Saturday 25 January 2014

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF TOM O'GORMAN

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF TOM O'GORMAN
TOM O'GORMAN AND HIS LARGE HOME IN DUBLIN

Tom O'Gorman, the Irish right wing Roman Catholic activist was buried yesterday in Castleknowck, Dublin.

Mr O'Gorman was murdered a couple of weeks ago by his Italian "lodger" Savario Bellente. 

SAVERIO BELLENTE




The more disturbing reports at the time of the murder spoke of the crime taking place during the playing of a chess game and of Bellente eating some of Mr O'Gorman's organs. Bellente is now in the care of the doctors at Dublin's central criminal hospital and his future is in the hands of those doctors and the Irish courts.

All in all is was a dreadful and shocking tragedy.  

I had never heard of Tom O'Gorman until this terrible incident. Researching him since he was obviously a very right wing Irish Roman Catholic who wrote and campaigned against issues like Gay Marriage, gay parents being allowed to adopt children etc etc.

In my experience I have often found that fanatical and right wing Roman Catholics often have private lives that do not accord with their public utterances.

For instance there was Father Michael Cleary - a columnist with the newspaper THE IRISH CATHOLIC who preached conservative Roman Catholicism but who had a secret wife and children in the background.
CLEARY, PARTNER AND ONE CHILD


The Irish Catholic itself has some interesting skeletons in its cupboard which I will deal with on another occasion


There was Bishop Eamon Casey who was a pillar of the Irish Catholic Hierarchy who had engaged in a passionate affair with Annie Murphy and had a son called Peter who he chose to ignore for many years.
CASEY


We have all the scandals of the sexual abuse of children by priests and Christians and Brothers and the scandals of the Magdalen laundries.

We have had the international cover ups of all these scandals by popes, cardinals and bishops.

We have had Cardinal Keith O Brien of Scotland campaigning against gay rights in Scotland and latterly being exposed as actively gay himself.
O'BRIEN


Sometimes in the Roman Catholic Church those who "protest" the most have the most "interesting" of private lives.

I am sure that Tom O'Gorman (RIP) is now with Jesus in Heaven. But there are many journalists and ordinary people thinking that there is more behind the O'Gorman story than has yet been revealed.

I think that they are right - and in the world we live in today that hidden background is going to be revealed sooner or later.

In the Ireland of today the Catholic Church and the Catholic Right can no longer keep its secrets and scandals under wraps.

Bishop Pat Buckley
25.1.2014






35 comments:

  1. I am a Priest in a diocese in the west of Ireland. I have to say that I am of the genearation of thinkers like the deceased (God Have Mercy) and his friend and Irish Catholic pillar Michael Kelly!! I can say with hand on heart Bishop Pat that you are on to a winner!!

    Your information is NOT so far away from the TRUTH!

    God Bless Brother.

    Fr. West

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    1. Father West,

      Thank you for your comment. It seems to me that the very birds in the street are talking. Our Church really needs to sort out its attitude to human sexuality so that people will not be living double lives. I do not know the Michael Kelly you speak of.

      Pat

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  2. Eamon Casey gave a retreat I attended once in Athenry. He was a strong talker & I was just over a year ordained. My head was in a mess because I had not articulated the whole celibacy issue. I had gotten realy drunk & I should have seen the danger signs about what was going on in my head. Its easier to be logical looking back than looking forward. I say that about myself looking back on me as a young man. As for Mr O Gorman and some bloke eating human organs-rings of Shakespeare methinks-Sean

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    1. Sean,

      You may not have been in touch with all that was going on in your head. But by the looks of it the retreat giver Casey was not in touch with his head either.

      Pat

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    2. Dear Fr in Cork. There is a duty of care at stake here and possible criminal proceedings if young people in a school setting are being approached in an inappropriate manner by somebody in authority. My instincts on this say inform the Gardai of your suspicions-Sean

      Delete
  3. Bishop Pat,

    I am an elderly priest in Cork. I am very worried about one of the younger priests in this area who is obviously gay and who is hanging around with younger lay men and sexually involved with them. He has a very unhealthy interest in young men from the Leaving Cert class in one of our schools. I know when he was in the seminary he was very sexually active both within the seminary and outside it. He also had a very unhealthy relationship with a very senior person in our church. I have tried to convey my worries to the church authorities and have basically been told to "mind your own business". I am waiting for a great scandal to break out. Sadly our Church has not really changed at all but only made noises to keep the public and media happy. I and other like me feel helpless. God help us!!!!!

