Friday 9 June 2017

NEW BISHOP OF RAPHOE


Image result for father alan mc guckian
Alan Mc Guckian

It was announced this week that the new RC bishop of Raphoe is the Jesuit priest Alan Mc Guckian



Alan is 64 and is from Cloughmills in County Antrim. He has two brothers who are also Jesuits - Michael and Barney McGuckian.

He will be consecrated a bishop on August 6th and at his age will be Bishop of Raphoe for 11 years.

People have been asking me if I knew him and what I thought of him.

As far as I can remember I think I only met him on one occasion. He was attending the annual general meeting of the Association of Catholic Priests in a north Dublin hotel and I was also present.

Most of the people at the meeting - especially the clerics - avoided me as if I had the plague. But in fairness to Alan he came over to where I was sitting at a tea break and spoke to me.

I thought that it was nice of him to approach and be seen talking to a church leper.


I have been aware of him in the local diocese of Down and Connor as the co-ordinator of the project called LIVING CHURCH.


Image result for living church

I believe that Living Church is one of those modern Catholic Church projects that is all about EXPENSIVE COLOURED BROCHURES, FANCY TALK, ENDLESS MEETINGS, SOUNDBITES etc but offers very little to Joe and Mary in the street.




It also makes bishops and priests look as if they are busy and doing lots - when in fact they are just farting about.

They do not address the real issues like sexuality, celibacy, divorce and the evaporation of vocations to the priesthood.

I believe that many priests and bishops do not believe or pray.

I think that Alan McGuckian both believes and prays.

COURAGE?

One of the great virtues lacking in RC clergy - priests and bishops - is COURAGE.

Has Alan Mc Guckian courage?

I'm afraid not.

You get appointed a bishop in the Catholic Church only when you are A SAFE MAN - A COMPANY MAN.

Alan is a safe man and a company man.


THE SACKING OF A DEACON ELECT:

Alan was one of the people in charge of the Permanent Diaconate Programme in Down and Connor diocese.

In recent months one of the deacons elect was put off the programme for being a witness at the civil wedding of a long time friend.

It was claimed that he attended and took part in a ceremony that was "against Catholic teaching".

A Day & C priest says that Alan McGuckin was one of those who "delivered the blow".

He later asked the deacon elect's "forgiveness".

What was all that about?





Image result for no balls

When Alan joins the Irish bishops will he sort out the "goings on! at Maynooth etc?

I'm afraid not.

The RC Church in Ireland needs a skillful and radical surgeon to cut away all the disease.

Alan is no surgeon.

Rather he is a practioner of ecclesiastical PALLATIVE CARE.

He, with others, who mean well, smile, look kindly, will administer the morphine (religiousity  and Living Church programmes ) to the dying body ( the RC Church) and keep things sedated and pain free until the inevitable happens - and all according to God's Will and church teaching.

Alan McGuckian is a "nice man".

It would be hard not to "like" him.

He would be great to have a cup of tea with.

He believes what he believes and says his "prayers".


But! He's no prophet!

You will not find him taking the Jesus whip to cleanse the temple of the clerical "wheelers and dealers".

But then - such a man who never be appointed a bishop in the RC institution.


And of course..............................he is a Jesuit!

Will the Irish Catholic Church be worse because of his episcopacy?

Probably not!

Will it be better?

Probably not!

As a Raphoe priest said yesterday: "We could have got worse".

Now that's true.

Image result for jesus on courage

93 comments:

  1. So Alan Mc Guckian is apparently lacking in lots of ways then? Well that's not a bad start. Both the Old and New Testaments and the present day are full of instances where God chose a less than likely person for the job. So, will he be a success? We don't know. People have to be allowed to be themselves... achieve in a way that's true to them. Someone else might approach things a different way.

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    1. True. We can judge him by his operations as a bishop.

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  2. good luck to him I say. he needs it

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    1. He will. He is becoming a bishop during the decline of the RC Irish project.

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  3. MourneManMichael10 June 2017 at 02:33

    Just a few short weeks ago Jeremy Corbyn was being written off as weak and washy and a 'no-hoper.'
    How things have changed!
    I always liked the idea of a 'dark horse' emerging from the field to confound.
    Good luck Alan. Ne lesse illegitimi carborundum!

