Our Brave New Ireland

Last year Britain faced one of its most serious challenges to public order in a generation (or two) when riots broke out all over England.  Supposedly the response to an alleged racist incident, it was quickly seen to be an anarchic melee where people took the opportunity to commit acts of vandalism, break into shops and steal whatever they could lay their hands on.  People died as human beings turned to brutes and savaged anyone who got in their way.

Last Saturday at a concert in the Phoenix Park in Dublin, young people ran amok high on drugs and alcohol, having sex in public and attacking each other.  Three people are dead, nine were stabbed, a number had bottles broken over their heads and numerous others had to be treated for a variety of injuries, including one young man who was so badly beaten he cannot now recall whether he was punched or kicked by a crowd of rowdies. A young woman is also missing.

In Britain, the political elite stood on their perches and scratched their heads, our lot here will do the same.  "What happened?" we'll hear concerned parties ask, the same people who helped create the very anarchy that broke out on the streets and in the park.  What happened?  Their permissive political, sexual and societal agenda with its emphasis on untrammeled individual freedom and attempts to distort the natural law and morality - the very "social revolution" that has been so dear to the hearts of the 60's generation and their ideological offspring - that's what happened.  A generation of naive, anti-Christian ideologues who ignored the reality of God and the existence of original sin, now have had the door swung back in their faces and they are clueless as to why it has happened.

Compare all this with an interview that took place on Pat Kenny's radio show this morning (Donum Vitae has a post with a link to the discussion).  The topic was gay marriage and Kenny had our friend David Quinn of the Iona Institute debating with Senator Ivana Bacik.  Bacik is perhaps one of our most liberal and anti-Christian public representatives.    Bacik, taking the cue from her party leader, Eamonn Gilmore who said that the issue of gay marriage was the civil rights issue of our time, was calling for gay marriage to become a reality in Ireland.  David Quinn was pointing out the damage such a measure would cause, not merely to society, but to the children of our country.  As always David quoted statistics as evidence to support his argument and, as always, Bacik ignored them and made her demands.

When asked by David and then Kenny, was it not the ideal that a child should grow up with their father and mother, Bacik's response just dismissed it - as long as children had "access" to adults of both sexes they would be fine.    Here is the very attitude which is leading to the collapse of our society - an ideological position which creates unstable relationships which benefit only adults in search of fulfilment and pleasure and says: "The kids will be OK". 

Well, the kids are not OK, the kids are miserable, unsocialised, looking for love and finding only confusion.  The kids see adults making gods of their individual freedom and desires and so they aim to do the same.  Accepting no responsibility, they do what they want to do and will not allow anyone stand in their way, after all isn't that what the adults to whom they have "access" teach them by their own behaviour?  Permissive secular individualism is a failure and it is creating a dangerous society.  What started with the coupling of free love of the sixties and the ideological ranting of the left, will end in the birth of a monster.

As serious students of history will tell you, history repeats itself, and those who do not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past.  Civilisations rose and they fell.  Rome, once a great empire, politically and culturally, fell to the barbarian which overran it.  Decadent Rome was, by then, no match for the hordes when they came bashing their tree trucks at the city gates.  It is a lesson for every civilization.  In conversations with history buffs over the years I have asked, when this civilisation falls, who will be the conquering barbarian?  Some suggested it would be the Muslims: a new Islamic empire would rise where the West once had been.  I'm not so sure.  I think the barbarian is within - we saw them in the UK last August and in the park on Saturday.  Our decadent civilisation need not fear the hordes outside the West, they are being created from within by a dangerous social experiment.

And one might ask, where is the Church in all of this?  Well, as we see from history the Church converted the barbarian and this gave rise to a new flowering of civilisation symbolised most potently by Charlemagne.  Can the Church convert the new barbarian?  Well, we might have a chance.  After all these barbarians have had little or no exposure to Christianity - the last two generations have been badly catechised, and the ideology of these times tells them they don't need God or religion, but yet deep in their hearts they are starving for something - for meaning, for the spiritual.  That hunger will grow when drugs, alcohol and sex lose their effects, when they start asking questions and the adults they have access to will not be able to answer them.   If this civilisation ends in ruins, can the Church like Our Lord walk through the broken tombs and tame the demoniacs?

