Come What May...

The controversy over the Irish government's plan to force priests break the Seal of the Confessional has been bringing people together. As I noted in my post yesterday, members of the Association of Catholic Priests have said that they will go to prison rather than violate the Seal. In this they are at one with the rest of us. 

Speaking with some brother priests all of them are ready to go to prison, and indeed some are speaking of the advantages. Of course the media will brand these priests as abusers themselves for not breaking the Seal, but, suffering such punishment for remaining faithful to Christ's sacrament may bring many blessings, and perhaps offer a sacrifice of reparation for our unfaithful brothers.  It will also give us an opportunity to share in Christ's condemnation, and also provide us with a means to live with those in prison, those who may need to come to know Christ and his message through the presence of his priests in their place of confinement.  Sometimes sharing the fate of the condemned wins souls.  

I was looking at some examples of holy priests who, unjustly accused and in prison brought many souls back to God.  The late Cardinal, now Servant of God, Francis Van Thuan, when in prison, converted his prison guards, a whole host of them.   Who knows what pastoral opportunities await those innocent priests condemned under the unjust law.  

So that can only be good.  I hope, for Ireland's sake, things do not come to that, but I sense, and I have said it before, persecution is coming in one form or another.  There is an air of 1930's Spain about in Ireland today, a people once Catholic have lapsed and are now angry and seeking vengeance on the Church, usually for her teachings.  Yes, members of the Church in Ireland have contributed to that anger, and those priests and bishops who have failed us will, in time, bring on the heads of innocent priests and future bishops an ungodly rage with demonic consequences, a rage they may not even see: others will bear the punishment for their sins - and many of them still do not know it, perhaps don't even care, they are too busy justifying their inaction or plotting how they can keep their quiet life intact. 

But there are other things stirring the pot too, and we must be ready.  Prayer and sacrifice, greater love of the Holy Mass, Our Lady, devotion to the passion of the Lord and to the holy priests who have suffered for him: these will prepare us for whatever comes.  And of course, hope.

Knee Jerk Reactions

Well it seems I can't leave for a few days but all hell breaks loose. In the midst of my retreat the Cloyne Report comes out and more of the unsavoury doings of members of the Church in Ireland are revealed. This time, coupled with stories of abuse, we hear more accounts of the dreadful failure of Church figures to deal with it. This time there is no excuse: the guidelines are already in place and being stringently implemented in most dioceses, some to a draconian degree.  But it seems there are some who are still ignoring them and when they do the rest of us have to bear the brunt of anger and criticism.

And, as ever, the media are making hay, and the government is promising to implement mandatory reporting, and in the process remove the protection usually given to the Seal of Confession - and this is the subject of the furore which greeted me as I emerged from the peace of prayer and silence.

Talking with some friends, lawyers among them, if the government tries to put this into law it will have an uphill battle, constitutionally as much as anything else. It seems the clauses in our Constitution dealing with religious freedom protect, in some way, the Seal of Confession. Other groups are also affected - social workers among them, and they are creating a rumpus.  Now the media is treating them with respect, but when priests object to the violation of one of our most sacrosanct beliefs, the media and "concerned citizens" are in uproar.   It is obvious that these objectors do not frequent the sacrament of reconciliation - they probably don't need to, unlike us sinners.

One has to wonder why the government, or at least ministers Alan Shatter, Frances Fitzgerald and Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny, should make such foolhardy promises. Perhaps, I said to myself reflecting on such stupidity from those who are supposed to be running the country, it was a knee-jerk reaction, or maybe they mean it so as to get revenge on the Church - deprive the Church of her rights as a punishment for not dealing with child abuse in a better way.   Either way, they have revealed an appalling lack of wisdom, legal knowledge and common sense.  They also reveal that they have little or no respect for religious freedom and, like many before them, they are prepared to solve a serious problem by acts of religious persecution, because that is what they are, in reality, proposing in trying to force Catholic priests to break the Seal of the Confessional.

That aside, the government will be hard set to find priests who will break the Seal knowing that to do so will mean automatic suspension and excommunication. I was heartened to hear that members of the Association of Catholic Priests, an organisation you know I have little time for, are prepared to go to jail rather than break the Seal: God bless them for saying that because they express the view of most of us priests - I say "most" because I note, with deep sadness, that at least one priest, whose name I will not record, has said that he will comply with the new law.  It seems his bishop or superior needs to have a chat with him and, perhaps, if he is not prepared to protect the sacrament, he may need to reassess his position and perhaps make a vocational choice.

