Shocking News

I was at a meeting in Dublin this evening when shocking news came through: the Blessed Sacrament has been desecrated in a suburban Dublin church. The Eucharist was reserved in an adoration chapel, the Host was taken out, torn apart and stamped into the ground, while satanic slogans were written on the altar cloths. It is a terrible turn of events, one which causes all of us deep distress. Please pray for the priests and parishioners of this parish, and for those responsible for this heinous act: for their conversion. Sadly, it is an extreme expression of a growing anti-Catholic hostility here in Ireland.

Could I ask you to offer a prayer in reparation for this incident. I include a lovely litany of reparation if you have a moment to pray it after reading this post. Such incidents are happening all over the world, it might be a good idea for us to make space in our prayer life for regular offerings of reparation be they prayers, holy hours or acts of charity. 

How much the Lord loves us, he becomes so vulnerable so as to be with us in the Holy Eucharist.

Litany of Reparation in honour of the Blessed Sacrament

Lord, have mercy on us;
Christ, have mercy on us;
Lord, have mercy on us;
God the Father of Mercy, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Mediator between God and man,
Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, the Enlightener of hearts,
Have mercy on us.
Holy and undivided Trinity, Have mercy on us.

O Sacred Host! Victim of reparation for the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Annihilated on the altar for us and by us, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Despised and neglected, Have mercy on us.
O Sacred Host! Neglected and abandoned in Your temples, Have mercy on us.
Be merciful unto us: Spare us, O Lord.
Be merciful unto us: Hear us, O Lord.

                     (Response: We offer You our reparations, O Lord)

For so many unworthy Communions
For the irreverence of Christians,
For the continual blasphemies of the impious,
For the infamous discourses made in Your Holy Temples,
For the crimes of sinners,
For the sacrileges which profane Your sacrament of love,
For the coldness of the greater part of Your children,
For their contempt of Your loving invitations,
For the infidelity of those who call themselves Your
        friends,
For the abuse of Your grace,
For our unfaithfulness,
For our delay in loving You,
For our tepidity in Your Holy Service,
For Your bitter sadness at the loss of souls,
For Your long waiting at the door of our hearts,
For Your loving sighs,
For Your loving tears,
For Your loving imprisonment,
For Your loving death,

                      (Response: We sinners beseech You, hear us) 

That You spare us, that You hear us,
That You will make known Your love for us in this most
       Holy Sacrament,
That You will vouchsafe to accept our reparation, made in
       the spirit of humility.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world: Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us, O Lord.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, Who has chosen to expose Yourself to all the outrages of the impious, rather than withdraw Your Sacred Body from our Churches, grant us the grace to bewail, with true bitterness of heart, the injuries and sacrileges committed against you, and to repair as far as lies in our power, and with sincere love, the many ignominies and contempts You have received, and still continue to receive, in this ineffable mystery, Who lives and reigns with God, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Debunking Old Myths

On Saturday last I was debating with a Northern Irish atheist about deliverance and the Church's ministry of exorcism. Very early in the debate the accusation of "medieval" came up, thereby the gentleman dismissed what I was saying. Now quite apart from the fact the Middle Ages were a time of great thought, art, architecture, chivalry and manners, that term when thrown out is meant to evoke barbarism, ignorance and a Church-ridden society which was backward, blind and utterly oppressive. Medieval practices, in this understanding, are base, superstitious and dark. 

Then, after a little more debate my adversary threw in Galileo at which point, I presume, I was to withdraw, head hung in shame having being confronted with the ultimate proof of the oppressive nature of the evil Catholic Church. I did not conform to the expected withdrawal, as do, sadly, many Catholics utterly ignorant of the Galileo case as it actually happened.  

The encounter reinforced a number of things for me, one of them being how we as Catholics do not know our faith and our history well enough to drive off the black legends that have been created by the enemies of the Church. The case of Pius XII is obvious enough, and while the battle is still raging, most of the facts are already in the public domain and those who continue to rehearse the accusations against the Pontiff are now just being stubborn, refusing to look at the evidence. That is why Pope Benedict finally signed the Decree of Heroic Virtue for Pius - there was no longer any reasonable barrier, the questions had been answered. 

The case of Galileo is not as obvious because, first of all, it was so long ago and with so many Catholics ignorant of what actually happened (and probably not bothered to examine the case), those continuing to air the myth tend not to be caught out. Secondly, the myth has been around for so long many may be inclined to accept it as true because it has been popping up for centuries: say it often enough and for long enough and people will begin to think it's true. It's a pity the proclamation of the Gospel did not have the same effect on some!