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  4. Pat, what breathtaking arrogance you display in the invective you vomit out in this morning's post. You sit in judgment on a man, who by your own admission you spoke with over a cup of tea for a few minutes. Surely you can see this plank in your own eye? or have the years of estrangement from the mainstream church completely distorted your ability to see thing in any real objective way?
    Alan McGuckian has no need of approval from you. He has been chosen as bishop by Pope Francis - who knows him personally.
    So lay off the man Pat, he has a degree of goodness and integrity that you will never attain.

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    1. Am I not entitled to my opinion - especially on my own blog?

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    2. MourneManMichael10 June 2017 at 11:35

      Indeed you are Pat, like all of us.
      But sometimes it's better to keep your powder dry. Disgusted at 08.54 does have a point. Articulating an opinion backed up with relevant information or facts is much more convincing.
      The danger in expressing unsubstantiated opinions is that it potentially weakens other more substantial backed up expressions of opinion, and can diminish the stature of the "opinionated."
      MMM

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    3. I am 65. Involved in RC church for 47 years. I know my way around this organisation. I know all the "types". Spent 40 years watching and listening to Catholics of all kinds. My thoughts and opinions are based on vast experience.

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    4. MourneManMichael10 June 2017 at 13:06

      Not disputing your opinion nor its evidential basis. It's the public expression of it without some explicit substantiation I have a reservation about.
      MMM

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    5. In the Old Testament priests and prophets were two distinct classes of person. There are occasionally "prophetic" priests in the Church but really we need priests who will get on with the ordinary humdrum work of sanctifying the laity without drawing too much attention to themselves. I have known good and even heroic bishops but Helder Camara of Fortaleza was the only prophet among them I ever got to shake hands with. For the ordinary priest or bishop the occasional "prophetic" gesture goes a long way. The weakness of Pat's blog is its weird assumption that individual bishops somehow actually matter in the great scheme of things.

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  5. The 'G' in his name can easily be changed to 'F' should he scandalise the faithful readers of this blog.

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    1. I would be very surprised if he has any skeletons in his cupboard.

      His weakness in my view is his lack of action rather than his actions

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    2. I have a friend who is a nurse and she tells me you can often get some clues about what is wrong from the way a patient lies in bed. You can also get some idea of what a person is about by what they do with their life and where they end up.
      The obvious example is Pat Buckley: we know he sticks to his own ideas because he is always out of kilter with the institutional church, for example.
      I have a feeling that Pat isn't really separating people into types but recognising attitudes from behaviours and where people end up.
      It's only really detective work into human behaviour a la Miss Marple.
      In fact we all do this in other ways - we all judge people by their clothes, for example. And we can tell who are conformists and who are not.
      I just think that to get put in charge of any major project in the church indicates you've never rocked the boat. I think there is a tendency to forget the relevance of organisational and institutional behaviour in the church.

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  6. Last night we were at an informal get-together for one of the CoE priests leaving the diocese to take up an appointment in Liverpool. The local RC Padre was also present. He seemed no different on the outside than anyone else and had to be pointed out to me. We all agreed married clergy made sense. I briefly referred to Maynooth but we moved on quickly as it was a social occasion and not the place for pot stirring. The RC Priest was certainly aware of Maynooth.It was my first time to meet clergy from the deanery as my paid work has awkward shifts of 24 hrs. Everyone got on fine. No digs inappropriate humor or anything of that nature. Partners were welcome and part of the group. It is disgraceful that the Deacon you mention was sacked for attending a civil ceremony for his friend.We stand up on Sunday and talk about Jesus eating with scribes pharicies and sinners and this chap given the bullet for no valid reason. Hypocrisy.

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    1. And you would know a lot about hypocrisy. Not interested in your boring informal get together.