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    1. Dear Brother,

      You are right to be concerned about your brother priest - who is obviously walking a tight rope. It is 30 years since I discovered that church authorities do not want to hear the truth. I'm afraid your younger priest is heading for trouble. I think I may know who he is.

      Pat

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  4. Father in Cork,

    I understand how bad you must be feeling. I used to be a housekeeper in a curates house in the Sunny South East of Ireland. I found two priests in bed together one day and did not know where to look. Before that I had found gay tapes in the priest's bedroom and magazines. I am a catholic wife and mother and never missed mass. All I could do was tell the parish priest. He was embarrassed and told me to leave it with him. But nothing happened. If I found things like that under my own seventeen year old sons bed I would be horrified and worried. I have stopped going to mass now. Why is God allowing all this to happen?

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    1. Dear Priests Housekeeper ( or ex housekeeper ??? )

      I am sorry that you had to see and hear things you should have never seen or heard. You did what you could telling the PP. Even if he told the bishop the only thing that would have happened would that the curate would have been moved to a new parish.

      Why not go to Mass in another church where you do not know the priests?

      Its a pity you miss Mass and Communion. But even without it as a good wife and mother you are serving God. The big mistake we all made in the past was equating the bishop and the priest with God. God help God !

      Pat

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  5. As a sinner priest I have to say that I find nothing a shock anymore. I left seminary in the early 00's and began my ministry as a priest. I thought that I was going into the service of people, however, I found myself being served and trusted whenever I did NOT deserve it. The Pople of God are still very vunerable, esp in the rural Ireland in which I am served and attempt the serve.

    It is the older clergy who put me under a lot of stress NOT to be 'service' orientated! As for the faithful speaking above all I can say is, what do we expect? Our Church is powerful, it will chew you up and spit you out without a second Christian thought.

    After 10 plus years of service I keep my head down, attempt to serve more than being served and keep up the pretense of being a 'good company man'! In terms of theology & spirituality I just get on. As for 'sexuality' I am blessed wih the balance to have urges and deal with them in a mature, safe, adult and faithful manner. I don't know if I am right or wrong, but I am faithful, but even this has its consequences, however, I find fulfillment in the form of service, if I am given the freedom to do so!

    Reform, reform and reform - please let us reform.

    Rural Priest

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  6. Exodus 1:21
    And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.

    1 Samuel 2:36
    Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, "Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat."'"

    Priest's serve the Lord please.

    Lay Man and Parent

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  7. Honestly, it wouldn’t occur to me to change parishes because the I don’t care for the clergy; I love my church, and that is unaffected by the personalities of the clergy on staff at any given time. Far more problematic, in my opinion, is when the PP is not just someone who rubs you the wrong way, but rather someone with poor interpersonal skills. When the leadership neither values, nor creates, nor expects am atmosphere of communication, but rather fosters dysfunction, people stay *despite* the clergy.

    Our Church is dysfunctional, but I stay anyway for now.

    Mary

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  8. There’s certainly a big difference between not liking your PP and a PP who is destructive or abusive and ignores serious issues. One you can get over, the other needs an intervention. I do not think our Church can self police, tragic!!

    I keep my distance.

    Jim

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  9. The catholic church is rotten to its core, why oh why do Catholics not FORCE change. Just my opinion!

    Bill

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  10. I am not a Catholic, but even I believe that the current Pope is one of the best things to happen to the RCC in the past 50 years.

    This man wants to focus on loving people - and the point is????

    As far as homosexuality is concerned, the RCC has lost it's credibility when it comes to leading/teaching on these topics. The RCC has spent too much money and time playing politics, and covering up it's own sins and crimes!! Blaming gays for the crimes of pedophiles and the corrupt is just ridiculous - are people not aware of the fact that there have been many women and female children victimised as well? And the best way to limit elective abortions is to use BIRTH CONTROL, and even the RCC endorses the practice of non-medical alternatives, which that in itself is just that - birth control

    Maybe people should spend less time complaining, and more time practicing what they are preaching. The very clergy hide from their own Church in trying to life a full human beings.

    As a gay man, a professor of philosophy and Catholic I say that these men are cowards in every sense of the word. Sorry to be so abrupt.

    John


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  11. You all seem to have gone away from the topic. Were Tom O'Gorman and Saverio Bellente gay lovers and was the murder a crime of passion?

