Sunday 18 August 2013

RIDDING IRELAND OF CLERICALISM

IRISH BISHOP BANS FUNERAL EULOGIES

MICHAEL SMYTH

THE BISHOP OF MEATH IN IRELAND HAS BANNED FUNERAL EULOGIES AT THE END OF FUNERAL MASSES. HE SAYS THAT SUCH EULOGIES CAN TAKE PLACE AT THE GRAVESIDE.


BISHOP MICHAEL SMYTH IS WRONG - AND IS GUILTY OF ONE OF THE FAULTS IN THE CHURCH THAT POPE FRANCIS CONDEMNED THIS WEEK - "CLERICALISM".

WHAT MAKES MICHAEL SMYTH THINKS THAT HE OWNS THE CHURCHES IN HIS DIOCESE?

DID HE PAY FOR THEM? NO HE DID NOT. THEY WERE PAID FOR BY CURRENT ROMAN CATHOLICS AND BY THE GENERATIONS OF DEAD ROMAN CATHOLICS. HE HAS BEEN THE BISHOP OF MEATH FOR A FEW DECADES. BUT IN A YEAR OR TWO HE WILL BE GONE BUT THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISHES WILL STILL BE PAYING FOR THE CHURCHES.

ALSO, BISHOP SMYTH'S OWN WAGES AND THE COSTS OF RUNNING HIS PALACE IN MULLINGAR ARE PAID FOR BY THE PEOPLE WHO HE NOW WANTS TO BAN FROM PAYING RESPECTS TO THEIR DEAD ON THE DAY OF THEIR FUNERAL.

I AGREE THAT THE FUNERAL MASS SHOULD BE DIGNIFIED AND THE READINGS, MUSIC AND SPOKEN WORDS DURING THE MASS HAVE TO FOLLOW LITURGICAL NORMS.

BUT WHAT IS WRONG - AT THE END OF MASS - WHEN THE LITURGY IS OVER - WITH A FAMILY MEMBER OF THE DECEASED PAYING A TRIBUTE TO THE DECEASED?

SMYTH SEEMS TO THINK THAT ONLY BISHOPS AND PRIESTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK IN THE CHURCH BUILDING.

HAS HE NEVER HEARD SOME OF THOSE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS PREACHING LONG, BORING, MEANINGLESS AND OUT OF TOUCH SERMONS?

SOMETIMES THE LUCKY PERSON AT THE FUNERAL MASS IS THE DEAD PERSON - AT LEAST HE OR SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO LISTEN TO A BORING AND OUT OF TOUCH PRIEST PONTIFICATING.

SMYTH SEEMS TO BE AFRAID OF HUMOUR DURING THE EULOGIES. WHAT'S WRONG WITH HUMOUR? WHAT'S WRONG WITH MAKING PEOPLE, GRIPPED BY MOURNING AND GRIEF, BENEFIT BY A SMILE OR A LAUGH TO BRIGHTEN THEIR OTHERWISE TRAGIC DAY?

I OFTEN THINK THAT THESE LAWS ARE OFTEN MADE UP FOR THE POOR ORDINARY PEOPLE.

AS SOON AS A WEALTHY PERSON, OR A FAMOUS PERSON DIES, THEN THE ROMAN CHURCH SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROBLEM LETTING THEM HAVE EULOGIES OR ANY TYPE OF MUSIC THEY WANT.

THE CHURCH HAS LAWS FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS AND LAWS FOR THE POOR.

SMYTH, NOW IN HIS 70'S IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE. SOON, THANK GOD, HE WILL BE GONE.