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    2. 13.06 Hi you again. If you are not interested why did you respond on here. Tell you what you ignore my posts and I'll ignore yours. Life is too short. We should all be appropriate when posting on here💒

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  7. I heard he was just Noels whipping boy, a figure head for Living Church and Permanent Deacons. Like the Jesuit Pope no real power on the ground,
    Fluent Irish speaker of course so he'll tick boxes in Raphoe. A media man as well with Thought for the Day etc.
    Why would they dismiss a man for attending a wedding Pat?I don't know of any canon laws that prohibited such an attendence, after all I've attended civil weddings myself as have you.
    Maybe the good thing about Alan is that he got through the net of shit Bishops and Priests to such a position. Never mind the fact that he is a Jesuit and not from the Merry Band of wannbe Diocesan troopers.

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  8. Pat what's your private e mail? I have a story which you could check using your contacts and which is shocking if true

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    1. Are we in danger of being scandalised again? I wonder.

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  9. McGuckian is a fine Antrim name...wondering about the Allen though
    Was there no saint name on baptism day...back then hmmmm

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    1. His baptismal name is Alexander. He's "Alan" for short.

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    2. He is the youngest of six children from a Cloughmills family.

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  10. Lovely post Sean, ignore the negatives
    Was at a mass in Sligo cathedral recently, lovely old fashioned building

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    1. 13.42.Thank you. I always pray for those in Sligo. Thanks for the good times Forgiveness for the bad and God's guidance going forward the

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    2. Your idea of going forward is joining an heretical, Anglican Church founded by Henry VIII, anti-Catholic, who murdered Catholics for their faith, stole vast amounts of Churches and land from Catholics. Are you a joke?

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    3. Sorry Pat, this is unrelated to the blog topic today. I was wondering did anything come of Amy Martin or his side kick reporting you to the PSNI? I know it's a good while ago and wondered if anything came of it? It seemed a totally pointless and sad exercise at the time. I'm asking this on behalf of my elderly father who has a very legalistic background. He said himself at the time to me that securing a prosecution in this case would be as effective as an ashtray on a motorbike.

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    4. I'm sorry Bishop Pat, I was unaware of this. I probably didn't read the blog during this time. I'm disgusted by this action and totally ashamed. Shame on you the Archbishop of Armagh.

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    5. I was interviewed on January 17th and told I would hear the outcome in 2 weeks.

      That was nearly 5 months ago.

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    6. Don't worry, Bishop Pat, it seems they will do anything to attack you.

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    7. I can't believe the Archbishop of Armagh reported you to the police, is this true? I'm only reading about this today and have no prior knowledge of this. I'm truly shocked if this is true? This must be the lowest of the low.

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  11. Pat the 'types' you speak of knowing are labels you have crested in your own head. People don't fit into best boxed you have created. Alan McGuckian is a fine man who gave 100% too every position he was assigned to. He wasn't a great reformer tackling controversial issues, rather a faithful servant of the Gospel. Priestrs aren't mavericks doing their own thing, that path leads to division. So leave the man alone. Remember three Gospel "the amount you give is the amount tyou will be given back.

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    1. Anyone wishing to save Roman Catholicism needs to be a GREAT REFORMER.

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  12. Fr McGuckian is a great priest and a great man. It's as if you're scared that if you don't write something critical that you'll lose your readers, it seems to be the nature of the blog now - maybe that's something to reflect on

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    1. I'm afraid you and I have very different ideas of GREATNESS!

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  13. There was no rumour in it, I did indeed attend a wedding in the capacity of Best man to a man who was a Good Samaritan to me. I bore witness to a Catholic divorcee who deserves an annulment from his first marriage because of validity. If this man asked me to die for him then Id gladly do it.

    The Formation team knew months in advance that I was attending the wedding in this capacity they waited until 8 days before the event to say that I would be at odds with the church should I bear witness to this mans wedding. This response coming after consulting the Bishops office.

    In effect they were asking me to hurt the man for the sake of the diaconate, that was never going to happen. At the time I asked all where was the Mercy in this year of Mercy, what would Jesus have done and what laws was I breaking. Noel Treanor was asked for a dispensation but he passed the buck to his chancellor Eugene OHagan who again informed me that I would be at odds with the church.

    I understand to be at odds to not being in communion with and therefore by inference have self excommuniated myself from the RC governance of me. Of course there is more to this story which will come in time but it was all an orchestration by D&C.

    At the end of the day I was being dictated to without a fair hearing on circumstances.

