FATHER BARTLETT AND THE "FAIRY CAKE" ROW
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| O Lord help me resist Fairy Cakes" |
Recently, Fr Timmy Bartlett, the media adviser to the disgraced cardinal, Sean Brady, issued a statement to the BBC which read: "I will be writing today to those groups from the gay community, with whom I have had a very constructive and ongoing engagement in recent years, to say that I am withdrawing my engagement until the right of all people, in this case Christians, to freedom of conscience is vindicated and respected by the Equality Commission and the gay community.
Father Bartlett has broken off all relationships with gay people because the Northern Ireland Equality Commission is taking legal action against Ashers Bakery for refusing to fulfill an order to bake a cake for a gay event.
Ashers refused to bake the cake because it offended their "Christian" principles!
I always knew that we called those little cakes "Fairy Cakes" but I thought that bakeries were in the business of baking cakes to their customer's requirements?
It does not seem to me to be good business sense to refuse to bake a cake for a particular community.
It would be like Ashers saying that they were refusing to bake a cake for a Roman Catholic Christening ceremony because it offended their Reformation principles!
It would be like Ashers refusing to bake a cake for Jewish Holocaust Remembrance Day because the Jews killed Jesus!
It would be like Ashers refusing to bake a cake for a Roman Catholic Bible Conference because the Catholic Bible has more books in it than the Protestant Bible!
I find it very difficult to believe that Ashers is being genuine in this matter. If they are being "genuine" then it means that Ashers is being run by people who are blinded by a very non Jesus like type of Christianity.
To me their decision smacks of homophobia posing as religion - a pretty awful and disgraceful type of religion.
Would ASHERS make a BOMB CAKE for the British Army Bomb Squad?
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Would ASHERS make a CONDOM CAKE and would Father Bartlett support their civil right to make a condom cake?
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Would Ashers make a GENETIC ENGINEERING CAKE and would Father Bartlett support their civil right to do so?
FATHER BARTLETT:
Has Father Bartlett nothing to worry about except the Equality Commission taking Ashers to court for refusing to make a gay cake?
Would it not be a better use of his time for Father Bartlett to worry about some of the following:
1. The fact that his former boss, Cardinal Brady, has just resigned after covering up for the serial sex abuser Father Brendan Smyth?
2. The fact that, at the latest figure, some 115,000 US priests have sexually abused minors.
3. The fact that the majority of Roman Catholics in Ireland, especially in the cities and towns, have little or no respect left for his corrupt institution.
4. As a Vicar for Roman Catholic Education - the fact that the vast majority of so called "Catholic" teachers do not believe in his precious Catholic doctrines and dogmas.
5. As a Vicar for Roman Catholic Education the vast majority of the children he is pushing through his school sausage system will only use his church buildings to facilitate their social celebrations of baptism, communion, marriage and death.
Also Father Bartlett needs to be reminded that his stance is very much at odds with the position of Pope Francis who has told the world he does not want to judge gay people!
If Pope Francis came across the celebration of a Gay Wedding and was offered a piece of the wedding cake I am quite certain he would accept and eat it.
Does Father Bartlett want to be more Catholic than the Pope?
Those of us clergy who know / know about Dear Father Timothy would be quite certain that the same gentleman would like to be Bishop Timothy some day - preferably as soon as possible.
Does he think that being more Catholic than the Pope will get him that mitre?
Is the cake pictured just below the cake he longs to eat?
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I know that Father Timothy is just too virtuous ever to be tempted with the temptations of the flesh.
But I wonder if he were tempted what would be his preference - THE FEMINA ERECTA or THE HOMO ERECTUS ?
Now there's an interesting question!
Timmy, if I were you I'd stay out of the kitchen and the pastry shop and concentrate on the priesting" and I'd leave the poor Gays alone.
Ashers have plenty of lawyers and supporters. You do not need to be getting your soft hands all messed up in the mixing bowl. It will play havoc with your cuticles!
Pat
To me their decision smacks of homophobia posing as religion - a pretty awful and disgraceful type of religion.
Would ASHERS make a BOMB CAKE for the British Army Bomb Squad?
Would ASHERS make a CONDOM CAKE and would Father Bartlett support their civil right to make a condom cake?
Would Ashers make a GENETIC ENGINEERING CAKE and would Father Bartlett support their civil right to do so?
Has Father Bartlett nothing to worry about except the Equality Commission taking Ashers to court for refusing to make a gay cake?
Would it not be a better use of his time for Father Bartlett to worry about some of the following:
1. The fact that his former boss, Cardinal Brady, has just resigned after covering up for the serial sex abuser Father Brendan Smyth?
2. The fact that, at the latest figure, some 115,000 US priests have sexually abused minors.
3. The fact that the majority of Roman Catholics in Ireland, especially in the cities and towns, have little or no respect left for his corrupt institution.
