Where the Rubber Hits the Road

Fascinating! If someone publicly calls for the killing of a civil leader, they can be charged. I wonder if the same is true if someone publicly calls for the death of a religious figure like the Pope? Want to bet the answer is a resounding 'NO!' ??? From The Catholic League: SINEAD O’CONNOR—”KILL THE POPE” | Fr. Z's Blog – What Does The Prayer Really Say?

Has anyone out there ever been in a 'confessional box' where a priest could fondle a child as is alleged by this woman? Confessionals have a solid wall with a screen window through which the priest and penitent converse! It reminds me of an expression my Grandmother used to say when we used to bring our girl friends to our family cottage: "The best form of birth control between a man and woman is a solid wall between them." If my brothers and I were unable to touch our girl friends through a bedroom wall, how can a priest physically molest a penitent if they are separated by a wall? Remember, the 'confessional box' was designed specifically to provide a barrier to prevent just offenses!! UTV News - Abuse victim ‘hurt’ by confession stance

Sylvia's Site is the preeminent Canadian site dedicated to the sex abuse scandals within the Catholic Church. She is a faithful and 'faith-filled' woman who loves her Church but detests the manner in which priests have behaved and Bishops have obfuscated the cause of justice for victims who've suffer at the hands of predators. In this recent offering on her blog she shares some correspondence that a friend of the blog sent to the Irish Prime Minister and the Archbishop of Dublin, congratulating both for their courageous voices raised in defense of Irish children. The context Sylvia offers truly helps to crystallize the issue seen through the eyes of the victim. She is to be commended for her excellent blog! Losing track | Sylvia's Site

Mark Shea Always liked Mark Shea. I had wished to bring him to my parish as part of an evangelization program but the bottom fell out of the local economy with the collapse of the forestry industry and we couldn't afford it. Too bad really. He is one of the clearest writers and thinkers in the North American Church today. This take on the latest scandals (Ireland and now Miami) is a good example of his offerings. H/T to Michael Brandon (FreedomthroughTruth blog) for this article. Catholic and Enjoying It!: Scandals in Ireland and Miami

I should hope so!! Priest may NEVER breech the seal of the confessional. We do not ever discuss such matters, even between ourselves as priests. It is a forbidden topic of conversation. Irish priests will refuse to break seal of confession if proposal becomes law :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Murphy showed up at Mass one Sunday and the priest almost fell down when he saw him. He'd never been to church in his life. After Mass, the priest caught up with him and said, "Murphy, I am so glad ya decided to come to Mass. What made ya come?" Murphy said, "I got to be honest with you Father, a while back, I misplaced me hat and I really, really love that hat. I know that McGlynn had a hat just like mine and I knew he came to church every Sunday.. I also knew that he had to take off his hat during Mass and figured he would leave it in the back of church. So, I was going to leave after Communion and steal McGlynn's hat." The priest said, "Well, Murphy, I notice that ya didn't steal McGlynn's hat. What changed your mind?" Murphy replied, "Well, after I heard your sermon on the 10 Commandments, I decided that I didn't need to steal McGlynn's hat after all." With a tear in his eye the priest gave Murphy a big smile...

Archbishop D. Martin “When I say ‘sorry,’ ” the archbishop said, “I am in charge. When I ask forgiveness, however, I am no longer in charge. I am in the hands of the others. Only you can forgive me; only God can forgive me.” It appears as if Archbishop D. Martin of Dublin 'gets it'. Let's pray that all his brother Bishops throughout the entire Church follow his example! Acts of Contrition - NYTimes.com

Here's a typical NYT series of events. The first story yesterday screams that the Vatican told Irish Bishops not to report abusers to the Police... today we find out that there is nothing that actually says that in the letter. What's more, the author was confusing Church (canonical) law with civil law. That's what led to this story today (not nearly as prominent mind you but at least its there) in which they pull back on their more sensational and salacious allegations. It's enough to make one wish that the NYT would hire a religion editor to vet their news stories about the sex abuse scandals. In 1997 Letter, Vatican Warned Irish Bishops on Abuse Policy - NYTimes.com

To priests and religious who have abused children You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for it before Almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals. You have forfeited the esteem of the people of Ireland and brought shame and dishonour upon your confreres. Those of you who are priests violated the sanctity of the sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions. Together with the immense harm done to victims, great damage has been done to the Church and to the public perception of the priesthood and religious life. I urge you to examine your conscience, take responsibility for the sins you have committed, and humbly express your sorrow. Sincere repentance opens the door to God’s forgiveness and the grace of true amendment. By offering prayers and penances for those you have wronged, you should seek to atone personally for your actions. Christ’s redeeming sacrifice...