Church history records that many, many times the Seal has been threatened - and always by tyrants and persecutors. If the Irish government goes ahead with the law and then tried to implement it, it will join some of the most evil and bloodthirsty regimes in history, and all, they say, in an effort to protect children.

Ironically, mandatory reporting will not protect children or victims - in reality it will take away their rights and make them pariahs in society.  How so? 

Well, first of all it removes the victim's right to confide in someone.  Some victims do not want to report their abuse, they want closure and healing, and for some going to court will not bring that - they decide to leave it.  However they need a listening ear, someone who will confirm that they are not to blame. That confidentiality is no longer possible.  Now you may point out that the legislation will allow victims this freedom, and if a victim tells the person they have come to that they do not want the information passed on, the new law will respect that.  So everything is okay: not on your nellie!  Given the consequences for non reporting no victim can be guaranteed that the person they go to will not report it - they will in order to cover themselves.  What if the victim changes their mind later?  they might say - cover yourself, go to the police: better breach of confidentiality than five years in jail!

This leads to the second outcome of this legislation: it will make pariahs of victims.  Given the draconian penalties no one will want a victim coming to reveal that they are being abused - no one will want to get involved.   The message may be sent out loud and clear from relations and friends "I don't want to hear from anyone who is abused; I don't want the responsibility."  And so the victims are reduced to silence.......again.  Congratulations government of Ireland!   Strangely some victims' groups are full square behind this legislation which I cannot understand - surely they do not mean to diminish victims' rights, or maybe are they, at the end of the day really interested in victims - is it possible they have another agenda?  It is not for me to comment - I will try and take them at face value, albeit with great puzzlement as to their stance on this one.

No one wants child abusers to get away.  Contrary to media/public opinion the Church does not want child abusers to get away.  The Vatican, in reminding the Irish bishops of abusers' rights under Canon Law, did so in order to urge the bishops to be careful in how they carry out their investigations so as not to compromise them and play into the hands of abusers who will appeal to Rome knowing a technicality will have their condemnation reversed.  The media have put a different spin on this showing Rome in a negative light - truth tends not to matter to some in the media.  The Vatican also has problems with mandatory reporting for a number of reasons, as do other organisations, yet while these other organisations are given the benefit of the doubt, not so the Church.  We know why.

Time to get some sensible people together to think this one out, and not a government crawling to an anti-Catholic media and trying the quick fix as the best answer to a serious problem.  In the end this will be a bad law and as we all know bad laws tend to do more damage than good and people suffer.  I think we have had enough suffering as it is. 

On Retreat

This evening I head off on retreat, so I will not be blogging.  After that I am taking my holidays - I have a priest in covering for me. I will try to write a few posts. 

In the meantime we keep each other in prayer.  I have a number of intentions, so I would be grateful if you could remember them.  I have a special one - a sick person whom we are giving into the hands of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta for a miracle, so if you have devotion to her, you might remember him.  

The Call To Endure

That violent movie Gangs of New York is on TV this evening.  It is a hard one to watch and it questionable whether faint hearts should look at it - there are better things to be doing.  That said, it reveals an ugly side of American history where, in what was called "the land of the free", a minority group were persecuted for their religious faith and ethnic background - the so-called natives and the Catholic immigrants.  The violent fiction of the movie tries to portray the battles between the two groups in the Five Points area of New York.

Catholics in the US were discriminated against.  A reading of the life of St Elizabeth Anne Seton reveals that all too well - her conversion brought her many enemies, though she eventually won hearts by her heroic charity and deep love for the poor and sick whom she served without any regard for distinction: they were all the children of God in need.

That love of St Elizabeth Anne is present in many Catholics who serve the common good in New York and the US, but will these examples of pure charity touch the hearts of those intent on persecuting the Catholic faith and its teachings?  The new motivation for persecution of Catholics in New York and the US will be, as it is becoming in many other countries notably Canada, Spain, the UK and soon, Ireland, is homosexualism.  I note with particular interest the sermon delivered by Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York (see here). 

The Archbishop seems to be rallying Catholics and Christians in general, to the defence of the faith and to prepare for the worst.  If he is right, then the "land of the free" will, in historical terms, have guaranteed Catholics a very short period of freedom, respect and toleration given that Catholics were only accepted as real citizens in the early decades of the 20th century.  The "land of the free"?  Sometimes it is dangerous to proclaim such titles, they may prove ironic (and untrue) in the long run.