4. As a Vicar for Roman Catholic Education - the fact that the vast majority of so called "Catholic" teachers do not believe in his precious Catholic doctrines and dogmas.
5. As a Vicar for Roman Catholic Education the vast majority of the children he is pushing through his school sausage system will only use his church buildings to facilitate their social celebrations of baptism, communion, marriage and death.
Also Father Bartlett needs to be reminded that his stance is very much at odds with the position of Pope Francis who has told the world he does not want to judge gay people!
If Pope Francis came across the celebration of a Gay Wedding and was offered a piece of the wedding cake I am quite certain he would accept and eat it.
Does Father Bartlett want to be more Catholic than the Pope?
Those of us clergy who know / know about Dear Father Timothy would be quite certain that the same gentleman would like to be Bishop Timothy some day - preferably as soon as possible.
Does he think that being more Catholic than the Pope will get him that mitre?
Is the cake pictured just below the cake he longs to eat?
I know that Father Timothy is just too virtuous ever to be tempted with the temptations of the flesh.
But I wonder if he were tempted what would be his preference - THE FEMINA ERECTA or THE HOMO ERECTUS ?
Now there's an interesting question!
Timmy, if I were you I'd stay out of the kitchen and the pastry shop and concentrate on the priesting" and I'd leave the poor Gays alone.
Ashers have plenty of lawyers and supporters. You do not need to be getting your soft hands all messed up in the mixing bowl. It will play havoc with your cuticles!
Pat
That Rosary Cake is hilarious with the priest's collar effect. Anyway this was a very unhelpful blog. I'm on a diet and now I'm craving cake.... Think you might have a point overall though.
ReplyDeleteTimbo and THE FEMINA ERECTA or THE HOMO ERECTUS ?
ReplyDeleteAn interesting question indeed??? Any prizes for guessing correctly?
Yes - the first prize is dinner with Timbo Bartlett at The Coq au Vin in Bushmills.
DeleteThe runner up prize is a years supply of sour dough from Ashers.
Dear Pat,
ReplyDeleteFr Timothy is a very able Priest, articulate and urbane one might say, however I feel he has made an error of judgement in this case, by getting involved in it in the first place. Once again the Church "shoots itself in the foot", by choosing a battle that it cannot win, and opening itself up to the charge of intolerance.
The moralistic outlook that has dominated Catholic church life over the last century must give way to a less fearful view of humanity in all it's various guises. The present day church in Ireland fights daily for containment and control, whilst the people in the pews long for meaning and mystery - a tragic mismatch which leaves both parties frustrated and disappointed. It does not have to be this way; the 'Church ego' needs to give way to something much greater than itself, the Holy Spirit who comes to lead us into new ways of living with, and loving our neighbour.
Priest of Down & Connor.
The southern irish response -in my opinion- to alleged impropriety is say nawthing (nothing) and quietly carry on. Gay cakes? Find another bakery. Religious sensitivity real or perceived runs deep in the "wee north" Perhaps the Baker in question believed he was following the dictates of an informed conscience. There may be many in the American Bible Belt of like mind. Over here we have a taxi firm who respond to customers requests to send a "local driver" Technically this could potentially be viewed as discriminatory practice. The proof of the cake is in the eating. Bon Appatito tuti! Sean
ReplyDeleteIf Timothy Bartlett ever rises to be a bishop, he will be one of those "peacock" bishops recently described by the Pope who do not serve but preen themselves. Why is he so desperate to be a bishop anyhow? And what on earth is a "Vicar for Social Affairs"? Why is he not serving in a parish during a time of scarcity? if he can't 'priest' then he certainly shouldn't 'bishop'. This phenomenon of the wannabee bishop is bizarre and surely a sign of a very defective character. From what I hear, the man is very immature and has been a 'climber' since his student days. Lets hope the peacock's wings get clipped.
ReplyDeleteWhat you neglect to mention, and it's a subtle omission, is that Ashers were asked to inscribe the words "support gay marriage" on the cake.
ReplyDeleteI am sure Pope Francis, whom you quote when it suits your argument, would not be advocating that slogan. Rather he would advocate tolerance.
This article is a right recipe of dissent indeed with sexual abuse, sexuality issues, hatred of Roman Catholicism all rolled into one with a quite clear inference about the sexual orientation of Tim Bartlett. Hardly anyone's business / even if they happened to despise the man and his manicured digits.
A legend in the Great Diocese of Down and Connor is recorded thus: With the Chrism still glistening on Timothy's manicured hands, at the Banquet held in his honour after his priestly Coronation, the Spirit of the Lord seized upon a young silver-haired deacon who, in the Presence of no less a personage than the Papal Nuncio's Secretary and his two comely young gardener companions, spake forth thus: "Today, it is Father Timothy Bartlett. One day, we will say, My Lord Timothy Bartlett!!!" And Timothy, bowing his head, in deep humility, was heard to breath: Behold, the Handmaid of the Lord...."
ReplyDelete