I think that is what Blessed John XXIII may have seen in his calling the Second Vatican Council, what Blessed John Paul II saw as he promulgated the New Evangelisation - what Pope Benedict XVI sees as he teaches from the Chair of Peter.  The Church must be ready and full of evangelical zeal, not to waste time on fighting with the ideologues, but to present the vision of Jesus Christ and the salvation he offers humanity - to present the vision of a restored humanity at one with God in the communion of the Church - the family of faith, to the generations that are coming.  

I'm not saying we don't challenge the establishment or resign our position in the public square: we do not, we should continue to be a thorn in the side of those who try to silence us.  But we need also to stand back, take stock, and begin to plan our campaign.  We have not heard it in a long time, but, pushing all the nonsense language to one side, the Church is in the business of saving souls, and that's what she should be planning to do.  This is not heaven down here, but we need to start rebuilding a civilisation of faith and love here and now - a place, a community to capture the attention and hearts of the barbarians.

Non-Irish Irish Bishops?

St Patrick, Bishop to the Irish: not Irish but British

David Quinn always has something interesting to say.  Here are his views on the appointment of non-Irish priests to Sees in Ireland.  I have heard that Rome may be considering appointing priests from overseas as bishops in Irish dioceses, and that may cause problems here.  The Church has been quite insular here for some time - we tend to be very local, so to see how non-Irish bishops would go down with Irish Catholics would be interesting.

Personally I have no problem with it, in fact I would be in favour of it - we are a universal Church after all.  Our national apostle, St Patrick was not Irish and some of our bishops in the past were not Irish - some of the former Archbishops of Dublin were not Irish born for example, including Archbishop Hugh Inge who was Bishop of Meath before being appointed Archbishop of Dublin.  Archbishop Inge was born in Somerset, educated at Oxford and was a favourite of Cardinal Wolsey who was influentual in having him appointed Bishop of Meath.  Inge died in 1528, just before the English Reformation and the downfall of Wolsey.

Great care will have to be taken, but I think David has a few valid suggestions as to how it could be done.  And let's face it, Irish priests have been appointed as bishops to various overseas dioceses for years, in Africa for example, so we should be willing to accept bishops from other countries.

The Call To Arms

Gandalf leads the armies against the orcs at Helm's Deep

As I expected, David Quinn has responded to The Irish Times editorial yesterday. In his weekly column in the Irish Independent today, David argues against the proposed law and the Times's attack.  Excellent article, follow the link and read it.  

David points out that when US states tried to enact similiar laws they were defeated by a backlash of Catholic voters urged on by their bishops, and also by wiser heads in legislatures prevailing.  Well, we can only hope there is someone with common sense in the present coalition.  But we Catholics also need to get the forces ready, and time for our bishops to start rallying the troops. 

The Irish Times may not like the idea that, regardless of how we feel about our bishops and the scandals, we still want the state to respect our religious freedom and, yes, we will defend our sacred sacraments - we do have the right, under God and under the Constitution of this (once great) Republic to defend our Catholic faith.  This is something our secularist masters have forgotten - time to remind them. 

Criminal Hypocrisy Of Liberal Ireland

Coming back from my First Friday calls I was listening to Newstalk radio's lunchtime show.  One of the items concerned a poll on the upcoming Presidential election, one taken in the light of recent events surrounding Senator David Norris.  It seems, according to the poll, that while two thirds of those polled (from a sample of 800) agreed he did the right thing in stepping down, a majority would still have considered voting for him if he had decided to continue his campaign.  I almost drove the car into a ditch I was so furious.

Away on holiday I was getting regular updates regarding the Cloyne Report, I have blogged some reactions to that.  Then suddenly the updates changed to the David Norris affair where it was revealed that he had used his office as a Senator of the Republic to plead for clemency for his gay lover who was convicted of statutory rape.  More then came out  - how Norris, by his own admission, failed to be completely upfront with  Irish Immigration authorities who were investigating his lover's presence in the country.  He misled them in a manner which, if it concerned other people, he himself would call Jesuitical.  All this after another incident in which an interview he gave ten years ago was re-released into the public forum in which he expresses views on paedophilia which are, at the very least, deeply worrying.

