coercion¹.

Moreover, this amendment undermines the foundational principle of English law: that the unborn child possesses a modicum of legal recognition and protection. To remove all criminal sanction is to erase even this minimal acknowledgment of the unborn as a member of the human family.

Public Opinion Is Not With Them

Contrary to the claims of abortion lobbyists, polling conducted on behalf of SPUC in May 2025 indicates that:

  • Only 5% of Britons support legal abortion up to birth
  • 46% favour reducing the current 24-week limit
  • 62% support maintaining criminal law to protect the unborn
  • 53% oppose abortion when the child is capable of surviving outside the womb
  • 60% reject the idea of abortion on demand for any reason²

This is not a fringe view. It is a mainstream moral instinct—a desire to protect life and uphold medical responsibility, especially in the face of a culture that increasingly treats pregnancy as a liability and life as disposable.

A Call to Action

This is a defining moment for pro-life witness in the UK. I urge all Catholics and people of goodwill to do the following:

  1. Sign the petition hosted by SPUC and CitizenGO
  2. Contact your MP and express your opposition to the decriminalisation amendment
  3. Attend the demonstration in Westminster on Tuesday, 17 June, if at all possible
  4. Pray and offer penance for the conversion of our nation and its lawmakers

This is not merely a legal battle—it is a spiritual one. St. John Paul II reminded us that “a nation that kills its own children has no future.” Let us not remain silent as Parliament considers removing the final protections from the smallest and most vulnerable among us.

Let your voice be heard. Let your witness be seen. Let your prayers be offered. For if we do not defend life now, we shall answer for our silence before God.

I.X.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
Feria Sexta Quattuor Temporum Pentecostes MMXXV A.D.

¹ Open Letter from UK Healthcare Professionals to MPs opposing abortion decriminalisation, 2024.
² Polling conducted by Whitestone Insight on behalf of SPUC, May 2025.

Oremus

Deus, vitae auctor et custos animarum, qui omnes homines ad imaginem tuam creasti, et in utero matris eos sanctificare dignatus es, intuere propitius ad parvulos nondum natos, quos leges humanae ab omni tutela solvere conantur. Infunde timorem tuum in corda legislatorum, ut legem tuam super omnem consilium humanum agnoscant, et innocentes a morte tueantur. Beatae Mariae Virgini, Matri Vitae, nos committimus, ut per eius intercessionem natio nostra a caecitate cordis liberetur, et iterum legem vitae eligat. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

O God, Author of life and Guardian of souls, who created all people in Thine image and didst sanctify them in their mother’s womb, look with mercy upon the unborn children whom human laws now seek to cast off from all protection. Pour Thy holy fear into the hearts of lawmakers, that they may recognize Thy law above all human counsel, and defend the innocent from death. To the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Life, we commend ourselves, that through her intercession our nation may be delivered from the blindness of heart, and choose again the law of life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

(©)The Titular Archbishop of Selsey 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.

Habemus Papam! Leo XIV

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Statement of the Primus of the Old Roman Apostolate on the Election of Pope Leo XIV

“Habemus Papam!”—These ancient and joyful words, once more resounding from the heart of Christendom, proclaim to the world the election of a new Bishop of Rome, the servant of the servants of God.

The Old Roman Apostolate extends its respectful greetings and fervent prayers to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., upon his elevation to the Chair of Saint Peter. In this hour of grave responsibility and sacred trust, we pray that the Holy Father may be richly endowed with wisdom, courage, and apostolic zeal.

It is our sincere hope that the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV may be marked by a true restoration of Catholic unity through fidelity to the deposit of faith, the perennial magisterium, and the unbroken liturgical and moral tradition handed down from the Apostles. In a time of moral confusion and doctrinal eclipse, the world and the Church cry out for clarity, sanctity, and fatherhood.

Though the Old Roman Apostolate remains apart in discipline and governance due to the exigencies of the current ecclesial crisis, we do not cease to pray for reconciliation in truth, and for a Roman Pontiff who will confirm his brethren in the faith, as Christ commanded.

May Our Blessed Lady, Queen of the Apostles, protect and guide the new Pope. May Saint Peter intercede for his successor, that he may govern the Church with a heart conformed to the Heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

Ad multos annos, Sancte Pater Leo!

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

I.X.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
In Apparitione S. Michaëlis Archangeli MMXXV A.D.