BUT SADLY THERE ARE YOUNGER "CLERICS" LINED UP TO TAKE HIS MITRE AND CONTINUE TO LORD IT OVER THE ORDINARY MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

AND SADLY THERE ARE TOO MANY LAY CATHOLICS OUT THERE WILLING TO LET THE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS LORD IT OVER THEM. I CALL THESE PEOPLE THE TURKEYS WHO VOTE FOR CHRISTMAS


THIS WEEK POPE FRANCIS SAID THAT "CLERICALISM" WAS A 2 WAY STREET - BEING KEPT IN PLACE BY CLERICS WHO DO NOT WANT TO LET LAY PEOPLE HAVE ANY POWER IN THE CHURCH - AND ALSO BEING KEPT IN PLACE BY MASOCHISTIC LAY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO CONTINUE SERVING THEIR CLERICAL MASTERS.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE OF THE DIOCESE OF MEATH TO REJECT SMYTH'S EDICT.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO WALK UP AT THE END OF MASS AND TAKE OVER THE MICROPHONE - AND IF THE PRIEST TRIES TO STOP THEM THEN GET A FEW OTHER PARISHIONERS TO TAKE HIM AWAY AND LOCK HIM IN THE SACRISTY.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE PEOPLE OF MEATH TO STOP GIVING THEIR MONEY TO SMYTH'S COLLECTION EVERY SUNDAY.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO USE OTHER VENUES FOR THEIR FUNERALS.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO START LETTING THE DOMINEERING CLERICS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT THEY ARE NOT WANTED ANYMORE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE DAY COMING WHEN IRISH PEOPLE WILL BEAT THE CLERICS OUR OF THEIR PARISHES, TOWNS AND VILLAGES IN THE WAY JESUS BEAT THE MONEY CHANGERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE - HIS FATHER'S HOUSE.

ITS GOT TO THE SITUATION IN IRELAND AT THE MOMENT WHEN PERHAPS WE NEED A DECADE OR TWO OF ACTIVE AND STRIDENT ANTI-CLERICALISM.

FOR FAR TOO LONG THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND HAVE BEEN BISHOP-RIDDEN AND PRIEST-RIDDEN.



IRELAND NEEDS RID OF THESE CLERICS AND THEIR DOMINEERING CLERICALISM

Bishop Pat Buckley. 18.8.2013.



20 comments:

  1. Bishop Pat,

    I agree with you.

    My father died last year. he had been active in his parish for 60 years.He was a daily communicant.

    The new parish priest - a guy in his 40s and only a month or two in the parish banned us playing my father's favourite song as his coffin was being carried out of the church. We were also refused permission for my oldest brother to say a few words at the end of Mass. We could not do it outside as it was lashing rain.

    For this treatment the undertaker presented us with a bill for Euro 200 for the pp.

    I will never be back inside a catholic church again.

    Damian

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    1. Damian, go to the priest and tell him to his face of his abuse, then make your way to the 'palace' and inform your bishop of his abusive policies!!

      When will our people stand up and kick these men in the ass's out the door and down the street!!

      George

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  2. Clericalism is dying in Ireland, but needs to be officially put to rest by the creation of structures that will allow clergy and people to govern the Roman church together. Clearly Smyth loves his power, the PEOPLE OF GOD need to do as Bishop Pat says, just do what they need to and put anyone who opposes them on to their backs!

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  3. Bishops placed the interest of the Roman church ahead of children, now the interests of hurting people are put ahead of priests in a hurry to the golfcourse!!! Shame of Smyth!!

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  4. Clericalism empowers the abusive bishop and priest and disempowers his victims. This is proven by many of the stories told in the Ferns report, reflected in the summation on page 261:

    "Frequently it is the respect in which the abuser is held which affords the opportunity of perpetrating the crime...."

    The unquestioning respect in which clergy have been held in Ireland rests squarely on clericalism - taught to children by the attitudes and behaviour of their parents and teachers. Put simply, the priest was the man of God, the one closest to God whom the child should trust implicitly to give access to grace, the gift of God.

    Clericalism deliberately cultivates an attitude of deference to clergy. Deference - the habit of submission and compliance - gave abusive clergy virtually total power over their child victims.

    Second, clericalism gave abusive bishops and priests power also over the families of those children. Irish mothers especially have tended to feel honoured that any priest would "take an interest in our Johnny" - even if 'Johnny' was asked to stay in the care of the bishop or priest overnight. It could not enter parents' heads that the bishop or priest could do any harm - illustrated in the poignant story of a mother who denied to the Ferns inquiry that an abusive priest could have molested her daughter, even though he sometimes occupied the same bed!

