Friday 26 July 2013

FATHER TIMOTHY BARTLETT TO BE BISHOP ?

FATHER TIMOTHY BARTLETT TO BE BISHOP ?

FATHER TIMOTHY BARTLETT
RECENTLY I WROTE TO THE PAPAL NUNCIO TO IRELAND, ARCHBISHOP CHARLES BROWN, ADVISING HIM THAT FATHER TIMOTHY BARTLETT SHOULD BE APPOINTED A BISHOP TO FILL ONE OF THE VACANT EPISCOPAL SEES IN IRELAND.

I SUGGESTED TO ARCHBISHOP CHARLES THAT TIMMY MIGHT BE SUITABLE FOR THE DIOCESE OF KILDARE AND LEIGHLIN.

BUT OF COURSE THE DIOCESE OF DERRY IS ALSO AVAILABLE AND NEEDS A GOOD BISHOP.

TIMMY HAS ALL THE RIGHT QUALITIES TO BE A BISHOP. HE IS LONG ENOUGH ORDAINED. HE HAS TAUGHT MORAL THEOLOGY IN ST MARY'S TRAINING COLLEGE IN BELFAST.

HIS STUDENTS IN BELFAST LOVED HIM. HE WAS NOT A DIE HARD CONSERVATIVE OR REACTIONARY BUT IN FACT HE ENCOURAGED HIS STUDENTS TO ENGAGE DEEPLY IN THEOLOGICAL DEBATE AND TO BE INTELLIGENT AND THINKING CATHOLICS.

HE ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE IN OTHER BRANCHES OF EDUCATION - AND EDUCATION WILL BE A BIG ISSUE FOR THE CHURCH IN THE FUTURE - NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE BORDER

HE IS VERY LOYAL TO THE CHURCH AND HAS ALWAYS SHOWN GREAT RESPECT FOR HIS BISHOPS AND THE HOLY FATHER AND ROME.

WHEN CARDINAL BRADY FIRST TOOK OVER AT ARMAGH HE HAD A TERRIBLE MEDIA PRESENCE. BUT THEN HE APPOINTED FATHER TIMMY TO BE HIS MEDIA ADVISER AND SINCE THAT TIME SEAN BRADY HAS ACQUITTED HIMSELF VERY WELL BEFORE THE CAMERA.
HIS EMINENCE DR BRADY - FATHER TIMMY MEDIA STUDENT

I ALSO THINK THAT TIMMY WOULD BE VERY GOOD WITH ORDINARY PEOPLE. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE GAY COMMUNITY IN BELFAST HAVE TOLD ME THAT WHILE THEY KNOW WHERE TIMMY STANDS DOCTRINALLY ON HOMOSEXUALITY THAT NEVERTHELESS THEY FEEL THAT HE WOULD ADOPT A VERY SYMPATHETIC PASTORAL POSITION. 

ARCHBISHOP BROWN HAS NOT RESPONDED TO ME PERSONALLY ABOUT TIMMY'S POSSIBLE FUTURE AS A BISHOP. BUT RELIABLE SOURCES HAVE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS NOTED MY VIEWS AND THAT THEY WILL CERTAINLY BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

I AM EXPECTING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE MATTER IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.

Bishop Pat Buckley. 26.7.2013


18 comments:

  1. Please, please - we need NO MORE civil servants from ROME, please give us good Irish Men & Women to lead OUR Church in Ireland for the needs of and to the needs of OUR COMMUNITY.

    NO to TIMMY - Please! Give me a holy pastor and leader of souls. We are a broken and lost people, scattered by the very men from ROME.

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    1. You are so wrong about Father Timmy Bartlett.

      He is from Belfast and not from Rome.

      He is not a civil servant. He is a very prayerful, self-sacrificing, humble and unambitious Christian, Catholic and priest.

      Father Timmy would not be afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty.

      He is Ireland's equivalent to the Worker Priest of France; The Liberation Theology priest of South America.

      Timmy understands brokenness. He has been to very hard places himself and I'm sure he has had to wrestle with his own demons.

      That's what makes him so pastoral and so compassionate.

      He is a sinner's priest.

      He is a plain man's theologian.

      When you look in his face you can see the Face of Christ looking back at you.

      He is devoted to Our Blessed Mother.

      He has been a personal inspiration to me as a priest and a bishop.

      He has read my books and commented on them.

      For all these reasons I have asked the Papal Nuncio to make Tim a bishop

      Bishop Pat

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    2. I hope that Rev Browns Boy is made a bishop so.