To the victims of abuse and their families You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated. Many of you found that, when you were courageous enough to speak of what happened to you, no one would listen. Those of you who were abused in residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from your sufferings. It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope. It is in the communion of the Church that we encounter the person of Jesus Christ, who was himself a victim of injustice and sin. Like you, he still bears the wounds of his own unjust suffering. He understands the depths of your pain and its enduring effect upon your lives and your relationships, including your relationship with the Church. I kno...

This morning, before the Pope’s pastoral letter on Irish child abuse was published, and apparently before reporters from The Times had read a single word of it, the paper ran a story by Richard Owen and David Sharrock which began as follows: The Pope’s letter to the Irish faithful will be released today and read at Sunday Mass in an attempt to defuse the spiralling scandal over clerical sex abuse. However, the pastoral letter has already been judged a failure (italics added) by many after a week in which the Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, apologised for his role in covering up the activities of a notorious paedophile priest. The report makes clear that the Times journalists did not know at the time of writing whether the letter would include an apology (which of course it did). Therefore it’s fair to assume that they knew nothing important about its contents. Yet they were already reporting the “failure” of its reception. Did they jump into a Tardis? I’m sorry if...

There will be much comment in the media this weekend concerning the Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict to the Catholics of Ireland. The Holy Father apologizes to victims of abuse who have suffered the “grave betrayal” of these “egregious crimes”. Pope Benedict also refers to “grave errors of judgment and failure of leadership” on the part of some Bishops. May I encourage you to read the letter itself: the text is available at the Vatican website. Please remember in your prayers all those who have been victims of abuse. The Holy Father encourages the Irish Catholics to offer up their Friday penances for the coming year to Easter 2011 to beg for God’s mercy, healing and for the renewal of the Church. It would be fitting for us to join in solidarity with this spiritual proposal and to respond to his request to give particular attention to regular Eucharistic Adoration and the Sacrament of Penance. This evening I have spent a little time on the unpleasant ...

'Top of the morning to you"... "and the rest of the day to yourself" is oft heard exchanged between the  descendants of the Irish immigrants that cleared and settled the Upper Ottawa Valley where my cottage is located. My own ancestors from my entire patriarchal line hail from such hardy peasant stock as settled and developed the Quebec side of the river, carving out along the way a small corner of 'la belle province' where English has remained the overwhelmingly dominate language and culture. As St. Paddy's Day draws closer, in church halls from one end of the Valley to the other, the sounds of fiddle and step dancing rehearsals fill the air. The 17th of March is a touchstone day for many - a day marked by sitting with family and friends in crowded bars, drinking green beer and listening to traditional Irish jigs, ballads and reels. As Fred Meilleur, local legend and hotelier from Chapeau onces said: there will always be 'spiritual' services ce...

In the wake of the Irish sexual abuse scandal, Pope Benedict XVI summoned the Irish Bishops to the Vatican for a thorough review of how these matters were mishandled for many years. The Pontiff went even further is stating that the scandal was allowed to fester and grow due to a "failure of  leadership" on the part of the Irish Bishops. Click here to read the article which was published by CatholicWorldReport.com.

Irish Prelate off to see the Holy Father... to offer resignation??

Fr. Brian D'Arcy has posted an interesting response to the Dublin investigation of the Sex Abuse Scandal in which he is calling for the resignation of Bishops who participated in covering up the abuse. It does give one pause for thought when we ask ourselves as priests (whose offending brothers have been removed from ministry) whether or not responsibility of those further up the ecclesiastic ladder should also be dealt with in like manner, not only in Ireland but everywhere this scandal has wounded the church. It might , and I stress might add credibility to those of us who are trying to address the insults and attacks that this scandal has wrought on all the faithful. However... those who are trying to damage the church would love nothing more than to see its priests and bishops warring with each other over who should have to fall on their swords in the wake of this scandal. But, like I said... it's just a thought. Here is a link to the Irish article :