Of course the same could be said for Europe.  The EU, or the organisation which became the EU, was founded by good Catholics, one of whom is being considered for sainthood, and yet now the powers that be in the EU are radically secular and determined to diminish the freedoms of the Catholics. 

How do we respond?  With fidelity and charity, and with the resolution to carry whatever cross comes for Christ's sake.  I am impressed by the Archbishop's final words: they remind me of what Blessed Jerzy Popieluszko would have said, indeed Oscar Romero, Shahbaz Bhatti and St John Fisher.

“Like St. Thomas More, we’re willing to take the heat and even lose our head from following a conscience properly formed by God’s revelation and the teaching of His Church, even if it is politically incorrect, and clashes with the King’s demands to re-define marriage,”

Time to stick together, to support each other, to rally around those bishops who are being faithful and speaking out, and time for prayer and sacrifice.

A Modest Proposal

Over the last few months people have asked me if I know Fr John Corapi, and what my thoughts on his whole situation is.  I do not know Fr Corapi - though we both work for EWTN, our paths never crossed when I was over recording, and I presume when we are next over in Alabama we will not bump into him now.  I have not blogged on the situation, nor do I intend to say anything because I do not know the full facts, though it seems from the statement issued by his superior things are not good.

What I am going to say, though, is that we need to pray for him and for all priests.  As a priest I know too well that I am a weak human being entrusted with great privileges and graces and like any priest, I could be a sitting duck for any fall.  We need grace, and perhaps we need it more than lay people because if the devil wants to attack the flock he will go first for the shepherds.  I was told when in seminary that the devil walked the corridors, and it is true - the roaring lion is wandering around looking for someone to devour.  That helps me understand, for example, why things were so bad in seminary.  Those priests who were not as faithful to the Church as they should have been, needed a lot of prayer because they were appointed to form the clergy of the future so they were definitely in the firing line.

Many good people pray for priests, and I hope they continue to do so.  If you, dear reader, do not pray for priests, please start now and remember us every day.  Of late I have started to pray more intensely for priests, and I would like to share with you what I do so if you are not praying already for priests, you might join me.  I call it my "Daily Mite" for my brother priests, and I offer it twice a day, once after Morning Prayer and after Evening Prayer, that way I won't forget it. Its very simple: an Our Father, three Hail Marys and the Glory Be, like this:

For priests in trouble and in need....

                    Our Father

For deceased priests, especially those who have no one to pray for them...

                    Hail Mary

For our bishops, that they may be faithful...

                   Hail Mary

For priestly vocations and the protection of our seminarians...

                   Hail Mary

In thanksgiving for the priesthood, and in honour of the holy priests in heaven...

                  Glory be

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Priests, pray for them

St Jean-Marie Vianney, Patron of All Priests, pray for them

"Thar She Blows...?"

The Gateway to Hell: Hekla volcano, preparing to erupt?

It seems the volcano of all volcanoes is getting ready to blow.  Last year when the Ejako-what's-its-face* blew and created mayhem all over Europe, the experts were speaking in low voices about Hekla, the next door neighbour to Ejuko-yoke*, which tended to follow suit.  By far a more powerful volcano, Hekla (locals call it "The Gateway to Hell"), seems to have caused ecological and climate disasters all over Europe and beyond in the past.  God help us if that starts again, it may be more than the inconvenience of grounded planes.

Well, according to news reports, there is unusual activity in Hekla and the experts say it is ready to erupt.  So, people, time to invoke the dynamic duo again - SS Januarius and Agatha.   And as we keep this intention in our prayers, we might just remember all those who may be affected by a serious eruption, those in danger, those who may lose their livelihoods.

The Ash Novena

Novena to St Januarius and St Agatha

Patrons of Volcanoes

Blessed Martyrs, Januarius and Agatha,

you who offered your lives in witness to Christ,

into your hands we entrust all who are in danger.

Take into your special care those threatened by volcanoes

and the hazards of the natural world,

that the Lord may preserve them,

their homes and their livelihoods.

Guide all who travel and those who seek refuge,

may they find shelter in the Heart of Christ

and in the charity of their brothers and sisters in faith.