One of the issues that the Second Vatican Council had in mind was the formation of the members of the Church - as we are all called to evangelise, we must be capable of that evangelisation. This means that all Catholics have a responsibility to know their faith and its history so they can challenge and debunk the old myths that are fired at us. We are not to leap into the trenches and simple apologise, an attitude which has become the default position in the Church for the last few decades - for fear we offend anyone. Rather we are to be able to engage those who make unsound accusations against us. One of the reasons the Galileo chestnut is still being roasted is because Catholics have not produced the devastating response which is possible. We should be able to argue the facts in such a way that our accusers will take note, abandon the accusation knowing that their unsound position will be quickly exposed as false. That is why, I think, as we need to renew our catechetical programmes, we need to include these cases and myths and respond to them with the facts so the truth is out there, so Catholics of the future will be able to answer and dismiss those peddling old lies.

So, what happened Galileo? Well First Things has a very good summary of the case. The Church was foolish to act in the way she did, St John Paul II acknowledged that, but she did not do what the enemies of the faith accuse her of doing. And Galileo was far from being the poster boy for science. 

A Friend To Help us In These Times

St Toribio Romo

 

Yesterday I was talking to a young Mexican woman who was telling me all about her great-grand uncle.  He was a priest in Mexico in the 1920s, a man devoted to the poor and to immigrants in particular.  For his fruitful priestly ministry, and his obvious holiness, he was murdered by anti-clericals in 1928 during the Cristero war.  He was canonised in the year 2000 and today is his feast day.  He is St Toribio Romo.

 

Today is the feast of holy Mexicans put to death for their allegiance to Jesus Christ and his Catholic Church.  The group is headed by the saintly pastor St Christopher Magallanes and consists of twenty-two priests and three laymen of various ages who were martyred between 1915 and 1937.   Speaking about them at a St Genesius prayer group last night, I was asked how Catholics could martyr other Catholics.  Well, the Catholics that were responsible for the martyrdom were lapsed Catholics: men and women who gave their first allegiance to an ideology that not only contradicted Christianity, but was deeply antagonised by it.  As these lapsed failed to convert their coreligionists, and as their hatred of their former faith grew, in their anger they saw only one way of dealing with the stubborn - persecute them even to the point of killing them. There are none so bitter and antagonistic towards the Catholic faith than lapsed Catholics. 

 

The parallels with our current situation are all too clear. Among the lapsed in Ireland there is the potential for persecution, although if one occurs it will not be as obvious as the Mexican and Spanish persecutions - it would be more subtle and insidious.  Sneakily, as only the Irish can do it. Our national virtues are great, but our national vices are dreadful.

 

A word on St Toribio.  Born in 1900, he entered the seminary at the age of twelve - not unusual at the time. He made a deep impression on his fellow seminarians and formators - he combined a devout soul with a mischievous personality.  He was ordained in 1922 and threw himself into the pastoral ministry.  As I said above he had a deep concern for the poor, and he was dedicated to the work of catechesis - that was enough to make him an enemy of the state.

 

On a personal level, Toribio had his trials.  He seemed to have experienced a dark night of the soul, revealing that he was troubled at times.  That said, he was a priest of intense devotion, making time for prayer and devotions.  He had a tender love for Our Lady, often leading the Rosary in public gatherings.  The centre of his life was the Holy Mass and the time he spent in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  When persecution heightened in 1927, these activities began to be curtailed as he found it more difficult to find a place to say Mass. 

 

In that year, 1927, he was sent to a factory in Tequila for safety, and there he lived with his sister Maria and his brother Roman.  A quiet life of prayer, secret priestly ministry and uncertainty followed.  On the 22nd February 1928 Toribio sensed that danger was coming.  Fearing for his brother's safety, he sent him away.  Three days later, after a hard day of work, he got to his bed at 4am.  As he was sleeping, at about 5am, government troops arrived and broke into the house.  As Toribio jumped up from his bed, the soldiers cried out "Here is a priest, kill him!"  Toribio responded, "Here I am, but do not kill me."  The soldiers had no mercy, but shot the young priest.  His sister had arrived at this time and Turibio fell into her arms.  As he lay dying, Maria encouraged him: "Courage, Fr Toribio. Merciful Jesus receive him! Long live Christ the King!"

 

The martyred body of St Toribio laid out before burial

 

St Toribio and his companions offer us Catholics an example of hope and courage in difficult times. While we can never trust other people, we can always trust God, and so in these times we must reaffirm our faith in Christ.  As the Scripture tells us - he is in our midst and as we are called by his name, he will never desert us (cf. Jer 14:9).  We have friends in heaven: St Toribio, like all the saints, is a friend to help us in these times.

Rabbitte In The Headlights

Well, well, it seems there is life in the old dog yet.   Fianna Fail, the main opposition party in Ireland, and the one which was decimated in the last election, has taken exception to Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte's remarks on excluding the Church from the upcoming debate on abortion.  FF Health spokesman Billy Kelleher has accused Rabbitte of disrespect towards the Cardinal, trying to suppress discussion and "intimidate" the Church from being involved in the public arena.  All of which is true.

