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Letter in Irish times today

  • 01-05-2012 1:49pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭


    Sir, – I am very sorry for those priests, like Fr Brian D’Arcy and Tony Flannery, chastised by the Holy See recently. They are good men, much loved and highly regarded, doing and having done much good, for the ordinary Catholics of Ireland.

    However, they are misguided in their views. The only safe place to be in this modern age, full of confusion and chaos, is close by the side of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.

    Our dear Pope has been given to us by God at this moment in the history of the world. If God wants married men to be ordained, if God wants women priests in His Catholic Church, it will happen. We priests and lay faithful need to stay close to Peter’s Successor and agree only with him. His opinion must be our opinion, until God reveals otherwise, which He will only do through our chief shepherd.

    Likewise on the tortured and much disputed issue of human sexuality and orientation. The teaching of the church on these matters is absolutely true for ever. Human beings are loved by God with infinite Mercy. Our loving Heavenly Father sees us as we are and He provides for our healing and reconciliation, in His Sacraments, when we fall into sin. He will immediately rescue us. No human being is defined as so-called “gay” or “straight”. What nonsense. This is worldliness. We Christians don’t use such terms. Everyone is God’s beloved child. Infinitely loved.

    Benedict XVI has been given by God to the world, at this point in history, because he articulates so well the Truth that stands firm for ever.

    We must stand with the Pope. There is no other place to go. Everywhere else is dangerous ground and unsafe territory. Our only safe place is beside the Vicar of Christ on earth. The Holy Father speaks the Truth.

    The Holy See has rightly called to order dissenting clerical voices. Let every priest remember that on the day we were all ordained, we resolved to uphold, not our own opinions, but “the faith once and for all delivered unto the saints”.

    Let us stop this useless disputing and pour our energies into serving the People of God, nourished by our daily union with the Lord, at the Eucharistic Table. – Yours, etc,

    Fr PATRICK McCAFFERTY,
    Lower Rathmines Road,
    Dublin 6.

    After reading the first two paragraphs of this I actually thought it was satirical. I then read the rest of it like this:eek:

    This really does read like the ramblings of a mad man. I have bolded the weirdest stuff.


Comments

  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,554 Mod ✭✭✭✭Dades


    That was actually my letter bitching about the Pope but the Vatican censors obviously got there first. A dove just landed on my windowsill with a little parchment attached to it's leg bearing the Papal seal. It simply read: "FYP. Benny."

    Bastards.


  • Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 23,195 Mod ✭✭✭✭GLaDOS


    If someone posted that here they'd be banned for trolling

    Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    pbowenroe wrote: »
    After reading the first two paragraphs of this I actually thought it was satirical. I then read the rest of it like this:eek:

    This really does read like the ramblings of a mad man. I have bolded the weirdest stuff.

    This is pretty standard Catholic doctrine.

    I would really wonder about any so called "Catholics" who don't actually believe most of this, which would be the vast majority of Catholics in this country I feel. If people don't believe this stuff why do they continue to call themselves Catholic?


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,386 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    The only safe place to be in this modern age, full of confusion and chaos, is close by the side of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
    Obviously not too close in case people get the wrong idea.

    Otherwise, well:

    203064.jpg


  • Registered Users Posts: 467 ✭✭pbowenroe


    Zombrex wrote: »
    This is pretty standard Catholic doctrine.

    I would really wonder about any so called "Catholics" who don't actually believe most of this, which would be the vast majority of Catholics in this country I feel. If people don't believe this stuff why do they continue to call themselves Catholic?

    Good question. Mammy filling out the census form, people interpreting the question as "which religion were you brought up in ?"

    i dunno


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,346 ✭✭✭Rev Hellfire


    Zombrex wrote: »
    I would really wonder about any so called "Catholics" who don't actually believe most of this, which would be the vast majority of Catholics in this country I feel. If people don't believe this stuff why do they continue to call themselves Catholic?
    I'd imagine the vast majority of 'catholics' have more pressing material matters to be concerned about these days than the Irish Times letter page.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,310 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Zombrex wrote: »
    This is pretty standard Catholic doctrine.

    I would really wonder about any so called "Catholics" who don't actually believe most of this, which would be the vast majority of Catholics in this country I feel. If people don't believe this stuff why do they continue to call themselves Catholic?

    Because omg they can call themselves what they like and you're just being a mean mean atheist how dare you you don't know anything about it ! nobody is perfect you know!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    bluewolf wrote: »
    Because omg they can call themselves what they like and you're just being a mean mean atheist how dare you you don't know anything about it ! nobody is perfect you know!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad:

    118361251545.jpg

    :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,796 ✭✭✭Calibos


    The unfortunate fact that Catholic identity became tied up with Irish Nationalism and Republicanism. "Sure if we're all really protestants, we might as well rejoin the union....." etc Cause you know....all protestants have to be unionists.....


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,812 ✭✭✭✭sbsquarepants


    Benedict XVI has been given by God to the world, at this point in history, because he articulates so well the Truth that stands firm for ever.