O holy Saints Januarius and Agatha,

courageous bishop and devoted virgin and bride of Christ,

commend us to the intercession of the Mother of God

so that we, like her,

may abandon ourselves to the will of the Father,

for the sake of the Son

with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

* Father is just being silly, he knows it's called Eyjafjoell, although he can't pronounce it first thing in the morning or last thing at night, or even not at all.

Who Do You Think You Are?

Today's feast is important for many reasons. St Maria Goretti offers to the Church and the world a striking example of goodness, purity and forgiveness.  Today's Gospel introduced us to the twelve apostles, how appropriate it was given that Maria merits to be numbered among them for her fidelity to Christ. 

Sadly devotion to St Maria has waned in recent years, I think the sexual revolution of the 1960's and the dissent in the Church are to blame for the most part.  The sexual revolution tells us that it is OK to have sex whenever you want with whoever you want as long as you're being "responsible".  Maria's message of purity and integrity does not go down too well in a promiscuous society.  The dissent in the Church has also alienated Maria and her message - modern Catholics who want to engage with the world and be mature/sophisticated/real (delete as appropriate) see the young martyr as an embarrassment - the whole notion of purity is just too pious.

But all said, Maria is indeed an important teacher for our times - a teacher of the nations, if you like.  She defended her chastity not only because she did not want to be violated, but also because it was morally wrong.  She asked her attacker to stop so as not to endanger his soul.  There was certainly something different about this young girl. 

Purity is a necessary part of being human - it is intimately related to our integrity - of who we think we are.  As we seek to be men and woman of integrity, our sexual behaviour contributes to that.  Now that is great in theory, but all of us struggle in this area, and some fall, some falling very badly.  Confession is there to deal with that, and unless the fall includes criminal behaviour, after absolution we get up and start again with confidence in God's grace - and we, as Christians, must always allow people the space for this recovery: after all, Maria forgave and sought heaven for her killer.  If the fall constitutes a crime that is another matter - but forgiveness and the hope of turning one's life around cannot be excluded, though there is a serious debt which must be paid and justice must take its course. 

Another reason why purity and sexual integrity is important concerns relationships.  The sexual chaos of the last few decades has led to all sorts of problems, including widespread confusion around who we think we are, who we are related to.  Here is an interesting article on this confusion of relationships.    There is a very good programme on TV called Who Do You Think You Are? In the programme various personalities do some research into their family tree and make interesting discoveries. Imagine an episode of that in the future.  God help us the family tree will end up looking like a Monkey Puzzle:

"Now Maisie, your grandfather was the son and uncle of your great aunt Lucy, who in turn was married to your fifth cousin twice removed who was also your nephew.  Now he is now a she and he/she is also your great uncle/aunt and was married to both your ninth cousin four times removed - Cedric, and your granddaughter Lizzie, and before that to the daughter of the milkman down the road who, incidentally is not related to you at all even though she is your mother's daughter and your uncle's fiance.  Now, when it comes to the milkman........"  You get the idea!

St Maria Goretti, please, pray for us, for as the song says....it's a mad world.  Here is a wonderful documentary with reference to original witnesses:

End Of An Era

As you know I have a devotion to a number of saints, among them Blessed Charles of Austria - a peacemaker, who sought to end World War I and was rewarded for it by being exiled by the Allies.  News has reached me that his son, Otto von Habsburg has died at the age of 98.  He was an outstanding European statesman who, instead of lamenting the loss of his right to become Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary, pushed up his sleeves and got down to work in the hope of bringing peace to a war torn continent.  May the Lord have mercy on him, and may his parents, Blessed Charles and the Servant of God, Zita, pray for him and all of us.

The young Otto von Habusburg at with his parents Blessed Charles and the Servant of God, Zita, at their coronation as King and Queen of Hungary in 1916.

Catholics And Their Faith

In pastoral ministry when teaching the truths of the faith, most often the moral teachings of Christ and the Church, the ones who emerge as most opposed to it and most vocal in their opposition are not non-Catholics who, though they may disagree can for the most part shrug their shoulders and move on, but Catholics themselves.

A growing problem here in Ireland, for example, is the issue of noise in church. Before, and most particularly after Mass, as soon as the priest leaves the sanctuary, an awful din starts and grows in intensity as people chat, call out to each other, laugh and joke in the church itself - dreadfully disrespectful, and to be honest, in my eyes, a real indication of poor or no faith as the Blessed Sacrament is ignored and the church is treated as if it was just another community hall.  It is also intensely selfish as the chatterers do not allow the church to be what it should be, "a house of prayer" for the community and so in their noisy talking deny those who wish to pray their right to the silence which should reign in a church building.  Personally speaking it is a difficult challenge which we orthodox priests are trying to meet, though we are making enemies not only within our parishes, but also within the presbyterate: "Chill out, Father, get real" or as someone said to me: "You're making too much of this - God can look after himself he doesn't need you to do it!"  Again a real indication that there is need of a very serious reform here in Ireland.