Some backbenchers in Fine Gael have also reacted and have stated that they will not support legislation which will introduce abortion.  Two have come out in defence of life: Tom Barry and John O'Mahoney.  Time to put a tick after their names.  Indeed it is time to have a list of all our TDs and to find out how they would vote - if they would vote against abortion, put a tick, as you would, say in the poll booth; and if they say they would vote for abortion or get all squirmy and vague, cross out their names and remember to ignore them at the next election. 

But let us hear from other backbenchers.  A good revolt in the ranks could sort this issue out.  Backbenchers sometimes forget that the future of a party leader is, ultimately, in their hands - it is their gift.  Party leaders like to strut around as if they were in charge, sometimes they need to be reminded that their position is a precarious one.

I see Labour chairman, Colm Keaveney, is as entrenched as his comrades.  He said that while the Catholic Church was entitled to be listened to, the Cardinal's comments were "in excess of the Church's current standing".   As per usual some believe the moral law is decided by popularity and numbers.  And let us not forget, abortion is not a Catholic issue - it is a human issue.  People of all faiths and none stand united in the defence of life because we all recognise that life is sacred and precious.

And that brings me back to another old chestnut of mine: when are the churches and religious communities of Ireland going to unite in protest?   May I suggest that His Eminence and their Lordships make contact with the Anglican bishops, moderators and leaders of other Christian communities, the Chief Rabbi, the Chief Imam and leaders of other religious traditions, to sit down and plan a strategy to oppose the introduction of abortion.  As I said before, we need to work with others and present a strong united front.  So far the secularists in Ireland have divided and conquered: they have used the Catholic Church's self delusion that we can act alone and use the influence we once had - the quiet word with the local TDs, to promote their agenda.  That way of lobbying may not work anymore - if the TD is sincere he/she may not have the character to go against the whip, or he/she may well be preening a bishop's feathers to get votes but will betray confidence when convenient. 

"New wine, new wineskins" - while not rejecting the "quiet word", a new world order in Ireland, may also require a new response and new tactics.  We are not looking for a fight, but a strong united front from all religious traditions on this island will make the government realise that they will not legalise the killing of our children without forceful opposition - an opposition that will not go away even if parliament should shuffle abortion in. 

Of course all of this is very ironic when you remember that the government and her secular friends are anxious to get a children's rights referendum passed!  There can be no rights without life. 

Time to pray and fast.  So now, people, bread and water on Fridays - for the little children.

Gulags In Connemara?

Once again it seems the Labour Party here in Ireland is reminding us Catholics that we are only second class citizens and we are not allowed to engage in the political (democratic??) process here in Ireland.   Minister for Comunications, Pat Rabbitte (Labour)  has now said that while he will allow the Church to "state its position" with regard to abortion in the upcoming debate, he is "surprised" at Cardinal Brady's reference to lobbying.  Indeed he believes the Church's intention to lobby and do what she can to prevent the legalisation of the killing of the unborn to be a "retrograde step" - he sees it as the Church dictating to politicians.

How ironic!  Here is a man who claims to be a democrat, but wants to prevent allowing those who disagree with him having an opportunity to influence the legislature in a manner which is permissable to every citizen of this republic and every organisation.   On every issue that comes before the government numerous agencies, think tanks, associations, human rights groups, lobby the government to try and get their particular viewpoint not just heard but included in the various acts and laws which are being formulated.  It seems the only group that is not allowed to do this now is the Catholic Church - she alone is excluded.  That, my friends, is not democracy and any politician that would even hint at such an exclusion is not a democrat and not even within an ass's roar of being one. 

Now Mr Rabbitte says that it is the Catholic Church dictating to politicians - that is a very negative and ideologically biased view - but I believe he sees it that way because he profoundly disagrees with Church teaching - well, that's his problem.  But if he wants to talk about dictating, well we have had plenty of examples since his party took power.  Members of his party, and the party they are in bed with, have used every opportunity to dictate policy to Catholics.  They have insulted our Holy Father the Pope, hiding behind Dail privilege to do so.  They have tried to force our Cardinal out of office for a mistake that many politicians and others have made at some point in their career - so much for separation of Church and State.  In that incident they decided to speak "personally" so to present a veneer to let us think they respect the divide - but it was a thin veneer - a speaking with forked tongues.  They have even suggested that Catholic civil servants who take their faith seriously be excluded from the promotion process within the service for fear they would take over.  This is not only offensive but totally cracked. 

We Catholics are being dictated to by pro-abortion groups, gay groups, so-called humanitarian groups and most journalists all because we will not disregard the teachings of Christ and make the state our lord and master.  If a retrograde step is being taken it is being taken by the left-wing establishment in this country as they construct social gulags for those who oppose their ideological and permissive agenda.  I wonder, are the powers that be checking out isolated locations somewhere in Ireland to begin constructing real gulags for us?  