    Yes I forgave Alan for any of his involvement in my demise but that does not mean he didn't play a role, which was dictated to by the Bishops office and the Formation team?

    AGAIN MY STORY IS MORE THAN THESE FEW LINES BUT THE FACTS ARE THERE I BLAME DOWN & CONNOR.

    I wish Fr Alan every blessing.

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    1. I and others KNOW you suffered a great injustice.

      What I cannot understand is anyone, especially a Christian, standing by and allowing such an injustice to occur.

      But sometimes those turning a blind eye to an injustice are rewarded.

      "What would it gain a man if he won the whole world yet suffered the loss of his soul"?

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    2. And these situations of being forced to choose are often created in 'formation' - often to get rid of the candidate by setting the price too high. Did they want rid of you anyway and used this golden opportunity?

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    3. Fr. McGuckian has at least the unusual merit - unusual at least in most members of the hierarchy - the ability to apologise.
      He does deserve some considerable credit for this.
      Never admit to error or apologise are apparently regrettable characteristics of lots of our ecclesiastical superiors - some having caused severe distress and suffering to those in their care!!!

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  14. Do we know anything about the following two:

    Michael Brynes and Cathal Geraghty , both clonfert priests?

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    1. They need a blog bp Pat

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    2. 16.42.😷I am not responding to any more of your posts. Pat please monitor inappropriate content aimed at persons rather than content. As I said life is too short. This blog should be a safe yet challenging environment. I believe the poster is verging on religious discrimination

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  15. Another Disgusted10 June 2017 at 16:39

    Yes Pat, your approach to every faithful cleric seems to want to label them so that you can then dismiss them out of hand. Some men are content to be obedient and to grow where they're planted; hardly a crime! Let's have some positivity for a change or do you only do nasty and negative?

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    1. To obey bad laws ans bad institutions is in my mind always wrong.

      We need more HOLY DISOBEDIENCE!

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  16. Someone shows you kindness by speaking to you when you are ostracised. And the best response you can muster is this? I'm hard pressed to imagine that Fr McGuckian would write the same about you if the situation were reversed. I suggest you take some time to go on a retreat and reflect on where you are at spiritually Bishop Pat.

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  17. No posts since 14:35 His Lordship must have a knackers wedding.

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    1. His Lordship had no wedding today and would never call any human being a "knacker"!

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    2. What a vile person at 17.49, probably in Church tomorrow playing all high and mighty. Nasty human being.

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  18. If the mistress is a whore it does not mean the faithful servant is a whore or at all involved in the whoring. All it means is that the faithful servant is a servant of the whore.

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    1. But might the servant not think of finding a more worthy master / mistress?

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    2. I presume we are talking about the Whore if Babylon? Belfast Prod.

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  19. Bishop Pat, any idea why a bishop doesnt wear his skull cap anymore. I have seen John Kirby never wears his anymore , even when he was in the adlimina visit with the pope. What is the reason?

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    1. Don't know.

      Kirby always dressed very casually - grey suit, grey shirt etc.

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  20. Speaking of Ad Limina's you should see Bishops in Rome for such occasions. They are all in the clerical outfitters shops flashing their Diocesan credit cards and buying the best of everything. It's a sight to see and it's worth watching. Do you ever get the chance to be in Rome Pat? I'm just wondering how they treat you there?

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    1. I have not been in Rome for a while.

      I occasionally order items from Roman church suppliers.

      I am treated like any priest / bishop.

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  21. It must really pain you Pat that Ireland continues to top the table of practicing Catholic in Europe. While tens thousands attend Mass each week you minister in what looks like a converted garage to a handful of like minded crackpots. Very sad Pat. What became of the great New church you were founding a few weeks back? Died through lack of interest I imagine.

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    1. Tens of thousands also follow Scientology, The Moonies, The Mormons, etc etc.

      As Gandhi said: "When a million people follow you ask yourself where I have gone wrong".

      No child has ever been abused in my little chapel.

      No nun raped or murdered.

      There are no babies buried in my sewerage tank.

      The ICC is at the planning and launch stage. There are no problems with it.

      By the way: Jesus was born in a stable - the modern equivalent of a garage :-)

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  22. Of course you wouldn't call anyone knackers they're your biggest source of income!