    Eh, cheers god, thanks for the gift and all and i really don't mean to be rude, but, did you happen to keep the reciept? I was hoping more along the lines of a new ipad.:)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    There's something of a beautiful irony in the demise of the Catholic church. They spent the last 2,000 years (well more like 1,500), oppressing women, demonising sex and the very process of procreation, insisting that priests can't marry and systematically covering up physical and sexual abuses perpetrated by them.

    Yet if they were to appoint as Pope, a married woman who has children, open views on sex and homosexuality and a promise to release information on sexual and physical abuses, people would flock back to the Catholic church in their literal millions.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭mikhail


    seamus wrote: »
    There's something of a beautiful irony in the demise of the Catholic church. They spent the last 2,000 years (well more like 1,500), oppressing women, demonising sex and the very process of procreation, insisting that priests can't marry and systematically covering up physical and sexual abuses perpetrated by them.

    Yet if they were to appoint as Pope, a married woman who has children, open views on sex and homosexuality and a promise to release information on sexual and physical abuses, people would flock back to the Catholic church in their literal millions.
    Minor quibble: priests have been able to marry for large chunks of you time scale. It seems to have become common practice for Roman Catholic priests to remain unmarried only about 1000 years ago, and even then it's been honoured more in the breach from time to time.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,993 ✭✭✭✭recedite


    I don't see what the problem is in just admitting the prods were right all along.


  • Registered Users Posts: 969 ✭✭✭murrayp4


    I genuinely thought that letter was a piss-take at first...


  • Registered Users Posts: 8,836 ✭✭✭Gregor Samsa


    seamus wrote: »
    Yet if they were to appoint as Pope, a married woman who has children, open views on sex and homosexuality and a promise to release information on sexual and physical abuses, people would flock back to the Catholic church in their literal millions.

    In Europe and possibly the US maybe, but not in Africa, South America or the Far East (the growth areas for Catholicism), where much more conservative attitudes still dominate. The unfortunate truth is that conservatism is a very strong force within Catholicism world wide. Only 26% of the world's Catholics are in Europe.

    I am beginning to wonder will where all this will lead to, though. It looks a bit like like the making of a schism to me. Will be see a liberal breakaway from the Catholic Church (in Ireland, Europe or world wide) if this keeps going? If there's a crackdown on "Cultural Catholicism" (Churches demanding that people prove that they're observant and faithful before they perform sacraments), I could see it happening. Breaking away to a new organisation would help Cultural Catholics save face instead admitting that they're really Anglicans in the majority of their beliefs (I'm talking about the ones that still believe in God and Jesus, but disagree with a lot of other doctrines. The ones that don't believe in a personal god, or the divinity of Jesus, but still call themselves Catholic are even harder to figure out). Archbishop Martin has already hinted that they should go.

    Whatever happens, it's obvious that the Catholic Church is taking a harder stance on dissent lately, and retreating back to a much more conservative voice.


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,798 ✭✭✭Mr. Incognito


    Meh,

    Religion is destroyed by education regardless of any other factor.

    Oh my, A Priest has blind faith. Stop the press.


  • Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    His opinion must be our opinion, until God reveals otherwise, which He will only do through our chief shepherd.
    That letter just reminded me of this.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    i think this guy might have been taking lessons from him. :D



  • Registered Users Posts: 26,578 ✭✭✭✭Turtwig


    vibe666 wrote: »
    i think this guy might have been taking lessons from him. :D

    <yt>GFELLK8htKM&sns<yt>

    Oooooooh soo close. :pac:


  • Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,423 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    A follow up letter in Wednesday's IT is as follows:
    A chara, – Last year (June 13th, 2011) Fr Patrick McCafferty called on the Pope to remove from ministry those bishops and heads of religious orders who had been non-responsive in relation to the issue of the Magdalene laundries.

    It seems odd therefore, given that the Pope has not acted as Fr McCafferty wished, that he now praises the Pope for calling to order dissenting voices (May 1st). Given his belief that the Pope “speaks the truth”, he cannot have it both ways. – Is mise,
    http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/


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  • Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭Table Top Joe


    Jernal wrote: »
    That letter just reminded me of this.



    :confused:


    Wow,thats possibly the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard a politician say....certainly top ten


    Jesus


    That clip in turn reminded me of this....


    "Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people
    who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it"

    Mark Twain


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,105 ✭✭✭Kivaro


    Meanwhile in the North Korean Times Editorial:
    The only safe place to be in this modern age, full of confusion and chaos, is close by the side of our beloved Kim Jong-Un
    Our dear Kim Jong-Un has been given to us by Kim Jong-In at this moment in the history of the world. If Kim Jong-In wants married men to be ordained, if Kim Jong-In wants women priests in His North Korea, it will happen.
    We must stand with Kim Jong-Un. There is no other place to go. Everywhere else is dangerous ground and unsafe territory.


  • Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    Jernal wrote: »
    Oooooooh soo close. :pac:
    NOOOOooooooo!!!! :eek:

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTKX3CvgGQAwY1pCMtGP27vP1ycH4QcgFl4TtPEztDWMZhfEGUJ

    or possibly "great minds think alike"? :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,796 ✭✭✭Calibos


    Jernal wrote: »
    That letter just reminded me of this.


    "You agree with what the Prime Minister said even though you don't know what she said?"

    "Yes, because I am sure she's right"

    Well, she is an Atheist and we are right more often than not after all ;)


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