    Why could it not enter their heads? Because Irish Catholicism has so far not properly distinguished between faith in God and faith in clergy. For far too many Irish Catholics, to doubt the priest was as grave a sin as to doubt God - and our Roman church leaders have found it all too convenient to leave this confusion intact.

    It is the root of Catholic deference - and deference is - or rather was - the root of much of the social power of the clerical church in Ireland. Smyth is abusing people in their moment of grieve and need.

    However, the 'nice' Roman catholics will jump to his defence!!

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  5. Clericalism also presented the 'liar' bishop with the opportunity, and the obligation, to protect the myth of clerical sinlessness. It gave him that opportunity because it always counselled lay people to give the priest - and the bishop - the benefit of any doubt. It gave him the obligation to do so, because the power to which the bishop believed himself to be above all accountable - the papacy - is clericalist also - intent on ruling the church through clergy, and on protecting the myth of clerical sinlessness.

    Nothing else can fully explain the virtually universal failure of Catholic bishops throughout the world to deal effectively with clerical child sexual abuse and abuse of adult people in moments of grieve. Or the failure of the Vatican to deal with it also. Or the failure of both to give lay people the structures they have needed for forty years to develop their own role and mission in their own church.

    Yet so far, regrettably, no Roman Catholic bishop has identified clericalism as a primary factor in their problem - as the reason for the lack of integrity in their leadership. This is the real measure of the failure of the leaders of our church to grasp the nettle. Smyth is living in the nettles!

    It is also the measure of the challenge facing the current papacy on this issue. It is of first importance for the recovery of the church that the myth of clergy be expressly contradicted in church teaching. We need, as a matter of great urgency, an encyclical against clericalism - an encyclical that will emphasise that faith in God does not require faith in clergy also - or deference either.


    Tell Smyth to clear off and get off the backs of the people.

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  6. Clericalism flourishes wherever there is a clear educational gap between the priest and the bulk of his congregation.

    Rome tends to point to the developing world as evidence of the continuing health of the church - even to the extent of proposing that the priest shortage in the west could be supplied from Africa! World Youth Day - those poor souls were looking for a job!!

    Smyth is a dick and we the people are educated, tell him to fuck off!!!

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  7. Catholic adults - lay and clerical - will need to pray hard to negotiate this minefield without further pain and grief.

    First point of order, kick Smyth out off their Church. He needs to be on his knees begging the people for forgiveness, he has his roles mixed up.

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  8. My agvice to the people of this diocese is; seek the alternative!! Look to other churches and if they will not do it, ring us in the Oratory Society, we will do it - for FREE!!

    Priest - Oratory Society!!

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  9. Smyth is a man steeped in the clerical culture of the Roman church, a man for whom the wider world barely exists.

    In keeping with this, he pays far more attention to the nonsense and abuse of the people of God than to the pastoral needs of the people in his diocese.

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  10. Its a pity Bishop Smyth and his elk don't apply the same rules across the board. Its no eulogies in the church until a priest dies. Then the bishop preaches a homily often making reference to the virtues of the priest and highlights of his career. After communion a priest colleague will often speak recalling something of the personality of the deceased. Two sets of rules. One for the poor ignorant clergy ridden populace and one for the boys in black. Piss off Smyth !!

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    1. Well said!! Time to kick them out of OUR Church!!!

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  11. There was a situation in our area last year where a family asked to say a few words at the end of a requiem about a man who had a very distinguished war career (mentioned in dispatches 3 times).
    After the war he build a large business giving hundreds of folk employment. He was a well known worker for charity and had personally given thousands and raised hundreds of thousands for various good causes. He was awarded an OBE and had enhanced the quality of life of many people.
    Within a day of his dying many newspapers carried fulsome tribute to this very successful and charitable man.
    And what do you think was the response of the local parish priest. A shameful No !! Needless to say it was the talk of the place.
    But the family decided to accept the decision with good grace and went ahead and organised a non religious funeral in a large hotel followed by a humanist burial. It was a wonderful ceremony and everyone I spoke with who attended felt that due tribute had been paid to a life so well lived.
    His favourite music was played, readings from his favourite poet were recited. His grandchildren and some close friends shared their funny memories . If there is such a thing it was a great funeral then this was it.
    Since that own goal by the local PP at least 5 other funerals which would normally have taken place in church have followed the same process. And although I go to church now and again I have left instruction that my funeral will be modelled on my businessman friend. Any wonder the churches are becoming less relevant.