Deus, omnium fidelium Pastor et Rector, famulum tuum Leonem, quem pastorem Ecclesiae tuae praeesse voluisti, propitius respice: da ei, quaesumus, verbo et exemplo, quibus praeest, proficere; ut ad vitam, una cum grege sibi credito, perveniat sempiternam. Per Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti Deus, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Amen.

O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, mercifully look upon Thy servant Leo, whom Thou hast been pleased to set as pastor over Thy Church: grant him, we beseech Thee, to profit both by word and example those over whom he is set, so that together with the flock committed to his care, he may attain unto life everlasting. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

(©)The Titular Archbishop of Selsey 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.

A prayer for the Papal Conclave – A.D. 2025

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

As the College of Cardinals gathers in solemn Conclave, the eyes of the world turn once more toward Rome—toward the heart of Holy Church, where, behind closed doors, the successors of the Apostles now seek the will of the Holy Ghost.

This is not merely a moment of transition. It is a sacred pause—a time of pleading with Heaven, a time for every member of Christ’s Mystical Body to offer prayer, sacrifice, and supplication for the election of a true shepherd.

I exhort you: do not treat these days as political theatre or ecclesiastical spectacle. We are not waiting for a new administrator—we are begging God for a father. One who will speak the truth in love, defend the deposit of faith without compromise, and pour himself out for the salvation of souls.

In these times of grave confusion—when error is called compassion and fidelity is mocked as rigidity—the Church needs not a man of the world, but a man of God. We need a Pope who will strengthen what remains, call sinners to repentance, and restore what has been lost.

Therefore, I call on all our chapels and households throughout the Old Roman Apostolate, and all who love Christ and His Church: offer your rosaries, your fasts, your penances for this intention. Entrust the Conclave to Our Lady, Mater Ecclesiae, and ask the Holy Ghost to descend with light and fire.

And let us now pray together, using the words of our forebear, Archbishop Arnold Harris Mathew—praying not only for unity, but for the election of a faithful Vicar of Christ:

Prayer for the Election of a Good Shepherd

Almighty and everlasting God,
Whose only begotten Son, Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd, hath said: “Other sheep I have that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd”;
look graciously upon Thy Church in this hour of expectation.

Let Thy rich and abundant blessing rest upon the whole household of faith, and especially upon those now assembled in Conclave, that they may be guided by Thy Holy Ghost to choose a shepherd after Thine own Heart—faithful, holy, and wise.

Enlighten, sanctify, and quicken Thy Church by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost,
that suspicions may be healed, prejudices overcome, and the scattered sheep brought to hear and follow the voice of their true Shepherd.
May all be drawn at last into the unity of the one fold of Thy Holy Catholic Church,
under the wise and loving governance of Thy chosen Vicar.

Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
Who with Thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

I.X.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
S. Stanislai Episcopi et Martyris MMXXV A.D.

Prayer_for_Election_of_a_Good_ShepherdDownload

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

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“Gratia vobis”: A Pastoral Epistle on the 13th Anniversary of Episcopal Consecration – A.D. 2025

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Coat of arms featuring a shield with a fleur-de-lis and elements of ecclesiastical symbolism, inscribed with 'DEUS CARITAS EST'.

To the beloved faithful of the Old Roman Apostolate

Carissimi

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, on this Feast of Pope St. Pius V, Confessor and Pontiff.

Today marks the thirteenth anniversary of my episcopal consecration, which took place, by Divine Providence, on this very feast in the year of our Lord 2012. It was no small consolation then, as it is now, to have been consecrated on the day the Church commemorates a shepherd of heroic sanctity and fortitude, one who bore the Petrine Office with unwavering fidelity during one of the most tumultuous eras in Christendom.

As I reflect upon these years of episcopal ministry, I do so not with a sense of personal achievement, but with profound gratitude—for the mercy of God, for the prayers of the faithful, and for the fellowship of my fellow clergy. The burden of the episcopate, if borne apart from grace, would be intolerable. But with Christ, “My yoke is sweet, and My burden light.”¹

A Shepherd After the Heart of the Good Shepherd
The episcopacy came to me in these times of crisis, not chosen nor desired by me, but accepted out of necessity—to transmit and perpetuate the orthodox faith and the apostolic succession through tradition and sacramental fidelity, for the sake of the flock and the continuity of the Church amidst confusion, rupture, and decline. It is a ministry I have borne not for myself, but for Christ and His Church, and in union with those bishops who throughout history have stood firm when the walls of the sanctuary were breached.