Yet, unlike the bishops and priests who committed similar actions and covered up, rather than becoming the next pariah of the country, the media, the liberal luvvies and politicians are rushing to his defence.  The media are desperately trying to be balanced, and even trying to ignore the stories.  The gay lobby are howling "Homophobes" at all who are shocked at the senator's behaviour and some of them are vowing to get revenge on the young man who exposed the senator's letter pleading for clemency, which is not only appalling in its trivialising the crime of child abuse but is also an unbelievable piece of self aggrandisement on Norris's part.  Apparently, according to some journalists there are other skeletons in Norris's closet, one wonders if they will see the light of day?

I also notice that over at Wikipedia there is a debate going on on the discussion page of the article on Norris's former lover.  He is Ezra Nawi, a prominent pro-Palestinian activist. It seems some contributors have been trying to update the article on Nawi to include his conviction for statutory rape, but the editors/administrators won't allow it - they say there is no evidence.  If you go to the site you'll see that there is an effort to protect this man too by not including his misdemeanours.   Nawi himself believes Norris has been the victim of a dirty tricks campaign.

Well, rather than rant and give in to the devil's temptation to err against charity, I refer you to two excellent pieces in the newspapers today by two journalists who rise above the hypocrisy of the media in Ireland today: a criminal hypocrisy if you ask me.   John Waters has been on the radio the last few days and has spoken about this, his column in the Irish Times today sums up his excellent arguments.  David Quinn is the foremost defender of the Church, and sometimes its critic: when bishops fall silent and fail to teach and speak up, David does so.  His column in the Irish Independent sums up his position on the Norris case, as always excellently argued.

Of course all of this has happened before.  As liberal Ireland, politicians, media etc howl for Catholic blood, they also ignored the questionable actions of a gay poet on his jaunts overseas.  A young filmmaker exposed his particular little habits and it was she, not him, who was condemned in the press: another "homophobe" for the gay hysterics.

The fact that many in Ireland would still vote for Senator Norris sends a very clear message to those who work to prevent and expose child abuse in Ireland today and it is not a good message.  While liberal Ireland, and perhaps many in mainstream Ireland, attack the Church for its abysmal record in this regard - now, hopefully, a thing of the past, they are quite prepared to revise their values and expel their indignation when it comes to others. 

Child abuse is a serious problem in Ireland: we have not even scratched the surface - the abusers in the Church have been found as have their protectors - and thank God for that.  But the vast majority of abusers in Irish society, and their many protectors, have not been found yet and, I fear, if the Norris affair is anything to go by, they will never be found.  Why?  Because we all know them; they are everywhere, even in the upper echelons of Irish society.  Some are even paragons of secular virtue and liberal "holiness".  And by God, Ireland and her media will do everything to keep them safe: only the Church will be thrown to the wild animals (not the first time for that): scapegoat.

By the way, the very vocal, indignant Taoiseach has been very quiet on the whole Norris issue.  I wonder why?

UPDATE:   According to another article in the Irish Independent today, it seems Senator Norris has now been exposed as trying to rally support for his former lover from parliamentary colleagues without informing them of the man's criminal record.  See article here.

The Issue of Life: Election Issue

This Election....Life is in your hands!

My colleague over at the St Genesius blog drew my attention to this article by David Quinn.   You may remember I had remarked in an earlier post on our local Labour candidate canvasing outside one of our churches a couple of weeks ago.  David is as disturbed as I am.  

As a priest I cannot be political, but I can advise my flock on moral issues.  I cannot advise my flock on how to vote, but I can remind them of the Gospel of Life and how that must form their conscience and their opinion of a candidate and a party, and that they as Christians must choose life, and so choose those who support life and not destroy it.  The issue of Life IS an election issue.  To my readers in Ireland - spread the word,.  To my readers around the world, please pray for Ireland.