Thursday 28 June 2012

THOUGHT FOR TODAY


Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
St Teresa of Avila


DOWN & CONNOR CHANCELLOR NOT TO BE PROSECUTED

The Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Down & Connor (Belfast) is not to be prosecuted by the PSNI (Police Service for Northern Ireland) after a police investigation lasting over a year.
The Diocese of Down & Connor will now conduct its own internal Church investigation into allegations against Father John McManus.
Father McManus is a former teacher and school principal who was ordained as a “late vocation”. He served in a number of parishes in Down & Connor. He was also diocesan press officer, seminary rector and eventually diocesan chancellor. In his absence the post of chancellor (ad interim) has been held by the singing priest Father Eugene O’Hagan.
Thankfully I have had very little direct dealings with Father McManus and in fact have never met him. In my opinion he is not a very nice man.
When he was the seminary director in Belfast I received bad reports about his general attitude from the seminarians who were under his supervision.
I am also very unhappy about Father McManus’ role at the edges of the management of the recent case of the parish priest of Bangor in County Down – Father James Donaghy




 – who has been sent to prison for sexually abusing young males in Northern Ireland – including Father Patrick McCafferty




 a Down & Connor priest who now works in Rathmines parish in Dublin.
Father McManus is a “company man”. I’m sure there are still plenty in Roman Catholic organisation  who will look after him as best they can.
Ideally people should be able to find Christ in a priest. Having looked very hard I find it hard to see Christ in John McManus. 
Bishop Pat Buckley
28/6/2012

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