Tuesday 25 June 2013

IS BISHOP NOEL TREANOR (BELFAST) A GOOD BISHOP ?

BISHOP NOEL TREANOR - BISHOP OF DOWN & CONNOR, BELFAST

NEXT WEEK IT WILL BE FIVE YEARS SINCE NOEL TREANOR TOOK OVER AS THE BISHOP OF DOWN AND CONNOR. IT IS A VERY GOOD TIME TO ASK IS HE A GOOD BISHOP.

I THINK THAT WE ALL HAVE OUR OPINIONS ON VARIOUS BISHOPS INCLUDING NOEL TREANOR.

BUT LAST WEEK POPE FRANCIS LAID DOWN WHAT QUALITIES A BISHOP SHOULD HAVE AND HE IS INFALLIBLE ON FAITH AND MORALS. THE APPOINTMENT OF BISHOPS IS CERTAINLY A MATTER OF FAITH. 

POPE FRANCIS SAID THAT A BISHOP SHOULD BE 10 THINGS:

1. MEEK.
2. MERCIFUL.
3. HAVE A SIMPLE AND AUSTERE LIFESTYLE.
4. SHOULD NOT HAVE THE MINDSET OF A PRINCE.
5. SHOULD BE A PASTOR.
6. SHOULD BE CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE.
7. GENTLE.
8. PATIENT.
9. MARRIED TO HIS DIOCESE.
10. IMBUE HOPE AMONG THE PEOPLE. 

1. IS BISHOP TREANOR MEEK?

THE DICTIONARY TELLS US THAT "MEEK" MEANS BEING "MILD / SUBMISSIVE"
HAVING NEVER MET BISHOP TREANOR I DO NOT KNOW IF HE IS MILD AND SUBMISSIVE. FROM A DISTANCE I DO NOT SEE HIM AS MILD AND SUBMISSIVE. HE APPEARS ALOOF, COLD AND UNAPPROACHABLE.

2. IS BISHOP TREANOR MERCIFUL?

THE DICTIONARY SAYS THAT MERCIFUL IS THE VIRTUE OF SHOWING COMPASSION AND CLEMENCY.  AGAIN I HAVE NO EVIDENCE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER - EXCEPT TO SAY THAT WHEN HE BECAME BISHOP I WROTE TO HIM TO WISH HIM WELL AND TO ASK HIM TO MEET ME FOR A CUP OF TEA AND A CHAT. HE NEVER ANSWERED MY LETTER AND HAS CERTAINLY NEVER AGREED TO MEET ME. IN FACT I GET THE DISTINCT IMPRESSION THAT HE DOES NOT WANT TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME.

3. DOES BISHOP TREANOR HAVE A SIMPLE AND AUSTERE LIFESTYLE?

I THINK THAT ON THIS WE CAN SAFELY SAY THAT HE DOES NOT. HE LIVES IN THE BISHOP'S PALACE ON SOMERTON ROAD BELFAST WHICH IS UNDERGOING OR HAS UNDERGONE MAJOR WORK RECENTLY. I AM TOLD THAT HE LIKES TO BROWSE IN BALLINDERRY ANTIQUES. IF YOU LOOK ON THEIR WEB SITE ITS NOT LIKE ASDA.

5. DOES BISHOP TREANOR HAVE THE MINDSET OF A PRINCE?

AGAIN THIS ONE IS HARD TO ANSWER. BUT HE CAME TO BELFAST FROM WORKING AMONG THE DIPLOMATS IN BRUSSELS.

6. IS BISHOP TREANOR CLOSE TO THE PEOPLE?

I THINK THIS ONE IS A "NO". WE SEE VERY LITTLE OF HIM EVEN IN HIS CATHEDRAL PARISH ON THE FALLS ROAD IN BELFAST. THOSE I KNOW WHO HAVE MET HIM DESCRIBE HIM AS ALOOF AND DIFFICULT TO TALK TO. I NEVER HEAR ANYTHING OF HIM SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THE GROUND WITH PEOPLE.

ALSO MANY OF THE PRIESTS OF DOWN AND CONNOR TELL ME HE IS DISTANT AND UNAPPROACHABLE.

7. IS HE GENTLE? 8. PATIENT? I THINK THAT THESE TWO ARE ADDRESSED IN  1) ABOVE.

9. IS HE MARRIED TO HIS DIOCESE? 

IT WOULD BE HARD TO SEE HIM AS A DOTING, LOVING, CARING AND ROMANTIC HUSBAND TO HIS BRIDE - THE DIOCESE OF DOWN & CONNOR.