I hope and pray our beloved Bishops will not stand back in the face of this remark from Mr Rabbitte.  We are citizens of this republic and we have a right to have our voice heard and we have a right to lobby the government.  And we should.  It is time to stand behind our Cardinal and back him up and encourage him to lead the campaign for life in the assault that is coming.  What a legacy that would be - he has been villified for his mistakes, and he made mistakes as he has admitted, but as he comes to retirement what better way to go than having led the people of this country, those who recognise the value of innocent human life, in opposing the most serious threat to human life this country has ever known.

And now here's a question, what do our backbench TDs think on the matter?  What are our pro-life politicians doing?  Do they support Mr Rabbitte and the coalition politburo in their decision to crack the whip and push forward?  Will they stay silent, or, as democrats, those WE elected, will they stand up and take on the party leadership?  Will pro-life politicans choose life or the party diktat?

The NYT and FFRF

I remember a conversation I had with a friend of mine a while ago, we were discussing the various attacks on the Catholic Church and our beliefs by non-believers and radical secularists.  He said that the reason they are so vicious, slanderous and untruthful was because they know the Church will not take them on: they know the Church will actually stand by Jesus Christ's teaching on forgiveness and turning the other cheek, so they are emboldened. 

Or as another friend of mine once said: "When a journalist libels the Catholic Church, he/she knows there will never be a libel case against them and that they can get safely into their car, turn the key and drive blissfully home unharmed."  The Catholic Church, despite all her faults and sins, still strives to take the Gospel seriously, so we can look at these attacks in that light - despite their griping, they know the Church stands by her values.  That said, it does not, and should not mean, we do not challenge the lies which have become common place.

There is a bit of furore in the US over another attack on the Church, this time by some crowd who call themselves the Freedom from Religion Foundation or FFRF (alot of Fs there!).  They have taken out an advertisement in the New York Times (surprise surprise) attacking the Church over her stance on contraception and other issues, and trying to persuade people to leave the Church.   Here's the Catholic League's take on it, and here's a copy of the ad itself.  

Now, to be honest, I have no problem with people inviting Catholics to leave the Church if those Catholics vehemently disagree with fundamental Church teaching: as St Dominic Savio used to say, we have to be true to ourselves.  Of course we want people to stay, to understand the fullness of the faith and to play their part in the Church.  But if people cannot stomach the moral teachings Christ has entrusted to the Church to uphold and teach, and are not prepared to reflect on them and pray and seek to understand why the Church holds them, then perhaps it is time to skip off somewhere else, as Archbishop Diarmuid Martin advised a short time ago.  We will, of course leave the door open and pray for them.

There is one part of the ad which is interesting - it's at the end: the subscription rates - it seems the Freedom from Religion Foundation is not free at all - there are dues, including an "After Life" subscription rate of $5,000, that got me chuckling.  I presume that bit is the 'spirit' which keeps their memory alive after members have thrown off the mortal coil and gone into oblivion?  And they say the Catholic Church is money mad!

Denial: A Swamp In Ireland...?

It is a fact that persecutors never consider themselves persecutors - their campaign against a certain group makes utter sense to them, and if people are complaining or objection, then they are just creating trouble.  We know this attitude to be "denial", and it seems The Irish Times is in denial when it comes to the fact of aggressive secularism and its mission to exorcise religion from society.

David Quinn takes the paper to task in his column in The Irish Catholic.  It is a must read.  Living in Ireland in these times we meet this denial every day.  Catholics can be treated badly, made fun of, attacked in the media, and yet the media and some public representatives cannot actually see that they are being prejudiced.

On Tuesday night, as I was coming back from our Film Club, I was listening to Marc Coleman on Newstalk.  He is a fine broadcaster, one of the fairest in Ireland.  At one point he raised the issue of prejudice against Catholics, citing some of the points David Quinn makes in his article above.  The reaction was most interesting: his guests were taken aback that such treatment of the Church was unjust or prejudiced; after all, they said, the Church abused children and the Vatican covered it all up. 

Coleman did his best to explore their reaction, but it was obvious the anti-Catholic prejudice was so deep his guests could not see that there was anything wrong.   The old anti-Catholic myths are well engrained, and thanks to the growth in aggressive secularism in Ireland (and, I suspect, knee jerk reactions against the Church's moral teachings - many Irish are now happily contracepting, cohabiting, aborting).  They are desperate to believe that all evil is now found in the Catholic Church, they will not listen to anything that contradicts their prejudice or might shake them out of their denial.

It seems denial is not merely a river in Egypt, but a swamp in Ireland.

Youcef Nadarkhani, his wife and children

In related news I see that the Iranian pastor convicted of apostasy from Islam (though he was never formally a Muslim, just from a Muslim background) is due to be executed quickly.   Youcef Nadarkhani was arrested in 2009, tried and convicted: his appeal was lost.  He was offered a chance to recant his Christian faith three times in order to save his life: he refused.  The order for his execution has been signed.

