Bonkers And Bonkers

I believe the Church, as well as being a communio, is a family, one established on blood kinship, not our blood - that which we inherit from ancestors, but a family established in the Blood of Christ and the waters of baptism. Because this is my view, I would see that the members of the Church must form a deep relationship with each other. As members of a family we should love each other, and as members of a family we should also be able to talk about things in a way that is familial. I often sense that many members of the Church who can only speak about the Church in an negative and angry tone, and are often dismissive, probably fail to see the bond of kinship that should exist between us.

Anyway, why this? Well it seems the former President of our Republic, Mary McAleese has launched another attack on the Church, this time the Synod of Bishops on the Family. Given her views in the past, it is not surprising to learn that she is rather dismissive of the Synod as it is being planned, and said that is "completely bonkers" that "celibate men" will be discussing the various issues. She feels that women should have a vital part to play in the process. Fair enough I suppose, there is a case to be made. But then I sense it would depend on the women: would orthodox, prayerful women who respect, live and defend the Church's teachings, in particular the moral teachings, be acceptable to her?

However, given the tone of McAleese's statements and taking her approach, and following her lead I would have to wonder, as a celibate priest, why she takes it upon herself to talk about priesthood and celibacy (which she has many times in the past)?  If bishops are not qualified to talk about family life (remember they are members of families themselves) then she as a married woman is not qualified to talk about celibacy. 

Sometimes as a priest you get  little cheesed off having to listen to people lecturing to you about celibacy and how we priests should be allowed to marry. When you disagree with them they attack you - as if you know nothing about the subject and they are the experts, when in reality the opposite is the case. Let us be clear: when a man is studying for the priesthood he knows that if he goes the whole way he will be required to live a life of celibacy, it is not sprung upon him at the last minute when it's all too late.  He begins this life the second he enters seminary. His seven years of training are to include living the celibate life to help him discern if this is for him: can he live a celibate life? I know some guys thought they could continue to have girlfriends and needed only to give them up when ordained deacons, but these guys had problems later on. Celibacy is not easy, but it is harder when a priest does not foster an intimate relationship with God and healthy relationships with good people. I stress good people because a priest needs honest, moral and sensible friends who will form not only a support group around him, but a spiritual family.

I think Pope Benedict teaches us this in his life. When Francis became Pope he eschewed the Papal Apartments and took up residence in an institution, the Domus. To be honest, I did not think that was a good idea for a number of reasons and I continue to believe that as I hear of problems which have emerged for the usual residents of the Domus Sancta Martha and the Roman locals living around it. Benedict, however, moved in humbly to the accommodation which was provided (and it is not lavish - the Papal Apartments are pretty spartan), but there he gathered a spiritual family around him. We heard the term "Papal family" used during his pontificate and some may have scratched their heads and wondered what this was all about. Benedict's made a spiritual family of his friends and staff, they took care of him and supported him, as he served them in his papal and fatherly ministry. That, I think, should be the model for secular priests. Such a model is possible when we remember the bonds that unite us. 

As a priest I have my family, but also many acquaintances, friends, and then close friends (men and women) who form my "spiritual family". With my own family this spiritual family supports me, prays for me and keeps an eye out for me. It is in this context that I live my celibacy, and with a life of prayer and work, and many interests, celibacy is not a burden but allows me the freedom to carry out the ministry I was called to. Some might say I can only speak for myself - true, but many thousands upon thousands of priests from the Apostles down to the newly ordained today can testify in the same way. Some will say I am bonkers, well if so I hope to be a fool for Christ's sake as another (happy) celibate once said - St Paul.

And let us not forget the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Living priesthood is living a vocation which has been made a sacrament and in this God gives his grace to help the priest live a faithful life - including celibacy. Prayer is vital here, for in prayer the priest's soul is opened to receive the grace of the sacrament and he is strengthened by the very gift of life from Christ the High Priest. Now when I mean prayer I mean authentic, heart to heart prayer, alone with the Lord in adoration and solitude. The first priority for a priest must be the time he sets aside to be alone with God. When a priest abandons prayer even for the noble excuse of ministry, he is opening the door for problems ahead and may well be closing the door to grace. A dry well gives no water. 

All that said, thanks to the members of my spiritual family, my close friends who have always been there for me. 