    And if so what does that say about Tom O'Gorman's central role in promoting right wing Roman Catholic values?

    Eugene - Dublin

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  12. Eugene,

    What makes that any of your business?

    MK Dublin

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  13. MK - What makes it my business? The facts that it was a horrible public crime in the city in which I live - the fact that my taxes will pay for the investigation - and the fact that right wing Irish Catholics are trying to dictate how my country should be governed.

    And that's only for starters

    Eugene

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  14. Tom O'Gorman's personal life in NOBODY'S BUSINESS. Yes, he did a lot to try and save Ireland from going down the atheistic and secularist route which leads to social anarchy and chaos. The Catholic Church may have its problems but it is the ONE TRUE CHURCH set up by Jesus Himself to save the world. Ireland is part of the world that needs to be saved. You are either on the side of Truth or you are on the side of Evil. It would be interesting to know the state of your private life, Eugene.

    MK - Dublin

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  15. MK - My private life is not "interesting" at all. Late 30's, wife and 2 kids, work hard everyday, Devote evenings and weekends to family, shopping and doing odd jobs. Have an odd beer watching football. Reserve Sat night for dinner with wife at home with bottle wine. Member of parents committee at local school. Two weeks cheap family holiday package in July.

    Not political. No desire to turn my country into a theocracy. Live and let live. Drive 10 year old car.

    Not member of any church. Never read The Irish Catholic. Never send money to Iona Institute. Have no "lodger". Don't live in Castleknock. Think what consenting adults do in private their own business. Would not subject my wife to either abstinence or checking the "tackiness" of her fluids. Eat Lamb's liver but not heart. Would not let my children anywhere near a Catholic priest. Have no sexual fantasies about Swiss Guards. Have no secret children. Have never aroused a priest in confession by telling him any dirty thoughts. Never knew Michael Cleary, Eamon Casey, Brendan Smyth or Ivan Payne. Have never visited the woods behind Maynooth for sex in the trees.

    Boring life really.

    Eugene

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    1. ....I imagine its the bushes not the trees. Lol.

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  16. I just listen to Eugene and his ONE TRUE CHURCH nonsense!! Eugene would you please inform the World Council of Churches, the Ecumenical Desk in the Vatican and all Episcopal Conference who dopple in the odd discussion about matters that Devide and enlighten them of your discoveries! That R.C's are GOOD & TRUE & everyone else are EVIL & FALSE!

    Please, please tell me that you are not advocating this view?? Dear God have mercy!! Our Church is the largest child abusing international organisation in the world - is this TRUE & GOOD! (Source UN). Please do not tell me that it was just a few etc, it was systemic!!!!

    Please get out of the Iona Institute and get busy in rational thought please!!

    Catholic Theologian & Priest - P.S. I have never harmed anyone in my LIFE. MK I DO NOT blame you for your thoughts, if I were to have children today I would be the same, I commend you for your protection which should extend behond Church etc!

    Dublin

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    1. Contributor,

      Its MK and not Eugene you mean I think?
      Pat

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    2. I beg your pardon Pat, was tired when I wrote that, had a very hard day today.

      Delete
  17. I'm a former Roman Catholic now for 17 years and can surely testify about the lies I was taught as a Roman Catholic, comfortable and appealing lies. Hard for those not raised Catholic to grasp how anybody with common sense can really place any faith in the traditions and rituals of Rome. The average Roman Catholic is downright ignorant about the roots of Catholicism and what it teaches in writing, not to mention Biblically ignorant! I say that charitably but honestly, it's just plain willful ignorance and laziness and refusal to move from that comfort zone.

    My own family is still primarily Catholic, and I've shown them time and again factual secular writing (and catholic writing) and history about their beloved Catholic church that doesn't even faze them; they just refuse to believe the truth and sputter and get mad... Myth and tradition have a terrible hold on people, and God help you when you attempt to get through that to show someone the truth.

    Eugene, I am not false, I am not evil. My Church is not in every courtroom in every country of the world being tried for the most evil of crimes against the most innocent of God's Children!! Are you blind, deaf anf thick or are you plainly in denial about who and what you are. Do not dare tell me that I am wrong and you are right. You R.C's have been proven to tell lie after lie in every arena of your dealings.

    Mary - Christian and Good.

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  18. The Catholic Church cannot tell the truth, it is beyond it! Liar liar pants on fire - Eugene.

