Tuesday 18 June 2013

IS A BIG FUNERAL A SIGN THAT YOU WERE A GOOD MAN OR WOMAN?

One of the latest comments to my blog about the suicide of Belfast priest FATHER MATT WALLACE said:

"THE EYES ARE THE WINDOWS OF THE SOUL. FR MATT WALKED IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF GOD. CAN YOU TRULY AND HONESTLY SAY THE SAME? WOULD YOUR FUNERAL BE AS PACKED AS WHAT HIS FUNERAL WAS, AND BY THAT I MEAN, NOT THE PRIESTS, BUT THE PEOPLE THEMSELVES.


Is a big funeral a sign that you were a good man or woman or priest?

What about Jesus? There were only FIVE PEOPLE at His funeral - His mother, his cousin, Mary of Magdala the prostitute, John the disciple He loved and a man called Joseph of Arimathea.

There seemed to be hundreds if not thousands of people at Father Matt funeral.

In 1969 15 million people attended the funeral of C N Anna Durai the Chief Minister of the State of Madras in India.

In 1989 12 million people attended the funeral of Ayatolah Khomeine in Iran.

In 1975 4 million people attended the funeral of Umm Kalthum, the Egyptian singer.

1.25 million people attended the funeral of Princess Diana.

Millions of people watched the funeral of Maggie Thatcher and 2,000 attended.

120,000 people including myself attended Bobby Sands funeral and I got into big trouble with the clergy for going to it.

So if the size of your funeral says how good you were Jesus' funeral size does not say much for Him.

But then Jesus had foolishly said: "Blessed are you if the world hates you. This was the way their fathers treated the true prophets. Woe to you if the world speaks well of you. This was the way their fathers treated the false prophets".

As for my funeral when the time comes? I pray that there will be no bishops and priests there. And if FIVE mourners were good enough for Jesus I hope to have fewer than five.

Bishop Pat 18.6.2013

5 comments:

  1. I daresay you'll get at least five newspaper reporters, you always gave them good Catholic bashing copy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Padraig

      The stereotype will always be with us on every side of the circle

      Delete
  2. Padraig, I am not sure who you are or where your are from. That is not my business; however, your right wing views are awful to say the least. Please give rest of us Catholic a break from your backroom conservative chat and sort you own out, i.e. The Vatican. As a Priest who is faithful, I watch, listen to and hide from the hypocrisy everday of my Priesthood, not from the People of God but from the outwardly holy and pious! Beware of them I say. We all need a council of renewal, for all colours in the Church, not just the Rev. Grey's!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A pity you wish to remain anonymous. Jesus didn't

      Delete
  3. In Ireland everyone even the biggest b**t*rd is a saint for 5 minutes once they are dead. Listen to a typical sermon. What's to be said about the ordinary person who was non contriversial? What is to be said about them. Funeral sermons should concentrate on the redemptive love of God rather than what so& so did or did not do. It saddened me when I visited old folks homes where retired priests & nuns lived. They were not yet dead & how many people remembered or cared that they had a family name or an individuality other than Fr ... & Sr ...

    ReplyDelete