OPEN LETTER TO BISHOP NOEL TREANOR

OPEN LETTER TO BISHOP NOEL TREANOR

DEAR NOEL,

I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO YOU BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ON MY BLOG www.wisecatholic.blogspot.com ARE EXPRESSING GREAT DISSATISFACTION AND SADNESS ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF THINGS IN DOWN & CONNOR.

I WOULD PREFER TO SAY THESE THINGS TO YOU FACE TO FACE - OVER A CUP OF TEA OR DINNER - BUT SINCE YOU CAME TO DOWN AND CONNOR IN 2008 YOU HAVE IGNORED MY REQUESTS FOR A MEETING WITH YOU. 

YOU WERE PROBABLY ADVISED BY YOUR PREDECESSOR, PADDY WALSH AND OTHERS, TO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ME. HOWEVER, AS AN INTELLIGENT MAN, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IGNORING PROBLEMS DO NOT MAKE THEM GO AWAY. IN FACT, IF IGNORED, PROBLEMS FESTER AND OVER TIME GET WORSE. THE COVERING UP OF THE SEXUAL ABUSE IS A VERY GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT I MEAN.

I ALSO KNOW THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE DOWN & CONNOR AND THAT YOU DO NOT LIKE BEING HERE. I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE SAID THIS TO. 

APPARENTLY, AND SADLY, YOU DO NOT LIKE THE PRIESTS OF DOWN & CONNOR EITHER. YOU SAY THAT WHEN YOU HEAR FROM A PRIEST IT IS GENERALLY ABOUT SOME PROBLEM THAT THEY HAVE - OR THAT THEY WILL MAKE FOR YOU. PART OF ME CAN UNDERSTAND HOW YOU FEEL.

ON THE OTHER HAND, NOEL, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THE SPIRITUAL FATHER TO THE PEOPLE AND PRIESTS OF DOWN & CONNOR. EVERY FATHER HAS CHILDREN WHO ARE "PROBLEMATIC" AND OTHER CHILDREN WHO GIVE THEM NO PROBLEMS. NOEL, IT COMES WITH FATHERHOOD TERRITORY - EITHER GENETIC OR SPIRITUAL.

YOU SEEM TO HAVE A PROBLEM COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE. PRIESTS AND PEOPLE TALK ABOUT YOU AS "ALOOF" OR "CONDESCENDING". MAYBE YOU ARE SHY? MAYBE YOU INHERITED PERSONALITY TRAITS FROM YOUR MAMMY AND DADDY THAT YOU CANNOT HELP? BUT A BISHOP IN THE 21ST CENTURY - ABOVE ALL ELSE - HAS TO BE CAPABLE OF INTIMATE DIALOGUE - REAL LISTENING AND REAL TALKING. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THOSE GIFTS BY NATURE - YOU CAN ACQUIRE THEM. HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF GOING ON A COURSE TO ACQUIRE BETTER PEOPLE SKILLS? WHEN YOU HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE INITIAL DISCOMFORT - YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY ENJOY IT? IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SEEN ON SUCH A COURSE - EVEN IN THE US - THEN YOU SHOULD FEEL FREE TO USE D&C MONEY ON A PRIVATE PERSONAL PEOPLE SKILLS TRAINER. IT WILL BE AN INVESTMENT.

CAN I LIST A FEW OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU HAVE AS BISHOP OF D&C:

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1.    NEITHER PRIESTS OR THE LAITY HAVE ANY VEHICLE TO COMMUNICATE THEIR PROBLEMS, COMPLAINTS, CONCERNS, ETC TO YOU. WHY NOT SET ASIDE ONE AFTERNOON A WEEK TO MEET SUCH PEOPLE? YOU COULD ALSO SET UP A PERSONAL BLOG FOR PEOPLE TO COMMENT ON - SOMETHING LIKE www.bishoptreanor.blogspot.com

IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABUSIVE, OR UNJUSTLY LIBELLING PEOPLE, OR NAMING NAMES - THEM JUST "MODERATE" ALL COMMENTS LIKE I DO. 

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2.   MANY PRIESTS HAVE PROBLEMS AND ARE VERY LONELY. A BLOGGER YESTERDAY MENTIONED A VERY VALID POINT ABOUT PRIESTS HAVING 2,3 OR 4 FELLOW PRIESTS IN THEIR PRESBYTERIES IN THE 1970 + BUT ARE NOW LIVING LONELY, HERMIT LIKE EXISTENCES IN LARGE PRESBYTERIES.

I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SOME ON-GOING THOUGHTS ABOUT COMBINING PARISHES AND AND HAVING "TEAM MINISTERIES". WHY NOT HAVE A MINIMUM OF 3 PRIESTS LIVING TOGETHER IN ONE HOUSE - LIVING A COMMUNITY LIFE - PRAYING TOGETHER - GIVING EACH OTHER PROPER DAY'S OFF/

THE YOU COULD SELL A LOT OF UNNECESSARY PROPERTIES - OR EVEN SET UP A CATHOLIC HOUSING ASSOCIATION AND ALLOW HOMELESS PEOPLE AND FAMILIES TO LIVE IN THE UNREQUIRED PRESBYTERIES? 