    Mark - Ex-Catholic and Proud Christian

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  19. What this article doesn't touch upon is the misery created by the Catholic Church with so many of these mandates (for lack of a better word). Sure, 500 years later no one remembers them. But what about the suffering of the mothers who were told their unbaptised infants would float around in Limbo for eternity? What about gay people who are told if they act upon the sexual preference we now know they were born with, they're sinners? We may not remember the Church's silly and sometimes savage mandates 500 years later, but the misery and suffering it caused people, happened. They are all hypocrites - COME OUT into the light.

    Claire

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  20. I agree with your entire post!

    I would also add , "...the misery and suffering it caused people, happened." that the misery and suffering continues to this day. The mental anguish and torment created by threats of everlasting dam nation is heinous. The RCC is guilty itself of many, many injustices to humanity and they continue to be so. IMHO, of course.

    Protect your children from these vile people.

    Fra

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  21. Fire any priest, bishop, cardinal, pope, etc. that was involved in or covered up child rape and turn over names and any other evidence to the UN.
    Make priests and nuns follow the same rules.
    Allow women to hold the same positions as men and vice versa.
    Allow priests to marry and allow married people to become priests.
    Stop condemning birth control.
    Stop condemning homosexuality.
    Stay out of politics.
    Ban any political activity from church property and church sponsored events.
    Open up the vatican archives for study by anyone.
    Do not make Pope John Paul II a saint (because of his role in covering up child rape).
    Pay taxes on any income that is not directly used for charitable causes.
    Do not take any tax dollars from any government for church activities.

    Martin

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  22. How sad it is that people feel so free to condem something that brings so much meaning and positive value to others. The positive impact of the Church is completely ignored here. Balance is good.

    Jay

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  23. It isn't surprising at all when so many priests have abused children and when the Church worries more about litigation or its priests than it does about children. It isn't surprising when the intent behind NFP and contraception is the same and contraception use is a mortal sin. It isn't surprising when the rationale for a male priesthood is more or less that we've always done it that way when we may not have always done it that way. When you want people to believe in an unseen but all powerful deity, your credibility on other things must be pretty solid.

    Den

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  24. Too late for me. Their credibility went as soon as I learned critical thinking skills. I decided then that they would not think for me. I am not part of the club, and do not intend to be. People like Eugene are like those who deny Science etc! Scary crazy people to be avoided at all costs.

    Educated ex-rc from Dundalk

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  25. The Catholic Church could actually be a force for good but not as it currently exists. It is an outdated model that serves no purpose for humanity in its current form. First, stop molesting children. Second, the Church must become democratic. No more of this Pope is like God and the King of the Kingdom. That's laughably insane. The modern world knows better.

    "The reforms include ending mandatory celibacy, opening the priesthood to women, and involving the laity in decision-making." -- Agreed.

    If it can't change then close it down, and sell the assets. Feed the world.

    Josh

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  26. The Church was originally interested in social justice. Jesus was a progessive. The early Chritians were primarily women and slaves. Today it is only interested in maintianing its regal spelender and supporting the wealthy and powerful who donate large sums of money. It is only intesested in perpetuating the status quo.

    They scare me, my brother a PP in D&C is very very conservative, closed minded and even cruel to those who are not in their camp!!

    K

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  27. The First Reason I Left Is Because The Catholics Do Not Have The Right Attitude Toward The Truth.

    To illustrate what I mean by this, I will explain the difference in the two sides. Those with the right attitude toward the truth are always willing to test what they teach with others. They invite those of opposite views to work together for truth and unity. They appreciate when those who differ with them point out where they think they are wrong. They have everything thoroughly tested, studying arguments both for and against, looking at both sides of the question.

    Those with the wrong attitude toward the truth are not willing to test what they teach in fair and open discussion, privately or publicly. They do not invite others to point out where they think they are wrong, and do not appreciate when others try to do so. They won't allow their members to hear both sides of an issue, and especially they don't want them to examine opposing arguments.

    Hopefully, one can now understand what I mean when I said the Catholics do not have the right attitude toward the truth. Catholics are not allowed, and especially are not encouraged to hear both sides regarding truth and error. They are not to read books which differ from their doctrine. Thus, they are encouraged by the clergy to be closed minded to anything which differs from Catholicism. We ask, "Why don't Catholic officials encourage their members to examine opposing Scriptural teaching?" False teachers have learned that when truth and error are examined side by side, some begin to see the truth. False teachers are afraid of being exposed and of losing their members.

    Patrick

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