Anyway, a friend of mine wrote an article on the issue in a Catholic newspaper and it was taken up by a couple of radio stations who interviewed him.  The responses to the intervews were interesting: Protestants who rang in or texted were in favour of what he had to say: a church is supposed to be a place of silence, prayer and reflection - a place apart, to get away from the din of the world and enter into the Lord's peace.  Beautiful.  But it was Catholics who were most scathing - they attacked him for what he had to say: "How dare he! He won't tell us what to do." 

I say this to preface this video which is most remarkable.  Perhaps you have seen it already, I have just discovered it thanks to Fr Z (peace be upon him).  It is an American priest, Fr Michael Rodriguez making a submission to El Paso City Council who were considering extending health benefits to the homosexual "partners" of employees.  It seemed the Council had been told that the Church supported the granting of these benefits and Fr Rodriguez asked to speak to the Council to inform them of the truth: the Church did not support it, even if some Catholics within the local diocese said it did.  His main thesis: the ultimate authority on Church teaching is the Pope in Rome, if local church officials be they bishops or priests disagree with the Pope, then they are not being true Church teaching.  His submission is excellent.  He is a true priest, God bless him!

However one councillor rejects the priest's submission and tries to rubbish the priest's submission by an  attack on the Church citing the usual objections: condoms and AIDS and child abuse.  And guess what - that councillor is a Catholic and.....with the surname O'Rourke, he's Irish!

Thank You, My Lord!

Bishop Seamus Hegarty of Derry (right) marching for life at last Saturday's Pro-Life Rally in Dublin

Christopher McCamley has an interesting post today on the Pro-Life Rally which was held in Dublin on Saturday.  To my joy I see that the Bishop of Derry, Dr Seamus Hegarty, was among those marching for life: congratulations to him for his witness, it will inspire many working for the cause of life in Ireland.  There may have been other bishops there, if so congratulations to them also.

In Ireland we not used to seeing bishops walking the streets in protest marches, not since the Civil Rights movement when the then Fr Edward Daly, future Bishop of Derry, was marching with oppressed Catholics.  Dr Daly was actually present at Bloody Sunday when British soldiers indiscriminately opened fire on innocent people killing thirteen of them.  Perhaps the reason we have not seen bishops out protesting is simpy because they were really part of the establishment in Ireland.  That is no longer the case and this is one of the things the Church in Ireland has now to realise and accept; when we do we will find the freedom to be prophetic, as Christ intended. 

In the US Catholics are used to their bishops standing side by side with them not only in marches, but also outside abortion clinics leading peaceful prayer vigils.  Indeed some American bishops have "criminal records" having been arrested for their peaceful activities.  They often remind me of those heroic bishops, many who became martyrs, suffering with their people for Christ.  

The prophetic witness of a bishop can much to increase the faith and trust of their flock.  With things are they are in Ireland at the moment, a lot of PR work has to be done, and we need to see our bishops taking a more prophetic role.  The advance of the abortion and gay marriage agendas will provide plenty of opportunity for bishops, priests and religious to stand side by side with their fellow Catholics in defence of life, marriage and now our right to religious freedom, which is being eroded  bit by bit.

Given recent history, it may fall to the new generation of bishops due to take over within the next five to ten years to take up this prophetic mantle.  I believe between twelve and sixteen bishops are due to retire in that time frame.  But we must support our present bishops for the times they have proved prophetic, and today we must thank Bishop Hegarty for his stance for life.  If there were other bishops there, please let me know and I will update this post: credit must be given where it is due.  Let's hope more will follow in these footsteps. 

Who knows, but perhaps in the next ten years many of us will have the privilege of sharing a cell at Store Street Garda station with a few bishops, all of us saying the Rosary and singing hymns having been arrested for peacefully praying outside an abortion clinic.  I hope we never see abortion, but if it comes, may we all, bishops, priests, religious and laity, have the courage to take a stand.

American Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville praying the rosary on his knees in a peaceful prayer vigil outside an abortion clinic in Louisville.