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    1. I have served The Travelling Community for 40 years.

      They do not account for my main source of income.

      There are many many good members of this Community.

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    2. 20.03 Your everything that's wrong about humanity. Horrible and disgusting person. If nobody has told you that before, let me be the first.

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    3. "You're everything.." is the correct form in your sentence.

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    4. 20:03, Preach it sister!!!

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    5. When I find the right man I'll have a gay wedding and I'd like pat to officiate.

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    6. And Pat will be very honoured to ask God's blessing on your love and legally officiate at your marriage.

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  23. Pat, you could drop with a coronary any day (and I do not wish that upon you) you really should seek reconciliation with the church before that happens. Do you seriously believe that God will buy the line that you knew better than the universal church? The son of man comes at an hour you do not expect.

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    1. Reconciliation with what I regard as evil? Never!

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  24. Better get a move on Pat you're no spring chicken.

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    1. am quite at peace with God. 

      What will God do with pope's, bishops, priests, nuns and Christian brothers who abused or hid abuse?

      With nuns who buried 700 babies in a sewerage tank?

      With bishops and priests who raped and murdered nuns?

      With nuns who enslaved girls in Magdalen laundries?

      With clergy who stole the money of the poor?

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    2. God is forgiving Pat! And if God forgives all of the above, he will forgive anyone!

      People are opening their eyes, they are starting to see through the Catholic Church as an institution, the church need to move fast! I'm very much at peace with God and my faith!

      What can I say about Maynooth! Thank God the story broke before I made a life changing decision! Far I can see the more wrong you do the better you get on in the institution! Saying that there are some very good Priests out there, hands are tied so to speak!

      My God is merciful and forgiving and want me to do good in life! Not the jealous unmerciful, unforgiving God, your going straight to hell business!!

      Change begun long ago, if they like it or not!

      Regards,
      An almost Seminarian

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    3. Excellent.

      But remember God wants you to be his servant.

      Explore how he wants you to do that.

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    4. @21.57
      "You're going.." is the correct term.

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    5. @22:21 Thanks Grammar police! hope I may be forgiven... :)

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  25. Oh Pat. The Lord will deal with them too. Look to your own salvation.

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    1. I was saved on the First Good Friday when Jesus died for me and my sins.

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  26. But you must make that salvation your own before it's too late.

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    1. Sounds Pat as if you have bought into the reformed doctrine of assurance.

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    2. I don't really think about it as a doctrine.

      I know I am a hopeless sinner.

      I know Jesus is my all powerful Saviour.

      I try and live in gratitude for what He has done for me.

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    3. I see Leonard Feeney SJ is alive and well.

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  27. Just another faithful good priest. Not the type you like.

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    1. Faithful good priest? Who gor excommunicated before V2 for being too right wing? And at least one of the groups descending from his teachings is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center? Faithful and good to...?

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  28. Well at least we can agree on something, you're statement at 21:48 You are indeed a hopeless sinner

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    1. I am. And my only hope is my Saviour.

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    2. Fr Feeney sj was excommunicated by Pope Pius xii. Feeney claimed all non catholics were damned.ie you must be a formal member of the church to be saved. What has this got to do with Pat?

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    3. It has to do with the people telling him to submit to the church before he dies so that he isn't damned.

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    4. Pat 21.48 I think the Wesleys would approve 😀

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  29. Father's favorite line was Extra ecclesiam nulla salus, but he incurred the wrath of that old gladhander, Dick Cushing, who probably pushed Frannie of NY to get his old pal, Pacelli, to do the deed. The interesting thing is that Feeney was bringing in the WASPS into the papal church in droves. Jealousy!

    He did come back in the late seventies, and left a mixed progeny. Slaves and more Slaves as well as new church Benedictines. Talk about disturbing the Protestant tranquillity of the lovely, rural town of Harvard, Massachusetts and environs!

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  30. I have met Fr Alan on a number of occassions. I have found him to be a kind man who offered to pray for me. Sacred Space is a testiment to his desire to help people to pray and come closer to Christ. I think he would make a great Bishop. Why don't you just give people a chance before mouthing off about them. You come across as very bitter and twisted.

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