God grant him strength.  Please remember him, his wife and their two children in your prayers.  Martyrdom is glorious and brings an eternal reward, but it is difficult and the sorrow of loss is no less painful.  May the Lord grant him and his family the graces they need at this time.  If he is to shed his blood, may it bring about the conversion of those who killed him and of the whole of Iran.   There is no better "revenge" than to see one's enemies come to embrace Christ and be reconciled with those they have oppressed.

And here's something we all knew for some time.  Evidence of sex-selection abortions is coming to light and SPUC are trying to lobby David Cameron's government in the UK to cut its ties with private abortion providers.  Sex-selective abortions are the norm in China - with the one child only policy, many couples, when they discover they are expecting a girl, abort the child in the hope of having a boy next time.  This has led to a serious gender imbalance in China. 

Elective abortions tend to sex-based, and it is females who are being killed.  That is the ultimate irony: the radical feminists want abortion for the sake of their "liberation", yet it is females who comprise the larger number of those "terminated" - there's liberation for you!  If this continues we may not have to worry about feminism at all - women will end up as a minority gender, as in China, and guess what, we might just see the return of the old monster, Inequality. 

The same is true of black people: in the US the majority of those who are aborted are Afro-American - indeed 60% of Planned Parenthood clinics in the US are situated in Afro-American neighbourhoods even though Afro-Americans only make up 12.2% of the population - doesn't add up, or does it?  We might need to consult Margaret Sanger to understand that one. 

By the way I am told that, given demographic changes, the population of Afro-Americans in the US should be 16% by now, but it seems since Roe v Wade, the expected 3% never made it.    The Rev. Martin Luther King must be turning in his grave: I do not think this is the dream he was talking about - rather it seems to be a nightmare.

And to end on an upbeat note.  Bishop Mark Davies of Shrewsbury is issuing a Lenten pastoral letter on Sunday in which he will deal with the reality of hell.  Bishop Davies is one of the more remarkable bishops in England and a wonderful teacher and defender of the faith.  In fact I think he may well be tipped for Westminster: he would make a fine Archbishop and Cardinal.

Hell is one of the "no-no" topics when it comes to homilies: I remember greeting a delegation seven months into my first appointment in Drogheda: the concerned delegation consisted of one man who felt he represented the whole parish.  The gentleman wanted to point out how dreadful a priest I was because I was always preaching about hell.  In the seven months I had only mentioned it once or twice, and then only in passing but it was enough to send this man over the edge.  I took note of his objections, and resolved to preach a full homily on hell the next time it popped up in the readings, which I did.  He was not impressed. 

I'd say there will be many who will not be impressed with Bishop Davies's letter, but thank God for his forthrightness in teaching the fullness of the faith.  Thanks to the prevalence of "therapeutic Catholicism", many people cannot accept that there is always a possibility that we may not make it to heaven: that we have to take personal responsibility for our lives in order to avoid damnation.  That's not being negative, it's just being real.

We are living in interesting times.  The new translation is bringing back reverence to the Mass, the HHS mandate in the US is uniting bishops and reminding Catholics of the inherent sinfulness of contraception, abortion and sterilization, and an English bishop is preaching the fullness of the faith: these may well be signs that the reform has started.  "From your lips to God's ears" as my friend Pat in New York would say: Amen!

Every Blessing On St Brigid's Day

Before I head out for another day's filming, I would like to wish you all a very happy St Brigid's Day.  May the holy Patroness of Ireland watch over us and our country in these difficult times.

We need her prayers and motherly protection.  My colleague, Caroline over at the St Genesius Blog has alerted me to the Labour Party's next move against Catholic citizens: they are, for all intents and purposes, to be banned from certain positions within the civil service if they cannot put their faith to one side and put the state first.  Here's what is being said:

"All senior officials in state bodies which are likely to have to deal with the Catholic Church should be screened to ensure that they will not show inappropriate deference to the Catholic Church. Those who feel they are 'Catholic first and Irish second' should seek promotion in other organs of the State."

Sounds like something out of Communist Russia or Nazi Germany, or even England at the height of the persecution following the Reformation.  Newspaper report here.  I presume, then, as Labour likes to present itself as an equal opportunities organisation, the following statements are also true:

"All senior officials in state bodies which are likely to have to deal with Muslims should be screened to ensure that they will not show inappropriate deference to Islam. Those who feel they are 'Muslim first and Irish second' should seek promotion in other organs of the State."

"All senior officials in state bodies which are likely to have to deal with women should be screened to ensure that they will not show inappropriate deference to women. Those who feel they are 'women first and Irish second' should seek promotion in other organs of the State."