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  2. Priesthood is the most ancient, and the most neglected institution in human history. All the cultures from which we have written documents in the ancient world had priests. And that includes the great civilizations of Sumer, Babylonia, Egypt, Crete, Persia, India, and even China. Some of these priesthoods were self-serving and oppressive, but their very existence suggests that at their best they served an important function.

    It is easy to see what ordinary people expect from their priests. Ceremonial is needed on the family occasions of birth, marriage, sickness, and death. When his mother dies, even an atheist does not say "put the body in a bag and take it to the dump." There are also community ceremonials for coronation, disaster situations, and celebrations of various kinds.

    Individuals also appreciate a priest who can listen to their story with deep attention in a totally non-judgmental way. Having heard the worst, the priest must be able to offer the assurance of absolution from God. A good priest will then be able to pick up the heart concerns expressed by the individual, and put them into words as a prayer to God. Usually some wise teaching is needed as to how to proceed. And finally the priest must be able to bless by assuring the person that all is well because God knows and cares.

    At the time of Abraham there was a royal priesthood in the Jebusite city that later became Jerusalem. "King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18). The Epistle to the Hebrews refers to the Melchizedek priesthood to illustrate the new Christian royal priesthood under their ascended High Priest and King, Jesus the Son of God (Hebrews 5-8). And Peter, first leader of the Christian churches, says to us "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, God's own people" (1 Peter 2:9). It is significant that Peter is quoting verbatim from God's first constitution for the Israelites who had just come out of the Exodus "You shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6).

    In the second century Royal Priesthood was defined as the local congregations in each city and surrounding country under the leadership of their Bishop. By then the presiding elder of each congregation was called a priest.

    Catholic priests are so few that they cannot possibly be there to listen attentively, pray for the expressed needs of individuals, or impart God's wisdom for the desperate situations of the people under their care. Absolution and blessing in God's name is mostly a formality. More and more sisters are doing genuine priestly work, but even if you multiplied their number by ten they could never make contact with the massive needs of us Irish.

    Let us 'call' our own Bishops, our own Priests and Deacons to lead our own community.




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  3. Just read this, as someone who was taught by Fr Bartlett I think he would be a good bishop. Although I confess to not knowing what a good bishop is or needs to be. He was good in the classroom as a teacher, but he found it difficult to listen to the students.

    He was nice to us generally, we called him 'Tim nice but Dim' lol. All in all, I am not sure what to make of your blog and or this view on Fr. Tim, but as a Catholic teacher working in the Integrated sector I am already an outsider. I guess I did not play enough GAA in St. Mary's, they are the only ones with jobs in CCMS schools.

    I wish that our church would open up and take on the views of modern society, if Fr. Tim can do this he would be a good bishop I think. If not then he is just another bishop.

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    1. It is interesting that you were taught by Father Bartlett.

      I knew he was called TIM, THE DIM

      I agree that he may not have the most bubbly personality.

      I also knew he didn't like to listen to the students especially if they were challenging his views or the official view of the Catholic Church.

      One of his other students told me that hearing the Church's teachings challenged used to break his sensitive heart and almost make him cry.

      Congratulations by the way for teaching in an integrated school. Integration, in so many ways, is the way forward :-)

      Outsiders are GOOD. Look at me :-)

      You may not have played enough GAA - but look at it this way - that may have saved you from unwelcome glances or advances in the changing room?

      The CCMS is on the way out :-)

      YOU ARE THE CHURCH

      YOU WILL CHANGE PEOPLE'S VIEWS.

      KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

      Pat

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    2. Thank you for your response Bishop Pat. You are right I am the church, but in Tyrone county the clergy rule the roost. If they want you part of the the community, you are, if they do not, then your not! An integrated sector teacher does not sit well in the local chapel, it is often preached about! I more often leave the chapel feeling like an unclean spirit rather than a child of God with a lot of worth.

      As for the GAA, I am not sure about the changing rooms, but if the GAA and chapel want a person to have a job they have it. It is like a mafia thing and a powerful community force it is. St. Mary's is part of this powerful network!

      I have my criticisms of the integrated sector as well, it is anything but perfect - I only wish CCMS would go down in history as a good thing, it won't in the eyes of teachers, it will go down as a cheating, duble standard, corrupt body were equality law ceases at its very doors! Perhaps this is a church thing, equality does not apply.