10. DOES HE IMBUE HOPE? I THINK NOT.

OF COURSE NOEL TREANOR BECAME BISHOP BEFORE POPE FRANCIS SET OUT THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD BISHOP. I THINK HE WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER LEFT IN BRUSSELS WITH THE DIPLOMATS OR BROUGHT TO THE VATICAN AS A DESK MAN. 

HE CERTAINLY DOES NOT FULFILL, IN MY OPINION, POPE FRANCIS' VISION OF WHAT A GOOD PASTOR BISHOP SHOULD BE.

MANY THOUGHT HE WOULD GO TO ARMAGH TO REPLACE POOR CARDINAL BRADY BUT I THINK HE MESSED THAT UP BADLY WHEN HE WAS SO PUBLICLY CRITICAL OF IAN ELLIOTT - THE HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH'S BOARD ON THE SAFEGUARDING OF CHILDREN.

I HAVE SEEN FOUR BISHOPS OF DOWN & CONNOR (1978 - 2013) - 35 YEARS - BISHOP WILLIAM PHILBIN, THE SQUARE PEG IN THE ROUND HOLE, BISHOP CAHAL DALY, THE LITTLE MAN WITH SMS (SMALL MAN SYNDROME), BISHOP PADDY WALSH, WHO WAS PIOUS IN A WEIRD SORT OF WAY AND NOW NOEL TREANOR. 

REALLY I THINK THAT YOU COULD SAY THAT THERE WAS NOT A "TRUE PASTOR" AMONG THEM :-(

Bishop Pat Buckley 25.6.2013

10 comments:

  1. I am a lady parishioner from Dundrum Parish in County Down and last night we had the Diamond Jubilee Mass for our beloved Canon Starkey. I was part of the group that did all the arranging. Bishop Treanor was there and he was so cold, stiff and distant. I just think he has no communication skills.

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    1. I am an ex seminarian and a teacher in a Belfast school. Last year we had Bishop Treanor in our school. He stood with his back to a fireplace and spoke to no one. He looked scared

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  2. I am a Priest in Ireland and I have to say that I am not at all confortable with the question? We could all put ourselves in the question and wonder what people would say to us and about us. All I can do is Pray for Bishop Noel and the least I could wish for I suppose is that he does NO harm, whatever good he may do - DO NO HARM!

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  3. Didn't Pope Francis also say something about not choosing bishops who wanted it too much?

    Personally I'm rarely the life and soul of the party myself but I find that if you position yourself strategically and look a bit lost people who really want to talk to a priest will come up to you and initiate a genuine pastoral encounter.

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  4. Thats an excellent point.

    I also believe that if you wear your clerical collar in public (even if you get some hostile comments these days) at least people will know your a priest. Do you agree?

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  5. Mr pretend "bishop" Butthole, you really are a loathsome creep. Have you blown drunken cigar smoke at any more Scotties lately? In your book - A Sexual Lie A Spiritual Lie - your account of alleged sexual abuse by the 'nice Aidan' reads more like an adult's homosexual fantasy (yours) and turned my stomach. My mate f...ed your pathetic book out the car window outside Mullingar! Pat Buttley you are one sick and disgusting moron.

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    1. Father,

      Your comment says so much about the psychological and spiritual state you are in.

      What did Our Lord say: "BLESSED ARE YOU WHEN THE THE WORLD HATES YOU. THIS WAS THE WAY THEIR FATHERS TREATED THE TRUE PROPHETS"

      I will offer up my Mass today for your healing.

      + Pat

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    2. Father,

      Just another thought....

      Two hard-hearted men, incapable of understanding the message of a book - throw the book out of a car window near Mullingar. Why? so that the Holy Spirit can allow the book to fall into the hands of somebody else with an open heart - struggling with his/her sexuality - who was able to read and understand and take comfort from what they read.

      Its what we call PROVIDENCE.

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  6. LOL says a lot about your state you think I'm a 'fr'! I'd say the foxes enjoyed reading it in the ditch - the contorted doings of a two-legged fox. BTW, if you stopped the aul' hair dye you could reasonably pass as a Bishop Trainor lookalike! You could turn up at venues and confuse everyone - the pretend, fantasist, Mr Buttley, in fancy dress costume and the true bishop - now boys and girls -eeny meeny miney mo!

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    1. I think I'll just let the public make up their mind about you.

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