Time For Prayer

I think we are all reeling from the news that has been coming out about the late Jimmy Savile.  It seems he was more than just an eccentric man, the mounting evidence of his alleged abuse of up to sixty (the figure as of writing) is shocking and one wonders how he could have able to carry on abusing for six decades, from 1959 to 2006 when he was almost eighty.

When he died last year many of us were reminiscing on his life - his work for charity and his deserved (or so it seemed) knighthoods from the Pope and the Queen of England.   It all falls flat as the real legacy emerges.  God help those poor girls who, it seems, for decades carried the awful secret that one of Britain's most loved men was their abuser.  But as we know from the last number of years, nothing should surprise us now.

Of course there is more to this story than the vile deeds of one who was trusted - it was the silence of those who knew or at least suspected something.   After twenty years of accusation and recriminations directed against the Church, many by the BBC, now we see that it may have been the case that the organisations who assumed the moral high ground and threw stones may have been as guilty themselves.  Was it all a case of shouting loudest to cover over their own sins?   There is no pleasure to be taken in the fall of the BBC from their exalted position since it emerges on the backs of suffering children, but it reveals that the incompetence with dealing with child abuse is not a Catholic thing - it is a human thing. 

In society at large there is a great silence, one which covers over or, at the very least, refuses to acknowledge that abuse is closer than we think: that people we know may well be abusers.  According to the SAVI Report one in five people in Irish society have suffered some form of abuse, and of them 96-97% were not abused by clergy or religious.  I wonder, will the revelation of Jimmy Savile awful deeds force secular society that it is as guilty of cover up as the Church?

I see the Catholics United for the Faith, a new lay organisation set up in Ireland to defend the faith, have called on Cardinal Brady to withdraw an invitation to former president, Mary McAleese who had been asked to speak before Mass to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of St James's Church in Cooley, Co. Louth.  It would most wise to withdraw the invitation given Mrs McAleese's recent attack on the Church and her unorthodox views.  Indeed given that is it obvious she supports, and may well be promoting, the homosexual agenda, she should not be given a forum under the auspices of the Catholic Church.  It may well constitute a scandal to allow her speak. 

And here is an interesting article.  Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto has said that the time it takes to deal with annulment cases may have to be looked it; it may need to be faster.   A friend of mine works in a marriage tribunal and he and the others working with him do an excellent job.  Realising the gravity of the issue they deal with and conscious that they will have to answer to God for their work, they are meticulous, prudent and hard working.  Much of the time delay is the result of delays in gathering information and examining witnesses, and then of course the usual appeals.  The length of time varies from region to region, and while some regions are quick (some too quick?), others are very slow.  I know of one case - a straightforward non-consummation case, which took over five years to come through.  

In his matter pastoral charity would dictate that each individual process be dealt with as quickly as possible, noting that in many cases people have entered into second unions and so there is the issue of saving souls involved here.

Finally, Marie Stopes International are opening an abortion clinic in Belfast next Thursday.  The Minister for Health in Northern Ireland said that the administration there is looking into regulating the clinic.  Northern Ireland is not covered by the UK's 1967 Abortion Act, but subject to another Act passed in the 1940s which allows abortion only if the health or life of a woman is seriously in danger.  This Act requires proof of the danger to the woman's health, so it is quite restricted.  I'm sure the powers that be will get around that somehow - once the advocates of abortion get the taste of blood in their mouths they charge forward doing everything they can to get abortion on demand.

No doubt the pro-abortion brigade down here in the Republic will use this to push their case.  These are dreadful times.  No tyrant, no regime has murdered as many people as abortion has.  And yet it is all dressed up as if it was mature, good, necessary and compassionate. It is demonic, and those who promote it are working under the direct influence of the demonic putting the salvation of their souls at risk.  I remember speaking to a priest who had been at the bedside of a dying abortionist.  She never repented and had died a dreadful death.  Ultimately, he said, while he could not judge where she had gone, he felt within himself that there was a strong possibility that she may have gone to hell.   In death, there was an awful look of horror on her face. 

But God's mercy is infinite, and we must trust in him, that said we must not presume upon it either.  We must work to bring abortion to an end.  And the battle for life in Ireland has reached a critical moment.  I think there are plans to stage protests in Belfast on Thursday, if anyone has any information, please drop me a line in the combox to inform my other readers.