      I have many friends who think as I do and to be honest if the unionist / protestants had not treated us so badly over the years, their would be so many joining the church of Ireland particularly, just to get away from the double standards and corruption. If the GAA and CCMS want Fr Bartlett they can have him, I like many wnat nothing to do with them. We are looking other places for alternatives and well they know it.

      They are trying every negative community trick in the book to keep control, but that dam can not hold back the sheer volume of good christian catholics wanting change and equality in all things.

      Excuse my rant Bishop.

      Integrated Sector Teacher

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    3. Thank you for the excellent second comment.

      Please understand - the Father Bartlett thing - a wind
      up :-)

      I know all about the role of the clergy and GAA in Catholic schools. I was a school secretary one time and fought them tooth and nail on every appointment of a teacher and principal.

      Its very sad that you leave the chapel feeling that way. Its not you who has the problem - its the Catholic bigots who preach against your 21st Century values.

      I have my criticisms of the Integrated School movement too. I was on the committee to start a Larne integrated school and NICIE shafted me.

      The Church of Ireland is not the answer either - with their British, Royalist, Unionist bias.

      You are right to be pursuing ALTERNATIVES. Thats why I am into.

      Why not become a part of something alternative in your own area? I have lots of thoughts about that if you are interested :-) 07900 287283

      You are right - These people are "yesterday's" men and on the way out.

      Yours was not a rant - it was an expression of JUST ANGER

      Pat :-)

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    4. Thank you for the invite and sense of welcome.

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    5. No probs. That's why I'm here :-)

      Pat

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  4. I knew Sean Brady when I was a student in the Irish College and Cardinal Brady was Vice Rector. He worked in a small office with a large glass door opposite the main office where Monsignor John(Jack) Hanley had his desk. I can understand how Cardinal Brady might be flustered by the media-Its the kind of person he is.
    As for Fr Bartlett for Bishop. I don't know why you wasted a stamp. Rome never passed any heed of you before except to say fek off. Cant see why they would bother now-Sean

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  5. For the sake of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland--and as a part of the leadership of the Universal Church I highly recommend Fr. Tim Bartlett for Bishop of one of Ireland's needful dioceses. I have known Fr. Bartlett for many years--and he has brought the love of Christ to all who meet him. He is articulate, administratively excellent, deeply spiritual and highly intelligent and well educated in theology, education and philosophy. It is time that the God given gifts of leadership given by God be given the chance to lead by the Church.

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  6. Fr. Tim Bartlett definitely should become Bishop of one of Ireland's dioceses in need of leadership. I have known Fr. Bartlett for many years--and he is a man of spirituality, intelligence, sensitivity, articulation and organizational abilities. If he holds strong beliefs in the integrity of the Roman Catholic Church--then be thankful that he has the gift of speaking out on what is right. Fr. Tim Bartlett is one of the "good ones"--he neither looks for ill nor runs away from the need to defend the Church that was--after all....--established by Jesus Christ more than two thousand years ago. The Church in Ireland needs Tim in leadership--and the Universal Church needs Tim in leadership. Hopefully, the Irish..and Americans--who hold the responsibility for choosing leaders do not get mired in jealousy and retreat. Father Tim Bartlett is a leader from God. And, by the way--I am an American.

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    1. Thank you for your comment.

      You should write to the Irish Papal Nuncio and let him have your views about Father Bartlett.

      His address is

      Archbishop Charles Brown
      Papal Nunciature
      Navan Road,
      Dublin. 7
      Ireland.

      Cardinal Brady and I have both given Father Bartlett our backing with the Nuncio

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  7. Extreme Unction30 July 2013 at 03:23

    Dear Archbishop Brown,
    Fr. Tim Bartlett definitely should become Bishop of one of Ireland's dioceses in need of leadership. I have known Fr. Bartlett for many years--and he is a man of spirituality, intelligence, sensitivity, articulation and organizational abilities.....
    Yours most fervently and ever so humbly,
    Fr Tim Bartlett.

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  8. Your Excellency,
    I have known Fr. Bartlett for many years--and he has brought the love of Christ to all who meet him. He is articulate, administratively excellent, deeply spiritual and highly intelligent and well educated in theology, education and philosophy. It is time that the God given gifts of leadership given by God be given the chance to lead by the Church. The Church in Ireland needs Tim in leadership--and the Universal Church needs Tim in leadership. Father Tim Bartlett is a leader from God.
    Yours in frantic expectancy,
    Fr. Tim Bartlett.

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