Post by John Kirby

Monday 6 July 2026 Today, the Church calendar marks Monday of the 14th week in Ordinary Time, with the optional memorial of St Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr. Maria Goretti is remembered not because suffering should ever be romanticised, but because her story speaks of innocence, violence, forgiveness, grief, justice and the terrible duty to protect the vulnerable. Her witness should never be used to soften the reality of harm. A child’s dignity must be protected first, plainly and practically. Forgiveness, where it comes, is not an excuse for abuse, nor a substitute for justice. It is a hard spiritual mystery, not a loophole for wrongdoing. Today is also World Zoonoses Day, marking the first successful rabies vaccination given by Louis Pasteur on 6 July 1885. It reminds us that human health, animal health and environmental health are closely connected. Diseases that pass between animals and humans are not remote scientific curiosities. They are part of the real world of farms, pets, wildlife, food systems, climate, travel and public health. It is also International Kissing Day, a lighter observance, but not without its own human warmth. Affection, freely given and respectfully received, is part of the language of love, family, friendship and belonging. The important word, of course, is respect. So perhaps today is about protection and connection. St Maria Goretti reminds us that innocence must be defended and harm must never be excused. World Zoonoses Day reminds us that health is shared across species and systems. International Kissing Day reminds us that affection should always carry dignity, consent and care. A decent society protects children, respects boundaries, takes public health seriously, treats animals responsibly, and understands that love, at its best, is never possession or force. It is care with respect at its centre. #Today #OrdinaryTime #StMariaGoretti #WorldZoonosesDay #OneHealth #PublicHealth #InternationalKissingDay #Consent #Dignity #QuietStrength