IN DOING THIS YOU WOULD BE CREATING A WHOLE NEW GOOD REPUTATION FOR THE CHURCH - AS THE PROTECTOR AND ENABLER OF THE POOR AND HOMELESS.

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3.   YOU HAVE PROBLEMS IN MANY PARISHES - PROBLEMS WITH PRIESTS OR PROBLEMS BETWEEN PRIESTS AND PEOPLE:

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a. A BLOGGER YESTERDAY MENTIONED A PROBLEM IN PORTRUSH ?

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b. A LADY WHO CAME TO SEE ME LAST WEEK TOLD ME OF A GRAVE INJUSTICE SHE FEELS SHE HAS SUFFERED AS AN EMPLOYEE OF HOLY FAMILY PARISH BELFAST.

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c. THERE IS AN UNRESOLVED PROBLEM IN ST PETER'S CATHEDRAL.

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d. WHERE IS FATHER BRIAN WATERS WHO WAS TO GO TO HOLY FAMILY THIS MONTH?

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e. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO FATHER JOHN MC MANUS WHO HAS BEEN CLEARED BY THE POLICE OF ANY WRONG-DOING?

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f.  WHERE IS FATHER PAUL SYMONDS WHO HAS BEEN CLEARED BY THE POLICE OF ANY WRONG-DOING?

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g.  WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE "YOUNG MAN" WHO WE WERE TOLD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MONEY GOING MISSING FROM HOLY TRINITY, TURF LODGE, TOWARDS THE END OF THE LIFE OF MATT WALLACE RIP?

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h.  IS THERE A LARGE SUM OF MONEY HISTORICALLY MISSING FROM THE PARISH OF BANGOR ?

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i.  WHY ARE SO MANY DIOCESAN PRIESTS IN TEACHING AND ADMIN POSTS WHEN PARISHES ARE CRYING OUT FOR PASTORS AND CATHOLIC LAITY WITH ADMIN QUALIFICATIONS ARE UNEMPLOYED AS A RESULT OF THE RECESSION?

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j.  WHAT ARE THE FULL FACTS ABOUT BISHOP PADDY WALSH NOT ACTING SWIFTLY AGAINST THE PAEDOPHILE PRIEST, FATHER JAMES DONAGHY - CURRENTLY IN PRISON?

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k.   IS THERE A PROBLEM BETWEEN THE PRIEST AND THE PEOPLE IN LIGONIEL PARISH?

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l.  IN HOW MANY PARISHES IN THE DIOCESE ARE PARISH PRIESTS BULLYING PARISH WORKERS AND THE LAITY?

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m.  WHY DID THE SEMINARIAN - JOHN PAUL LYTTLE - FEEL HE HAD TO FLEE THE DIOCESE FROM FEAR OF JAMES DONAGHY - AND WITH NO SUPPORT FROM PADDY WALSH ?

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n.  WHY DO PARISH PRIESTS IN THE DIOCESE FEEL THAT THEY CAN INTIMIDATE FUNERAL UNDERTAKERS IF THE DECEASED'S FAMILY WISH TO HAVE ANOTHER PRIEST CELEBRATE THE FUNERAL? OR WHY DO THE SAME PRIESTS THINK THAT THEY CAN DICTATE THE TIME OF THE FUNERAL?

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o.  WHY DO THE RELATIVES OF THE DYING HAVE TO RING AROUND AND AROUND PRESBYTERIES BEFORE THEY CAN FIND A PRIEST TO COME AND GIVE THEIR LOVED ONE THE LAST RITES?

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NOEL, THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT COME AT ME ON A DAILY BASIS THROUGH TELEPHONE CALLS, MY POST, MY EMAIL AND MY BLOG.

THE PEOPLE OF DOWN & CONNOR ARE CRYING OUT FOR COMPASSION, FOR LEADERSHIP, FOR JUSTICE, FOR THE TRUTH, FOR TRANSPARENCY, FOR ACTION.

I REALISE THAT BEING A DIOCESAN BISHOP TODAY IS PROBABLY A "CROWN OF THORNS".

BUT WE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS MUST TAKE UP THAT CROSS, EVERYDAY, AND FOLLOW HIM.

IF WE DO NOT WANT TO - OR IF WE ARE UNABLE - OR IF WE FEEL STUCK - THEN DO WE NOT HAVE THE MASSIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS THE BATON ON TO THOSE WHO WILL AND WHO CAN?

NOEL HEADING HOME TO BRUSSELS ?

BENEDICT DID THAT THIS YEAR - AFTER RECOGNISING THAT HE WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM - AND NOT PART OF THE SOLUTION

SURELY THE GREATEST FAILURE OF ALL - IS THE FAILURE TO RECOGNISE THAT WE ARE FAILING?

+ PAT