Monday 22 August 2016

MAYNOOTH - FIRST YEARS!

MAYNOOTH - FIRST YEARS 


On correspondent stated that a mere SEVEN first year seminarians entered Maynooth Seminary. This must be the smallest intake ever?

Anothet one has said the number is 19.

19 is better than 7.

But it is still 7 short of a seminarian for 26 diocese.

And of course some of those 7 / 19 will leave.



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LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP DIARMUID MARTIN



Dear Diarmuid,

Its now been a few weeks since the MAYNOOTH GAY SCANDAL broke and in that few weeks we have learned:

1. YOU are the only Irish Bishop with enough integrity and honesty to speak openly about this problem and accept that there is indeed a serious problem with Maynooth.

2. Your feet are sufficiently on the ground to know what the GRINDR APP is and speak about it in a down to earth way that people could grasp and understand.

3. You are the only Irish Bishop that has ACTED on the problem - in the sense that you are taking seminarians out of Maynooth and sending them to Rome. 

4. You have made your position on gay men in the priesthood known - that is that a non sexually active gay man who embraces celibacy is in the same position as a non sexually active heterosexual man embracing celibacy. 

In other words you are not discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation - but in keeping with your Church's teaching you are saying that you expect all priests and seminarians to be celibate. 

Up to now you have acquitted yourself very well in the eyes of the Irish population and no one can accuse you of discrimination, dishonesty or hiding your head in the sand.

We all know that the price you will have to pay for that is INCREASED ISOLATION among the Irish Bishops.

But you accept that as the price that has to be paid for honesty and integrity. Well done.

THE FUTURE:

You are now faced with some immediate decisions with regard the fall out from this scandal.

DEACON MICHAEL BYRNE:




We are told that this week you have an meeting meeting with DEACON MICHAEL BYRNE.

We hope that he will tell you the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

But that is up to him. I am sure that he has some clerical "JOB'S COMFORTERS" advising him on how to "handle" you at the meeting. 

He himself has publicly admitted to being gay and to having "come out" to his parents at the age of 13.

Being gay, as you rightly hold is not a bar on him continuing to priesthood.

The big question is: Has he being sexually active? Is he still sexually active? Will he continue to be sexually active?

There seems to be no "forensic" evidence about this question in the public areana. 

But the information is that he has been, until very recently at least a GRINDR man. The information is that he has been "active" with a number of people.




And you must ask yourself how can he afford a car, luxury clothes, luxury holidays and luxury dining?

And you must ask yourself why he has needed to stay over in the Pro Cathedral Presbytery?

And why was he treated to a champagne reception and a fine dinner at the Pro Cathedral to celebrate his diaconate?

Leaving sex aside for a moment - are those other activities things that you would expect from a trainee priest within 10 months of his priestly ordination?

Of course Deacon Byrne deserves justice.

But if you go ahead and ordain him in 10 months time without resolving these fears about him among the public and the People of God it will seem - to use your own phrase - a most quarrelsome matter. 

SEXUALLY ACTIVE PRIESTS:




The Birds in the Trees in Dublin know that there are sexually active priests in your archdiocese.

This has been confirmed to this Blog a great deal in the past few weeks. One priests even called Dublin a "cesspool of priestly promiscuity".

Some of these sexually active priests are gay. Others are heterosexual. 

What are you going to do about this?

You say you need evidence and proof.

Of course that is true - but if you are in touch with the diocese - and I'm sure you are - you know what's going on. 

These men are not committing any civil crimes. But they are - according to the taechings of your Church - committing moral and canonical crimes.

You are not a member of the Garda. You are not a civil judge. So you are not bound to the same degree of forensic proof as these are.

You can act and act decisively.

Again, if you do not people will ask what you are at? 

And it could get to the point where people will suspect you of having "strange" reasons for not acting.

You are 71 going on 72. In 3 years times you will have to retire. Surely you must want to leave your successor a cleaner diocese?

Sincerely yours,

Pat


SEMINARIAN BRENDAN MARSHALL OF ARMAGH:


Seminarian Marshall's TWITTER account has been silent for a while - but now he is back TWEETING from a retreat in a Cistercian Abbey !!!

Mr Marshall has been mentioned in the recent Maynooth dispatches. 

Why is he on retreat in Roscrea? Was it his own decision or did EAMON MARTIN send him there for a period of reflection?

And if you were on a retreat in a strict-ish place like Roscrea - why in God's name would you be TWEETING from there?

A retreat is about going on an inward journey - not about talking to the whole world.

Are some of these Maynooth seminarians actually addicted to their mobile telephones and what you can do on them?

Maybe Maynooth should ban seminarians having mobile phones?