"All senior officials in state bodies which are likely to have to deal with homosexuals should be screened to ensure that they will not show inappropriate deference to the gay movement. Those who feel they are 'gay first and Irish second' should seek promotion in other organs of the State."

Well?  Not on your nellie.  Labour is, once again, revealing the hatred it has for Catholicism.  In my opinion (and it has always been my voting pattern), in conscience a Catholic cannot vote for Labour, not even when a relation is standing for election.   I think, at times, we have a duty to vote against Labour and against those who seek to form partnership with them.  I think at the next election, faithful Catholics should get together and start to weigh up who we can vote for: perhaps it is time for the formation of a particular "Catholic vote" in Ireland.

Seeing as this lot are in government for the next four years, we had better get ready for more.  As with all tyrannies, they will soon be drunk with power and God help us all then.

Holy St Brigid,

Mary of the Gael,

dear mother of the Irish people,

come to our help!

Irish Bishop May Face Criminal Charges For Preaching The Gospel

My attention has just been drawn to an attack on the Bishop of Raphoe, Bishop Philip Boyce, by an atheist who is offended by the bishop's homily during a pilgrimage to Knock last August.  In fact this atheist, Fine Gael party member, John Colgan, has reported the bishop to the Gardai (Irish Police), who in turn are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions, and it may happen that Bishop Boyce may well faces charges.  The charge is the old chestnut, "incitement to hatred".  The fact that the Gardai are preparing a file means that they believe there may be a case to answer.

Here are the two extracts from the bishop's homily that may be, it seems, illegal in Ireland:

"The moment of history we live through in Ireland at present is certainly a testing one for the Church and for all of us. Attacked from the outside by the arrows of a secular and godless culture: rocked from the inside by the sins and crimes of priests and consecrated people, we all feel the temptation to lose confidence. Yet, our trust is displayed and deepened above all when we are in troubled and stormy waters. It is easier to be confident when we ride on the crest of a wave, when the tide is coming in. Not so easy, however, yet every bit as necessary, when what is proclaimed by the Church namely the truth of faith with its daily practice and influence on behaviour, is under severe pressure."

And:

"For the distinguishing mark of Christian believers is the fact they have a future; it is not that they know all the details that await them, but they know in general terms that their life will not end in emptiness."

For the full text of the bishop's homily, which is very good, see here.

The complaint has been made by John Colgan, a retired chartered engineer and economist from County Kildare.  He was the leader of the "Campaign to Separate Church and State" in the 1990's so he has a history of antagonism against the Catholic Church.  He was also an unsuccessful Fine Gael candidate in parliamentary elections.  From the article in the Irish Independent, Mr Colgan seems to describe the passing on of the Christian faith to members of the Christian faith as "hostile propaganda".  So I take from that we are not allowed, in his eyes, to teach the faith to members of our own religion. 

We shall have to see if the DPP is foolish enough to go ahead and press charges, if he does, then it will be time for bishops, priests and faithful to roll in behind Bishop Boyce and oppose them.  Are things bad enough in Ireland for such stupidity to reign?  That the freedom of religion and freedom of expression so cherished by the founding fathers and mothers of our nation, can be put aside because a non-believer is offended by a Christian pastor proclaiming the Gospel?  The answer to that question is, sadly, yes: we are near that stage.  However, I personally think, at this time, the DPP will pass on prosecution: such a decision would go down very badly with many.  There is already a lot of anger.

We must pray for Bishop Boyce.  He is a good bishop, orthodox, gentle and compassionate.  He is a Discalced Carmelite, so a brother of mine in the Order.  We entrust him to the maternal intercession of our Holy Mother, St Teresa, and to the prayers of his great friend, Blessed John Henry Newman.

To be honest, this appears to be another black mark against Fine Gael: first the unjust attack on our Church and Pope by the leader of the party, Enda Kenny in July, creating a serious diplomatic incident and exposing Ireland to international criticism; then they close down the embassy, and now it seems a member of their party is trying to prosecute a Catholic bishop, not for neglecting his duties with regard to child protect procedures, but because he preaches the Christian faith at a Catholic shrine.

God help us, is it not time for the ordinary Catholics of Ireland to rise up against this insane tyranny?  I think if anyone needs to be prosecuted for inciting hatred, it may well be Mr Colgan.

Nail On The Head....

Two great pieces for you, detailing bias in the media and the attitude of liberal secularists to Christians.

Mgr Charles Pope has a marvellous article on his blog reflecting on how we Christians are branded intolerant and bigoted while our accusers, who are imposing their agenda on society and trying to force us to accept it, see themselves as "victims".  This article is a must read.

The second is Marc Coleman's radio show on Newstalk, which I was listening to last evening.  He explores the media bias in Ireland and wonders why Irish journalists home in relentlessly on the usual suspects, the Catholic Church among them, but ignore others.  Again, this is well worth listening to (Tuesday Parts 1 and 2). 