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    1. What a brave man and family, brave in life and brave in death. I admire him. I am a Christian and I would want a Christian funeral, but I want an alternative one. How dare that PP think he can talk to adults like that!

      You aer right, they are making themselves more and more irelevant!

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  12. The arrogance of some clergy knows no bounds-I agree with everything Fr. Buckley wrote. Recently when a family I know were making arrangements for their mother's funeral they mentioned to the priest that The Old Rugged Cross was going to be sung at the end. He replied 'not in MY church ! ' The family ignored him and the song went ahead. This young whippersnapper had only been in the parish for a few months -the lady who died was in her 90s and had lived in the parish for 66 years.

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  13. There was a story doing the rounds that when Paddy Walsh was still active that he banned family eulogies because at a funeral mass in Belfast the sister of the deceased's wife got up and spoke about her brother in law. During her speech she said that the deceased was " a great sex athlete in bed as I can personally verify" or words to that affect. Uproar ensued. Has anyone else heard that story?

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  14. Michael Smyth has been ranting on about this for years as per a PP in meath who told me this over ten years ago!
    Michael thinks that HE has the POWER to controll the tides and seasons of the SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD by setting his throne before the great swell of the PEOPLE OF GOD.
    Imagine he actually believes HE has the right to command them to get back into their box.
    Prepare to get your purple socks wet Michael!


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  15. There is nothing as sad or as amusing as watching Irish bishops trying to flex their muscles and do a bit of crozier bashing. The arrogance of these guys. For men reputed to be intelligent they are certainly slow learners when it comes to reading the writing on the wall.
    While they may take comfort from the adoration and support of clergy ridden oul biddies and jubilee pioneers there is an increasing volume of "the faithful" telling and showing this crowd that they are yesterdays men with yesterdays message

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  16. Dearly beloved, we are here to commend the soul of the Rt hon Lord Joseph Soap to God. Im sure there would be much to say. How many sermons are eulogies anyway. However "We are here to commend the soul of Miss Sarah Sixpence might be different. Sarah a quiet unassuming lady who lived her life and did nothing spectacular. Eulogies can be discriminatory by default. When I was in college we were taught that the redeeming power of Christ was to be the focus of a Funeral Sermon. Many who attend funerals are not "church literate" My belief is that Mass requiem or otherwise is not appropriate for a funeral. Sacraments are for the living-one would not annoint a dead person and many at a funeral mass would probably feel excluded from receiving Communion anyway-A service where one is invited but not welcome is a contradiction in terms. If I were organising a funeral I would like to imagen a service where the words of scripture and the families memories are tastefully combined to honour the deceased and praise God for his saving grace which in some way is dicernable in all of creation. (Ps We have just been to Ireland where we had a wonderful week. I showed Clarice around Knock Shrine. I'm sure I heard Sr Breege McKenna on the external Basilica P A saying something along the lines of -we should not believe something is true because our Bishops or Priests say so. However we should pray for our Church Leaders every day. We visited some religious goods shops & were not impressed with such items as a Crusifix with flashing l e d lights & a Padre Pio bust that had plasma flashes coming out of it. There were some nice figures of Mary though)

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  17. I know this is an older post, but the RC Church is not the only church with a problem with clericalism. In the Mormon church a few yrs ago the orders came from On High in Salt Lake that Mormon funerals would no longer allow "reminiscing" about the dearly departed. No more stories from the friends or family members, no more non-hymn music... In Mormonism we called that "priestcraft" rather than clericalism, but I guess it's the same thing.

    My younger sister attended a Protestant non-denominational church in Orange County California and when the pastor found out that a group of church members were having a weekly Bible study at someone's house and he didn't know it he threatened to excommunicate those who would not stop attending. How can you excommunicate someone from a church you started yourself only a few yrs earlier?

    Authority breeds People are people are people. As Sophocles wrote, "The tyrant is the child of pride," and leaders tend to be very prideful asses.

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