It would be one way to stop them being on Grindr - at least when they are in the seminary. 






BRENDAN IS PRAYING FOR THE NEW FIRST YEARS:





By all accounts they will need the prayers.

Let's just hope that they will be safe from the PREY-ERS !!!


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

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TODAY'S CATHOLIC CARTOON:



24 comments:

  1. Snow white Connolly and the seven.....

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  2. Maynooth is finished.

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  3. What?!!!!! So just SEVEN future financial parasites this year?!!!!!!!

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    Replies
    1. Only seven new Grindr accounts :-(

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  4. Oh no! Pat has fucked up here? 19 started yesterday Pat... 19. Sack your Dublin correspondent!!

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  5. Before I left Dominic Conway wanted me to go to stroud My reaction could be summed up with a second word of off. Thing is a person who is "compromised" my go on retreat or engage in treatment with the best will in the world but old habits die hard. This is not a policing matter of the rank and file soldiers but an organisational nightmare that needs a full overhaul of the "company" Accountability Fidelity Faith and trustworthiness are essential criteria for all affiliated members of the organisation

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  6. If they claim the figure is 19, or whatever, be sure to subtract the number going to the Wing next month, which is in the region of 5. That gives you the actual intake for Maynooth.

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  7. Congrats and well done to those entering this year. Maynooth seminary together with the facilities of the University are fantastic. Its a great little town. Walking up and down the corridors of the seminary you get a great feel for the history of the place. Proud to be educated at St Patrick's College Maynooth and as a lay student I can honestly say my education is well rounded with fantastic lecturers. once again well done to the lads and we'll be supporting ye and keeping you all in our prayers.

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    Replies
    1. I studied theology in Maynooth as well. It is not a Catholic institution. Some of my lecturerers hated the Church.

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  8. Whats the wing?

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    Replies
    1. The Wing is part of St. Malachy's College in Belfast - seminarians from some Northern dioceses attend it for their first 3 years and do philosophy at Queen's University. They then transfer to Maynooth or Rome for theology.

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  9. Blog quiet today. Has Pat been kidnapped by a band of black clad ninjas from Maynooth?

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    Replies
    1. No Pat is still free :-)

      Maybe people are suffering Maynooth weariness?

      But for those of us who care - the problem is still there.

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  10. Pat
    What ever became of that sabre rattling solicitors letter you received? Did they realise they were lighting the blue touch paper....?

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  11. The legal profession are a bit like the formation team.... amoral (imoral?) All a bunch of Gobshite vultures....someone pass me that f**kin shotgun.

    Rasputin

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  12. Pat
    As an aside to the Gaynooth thing I would like your blog to explore the clergys unhealthy relationship with money and money and un registered donations. A friend of mine visited his mother recently and was shocked to see £200 sitting on the kitcken table. He told her off and she went on to explain that it was for the parish priest and he comes every month for his 'donation'. Turns out that as older people draw closer to the pearly gates they are more susceptible to the gimme yer money and I will get you into heavan routine!

    Lets stop these vultures

    Rasputin

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    Replies
    1. Friggin' right! My poor old mum, 84 yrs old and with Alzheimer's, gives her parish priest hefty (and I do mean 'hefty') Mass donations. This has bothered me a lot for some time, but I can't reason with her.

      'm sure the pp just loves visiting her (the f****r!)

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    2. MourneManMichael23 August 2016 at 09:45

      It's good to see others raising the matter of "donations". I've mentioned it before here querying if any legal eagles had knowledge of the legal position concerning such payments , ...usually to the PP, priests of the parish, the clergy etc in wills, but often as cash in hand, for, as Rasputin aptly puts it above, the RC clergy in Ireland leech after the frail elderly.
      ["Leech after old widows and lust after young widows springs to mind but let's not go there just now!]
      So again I'm asking if there's any legal precedents known relating to RC church donations which might put a stop to what seems to be a regular occurence.
      MMM

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  13. Indeed. Worth exploring. I knew of one old lady who left £70000 in cash to her parish AND her house. In the "parish accounts" the following year there wasn't a mention of it. Perhaps some of the priest contributors to this blog can explain what accounting conventions are used to illustrate these type of transactions

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  14. One of the contributors in the wake of Tootsie O Brien's departure said that he wished the matter relating to one of his women friends had gone to court. Do you know what that was all about.
    Dalriada Dick

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  15. The accounting system is called rob-yee -blind and fuck the lot of yee! Why dont Irish catholics focus more on how their donations are squandered?
    The accountant.

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  17. Deacon Michael Byrne has beautiful hands - his fingers are so long & slender - very elegant! Isn't it said that the size of a guy's hands and feet says a lot about the size of his penis? I'd love to find out for myself!!!

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