As the Cardinals prepare to enter the Sacred Conclave on May 7th, I earnestly pray that they will be guided by the Holy Ghost to elect a successor to St. Peter—one to whom I may, in good conscience and with joyful fidelity, surrender my episcopacy, and with whom I might wholeheartedly cooperate in defending, restoring, and perpetuating the perennial doctrine, sacred liturgy, and apostolic discipline of our beloved Holy Church.

In the Footsteps of Pius V
That my episcopacy began under the patronage of Pope St. Pius V is a charge I have never taken lightly. It was he who codified the Traditional Roman Rite, defended the truths of the Faith at Trent, reformed the clergy and religious orders, and roused Christendom to holy unity in the face of grave threats, both spiritual and temporal. He remains a model of the episcopal and apostolic vocation: courageous, uncompromising, and profoundly holy.

In our own day—marked not by Ottoman swords but by the subtler and more insidious weapons of heresy, apostasy, and cultural decay—we too must fight, with the same zeal for souls and the same fidelity to Tradition. The Old Roman Apostolate stands, like a beacon amidst the storm, not because of human strength, but because we cling to the same deposit of Faith guarded and transmitted by the saints.

“In Season and Out of Season”
In these times, the bishop must not be silent. The shepherd must not retreat. Our society has grown indifferent to Truth, and even within the Church, confusion and disobedience abound. The temptation to compromise for the sake of relevance or respectability has never been greater. But the Gospel is not subject to revision. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”²

We must therefore, my beloved, remain steadfast—proclaiming the perennial magisterium, reverencing the sacred liturgy in its immemorial form, calling sinners to repentance, and forming souls in the life of grace.

The episcopal ministry is apostolic succession not merely in orders, but in mission: to teach what the Apostles taught, to guard what the Fathers guarded, and to transmit what the saints lived and died for.

A Word to My Sons in the Priesthood
To my fellow clergy—brothers, sons—thank you. Your fidelity gives strength to your bishop. Your labor in the vineyard, often unseen and underappreciated, bears fruit that only eternity will reveal. Stay close to your breviary and your altar. Be fearless in preaching, tender in confession, and humble in governance. You are alter Christus not only in ritual, but in life. Take refuge often in the pierced Heart of our Lord, and there you will find refreshment.

A Word to the Faithful
To all the laity entrusted to my care: I pray daily for your perseverance. The world would have you abandon Christ for the passing things of this age. But I urge you—cleave to the sacraments, educate your children in the truth, sanctify your homes with prayer, and offer your trials in union with our Crucified Lord. You are the leaven in a collapsing culture. Do not grow weary in well-doing.

A Final Plea: Pray for Your Bishop
On this anniversary, I ask you, from the bottom of my heart, to pray for me. Pray that I may finish the race. Pray that I may be found faithful. Pray that, when I stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, I may present to Him the souls He has entrusted to me, not lost, but led home.

As we look to the years ahead, may Our Lady, Queen of Apostles, intercede for our Apostolate. May St. Joseph guard us. May St. Pius V, my heavenly patron, embolden us. And may Christ the High Priest purify, protect, and prosper His Church.

With paternal affection, I impart to you all my blessing:

† In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

I.X.

Signature of Jerome Seleisi in elegant script.

Brichtelmestunensis
S. Pii V Papæ et Confessoris MMXXV A.D.

¹ cf. Matthew 11:30
² Hebrews 13:8

Oremus

Deus, pastor ætérne, qui fámulum tuum Hierónymum Epíscopum tuo præésse voluísti gregi: præsta, quaésumus; ut verbo et exémplo sibi subditis profíciat; ut ad vitam una cum grege sibi crédito pervéniat sempitérnam. Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum: qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R. Amen

O God, eternal Shepherd, who didst will that Thy servant Jerome should preside over Thy flock as bishop: grant, we beseech Thee, that by word and example he may benefit those over whom he has charge, and together with the flock entrusted to his care, may attain everlasting life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R. Amen.

Please note that all material on this website is the Intellectual Property (IP) of His Grace, the Titular Archbishop of Selsey and protected by Copyright and Intellectual Property laws of the United Kingdom, United States and International law. Reproduction and distribution without written authorisation of the owner is prohibited.

(©)The Titular Archbishop of Selsey 2012-2025. All Rights Reserved.