An interesting fact Marc discusses is the "infiltration" of RTE, the national broadcaster, by the Workers' Party.  To those who are not familiar with Irish politics, the Workers Party was originally part of Sinn Fein, whom you all know.  They are extremely left wing - Marc calls them "Stalinist" in the programme, and they had links to some of the most tyrannical communist regimes - communist Poland and North Korea among them. 

While, at their best, they never had more than 2% of the electorate behind them, there are/were a large number of Workers' Party people working in RTE, hence the organisation's left-wing position and hostility to the Catholic Church: the WP hates the Catholic Church. 

Interestingly, former members of the Workers' Party are now members of the present government.  Our present Minister for Foreign Affairs, Eamon Gilmore, was affiliated to the Workers' Party when the organisation was known as Official Sinn Fein.  Mr Gilmore is the one responsible for closing the Irish embassy to the Holy See.

The Need For Consistency

You may be aware of the row that is going on in the Archdiocese of Detroit concerning Real Catholic TV and its use of the title "Catholic". Michael Voris, the front man for the TV company, is being told he must stop using the title Catholic since he does not have permission from the Archbishop of Detroit, his Ordinary.

This is an issue of canon law, and Ed Peters explains it all in his canon law blog.  It seems the plot is thickening as the question of jurisdiction has now been raised - it seems that Real Catholic TV may actually be officially domiciled in the Diocese of South Bend, so it is up to the Ordinary there to grant the title and not Detroit.   It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

Some maintain that Detroit is going after Voris because of his conservative position on Catholic teaching and his manner of broadcasting - I am not going to comment on that because I do not know all the facts, nor can I read the mind of the Archbishop.  I do know, however, that the title "Catholic" can only be used by a group or organisation with the permission of the bishop of the diocese in which they are based.  When the Fraternity was founded and we were applying for official recognition in the Church, we had to petition the bishop for permission to call ourselves a Catholic association.  That's the law of the Church, and it is there to protect the integrity of the Church and her teaching, and I agree with it.

Now, to be honest, I do think there is a need for consistency with regard to this law and its implementation.  There are many organisations, groups, institutions and institutes which use the title "Catholic", but are as far from orthodoxy as the Inferno is from the Arctic.   Dissenters trade under the title Catholic, and theologians, who are more renowned for their rebellion than their willingness to believe in orthodox Christianity, run about with "Catholic theologian" stamped on their academic passports.   Now the stripping of such a title with regard to theologians teaching in Catholic institutes is a matter for CDF, but local Ordinaries also have jurisdiction over groups and organisations trading in their territories.   Is it not time now to call a halt and start to pull them up as Voris and company have been?

You see, there remains the impression, be it true or false, that authorities are happy and quick to tackle conservative Catholic groups, but leave the self-styled "progressive" groups alone and free to do whatever they want.  This does not inspire confidence at all. 

Some suggest that the liberals and dissidents would not obey the bishop if he asked them to stop calling themselves Catholic - of course they wouldn't - disobedience is their trademark.  But that should not deter an Ordinary nor his officials from reminding them, and the public, that the particular group cannot call itself Catholic and is not recognised as being Catholic.    Others have suggested some bishops are afraid of these groups and so prefer to leave them alone.  We cannot ignore that suggestion because it may be true in some cases, and we respond to that with prayer and encouragement, and take a few tips from St Catherine of Siena who knew how to remind people of their duties, with charity of course.

And that last point is one we must bring to our consideration of the Detroit-Real Catholic TV situation: we presume good faith on the part of all involved and pray the situation will be resolved in a manner which is good for the Church.

Same Old Same Old

I was listening to George Weigel's interview on the Pat Kenny show this morning, on RTE radio.  While Pat often interviews various figures alone, including controversial ones, it seems George was not to be accorded the same style of interview: he was to be marked by liberal theologian Gina Menzies.  So the interview was not an interview at all, but a debate.  

If I had hoped for balance and openness in this debate, well I was deluding myself.  The debate soon boiled down to an attack on the Catholic Church's position on the ordination of women - again the same old same old.   Before long Pat and Gina teamed up and formed a two against one in good RTE fashion and grilled George on the Church's position.  It is a credit to George's basic decency that he did not turn on them. 

As usual Menzies was peddling misinformation with regard to scholarship - that the Catholic Church had investigated the ordination of women in the Church's history and could not find evidence that proved or disproved the ordination of women.  George put her right by pointing out that the Church had investigated the nature of the diaconate to see if women were ordained deacons, and found that at no point in history had the Church ordained women deacons.  When this fact came out Pat and Gina changed tactics. The "interview" was supposed to be about renewal in the Church, in the end it was a teenage rebellion against Church teaching. 

To be honest, is it worth even posting on this?  Given the anti-Catholic bias that is in RTE (sorry Patsy McGarry I do not accept your argument that there is no bias - there is and it is obvious).   When it comes to Catholic issues and Catholic figures RTE is not interested in understanding, they just what to create controversy and get a bit of bashing in too.  They do not allow the Church to speak on her own terms, but rather must always have someone to criticise and contradict (they call this "being balanced"), and often these are dissident Catholics who no longer hold the orthodox faith and are, for all intents and purposes, no longer in communion with the Church - and yet they are passed off as Catholics.  Until very recently Gina Menzies was trading under the title of "Catholic theologian" until a real Catholic theologian exposed her and forced her to admit that she wasn't. 

Let it be noted: the Catholic Church will not ordain women as priests - ever - not because she won't, but because she CAN'T.  Whether the liberals like it or not, Jesus did not ordain women, and all the arguments in the world will not change that fact.  The Church, then, has no authority to do so.

If people do not like that, if they want to be members of a church that has women clergy then the Catholic Church is not for them: it is time to leave and look somewhere else.  And, taking the cue from Archbishop Martin, I would urge them to leave.  Those ecclesial communities that have ordained women are losing members at a rapid pace, their churches are emptying - I am sure they would be glad of ex-Catholics to fill their pews. 

The Catholic Church is not forcing anyone to stay: she will not force anyone to believe what she teaches, but she does expect people to be true to what they believe, and if people in the Church reject her moral, doctrinal and social teachings, her position on women priests, married priests, gay marriage, contraception and abortion, then the door is open: please go and leave the rest of us in peace!  

But then again, I believe, that is exactly what they do not want to do: they would rather stay and make trouble than actually go and enter full communion with people of similiar beliefs.  There is another force at work here, and it is not human. 

Can You Hear The Crickets?

As I was listening to Newstalk radio this morning I tuned in to part of a news item which concerned HSE (Health Service Executive - the agency which oversees the health system in Ireland) failures with regard to child protection.  The Irish Examiner carried a story this morning on a report which revealed appalling failures with regard to the protection and care of children in the HSE system.   

According to the report: 13 children have gone missing in the last twelve months - add that to the hundreds in the last number of years - and don't forget the few hundred who died in state care.   Young girls in HSE care involved in prostitution.  No round the clock care provided.  Some children put in hostels unsupervised.  Add all that to an appalling record, and it seems the HSE is oblivious to it all.  The only thing HSE workers were concerned about was girls attending an all night prayer vigil in a Christian church!

Now, given the media frenzy with regard to child abuse in this country, you would imagine this would be front page news?  Well, eh, no, it's not, nor will it.  Why?  Because the media in Ireland seem to be only concerned with child abuse when they can crucify the Catholic Church.  Only Catholic priests can be abusers - not lay people and certainly not anyone in the secular world entrusted with the care of the vulnerable yet who, funnily enough, comprise, statistically, the larger percentage of child abusers according the SAVI report.  And the Irish media are not the only ones: today the BBC reported on a Protestant minister's conduct with a minor and referred to it as an "inappropriate relationship".  One wonders what they would have called it if it was a Catholic priest?

In response to these revelations the ISPCA wants the upcoming referendum on children's rights passed: this referendum will give the State more powers with regard to children, taking rights away from parents.  So here's the logic of modern Ireland: children in state care not being looked after properly, so we give more power to the state to take children away from families, so they can do what? 

Time for the media to cop itself on and go back to its founding principles: objective reporting.  Time for the media to abandon its left-wing, anti-Catholic agenda and take the blinkers off to see the reality in the world.  In fact as they fail to report on the abuse of children by others the media may be contributing to a cover-up of a major child abuse problem in this country.   If Catholic priests offend, by all means report it - it will do the Church a service, but be objective and look at the bigger problem.

It is time to think of the silent majority who face abuse day after day in their own homes, or those who face abuse and neglect in the state system.  Otherwise one might conclude that there is little concern for those who are abused, the only reason to report it is to thrash the Catholic Church.  If that is the case, it is an appalling way to use innocent victims to wage war on an institution whose teachings the media do not like.

Biting the Apple

Perhaps you are following the row between Apple and those promoting the Manhattan Declaration which has been endorsed by tens of thousands.  A Manhattan Declaration Application was developed for the iphone, however it was removed by Apple after a small group of gay activists complained.  An appeal failed to persude Apple to restore it - they claim they do not want to support an application which offends.  Well, swallow your words, Apple Corp. because they have endorsed and promoted an application that makes a mockery of the Catholic faith and of our Sacrament of Confession.

Tim Drake writes about the Penance App which Apple is making available to interested parties.  Drake asks when the mockery will stop, I ask a more pertinent question, when will people in Apple see the double standard?   I wonder, would a boycott of Apple products do any good?  After all, if Catholics refused to buy or use Apple stuff, would that make them listen?  Probably not.